The Mercy Seat

The heart of worship in the spirit is usually at the mercy seat or throne of Christ. From the Old Testament when God asked Moses to build a tabernacle for Him, we see the mercy seat playing an important role in the worship of the Israelites. God mentioned to Moses that He would appear and commune with him from above the mercy seat which was placed in the holy of holies (Exodus 25:22). One thing that we should realize is that as much as God refers to it as the mercy seat, it came with various faces. The mercy seat was supposed to be a place where the people of God would obtain mercy whenever they went before God during worship. However, due to man’s sinful nature, the mercy seat also acted as a seat or throne of judgment. The psalmist confirmed this by saying that God prepared His throne for judgment (Psalm 9:7). For this reason God advised Moses to instruct Aaron not to visit the holy of holies whenever he felt like lest he died (Lev. 16:2). He even instructed Moses that Aaron should put incense on the fire before the Lord so that he doesn’t die (Lev. 16:13). So if appearing before the mercy seat of God was this lethal, was there any reprieve for those who wished to go before God in worship? God understood quite well the consequences of appearing before Him in our human form and nature. It is for this reason that God set up a way of saving people from the wrath of His hand. If anything, there’s nothing God would wish for more than his people coming before His presence in worship. Many scriptures across the Bible testify of God being full of mercy thus extending it towards His people (Psalm 145:8; Micah 7:18; Eph. 2:4). Others even testify of His mercies as everlasting and enduring forever (2 Chr. 7:6; 20:21; Psalms 100:5; 103:17; 118; 136). It is for the reasons above that we learn from Isaiah that God established His throne in mercy (Isaiah 16:5). The Hebrews writer on another occasion even refers to it as the throne of Grace where we obtain mercy and grace (Hebrews 4:16). But one may ask; if one could die when he appeared before the mercy seat of God in the days of Moses, then how different is it in the present times? The answer to this question lies on the role Christ played on the cross not only as the perfect sacrifice for our sins but also as a High priest who placed a petition for our pardon before the mercy seat of God (Hebrews 9:11-15). Because of what Christ did on the cross, we can always approach the mercy seat of God anytime we want with much confidence and no fear in our hearts. We also find peace in the assurance that God finds pleasure in those that fear Him and hope for His mercy (Psalms 33:18; 147:11). Shalom 🙏🏾