“There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.” (Exodus 25:22 NIV84)

In this section of Exodus, the Lord gave Moses the instructions for making the tabernacle. In great detail the Lord provided Moses material requirements and directions for aesthetic appearance and spatial dimensions. With everything that was entailed in making the tabernacle, where the Lord would dwell with His people, where did He begin His instructions? With the ark of the covenant. The ark was to house the testimony (the Word of God given to Moses). The ark resided in the most holy place, behind the curtain, where the glory of God resided. Two figures of angels were made to appear to hover over the ark. So, can you picture it? A box would have had the Word of God in it with two angels hovering over the ark. And in between the angels and the ark, the glory of the Lord would reside. But there was one piece missing. Between where the Lord would dwell in His glory and the ark that held the testimony of God was the atonement cover. What makes the atonement cover so significant? Well, it is where the blood of the atonement sacrifice would be sprinkled on the Day of the Atonement. Because the Israelites, like us, were sinful people, they needed the blood of their sacrifices to atone for the times they fell short of the requirements of the testimony of God’s Word. They needed the blood to appease the justice of God and to cause Him to see them as forgiven and justified.

Hence, this is why John the Baptist said of Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” The blood of Jesus, once and for all, was poured out between God and our sinfulness so that we can now find ourselves forgiven and justified. That’s right! All that would separate us from God’s presence and glory has been removed. All of our failures to live up to the requirements of God’s Word have been forgiven and forgotten. The blood of Jesus has truly purified us from every sin. May we daily grow to understand and appreciate the importance of our atonement cover: the cross of Jesus Christ.

Peace!

Pastor Tom

www.firmlyrooted.church