Reflection #2 on 'Healing Rain'
by Michael W. Smith
Lift your heads, let us return
To the mercy seat where time began
And in your eyes I see the pain
Come soak this dry heart with healing rain
 Have
you been to the mercy seat? In the song "Healing Rain," Michael
W. Smith implores us each to return to the mercy seat. So
just what is this mercy seat?
The Book of Exodus records the instructions that God gave
Moses concerning the construction of a tabernacle. It was
to be the place where God would meet with His people. In this
tabernacle was a mercy seat. Listen to this: "You shall make
a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and
one and a half cubits wide.…
You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the
ark you shall put the testimony which I will give to you.
There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat,
from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the
testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give
you in commandment for the sons of Israel" (Exodus 25:17,
21-22 NASB).
Moses constructed the ark just as God commanded. And inside
the ark he placed the tablets upon which were written the
commands of God. Then over these he placed the lid of the
ark, the mercy seat. Each time the priests approached the
ark, they sacrificed animals for the sins of the people as
well as themselves and sprinkled the blood of the animals
on this mercy seat.
This is a beautiful picture of what God has done for us in
Jesus Christ. He has given us His commands. But His interaction
with us is not dependant on our keeping of that law, for He
has placed the mercy seat over the law. He has sprinkled it
with the blood of the Lamb. It is on the bases of His mercy
that we come to Him, not our merit. It is by His blood, not
our works.
"But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things
to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle,
not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;
and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through
the His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all,
having obtained eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:11-12 NASB).
Jesus went into the heavenly tabernacle of God. With His own
blood, He cleansed the mercy seat of God, washing away all
our sins, all our failures and shortcomings and declared our
deliverance from sin and opening the way into the precious
presence of the Father. Let us return to that mercy seat.
Let us each abandon our theology of works and self-centered
excuses. Let us run to the place of forgiveness and acceptance.
Come just as you are. Christ has paved the way and made a
place just for you. You are welcome at the mercy seat of God.
If you have never made Jesus Christ the Lord of you life or
would like to know more click Who
is Jesus
-Suzy C.
Scripture Reference: Exodus 25:17, 21-22; Hebrews 9:11-12
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Copyright © 2004 SolidSounds. Used with permission.
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