This is one of the richest, most intimate passages in Scripture, the description of the Ark of the Covenant, the mercy seat, and the place where God promised to meet His people. We’ve been walking through Exodus with such tenderness and depth, and this section is a beautiful place to pause and breathe in God’s nearness. “There, above the cover, I will meet with you.” In Exodus 25:10–22 Easy (The Israelites must use acacia wood to make a big box. It must be 1 metre long, 75 centimetres wide and 75 centimetres high. Cover the wood with gold, both inside and outside. Build up the edges of the box with gold. Make four gold rings and fix them to the four feet of the box. Fix two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. Then use acacia wood to make two poles. Cover them with gold too. Push the poles through the rings on the sides of the box. You will use the poles to carry the box. The poles must remain along the side of the box, in the rings. Never remove them. Then put into the box the two flat stones with the words of the covenant on them. I will give those to you. Use pure gold to make a lid for the box. Make the lid 1 metre long and 75 centimetres wide. Use gold to make images of two cherubs. Use a hammer to make them the right shape. They will stand at the two ends of the lid. One cherub will stand at one end of the lid, and one cherub will stand at the other end. The two cherubs and the lid must be one piece of gold. The cherubs must look towards each other and watch over the lid. Their wings must touch each other over the top of the lid. Then put the lid on the top of the box. Put the flat stones with the words of the covenant into the box. I will give those to you. I will meet with you there, between the two cherubs that are above the lid. They watch over the Covenant Box. In that place I will give you all my commands for the Israelites.) God gives Moses detailed instructions for building the Ark of the Covenant not as a museum piece, not as a symbol, but as a meeting place. The Ark wasn’t about gold, measurements, or craftsmanship. It was about presence. God was saying: “I want to dwell with you. I want to be near you. I want a place where you can come and know I am here.” The mercy seat, the golden cover with the two cherubim, was the exact spot where God said He would speak. Not from the mountain. Not from the thunder. Not from the fire. But from mercy. This is the heart of God: He chooses to meet us in mercy, not in judgment. He chooses closeness, not distance. He chooses relationship, not ritual.

When you feel unheard by systems. When you feel dismissed by people. When you feel like you’re fighting battles alone. Remember: God meets you at the mercy seat, not the. His presence is not delayed, denied, or put on hold. He meets you. He speaks to you. He covers you.

Father God, thank You and praise You for the mercy seat, the place where You choose to meet us with compassion instead of condemnation. As You met Moses above the Ark, meet us today in our need, our questions, and our battles. Let Your presence rest over every situation we face. Speak peace where there is frustration, strength where there is weariness, and clarity where there is confusion. Thank You that Your mercy covers us, carries us, and leads us. Love You, thank You, praise You and give You all the honor and glory in Jesus Precious Name Amen.