0323. Propitiation

Propitiation

"And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1Jn_2:2).

Propitiation carries with it the thought of the mercy seat.

The Ark of the wilderness is immediately before us. The Ark was a little box covered with pure gold, within it was kept the Law which man had broken. Above it were the Cherubim, with overreaching wings. It was between the Cherubim that God met His people. Upon the gold covered box was the mercy seat. Once a year the high priest entered the Holy of Holies and sprinkled the blood upon this mercy seat. This mercy seat and the sprinkled blood were between God and the broken Law.

The Ark was typical in its every detail of the sacrifice of Christ, and God’s approach to the people. The atonement, presented the ground of our approach to God, a basis of reconciliation. The mercy seat presents more the ground of God’s approach to us. It was above the blood-sprinkled mercy seat that God met with His people.

The atonement has more to do with the basis of our first approach to God. Propitiation at the mercy seat seems to have more to do with fellowship with God.

Sin separates the believer from God. It breaks connection. When Adam and Eve sinned, they were driven from the Garden and from their walking with God. When we sin we have no fellowship with Him, but "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous," "and He is the propitiation for our sins."

As the high priest carried the blood into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled it upon the mercy seat once a year confessing the sins of himself and of his people, so Jesus Christ took the Blood into the Holiest of all, into the presence of God for us. The atonement carries us to Calvary where He died. The mercy seat carries us to the presence of God where Christ, having entered once for all, ever liveth to make intercession for us.

Let those of us who are His, rejoice that we have daily fellowship assured us through the Blood of Jesus Christ which keeps cleansing away our sins.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR