Exodus 25:19 Study Bible: Make one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end. You shall make the cherubim on its two ends of one piece with the mercy seat.

◄ Exodus 25:19 ►

one cherub on one end and one on the other, all made from one piece of gold.

Make
The Hebrew word used here is "עָשָׂה" (asah), which means to do, fashion, or accomplish. This command to "make" is not merely a suggestion but a divine directive, emphasizing the importance of obedience to God's specific instructions. In the context of the tabernacle, every detail was significant, reflecting God's holiness and the order He desires in worship.

one cherub
The term "cherub" comes from the Hebrew "כְּרוּב" (kerub). Cherubim are often depicted as angelic beings associated with the presence of God, symbolizing His majesty and divine protection. In the ancient Near Eastern context, similar figures were seen as guardians of sacred spaces, underscoring the cherubim's role in the tabernacle as protectors of the holiness of God.

on one end
This phrase indicates the specific placement of the cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant. The "end" signifies the extremities of the mercy seat, highlighting the balance and symmetry in God's design. It reflects the completeness and perfection of God's plan, where every element has its place and purpose.

and the second cherub
The repetition of the word "cherub" emphasizes the importance of these figures. The "second cherub" mirrors the first, suggesting unity and harmony in the divine order. This duality can also symbolize the balance of justice and mercy, two attributes of God that are perfectly represented in the Ark.

on the other end
Just as the first cherub was placed on one end, the second is placed on the opposite end, creating a sense of enclosure around the mercy seat. This positioning signifies the completeness of God's presence and the encompassing nature of His protection and glory. The cherubim, facing each other, create a sacred space where God's presence would dwell, reminding the Israelites of His constant watchfulness and care.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Cherubim
These are angelic beings often associated with the presence and glory of God. In the context of the Ark of the Covenant, they symbolize the divine presence and protection.

2. Mercy Seat
This is the cover of the Ark of the Covenant, representing God's throne on earth. It is where God would meet with Moses and communicate His will to the Israelites.

3. Ark of the Covenant
A sacred chest that held the tablets of the Ten Commandments, representing God's covenant with Israel. It was central to Israelite worship and symbolized God's presence among His people.

4. Tabernacle
The portable sanctuary where the Ark was housed, serving as the dwelling place of God among the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness.

5. Moses
The leader of the Israelites who received the instructions for building the Ark and the Tabernacle from God on Mount Sinai.

Teaching Points

God's Holiness and Presence
The cherubim and the mercy seat symbolize God's holiness and His desire to dwell among His people. We are reminded of the reverence due to God and the privilege of His presence in our lives.

Unity in Worship
The cherubim being of one piece with the mercy seat signifies unity in worship. Our worship should be unified and focused on God, reflecting His oneness and our collective devotion.

Christ as Our Mercy Seat
The mercy seat foreshadows Christ's atoning work. Just as the mercy seat was the place of atonement, Christ is our ultimate atonement, providing access to God's presence.

Obedience to God's Instructions
The detailed instructions for the construction of the Ark and its components teach us the importance of obedience to God's commands in our lives.

Symbolism of Protection and Guidance
The cherubim's role as protectors and guides in Scripture encourages us to seek God's protection and guidance in our daily walk.

Bible Study Questions

1. How do the cherubim on the mercy seat reflect the nature of God's holiness and presence in our lives today?

2. In what ways does the unity of the cherubim with the mercy seat challenge us to pursue unity in our worship and community?

3. How does the concept of the mercy seat as a place of atonement deepen our understanding of Christ's sacrifice?

4. What can we learn from the Israelites' obedience to God's detailed instructions for the Ark about following God's guidance in our own lives?

5. How can the symbolism of the cherubim as protectors and guides inspire us to seek God's protection and guidance in our daily decisions?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Genesis 3:24
The cherubim are first mentioned here, guarding the way to the Tree of Life after Adam and Eve's expulsion from Eden, symbolizing God's holiness and the separation caused by sin.

Hebrews 9:5
This New Testament reference to the cherubim over the mercy seat highlights their role in the Old Covenant and points to Christ as the fulfillment of the law and the ultimate mediator.

Psalm 80:1
This verse refers to God as the one who is "enthroned between the cherubim," emphasizing His sovereign rule and presence.

Sermons

The Ark, the Table, and the Candlestick	J. Orr	Exodus 25:10-40
What Must be Found with Every Soul that is God's Dwelling-Place	J. Urquhart	Exodus 25:10-40
Community Between God and Man	Homilist	Exodus 25:17-22
Condition of Communion with God	Watson, Thomas	Exodus 25:17-22
Lessons	W. Mudge.	Exodus 25:17-22
Meeting with God	J. Vaughan, M. A.	Exodus 25:17-22
The Ark and the Mercy Seat	T. M. Herbert.	Exodus 25:17-22
The Cherubim	E. E. Atwater.	Exodus 25:17-22
The Cherubim	R. Newton, D. D.	Exodus 25:17-22
The Cherubim	G. Rodgers.	Exodus 25:17-22
The Gospel Under the Law	J. B. Brown, B. A.	Exodus 25:17-22
The Mercy Seat and the Cherubim	D. Young	Exodus 25:17-22
The Mercy-Seat	G. Rodgers.	Exodus 25:17-22
The Mercy-Seat	R. Newton, D. D.	Exodus 25:17-22
The Mercy-Seat	W. G. Lewis.	Exodus 25:17-22
The Mercy-Seat	B. Beddome, M. A.	Exodus 25:17-22
The Mercy-Seat	Caleb Morris.	Exodus 25:17-22
The Mercy-Seat; its Symbolic Substance	George Junkin, D. D.	Exodus 25:17-22
He Maketh the Winds His Messengers, and His Ministers a Flame of Fire	G.A. Goodhart	Exodus 25:18-21

People

Israelites, Moses, Shoham

Places

Mount Sinai

Topics

Ark-cover, Cherub, Cherubim, Cherubs, Cover, Ends, Mercy, Mercy-seat, Ones, Piece, Seat, Thereof, Winged

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Exodus 25:10-22

4303 metals
7306 ark of the covenant

Exodus 25:17-22

4150 cherubim
6616 atonement, in OT

Exodus 25:18-21

5211 art

Library

The Bread of the Presence
'Thou shalt set upon the table shew-bread before Me alway.'--EXODUS xxv. 30. I suspect that to many readers the term 'shew-bread' conveys little more meaning than if the Hebrew words had been lifted over into our version. The original expression, literally rendered, is 'bread of the face'; or, as the Revised Version has it in the margin, 'presence bread,' and the meaning of that singular designation is paraphrased and explained in my text: 'Thou shalt set upon the table, bread of the presence before …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Golden Lampstand
'Thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold....' --EXODUS xxv. 31. If we could have followed the Jewish priest as he passed in his daily ministrations into the Inner Court, we should have seen that he first piled the incense on the altar which stood in its centre, and then turned to trim the lamps of the golden candlestick which flanked it on one side. Of course it was not a candlestick, as our versions misleadingly render the word. That was an article of furniture unknown in those days. It was a …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Eighth Day. Holiness and Indwelling.
And let them make me a holy place, that I may dwell among them.'--Ex. xxv. 8. 'And the tent shall be sanctified by my glory, and I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.'--Ex. xxix. 43, 45. The Presence of God makes holy, even when it descends but for a little while, as at Horeb, in the burning bush. How much more must that Presence make holy the place where it dwells, where it fixes its permanent abode! So much is this the case, that the place where God dwells …
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

April the Thirteenth Pure Gold
"Thou shalt overlay it with pure gold.... And there I will meet with thee." --EXODUS xxv. 10-22. I must put my best into my preparations, and then the Lord will honour my work. My part is to be of "pure gold" if my God is to dwell within it. I must not satisfy myself with cheap flimsy and then assume that the Lord will be satisfied with it. He demands my very best as a condition of His enriching Presence. My prayers must be of "pure gold" if He is to meet me there. There must be nothing vulgar …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

Concerning Jonathan, one of the Sicarii, that Stirred up a Sedition in Cyrene, and was a False Accuser [Of the Innocent].
1. And now did the madness of the Sicarii, like a disease, reach as far as the cities of Cyrene; for one Jonathan, a vile person, and by trade a weaver, came thither and prevailed with no small number of the poorer sort to give ear to him; he also led them into the desert, upon promising them that he would show them signs and apparitions. And as for the other Jews of Cyrene, he concealed his knavery from them, and put tricks upon them; but those of the greatest dignity among them informed Catullus, …
Flavius Josephus—The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem

How Intent the Ruler Ought to be on Meditations in the Sacred Law.
But all this is duly executed by a ruler, if, inspired by the spirit of heavenly fear and love, he meditate daily on the precepts of Sacred Writ, that the words of Divine admonition may restore in him the power of solicitude and of provident circumspection with regard to the celestial life, which familiar intercourse with men continually destroys; and that one who is drawn to oldness of life by secular society may by the aspiration of compunction be ever renewed to love of the spiritual country. …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
or, Gospel Light Fetched out of the Temple at Jerusalem, to Let us More Easily into the Glory of New Testament Truths. 'Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Isreal;--shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out hereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof.'--Ezekiel 43:10, 11 London: Printed for, and sold by George Larkin, at the Two Swans without Bishopgate, …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Work of the Holy Spirit in Prophets and Apostles.
The work of the Holy Spirit in apostles and prophets is an entirely distinctive work. He imparts to apostles and prophets an especial gift for an especial purpose. We read in 1 Cor. xii. 4, 8-11, 28, 29, R. V., "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.... For to one is given through the Spirit wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit; to another faith, in the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit; and to another workings …
R. A. Torrey—The Person and Work of The Holy Spirit

The Kingdom Forming
Exodus Page Leviticus Page Deuteronomy Page EXODUS I. Pictorial Device. Originate one, or omit. II. III. IV. V. 1706 B.C. to 1490 B.C., making 216 years. VI. 1. 1 to 18. Israel Delivered. 2. 19 to 34. Israel Taught at Mount Sinai. 3. 35 to 40. Israel Prepared for Worship. VII. Chapter 20.2. VIII. God Delivering a Nation. IX. 12:13: "And when I see the blood I will pass over you." 15:11. X. 1. Bondage. 2. 3. Burning Bush. 7-11. 12. 14. Red Sea. 15. 16. Manna. 20. 25 and 35. The …
Frank Nelson Palmer—A Bird's-Eye View of the Bible

The Word
The third way to escape the wrath and curse of God, and obtain the benefit of redemption by Christ, is the diligent use of ordinances, in particular, the word, sacraments, and prayer.' I begin with the best of these ordinances. The word . . . which effectually worketh in you that believe.' 1 Thess 2:13. What is meant by the word's working effectually? The word of God is said to work effectually when it has the good effect upon us for which it was appointed by God; when it works powerful illumination …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Man's Chief End
Q-I: WHAT IS THE CHIEF END OF MAN? A: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever. Here are two ends of life specified. 1: The glorifying of God. 2: The enjoying of God. I. The glorifying of God, I Pet 4:4: That God in all things may be glorified.' The glory of God is a silver thread which must run through all our actions. I Cor 10:01. Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.' Everything works to some end in things natural and artificial; …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

An Advance Step in the Royal Programme
(Revelation, Chapters iv. and v.) "We are watching, we are waiting, For the bright prophetic day; When the shadows, weary shadows, From the world shall roll away. "We are watching, we are waiting, For the star that brings the day; When the night of sin shall vanish, And the shadows melt away. "We are watching, we are waiting, For the beauteous King of day; For the chiefest of ten thousand, For the Light, the Truth, the Way. "We are waiting for the morning, When the beauteous day is dawning, We are …
by S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks on the Crowned Christ of Revelation

Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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