5 Minute Read
Prepare Your Heart
To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.
Read God’s Word
A Verse for Today
Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.
Romans 3:25 (CSB): “God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed.”
Reflecting on God’s Word
The word translated “mercy seat” in the CSB is translated in other bible versions as “propitiation,” “sacrifice of atonement,” and “sacrifice for sin.” It is the Greek word “hilastarion” (ἱλαστήριον) and is a fascinating word choice for the biblical author. Let’s spend a few moments looking into it.
It is used only a few times in the New Testament, one of which is in the book of Hebrews. Here it is:
Hebrews 9:5 (CSB): “The cherubim of glory were above the ark overshadowing the mercy seat. It is not possible to speak about these things in detail right now.”
As the writer of Hebrews talked about the mercy seat, he clearly had in mind the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament Tabernacle and Temple. The Ark was the one piece of furniture that resided inside the Holy of Holies. It was a wooden box overlaid with pure gold. It had two golden angels that rested on either side with their wings forming a covering over the Ark. The mercy seat was the golden lid that rested on top of the Ark and below the angelic wings.
There were various things that rested inside the Ark, under the mercy seat. At one point, there was a jar of manna and Aaron’s rod that budded. But one thing that appears to have continuously rested inside the Ark was the stone tablets upon which were written the Ten Commandments. Listen to what the writer of 1 Kings said was in the Ark when Solomon completed the Jerusalem Temple and dedicated it to the Lord.
1 Kings 8:9 (CSB): “Nothing was in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had put there at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites when they came out of the land of Egypt.”
So, as God’s glory rested above the Ark in the Tabernacle and Temple, the stone tablets on which were written the Ten Commandments sat below Him. When God looked into the box below Him, He saw the Law that condemned all of mankind. As a just and holy God, He would have been right to look upon a sinful humanity, condemn us all, and send us all to a Christless Hell.
But there was a mercy seat that separated God’s glory and the Ten Commandments. On the Day of Atonement (described in Leviticus 16), the High Priest was to take blood inside the Holy of Holies and sprinkle that blood on and before the mercy seat.
Leviticus 16:14 (CSB): “He is to take some of the bull’s blood and sprinkle it with his finger against the east side of the mercy seat; then he will sprinkle some of the blood with his finger before the mercy seat seven times.”
So, as God looked down into the Ark and saw the Law that condemned all of humanity, He had to look through the blood in order to see the Law. The picture was that as God looked through the blood to see the Law, He acknowledged that His love and justice were demonstrated and satisfied. An innocent animal died, and its blood was applied so that the guilt of sinners could be overlooked.
The Mercy Seat, with the blood splattered upon it, is what satisfied God’s justice even in the presence of the Law. And the word for Mercy Seat is used to describe Jesus in the verse I chose for today.
Romans 3:25 (CSB): “God presented him (Jesus) as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed.” (emphasis mine)
Jesus is our Mercy Seat! If God were to look at the Law and then look at us, He would rightfully consign us to Hell forever. But for those of us who are trusting in Jesus to make us right in God’s eyes, God has to look through the blood of Jesus before He can see the Law. That means His love is demonstrated and His justice is satisfied because of Jesus. Jesus died in our place. He took our punishment. God’s justice is satisfied. And we are free from any condemnation … because Jesus is our Mercy Seat!
Praise the Lord!
Spend Time in Prayer
- Thank Jesus for what He has done on your behalf to make you right in the Father’s eyes.
Going Deeper
If you want to dig a little deeper into what it means that Jesus is our Mercy Seat, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:
“What does it mean that Jesus is the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10)?”
Sharing
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Matt Ellis is the pastor of White Hall Baptist Church in Richmond, Kentucky (whitehallbaptistchurch.org)
Matt’s Musings 