The Barrier Removed
Friday, January 30, 2009 at 05:21AM 9:1Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. 2For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. 3Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, 4having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 5Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.
6These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. 8By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9(which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.
The veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies was a barrier. It prevented the priests who were serving in the outer room, the Holy Place, from seeing into the Holy of Holies. Only the High Priest could enter there--only once a year, on the Day of Atonement, and "not without taking blood." Richard Phillips in his commentary, Hebrews, says this:
"The whole point of the tabernacle system was on the one hand to show God's intent to have fellowship with His people, while on the other hand showing that the way for this was not yet open. The key phrase is "not yet." No, the way was not open to God; it was barred. But it was not simply not open, but not yet open--not yet, that is, until the time of Christ."
He goes on to explain how the way to fellowship with God was opened through Christ's offering of Himself as the spotless Lamb of God. In Christ, our guilt and sin--the barrier that barred us from God's presence--has been removed. Our debt has been paid in full. In Christ, we can now approach God without fear. No longer is the way closed--"not yet" is no more.
When Christ's work on the cross was complete, the veil within the temple was torn from top to bottom! The way was opened at last!
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
The tabernacle with all its rooms and curtains and instruments and furniture and the priestly services that were performed there were but "a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ."
We enter into His presence by faith in Christ. Our guilty conscience may continue to accuse us and tell us that we are unworthy to approach God, but we have been cleansed by the saving work of Christ!
Reader Comments (3)
That is one of the most happy-making things I have read all year, Kim! :) You betcha!! Oh, I mean, "Amen!!"
I agree. This is a Hallelujah post! What a merciful Savior and God.
And to think that the priests, with their own hands!!!, sewed it back up and reestablished that barrier! The veil continues until the present time. . .2 Corinthians 3 and 4
"And to think that the priests, with their own hands!!!, sewed it back up and reestablished that barrier! The veil continues until the present time. . .2 Corinthians 3 and 4"
Explain this statement please??? ....
Sure! The over riding purpose of the book of Hebrews is to prove (to author's contemporaries and, by extension, to us) that the Old Covenant had been made obsolete with the coming of the New Covenant in Christ. The Jewish believers were being tempted to return to Judaism--they were being persecuted for their faith and the Jews were telling them that they needed a priest. The writer of Hebrews first explained how Christ's priesthood is superior than the earthly priests, then went on in this passage to explain how Christ's work had fulfilled the law and made the old way obsolete.
You see, when the temple veil was torn in two, it was demonstrated that the barrier to God had been removed through Christ's work on the Cross. However, the priests, who knew that a New (and different!)Covenant had been promised (Jeremiah 31) and had, along with the entire nation of Israel, been awaiting the "Consolation of Israel" (Luke 2) did not recognize their Messiah. They repaired and restored the barrier and continued with the worship of the Old Covenant that had passed away.
Does that help?