May I Speak to Your Conscience, Please?
Notes
Transcript
introduction
Throughout the book of Hebrews, Jesus’s superiority has been the focal points using biblical arguments. In the last chapter, the author mentioned the earthly tabernacle and it’s temporary ministry and addressed Christ’s high priestly ministry in the true, heavenly tabernacle.
The writer goes back to the OT scene of the tabernacle and directs our thoughts to the preeminent person and work of Christ. He contrasts the external, physical worship at the tabernacle (sacrifices and ritual washings, which can only cleanse the body) with the internal, spiritual work of Christ’s sacrifice, which is able to cleanse the inner conscience.
It can be easy to get wrapped up in the external things-those things we can touch and see and experience. We forget, sometimes, about the inner network of emotions, thoughts and impulses that are bound up by our conscience. We rely on our conscience to prod us to do right and convict us when we do wrong, but it isn’t a fail safe. It can be damaged and dulled, making us feel good about our wickedness or guilty when we’re innocent.
Looking at the original recipients of this letter, the Jewish Christians were tempted to address the internal, spiritual concerns with external, physical forms of worship. These were never intended to cleanse the inner person. They were a temporary thing in God’s plan of redemption. These actions pointed towards a future time of reformation that would address both the external aspects of a person, but more importantly, the internal conscience.
Now the first covenant also had regulations for ministry and an earthly sanctuary. For a tabernacle was set up, and in the first room, which is called the holy place, were the lampstand, the table, and the presentation loaves. Behind the second curtain was a tent called the most holy place. It had the gold altar of incense and the ark of the covenant, covered with gold on all sides, in which was a gold jar containing the manna, Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. The cherubim of glory were above the ark overshadowing the mercy seat. It is not possible to speak about these things in detail right now.
With these things prepared like this, the priests enter the first room repeatedly, performing their ministry. But the high priest alone enters the second room, and he does that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit was making it clear that the way into the most holy place had not yet been disclosed while the first tabernacle was still standing. This is a symbol for the present time, during which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the worshiper’s conscience. They are physical regulations and only deal with food, drink, and various washings imposed until the time of the new order.
These verses describe the arrangement of the furnishings of the tabernacle and the regulations for the worship that occurred there.
It’s not a detailed tour because this wasn’t the purpose. I won’t go into too much detail either. What we will discuss is the furniture and functions of the tabernacle in a general way.
As we discussed before, the tabernacle was a tent that the Levites carried with them in the wilderness. When they stopped somewhere, the priests would reassemble the tent as a portable place of worship.
This tent would house the variety of implements of worship that were needed to carry out the sacrifices and rituals, which were strictly prescribed by God when he established the old covenant sacrificial system.
ADD PICTURE OF THE TABERNACLE
In this picture, you can see the three areas.
First is the main court of the sanctuary. It was the large outermost area that fenced in the tabernacle to set it apart from the rest of the Israelite encampment. This was done for the priests to conduct their work.
“You are to make the courtyard for the tabernacle. Make hangings for the south side of the courtyard out of finely spun linen, 150 feet long on that side including twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, with silver hooks and silver bands for the posts. And so make hangings 150 feet long for the north side, including twenty posts and their twenty bronze bases, with silver hooks and silver bands for the posts. For the width of the courtyard, make hangings 75 feet long for the west side, including their ten posts and their ten bases. And for the width of the courtyard on the east side toward the sunrise, 75 feet, make hangings 22½ feet long for one side of the gate, including their three posts and their three bases. And make hangings 22½ feet long for the other side, including their three posts and their three bases. The gate of the courtyard is to have a 30-foot screen embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. It is to have four posts and their four bases.
“All the posts around the courtyard are to be banded with silver and have silver hooks and bronze bases. The courtyard is to be 150 feet long, 75 feet wide at each end, and 7½ feet high, all of it made of finely spun linen. The bases of the posts are to be bronze. All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use and all its tent pegs as well as all the tent pegs of the courtyard are to be made of bronze.
In this area stood the bronze altar for presenting various offerings to the Lord.
“You are to construct the altar of acacia wood. The altar must be square, 7½ feet long, and 7½ feet wide; it must be 4½ feet high. Make horns for it on its four corners; the horns are to be of one piece. Overlay it with bronze. Make its pots for removing ashes, and its shovels, basins, meat forks, and firepans; make all its utensils of bronze. Construct a grate for it of bronze mesh, and make four bronze rings on the mesh at its four corners. Set it below, under the altar’s ledge, so that the mesh comes halfway up the altar. Then make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. The poles are to be inserted into the rings so that the poles are on two sides of the altar when it is carried. Construct the altar with boards so that it is hollow. They are to make it just as it was shown to you on the mountain.
Between this altar and the tabernacle stood the bronze laver (or washbasin) for ritual washings that were done before entering the tabernacle itself.
Second is the holy place or main tabernacle. This was situated behind a thick veil. The priests would enter the holy place through the veil, where the golden lampstand and table of showbread stood opposite from each other to the left and right.
Usually, on the far end of this holy place, just outside the veil to the holy of holies, stood an altar of incense; but in these writings in Hebrews, that on the Day of Atonement it was located within the holy of holies.
“You are to place the altar in front of the curtain by the ark of the testimony—in front of the mercy seat that is over the testimony—where I will meet with you.
Then he is to take a firepan full of blazing coals from the altar before the Lord and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense, and bring them inside the curtain. He is to put the incense on the fire before the Lord, so that the cloud of incense covers the mercy seat that is over the testimony, or else he will die. He is to take some of the bull’s blood and sprinkle it with his finger against the east side of the mercy seat; then he will sprinkle some of the blood with his finger before the mercy seat seven times.
“When he slaughters the male goat for the people’s sin offering and brings its blood inside the curtain, he will do the same with its blood as he did with the bull’s blood: He is to sprinkle it against the mercy seat and in front of it. He will make atonement for the most holy place in this way for all their sins because of the Israelites’ impurities and rebellious acts. He will do the same for the tent of meeting that remains among them, because it is surrounded by their impurities. No one may be in the tent of meeting from the time he enters to make atonement in the most holy place until he leaves after he has made atonement for himself, his household, and the whole assembly of Israel. Then he will go out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement for it. He is to take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood and put it on the horns on all sides of the altar.
These verses place the altar of incense in the holy of holies. The point, as stated before, wasn’t to go into detail about the furnishings, but to summarize the arrangement of the implements of worship as they are related to the Day of Atonement.
Third is the holy of holies or the inner tabernacle. This was a small space behind a second veil where the ark of the covenant (which contained the original tablets of the 10 Commandments), the rod of Aaron, and a golden jar of manna.
“They are to make an ark of acacia wood, forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high. Overlay it with pure gold; overlay it both inside and out. Also make a gold molding all around it. Cast four gold rings for it and place them on its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. Make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry the ark with them. The poles are to remain in the rings of the ark; they must not be removed from it. Put the tablets of the testimony that I will give you into the ark. Make a mercy seat of pure gold, forty-five inches long and twenty-seven inches wide. Make two cherubim of gold; make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end. At its two ends, make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat. The cherubim are to have wings spread out above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and are to face one another. The faces of the cherubim should be toward the mercy seat. Set the mercy seat on top of the ark and put the tablets of the testimony that I will give you into the ark. I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony; I will speak with you from there about all that I command you regarding the Israelites.
The golden altar of incense was used to obscure with thick smoke of glory of God above the ark.
Having set the stage and the props, the author focuses on the main actors of the worship in the tabernacle: the priests-especially the high priest.
As we have discussed before, there are a rotation of priests who do various types of duties. Some offered sacrifices, make offerings and attend rituals in the holy place. Only the high priest was permitted to pull back the veil and enter the holy of holies and this was only done once a year on the great day of atonement.
This was the annual offering of blood that was made for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.
The way things were handled by these priests was made painstakingly clear through the word of God. These rituals revolved around the outer person and material things and physical actions. These gifts and offerings relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body.
Remember though that these things pointed forward symbolically to a time of reformation. The only way for someone to have access to God was through priests and continual sacrifices unless the outer tabernacle was taken down.
The first-century audience of the Hebrews was constantly tempted to return to this highly formalized style of worship that was being carried out in the temple in Jerusalem. They were trying to find inner relief through outer rituals. The point the author of Hebrews is trying to make is that no matter how perfectly the priests performed the rituals, they could never cleanse a guilty conscience.
For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works so that we can serve the living God?
The Bible teaches that we are made of both material and spiritual parts. This has been taught since our creation.
Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.
This describes both the physical and spiritual qualities in mankind.
Distinctions are made throughout the Bible when addressing us.
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.”
Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.
When our bodies die and return to the ground, we remain there until the resurrection at the return of Christ.
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For we say this to you by a word from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Our immaterial part will in some way continue on...
In fact, we are confident, and we would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
So, as human beings we are neither strictly material as most atheists believe. We aren’t just spirit beings that are trapped here in a physical body as many Far Eastern, New Age or Gnostic religions tend to believe.
What we have is a “psychosomatic” union-which is a unity of souls and body, with internal and external, visible and invisible.
But Christ has appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come. In the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation), he entered the most holy place once for all time, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works so that we can serve the living God?
Although the times have changed, human nature hasn’t. The same mentality of the early, Jewish audience can still show up and does in the church of today.
Trying to soothe an uneasy conscience and doubts about our worthiness, people turn their backs on grace to embrace a life of legalism. This was what they did. They probably thought if they went back to a secure routine or ritual, they could find rest for their souls and relief for their consciences.
We need to remember that they were dull of hearing and were stalling in their spiritual growth.
We have a great deal to say about this, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand. Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food.
When a person doesn’t continue in their maturity, they tend to regress in to old patterns.
The writer puts an end to this kind of thinking with four important words: “But when Christ appeared”.
The writer moves from the physical outward to the inward, from rituals to righteousness, from imperfect priests to the high priest.
We psychosomatic beings, made of physical and spirit, can’t use an external, physical cure for an internal, spiritual problem-the sinful heart. This can only be solved by Christ.
When he died for our sins, rose victorious over death and ascended into heaven, he replaced the temporary system with a permanent reality to which the scriptures had always been pointing.
He is a greater more perfect tabernacle, not made by man, but by God himself.
Instead of a yearly sacrifice, he made a personal blood, “once for all” sacrifice and by this accomplished eternal redemption.
But, the OT system had its place and time and specific purpose. It was established for the nation of Israel until the coming of the Messiah and it kept them centered on the reality of their sin and need for salvation.
Christ is the superior high priest. He offered himself to the Father by the power of the Spirit. His blood has infinite power to cleanse the internal conscience from dead works that we might serve God.
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works so that we can serve the living God?
end (length)
Doing things are common responses to a guilty conscience.
Sometimes if I’m in trouble I start to clean.
We can get addicted to them, meaning that we feel that if we don’t continually perform these rituals, we will fall back into a depression and want to keep this feeling of freedom strong.
There are very superstitious people out there that believe if they surround themselves with religious imagery, only listen to Christian music, only have the same type of artwork and surround themselves with only Holy people, places and things, they will counteract the deep-seated pain they feel from a restless conscience. This is nothing new.
In Numbers, God provided healings through a bronze serpent...
Then they set out from Mount Hor by way of the Red Sea to bypass the land of Edom, but the people became impatient because of the journey. The people spoke against God and Moses: “Why have you led us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!” Then the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and they bit them so that many Israelites died.
The people then came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Intercede with the Lord so that he will take the snakes away from us.” And Moses interceded for the people.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake image and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will recover.” So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. Whenever someone was bitten, and he looked at the bronze snake, he recovered.
Then 800 years later, they were still dragging around that bronze of nothing and burning incense to it.
In the third year of Israel’s King Hoshea son of Elah, Hezekiah son of Ahaz became king of Judah. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi daughter of Zechariah. He did what was right in the Lord’s sight just as his ancestor David had done. He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake that Moses made, for until then the Israelites were burning incense to it. It was called Nehushtan.
They used that symbol as a magical talisman.
Don’t we find ourselves doing the same thing at times with religious symbols? Stained glass windows, a gilded cross, a leather bible, a particular approach to Christian living or even a respected pastor.
Talk about daily devotionals with the kids.
I’m not saying there is anything wrong with these by themselves, but we can’t get fixated on them or we could run the risk of getting distracted from the one who is able to cleanse or consciences. There are two guidelines for turning our attention toward a real reformation.
We need to stop overemphasizing the externals.
Don’t ignore them, but the over sensual, touch-it, taste-it, see-it, experience-it world has swung the pendulum in the wrong direction, screwing up the balance.
We need to declutter our lives from all the superficial religious junk. By doing this, we will clear the clutter of Christian crutches and allow us to move on to the essential second step.
We need to refocus on the internals.
Instead of dwelling on the symbols, we need to focus on what they point to. We need to use the hymns, choruses, devotions and sermons move us towards the reality.
Focus on what God focuses on-the inside
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.”
Look to Christ; fix your eyes on him.
keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
When you do this, the things you do for him will fade in light of your fellowship with him.
Once you approach him in a real way, the cleansing has already begun.