Heaven's Roof
Heaven has layers and today we learned about its roof, structure, and access.
Looking at Exodus Chapter 26, we discovered instructions for the Tabernacle. This chapter addresses the layers of the tabernacle, the supporting structure, and the issue of admittance.
During past sermons we were instructed about how the tabernacle was a copy of heaven. The courtyard of the tabernacle was analgous to the sea and mountains; the Holy place corresponded to heaven; and the holy of holies to the highest heaven. So as you walked further into the tabernacle, you got closer to God.
Within the Holy of Holies, we saw the same progressive pattern. The layer closest to God was a beautiful royal linen with Cherubim woven into its fabric. This first layer was proportioned to perfection - seven times a long as tall. Each successive layer became less glorious and valuable. Heaven's Roof demonstrated the same copy of heaven in a vertical manner as was demonstrated laterally from the courtyard to the Holy of Holies.
Interestingly, the fantastic beauty of the tabernacle was only visible to the high priest. It was on the inside that the Tabernacle was beautiful, the outside of the tabernacle was mere animal skins.
The chapter goes on to describe the supporting structure of boards, sockets, and bars. Of note was function of supports that kept the acacia boards off the ground, thereby maintaining a separation between earth and heaven, ground and tabernacle.
The chapter ends by discussing a "screen" and a "veil". Both of these were doors that restricted access to the Glory of God. As should be expected, the door of lower quality (the screen) was the gateway between the courtyard and the holy place. The veil (literally: shut out, shut off) was the door from the Holy place to the holy of holies. Naturally, this was a beautiful fabric through which God effectively said stay away sinners, I am holy.
In looking at this portion of scripture, which can seem "boring", we learn some very valuable lessons. First, the whole layout and design of the Tablernacle teaches that God is both beautiful and dreadful. Once a year the priests were permitted to enter the holy of holies, even then they had to have a rope tied around them in case they were not pleasing to God. But, back to the veil, Christ's flesh we learn was the veil (Hebrews 10:19-22) and was torn by God, from heaven down to earth. Now through Christ we have access, direct access, to the Lord God - in his power and dreadfulness. Christ was torn so that we would be covered to come before the Holy of Holies "with confidence." This was a great reminder I need to have my mind washed of sin to discover the power of this view towards prayer; and, that the church needs to recover this view of prayer as well. Oh Lord, send your spirit in mercy and grace.
Also, we see that God cloaks wisdom in foolishness. From the outside the glories of the Tabernacle were not evident, but instead it looked more or less common. The inside was thing of beauty. We see the same thing with the Church - why would anyone want to be apart of a bunch of hypocritical, weak-minded, people who do not get to "go out and have fun?" Yet the inside is glorious and beautiful. Or take David and Saul. The obvious choice was not God's choice, the opposite was in fact the case. God cloaks wisdom in foolishness.
Finally, we need to be content with our station in life - the tabernacle teaches us that not everyone has equal access, equal opportunity. It seems that no one today will admit there are mysteries and limits. God has established boundaries for us and we are not to cross them. Peeking under the walls of the tabernacle into the Holy of Holies would have been suicide in Israel. But today, in an age when we refuse to acknowledge limits of any kind, we refuse to be content with who we are and what we know. Misery awaits if I am supposed to be a teacher and shirk that role. To deny my station in life is to deny the boundaries that the Lord has established, which is analogous to peeking under the curtain.
An infinite God has made us and we are finite. Trying to understand it all will only make our minds spin out of control and probably right through Heaven's Roof.
Praise God for the washing and renewal of the word!
Looking at Exodus Chapter 26, we discovered instructions for the Tabernacle. This chapter addresses the layers of the tabernacle, the supporting structure, and the issue of admittance.
During past sermons we were instructed about how the tabernacle was a copy of heaven. The courtyard of the tabernacle was analgous to the sea and mountains; the Holy place corresponded to heaven; and the holy of holies to the highest heaven. So as you walked further into the tabernacle, you got closer to God.
Within the Holy of Holies, we saw the same progressive pattern. The layer closest to God was a beautiful royal linen with Cherubim woven into its fabric. This first layer was proportioned to perfection - seven times a long as tall. Each successive layer became less glorious and valuable. Heaven's Roof demonstrated the same copy of heaven in a vertical manner as was demonstrated laterally from the courtyard to the Holy of Holies.
Interestingly, the fantastic beauty of the tabernacle was only visible to the high priest. It was on the inside that the Tabernacle was beautiful, the outside of the tabernacle was mere animal skins.
The chapter goes on to describe the supporting structure of boards, sockets, and bars. Of note was function of supports that kept the acacia boards off the ground, thereby maintaining a separation between earth and heaven, ground and tabernacle.
The chapter ends by discussing a "screen" and a "veil". Both of these were doors that restricted access to the Glory of God. As should be expected, the door of lower quality (the screen) was the gateway between the courtyard and the holy place. The veil (literally: shut out, shut off) was the door from the Holy place to the holy of holies. Naturally, this was a beautiful fabric through which God effectively said stay away sinners, I am holy.
In looking at this portion of scripture, which can seem "boring", we learn some very valuable lessons. First, the whole layout and design of the Tablernacle teaches that God is both beautiful and dreadful. Once a year the priests were permitted to enter the holy of holies, even then they had to have a rope tied around them in case they were not pleasing to God. But, back to the veil, Christ's flesh we learn was the veil (Hebrews 10:19-22) and was torn by God, from heaven down to earth. Now through Christ we have access, direct access, to the Lord God - in his power and dreadfulness. Christ was torn so that we would be covered to come before the Holy of Holies "with confidence." This was a great reminder I need to have my mind washed of sin to discover the power of this view towards prayer; and, that the church needs to recover this view of prayer as well. Oh Lord, send your spirit in mercy and grace.
Also, we see that God cloaks wisdom in foolishness. From the outside the glories of the Tabernacle were not evident, but instead it looked more or less common. The inside was thing of beauty. We see the same thing with the Church - why would anyone want to be apart of a bunch of hypocritical, weak-minded, people who do not get to "go out and have fun?" Yet the inside is glorious and beautiful. Or take David and Saul. The obvious choice was not God's choice, the opposite was in fact the case. God cloaks wisdom in foolishness.
Finally, we need to be content with our station in life - the tabernacle teaches us that not everyone has equal access, equal opportunity. It seems that no one today will admit there are mysteries and limits. God has established boundaries for us and we are not to cross them. Peeking under the walls of the tabernacle into the Holy of Holies would have been suicide in Israel. But today, in an age when we refuse to acknowledge limits of any kind, we refuse to be content with who we are and what we know. Misery awaits if I am supposed to be a teacher and shirk that role. To deny my station in life is to deny the boundaries that the Lord has established, which is analogous to peeking under the curtain.
An infinite God has made us and we are finite. Trying to understand it all will only make our minds spin out of control and probably right through Heaven's Roof.
Praise God for the washing and renewal of the word!
posted by Charlie at 2:54 PM
1 Comments:
Wow, wish I could have been there for that one. Thanks for posting it for us, very well written! I might have to read it a couple more times before it all sinks in.
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