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The Hebrew word for mercyseat appears to mean a covering. First, a lid for the ark; second, as a mercyseat it was intended to illustrate the covering of sin. It corresponds to the propitiation of the blood of Christ.
Romans 3:25 "whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed."
In Christ God meets with man by virtue of His shed blood. "Gold" would speak of the glory of the Father's grace (Ephesians 1:6 ).
Called in Hebrews 9:5, the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercyseat. Cherubim are associated with the immediate presence of God (Ezekiel 1; Revelation 4 ). In Genesis 3:24 they guarded the way to the tree of life. They reappear here on the mercyseat, pointing to the way of life. Hammered and beaten out of the same gold of the mercyseat teaches God's presence is inseparable from propitiation made by Jesus Christ (Exodus 25:19 ). The faces of the cherubim towards the mercyseat speak of the attention of God Himself being constantly directed there, that is, looking upon the propitiation made by Christ Jesus, seeing His holiness satisfied and the way for His love to reach the repentant sinner. The Cherubim being inseparable from the mercyseat and ever containing the testimony (Exodus 25:21 ) shows God's presence ever to be a redeeming presence and essentially a holy presence of a moral being to whom man is responsible.
As with Moses, God INITIATES His meeting with us (Exodus 25:22 ), and INDICATES the place of meeting or ground of meeting the blood of Jesus Christ. The INTIMACY of the meeting is communion and communication. As in meeting with Moses, God had Israel in view - in the same way communing with us He has in view others beyond us. His INTENTION is to equip us to be His messengers, through meeting with Him.
The table described in Exodus 25:23-30 suggests the thought of fellowship at the table. The showbread (better, Bread of the Presence), 12 flat cakes arranged in two rows. (Leviticus 24:6 ). Bread of the Presence means bread laid out beforehand in the presence of God. It was the bread of God - yet eaten by the priests - God and priestly worshippers having communion and fellowship at the table. We feast on that which satisfies the heart of God, for Christ is the "bread of God" (John 6:33 ), and is the centre of the Father's delight. (Matthew 3:17 ).
THE LAMPSTAND points to Christ as the light of the world (John 8:12 ). It also illustrates believers as the light of the world (Matthew 5:14; Philippians 2:15 ). The Lord explains:
THE SHAFT. The centre part represents Christ. The shining church is Christ centred.
THE BRANCHES represent abiding believers in Christ (Cf John 15:5 ). The shining church is a Christ-witnessing church.
THE BOWLS. Separate vessels which hold the oil, represent individual members. The shining church is made up of Spirit-filled members (Ephesians 5:18 ).
THE ORNAMENTAL KNOB AND FLOWER representing the beauty of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23 ). The shining church displays through its members the fruit of the Spirit. NOTE: The Holy Spirit uses verse 40 in Hebrews 8:5 to emphasise that the tabernacle, its furniture, its worship, priesthood, served as copy and shadow of the heavenly things. So Moses had to make all according to the pattern shown him on the mountain. The copy and shadow have now given way to the realities in Christ Jesus.
What are the two cherubim of gold (Exodus 25:18 ) called in Hebrews 9:5?
Where does God promise to meet with Moses (Exodus 25:22 ), and with you?
With the detailed description of the table of shewbread in mind (Exodus 25:23-30 ), can you express what it says to you about the Person of Christ?
Are you reminded of Christ's claim (John 8:12 ) by the lampstand of pure gold (Exodus 25:31-40 )?