Hebrews 9:5
Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

As the people of Israel continued their wanderings in the desert, they were given a design for a central location where they could worship God. A sectioned off area, known as the tabernacle, was placed in the center of the encampment, with four of the twelve tribes on each side.

Inside this tabernacle were two curtained-off sections. The outer area was known as the Holy Place and the inner area was the Most Holy Place (or Holy of Holies). Within the Most Holy Place was the ark of the covenant. It is this ark that the writer of Hebrews is talking about in verse 5.

The ark was built by Moses based on detailed instructions that were given him by God [Exodus 25:10-22]. It was a box made of acacia wood and covered in pure gold. On the lid were two cherubim, winged creatures with both human and animal features. It was in-between these two cherubim that God’s presence rested, hovering over the lid, where atoning sacrifices were made. This was called the “mercy seat” and it was the place that the High Priest would offer a blood sacrifice each year on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).

Of course, this sacrifice did not actually atone for the sins of the people. Scripture is clear that only the death of Christ can do such a thing. Every sacrifice made in the Old Testament was dependant on the future work of Jesus Christ. They offered sacrifices, trusting that God would forgive them through the Messiah he would one day send.

For us in the new covenant, our faith looks back to the cross of Christ and his atoning death for us. We no longer need to make sacrifices in the temple, because Christ’s sacrifice was once and for all.

Every covenant God made with his people served the great purpose in pointing to the work that Christ would one day accomplish. May God open the eyes of our hearts that we might see and understand the true meaning of the old covenant, and by doing so, that we may come to a deeper understanding of the new covenant, a covenant established through the blood of Jesus Christ.