STUDY/DISCUSSION GUIDE OVERARCHING THEME: Entering

S TUDY/DIS CUS S ION GUIDE
For t he week of Dec ember 7-13, 2014
Based on Past or Bob’ s weekend messages for Dec ember 6-7, 2014
OV ERARCHING THEME: Ent ering God’ s Presence
THIS WEEK’S READING: 2 Chronicles 1:1-9:31
Key Verse: “Now Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah…So all
the elders of Israel came, and the Levites took up the ark. Then they brought up the ark, the tabernacle of
meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle. The priests and the Levites brought them
up. Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him before the ark,
were sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude…indeed it came to
pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and
thanking the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of
music, and praised the LORD, saying: ‘For He is good, For His mercy endures forever,’ that the house, the
house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of
the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.” (2 Chronicles 3:1, 5:4-6, 5:13-14)
INTRODUCTION
In our reading this week we will learn why the Temple was the most important permanent building ever
built. Its importance lay in its purpose to be an outward symbol of what it means for us to enjoy the
presence of God within our inner being. David, who wrote most of the Psalms, more than anyone else,
understood the great meaning and value of enjoying the presence of God. This is why he was inspired to
write in one of his psalms, “in Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures
forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). Together we will discover how we can approach God and experience His
presence by first understanding how God’s presence was experienced in the process of worship in the
Temple. Temple worship provides a template that can guide us into personally enjoying the richness of
God’s presence through what Jesus has done for us on the Cross.
I. Temple Worship Described
To understand how God’s presence was experienced in the Temple requires that we have an
understanding of why the Temple was built the way it was and what a priest had to go through to enter
the Temple, and thus, God’s manifested presence.
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
A. The Temple – Let’s begin by taking a look at the layout of the Temple below.
B. Before a Priest could enter the Temple
•
Altar - In the depiction above you see that the altar used in the sacrifice for sins is the first
thing that must be passed through before a Priest entered the Temple. The sacrificial process
was a means by which the sins of the Priest were atoned for. Atonement is central to the
entire overarching theme of the Bible. This sacrifice had to be an animal sacrifice to represent
the judgment for sin, which is death. If the Priest himself gave his life to pay the penalty for
his sins, he obviously would be unable to enter the Temple and thus God’s manifested
presence. Therefore God instituted animal sacrifice, which provided a life to be given that
would die in the place of the Priest. This helps us understand why Jesus taught that He came
to be a payment for the penalty of sin that all humanity is accountable for. This is why when
John the Baptist saw Christ at the Jordan River he proclaimed, “Behold! The Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Below you will find pictures of the
furnishings in the Temple.
•
Laver - Next we see the laver. This was a large basin full of water in which the Priest washed
himself. This signified he had been cleansed of his sins and the sinful contamination of living
in a fallen world. In the Holy Place there was the golden candlestick with 12 bowls to hold the
oil that created the 12 flames. There was also a table for 12 loaves of bread. The 12 flames
represented the light the 12 tribes of Israel were to be in the world. The 12 loaves of bread
represented the spiritual life they were to share in from God. In addition there was a small
stand on which incense was burned. At the entrance to the Holy of Holies, as the smoke from
the incense rose heavenward, it represented worship to God. The priests would daily enter
the Temple of God to add oil to the candlestick, replace the bread with fresh bread, and add
fresh incense to the incense burner.
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Table of showbread
Golden Candlestick
•
Holy of Holies - God manifested His presence in a very unique way in the Temple. He did
not physically appear, but instead caused a glowing mist to appear above the Ark within the
Holy of Holies. This mist is often referred to as God’s “shekinah” glory. The Holy of Holies
was separated from the Holy Place by a thick veil said to be three inches thick. Inside the
Holy of Holies was the Ark. The word “ark” means a box or container. Inside the Ark were the
two tablets on which were written the Ten Commandments, a jar of manna, and Aaron’s rod
that budded (Hebrews 9:4). The top of the Ark was a lid called the Mercy Seat, made of gold.
On top of that were two golden angels with wings outstretched.
The Ark
The Veil
•
Only the High Priest was allowed to go beyond the veil into the Holy of Holies. This was only
done once a year on the Day of Atonement. This was the most important day of the year for
Israel. On this day the High Priest took the blood of the sacrificial animal and sprinkled it
within the Holy of Holies as a symbol of God’s forgiveness that allowed the High Priest to
stand in the presence of God on behalf of all of Israel. The High Priest then went out of the
Temple, stood before the people, took some of the blood from the sacrifice, and cast it toward
the countless worshipers to symbolize that their sin was atoned for and thus alienation and
separation from God due to sin was totally removed.
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C. The Way is Opened – Understanding the incredible significance of the Temple and its various
furnishings allows us to appreciate the glorious work of the Cross in a new light. Scripture also
picks up on these powerful images.
• Read Romans 3:23-26 and pay particular attention to the following words and phrases:
justified, through redemption, propitiation by His blood, and He might be just and the justifier
through faith in Jesus.
• Now read 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 and pay particular attention to these phrases: God was in
Christ reconciling the world to Himself, and He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us.
QUES TION/DIS CUS S ION:
1. Discuss the definitions of the key words given above, and their practical application to your
spiritual life.
•
Romans 3:23-26
1. Justified - The declaration of someone being proven in the right.
2. Through redemption - “Debt fully paid” owed to divine justice.
3. Propitiation by His blood – “To remove, absorb, or cover the wrath, hatred, and just
judgment for sin.”
4. He might be just and the justifier through faith in Jesus – Justice is the declaration of a
right response to either what is good or bad.
•
2 Corinthians 5:18-21
1. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself – Reconciliation occurs when
alienation is removed by the person or persons wronged.
II. Christ: The Fulfillment of the Temple’s Symbolism
The elaborate process to enter into God’s presence in the Temple was a temporary measure that prepared
Israel for Christ, the perfect High Priest, who also became the perfect sacrifice for all sin, of all people, for all
time.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
A. Temporary Meets Permanent Salvation
•
The impermanent nature of the Tabernacle and later the Temple is beautifully described in the
New Testament’s Letter to the Hebrews, written to Jewish Christians: “The Holy Spirit indicating
this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still
standing. It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which
cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience” (Hebrews 9:8-9).
•
Christ died for you so that you can freely enjoy the pleasure of God’s presence in the realm of the
Spirit now and also for eternity when you have completed your brief sojourn on Earth. The purpose
and blessing of Christ as our High Priest and Savior is defined in Hebrews 9:14-15 and 24-28.
o
“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself
without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the
redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may
receive the promise of the eternal inheritance… For Christ has not entered the holy
places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to
appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high
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priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— He then would have
had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the
ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed
for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the
sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from
sin, for salvation.”
•
God’s presence manifested in worship satisfies the soul as nothing else can. It is God’s solution to
our quest for inner contentment and pleasure. God’s presence is a powerful alternative to the
pervasive use of counterfeit methods we seek after to find inner satisfaction. Furthermore, what’s
so amazing about our salvation in Christ is that we become temples of God ourselves! (1
Corinthians 6:19). His Spirit indwells our spirit, so we do not need to be dependent on outward
things to bring about an awareness of God’s presence or the joy and pleasure it brings. We need
only to direct our attention to God’s presence within us by silencing the distractions of the physical
world. Enjoy the wonder of God in Christ whose presence we can enjoy. God is closer than our
breath and so is His glory. This glory brings joy and pleasure regardless of what life in a fallen
world throws at us. Therefore, take time to develop your spiritual senses, so you can enjoy this
peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7). As we discussed earlier, the pleasure and
joy of experiencing God’s presence as we worship Him is amazing.
•
One last thing - The veil that separated the Holy of Holies from everyone but the High Priest was
torn in two at the moment Christ died on the Cross. It was torn from top to bottom supernaturally by
God Himself. This was done by God to signify that the way into God’s presence is open to all
through our High Priest and Savior, Jesus Christ. This is described in Matthew’s Gospel that
declares, “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then,
behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and
the rocks were split” (Matthew 27:50-51). Jesus paid the ultimate price for us to enter within
the veil, the true presence of God. Don’t let anything keep you away.
QUES TION/DIS CUS S ION:
1. Read the following passages and discuss how understanding the work of the Cross has created
open access to God for worship, prayer, fellowship, and times of sin and failure.
a. Hebrews 10:22
b. Hebrews 9:12-13
c.
Hebrews 9:23-24
d. Hebrews 4:15-16
CONCLUS ION
I encourage you to live daily in light of the call upon us to “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22).
Understanding of the process of worship and experiencing God’s presence in the Temple will help you
appreciate the unsurpassed significance of Christ’s death on the Cross for the sins of the world. This
background will help you understand why Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). No one else can be the way to God because no one but
Jesus became both our perfect unending High Priest and our Savior. All alienation between God and
sinners has been removed through Christ. Let the following words of Paul be written on your heart so that
no one and nothing will keep you from enjoying being reconciled to God. “God was in Christ reconciling
the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of
reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we
implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,
that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:19-21).
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