“He (Aaron) shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.”
Once a year the high priest of ancient Israel on the Day of Atonement entered into the Holy of Holies and offered a sacrifice to God so that the people’s sins could be covered for the next 12 months. The blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled seven times in front of the mercy seat but only once on top, covering up what was inside.
Why these three particular items? They represent the entire scope of man’s rejection of God's Law, represented by The stone tablets; rejection of God's provision, represented by the golden pot of manna and rejection of God-appointed leadership, represented by Aaron’s rod.
Remember back in Exodus 16 and 17, the people were complaining about Aaron being appointed as their leader? God instructed Moses to collect every tribal leader's rod, a symbol of leadership. Their names were inscribed on their respective rods for identification purposes and all were placed before the Lord.
Exodus 17:8 “Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, THE ROD OF AARON, OF THE HOUSE OF LEVI, HAD SPROUTED AND PUT FORTH BUDS, HAD PRODUCED BLOSSOMS AND YIELDED RIPE ALMONDS. 9 Then Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD to all the children of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his rod.”
EVERYTHING that represented man’s rebellion against God He wanted put UNDER the Mercy Seat COVERED BY THE BLOOD that was to be sprinkled on top every year.
When Balak hired the wizard, God caused Balaam to say to King Balak in Numbers 23:21 “He (the LORD) has not OBSERVED iniquity in Jacob, Nor has He SEEN wickedness in Israel..."
God doesn't say there IS NO INIQUITY in Israel but that "He does not SEE iniquity in Israel." He did not SEE it because it was covered by the blood. The blood of the sacrifice reminds Him of His Beloved Son and the sacrifice He would offer in the distant future. That’s how He wanted it. He did not want to deal with them according to their sins but according to His mercy.
How blessed we are today in that we don’t have to go through all that! HALLELUIA!
The people there were curious to look inside the ark. Know what happened? GOD KILLED A WHOLE BUNCH OF THEM: 50,070! You can read all about it in 1 Samuel 6. Is He serious about leaving those items UNDER the Mercy seat? DUH! I'd say so.
The truth is, the law killed then and THE LAW KILLS NOW.....just as dead. Trying to keep it brings condemnation, which is ultimately deadly to our physical bodies. This is why so many in the church are sick and dying before their time today. They are trying to please God by their performance. It's the same as trying to keep the law.
So remember, pastors: IF YOU WANT TO TEACH THE TEN COMMANDMENTS YOU HAVE TO PUSH JESUS ASIDE. Really bad idea! Why not preach The New Covenent? Read all about it in Hebrews 10.
What do you say, Church? Let's leave the tablets of stone where God put them……
UNDER JESUS, OUR MERCY SEAT.
Hidden inside the Ark were three items: The Tablets of Saphire upon which were written the Ten Commandments, a golden bowl containing manna and Aaron’s rod that budded. For more on the Sapphire tablets, follow this link: http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/08/ananias-and-sapphira.html
Why was the blood sprinkled seven times? Remember back in Job, the oldest book of the Bible, where satan presented himself to God along with the Angels? Why able to be there in the first place? Because Adam forfeited his place when he bowed his knee to that outlaw spirit.
Seven in Bible numerics means, "completeness." Sprinkling seven times covered that stained place where the devil could stand so that we could stand before come before a Holy God with our sins covered under the Old Covenent.
However, when Jesus came and offered His perfect SINLESS blood, He sprinkled it in front of the throne of God and sat down on the Mercy Seat. HE CLEANSED OUR SINS FOR ALL TIME!
(Contents of the Ark: Stone tablets, Manna and Aaron's rod.)
Remember back in Exodus 16 and 17, the people were complaining about Aaron being appointed as their leader? God instructed Moses to collect every tribal leader's rod, a symbol of leadership. Their names were inscribed on their respective rods for identification purposes and all were placed before the Lord.
(Aaron's rod that budded.)
EVERYTHING that represented man’s rebellion against God He wanted put UNDER the Mercy Seat COVERED BY THE BLOOD that was to be sprinkled on top every year.
When Balak hired the wizard, God caused Balaam to say to King Balak in Numbers 23:21 “He (the LORD) has not OBSERVED iniquity in Jacob, Nor has He SEEN wickedness in Israel..."
(Balak hired Baalam to curse Israel.)
Our Great High Priest lives FOREVER after the order of Melchizedeck. JESUS atoned for our sins in His own body, once for all time. HE IS OUR MERCY SEAT!
Let's recap: Where are the tablets of stone? UNDER the Mercy Seat in heaven. However, unlike under the Law Covenant, our sins are no longer merely covered: THEY ARE COMPLETELY CLEANSED FOR ALL TIME AND ETERNITY!
Jesus is our Mercy Seat, right? So what do you have to do in order to teach the Ten Commandments? YOU HAVE TO PUSH ASIDE THE MERCY SEAT. In other words, YOU HAVE TO PUSH JESUS ASIDE, take the tablets out from underneath the Mercy Seat WHERE GOD WANTS THEM HIDDEN.....at your own risk, mind you.....and teach the Ten Commandments.
Let's recap: Where are the tablets of stone? UNDER the Mercy Seat in heaven. However, unlike under the Law Covenant, our sins are no longer merely covered: THEY ARE COMPLETELY CLEANSED FOR ALL TIME AND ETERNITY!
Uh oh! Remind me again: Why were the tablets were under the Mercy Seat? Oh yeah.....SO THAT WHEN GOD LOOKED DOWN ON THE ARK, HE WOULD SEE ONLY THE BLOOD AND NOT OUR REBELLION.
BUT.....if you insist on taking them out from under the Mercy Seat, let me remind you what happened at Beth Shemesh.
(The Ark returns to Israel.)
(God broke out against Israel and killed men of Beth Shemesh.)
The truth is, the law killed then and THE LAW KILLS NOW.....just as dead. Trying to keep it brings condemnation, which is ultimately deadly to our physical bodies. This is why so many in the church are sick and dying before their time today. They are trying to please God by their performance. It's the same as trying to keep the law.
IT DOESN’T WORK. Never has, never will. We cannot think, be or do good enough. That’s why we need a Savior! With Jesus as our Eternal Mercy Seat, there is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION to those who are in Christ Jesus……HALLELUIA!!!
So remember, pastors: IF YOU WANT TO TEACH THE TEN COMMANDMENTS YOU HAVE TO PUSH JESUS ASIDE. Really bad idea! Why not preach The New Covenent? Read all about it in Hebrews 10.
What do you say, Church? Let's leave the tablets of stone where God put them……
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