1 Kings 6:23-28: in context

In the inner sanctuary of the temple Solomon built, two great cherubim of olive wood stood, each ten cubits high, overlaid with gold. Their wings were outstretched, so that the wing of one touched one wall and the wing of the other touched the opposite wall, and their inner wings met in the middle, over the place of God's presence. The outstretched wings of the cherubim overshadowed the holiest place, spreading a covering over the ark where God met his people, a canopy of wings above his dwelling.

The image of the cherubim's outstretched wings overshadowing the place of God's presence is one Scripture takes up as a picture of God's sheltering care. The wings spread over the holiest place, covering and overshadowing it. And throughout the Psalms, God's protection of his people is pictured as the shadow of his wings: under the shadow of your wings, the psalmist says, the children of men take refuge. The overshadowing wings in the temple point to a God who covers, shelters, and protects those who come to him, spreading his care over them like wings spread over the place of his presence. This holds a comforting picture of God's protective presence. To be under the shadow of God's wings is to be covered, sheltered, kept safe, near to him. He will cover you with his feathers, the psalmist says, and under his wings you will take refuge. Like a bird spreading its wings over its young to shelter them, God spreads his protective presence over those who take refuge in him, covering them, keeping them near, sheltering them under the shadow of his wings. The overshadowing cherubim in the temple picture this sheltering care of God for his people. This invites us to take refuge under the shadow of God's wings. When we are afraid, exposed, in need of shelter, we may come to God as those who take refuge under his wings, covered by his protective presence, sheltered and kept near to him. He does not leave those who come to him exposed and unprotected; he spreads his care over them like wings over the place of his presence. How precious is your loving kindness, the psalmist says; the children of men take refuge under the shadow of your wings. And Jesus himself used this very image, longing to gather his people as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. The God whose presence was overshadowed by the wings of the cherubim is the God who spreads his sheltering wings over those who take refuge in him. This calls us to shelter in the protective presence of God. The cherubim's outstretched wings overshadowed the place of God's presence, a picture of his sheltering care; and we are invited to take refuge under the shadow of his wings, coming to him for the covering and protection he spreads over those who draw near, sheltered and kept safe in the presence of the God who covers his own as wings cover the place of his dwelling.

When I am afraid, exposed, and in need of shelter, do I feel unprotected and alone, or can the cherubim's outstretched wings overshadowing the place of God's presence, together with the psalmist's refuge under the shadow of God's wings, invite me to take refuge in the sheltering presence of God, coming to him to be covered and kept near, sheltered under the shadow of his wings as the place of his presence was overshadowed by the wings of the cherubim?