Sharper Iron & The Saga of Salvation: The Box of God’s Mercy

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Rev. Brian Flamme, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Roswell, NM, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Exodus 25:10-22 and Exodus 37:1-9.

Today’s text teaches us concerning the Ark of the Covenant. This relatively small, unimpressive box stood in contrast to the pagan worship around Israel. The Ark was not a graven image of the LORD that used dim light and tricks as some sort of demonstration of power. Instead, the Ark preached to Israel that they would meet the LORD in His Word. Within the Ark, the tablets of the Law reminded the people of God’s accusing Word that would condemn them, along with the pot of manna and Aaron’s budding staff that testified against their grumbling and rebellion. Over this, however, was the mercy seat, the covering that preached the Word to the people that through blood, their sin had been imputed to a sacrificial victim and the LORD’s righteousness had been imputed to them. In this way, the Ark points us forward as a shadow to its fulfillment in Christ Jesus. He is our mercy seat, for He has carried His blood of the testimony into heaven to cover our sins and cast out every accusation against us. The Ark is now lost to history, for it is not needed. The fulfillment has comes and is ours in the preaching of Christ crucified and risen for us.

“The Saga of Salvation” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that takes a step-by-step walk through the book of Exodus. This premier account of salvation in the Old Testament proclaims that the LORD is the one true God, the Creator and Redeemer, who alone is worthy of our worship and faith, all the while pointing us forward to the ultimate deliverance He gives through the exodus accomplished by Christ.

Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God’s Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen.

Sharper Iron is underwritten by Lutheran Church Extension Fund, where your investments help support the work of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Visit lcef.org.

Exodus 25:10-22

The Ark of the Covenant

10 “They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits[a] and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it. 12 You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. 13 You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. 15 The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. 16 And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you.

17 “You shall make a mercy seat[b] of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. 18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. 20 The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. 21 And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. 22 There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.

Footnotes:

Exodus 25:10 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters

Exodus 25:17 Or cover

Exodus 37:1-9

Making the Ark

37 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Two cubits[a] and a half was its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height.2 And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold around it. 3 And he cast for it four rings of gold for its four feet, two rings on its one side and two rings on its other side. 4 And he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold 5 and put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark. 6 And he made a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half was its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. 7 And he made two cherubim of gold. He made them of hammered work on the two ends of the mercy seat,8 one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat he made the cherubim on its two ends. 9 The cherubim spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat were the faces of the cherubim.

Footnotes:

Exodus 37:1 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters