Year 1, Day 76: Exodus 27

Looking in the Less Than Obvious Places

Alright, so in my reading for today I have been challenged again much like I was challenged two days ago.  At first glance Exodus 27 seems to be a fairly innocuous chapter about the temple construction.  It is fairly straightforward and there is little action here, so let’s take the conversation in a little different direction.

As I was doing some reading, I came across an interesting concept.  While there were two altars in the tabernacle – the altar described here and the altar described in Exodus 30 – only one of those altars was for the burning of sacrifices.  The altar in Exodus 30 is solely for burning incense.  So if this is the only altar upon which to build sacrifices, we can get another image of Christ if we think about this in the right way.

Why did the Hebrew people offer sacrifices?  Ultimately, they did it because the Lord told them to do it.  But the fundamental purpose of the sacrifices was so that the sins of the people would be forgiven.  In other words, the altar was the means through which atonement was made.  With all those thousands of Hebrews wandering the desert, there was only one altar needed through which God would make atonement.

Do you see where I am going with this?  Again we are set up for the Christian understand of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross.  The Hebrew people needed only one altar through which all forgiveness was poured.  In the post-crucifixion era it makes sense that we only need one Christ, too!  All forgiveness is funneled through Christ, who was the one true sacrifice.  There are millions of people who rely upon that act, but only one Christ was needed to accomplish the task.  I think that is a pretty neat parallel between Christ and the altar of the tabernacle.

Just so we’re all clear, the altar described in Exodus 30 is for incense.  I didn’t want to leave anyone hanging with respect to the purpose of the second altar.

Divisions

Shifting gears … what follows is an idea that I am blatantly stealing from Warren Wiersbe’s books called Expository Outlines of the Old Testament.  I’m stealing it because it is the first time I read it and heard it – and I think it is pretty cool.  I haven’t thought it through the whole way, but it certainly warrants discussion, that’s for sure.  And while I am stealing the concept, I will endeavor to put it into my own words at least.

Notice that the description of the court of the tabernacle shows a clear division between the “common” area and a more holy area.  A person would have to pass through the linen “gate” spoken of in Exodus 27:16 to go from the common into the holy.  From other passages, we know that this inner more holy area is actually divided again into two more parts: the simple holy area where the priests attended and the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant was kept.

Now, compare this to 1 Thessalonians 5:23.  Paul writes, “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  I actually use this passage as a benediction on some Sunday mornings.  But notice what Paul is saying here: the human is composed of three elements in spirit, soul, and body.  Today that concept sent me down a new path: Spirit and Soul?  Typically we speak of two parts (flesh/spirit).  But three parts?  To make matters worse, I’ve said that verse multiple times in the last few months and knew it had three parts, but it never really hit me until I was reading Wiersbe’s commentary on this passage.

Wiersbe suggests that as Paul writes 1 Thessalonians that Paul is actually thinking of the three-fold division of the tabernacle.  The outer courtyard is the body.  The holy “inner area” is divided up into two parts, just as Paul divides up our “inner person” into spirit and soul.  I think that is a neat concept – especially when you think that the outer curtain of the courtyard could be torn down without actually affecting the inner holy space.  In other words, the physical body can be destroyed without affecting the inner person (spirit/soul).

So let me push forward out of Wiersbe’s thought and make a few assertions of my own.  If the outer court was accessible to all, then it is also true with our bodies – or perhaps better said with this physical world.  Anyone that wants to can see my body.  They can reach out and feel my arms or my face if they need more proof of its existence than simple sight can provide.  But not all people have access to my spiritual inner person – my spirit and soul.  Not all people have that access because not all people want to be “holy” and be granted access.  Remember that holy means “separate” rather than “holier-than-thou.”

It isn’t that I am setting up walls that other people cannot break through.  But rather there are people in my life who are simply content accessing my “physical/worldly” nature and who don’t have the time or desire to access my spiritual nature.  There are people that would rather talk about the weather and the events of my life than about the plans that God has for me and the spirit that God is developing within me.  To make an analogy, most people are content having access to the courtyard and don’t really want to have access to my inner holy person.

The unfortunate thing is that the courtyard (my physical nature) only shows proof of my need for forgiveness.  My physical/worldly nature lets me and others around me down.  If the only thing that people do is interact with my physical/worldly nature, then they see me completely in my flaws.  And that is okay, but it is not truly who I am.

To return to the tabernacle, God dwelled most obviously in the inner holy area.  So it is with me.  If you want to really get a sense of God within me, then you must move beyond my physical person and get to know my inner person – my spiritual nature.  If you want to see God in me, you must be willing to come in from the outer courtyard.

Up until now, I have been intentional about developing that thought with me as the center.  Sorry if it comes of self-centered at first glance.  But the real truth in what I said over the last three or so paragraphs comes when I apply this thought to others.  The reality is that with most of the people I meet I am content interacting with their “outer courtyard.” 

I need to take my own advice.  The outer courtyard is necessary – it shows us where our flaws are.  But if I really want to make disciples, if I really want to understand God in that person, if I really want to see the heart of God Himself then I need to no longer accept only interacting with the “outer courtyard” of others.  I need to desire to pass through that linen “gate” and interact with their “inner person” – their spiritual being.

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