The Tabernacle - Ark of the Covenant and Mercy Seat (Daily Devotional)

Greetings and thank you so much for joining us today in our time of devotion, where we spend a few minutes in the word of God and prayer. This week, we are looking at tabernacle of Moses and the different elements/ pieces of furniture that was used in the worship of God and we are drawing insights of what that represents to us as New Testament believers. We have talked about the outer court, the holy place and separating the holy place and the most holy place or the holy of holies- the inner sanctum was a thick veil and the high priest went behind that veil only once a year on the day of Atonement. So, that was a very sacred place. The beautiful thing is that in the New testament, we know and the bible tells us in Mathew chapter 27, when Christ was crucified, the veil was rend into two and Hebrews chapter 10 says, He has opened up for us a new and living way through the veil so we no longer are standing in the outer court or in the holy place but every believer walks straight boldly in to the most holy place or the holy of holies because now the veil is open and we have access to the holy of holies through the blood of Jesus. But as we enter in and come into the very presence of God, we see the elements and the meaning they bear to us- the alter of sacrifice, the washbasin, the lampstand, the table of showbread, the alter of incense. Now we are going to talk about in the holiest of holies, there was the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat. The ark of the covenant was simply a box and, in that box, there was the tablets of the ten commandments that were given to Moses, there was Aaron’s rod that budded and manna that God had given to His people which was divinely preserved. So, in the ark of the covenant which represented the presence of God, inside that was the tablets which represent to us the instructions God has given to us, so the holy word of God. There was the manna which was God’s provision for us and Aaron’s rod that budded representing the priestly ministry. To us, of course it is Jesus Christ, the great high priest. So, the ark of the covenant representing the presence of God and in the holy place, God is saying, I’m engaging with you in my covenant through my word and my provision for you and through Christ, the great high priest. On top of the ark of covenant was the mercy seat. The New Testament actually refers to Christ in Romans chapter 3 as Christ as our mercy seat. On the day of Atonement, this was the place where the high priest brought the blood of the animal that was sacrificed and he sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat to make atonement for the entire nation. A powerful picture of Jesus Christ and God said, above the mercy seat, there will be my glory and my presence and I will speak to you right there. Today, we come boldly to the very presence of God, we have access to the very presence of God through the blood of Jesus Christ. A powerful picture of the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat. Thank God today, we can come boldly to the throne of grace because of the blood of Jesus.

Let us pray, Father, we thank you for the access we have to the holiest of holiest, to the very presence of God. We thank you for the covenant you have established with us, the word you have given to us, the provision – Christ, our great high priests and Christ, our mercy seat, in whom and through whom we commune with you and encounter you personally. Thank you for this privilege, we can come right in to the holy place before the throne of grace, fellowship with you, worship pray and petition before you, thank you for this, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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