“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.”
My Notes
What Does Exodus 25:22 Mean?
God is giving Moses detailed instructions for building the tabernacle, and here He describes the most sacred piece of furniture: the ark of the covenant with its mercy seat. And then God says something extraordinary: "There I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee."
God specifies the exact location of His presence: above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim, on top of the ark. This isn't a vague promise of divine accessibility. It's a street address. God tells Moses precisely where to find Him — and it's above the place of atonement.
The mercy seat (kapporet) is the lid of the ark, and it's where blood would be sprinkled on the Day of Atonement. God's meeting place with humanity is directly over the place where sin is covered. You don't get to God's presence by going around the blood. You get there through it.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does it mean to you that God specified exactly where He would meet Moses — that He gave an 'address'?
- 2.How does the connection between the mercy seat and meeting God shape your understanding of approaching Him?
- 3.Does the idea that you access God 'through the blood' feel abstract or personal to you?
- 4.Where do you go to 'meet with God' — and does that place carry the weight this verse describes?
Devotional
God gave Moses an address. Not a metaphor. Not a feeling. A specific, physical location: above the mercy seat, between the cherubim. That's where I'll meet you. That's where I'll talk to you.
This tells you something crucial about how God relates to people: He doesn't stay distant and unknowable. He condescends. He narrows Himself down to a spot between two golden angels on top of a wooden box covered in gold. The God who fills the universe says: here. Come here. I'll be waiting.
And where is "here"? Above the mercy seat — the place where blood is applied for the forgiveness of sin. God's meeting place is above the place of atonement. You don't bypass the blood to get to the conversation. The blood is the ground floor of every encounter with God.
In Christ, the mercy seat isn't a piece of furniture anymore. It's a person. Romans 3:25 says God set forth Jesus as a "propitiation" — the same word used for mercy seat. Jesus is where God meets you now. Not in a tabernacle. Not between golden cherubim. In Himself. And the access is permanent, open, and real.
God still has an address. It's the same one it's always been: above the mercy. Through the blood. Right there.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold,.... Cover it with a plate of gold, so that the wood was not seen; which may…
A mercy seat of pure gold - (Compare Exo 37:6-9.) In external form, the mercy-seat was a plate of gold with the cherubim…
And there I will meet with thee - That is, over the mercy-seat, between the cherubim. In this place God chose to give…
The first thing which is here ordered to be made is the ark with its appurtenances, the furniture of the most holy…
And there I will meet with thee An explanation (cf. Exo 30:6; Exo 30:36; also, with the peopleas the object, Exo…
Cross References
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