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When Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with God, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the expiation cover that was upon the Ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim (v. 89; Exo. 25:17-22):
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The expiation cover signifies Christ as the place where God meets with His redeemed people and speaks to them in grace (v. 22; Num. 7:89).
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The cherubim on the expiation cover signify God's glory (Ezek. 10:18) and are called "cherubim of glory" (Heb. 9:5); thus, the cherubim on the expiation cover indicate that Christ expresses God's glory (John 1:14):
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The two cherubim were one piece with the expiation cover; this indicates that God's glory shines out from Christ and upon Christ as the expiation cover to be a testimony (Exo. 25:19; cf. John 1:14; 2 Cor. 4:4, 6):
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This manifestation of God, this glory of God, is the testimony of God (Exo. 37:7-8).
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Two is the number of testimony; the glory of God becomes the testimony of God.
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Upon Christ and with Christ, there is the manifestation of God, which is the glory of God, and this manifestation as the glory of God is the testimony of God.
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The cherubim and the expiation cover were made of pure gold; this signifies that the shining of Christ as the effulgence of God's glory is divine (25:17-18; Heb. 1:3).
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Jehovah, the Shepherd of Israel, was enthroned between the cherubim, and from there He shined forth (Psa. 80:1; 99:1; 1 Sam. 4:4; 2 Sam. 6:2).
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From above the expiation cover, from between the two cherubim which were upon the Ark of the Testimony, God met with Moses and spoke with him (Exo. 25:22):
Morning Nourishment
Num. 7:89 And when Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the expiation cover that was upon the Ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim; and he spoke to Him.Psa. 80:1 O Shepherd of Israel, give ear...; You who are enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth.
The offering in Numbers 7 afforded Moses a time to speak with God. "When Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the expiation cover that was upon the Ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim; and he spoke to Him" (v. 89). At the expiation cover upon the Ark of the Testimony, there was a conversation between man and God. In this conversation Moses could hear God's voice. How wonderful that God and man could be one to the extent that they could have such a conversation! (Life-study of Numbers, p. 91)
Today's Reading
The expiation cover, mentioned in Hebrews 9:5 and corresponding to the propitiation place in Romans 3:25, was the lid of the Ark. It signifies Christ as the cover of God's righteous law and also as the place where God meets with His redeemed people and speaks to them in grace (Exo. 25:22)....The pure gold of which the cover was made signifies Christ's pure divine nature. (Exo. 25:17, footnote 1)That the two cherubim were one piece with the expiation cover indicates that God's glory shines out from Christ and upon Christ as the expiation cover to be a testimony (cf. John 1:14; 2 Cor. 4:4, 6). The form, size, and weight of the cherubim are not given, indicating that the glory of Christ's shining is immeasurable and mysterious. (Exo. 25:19, footnote 1)
Upon the expiation cover there were two cherubim (Exo. 37:7-9), signifying the glory of God (Heb. 9:5). The glory of God is the manifestation of God. God manifested is glory. We may compare glory to the shining of electrical lights, which is the glory of the electricity. When God shines Himself out, He becomes the glory. God is manifested in Christ, so upon Christ you can see the glory of God.
The two cherubim signify the glory of God, that is, the manifestation of God....Exodus 37 tells us that there was not only one cherub but two cherubim. Two is the number of testimony....Upon Christ and with Christ, there is the manifestation of God, which is the glory of God, and this manifestation as the glory of God is the testimony of God. This truth is very rich and very deep in thought and meaning. (CWWL, 1963, vol. 1, "Spiritual Applications of the Tabernacle," pp. 134-135)
That the wings of the cherubim covered the expiation cover indicates that God's glory is expressed in Christ to be a full testimony (Heb. 1:3a; Eph. 3:21...). The faces of the cherubim were toward each other and toward the cover, signifying that God's glory watches over and observes what Christ has done. (Exo. 25:20, footnote 1)
That the cherubim and the expiation cover were made of pure gold (Exo. 25:17-18) signifies that the shining of Christ as the effulgence of God's glory (Heb. 1:3a) is divine. That the expiation cover of gold was put on top of the Ark of acacia wood (Exo. 25:10) signifies that Christ's humanity, not His divinity, is the base for Him to express the glory of His divine nature. (Exo. 25:21, footnote 1)
That God met with His people and spoke to them from above the expiation cover and between the cherubim signifies that God meets with us and speaks to us in the propitiating Christ and in the glory expressed in the propitiating Christ as His testimony (cf. 2 Cor. 3:8-11, 18). Thus, the expiation cover with the blood of the sacrifices sprinkled on it on the Day of Expiation (Lev. 16:14-15, 29-30) portrays the redeeming Christ in His humanity and the shining Christ in His divinity as the place where fallen sinners can meet with the righteous, holy, and glorious God and hear His word, thereby being infused with God as grace and receiving vision, revelation, and instruction from Him. (Exo. 25:22, footnote 1)
Further Reading: Life-study of Exodus, msgs. 80, 178