The Seat

Situated behind a curtain in the tabernacle’s innermost room - the Holy of Holies - stood the ark of the Covenant. It was here that priests came once a year to bring sacrifices to obtain forgiveness for the people. God had given detailed instructions on how to do this – by sprinkling the blood of a bull and a goat on the special covering of the ark called the Mercy Seat. “And he shall take some of the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle the blood with his finger seven times.” (Leviticus 16:14)

Why was blood required for the sacrifice? Because God said “the life of the flesh is in its blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.” (Leviticus 17:11) When you think of atonement, think “at-one-ment,” making the people at one with God.

The Mercy Seat was made of pure gold and had a cherubim formed from it at each end facing the center. (See the accompanying illustration from the 1890 Holman Bible.) The priest would burn incense and God was present in the smoke between the cherubim. The Mercy Seat was very significant because of God’s presence during the removal of guilt. In the Greek translation, the word for “Mercy Seat” is the same as the word for “Christ.” The Mercy Seat gives a preview of the link between Christ’s blood shed on the cross and the forgiveness of sins: “and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not ours only, but also for those of the whole world” (1 John 2:2)

Jesus was the perfect blood sacrifice that replaced the sacrifice of bulls and goats. During the Last Supper with His disciples, Matthew 26:28 describes how Jesus gave them a cup of wine and said “this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” God’s mercy has been evident through the ages. The Good News is that through Jesus we have forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God.

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10

This week’s exercise is for your seat – the gluteus maximus muscle, or “gluts.” It is a large muscle and is used for walking, climbing stairs, kicking a ball, and getting out of a chair, among other things. The gluts are part of your core, so it plays a role in keeping you stable when you are standing.

Strengthening the gluts can be done anywhere – while sitting at a desk or in the car, while standing or even lying down. Simply squeeze your buttocks and hold tightly for five seconds or longer, and release. Repeat a couple more times. Do this a few times a day or as often as you wish. It is important to learn this tightening action because you will use it while doing the squat, which is next week’s exercise.

This is a good time to strengthen another muscle in what is known as the pelvic floor exercise (or “Kegel,” named after the doctor who invented it). The pelvic floor muscle is just that – a “floor” which supports your uterus, bladder and rectum. To strengthen this muscle, pretend you are trying to stop the flow of urine. (Just pretend; it is not advisable to hold the flow.) Hold while counting to five and then release. One of the potential benefits of a strong pelvic floor muscle is improved bladder control. Doing a few pelvic floor squeezes can also help empty your bladder completely and can help relieve constipation. Tightening and holding your gluts while simultaneously tightening your pelvic floor muscle can be combined with pulling in your abdominals (Click here to review that one.) for maximum effectiveness and concentration.

Because strengthening your gluts is simple and can be done anywhere, it is easy to include in your Length and Strength routine!