Exodus 25 – God’s Footstool
One idea that I did not get to develop in this sermon as fully as I had hoped was the idea that the Ark of the Covenant acts as the footstool of Yahweh.
We spent time developing the idea of the “mercy seat” (the lid that goes on the top of the Ark) being an “atonement cover,” but I only mentioned in passing the concept of the atonement cover and Ark being the footstool of God’s throne. There are quite a few verses in Scripture that seem to assume this idea.
First, a word on kings. In the Ancient Near East, a king would typically be elevated on his throne above all his subjects, with perhaps a platform beneath him to raise him up. It would be improper for his feet to be dangling below, so there was usually a sort of footstool beneath him to rest his feet upon. Because it rested beneath the feet, the footstool became sort of a metaphor for a lowly, debased position (note the famous opening line of Psalm 110:1 – “Yahweh said to my lord: ‘Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’”; cf. parallels where it is quoted in Lk 20:43, Acts 2:35, 7:49, Heb 1:13, 10:13. See also James 2:3).
As beautiful as the earth is, God likens it to His footstool, with His throne being located in Heaven in Isaiah 66:1. This is not to say there’s a negative tone towards the earth as much as the statement is meant to elevate the supremacy of our King.
Psalm 132:7-8 shows how the footstool was viewed as synonymous with the dwelling place of God: “Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool!” 8 Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. The footstool is parallel with “his dwelling place,” and this is also linked with the Ark in the next line. The dwelling place is the place where they are going to worship – thus the Temple, where the Ark was located (see Ps 99:5).
1 Chronicles 28:2 is a more specific example of how the mercy seat was seen as the footstool of God, who dwelt above it: Then King David rose to his feet and said: “Hear me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and for the footstool of our God, and I made preparations for building” (ESV). Notice how the Ark of the Covenant and the footstool are two separate, but related items. This indicates that the mercy seat/atonement cover was viewed as God’s footstool.
In addition to these passages, there are a number of texts that mention God’s position as seated “above the cherubim” (see 1 Sam 4:4, Ps 99:1, Is 37:16, etc.).
There will also be a time when the Ark is not needed, though the imagery of the throne is still apparent. In Ezekiel 43:7, the prophet is brought to the house of God (the New Temple) and God says to him: Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever. The verse does not use the word “footstool,” but the phrase, “the place of the soles of my feet” are referring to it, and it is used in conjunction with “the place of my throne.” Remember, the location here is the New Temple. So Yahweh is envisioned as sitting on His throne with His feet on the footstool. One of the notable absences from Ezekiel’s Temple Vision is the Ark of the Covenant. So even though the Ark is absent, the throne/footstool imagery remains.
In Jeremiah 3:16-17, Jerusalem is called “The Throne of Yahweh.” This passage looks forward to a time when Israel will repent of her sin. At that time the Ark of the Covenant will be no more, will not be remade and will not even be in the minds of the people. Yet, as with Ezekiel’s vision, the throne imagery will still be prevalent (cf. Jer 14:21, 17:12).
Looking at the evidence cumulatively, it seems that the “mercy seat/atonement cover” was viewed as the footstool of God and Yahweh Himself was viewed as seated above it upon His kingly throne. I don’t think the fact that such a beautiful piece was used as a footstool is a derogatory sleight against the mercy seat; rather, if His footstool is this glorious, how much more so the King who sits upon it? (see Exodus 24:10 for a similar thought.)
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