The Hope we profess

Reading

Genesis 3:21–24 NIV

21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

2 Kings 6:8–23 NIV

8 Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.” 9 The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” 10 So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places. 11 This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?” 12 “None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.” 13 “Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” 14 Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city. 15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. 16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked. 19 Elisha told them, “This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for.” And he led them to Samaria. 20 After they entered the city, Elisha said, “Lord, open the eyes of these men so they can see.” Then the Lord opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria. 21 When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?” 22 “Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.” 23 So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory.

The things that we see around us are copies and echoes of a world beyond the material realm.

Co pies, stamps

Text

Hebrews 10:19–25 NIV

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

The man and the woman flee the garden.

On the east side, they look back and see cherubim - these most holy angels are marking the dwelling place of God. This is where the man and the woman used to be, in the bosom of God, living as they were created to live.

But now they are cast out of Eden. The trees and the fruit and the beauty and the belonging are all still in the heart of man, but they are fleeing from their creator.

And now all that is left is longing.

Maslow wrote that man is a wanting animal. We have the connection to the earth and the desire for the pleasures of the body.

But we also have the want - for we were created by the breath of God, in his image, after his likeness - to reflect his love and goodness and wisdom to the world.

But we aren’t in Eden any more.

So we try to fill that longing with everything else.

And no matter what we have or taste or touch or see - nothing is ever quite enough.

Because the things of this earth were never meant to be the marriage supper of the lamb. We were created to dwell with perfect beauty, and now we are east of Eden, trying to fill the void.

But what will we do about the flaming sword?

This is the imagery of the temple.

The temple

Rather than bog down the details, there is just one I want to focus on.

The inner chamber, the room in the very center. A perfect square. And in it was a box, a chest - all laid with pure gold. And over the top, cherubim, with their wings spread.

This was the dwelling place of God, who dwells “between the cherubim”

But there was no image of God there, for we serve an invisible God.

But this invisible God seeks to dwell with us. That is the image

but it is separated with the curtain. No one goes in there. The way is blocked.

Except once a year.

Jesus

Death - the sacrifice.

The risen priest.

The entry into the real Holy of Holies - behind the curtain.

The sword fell on him and he rose and entered Eden. That which the garden was only a picture. And the temple a picture of a picture.

A copy - as he tells us at the beginning of the chapter.

But he didn’t need to enter for himself. He was already there, and always there, even when he was a baby in the manger. He is true and eternal God.

He became flesh, joined himself to us, and entered the most holy place for US - that we might be clean and whole and welcome in the very presence of God.

We aren’t there yet. It is the hope we profess.

But far too often we are bogged down by the fears and longings and lusts of this world.

Calvin wrote that we are like the pigs with our faces in the trough, and it never occurs to us to look up.

Or, to use another figure, the ones who dwell in the dark valleys have sicknesses that come from never seeing the sun, always being stuck in the miasma of illness. It is the ones who climb to the top of the mountain that see life.

They breathe the air, they see the light, they are alive.

We were created to be in the sun.

Just as we were created to be in the presence of God.

Come out of the valley. Look up.

It is the hope we profess. This will all pass away.

The tastes that we are given here - the wonderful dinners, the excellent wine, the caress of a loved one, the sound of music and the beauty of poetry, are all given to us by God to draw our eyes upwards, where Christ is.

And that will bring life to us, here in the valley of the shadow of death, until Jesus comes again.

Draw near to God. We don’t see him face to face yet, for we are not ready. But he is reaching out to us, drawing us to himself, drawing our gaze upwards, where Christ is.

The hope we profess.