The Expiation
The Expiation
The atonement in the Old Testament was an expiation (Lev. 25:9; Num. 5:8). To expiate means to appease God for us, to conciliate God by satisfying His righteous requirements.
The Expiatory Cover of the Ark
The expiatory cover (rendered "mercy seat" by the King James Version) was the lid of the ark (Exo. 25:17-22; Lev. 16:14; Heb. 9:5). Under this cover was the law which was called the tes timony of God (Exo. 25:21). Why was it called the testimony of God? Because God is fully testified and expressed by His law. Above the expiatory cover were the cherubim of glory, ex pressing the glory of God (Exo. 25:19-20; Heb. 9:5; Rom. 3:23). The expiatory cover was sprinkled with the expiatory blood (Lev. 16:14, 18). On the day of atonement, or, as is better to say, the day of ex piation, the blood of the expiatory sacrifice was shed, brought into the Holy of Holies, and sprin kled upon the expiatory cover. At that time, two problems—the problem of sins and the prob lem of falling short of God's glory—existed be tween God and the people, creating a separation