Exodus 25:17-22 KJV  And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.  (18)  And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.  (19)  And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.  (20)  And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.  (21)  And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.  (22)  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.

This thought is a good one for the first day of the new year.

• If you want direction for this year, make is the point of this sermon.

The issue of the mercyseat comes up in a very important aspect of Old Testament covenant in ATONEMENT.

Lev 16:6 KJV  And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.

Lev 16:14 KJV  And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.

The ark of the covenant was where the high priest sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice once a year in the holiest of holies.

• The blood was taken from the slain bullock on the altar and made its way through the outer court, into the holy place and into the most holy place inside the veil.

This mercyseat represents the THRONE OF GOD.

• Cherubims and their wings overshadowed the mercyseat of the ark.
• With that in mind, read the following:

Isa 6:1-2 KJV  In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.  (2)  Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

Isaiah saw a vision of the throne of heaven, and just like the ark, it had SERAPHIMS with WINGS ABOVE the throne.

This indicates the mercyseat represents the throne of God.

Not only that, but when you compare the sequence of furniture of the tabernacle listed in Exodus 25 with Revelation 4 when John saw a vision of heaven, we read the ark of the covenant corresponds to the throne of God.

Ex 24:12 = Rev 4:1 – (Moses and John both called up)
Ex 25:10 = Rev 4:2 – (Ark corresponds to throne)
Ex 25:23 = 4:4 – (Table corresponds to seats)
Ex 25:31 = 4:5 – (7-branched candlestick corresponds to 7 lamps)
Ex 26:1, 31 – 4:6 (curtains, veil and cherubim correspond to sea of glass and four beasts)

So by seeing a clear corresponding of the elements listed in Moses’ experience and John’s experience, we see the ark represents the THRONE OF GOD.

WHERE GOD would RULE.

• As God rules in glory, a model of that in earth was the ark with it’s mercySEAT.

And He told Moses HE WOULD COMMUNE WITH MOSES from the mercyseat.

COMMUNION is a very important issue in the New Testament.

1Co 10:16-18 KJV  The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?  (17)  For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.  (18)  Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

Communion comes from the Latin: COMMUNIO – – mutual participation

We all participated in the SAME ALTAR OF JESUS.

Communing with God at the mercyseat meant speaking with God.

• But the literal term COMMUNE implies a UNION and MUTUAL participation.
• Communication is when your thoughts from your mind are put into my mind.
• So the idea of a UNION is involved.
• And this is the same term used in reference to the cross.

When each of us comes to the cross for salvation, that means we believe that Jesus’ death was for each of us and we could not be saved without it.

• We believe HE DIED FOR US.
• His death counts as OUR DEATHS.
• And so we PARTICIPATE in His death, so to speak, and God considers us to have BEEN CRUCIFIED WITH JESUS.

But it is a MUTUAL PARTICIPATION.

• This means He would not have done it without us JOINING to it as well.
• It is no good if you do not JOIN it, or come into UNION with it.
• COME into UNION – communion.
• COMMON UNION.

And the death on the altar led to the seating on the mercyseat, or the throne.

• Adam was supposed to have dominion over the earth.

Gen 1:28 KJV  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

But he sinned and Christ saves us from sin so we can DIE WITH HIM on the later of the cross, and be buried within, resurrected with Him, and seated with him in heavenly places.

Eph 2:5-6 KJV  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)  (6)  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

But notice how God said it to Moses.

THE MERCYSEAT IS WHERE HE WANTS TO COMMUNE WITH US.

Exodus 25: (21)  And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.  (22)  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.

He really wants to COMMUNE WITH US above, upon the ark on the mercyseat!

He really wants you to come into union with Him on the THRONE!

• To rule with him!

Rev 20:4 KJV  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Reign with Christ!

But many of God’s people are lost somewhere between the ALTAR and the ARK.

• They really did come into union with Christ’s death and are saved, but they have not yet come to the MERCYSEAT.

Heb 4:16 KJV  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Notice MERCY and THRONE are mentioned.

• Some people are not coming to the THRONE to obtain MERCY.
• Similarly, some believers are not coming to the full maturity in the Spirit of enjoying their seating with Christ.

And here are some reasons:

• They all revolve around overly being self-concerned and not concerned enough about the BIGGER ISSUE of the body of Christ.

1 Cor 10 and ch. 11 speaks of COMMUNION.

1Co 10:16-18 KJV  The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?  (17)  For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.  (18)  Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

We partake of the altar.

• I propose God wants you to progress from that and partake of the THRONE!

Christ’s BODY is represented by the LOAF OF BREAD.

• Jesus took bread and BROKE IT, meaning it started out as one loaf.
• And each disciple ate a piece of that loaf.
• They each came to the same loaf, and broke it and put a piece in them.
• Once the bread was fully eaten, the loaf was not gone.
• It was simply only found when all the disciples who ate it were together.
• TOGETHER they were ONE LOAF.

Similarly, Jesus died and was BROKEN.

• Not a bone of his body was broken, but he was broken IN DEATH.
• And each of us came to that BREAKING and were baptized into that death.
• We were then made PART OF HIS BODY.
• ONE BODY.

Then in chapter 11 we read they were eating communion in Corinth, and LOST THE MEANING OF IT.

CHURCH means CALLED OUT ONE, and Paul taught the CHURCH is the body of CHRIST.

• I propose many have lost the meaning of the word CHURCH like the Corinthians lost the meaning of the word COMMUNION.

1Co 11:20-22 KJV  When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper.  (21)  For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.  (22)  What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

It was just a meal to them.

• From verses 23-26 Paul recounts what Jesus said about the bread and wine.
• And he explains the communion is not just a meal, but it is  A MESSAGE.
• IT IS TEACHING US UNITY.
• They were not having the Lord’s supper by the way they acted during that time and the way they treated each other.

While they were fighting and not waiting for each other to eat together, communion was supposed to represent HOW THEY WERE ONE BODY.

• And their fighting and envying was destroying the whole point of the meal, while they ate the meal!!!

1Co 3:1-3 KJV  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.  (2)  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.  (3)  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

Notice PAUL COULD NOT SPEAK SPIRITUALLY TO THEM.

• God said HE WOULD COMMUNE WITH MOSES AT THE MERCYSEAT.
• Behind the veil were these communications.
• But many of God’s people have never learned UNION and are too self concerned.
• We are too self concerned when we strive and envy.
• We need to let concern over self go and that will let go of striving and envying!
• And GOD CANNOT SPEAK TO THEM THE HIDDEN MANNA.

Rev 2:17 KJV  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Manna was put into the ark.

Heb 9:4 KJV  Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

But it was HIDDEN because it was IN the ark, UNDER the mercyseat and BEHIND THE VEIL.

Notice we read of SATAN’S SEAT:

Rev 2:13 KJV  I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

This church was told they would eat of HIDDEN MANNA if they overcame.

• Manna was beneath the MERCYSEAT OF GOD!

John 6:31-35 KJV  Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.  (32)  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.  (33)  For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.  (34)  Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.  (35)  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

John 6:49-51 KJV  Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.  (50)  This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.  (51)  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

John 6:53 KJV  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

FLESH AND BLOOD was the bread and wine of the communion!

So eating manna is BELIEVING TRUTHS of the cross.

• When you REALLY EAT THAT COMMUNION, or truly understand COMMUNION, that YOU DIED WITH JESUS, you will not be so concerned about something that DIED!
• Your self-concern was supposed to DIE with Jesus.
• You are a living sacrifice, so you DIED and yet are still alive since Christ’s death was your sacrificial death.
• Envy will not occur with someone who is a SACRIFICE!

2Co 5:14-15 KJV  For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:  (15)  And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

We do not live unto ourselves.

• UNTO is a word we do not use today, but it speaks of the GOAL and DESTINATION or DIRECTION TOWARDS.
• LIVE UNTO JESUS!
• Let your lives be overtaken with CONCERN FOR THE BIGGER PICTURE OF YOUR PART IN THE BODY.
• When you get upset about what people did to YOU, you are thinking of SELF.
• But if you LIVE NOT UNTO YOU BUT UNTO CHRIST, you don’t care so much what is done to YOU!

The reason people are not RULING with Jesus is because they are too self concerned.

• That sacrifice leads to the throne!
• You go from death with Christ to seating with Christ!
• But until you get that idea of sacrifice down in your heart, where YOU LOSE SELF CONCERN, you will never get to the throne!
• God will not let you!
• The throne is past the veil!
• And the veil represents HIS FLESH.

Heb 10:19-20 KJV  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,  (20)  By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

His flesh was broken in DEATH on the cross.

• And if you truly died with Him, then you must appreciate that death with Him, and LET YOUR FLESH RIP as well.
• DENY YOURSELF is what ripping the veil means.