What is the meaning of Exodus 40:20? Moses took the Testimony - The “Testimony” is the pair of stone tablets inscribed by God’s own hand (Exodus 31:18; Deuteronomy 10:1-5). - Moses’ personal act of taking them highlights his mediating role between the LORD and Israel (Exodus 19:3-7). - The tablets embody the covenant relationship: God’s words are central, tangible, and unchanging (Exodus 25:16). - By treating the tablets with such care, Moses underscores the holiness and absolute authority of Scripture (Deuteronomy 4:2). and placed it in the ark - The ark was designed specifically to house the Testimony (Exodus 25:21-22). - Setting the tablets inside says, “God’s covenant is secure and protected at the very heart of Israel’s worship.” - Inside the Most Holy Place, the ark becomes a throne-footstool for the invisible King (1 Samuel 4:4; Psalm 99:1). - Hebrews 9:4 reminds us the ark later also contained manna and Aaron’s staff—further witnesses to God’s faithfulness. attaching the poles to the ark - Poles were permanent fixtures (Exodus 25:12-15); they were never to be removed, stressing constant readiness to move when God led (Numbers 4:5-6). - Only Levites were authorized to carry the ark on their shoulders (1 Chronicles 15:15), showing reverence and obedience. - The poles kept human hands from directly touching the sacred chest (2 Samuel 6:6-7), guarding holiness and life. - Practical obedience—simple poles—matched profound theology: God travels with His people, yet remains set apart. and he set the mercy seat atop the ark - The mercy seat (atonement cover) formed the lid of solid gold with cherubim overshadowing it (Exodus 25:17-20). - Once a year the high priest sprinkled blood here for national atonement (Leviticus 16:14-15). - From above the mercy seat God spoke to Moses (Exodus 25:22), turning a place of judgment into a place of grace. - Romans 3:25 points to Christ as the true “mercy seat,” where His blood satisfies God’s justice and secures forgiveness. - Hebrews 9:5 calls this cover “the cherubim of glory,” reminding believers of heaven’s reality intersecting earth. summary Exodus 40:20 captures a deliberate, holy sequence: Moses secures God’s covenant words inside the ark, fastens it for faithful transport, and crowns it with the mercy seat where sin is met with grace. The verse unites revelation, covenant, obedience, and atonement—showing a God who dwells with His people, leads them, and provides mercy through blood, ultimately fulfilled in Christ. |
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