Better Promises : WK 4 - TUE
Hebrews 9:1-10
That first covenant between God and Israel had regulations for worship and a place of worship here on earth. There were two rooms in that Tabernacle. In the first room were a lampstand, a table, and sacred loaves of bread on the table. This room was called the Holy Place. Then there was a curtain, and behind the curtain was the second room called the Most Holy Place. In that room were a gold incense altar and a wooden chest called the Ark of the Covenant, which was covered with gold on all sides. Inside the Ark were a gold jar containing manna, Aaron’s staff that sprouted leaves, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Above the Ark were the cherubim of divine glory, whose wings stretched out over the Ark’s cover, the place of atonement. But we cannot explain these things in detail now.
When these things were all in place, the priests regularly entered the first room as they performed their religious duties. But only the high priest ever entered the Most Holy Place, and only once a year. And he always offered blood for his own sins and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the entrance to the Most Holy Place was not freely open as long as the Tabernacle and the system it represented were still in use.
This is an illustration pointing to the present time. For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them. For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established.
The desert tabernacle has always fascinated me. I remember as a kid drawing it out, like an architect drawing blueprints. When I study this part of the Israelite story with people I still draw it out on paper to illustrate the meaning of the structure and all the pieces of furniture in them and how they all point to Jesus. It’s lots of fun.
The author of Hebrews takes us on a tour of the desert tabernacle, describing the two rooms and letting us know what we would find in each room. But something seemed off when I read this description. I have drawn this tabernacle out so many times that I consider myself some kind of expert on the tabernacle layout. And there is something that isn’t quite right. The altar of incense is on the wrong side of the curtain.
Behind the curtain that divides the temple into two rooms is the Ark of the Covenant (from Raiders of the Lost Ark fame). That room is called the Most Holy Place. The other room is called the Holy Place, and traditionally the altar of incense is there but not according to the author of Hebrews.
So I tried to find out if this was an error or intentional by the author and boy are there opinions by the biblical scholars. And you can imagine that there truly is no consensus on why there seems to be a discrepancy. And I haven’t found the answer, well not exactly.
The altar of incense is a symbol for prayer, communication with God. The smoke rises just like our prayers. And as you know, sometimes we feel like our prayers don’t get past the ceiling. But now those prayers are on the other side of the curtain, right in front of God, because we have a high priest who is in the very presence of God, interceding for us. So basically, Jesus is praying for us, and those prayers are happening right in front of God. Talk about direct access.
So is the altar of incense in the Holy Place or the Most Holy Place? I can’t tell you. But here is what I can tell you. God is hearing your prayers because Jesus is interceding for you.
That first covenant between God and Israel had regulations for worship and a place of worship here on earth. There were two rooms in that Tabernacle. In the first room were a lampstand, a table, and sacred loaves of bread on the table. This room was called the Holy Place. Then there was a curtain, and behind the curtain was the second room called the Most Holy Place. In that room were a gold incense altar and a wooden chest called the Ark of the Covenant, which was covered with gold on all sides. Inside the Ark were a gold jar containing manna, Aaron’s staff that sprouted leaves, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Above the Ark were the cherubim of divine glory, whose wings stretched out over the Ark’s cover, the place of atonement. But we cannot explain these things in detail now.
When these things were all in place, the priests regularly entered the first room as they performed their religious duties. But only the high priest ever entered the Most Holy Place, and only once a year. And he always offered blood for his own sins and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the entrance to the Most Holy Place was not freely open as long as the Tabernacle and the system it represented were still in use.
This is an illustration pointing to the present time. For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them. For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established.
The desert tabernacle has always fascinated me. I remember as a kid drawing it out, like an architect drawing blueprints. When I study this part of the Israelite story with people I still draw it out on paper to illustrate the meaning of the structure and all the pieces of furniture in them and how they all point to Jesus. It’s lots of fun.
The author of Hebrews takes us on a tour of the desert tabernacle, describing the two rooms and letting us know what we would find in each room. But something seemed off when I read this description. I have drawn this tabernacle out so many times that I consider myself some kind of expert on the tabernacle layout. And there is something that isn’t quite right. The altar of incense is on the wrong side of the curtain.
Behind the curtain that divides the temple into two rooms is the Ark of the Covenant (from Raiders of the Lost Ark fame). That room is called the Most Holy Place. The other room is called the Holy Place, and traditionally the altar of incense is there but not according to the author of Hebrews.
So I tried to find out if this was an error or intentional by the author and boy are there opinions by the biblical scholars. And you can imagine that there truly is no consensus on why there seems to be a discrepancy. And I haven’t found the answer, well not exactly.
The altar of incense is a symbol for prayer, communication with God. The smoke rises just like our prayers. And as you know, sometimes we feel like our prayers don’t get past the ceiling. But now those prayers are on the other side of the curtain, right in front of God, because we have a high priest who is in the very presence of God, interceding for us. So basically, Jesus is praying for us, and those prayers are happening right in front of God. Talk about direct access.
So is the altar of incense in the Holy Place or the Most Holy Place? I can’t tell you. But here is what I can tell you. God is hearing your prayers because Jesus is interceding for you.
- What have you learned about God from the desert tabernacle?
- Do you feel like God is hearing your prayers?
- What do you feel when you hear that Jesus stands in front of God interceding for you?
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