In Ex 25 we find the detailed description of the Ark of the Covenant. It belonged into the Holy of Holies because therein was the revealed Word of God. “And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.” (v. 21). The Ark of the Covenant was of great significance for the people of Israel for it contained the binding law for the people of the Covenant. The Word of God was the record of the Covenant (1 Kgs 8:21) that God had made with His people.

Not in the court yard, not in the sanctuary, but in the Holy of Holies, directly from the Ark of the Covenant the Lord God spoke to His servant Moses: “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.” (Ex 25:22).

In the same way that the High Priest offered the sacrificial blood on the mercy seat (Lev 16:14) so that the people would be forgiven all of their trespasses on the great day of atonement (Lev 16:17), our Redeemer sacrificed Himself as the Lamb of God for our sins and entered with His own blood the heavenly sanctuary and offered it upon the Ark of the Covenant; thus, the judgment seat became the mercy seat. “… but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” (Heb 9:12).

When He was dying, the Redeemer proclaimed, “It is finished …” (Jn 19:30). God has made a covenant with us; the way to the Holy of Holies has been opened.

“For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Mat 26:28).

When entering the Promised Land, the people followed the Ark of the Covenant, which was carried by the priests. The Jordan River parted when the carriers of the Word by faith in the Word of Promise stepped into the river and entered the Promised Land (Jos 3). Even the walls of Jericho collapsed when the people followed the Ark of the Covenant according to the Word of the Lord.

At the dedication of the temple, “… the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place …” (2 Chr 5:7). When the prayer of Solomon ascended unto heaven in unison with the worship of the people, the glory of the Lord filled the building.

The lesson here is: The Lord God had a divine order among His covenant people Israel, and His voice sounded from the mercy seat unto His servant, who passed it on to the people. Time and again, even at the consecration of the temple, the Lord warned His people against turning away from Him and His Word.

Sadly, the scribes later misled God’s people with their own interpretations so that the prophet had to rebuke them:“How do ye say, We arewise, and the law of the Lord is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them?” (Jer 8:8-9).

The same also happened in the course of the time of grace during the New Testament period and in our time as well. The Apostle Paul already announced it back then: “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. … And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Tim 3:13+4:4).

In Ex 25 we find the detailed description of the Ark of the Covenant. It belonged into the Holy of Holies because therein was the revealed Word of God. “And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.” (v. 21). The Ark of the Covenant was of great significance for the people of Israel for it contained the binding law for the people of the Covenant. The Word of God was the record of the Covenant (1 Kgs 8:21) that God had made with His people.

Not in the court yard, not in the sanctuary, but in the Holy of Holies, directly from the Ark of the Covenant the Lord God spoke to His servant Moses: “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.” (Ex 25:22).

In the same way that the High Priest offered the sacrificial blood on the mercy seat (Lev 16:14) so that the people would be forgiven all of their trespasses on the great day of atonement (Lev 16:17), our Redeemer sacrificed Himself as the Lamb of God for our sins and entered with His own blood the heavenly sanctuary and offered it upon the Ark of the Covenant; thus, the judgment seat became the mercy seat. “… but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” (Heb 9:12).

When He was dying, the Redeemer proclaimed, “It is finished …” (Jn 19:30). God has made a covenant with us; the way to the Holy of Holies has been opened.

“For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Mat 26:28).

When entering the Promised Land, the people followed the Ark of the Covenant, which was carried by the priests. The Jordan River parted when the carriers of the Word by faith in the Word of Promise stepped into the river and entered the Promised Land (Jos 3). Even the walls of Jericho collapsed when the people followed the Ark of the Covenant according to the Word of the Lord.

At the dedication of the temple, “… the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place …” (2 Chr 5:7). When the prayer of Solomon ascended unto heaven in unison with the worship of the people, the glory of the Lord filled the building.

The lesson here is: The Lord God had a divine order among His covenant people Israel, and His voice sounded from the mercy seat unto His servant, who passed it on to the people. Time and again, even at the consecration of the temple, the Lord warned His people against turning away from Him and His Word.

Sadly, the scribes later misled God’s people with their own interpretations so that the prophet had to rebuke them:  “How do ye say, We arewise, and the law of the Lord is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them?” (Jer 8:8-9).

The same also happened in the course of the time of grace during the New Testament period and in our time as well. The Apostle Paul already announced it back then: “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. … And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Tim 3:13+4:4).