Judah’s good king “Hezekiah prayed before the Lord: Lord God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you are God—you alone—of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth…” (2 Kings 19:15). Hezekiah worshipped the God “enthroned between the cherubim”, a Divine description found seven times in the Old Testament (1 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 6:2; 2 Kings 19:15; 1 Chronicles 13:6; Psalm 80:1; 99:1; Isaiah 37:16).
The Psalmist cried out to God for His assistance, saying, “Listen, Shepherd of Israel,
who leads Joseph like a flock; you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine on Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Rally your power and come to save us. Restore us, God; make your face shine on us, so that we may be saved” (Psalm 80:1–3).
The Psalmist also worshipfully sang, “The Lord reigns! Let the peoples tremble. He is enthroned between the cherubim. Let the earth quake. The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted above all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awe-inspiring name. He is holy” (Psalm 99:1–3).
What is the historical significance of God being “enthroned between the cherubim”?
While Moses communed with God for forty days on Mount Sinai, God gave clear and explicit instructions concerning the construction of the tabernacle, the temporary and mobile temple. The centerpiece of the tabernacle was the ark of the covenant, a golden-clad chest. The lid, called the mercy seat, was topped with two solid-gold cherubim.
“Make an ark of acacia wood, forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high. Overlay it with pure gold; overlay it both inside and out. Also make a gold molding all around it… Make a mercy seat of pure gold, forty-five inches long and twenty-seven inches wide. Make two cherubim of gold; make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end. At its two ends, make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat. The cherubim are to have wings spread out above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and are to face one another. The faces of the cherubim should be toward the mercy seat. Set the mercy seat on top of the ark and put the tablets of the testimony that I will give you into the ark. I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony; I will speak with you from there about all that I command you regarding the Israelites” (Exodus 25:10–22).
God, in glory, revealed Himself, “enthroned between the cherubim.” There, behind the veil, God met Moses in intimate communion. There, at the mercy seat, Moses sought direction for himself and his nation. And there, “enthroned between the cherubim”, God received Moses’ worship and adoration.
Today, the veil has been removed. The glory of God no longer dwells in a man-made dwelling, but “in the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands” where Jesus “entered the most holy place once for all time, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:11–12). When we see Jesus in the new and eternal tabernacle, the King of kings, our glorious Master and compassionate Savior will be enthroned between the cherubim, and encircled by countless worshippers from every tribe and tongue and nation!
Oh Lord, enthroned in my heart and “enthroned between the cherubim”, accept the sacrifice of my worship today!
