106 - One Shall Pass!

Survival is the more you see is there something for me it's just words printed on paper may look like just print the page, but it's more than Inc. join us for the next half hour, as we explore God's word together as we learn how to explore it on our as we ask God to meet us there in its pages welcome to more than was advised that man behind the curve right right what was behind the curtain all you want to do is movie the curtains covering the fake right right but in the tabernacle today will find out today on more than Inc., welcome back. This is the Bible and Jim Dorothy. This is more than Inc. because we are persuaded beyond all doubts that the word of God is more than just ink on the page living as he speaks to us fresh every time we look into it and it's central to God's plan for what he has for us in life.

So here we are reading it and many times you don't really know what were going expect to find so we are in that sense were sorted, venturing her way into this and discovering things and making comments and pointing left right about what we see and we hope that you're doing the same thing reading with us were really out of it. The ESV Bible, English standard so that helps. If you're following so you don't have to kind of translate on the fly with your version but were you just listen. But look at the ESV and Emory.

We are now what we finished building the tabernacle last week, didn't we get almost well that place yeah yeah later on. The entire structure that included the outer court became referred to as the tabernacle, but at the beginning just just the actual central test, central tent, God's house and as you recall, this all results, because God's intention is to want to dwell with Israel's intention is to dwell with us among us. So this is his way of saying as we go across the desert intense together on my tent and I'll be in the center of life for you. So that's what you're doing here he specifically telling us of how the tent is both makers. This tent reflects who he is and we been making notes as we see things inside the tent as well as the tent itself and and we are still inside the tent today with a couple of fabric barriers is what I call them anything. Well, that's just teachers who God is, but it teaches us and what is required in order to live relationship with, and so I everything that is inside this God's tent speaks about that you lived here, and what is what is it like to live in relationship with him. And if it's meant to tell some very obvious things as we walk into the structure. It's God's house was walking to the structure to move from the outside to the inside. You see things you experience things you see things there that are specifically designed your mind.

Like for instance when you go into the tabernacle itself and on your left, you see that big candelabra with the lights right man sized things back on the right. This golden table with these loaves of bread on it kind of hints at fellowship with God. The other one light enlightenment from God. Another piece that we have looked at yet is the is the altar of incense, which represents prayers right next to overlook that today the fail, which separates us from the Arctic already, I guess. LOL I will follow with this were in chapter 26 Amber starting verse 31 okay and just before in verse 30 God told Moses now make sure that you build it all. According to the plan of shown you on the mountain so that instruction punctuates all the way through these instructions so that seems to be indicating that he has given Moses a very clear there may even have been a model something that he could see exactly what it should look like. These insurgents and were like why does that mean how do build that so I hear.

He says you know Moses was was an architect or he was the executor of God's architecture, so there was some sort of a concrete plan that yeah I was showing you seems like this is written plan here is slightly inadequate, but he does say a couple times. He says the most what you saw on the mount writing my blessings on what you saw very specific very specific social world 26 versus talking about this very important part of the holy place that separates it separate structure from the most holy place, so I will start reading verse 31, and you shall make available on blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twisted linen should be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it and you shall hang it on four pillars of Acacia overlaid with gold with hooks of gold on four bases of silver, and you shall hang the veil from the clasps and bring the ark of the testimony in their within the veil and the veil shall separate for you the holy place of the most holy. You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the most holy place and you shall set the table outside the veil in the lampstand on the south side of the tabernacle opposite the table, and you shall put the table on the north side okay okay is this the veil will become the veil, which unfortunately interesting word word yeah it's it's I mean it literally. I looked into it does mean a wispy, then that's what we think that's what we think of nylon that's flimsy and you can see… In fact, if I remember correctly when we get down to Solomon's Temple much later than this this veil this big piece of fabric was described as being four fingers wide right. Yeah. So were talking about a very thick thing completely excluded light into it. I don't think is that they care, but it's a substantial thing is not a wish they had to carry it yet, so it probably wasn't but I'm just saying if you're thinking, the wispy, almost see-through copies of fabric that's no substantial piece of fabric and this is this is made to separate actually create a barrier and were able to separate 1/3 of the space inside the tabernacle from two thirds you came into the two thirds larger section and then going to the statistics of his divider room divide. We had a curtain. Sometimes these days to separate the room into two parts. Yeah and and this again is a very fine kind of fabric it's an excess inexpensive hard to find many threads per inch, sort of wonderful twined linen. It's it's a classic piece we forget about the fact that fabric during that day was a sign of great luxury and wealth well yeah linen comes from flax and you had to harvest the flax strip the fibers treat them and weave them when you fabric so were talking about something that was extraordinarily labor-intensive and satisfying fact about all those flax plant and making fabric for this. I mean all the work in between. And not only is it just fabric is expensive.

That's why they were actually gambling for Jesus cloak you know when he died. Fabric is expensive but here it's also marvelously done and have the colors very expensive to get these kinds of dies and you didn't see that that was always an extra cost us with something that just royalty away and then has his artwork on the chair but we talked about the work into it there woven into a fine little later in an Exodus that God says I will give specific gifts of my spirit to specific designers, weavers and art workers to create these beautiful things so by here or just trying about this thing that we refer to as the veil 123455 times in these 34 versus refers to the veil member. It's not a flimsy see-through thing.

You have a substantial screen it says hung up to find a room yeah and we talk about the decoration cherubim. This is just because it's a nice thing to put on the walls. I mean we talked about last time that there's actually a couple statuettes of cherubim on top of the mercy seat on the art inside the cherubim always always back to the Garden of Eden were protective garnering majority is the other guardians and so you see the posture of the over the ark in their guarding the wings are covering over there guarding that they guarded the entrance to the to the Garden of Eden. They regard. So when you see cherubim on the walls right hereto, in a sense what God is saying quite visually is is that what is so precious inside here is actually guarded by the cherubim of heaven. It's guarded.

If this is valuable so don't mess around so is not just fun artwork. It's almost morning artwork is in the whole thing is constructed to put you in your place counseling to remind you where and who you are approaching this a very big deal so so we have we have this veil, descriptors, and 31 how to hang it up knowing when you when you hang anything with clasps his cavity gold because this is this is inside the most precious place.

This is meant to represent holiness in that sense, how to hang them up there and and and what they said and 33. Hang the veil from the class and then bring the ark of the testimony in their within the veil, so that's the only thing that's on your side of the veil is that ark of the covenant. We talked about at length before so so this is going to block entry to that and now it becomes designated as the most holy place most holy right the whole tent was called the holy place, but now once you hang up the veil separation in front of the ark of the covenant. Now that room becomes the most holy place right so in a sense it's is the heart were God's presence gives any citizen meet you there on the mercy right so that that actually makes sense to work again with this tension that's in Exodus, as well as the Bible where God's desire is to live amongst us and us to live with him, and yet because of our sin. We can't come near and so in this particular case, the veil keeps you from coming near to the presence of God represented by the cell. As we said early on we started talking about the tabernacle every detail here points to two Jesus points to God's solution right.

The culmination of God's entire picture of how he has accomplished our salvation. It already points to the person of Jesus. And so you know when you way to begin studying this passage with the veil here is take your concordance and look up the word failed to turn up a whole bunch of stuff you bunch of different words for veil of some of them reply to the veil woman would facet or other kinds of coverings but this one here this is only used in reference to the veil in the temple and when you track for your concordance and come to the New Testament references will be nearly so many and they will all be very specific about this thing that hung that was torn from top to bottom. The death of Jesus. Right. Hebrews actually even go so far as to say this veil, which was his flashlight. His flesh yeah so we know that's worth camping on a little bit so I would encourage it is just begin looking at those New Testament references to this veil and what the New Testament says is that's how we we can understand the Old Testament is by what the New Testament says a lot yeah, in fact the writer of Hebrews is looking a bit.

He said he says that the veil we now the veil right now is looked at. It blocks the way into the most holy place, and yet he says in Hebrews that Jesus is the new and living way right.

You know, torn like the veil was answered within the van and offered us things away. So when Jesus on the way the truth and like this.

It was time is the way into the presence of God and Hebrews 6 says he's gone in there is a forerunner and anchored anchor for our faith inside the veil so from a Jewish metaphor perspective the separation. This barrier that keeps us from God is somehow now taking care of to the breaking of Christ by the tearing of the veil and it it it says in a very clear way unequivocally that now access to God has been radically opened because of what Christ is to us. So the veil is something a says sin must keep you out, but through Christ we can commit and was a separation or just think about it veil for a minute because the way we use it veil pretty much in our age is we all think of the veil that a bride wears yeah right. But if you function veil. It separates you from something, but it can be protective right like if you wear sunglasses you wear those to veil your eyes from the glare and that allows you to see better because you not blinded by the glare right so when the Scripture says he took on flesh.

He availed himself in flesh.

Well, he covered the glare glaring holiness of God so we could actually see reality who God is like in the person of his son. There's a lot there to unpack devotional as you think about Jesus in his flesh representing the veil yeah and if you just if you think of every simply as a screen keeps you from one place in another place.

In fact, when you get when we get the tabernacle rituals what goes on that you don't find out later on that only one person is allowed to pass rest veil and that's the high priest and even at that he's only allowed once a year on the day of atonement to go into this baby carrying blood and he barely came but it's very specific. The access is extraordinarily yeah and so that veil also provides saying don't come past this point unless you are the high priest, and you happen to be bringing blood as a sacrifice and is better be the day of atonement, so it's a very restricted access. There is access but it's very restricted, and yet the writer of Hebrews says that Jesus is now her high priest.

He's the one that goes once for all variety and he accomplishes going through that bill into this most holy place.

What all of those string of priests in the Old Testament could encompass Jesus now does once for all, and enters wars.

He's not only the veil that's torn that allows a new way. He is actually a high priest who walks in carrying his own blood, heaters and packs that is 90.

I know when Paul second contains three is talking about the significance of this new covenant. He turned the corner, one point talks about how Moses used to veil his field is people can see that the glory was fading whenever he went into the tent of meeting his conversations with the Lord came out.

His face was glowing. The people out so he screamed so he serene his face.

He put on a veil so they couldn't see the glory said they would listen to him but behind the veil the glory was fading so in EE going to look at second Corinthians 3 chapter Paul says now but we all this side of the new covenant we all with unveiled face, beholding in a mirror, as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the him into the same image from glory to glory, just as the spirit so under the old covenant, the glory was fading, but under the new covenant that Jesus established the glory is increasing as we are transformed internally and changed into the image of the son of God. It's a beautiful picture we unveiled face is nothing between us anymore.

Jesus is open way. And that's this one of Jesus several roles when you look at him as he is one who removed all the barriers of the barriers way maker right as it is a current science and he allows us all away. A single way into the presence of God's glory to me that that in general is like the biblical thrust of the Bible is God's intent to live with us in God's intent for us to come into his presence and to see his glory and experience him live with them, that God got is a very relational God and Jesus solves the problem that the veil reminds us, is a problem arson.

Now I'm thinking that fails even today in countries where women are veil in public where they take the veil off inside their homes in the presence of aspens break so it's a relational things always relational. Yeah, it's always relational.

You just had just had trivia moment carefully or is about a Roman history. There is a great the great general Pompeii. He was actually pretty ruthless man about five or six decades. Pompeii goes around. He does a lot of stuff around his hero was Alexander the great lump it was just a nasty guy and he did actually commended Israel and came into Jerusalem and and saw the temple and so what's the big deal and he forced his way into the temple.

This is what I think is 50 with that. Pompeii said is Pompeii in 50 or 60 BC he comes and pushes as well as another one. Even early last guy is a lesson for Jesus and he comes in and when he pushes his way into the temple past the preacher warned him drunk when they don't go in there and he goes inside and he's actually flabbergasted. What he doesn't find doesn't find a statue or an idol in their minds the box, so he says will make the temple and doesn't put their God in the temple and so he was just gob smacked by the fact that the Lord your God will got is there is just not as a statue. He's not as an idol.

That's right is interesting is that that was, in fact, Josephus, the famous historian at temperatures of one who wrote that doubts as this is Pompeii's reaction when inside the temple he will Lord your God were your God, yeah, I think around 60 BC interesting thing because you won't you won't see God as a statue inside the temple. Unlike other religions triggered old train of thought. For me, but I want unpack it now to use our time of our own message left. Listen to this last piece because we just talk, but the bill will probably come back a little bit more. We come back, but that's a barrier to the holy of holies actually is an external barrier to coming into the whole tabernacle with myself and so I will just reinforce the pics of just remember that 36 he said before that the description of the walls of the holy place right there were walls on three sides. The east facing side was open to find out what covers the Internet is that we close the entrance. I know that's that's really good because we have three sites covered enough interest. So here we go. 36 so you shall make a screen for the entrance of the tent of blue and purple and sky blue purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen embroidered with needlework and you shall make for the screen. Five pillars of Acacia overlay them with gold.

Other hooks shall be of gold and shall cast five pieces of bronze for them. So this is just a second sort of barrier screen to coming in because you know there were restrictions about coming into the general tabernacle, not just the holy rollers but even the holies on the outside so so this was a way you had. This is the only entrance by the way, Jesus is the only way there is no back door to the tabernacle (one way in. This is the way the interesting thing to me well is to think things that jump off the page to me. One is that this is a different Hebrew word they both mean separating curtain nothing that's hung right that separates you, but I wonder about the significance of the difference between those words and I didn't dig into it. As far as I could but so this is a different word which is why an English is translated screen is present of a veil, and anything is that this one doesn't check them on it.

No, it has some wise, the description is essay has something embroidered bright light. Yeah but it doesn't have the cherubim, so there's something it's a little bit farther out from the right and deep, holy presence of God. And there's a little more little more accessible. Yeah, so there's sort of a progressive things you go through as you come close to the presence of God.

Even still, I mean if you think if you put this in your mind's eye for things you stand outside the tabernacle once directed the tent you know you see the other three sides were just talking about which has a cochair in all the layers of leather on the top STUFF. It's kinda it's kind of rough looking, you know, if you went around all the four sides of the tabernacle, you'd see those very utilitarian, high durability sides and then you'd come to this wonderful linen thing with all these colors and go well you know that's probably the direction you go to get toward… None of the other sites. This is the entry then it would be such a stark contrast from the other sides from the materials of the other sides.

I'm sure just kind of just blazed as you look at that. That's the entrance right there and as you come through, that the colors in the fine linen you walk into the center and that in the holy place. There, then you'd be then you be surrounded with curtains that have cherubim, you know, suggesting to you that actually powers of heaven are protecting the what's so precious inside a beer and then seal the gold things would be just such a different thing with this would be very clearly a different side of the timbre. This is how you go and every time I think about that contrast. But with the four sides look like. I think about the fact that Jesus says I am the way and a lot of people today talk about want a lot of ways to God tabernacle. There's only one way okay and this is the screen that everybody could see. Yes, they couldn't all see that veil before, so that's right, but I think everybody could see this screen and me thinking and written right remained reminded me of woman I talked with 12 who ministered in Muslim countries and she said you know it's very helpful if we understand that there's many, many ways to Jesus but only when we got exactly through him, through him, and so that came to mind as I was thinking about this.

This veil this curtain is out here that everybody can see the signs visible. This is the way in, but it's only through this curtain. This one's visible and it and it actually just by visual illness and its contrast to the sides. Says something about hope and promise in the presence of God, something very value and beauty yeah it is. It's such a remarkable image just that's why God you know I always thought God could've made that go to finger around the four sides, but he leaves the site open so that this entrance toward God and be visually stunning and inviting you know that this is what you I think that's just grout and it's open and it's open curtain right we go through the side of the tent know this is deliberately designed. This is this is the entryway. This is coming through here.

So again we have this tension showing in these screens. These barriers that God wants to be in our midst, but he has controlled access and that the controlled access is just because were tainted by sin. That's what it's all about. And yes, Old Testament Jesus fixes the soul who had access now to this this holy place will will find out later that it was the high priest and all of the Levites and everybody else who relate to service that is placed in their caring for the lights in the Brandon incense all that but only the high priest would go in the holy of holies. Yeah so again is that very restrained progressive access and the fruit you got in the more holy and precious.

Everything looked in that which makes sense, is just as idle kinda closing but I always wondered when they packed up camp.

How much of the insides of the tabernacle, you would see as they would carry law.

I think there's some instructions about that. I think directions to the Levites about covering the ark before I know covering the art but I wondered about all the other tapestries were seated veil. You know Ramona could be although it's possible that they would have to look that you asked that at first so that when when our walls came down all of the very holy things were still hidden. That would make sense yeah but I can't. I could remember. Well, we will track that down anyway.

You know next time you want to come back with moving outside of the tabernacle from going into the courtyard that's outside with there's some significant stuff outside there and there's more to learn about things you pass as you go through the courtyard.

As you come toward this entry right here.

This courtyard that has a lot of importance of women to come to that is restarting the chapter 27 so you want to join us or you can read ahead and all end and see what you find there.

But there's some specific things outside of the tabernacle proper which really indicate something special from God's perspective of our so we hope you enjoy doing this with this I'm I'm living among all tabernacle all over again. So I'm Jim lighted you with this will come back next time.

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