The Lesson of the Cherubim
By C. M. S.
In the record of man's expulsion from the garden of Eden, we first read of angelic beings, the cherubim. "He drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden the cherubim, and the flame of a sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." Gen. 3:24. The selection of this class of angels to perform such service has in it a deep significance. It was not a purposeless selection. The work that they did in the garden of Eden was directly in line with their long-established occupation in heaven. The following scriptures make plain that occupation:— "Jehovah reigneth; let the peoples tremble: he sitteth ["is enthroned," margin] above the cherubim; let the earth be moved." Ps. 99:1. "Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that sittest ["art enthroned," margin] above the cherubim, shine forth." Ps. 80:1. The cherubim come in closest contact with the throne of God. They stand at either side of that throne, the guardians of its foundation. "Righteousness and justice," says the psalmist, "are the foundation of his throne." Ps. 97:2. And again he says, "Let my tongue sing of thy word; for all thy commandments are righteousness." Ps. 119:172. The commandments of God, then, are the foundation of his throne. The law of God is the foundation of his government. The cherubim are the guardians of the foundation of God's throne, therefore guardians of the law of God, which is that foundation. In the explicit directions that God gave for the construction of the sanctuary, the office of the cherubim is fully set forth; and as that earthly sanctuary was to be made according to the pattern of things in the heavens, we should expect to find the representation of the heavenly cherubim harmonizing with what the Word says of their office in the courts above. So we read:— "Thou shalt make a mercy-seat of pure gold. . . . Thou shalt make two cherubim of gold; of beaten work shalt thou make them, at the two ends of the mercy-seat. . . . And the cherubim shall spread out their wings on high, covering the mercy-seat with their wings. . . . And thou shalt put the mercy-seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony [the law of God, Deut. 10:2] that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy-seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel." Ex. 25:17-22. That was the visible representation of the throne of God, the place where he would meet his people to dispense judgment and mercy. In that ark, under that mercy-seat, was placed the law of God; and upon that mercy-seat stood the two cherubim, guardians of that representation of the throne of God, guardians of that law of God which is in the very foundation of God's government. There was an object-lesson to all Israel, and, through them, to all the world, of the sacredness, the undying perpetuity, of the law of God. That law can not be tampered with without tampering with the throne of God. That law can not be abolished or changed without overturning the very throne of God. That is what God meant to teach in putting the two tables of his law in the most inaccessible portion of the tabernacle, underneath the representation of his own throne, with the cherubim, the angels of his very presence, standing guard over it. We can not conceive of the commands of God being given from any other place than his throne. So in this earthly representation of the court of heaven, we read: "And when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with him, then he heard the Voice speaking unto him from above the mercy-seat that was upon the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and he spake unto him." Num. 7:89. He spoke from between the cherubim, spoke from above the mercy-seat, whereunder lay the law of God. Can we imagine in those days one sufficiently God-defying to attempt to remove the law from its resting-place? For a less offense Nadab and Abihu were slain by the forth-shining glory of him who dwelt between those cherub guardsmen. Can we consider ourselves less offensive in the sight of heaven now if we teach the abolition of that law, the foundation of God's government? Uzza laid his hand unwarrantedly upon the ark containing that law, and was slain. It is a lesson which has come down to us through the ages for our admonition. Adam and Eve, in coveting, stealing, and in dishonoring their common parent, broke that law, and found themselves outside the gate of paradise, with the cherubim, the guardians of God's law, flashing toward them the sword of his displeasure. That sword turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. Men are still outside of Eden, and we may know that so long as we maintain in our heart enmity toward the law of God, the cherubim stand armed against us to prevent our approach to the tree of life. That means the denial of heaven to us, the loss of eternal life, if we set ourselves against the government of God in trampling upon his holy law. Christ said: "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 5:19. It is worth while to note here that the only class mentioned in the Bible as worthy of entering paradise and coming to the tree of life is that company that has respect to the commandments of God. They must pass these appointed guardians of the law, and they can not do it while carrying in their hearts hatred of that law. We read concerning them, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Rev. 22:14. Those angel guardsmen kept Adam and Eve out of Eden for disobedience to God's law; and neither can we pass them unless we are submissive and loyal to all its precepts. Let us learn the lesson of the cherubim with the flaming sword.