Describe Him: Merciful

This post originally started as a simple look at God’s mercy.  But I didn’t get too far before  coming across passages on the mercy seat...which is why this Describe Him post has morphed into a a closer look at God’s mercy, in light of the mercy seat.  

What was it?
Exodus 25 gives a good description of the physical piece of furniture in the Tabernacle called the mercy seat:
- There were cherubims on either side of the seat. (vs. 18-19)
- The cherubims’ wings covered the seat. (vs. 20)
- The seat itself was located above the ark of the covenant. (vs. 21)
- The testimony [of all God’s instructions] was beneath the seat (25:21-22, 30:6)
- It was located in the most holy place. (26:34)

From these descriptions, the mercy seat doesn’t sound all that scary.  It was simply a piece of furniture.

One more crucial tidbit:
The mercy seat was God’s meeting place. (Lev. 16:2,13, Num. 7:89.)  God spoke from the mercy seat. 
For this reason, there were meticulous instructions for the high priest who ever dared approach the mercy seat. 

Here are a few of those instructions (you can read the finer details in Leviticus 16):
- It was restricted to once a year, on a set date. (Lev. 16:29, 34)
- Only the high priest could ever go in. (Heb. 9:7)
- Approaching the mercy seat was for the intent of offering a sacrifice to make atonement for his own sins and for the sins of the nation of Israel. (Lev. 16:16, 33)
- The mercy seat had to be covered with the cloud from the incense, or else he would die! (Lev. 16:12-13
- These things were to be done every year. (Lev. 16:34)
Painstaking and tedious were the preparations for and the delivery of the atonement sacrifice into the holy place; the high priest dared not take any part lightly, for his very life was at risk. 

These were the requirements for making reconciliation between the all-holy and righteous God and sinful man.

An outdated statute

Such things are no longer needed: God has provided the sinless High Priest to make the perfect atonement for all sin, once and for all.

We have Christ, our High Priest. 
He entered once into the holy place(remember, the place where the mercy seat was)to make atonement for all sin—those past, present, and those yet in the future. (Heb. 9:12) However, later in Hebrews 9, verse 24 declares “Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”

Christ enters the very presence of God to make atonement for our sins—as the sinless High Priest.(Heb. 9:11)

Christ Himself was the sacrifice. (Heb. 9:12) 

(Think about that for just a minute: Christ was the High  Priest who brought His own blood for the atonement of sin into the very presence of God!  Wow.) 

Christ’s work was completed—nothing more needed done to satisfy the righteous demands of God’s holiness and justice—so He sits down on the right hand of God. (Heb. 10:12)

Salvation is now offered to all who place their trust in the saving blood of Christ. (Heb. 10:28)

And then the author of Hebrews says something that would have struck terror into the heart of any Old Testament high priest or Israelite (because of what we know of the mercy seat): 

“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus…Let us draw near with a true heart.” 

Christ’s blood has made the way for you and for me to stand where even angels fear to tread: in the presence of God!

Yes, God is a God of amazing mercy.