What is the meaning of Exodus 25:18? Make “Make” signals God’s clear directive to Moses. Nothing is left to guesswork; the pattern for worship originates with the Lord Himself (Exodus 25:9, 40). Obedience is the expected response (John 14:15). The tabernacle’s furnishings are not artistic whims but divinely ordered realities that mirror “the copy and shadow of the heavenly things” (Hebrews 8:5). By commanding that the ark and its adornments be fashioned, God is teaching that genuine worship always begins with His initiative and requires our exact compliance. two cherubim Cherubim first appear guarding Eden’s entrance after the fall (Genesis 3:24). Their placement on the ark reminds Israel of God’s holiness and the barrier sin erected. Elsewhere—whether in Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 6:23-28) or Ezekiel’s visions (Ezekiel 10:1-5)—cherubim surround God’s throne, emphasizing His majesty. The number “two” establishes valid testimony (Deuteronomy 19:15) and balances the scene so their wings can “spread upward, overshadowing the mercy seat” (Exodus 25:20). They face one another, yet gaze toward the cover, drawing all attention to the locus of atonement beneath them. of hammered gold Gold speaks of purity and incorruptibility (Revelation 21:18). Hammering indicates the cherubim were shaped from the same piece of gold as the mercy seat, not attached later. • This craftsmanship highlights unity: the cherubim and the cover are one, just as mercy and holiness are inseparable in God. • It also underscores permanence; the figures cannot be detached without ruining the whole. God gifted artisans like Bezalel “with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of craftsmanship” to accomplish such work (Exodus 31:2-5). The costly material and meticulous process remind worshipers that approaching God is never casual or cheap. at the ends Positioned on each end, the cherubim frame the mercy seat. • They mark off sacred space, declaring, “No further without blood” (cf. Leviticus 16:14-15). • Their outstretched wings create a canopy, evoking Isaiah’s vision where seraphim cried “Holy, holy, holy” (Isaiah 6:1-3). • Symmetry teaches order: worship must align with God’s precise arrangement, not human improvisation (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40). of the mercy seat The mercy seat (kapporet) is the solid gold cover of the ark. Here, once a year on the Day of Atonement, blood was sprinkled to “make atonement for the sins of the people” (Leviticus 16:15). The cherubim gaze on the blood-stained lid, foreshadowing Christ, whom God presented “as an atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood” (Romans 3:25). Hebrews 9:5 calls this lid “the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat,” insisting that the true fulfillment is found in the heavenly sanctuary where Jesus now ministers (Hebrews 9:11-12, 24). summary Exodus 25:18 commands Moses to craft two solid-gold cherubim permanently attached to each end of the ark’s cover. The verse unites God’s holiness (cherubim), purity (gold), initiative (make), order (ends), and mercy (seat). Together these elements reveal a holy God who provides a costly, blood-marked meeting place, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, our perfect mercy seat and living way into God’s presence. |
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