In what ways does Exodus 25:21 connect to the New Testament understanding of grace? Setting the Scene Exodus 25:21: “Set the mercy seat atop the ark, and put the Testimony that I will give you into the ark.” The Mercy Seat: Visual Aid for Grace - Mercy seat (kappōreth) = solid-gold lid covering the Ark - God’s presence manifests “above the mercy seat” (Exodus 25:22), signaling fellowship instead of fury - Cherubim overshadow the lid, picturing heaven’s watchful guardians over divine mercy (Hebrews 9:5) Grace Covering the Law - Stone tablets of the Law sit inside the ark; the mercy seat sits above them - The lid shields sinners from the condemning record beneath (Romans 3:19) - Picture fulfilled when “sin will not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14) Blood on the Lid, Life for the Guilty - On the Day of Atonement the high priest sprinkles blood on the mercy seat (Leviticus 16:15–16) - Life-blood interposed between God’s holiness and humanity’s sin (Hebrews 9:7) - Foreshadows “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22) Christ—The True Mercy Seat - Greek OT uses hilastērion (“place of atonement”) for mercy seat; Paul lifts the same word for Jesus: “God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice [hilastērion] through faith in His blood” (Romans 3:25) - Jesus unites what the ark only symbolized: • Perfect Law-keeper (Matthew 5:17) • Spotless sacrifice whose blood satisfies justice (1 Peter 1:18-19) • Meeting place where God and people are reconciled (2 Corinthians 5:18-19) Grace Accessed, Not Earned - The curtain that once hid the mercy seat tears when Jesus dies (Matthew 27:51) - “We have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19) - Therefore, “let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence” (Hebrews 4:16) Living Under the Better Covenant - Law engraved on stone now written on hearts (Hebrews 10:16) - Continuous cleansing replaces yearly ritual (Hebrews 9:11-12) - Unending acceptance stands in place of perpetual anxiety (Romans 8:1) Takeaway: Rest Beneath the Covering - God’s mercy seat was always more than furniture; it pointed to a Person - Grace today is not a vague sentiment but the concrete, blood-purchased favor found in Christ - The lid still stands—only now it is embodied in the risen Savior who invites every believer to dwell under His finished work |
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