The Veil -God Coming Out

I was thinking this morning about the veil that was torn in two at Jesus’ death. Matthew records it like this:

“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.”

Certainly there is a lot of truth that can be gleaned from Matthew’s description (Mark and Luke describe a similar occurrence) of this event. The truths are all important truths. Truths like our access into God and his presence is now available to all through Christ’s finished work.

The writer of Hebrews does a great job describing some of the benefits made available to us:

And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying,  "THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM," He then says,  "AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE." Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:15-22.

The point of Hebrews and most writers (and rightly so) is our access into the Holy of Holies. God has made a way into his presence through Christ.

But as I was thinking about this, and it struck me that maybe there was something else at work. Just as much as God was making a way for us to ENTER IN, he was also signaling that he was COMING OUT. That the veil and temple worship that kept God in the temple, in Jerusalem, in a localized way, was coming out. He was not just the God of the temple worship, or the God of Israel, but the God of the whole world. God was on the move (Aslan!), redeeming his world.

I think we get a glimpse of this (God moving out into His world) in Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus in John 3. Keep in mind that John 3:16, (We all remember this famous passage. I think we remember it so much we forget the context of Jesus’ words, as they were directed to Nicodemus) “For God so loved the world……” is Jesus responding to Nicodemus questions.

Think about Nicodemus’ conversation with Jesus.

Nicodemus meets Jesus late in the evening and pays him a compliment:

"Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."

Jesus as he always does, answers a question that Nicodemus is not asking, but should be,

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Many evangelicals go for the salvation jugular around “born again” and “seeing the kingdom of God”. The interpretation is: Get saved (born again) and you are going to heaven (see the Kingdom of God). I am not sure this was what Jesus was saying. And I don’t believe this is what Nicodemus was hearing.

I think we need to look at this in nationalistic terms. We also have to see it in light of the covenant that Nicodemus was living under. Nicodemus was not concerned about getting to heaven. He was not concerned about his salvation. But he certainly understood that being “born again” meant a different citizenship than what he currently was living under. For him, the kingdom of God, Messiah, the temple, Jerusalem, and Israel were all tied together. In one sense you couldn't talk about one without talking about the other.

What Jesus was saying and what he was trying to get Nicodemus to hear and see, was that God’s kingdom and his work was no longer localized to just Israel, or the temple or Jerusalem. If he wanted to “see” the kingdom of God he was going to need a different citizenship. He had to be born of “water and spirit”. That which is born of the flesh is flesh (nationalistic Israel), that which is born of the spirit is spirit (God’s Kingdom people). Jesus was trying to help Nicodemus understand that if he was going to really see Him as Messiah, if he was going to see God’s kingdom at work, he (Nicodemus) would need a new pair of eyes. And the only way to get those new pair of eyes was to be born again. He had to shed the confidence he had in his genealogy. That fact that he was a Hebrew under the covenant would not be enough. It would only limit his sight. It would limit his view. He would misinterpret God’s work and he was going to misinterpret Jesus.  What I hear Jesus saying is,  "God is coming out!"

For the sake of time and space, keeping in mind what I just said, let’s look at John 3:16 (and verse 17) again. Let’s look at it through Nicodemus’s eyes, through his ears. Let’s look at it from what Jesus was trying to help Nicodemus see. What Nicodemus is about to hear, is ground breaking news that would disorientate him, knocking him out of what he thought was a secure place for him. Listen to these words through Nicodemus’s ears:

"For God so loved the world (not just Israel or Jerusalem, or your idea of what it meant.... yes, God loves all those Gentiles or Romans, his creation), that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

God was coming out! The temple, Jerusalem, or Israel (which had long ago stopped representing him well) could not hold onto him any longer. He was God of the whole world! The veil had been ripped in two (from top to bottom, meaning God did it, not man). The idea that God loved his world, would not have sat well with a good Jew/Pharisee like Nicodemus. Being born again to not only see, but enter into the Kingdom of God was a hard pill to swallow. But swallow he would need to, if he was going to see God coming out in Jesus, God loving his world, God at work in His world. 

I am not diminishing all that is meant by our ability to enter into God’s presence through Jesus’ shed blood. But at times, as we have emphasized one aspect, we have become like Nicodemus stuck in seeing the Kingdom of God at work in only one way. It is usually localized and parochial in nature. We too, like Nicodemus “must be born again” if we are going to see God at work in his world. God is breaking out. The early church left Jerusalem (with a little help from Stephen and a lot of help from Paul) and by the end of Acts ended up in Rome.  In AD 70 Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. God was on the move. He was redeeming His world. He was not going back! He was moving forward.

Of course these are just my thoughts. 

Stewardship III - Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge

This post has been sitting in "draft mode" for over three years. I thought I would finish and post. 

Part three of understanding stewardship is the importance of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge in stewarding the sphere that God has given us. These three words are seen together often, particularly in Proverbs.

Pro 24:3 By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; And by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

This three words, Wisdom, Understanding, and knowledge have been at the center of my thinking for many years. Without them we cannot build successfully. Without them we cannot build something that will last into eternity. We need wisdom, understanding, and knowledge if we are going to be good stewards of all that God has given us. Just because I am writing about these three words and their impact on stewardship doesn't mean I understand them fully or even partially. What I do know is that if I want to build anything with a sense of permanency, have it be established, have it stand the test of time and become a place of resource and life for others I need the wisdom, understanding, and knowledge that comes from God.

The Source

Wisdom, understanding, and knowledge all have their source in God. 

Proverbs 2:6 states, "For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding." 

As wise stewards any attempt at faithfulness, growth, or increase in our sphere must start with a focus on the Lord and begin to know His ways.

To often we find ourselves focusing on patterns of living, thought processes, and ideas which have as their source in our culture's way of conducting business. Whether it is in our relationships, work ethic, marriage, finances, or our personal life we take our lead from what is popular or practical by our cultures standards and not by what God says is wise.

The book of Proverbs is a great book to begin reading to inform our mind. The writer of Proverbs challenges its readers, to Listen, to Hear (as in Hear my son); Wisdom is crying out (in the noisy street) asking us to pay attention to God's words and his ways. If God is the source of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge then it is important that we turn our ear and hearts in His direction.

To do this we have to put ourselves in a position to where we are listening. The thrust of Proverbs 2:6 is that the Lord is GIVING wisdom. The Lord is not holding back. There is not hesitancy or unwillingness to give wisdom, understanding or knowledge to those asking. Instead Proverbs challenge is that we not only listen, but not forget, but instead keep what God has given to us. Proverbs 3:1 says, "My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments." The Lord is the source of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. We have to listen if we are going to receive what the Lord is giving.

Skillfull Workers

When God was looking for craftsmen to work on Aaron's garments and to build the ark he gave Moses the names of specific men (it could have been women as well) whose skill sets included Wisdom, Knowledge, and Understanding....

Exo 28:3  "You shall speak to all the skillful persons whom I have endowed with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister as priest to Me. 

Exo 31:1-5  Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship. 

Paul's Prayer

Paul in his letter to the Colossians is that they would have spiritual wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of his will. Our walk, our ability to please the Father and our fruitfulness are dependent on us obtaining these three qualities. 

Col 1:9-12  For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 

giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. 

Where Do We Start?

Pray

Let's start by praying for these three qualities to be present in our lives. Use Colossians 1;9-12 as the basis of your prayer. 

Read

Spend time reading God's word. Also read good books that will challenge your thinking. I enjoy reading the Old Testament stories. They are filled with faith, courage, hope, failure and the grace of God. 

Renewed Your Mind

Our purpose is that we will be transformed through a renewed mind. So that we can approve God's will in a broken world. A will that is Good, Acceptable and Perfect. 

Daniel our Example

Daniel and his friends succeeded in a pagan land because God endowed them with Wisdom, Understanding, and Knowledge. They didn't bow to the pressures of the country they lived and neither were they hampered by previous rituals which could no longer be fulfilled. They were light and salt in Babylon, filled with Wisdom, Understanding, and Knowledge. They stood out and proved that God's will was Good, Acceptable and Perfect. 

How Long?

One of the hardest things for me to do is wait. I don't know about you, but I don't like to wait. It is not that I am overly action orientated, it is just that when I think something is over, I want to move on. To be honest with you, I don't like waiting for others. I tend to give myself all the time that I need, but when it comes to giving others the same courtesy, I seem to come up short. Grace for me, from me; and hurry up for you, from me. Sounds great, until of course we get to God. 

Waiting on God and for God is hard. You can't manipulate him or control him. You have to wait for him. You can't adjust the timing to fit your schedule. It seems liking planning works up to a point, then you find yourself waiting and wondering. 

One of the questions you read often from the OT writers is How Long?. Read David's words from Psalm 13:1-6; 

 "How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, And my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken. But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, Because He has dealt bountifully with me."

This is just one example. You could find more. Below is just a sample from the Psalms

•  Psa_35:17  Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, My only life from the lions. 
• Psa_62:3  How long will you assail a man, That you may murder him, all of you, Like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence? 
• Psa_74:9  We do not see our signs; There is no longer any prophet, Nor is there any among us who knows how long. 
• Psa_74:10  How long, O God, will the adversary revile, And the enemy spurn Your name forever? 
• Psa_79:5  How long, O LORD? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire? 
• Psa_80:4  O LORD God of hosts, How long will You be angry with the prayer of Your people? 
• Psa_82:2  How long will you judge unjustly And show partiality to the wicked? Selah. 
• Psa_89:46  How long, O LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your wrath burn like fire? 
• Psa_90:13  Do return, O LORD; how long will it be? And be sorry for Your servants. 
• Psa_94:3  How long shall the wicked, O LORD, How long shall the wicked exult? 

I think you get the idea. I like what one author said about the Psalms. God has provided us with his words that we can say back to him. How Long was part of the Psalmist prayers. It was part of the great prophets prayers. It was God giving us words to talk back to him with.

Waiting is hard work. Maintaining our hope and confidence while we wait is hard work. David at the end of Psalm 25: 20-21 says: 

"Guard my soul and deliver me; Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You."

David asked that integrity and uprightness, while he was waiting. would preserve him. Isn't that part of the test during waiting? Isn't the temptation during waiting to take matters into our own hands? To circumvent integrity and uprightness for expediency? The OT is full of stories of those who instead of waiting, instead of letting integrity and uprightness preserve them (maybe this was Jesus idea of the narrow way) found a short cut, one that cost them integrity or uprightness. 

Of course, most of these Psalms start out by asking how long and end up in thankfulness around the goodness God. That is how Psalm 13 ends. The word "But" at the beginning of verse 5 transitions away from David's concerns to who God is. 

Even though it seems appropriate to ask How Long, it also seems appropriate not to stay there, but to move on like most, if not all of the Psalms do, to the goodness and faithfulness of a trustworthy God.

Of course, these are Just My Thoughts.....