The Safest Seat

Deep in the eastern Negev of Israel is a place called Arad. This ancient biblical city hosts the ruins of a temple that is a replica of the biblical description of the Tabernacle in the desert.

We love to take teams here to present a visual of what the Tabernacle looked like. In the picture above you see the Holy of Holies with a small stone seat representing the Mercy Seat, which sat on top of the Ark of the Covenant. (Oh and a few of the participants from our last trip in May 2023.)

Last week the blog topic was “Where is Home?” I believe one of the greatest pictures of “home” is when we are seated on the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies. This is where God chose to dwell with Moses and the Israelites during their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.

As Moses declared in Psalm 90 that “Lord, You have always been our eternal home,” (vs. 1), he further describes this home in Psalm 91:1,2:

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my fortress my God, in whom I trust.”

Moses, who I believe also wrote this Psalm, is pointing us to the heavenly Holy of Holies. If you read on in verse 4 it says:

“He will cover you with His feathers and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart..”

Over the Ark of the Covenant was the wings of the cherubim covering the Mercy Seat. This is the safest place in all the world, it is where the Father dwells and the place where all His children dwell when they trust in Him.

This week we celebrate our entrance into the Holy of Holies and the gift of climbing up on the Mercy Seat because of what Jesus did for us. When Jesus gave the victory shout on the cross, “It is finished,” The Father, with exceeding joy, ripped the thick, 60 foot tall veil from top to bottom. A powerful demonstration declaring that all who receive the blood of Jesus are forever welcome to come home and sit on the Mercy Seat (see Hebrews 10:19-20).

The Tabernacle and the Temple point us to Jesus who takes us into our forever home through His finished work on the cross. He brings us to the Father, where we take our seat with Him and receive complete forgiveness, no more shame, no more guilt, just full acceptance as beloved sons and daughters.

This Holy week reflect on the gift you have been given through faith in Christ. You have been given the safest seat of all, the heavenly Mercy Seat. Read the rest of Psalm 91, which describes this glorious truth.

In a world that is shaking at its core those in Christ find a home where they have the safest seat of all. No matter the wars, societal upheaval, fears propagated by the media, and the demonic lies of the enemy, we are safe on heaven’s mercy seat covered and protected by wings of eternal love.

Take your seat and sing your hearts out this resurrection weekend because you are seated in a home filled with heavens shalom which we as believers in Christ will inhabit for all eternity!!!!