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 ost
of us have been powerfully attracted to someone of the
opposite sex
- maybe someone we did not marry. We thought we were in love.
Our emotions were strong and our thoughts were consumed with
that person. That happened to me. I was a fifteen year old
boy. A wonderful thing happened to me, at least so I thought.
A wonderful girl had agreed to come to take me to church in
her car - I was not yet allowed to drive. She was eighteen.
She did not know that I thought I was in love with her. Eventually,
I found myself sitting next to her and on my way to church.
She was wearing a wonderful perfume and my heart was beating
fast. I am not sure why I was so stupid, but before we arrived
at church I remember telling her I liked her. She symbolized
love and kindness. I was blind with emotion, and she lost
no time telling me that she did not share my feelings. I had
not expected that response. As I said, I was stupid and as
a result I was hurt. She did not respond as I had expected.
My symbol of love was not real.
Just A Symbol.
Just
as I felt about that wonderful girl, the Jewish readers did
not understand the old covenant - the Mosaic Law - was not
all they felt it was. Historical records tell us the Jews
thought the Mosaic Law with its sacrificial system, foods,
festivals, and laws would last forever. They did not realize
that God was going to take away something they loved. The
Old Covenant was only a symbol of something better to come.
The New Covenant was coming.
Symbolic Worship - The Church.
Every church has its ritual of service. Even churches that
want to say they avoid ritual have in fact established a ritual
- “no ritual.” The Jews had their rituals just as
we do. So the Holy Spirit starts out with the obvious.
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Now
even the first covenant had regulations of divine
worship and the earthly sanctuary. (NASB) Heb. 9:1 |
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McGee,
J. Vernon. Thru The Bible. Nelson Publishing, 1981. |
His
purpose is to show them that the tabernacle with its bronze
altar, laver, lampstand, table of showbread, altar of incense,
veil, and the mercy seat with cherubim are nothing more than
a shadow or symbol of something better.
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For
there was a tabernacle prepared, the outer one, in
which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred
bread; this is called the holy place. And behind the
second veil, there was a tabernacle which is called
the Holy of Holies, having a golden altar of incense
and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with
gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna,
and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tables
of the covenant. And above it were the cherubim of
glory overshadowing the mercy seat; but of these things
we cannot now speak in detail. (NASB) Heb. 9:2-5 |
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