2. This, and the root rum (lift up) [in the word eranzah, an offering] helps one to understand the heave-offering.
18-21. With regard to the cherubim; in Gen. 3, they are set to maintain, as instruments of holy, sovereign, guardian power, the way of the tree of life against sinful man. They are instruments of judicial holiness maintaining it against inroad; it is a known supposed power, eth hakk'ruvim (the cherubim). Next, the mercy-seat was the throne of God in the holiest—the blood made propitiation there, but it was the place of the throne—of divine righteousness. Gold, silver, brass were divine righteousness in its intrinsic qualities—its stability of purpose—so securing His place and people—and in spiritual acting, energy in accomplishments, in man, or in connection with what it had actually to deal with humanly, not as judging man, for then it must be gold, but as displayed in work in man.
The Cherubim were out of the gold of the mercy-seat, i.e., they were instruments to sustain the Majesty of divine righteousness—the throne. They were not that righteousness—that was marked by the mercy-seat itself—but they were the instruments to maintain the majesty and expression of it, when God dealt in it with the creature as such. We find further that in Ezekiel they had the faces of a man, an eagle, a lion, and a cherub, again a man, an eagle, a lion, and an ox; the living creatures had those of a man, an eagle, a lion and an ox; Rev. 4:77And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. (Revelation 4:7). But in 1 Kings 7:2929And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work. (1 Kings 7:29), we have lions, oxen, and Cherubim; in Ezek. 41:18, 1918And it was made with cherubims and palm trees, so that a palm tree was between a cherub and a cherub; and every cherub had two faces; 19So that the face of a man was toward the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side: it was made through all the house round about. (Ezekiel 41:18‑19), they have two faces—a young man, and a lion, but this was half on the door. In Ezek. 1, they have four wings and straight feet like oxen's feet, and hands under their wings; here in this chapter (Ex. 25) we have the faces of the two cherubim looking to the mercy-seat, and wings joining at top; in 2 Chron. 3 the faces towards the house, and wings stretched out touching the sides of the house and each other—here God sat, and will sit as on earth—from hence Moses heard a voice when he went in; Num. 7: 89; 1 Sam. 4:44So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. (1 Samuel 4:4); 2 Sam. 6:22And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims. (2 Samuel 6:2); 2 Kings 19: 15; 1 Chron. 13:66And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjath-jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the Lord, that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it. (1 Chronicles 13:6); Psalm 80:11<<To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim-eduth, A Psalm of Asaph.>> Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. (Psalm 80:1); Psa. 99 I.
It is His place and throne of Majesty, where He allows nothing contrary to it (see Isa. 37:1616O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth. (Isaiah 37:16)), but where He dwells among His people, in the place of glory, because He has set His throne there, and governs them, and speaks to them there—has His palace and throne there—though He may dwell in a tent, yet unchanged there, in the same Majesty. But on the cry of His people, He rides—comes, in the same Majesty, intolerant of evil, and in the Sovereign power of judgment;
but that is deliverance, and hence, note, He puts blood on the door posts, He draws out of many waters—hence the very foundations of the earth are discovered—hence He hears, though it be Israel's deliverance, out of His holy temple, the place of His terrible, royal Majesty, "In his temple does every one speak of his honor"—what a wonderful thing that He should ride forth in majesty! No wonder redemption is such a thing! and that Christ must have gone so low, being under the blow and dealing, through grace, of this Majesty—for where should blood be found to put upon the door posts? But study this Psalm (2 Sam. 22) and see how far it is the deliverance of the Lord, under the power of death, the enemy, by the visitation of this Majesty. In 1 Chron. 28:1818And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord. (1 Chronicles 28:18), it is "the chariot of the Cherubim."
In Ezek. 1, we learn that they "had the likeness of a man," "brightness," "coals of fire," "lightning"—we recognize the display of 2 Sam. 22
22. This is the apostolic office of Christ, or rather prophetic—Christ is speaking from the Father, and ordering all things in the embodying of His Church; yet as risen and so speaking from heaven, which is the proper order of ministration in the mystically formed body. Our Lord was, in fact, speaking from heaven, when in the body, the words of God, from the Father within the veil; as the Jehovah of the Church, He did give forth His commandments, apostolically, by the hands of those whom He sent in this office. See chapter 29: 42.