ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Sapate ‘Epeleli 2, 2023

כפרת The Atonement Lid

Ko e Tapuni Huhu‘i

EXODUS 25:17-18, 21-22

"YOU SHALL MAKE A MERCY SEAT OF PURE GOLD AND YOU SHALL MAKE TWO CHERUBIM OF GOLD; OF HAMMERED WORK SHALL YOU MAKE THEM, ON THE TWO ENDS OF THE MERCY SEAT 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. THERE I WILL MEET WITH YOU, AND FROM ABOVE THE MERCY SEAT." 

‘EKISOTO 25:17-18, 21-22

Pea te ke ngaohi ha hōifua‘anga ‘aki ‘a e koula haohaoa: ko e kiupite ‘e ua mo e haafe hono lōloa, pea ko e kiupite ‘e taha mo e haafe hono māukupu. 18 Pea te ke ngaohi ha ongo selupimi koula, te ke tuki kinaua ‘i he konga ‘o e hōifua‘anga ‘oku hope atu ‘i potu mo potu.

21 Pea te ke hilifaki ‘a e hōifua‘anga ki he ‘a‘ake; pea te ke tuku ki he ‘a‘ake ‘a e fakamo‘oni te u ‘atu kiate koe. 22 Ko e potu ia te u fetaulaki ai mo koe, pea te u alea ai mo koe ‘i he funga hōifua‘anga, mei he vaha‘a ‘o e ongo selupimi ‘a ia ‘oku ‘i he funga ‘o e ‘a‘ake fakamo‘oni‘anga; ‘io, te ta alea ai ki he ngaahi me‘a kehekehe ‘a ia te u tu‘utu‘uni kiate koe ma‘a ha‘a ‘Isileli.

Chests have lids, and the "covenant chest" was no exception. Its kapporet or lid, though often translated "mercy seat," is from the verb kapar, which means to cover or atone for. Thus a kapporet is an atonement cover. Two golden cherubim, their wings outstretched, faced each other across the kapporet. Here too the blood of sacrifice was sprinkled on Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement"- kippur too being formed from kapar). This was indeed the seat of divine mercy, for from "above the kapporet," Yahweh met with Moses to relay his words to Israel.

Paul tells us that we are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood" (Rom. 3:24-25). The Greek for "propitiation" is hilasterion, the word used to translate the Hebrew kapporet. The Father put forward his Son as our atonement cover. In the Messiah, God meets us and gives us mercy.

Lord, draw us into your holy place and cover us with your mercy.