Hello All,
(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).
This week’s lesson from the “Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide”, is titled “Jesus, Opens the Way through the Veil”. The quarterly this week draws a parallel between the Children of Israel at the foot of Mt. Sinai, the establishment of the Sanctuary Service in the wilderness, and the Heavenly ministry of Christ. Yet once again, the Quarterly uses the partial understanding of the Jews at that time, to mimic the role of Christ today… a partial understanding.
In Monday’s lesson, the quarterly states that “God’s manifestation of His Holiness at Mt. Sinai was to teach the people to ‘fear’ or respect Him… Thus, while God wanted Israel to come to Him, the people became afraid (the antithesis of respect/ reverence) and requested Moses to be their intermediary (or mediator)”. Too, bad. Moses tried to educate them right on the spot… “’Don’t be afraid,’ Moses answered them, ‘for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!’” (Exodus 20:20). “Do not be afraid”, said Moses, “because God has come to lead you to fear Him (respect/ reverence Him)". Being afraid is the antithesis of respect/ reverence. Being afraid is the antithesis of trust and love.
And therefore, the sanctuary service became thus interpreted by those Children of Israel who were “scared-stiff” of God. They so wanted a mediator, that they interpreted the Sanctuary service in that same way. As a mediatorial work. God did not correct them about needing a mediator, in the person of Moses, between them and God (see Deuteronomy 18: 15-19). He allowed this misunderstanding to be established because the people needed it to be so. Not the ideal at all. But at least it permitted those fearful children to stay somewhat close to their “Father”, though still afraid of Him. Likewise, He did not correct them about believing the same of the Sanctuary service, either. He allowed them to believe it was about needing a Mediator between them and God. At least it kept them somewhat close. But so, so far from the ideal. The Children of Israel’s picture of God was more like a Mafia “godfather” than the affectionate, loving Daddy He is. More like a mob-boss who will kill you if you go astray. So you better not leave or go astray.
It is so unfortunate that we Christians have also repeated that same misinterpretation as the Jews of old. We, too, misinterpret Christ’s heavenly work in much the same manner. We, too, have a Mediator between us and the Father. But this whole idea is not an idea based on faith but on faithlessness. Not an idea based on knowing our God, but on ignorance of Him. Not an idea based on trusting Him but on mistrusting Him. Not an idea based on reverence but on being afraid of Him. And as John tells us, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear (being afraid), because fear (being afraid) involves torment (or judgement). But he who fears (is afraid) has not been made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).
The quarterly takes great pains to explain how Jesus mediates before the Father. How this enables us to come into the presence of the Father. And that is accomplished, so the quarterly states, because Jesus has gone before us to assure the Father that we have accepted Jesus as our substitute. But this is an explanation that comes from that early misunderstanding of the Jews about God. It perpetuates a fearfulness that is the antithesis of reverence. And it really has no place today, near the end of time. It has no place now, when we need to know and understand our God. “In the past (God) was patient and overlooked people's sins (He made little issue with us needing a mediator); but in the present time He deals with their sins, in order to demonstrate His righteousness (this is how our sins are eliminated or dealt-with… by understanding our God as He really is, so we are not afraid to come into His presence … because the Father needs no mediator at all… “righteousness” stemming from a “right relationship” with God)”(Romans 3: 25-26).
Righteousness is not established when we are afraid of God. I hope you hear this. Righteousness is the one quality of all Heaven… and those of us who will inherit Heaven. If we Christians keep promoting Christ as a mediator between us and God (reconciling God to us) we keep perpetuating a concept that keeps us away from the Father rather than drawing us close to the Father. As Christ told the 11 in the upper room, “there is no need for me to pray the Father for you (no need for me as mediator between God and you), for the Father loves you Himself” (John 16: 26, 27). In that one phrase, spoken plainly to the disciples, Jesus refuted the historical understanding of the Sanctuary service… and refuted the current Christian understanding of Christ’s “mediatorial” work. Instead, the work of Christ is found in the soul-sanctuary of every follower of God.
Christ goes to prepare a place for us. Just as He prepared a place for us (Earth) during creation. He prepared a place for us then, and He prepares a place for us now. But just as that place at the time of creation was not completed until Adam and Eve were placed there, so the Heavenly place will not be completed until the “bride” for which it was created is there. The preparation Christ speaks about is not in the creation of the place, but in the re-creation in the heart of the “bride”. Until the “bride” is brought into a right relationship with her “Husband”. Then and only then will the place be completed.
Being afraid of God or scared-stiff of God has no place in the thinking of His child. It is the thinking of slaves not of sons and daughters. “I no longer call you slaves, for a slave does not share his master’s confidence. No, I now call you friends, because I have told you everything that I have heard from the Father” (John 15:15). Remember, everything given us by God is not to change Him but to change us. Not to enable Him to forgive, but enable us to accept His forgiveness, so freely given. "There is no need to be afraid..." (Exodus 20:20... quoted above).
With brotherly love,
Jim