EXODUS 26:31-37 The Veil

Intro: Tonight we continue to look at the subject of the Tabernacle

A)Noted that The Old Testament Tabernacle consisted of 3 main areas

B) -The OUTER courtyard- Altar / the cattle / the Bronze laver

C)Within the courtyard was the Tabernacle itself that was divided into 2 compartments / Two rooms Divided by a Veil

  1. The first compartment was called the Holy Place 30 ft long and 15

Ft. wide

D) In the Holy Place was stood the Table of Showbread, the Golden (Lampstand), and the Altar of Incense

  1. Behind the Altar of Incense was the veil- Behind this veil was the Holy

of Holies 15 by 15

E)Within the Holy of Holies stood the Ark of the Covenant

1) There was the Shekinah Glory of God- The VISIBLE presence of God

Now When you consider the O.T. Structure of Worship / one of the things that – stands out is that it was at a Distance

A) The Non Israelite wouldn’t be permitted inside the fence & the normal Israelite would only be permitted to venture as a far as the Altar

B) Only the Priest would be able to venture past the altar and into the Tabernacle itself – but only the Holy Place

  1. The Priest would minister in the Holy Place on a daily basis

C) But as they stood there at the altar of Incense – beyond the Altar was this Veil – separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies

  1. Separating the Priest from the Glory of God – the Presence of God

D) The Veil was a wall – that said – DO NOT ENTER !! – THE WAY IS NOT YET OPENED

Now there was one day a yr. When the High Priest was granted access to pass through the veil and enter into the Holy of Holies

A)Yon Kippur – the Annual day of atonement – He could enter only after sacrifice was made for His sins & for the People

B) When He came He came bringing Blood – from the sacrifice – that was His ticket of Access – only w/ the Blood

  1. Blood would then be sprinkled on the Mercy seat

C) But that was only one guy – and He came on behalf of the entire nation

  1. But not the other priest nor – any of the people would have such a Privilege

 

 

Hopefully we are all clear about the fact that every part of this Tabernacle speaks to us of the PERSONALITY & the WORK of Jesus

A)It is a HUGE object lesson to make us familiar with our Lord Jesus Christ

B)WHAT then, does this VEIL speak of?- We do NOT have to wonder, because the Bible gives us the answer

Hebr. 10:19-20 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

C)That VEIL which was in the Tabernacle, that divided the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, speaks of the HUMANITY.. or the flesh of Jesus Christ

Note: How the Design of this Veil speaks of Christ

NOTE: The VEIL was very BEAUTIFUL- Two sides one side seen only by God the other side that was seen by man FINEST materials

IT’S COLORS

A)It’s colors were in HARMONY with all of the other colors used in the Tabernacle and they speak clearly of Jesus Christ

B) Fine Linen speaks of RIGHTEOUSNESS (Rev. 19)

1) blue - His HEAVENLY and DIVINE nature

Purple - His ROYALTY

C) Scarlet - His SUFFERING and REDEMPTIVE work

THIS was a artistic design….. other Translations – skillfully wrought or of CUNNING WORK .......

A)Divine wisdom was involved in the manufacturing of this Veil / of its colors and its Fabric – it was copied from the heavenly Pattern

B)The INCARNATION OF CHRIST - His flesh – was a Cunning work – He was Skillfully wrought – Artistic design – greater than any man

1)Heb. 10:5 A body you have prepared for me - He was born of a virgin

C)He was the ONLY man to ever be birthed without male sperm influencing His blood

1)We know today that it is the male sperm that determines the BLOOD TYPE of a human being

D)THUS - His blood was FREE from the DEFILEMENT of Adam’s fallen nature

Rom. 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

 

 

 

It was a CUNNING WORK performed by God in bringing His son into the world

A)BECAUSE of the virgin birth, Jesus could be TOTALLY man and yet NOT being born with a sin nature

 

V.31 Woven into the veil there to be angels

A)BECAUSE around the life of Jesus there would be angels

B)At His birth angels announced the glad tidings

1) After His temptation angels came to minister to Him

C) In His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemene angels came to minister to Him

1) At His Resurrection there was an angel at the tomb

D)At His Ascension there were angels that told the disciples that Jesus would return just as he left

VERSE 32 You shall hang it upon four pillars

A)WHY 4 pillars?

B)Because there are FOUR Gospels in the New Testament that declare His earthly life to us

C) It is the FOUR Gospels that SPREAD FORTH to us the Life of Jesus for us to examine

2nd Notice how the purpose of the veil speaks of Christ

A) As beautiful and as wonderful as this veil was, it’s purpose was to CONCEIL the glory of God and to keep men OUT from the glory of God

Leviticus 16:2 declares that the VEIL was hung so that man would not come near

B)As beautiful as it was, it kept man AWAY from experiencing the glory of God

C) ONLY ONE DAY a year (Yom Kippur) could ONLY ONE man from ONLY ONE tribe (Levi) from ONLY ONE family (Aaron)

1) enter into the Holy of Holies

D)So too the life of Jesus Christ - People say:

1) "I’m a good person" "I can talk to God any time that I want"

"I can relate to God any way that I want"

Jesus Christ came to put that idea to death!!

A)IF you want to experience the Glory of God on your own, you have to EQUAL the life of Jesus Christ..... In it’s beauty and perfection

B) Jesus is the COMPARISON ….. in comparison to him we feel miserably

C)IF your life is as SINLESS and as PERFECT as that of Jesus Christ, THEN - yes, you can come before God on your own merit

    1. BUT - IF your life does NOT match up to His divine standard, you

are out of luck

The VEIL speaks of The PERFECT HUMANITY of Jesus

A)The life of Jesus is BEAUTIFUL and GLORIOUS....

BUT - It is also DAMNING

B) Because I can NOT follow in His foot steps

I can NOT be perfect as He is perfect

C)What hope is there for us if Jesus Christ came to only show us the standard which we are to live up to so we can enter into the glory of God

1) We are stuck... We’ll NEVER enter in – VEIL UNRENT = doom !!!!

But PTL There is something else that we must recognize about this VEIL

A)This VEIL before the Holy of Holies was TORN from top to bottom when Jesus Christ suffered and died upon the cross

B)The very thing that separated man from the glory was ripped asunder

1)NOTICE the similarities between the tearing of the VEIL and the

Crucifixion of Jesus Christ

C) The VEIL was standing between heaven and earth when it was ripped

1) Even so, the VEIL of Jesus Christ was suspended between heaven and earth on the cross when He was opened up

 

The VEIL was ripped from TOP to bottom

A) It was NOT the work of man tearing open a way into the presence of God

B) BUT - It was God reaching down at the very moment that Jesus died... reaching down and tearing the VEIL from top to bottom

1) Which shows us that it was God who was pouring out judgement upon Jesus Christ

C) Luke’s Gospel tells us that it was RENT IN THE MIDST... middle

  1. Which means that as soon as it was torn, you could see the ARK OF THE COVENANT..... the MERCY SEAT

D) Imagine being the priest in the Holy place that day – Shocked – now able to gaze into the Holy of Holies

1)Suddenly able to see the MERCY SEAT when the VEIL was rent

The way is open

E)Jesus allowed His flesh to be torn apart so that we might BOLDY and FREELY come into the presence of God at any time for MERCY & GRACE

CONCLUSION- we are reminded that It is NOT the LIFE of Jesus that saves us- It is the DEATH of Jesus Christ

A)We are saved because of what He did for us on the cross

Because of that, the way is open for us to fellowship with God

B)BEWARE of a system of belief that looks to the LIFE of Jesus as the way to God

"We don’t want to talk about the death of Jesus... That’s so sad and ugly and bloody.... We want to look at His wonderful example and follow Him so that we can be the children of God"

C)But The VEIL.... the sinless LIFE of Jesus..... LOCKS us out

1) But the sacrifice of this SINLESS man has made a way for MERCY to be obtained- Thank God for the cross

19Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

VERSES 36-37 Deal with the DOOR of the Tabernacle ( Discussed how Jesus is the door – note that door was hung on five pillars

A)FIVE = the number of GRACE

B) The way into God’s presence is always via GRACE