The mercy seat of our forgiveness and justification

Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood… (Romans 3:25 KJV)

The Mercy Seat was the cover of the Ark of the Covenant in the Tabernacle in ancient Israel. It was made of gold with two cherubim facing each other.

God’s presence, seen as a visible cloud, rested on the Mercy Seat. He met with Moses and spoke to Him from the Mercy seat. Lastly, the high priests sprinkled blood to atone for sins on the Mercy seat. With this Old Testatment background, let us review Romans 3:25 again in the Amplified Version:

Whom God put forward [before the eyes of all] as a mercy seat and propitiation by His blood [the cleansing and life-giving sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation, to be received] through faith (Romans 3:25 AMP).

Paul states clearly that God has put Christ forward as a mercy seat. Jesus is the Mercy Seat of the True Tabernacle. He is “the cleansing and life-giving sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation”. It is in Him that God meets with humanity in mercy to cleanse us from our sins and lavish us with forgiveness. Jesus is the visible manifestation of God’s presence to humanity. The Israelites saw the cloud in the Tabernacle but saw God as a human being in Jesus. God came down Himself as a human being, met with us, offered Himself as a sacrifice to cleanse us perfectly from every sin in His abundant mercy!

MEDITATE

What is the Mercy Seat as seen in the Old Testament Tabernacle? How are the events foreshadowed by the Mercy Seat fulfilled in the life and work of Christ?

APPLY THE WORD

Christ is the Mercy Seat for your cleansing, forgiveness, and justification. He is the Place where God meets with you in an abundance of mercy. All of this is packaged and received by believing in it. You received it by faith at salvation. You continue to have it now by faith and not by works. Rest in your Savior!