Exodus 25:22

_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._ There I will meet with thee. The shechinah, or symbol of the divine presence, rested on the mercyseat, and was indicated by a cloud, from the midst of which responses were audibly given when God was consulted on behalf of His people. Hence, God is described as 'dwelling' or 'sitting' between the cherubim (Psalms 80:1: cf. Isaiah 6:1), whose wings were so expanded or disposed as, according to the view of some writers, to form the seat of God (cf. Psalms 18:10), while the ark

10-22 The ark was a chest, overlaid with gold, in which the two tables of the law were to be kept. These tables are called the testimony; God in them testified his will. This law was a testimony to the Israelites, to direct them in their duty, and would be a testimony against them, if they transgressed. This ark was placed in the holy of holies; the blood of the sacrifices was sprinkled, and the incense burned, before it, by the high priest; and above it appeared the visible glory, which was the symbol of the Divine presence. This was a type of Christ in his sinless nature, which saw no corruption, in personal union with his Divine nature, atoning for our sins against it, by his death. The cherubim of gold looked one towards another, and both looked downward toward the ark. It denotes the angels' attendance on the Redeemer, their readiness to do his will, their presence in the assemblie...

Verse Exodus 25:22. _AND THERE I WILL MEET WITH THEE_] That is, over the mercy-seat, between the cherubim. In this place God chose to give the most especial manifestations of himself; here the Divine glory was to be seen; and here Moses was to come in order to consult Jehovah, relative to the management of the people. Ainsworth has remarked that the rabbins say, "The heart of man may be likened to God's sanctuary; for as, in the sanctuary, the _shechinah_ or _Divine glory_ dwelt, because _there_ were the ark, the tables, and the cherubim; so, in the heart of man, it is meet that a place be made for the Divine Majesty to dwell in, and that it be the holy of holies." This is a doctrine most implicitly taught by the apostles; and the absolute necessity of having the heart made a habitation of God through the Spirit, is strongly and frequently insisted on

A MERCY SEAT OF PURE GOLD - (Compare Exodus 37:6.) In external form, the mercy-seat was a plate of gold with the cherubim standing on it, the whole beaten out of one solid piece of metal Exodus 37:7; it was placed upon the ark and so took the place of a cover. “mercy” seat expresses well the distinct significance and recognized designation of the Hebrew name. Exodus 25:18 The cherubim of the mercy-seat were human figures, each having two wings. They must have been of small size, proportioned to the area of the mercy-seat. Comparing the different references to form in this place, in...

EXPOSITION THE PATTERN OF THE ARK.—Moses is first shown, not the pattern of the tabernacle, but the patterns of those things which it was to contain—the ark, the table of shew-bread, and the seven-branched candlestick, or lamp-stand, with its appurtenances. The ark, as the very most essential part of the entire construction, is described first. EXODUS 25:10 THOU SHALT MAKE AN ARK OF SHITTIM WOOD. Arks were an ordinary part of the religious furniture of temples in Egypt, and were greatly venerated. They usually contained a figure or emblem, of some deity. Occasionally they were in the shape of boats; but the most ordinary form was that of a cupboard or chest. They were especially constructed for the purpose of being carried about in a procession, a

AND THERE I WILL MEET WITH THEE,.... With Moses, and so with the high priest in later times, when he should enter into the holy of holies, and with the people of God as represented by him, when he should go in and inquire for them of the Lord: AND I WILL COMMUNE WITH THEE FROM ABOVE THE MERCY SEAT, FROM BETWEEN THE TWO CHERUBIM; converse with him and them about whatsoever they should apply unto him for, these being the symbols of the divine presence: hence the Lord is frequently described as "dwelling between the cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony"; that is, which cherubim are upon it, being on the mercy seat, which was the cover of it; or rather "which is upon" s, which mercy seat is upon the ark of the testimony, as it properly was; and here the Lord promises to commune OF ALL THINGS WHICH I SHALL GIVE THEE IN COMMANDMENT UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL: what they shall do,...

Exodus 25:10. _And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about._ The ark of the covenant was the most sacred object in the tabernacle in the wilderness. It stood at the extreme end of the holy of holies. It was the place over which the bright shining light, called the Shekinah, which was the token of the presence of God, shone forth. The ark was, doubtless, typical of our Lord Jesus Christ. It was a sacred chest made to contain the law. Blessed are they who know the law in Christ. Out of Christ, the law condemns. In Christ, it becomes a blessed guide to us. This ark was made of wood, perhaps to typify the human nat

3. THE TABERNACLE AND THE PRIESTHOOD CHAPTER 25 The Tabernacle _ 1. The freewill offering and the materials (Exodus 25:1)_ 2. The ark (Exodus 25:10) 3. The table of showbread (Exodus 25:23) 4. The golden candlestick (Exodus 25:31) This is another intensely interesting portion of this great book. To give a few annotations and hints on the tabernacle is an extremely difficult task, for there is such a wonderful mine of wealth here that a book of hundreds of pages could not contain all. The tabernacle concerning which the Lord instructed Moses was the earthly place of worship of Israel; i

EXODUS 25:10 P. THE ARK (_cf._ Exodus 37:1). Three stages of tradition may be distinguished with regard to the Ark (pp. 105f., 123f.): (_a)_ In JE, and in the earlier historical books, it is the visible seat of Yahweh's presence, guiding and protecting His people. Various explanations are offered. Other ancient peoples carried images in similar chests; the ark may have held some such symbol; Kennett (ERE, vol. i. 791- 793) suggests the brazen serpent. Or it may have contained a stone from the sacred mount to serve as a throne for Yahweh as He went forth with His people to find a new home amongst men (_cf._ Naaman's mules-' burden of earth). But it is not thought likely that it originally held the tablets, which would be publicly exhibited not hidden from sight. Dibelius and Gressmann e

I WILL MEET. Hebrew meet as by appointment, and this, in the appointed place and way: "there". Compare Exodus 23:14; Exodus 29:42; Exodus 29:43; Exodus 29:45; Exodus 29:46; Exodus 34:22; Exodus 40:34; Exodus 40:35. THE ARK OF THE TESTIMONY. It has seven names: Ark of the covenant of Jehovah