Behind curtain number 2

The curtain in the temple was often call the veil...it was like a cloth wall, several inches thick, and separated God from the rest of the world. We talked yesterday about weaving this thing for God's glory, but did they think about the fact that none of them would ever see it again, let alone go through it to be in God's presence? That very thing they were weaving was meant to separate their Holy God from them. It is a sobering thought. God would be worshipped at that temple, and they had the delight of making it, for participating in the building, but it was that very act that would bring God's Spirit to live in their midst, but not in their lives. They couldn't walk behind that first curtain to get to the places of bread and light...the blood of the animals might make it that far at times, but they were to stand outside looking toward, but never looking in. There was hope in a future with God, but not in having a personal relationship with him. Not in this life.

That is until the day that Jesus became our high priest and entered inside or within the veil. He played the high priest, the only one that could go temporarily behind the curtain just long enough to make the sacrifice according to all that was commanded and then GET OUT OF THERE! They wore bells on their garments and had a rope tied to them in case they were slain for not offering the sacrifice correctly . That doesn't sound like a bit of fun, and the hope that you had was that you got it right, that God would accept the sacrifice, and that the people would be pardoned for another year. And that you wouldn't be pulled out by the rope and leave on your own two feet! Alas, we often take the holiness of God for granted and do not see that there is a lot at stake here...and forgiveness of God is no samll thing. So how can we even think about approaching God?

This is the beauty of the book of Hebrews. It tells us how the whole priestly thing points to Christ. And it tells us that through Christ, we have access to God just as He did, because He did it first...went behind that veil with the sacrifice that paved the way for any who would come after Him to follow. It's not a yellow brick road, but a road up Calvary, but both lead to home. It says Jesus was the forerunner for us, going in behind the curtain to make it all right for us to come in, too. That is the hope we have, that we can come before the throne of God that is behind that curtain. The only thing behind that earth curtain was the Mercy Seat...and we are told we come to that place to find mercy (4:16, which mentions it first, and is reitterated here). We can approach Him with boldness and with hope, the two things that the priests could not do. They went meekly and with questions of God's acceptance of their offerings, though they were the ones proscribed by God Himself! We can almost barge in...that wouldn't be polite, but it's more like Esther going to the king knowing that he could reject her, but sort of knowing that he wouldn't because he liked her...we can run to the lap of the Father in hope because He swore the oath that He would not reject those to whom He promised refuge. Nothing the priest could offer was a permanent solution to their sin or the sin of the people, so they would have to remain separated from God yet again, but the offering of Christ was perfect and made them perfect, and therefore they could come to God for His love and protection. We can draw near. It is a BETTER hope. They had hope, but this hope is Better! The wouldn't need priests to offer sacrifices or to teach, no prophets to warn, no animals to sacrifice, because God will teach them all about Himself and gave them a new and better covenant than that He had made with Abraham.

The whole of Hebrews speaks of this hope...the hope of being approved by God through the blood of the new covenant – Jesus- and partaking intimately with Him in a direct audience with the King. It is like the story of little Tad Lincoln taking someone to see Abe as president...the man could come because there was nothing to stop the son from taking him there. The son had the access to the father, and if you had favor with the son, you could go where he went, even to areas that were restricted to outsiders. The veil made us outsiders, but the Son has access, and when we have His permission and favor, we have access as well to the God behind the curtain.

That access is through salvation, through accepting the offering that the Son made to get us that backstage pass... I have mine...do you have yours? I can't get you in, but Jesus surely can!