Hello All,
(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).
This week’s lesson from the “Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide”, is titled “Jesus, the Faithful Priest”. The Book of Hebrews, written to Jewish Christians, or those Jews who were interested in Jesus of Nazareth, is Paul’s explanation of many of those Jewish ordinances that find their fulfillment in Christ. However, Paul’s explanations in the Book of Hebrews for those Hebrews, does not bring the hearer/ reader to a complete understanding of the Son nor of the Father who the Son perfectly personifies. It is an unpeeling of the outer layers of those God-given rituals, revealing another deeper layer. But that layer is not the ultimate understanding of God. Because the ultimate understanding of God, of His Son, and of ourselves is not found in laws and rules and ordinances. Not encumbered by the concept of “redeemer” or of “Savior”. Not encumbered by the concept of “Priest” or “King” or ‘Sacrifices” or of “Sanctuary”. Not encumbered by the concept of “Mediator” or “Intercessor” or “Intervener”. It is as simple as the love between a parent and child, the love of a friend and brother, the love of a husband and wife. Therefore, the book of Hebrews must be read in this light. Not the ultimate understanding, not the ultimate “knowing” of God. But a treatise to bring the Hebrew listeners yet closer to comprehending the true nature of God. Unpeeling the layers of limited-understanding about God that had accumulated over the decades. Limited-understandings that had been developed to explain God. Limited-understandings that all us sinners can overcome, will overcome, must overcome as we draw ever nearer to our Father.
God is so infinitely wise. He reveals Himself to us as we need, not ideally as He is. Instead of thundering on Mt. Sinai, if God had cried over the Children of Israel as Christ did on Mt. Olivet centuries later, those ex-slaves at the foot of Sinai would’ve turned on their heels and ran back to Egypt. A “God” who cries over His children would not be a “god” who could conquer their enemies. And definitely not a “god” to follow. So, He thundered on Mt. Sinai. And gave laws. Agreed to providing a mediator. Gave the sanctuary service. All this and more were not the ideal. Not the ideal at all, but emergency measures for our sakes.
The pagan cultures of that day gave the people sacrifices and ceremonies. God gave them the Sanctuary service. Similar, but different. Not orgiastic glorying in their human sexuality. But somber, proper, full of intense meaning and glorying in God. He “meets us where we are” (SDA Bible Commentary volume 3. Page 1143). All of us, not just the believers of those early days but all of us in all times. And then leads us no faster than we can understand. Because we, too, have so many layers of limited-understanding to be unpeeled as we move from our innate sinfulness to becoming true sons and daughters.
As I read the quarterly this time, I am struck once again how desperately we will try to give explanations to the message of the Book of Hebrews. And yet, those explanations seem to be so much legal finagling. So much cold doctrine. Often, never really delving into the meaning at all. In this we can miss the whole point of it all. This is true especially of us Adventists. We can be so intent on every detail, every prophetic date, identifying every “horn” and “beast” that we become totally ignorant of our God. In the focus on the details, we can forget the God of the details. In explaining the symbols, we can be guilty of missing the point of the symbols. Remember, all that God has given us, told us, required of us, commanded us over the millennia is for our sakes, not His. To change us, not to change Him. Everything.
God knows each of us. He knows just how much of Himself to show us, and when to show us. He will not remove “Law” from us until we have escaped the thrall of sin. Until we are truly motivated by love. Until that time, the “fear” and “torment” that the law creates in our minds and hearts is necessary. Only when love has full sway in our lives will there then be no need to “fear” (see 1 John 4:17-18). He knows when to demonstrate the true meaning of the Sanctuary, the Priest, and all the trappings of that ancient service. To demonstrate the meaning of the true Sanctuary of God (which sanctuary is you and me). The true “cleansing of the sanctuary” (the cleansing/ healing of the soul temple in each of us). The true meaning of priest (to come along side each of us and bring the comfort of God to each of us). And the true meaning of all the appurtenances in the sanctuary. All of this reflects and symbolizes the simple love of the Father for His child who will give such a detailed system to help each of us address the complicated mess that sin has made in our minds and hearts. All these are but necessary intermediate steps on the sinner’s road back home.
Unfortunately, many of us still do not (or maybe will not) understand the meaning of it all. We just migrate that Sanctuary service up to heaven without really understanding the meaning at all. In heaven we make the sanctuary service just grander and bigger. Bigger tent, bigger candlestick, bigger… lamb????? In heaven, is Jesus the Priest sacrificing lambs? No. He is the “Lamb”. Is there a golden censor? No. This is a symbolic representation of our prayers. Is there a “candlestick” a table of “shewbread” a priest officiating before the throne? These are all symbolic representations that call-out for understanding. An understanding that the little children of the “Kingdom” need not, because they love. But an understanding that hardened sinners like us need to have before we will trust God enough to come Home. But once Home, once we are truly motivated by love, then all this legality, all this priestly understanding is truly unnecessary. And seen for the emergency measures they are.
As you read and study, let us see our Father in the shadows. Our Father. Our Father who loves and needs not all these trappings. But He gives those trappings because we need them. For Him, there is no need of mediator nor redeemer. There is no need of perfect blood in order to forgive. No need of intercession, no need of any of this. All he asks is that we “turn” or “return” so He can heal all the damage sin has done.
So, as we read and study, let us see the all-wise and all-loving Father we have. And let us see Him as He is. A giver of all these measures, just so we will come Home. But once Home, all these measures will be seen for His wonderful love that deigns to provide them… for us… until His arms enclose us. In that loving embrace, all thoughts of law and redeemer, of priest and mediator, of sanctuary and shewbread, and all of it, will be seen for the emergency measures they are. Not needed at all by our Father. And not needed now by His children. But provided by Him for His sin-damaged children who needed it at the time. But once Home, love takes the place of law, family takes the place of legality, and the selfless giving and receiving of each takes the place of sacrifice. In love, “every taxing duty becomes easy, and every sacrifice becomes a pleasure, to those whom the truth makes free” (Review and Herald, December 2, 1875).
With brotherly love,
Jim