THE HOLINESS OF GOD
The Old Testament is important to our Christian faith because it teaches us about who God is, that is, about His holy character and what His gracious love is like. Interestingly, these things aren't taught to us directly through divinely guided theological reflections (cf. like with the New Testament letters), but more indirectly, through narratives (cf. as in Genesis and the first part of Exodus) and through things like the directions given to build the tabernacle and how the activities there were to be carried out (cf. as in the second part of Exodus and Leviticus). In fact, the tabernacle represents for us a very tangible description of who God is without physically describing Him at all!
In a very brief look at this, the tabernacle consists of a courtyard area, a tent, and a curtain that divides the tent into two halves. In the courtyard, there is an altar that sits just in front of the entrance to the tent itself. This is where the ritual sacrifices are carried out. In the first part of the tent, the "holy place," there is another altar that sits in front of the curtain that divides the tent into two halves. This is where the blood from the sacrifices is applied, smeared, and even poured out. In the second part of the tent, behind the curtain, is the "most holy place" or "the holy of holies." This is where the ark of the covenant sits, which contains the tablets of Moses, that is, the Word of God, a representation of who God is and all that He stands for (i.e., there are no physical images of God). These brief descriptions help us to understand the physical aspects of the tabernacle, as well as the ritual activities that were carried out there thousands of years ago (see Exodus 25-31 and 35-40).
In another brief look, the tabernacle is a picture of how God relates to us. We, of course, are a fallen people, sinful and corrupt, and unable to co-exist with a holy God, at least not without His gracious intervention and help. The tabernacle spells out our dire situation for us (i.e., the human condition) by pointing out that we are on the outside, foreigners to God's presence, while God is on the inside, in the most holy of places. For us to approach Him, then, the altars are strategically placed to remind us of our need to be cleansed and forgiven our sins before we can have a meeting with Him. What's more, the idea that these sacrifices would actually accomplish the cleansing and forgiveness of sins desired, this, in and of itself, is a miracle of a gracious God.
As I reflect on the meaning of the tabernacle, I'm drawn to two different thoughts. First, more generally, I find it fascinating that God has provided a way for men and women to have a relationship with Him. The one who is holy, set apart, and greater than us in so many ways, He is the initiator and has been moving towards having a relationship with us since our Fall from grace in the garden of Eden. In other words, it has been His goal all along to reestablish a new and holy relationship with us. Praise the Lord! Second, and more specifically, I find it fascinating that, because God has had this idea from the very beginning, that an altar or sacrifice, a way to repair our relationship with Him, would be part and parcel of the tabernacle structure that reveals who He is. In other words, there is the idea of reconciliation, healing, and wholeness built into our understanding of who God is; this is part of His very nature.
Of course, all these things ultimately point to the greater sacrifice, to the one who has given himself for our sins and provided a way to the Father, once and for all. Indeed, our Lord Jesus, who is the Christ, was with God in the very beginning, not as a second plan or option after the Fall of Adam and Eve had taken place, but as the one who always represents the fullness of who God is to us. Because of this understanding, I believe that the tabernacle, first, and then the cross of Christ, later, that both of these give us a glimpse into the very heart of God, that is, into what the very nature of God towards us is like.
In a very brief look at this, the tabernacle consists of a courtyard area, a tent, and a curtain that divides the tent into two halves. In the courtyard, there is an altar that sits just in front of the entrance to the tent itself. This is where the ritual sacrifices are carried out. In the first part of the tent, the "holy place," there is another altar that sits in front of the curtain that divides the tent into two halves. This is where the blood from the sacrifices is applied, smeared, and even poured out. In the second part of the tent, behind the curtain, is the "most holy place" or "the holy of holies." This is where the ark of the covenant sits, which contains the tablets of Moses, that is, the Word of God, a representation of who God is and all that He stands for (i.e., there are no physical images of God). These brief descriptions help us to understand the physical aspects of the tabernacle, as well as the ritual activities that were carried out there thousands of years ago (see Exodus 25-31 and 35-40).
In another brief look, the tabernacle is a picture of how God relates to us. We, of course, are a fallen people, sinful and corrupt, and unable to co-exist with a holy God, at least not without His gracious intervention and help. The tabernacle spells out our dire situation for us (i.e., the human condition) by pointing out that we are on the outside, foreigners to God's presence, while God is on the inside, in the most holy of places. For us to approach Him, then, the altars are strategically placed to remind us of our need to be cleansed and forgiven our sins before we can have a meeting with Him. What's more, the idea that these sacrifices would actually accomplish the cleansing and forgiveness of sins desired, this, in and of itself, is a miracle of a gracious God.
As I reflect on the meaning of the tabernacle, I'm drawn to two different thoughts. First, more generally, I find it fascinating that God has provided a way for men and women to have a relationship with Him. The one who is holy, set apart, and greater than us in so many ways, He is the initiator and has been moving towards having a relationship with us since our Fall from grace in the garden of Eden. In other words, it has been His goal all along to reestablish a new and holy relationship with us. Praise the Lord! Second, and more specifically, I find it fascinating that, because God has had this idea from the very beginning, that an altar or sacrifice, a way to repair our relationship with Him, would be part and parcel of the tabernacle structure that reveals who He is. In other words, there is the idea of reconciliation, healing, and wholeness built into our understanding of who God is; this is part of His very nature.
Of course, all these things ultimately point to the greater sacrifice, to the one who has given himself for our sins and provided a way to the Father, once and for all. Indeed, our Lord Jesus, who is the Christ, was with God in the very beginning, not as a second plan or option after the Fall of Adam and Eve had taken place, but as the one who always represents the fullness of who God is to us. Because of this understanding, I believe that the tabernacle, first, and then the cross of Christ, later, that both of these give us a glimpse into the very heart of God, that is, into what the very nature of God towards us is like.
by Eric Fields, Elder
Posted in Faith Blogs
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