What is under the mercy seat in the ark, and is there any mercy in the law?
Beneath the mercy seat in the ark lies the law, the demanding law. There is no mercy in the law. The law has no mercy; it can do nothing but condemn, cannot save anybody, and only condemns. It cannot save anyone; its sole function is condemnation.
Les teaches that the Hebrew word kaphar means to cover, though he considers the usual term a misnomer. In Leviticus 16, the Lord told Moses to speak to Aaron that he not come at all times into the holy place behind the veil, which is upon the ark of the mercy seat, lest he die, for the Lord would appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. Under the mercy seat is the law, the demanding law. Les stresses there is no mercy in the law; the law has no mercy. The law can do nothing but condemn, cannot save anybody, and all it can do is condemn. Aaron was to come with a young bullock for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, wearing holy linen garments.