“Thou that dwellest between the cherubims” is referring to the mercy seat that God ordered to be made in the Tabernacle and Temple of the Old Testament. The mercy seat was where God promised to meet with the priests. In order to be holy and acceptable before God, the mercy seat had to be sprinkled with blood. Cherubims, angelic creatures, were made to look down on the mercy seat, and God said He would meet His people “from between the two cherubims” (Exodus 25:22).

In the New Testament, Romans 3:25 speaks of Christ as the propitiation for our sins. This word ‘propitiation’ is the mercy seat, the place where sins are put away. Propitiation is the satisfaction of God’s righteous justice for our sins. A mercy seat is a glorious thing!

This is confidence of the believer. When he feels loaded down with his guilt and sin, there is a place of refuge and relief. It is before God’s throne at the mercy seat. There God meets with penitent sinners, who are trusting in the blood of Christ. I need the mercy seat all throughout every day. Like the mercy seat, the New Testament speaks of the throne of grace where believers can freely come through Christ.