I was working as the Media Director for our church at the time and one of my favorite memories was shooting some video footage in the Holy of Holies, alone and late in the evening, imagining what it must have been like for the High Priest when he pulled back the last veil and encountered the Almighty God . . .
I think that, especially in our modern day, that we have heard so much about God that we have perhaps lost sight of the majesty of God. There is a tendency to profane holy things by making them common, ordinary, perhaps even mundane. Yet scripture continually reminds us that God is a Holy God, and sin is not tolerated in His presence. The habits and choices that we so casually make, God does not view in that same light. Yes, God is love, and He has provided a way of forgiveness through the sacrifice of Jesus, but sin is still repulsive in His presence. I'm reminded of the verse, "The prayers of a righteous man availath much." Because the opposite fact is also true, that the prayers of a unrighteous man, who casually flirts with the grace of God, are met with silence from Heaven.
Side note: We see the danger of treating God with contempt in the story of Jesus accepting the dinner invitation to a Pharisee's house. Remember that the Pharisee's were the religious leaders of that day. I encourage you to read this account for yourself in Luke, chapter 7, verses 36 - 50). The point is that there is real danger in knowing the truth and yet taking something (or someone) for granted. Okay, back to our tabernacle story . . . Like a lot of events in the Old Testament, the tabernacle, first showed to Moses as a pattern on the same mountain that he also received the ten commandments, was a shadow of heavenly things. (Hebrews 8:5) Let's examine some of the ways that the tabernacle foreshadowed the coming of Jesus Christ.When you first enter the court of the tabernacle you immediately encounter the Altar of burnt offering. You couldn't escape witnessing the constant activity as the priests sacrificed animals for the sins of the people. (Exodus 27) The blood of the sacrifices, the smell of death, these all seem like strange things to experience in God's house. But we see a variant of this sight repeated in the New Testament when John the Baptist saw Jesus walking toward him and he shouted, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29) In both encounters we were forced to face our need for a sacrifice, a blood offering, as atonement for our sins. The lamb of God, the perfect One, took the entire punishment for the penalty of our sins, for without Him there would be no reconciliation with God the Father. Amen.
Moving deeper into the courtyard, past the first veil, we enter the Holy place, and the first piece of furniture we see displayed is the Table of Bread. (Exodus 25) Fresh bread, twelve pieces that represented the twelve tribes of Israel, were always present on the table. This bread represented God's provision for His people. We see the New Testament equivalent of this when Jesus told his followers, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." (John 6:35) With these words Jesus was proclaiming a pivotal shift in the relationship between God and man. Jesus said that He would be the bread of life, that there would be no more need for priests to intervene on our behalf. We now had a direct line of communication to God Himself! Amen.
Directly across from the Table of Bread is the Golden Lampstand which was to remain lit at all times. (Exodus 27) Once again we see the New Testament equivalent when Jesus said these words, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12) Jesus again emphasized that He would now be with us, always, in every situation, and we never needed to fear the darkness again. Amen.
Lastly we enter the Holy of Holies, which was fifteen feet wide, fifteen feet deep and fifteen feet high. Only the High Priest was allowed to access this area, and even then only once a year. But those days are gone! In Hebrews, chapter 4 we are told, "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,[a] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." God is no longer distant, requiring layers of laws and tradition to enter His presence. Jesus banished the old ways, providing us with direct and constant access with God Himself! What was impossible for man and his efforts became a reality with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! Amen!
If you'll permit me one last note, I've always been struck with this detail when reading the account of the empty tomb. Remember that the Ark of the Covenant, located in the Holy of Holies, had two cherubim (angels) on the top of the box, one at the head of the box, one at the feet of the box. We see in John, chapter 20, that Mary Magdalene, who discovered that Jesus's tomb was empty, was overcome with emotion because Jesus's body was missing. "As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot." (John 20) What a picture! We are reminded once again that what God started in the Garden of Eden, the redemption story of His creation, would be fulfilled through Jesus Christ! Amen!!
Just like the pathway through the tabernacle started and ended with blood and death, Jesus completed the ultimate sacrifice for us, His fallen people. He willingly laid down all of His heavenly power and privilege to enter our world as a powerless little baby, and to die a horrible death, an innocent man, sacrificing His life for the guilty so that they might live. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him." (John 3:16 -17)
Please don't miss out on God's plan of redemption for your life. He moved heaven and earth to provide you a way home and I pray that if you haven't yet accepted His gift of salvation, that you would ponder this story of God's deep love for you and your loved ones. As we draw closer to the Easter holiday, there is no better time than now to take the hand of Jesus and let Him draw you close.
For more on how you can accept God's gift for you, click HERE.
