Exodus 25:22

And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

There I will meet with thee. The shechinah, or symbol of the divine presence, rested on the mercyseat, and was indicated by a cloud, from the midst of which responses were audibly given when God was consulted on behalf of His people. Hence, God is described as 'dwelling' or 'sitting' between the cherubim (Psalms 80:1: cf. Isaiah 6:1), whose wings were so expanded or disposed as, according to the view of some writers, to form the seat of God (cf. Psalms 18:10), while the ark was his footstool. This promise, made to Moses as the divine delegate in introducing the Sinaitic dispensation, was fulfilled in his experience (Numbers 7:89); and afterward, when the tabernacle ritual had been fully organized, it was accomplished in that of the high priest, who alone was privileged once a year to enter (Leviticus 16:1), and through whom God communicated His will to the people (Exodus 29:42; Exodus 40:29; Leviticus 17:4), whether in the delivery of oracles, in the form of councils, acceptance of their homage, or announcement of His blessing (see the note at Exodus 40:20).