Fellowship with God
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· 5 viewsThe veil was torn when Jesus died, a visual representation of a spiritual truth.
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The Veil is torn
The Veil is torn
My name is Gill Gabelmann and I am a lay person from Topeka Bible Church.
Last Sunday I heard a pretty good sermon that I’ve been thinking about this week so I am going to share with you my thoughts on the same text and also weave in some thoughts from my current devotional that is on the Torah on the first 5 books of the OT. The devotional was written by Texas lawyer
Torah for Living by Mark Lanier
So turn with me to the book of Mathew chapter 27. I am going to start reading in verse 45 - 53.
So we see three things happening , the curtain is torn, there is a massive earthquake and the dead rise from their graves..
The earthquake is so strong, people turn to God
the people rising from the grave is a visible manifestation of “them Bones, them Bones, them dry bones” found in the story In
and you are thinking and she is talking about a curtain. Yes, I think as you will see this one has the most significance for our lives today.
So what is this curtain and why is it significant?
Well to find out about it we need to go back to the OT in the book of Exodus.
May 12 of Torah:
“You shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen; it shall be made with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman.
“You shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, their hooks also being of gold, on four sockets of silver.
“You shall hang up the veil under the clasps, and shall bring in the ark of the testimony there within the veil; and the veil shall serve for you as a partition between the holy place and the holy of holies.
May 20th - Torah
Why this separation? well for that we have to back to the garden of Eden.
Garden of Eden - in the beginning we were with God He was walking with his creation in the cool of the day - He had complete fellowship with Adam & Eve and the had complete fellowship with them
but they were deceived by Satan and that brought sin into their world and our world and into the garden and God cannot be with sin
He is intrinsically holy - he didn’t give them a =time-out -
he is holy - sin cannot be in his midst so they were separated with the flaming sword
24 So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.
But God a deep relationship. In exodus 29 Moses is up on the mountain receiving instructions from God and God says
24 So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.
:
For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.
45 “I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God.
46 “They shall know that I am the Lord their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the Lord their God.
:
- Moses is up on the mountain for 40 days and so what happened - the people get frustrated and think God has left them and they created a golden calf - this was significant - specifically listed in the 10 commandments
He is intrinsically holy - he didn’t give them a =time-out -
he is holy - sin cannot be in his midst so they were separated with the flaming sword
His goal was that he would have a deep relationship
- Moses is up on the mountain for 40 days and so what happened - the people get frustrated and think God has left them and they created a golden calf - this was significant - specifically listed in the 10 commandments
God sends an angel - but because of their sin He cannot be with them - so out of His love He separates himself and then there will be a physical place that will remind his people that they had fellowship with them .
plans for the tabernacle reminds them of the Garden of Eden
- Solomn is building the temple, carving, inner and outer sanctuaries - holy place of worship - then the holy of holies, cedar covered with Gold, cherubim - with the flaming sword protected the Garden of Eden.
Every single tabernacle and temple faced east, not facing the city .
- east of the Garden of Eden - heading west to get back to the Garden,
Imagine you are a Levite - running the temple for the nation of Israel, careful to follow the law, ritually clean and physically perfect, There is one day a year when the high priest can go behind the curtain - at the most westerly end of the temple - you had a rope tied on your ankle in case you died in there - because people had died for touching the ark of the covenant, for looking at it at the wrong time - I think you would be pretty nervous.
As you walked back to towards the holy of holies - there was plenty of imagery to remind you of the Garden of Eden - the carvings that focused on the kind of vegetation that would have been in the Garden of Eden - and there in the curtain a cherubim , the very same kind of angle that guards the entrance with their flaming swords...
that curtain is a physical manifestation of our sin, our separation from God
Holy spirit inspired people wove the curtain - Exodus.
Ex 26
“Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue and purple and scarlet material; you shall make them with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman.
“The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall have the same measurements.
“Five curtains shall be joined to one another, and the other five curtains shall be joined to one another.
“You shall make loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set, and likewise you shall make them on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second set.
“You shall make fifty loops in the one curtain, and you shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops shall be opposite each other.
“You shall make fifty clasps of gold, and join the curtains to one another with the clasps so that the tabernacle will be a unit.
“Then you shall make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; you shall make eleven curtains in all.
“The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; the eleven curtains shall have the same measurements.
“You shall join five curtains by themselves and the other six curtains by themselves, and you shall double over the sixth curtain at the front of the tent.
“You shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the first set, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second set.
“You shall make fifty clasps of bronze, and you shall put the clasps into the loops and join the tent together so that it will be a unit.
“The overlapping part that is left over in the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that is left over, shall lap over the back of the tabernacle.
“The cubit on one side and the cubit on the other, of what is left over in the length of the curtains of the tent, shall lap over the sides of the tabernacle on one side and on the other, to cover it.
“You shall make a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red and a covering of porpoise skins above.
“Then you shall make the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing upright.
“Ten cubits shall be the length of each board and one and a half cubits the width of each board.
“There shall be two tenons for each board, fitted to one another; thus you shall do for all the boards of the tabernacle.
“You shall make the boards for the tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side.
“You shall make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards, two sockets under one board for its two tenons and two sockets under another board for its two tenons;
and for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, twenty boards,
and their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board and two sockets under another board.
“For the rear of the tabernacle, to the west, you shall make six boards.
“You shall make two boards for the corners of the tabernacle at the rear.
“They shall be double beneath, and together they shall be complete to its top to the first ring; thus it shall be with both of them: they shall form the two corners.
“There shall be eight boards with their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board and two sockets under another board.
“Then you shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the boards of one side of the tabernacle,
and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle for the rear side to the west.
“The middle bar in the center of the boards shall pass through from end to end.
“You shall overlay the boards with gold and make their rings of gold as holders for the bars; and you shall overlay the bars with gold.
“Then you shall erect the tabernacle according to its plan which you have been shown in the mountain.
“You shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen; it shall be made with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman.
“You shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, their hooks also being of gold, on four sockets of silver.
“You shall hang up the veil under the clasps, and shall bring in the ark of the testimony there within the veil; and the veil shall serve for you as a partition between the holy place and the holy of holies.
“You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the holy of holies.
“You shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand opposite the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south; and you shall put the table on the north side.
“You shall make a screen for the doorway of the tent of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen, the work of a weaver.
“You shall make five pillars of acacia for the screen and overlay them with gold, their hooks also being of gold; and you shall cast five sockets of bronze for them.
In we read that the word became flesh and dwelt or “Tabernacled” among us -Jesus is the temple - the meeting of two worlds - He was the living breathing temple.
Jesus is the temple, He is God in flesh living with His people - in fellowship. No wonder the pharisees were confused. God just wouldn't do that He has separated Himself.
Jesus came and during His ministry he helaed the sick and he fellowshiped with sinners, he came to fulfill the prophesy in Isaiah 53.
Turn with me to Isaiah 53
v2 -12
- - Surely he took up our pain
when he dies the curtain is split from top to bottom - read description in Exodus
They could see what was behind the curtain - God displayed it in a way that the people could understand - you can do something today that Moses could not do - only Aaron in full regalia went into the holy of holies - even Moses was not righteous enough
Application:
Application:
So now we understand that as Jesus died the “veil was torn” and this is a symbol of the end of our separation from God and yes sometimes - perhaps often we still feel separated from God, we feel that what we have done or how we have lived our lives still makes us so un worthy and we find it hard to imagine that the God of the universe wants to have a relationship with us.
Read from Torah May 20th
Let’s also read from starting at verse 19
Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,
and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;
and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,
not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
- 25
Notice the word confidence in verse 19 - we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of jesus - what do we know about the blood of Jesus
we know that is washes us clean - whiter than snow - we know that it removes our sins from us - as far as the east is from the west - we know that is saves us
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
What do we have to do? - we have to believe!
Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,
Draw Near
Draw Near
The rest of this passag in Hebrews gives us practical ways to improve our fellowship with God......
let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrew 10: .
We have to take the first step of believing and then we have to take the time to develop the relationship - relationships on thrive if you invest in them. How do we invest in our relationship with God - we take the time
:8
in reading His word, meditating on His word , memorizing His word, studying His word
we spend time in prayer - talking to God and listening.
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Hold Tight
Hold Tight
: Hold Tight
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;
13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 2
When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
We need to hold tight - when the waves of the storm buffet us and they will we need to hold tight - hang on to our faith when it maybe makes no sense - when things are difficult - they are not working out, we are not feeling blessed, we want to complain - God doesn’t seem close - we are wandering in the desert. Hold fast - hold tight - remember the promises even when the future looks bleak. Remember who is the God of the Universe and remember that He love you with and everlasting love and endure.
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Stay Together
Stay Together
Hebrews 10:
not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
and finally stay together - find fellow Christians, like minded people to spend time with - believers who don’t just talk a good game but that you see walking their talk - you know who they are. Who we choose to spend time with makes a big difference.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Maybe you feel there is no one you can trust and no-one who is really sincere in their faith so you will just shut your self up and be a loner. When you get to thinking that way i want you to imagine for a moment that it is winter and you are staring at fire that is blazing in a fire place it is made up of mostly coals that are glowing red hot and warming you. You reach into the fire with a pair on tongs and remove one of the coals that is glowing red hot and you set it on the side away from the rest of the coals. You go back to warming yourself in front of the fire. After a few minutes you look back at that lonely coal that you set aside. What do you think you will see? Well I can tell you it has gone out and sits there black and rapidly cooling - no longer on fire. To me this is an excellent illustration of what happens when we no longer assemble together - we don’t attend worship, or bible studies or have any kind of Christian fellowship - our faith begins to fade and we lose the fire that our faith once had. As we need to fellowship with God so we need to fellowship with others.
So my charge to you today is to Draw Near, Hold Fast and Stay Together.