Slices
Prepare
‘The only person who dares wake up a king at 3.00am for a glass of water is a child. We have that kind of access.’* Exercise your privilege!
*Timothy Keller, https://twitter.com/timkellernyc/status/569890726349307904
Bible passage
Worship in the earthly tabernacle
9 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.
6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. 9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshipper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings – external regulations applying until the time of the new order.
Explore
Continuing the theme of the old and new covenants, today’s passage considers the structure of the sanctuary (vs 2–5) and the priestly service performed there (vs 6,7).
The psalmist exclaimed, ‘Worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness’ (Psalm 96:9, NIV). The tabernacle was lovely, but limited. Despite great beauty, there were many barriers: only the priests might enter the holy place; only the high priest served in the inner sanctuary, and this, too, only once a year and only with blood sacrifices (vs 6,7). Structurally and ritually, everything was carried out perfectly; spiritually, all this was woefully inadequate (v 9).
When Jesus drew his final gasping breath on the cross, ‘the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom’ (Matthew 27:51, NIV), effectively and permanently breaking down these barriers. Under this ‘new order’ (v 10), there is access to God for all, not just the priestly class or the Jewish people (Ephesians 2:18); this access is direct, no longer through representatives; it is 24/7, and blood sacrifices are no longer required.
Respond
‘Just as I am, Thy love unknown / Has broken every barrier down; / Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone, / O Lamb of God, I come, I come!’ (Charlotte Elliott)
Deeper Bible study
I thank God for access into his presence. I also sit quietly for a few moments, observing due deference.1
A common feature of earthly sanctuaries is limited access – either because particular areas are physically cordoned off as no-go areas or because access must be obtained through particular people – shamans, mediums, priests. The tabernacle – and the Jewish Temple in New Testament times – pictured this limited access. I refresh my mind with some details the author of Hebrews passes over because he has better news in store! In the first room were the lampstand2 and the table for the consecrated bread;3 in the second room was the Ark of the Covenant4 and just outside stood the altar of incense.5 The defining feature of this most splendid sanctuary was – THE VEIL.6
The readers of this letter would have been familiar with this sanctuary geography: the Court of the Gentiles, the Court of the Women, the Court of Male Israelites, the Holy Place, the Holiest Place. As long as the first tabernacle ‘was still functioning’ (v 8; literally, ‘having standing’), this was the arrangement. The worshippers could only approach so far; the priests a little further; and the high priest, once a year, could enter the inner room, with blood, for sins committed ignorantly. I ponder quietly, humbly, what our writer says that the Holy Spirit was showing (in vs 8–10) through this elaborate system of washings, food, drink, sacrifices, offerings. It would have produced in the thoughtful, conscientious worshipper at least some sense of God’s remoteness, his holiness and a sense that sin and wrongdoing are not matters to be taken lightly. But Exodus 31 and 32 show that the beautiful tabernacle was barely completed, the high priest barely clothed in his gorgeous vestments and the sabbath barely consecrated for worship – when the Israelites were off to worship their golden calf.
Lord, I thank you that the veil between the ‘earthly sanctuary’ (v 1) and the ‘new order’ (v 10) has been ‘torn in two from top to bottom’.7
1 Hab 2:20 2 Exod 25:31–40 3 Exod 25:23–30 4 Exod 25:10–22 5 Exod 30:1–10 6 Exod 26:31–35 7 Mark 15:38
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: 2 Samuel 21,22; 1 Corinthians 9
Pray for Scripture Union
Local mission partner PSALMS, along with the Diocese of Gloucester, would have been running an Olympics Sports Day at Gloucester Cathedral tomorrow. Praise God for the opportunities this project has seen so far, and pray for more as the workers continue to connect with children and young people to share his love through sporting activities.
