The passages from Exodus describe God commanding Moses to build an ark made of acacia wood and overlayed with gold. It would hold the tablets with the Ten Commandments and have a gold mercy seat with two cherubim. Poles were added to carry the ark, which represented God's presence among the Israelites. The design served the function of atonement, as the mercy seat stood between God's holiness and the people's sin, showing how God's love provided a way through forgiveness. Ultimately, God's goal was fellowship with His people, not just forgiveness, but it had to be on His terms through the restrictions of the ark and atonement cover.

2. Exodus 25:10-11
They shall make an ark of acacia wood.
Two cubits and a half shall be its length, a
cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and
a half its height. You shall overlay it with
pure gold, inside and outside shall you
overlay it, and you shall make on it a
molding of gold around it.
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ESV, 2016

3. Exodus 25:12-14
You shall cast four rings of gold for it and
put them on its four feet, two rings on the
one side of it, and two rings on the other
side of it. You shall make poles of acacia
wood and overlay them with gold. And you
shall put the poles into the rings on the
sides of the ark to carry the ark by them.
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ESV, 2016

4. Exodus 25:15-17
The poles shall reman in the rings of the
ark; they shall not be taken from it. And
you shall put into the ark the testimony
that I shall give you. You shall make a
mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a
half shall be its length, and a cubit and a
half its breadth.
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ESV, 2016

5. Exodus 25:18-19
And you shall make two cherubim of gold;
of hammered work shall you make them,
on the two ends of the mercy seat. Make
one cherub on the one end, and one
cherub on the other end. Of one piece
with the mercy seat shall you make the
cherubim on its two ends.
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ESV, 2016

6. Exodus 25:20-21
The cherubim shall spread out their wings
above, overshadowing the mercy seat with
their wings, their faces one to another;
toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the
cherubim be. And you shall put the mercy
seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark
you shall put the testimony that I shall give
you.
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ESV, 2016

7. Exodus 25:22
There I will meet with you, and from above
the mercy seat, from between the two
cherubim that are on the ark of the
testimony, I will speak with you about all
that I will give you in commandment for the
people of Israel.
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ESV, 2016

9. Through Exodus God has
CONISTENTLY DONE for
His people.

10. Through Exodus God has
CONISTENTLY DONE for
His people.
God’s PROVISION and PROTECTION are no
replacement for God’s PRESENCE.

11. Through Exodus God has
CONISTENTLY DONE for
His people.
God’s PROVISION and PROTECTION are no
replacement for God’s PRESENCE.
Don’t get lost in the DETAILS of the
tabernacle and so miss its PURPOSE.

12. Through Exodus God has
CONISTENTLY DONE for
His people.
God’s PROVISION and PROTECTION are no
replacement for God’s PRESENCE.
Don’t get lost in the DETAILS of the
tabernacle and so miss its PURPOSE.
The ark represented God’s GLORY and
PRESENCE on earth.

13. Through the ark, God was
present with His people,
but with RESTRICTIONS

14. Through the ark, God was
present with His people,
but with RESTRICTIONS
We can only come to God on His TERMS, not
our OWN

15. Through the ark, God was
present with His people,
but with RESTRICTIONS
We can only come to God on His TERMS, not
our OWN
The DESIGN of the ark also served a
FUNCTION

16. Through the ark, God was
present with His people,
but with RESTRICTIONS
We can only come to God on His TERMS, not
our OWN
The DESIGN of the ark also served a
FUNCTION
The function was for ATONEMENT.

17. To OVERLOOK sin would
have violated God’s HOLY
nature, so the LOVE of
God provided a WAY

18. To OVERLOOK sin would
have violated God’s HOLY
nature, so the LOVE of
God provided a WAY
Standing BETWEEN the holy God and the
unholy people is the ATONEMENT COVER

19. To OVERLOOK sin would
have violated God’s HOLY
nature, so the LOVE of
God provided a WAY
Standing BETWEEN the holy God and the
unholy people is the ATONEMENT COVER
Forgiveness was not the end GOAL; God’s
PRESENCE with His people was and is.

20. Please take a moment to fill out your
Communication Card
( ) Do the home life help (in bulletin)
( ) Reflect on how to grow in my
relationship with God
( ) Give thanks and praise for what Jesus
has done for me
( ) Mediate on my response to Jesus
( ) Read Hebrews 9
( ) Other________________________