God unveiled.
“And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. - Exodus 26:31 ESV
From inside the dimly lit and smokey chamber of the Holy Place, the veiled entrance of the Holy of Holies may have been the last thing to catch the eye, but it was certainly not least in importance. It concealed the Ark of the Covenant, and it’s Mercy Seat, the place where God manifested His Holy presence.
The design of this curtain differed to the first (which covered the main entrance to the Tabernacle) primarily in that it had images of Cherubim (God’s Angels) skilfully worked into it. The relevance of this detail only becomes clear when we retrace our steps and the symbolism we’ve already considered. Remember that the Tabernacle faced east as a symbolic reversal of the banishment of Adam & Eve from the Garden of Eden. They left the garden travelling from west to east, while the Tabernacle would have been entered from the east towards the west. We read of this detail In Genesis 3:24, and then see that God placed the Cherubim there to guard the way to Paradise, and the Tree of Life it contained. Their job was to prevent anyone, stained with sin and under it’s curse, re-entering the garden and accessing the Tree of Life. Living forever under the curse of sin, is hell.
Now consider the veil, sealing off access to the place where God’s Holy Presence dwelled, carrying a depiction of the Cheribum. Only one person was allowed through this veil, the High Priest. He was only allowed to do so once a year, on the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement gave Israel an opportunity to confess their sin, repent of it and be graphically reminded of it’s cost. Animals were slaughtered and their blood shed as an illustration of the payment of sin. Only by the blood offered by the High Priest on this day, would God forgive the sin of Israel and allow their High Priest to approach the Holy of Holies, the place of God’s presence, on their behalf.
And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. - Mark 15:37-38 ESV
As Jesus died on the cross this same curtain (hanging in the stone Temple of Jerusalem rather than the wilderness Tabernacle) was torn from top to bottom to show that the blood of Jesus, shed on the cross, had put an end to the separation between God and His people. The Cheribum were moved aside, our perfect High Priest Jesus Christ entered in, and His people can now follow and once again enter Paradise, the place where God dwells.
Prayer
Dear Father God Almighty, Thank You for Jesus. Thank You that His blood has opened the way to a never ending loving relationship with You, just like Adam & Eve had before they sinned. Thank You that from the beginning You desired to dwell with us, speak with us, listen to us, console and correct us. Thank You that You made a way to bring everything full circle, and return us to Paradise, by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Whose Name we Pray. Amen.
Worship
Alas, and did my Savior bleed And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head For such a worm as I?
Was it for sins that I had done He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity, grace unknown And love beyond degree
My God, why would You shed Your blood So pure and undefiled
To make a sinful one like me Your chosen, precious child?
Well might the sun in darkness hide And shut His glories in
When Christ, the mighty Maker, died For man, the creature's, sin
Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness And melt my eyes to tears
My God, why would You shed Your blood So pure and undefiled
To make a sinful one like me Your chosen, precious child?
My God, why would You shed Your blood So pure and undefiled
To make a sinful one like me Your chosen, precious child?
Jesus took away every obstacle that prevents us from entering the Holy Presence of God. How can we remove obstacles to someone meeting Jesus, and knowing the incredible love that sets us free? Can we pray for someone’s salvation? Can we invite them to Church (even online)? Can we lovingly provide for their needs, and build a relationship which may be the vehicle for us to share our love for Jesus? There are many tired, lonely, and terrified people all around us. Whatever the Lord leads you to do today, ask Him to guide and empower our efforts, so that another child of God may return to Him. May the Lord Jesus bless you today and forever.