Psalm 80:1-7

    1      Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock;
    You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!
    2      Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,
    Stir up Your strength,
    And come and save us!

    3      Restore us, O God;
    Cause Your face to shine,
    And we shall be saved!

    4      O LORD God of hosts,
    How long will You be angry
    Against the prayer of Your people?
    5      You have fed them with the bread of tears,
    And given them tears to drink in great measure.
    6      You have made us a strife to our neighbors,
    And our enemies laugh among themselves.

    7      Restore us, O God of hosts;
    Cause Your face to shine,
    And we shall be saved!
-Psalm 80:1-7

Who is this God that brings restoration? Who is He who brings salvation? It is the Good Shepherd! It is the God who dwells between the cherubim. While most might look past this, there is something very significant about this statement. When atonement would be made on behalf of Israel, the blood would be shed on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. The mercy seat, which was the top of the ark, was a golden flat surface with a golden angel on the head and the foot of the surface. This is where the High Priest would meet with the presence of God.

We see several times throughout the Scripture mention made of the God who dwells between the cherubim. This being the place where sacrifice was offered and accepted meant a lot to the people of Israel. As we study through Scripture, we understand that these things are types and shadows of what was to come. As we see the various accounts of Jesus' resurrection, John's stands out as he makes a mention of how the angels were stood in the tomb. Upon the place where Jesus' body was laid, one angel stood at the foot, and another stood at the head. This beautifully captures the same picture of the mercy seat. As Jesus' no longer laid there, having resurrected, this sacrifice was accepted by the Lord and made atonement for all people, for all time.

Praise the Lord on High who bought us with a price! All glory be to God.