Bibledoorajar: A royal heart

     The High Priest of Israel wore a robe that is mentioned as the work of a weaver and that it was all blue, the color of the heavens. It was designed to give the High Priest special glory before God. Standing there before God in royal blue, bearing both the light and judgement of God (Urim and Thumin on the breastplate)  and bearing the names of the tribes who were called especially to ministry by Him, He was the shepherd of God's people. He was called to stand before God for them and no other. His robe covered him completely from top to bottom. His role was complete and through him, the iniquity of the people was ablated year after year. Life was worth living because of that act.
      There is a psalm that speaks of the "robe "smelling" of myrrh, aloes and cassia. While the robe of the High Priest may not have literally smelled, the odors mentioned do underscore priestly aspects. Prophetically, there is the Lord, the Great King and Priest of God's church. He is the High Priest of today and tomorrow and forever. He is our Great Shepherd. Through Him and all His suffering, we are seen as holy and blameless in His sight. In spite of the continually fight with the enemy, it is a great hope: a final scene when we are all home because of Him.
             
              "Because of Him, I can face tomorrow, because of Him all fear is gone.
               And because I know, He holds the future
               Life is worth the living, just because He lives."
                                               Bill Gaither
                                          

Bibledoorajar: Wanting to Make Him Known

     I just got in from Dallas. We had taken the kids who wanted to go from our church to Leadership Training for Christ. There were thousands gathered there. The theme was to Make Him Known and the participants read scriptures, gave speeches, did drama and puppet shows, art and photography and posters. Others led singing or participated in chorales. Some even read Christian poetry. It was all designed to Make Him Known. It made me think of previous blog entries. God went to great lengths to train the Israelites to worship Him and to recognize what the High Priest was accomplishing for them within the Holy of Holies. One wonders how many of them were so moved that they wanted to make Him known. God had hoped they would make Him known to each other and to strangers.
     The writer of Hebrews was anxious for the Christians he was writing to. They were not so filled with Him that they a)knew how to make Him known, and, b)wanted to. He had many deep things he wanted to say to them about the High Priest but they had become dull of hearing and were not interested in learning new depths in Christ. At a time when they should have been prepared to make Him known, they were not. They, themselves, had need to be taught even the "basics" again!
     I was happy to take children who were willing to share with others what they had been fed. It was a great delight. It was also a delight to be among the many adults who had fed them and participated with them in bringing their thoughts to the rest of us. On Sunday morning, tired, but very anxious to share, over 3000 of us gathered in a ballroom to make it known to Him that we knew Him and loved Him. It was a glorious worship. As we sang "ring it out, merrily ring" I was moved to think: " Lord may this please You tremendously." To ring it out merrily. What could be better than that?

Bibledoorajar: Perfect Design

     I have recently been shopping on the internet for timers for lawn sprinklers. I want the ones that are seen as having the best design that will give the most quality for the price. When I read the reviews on the various products it seems that inevitably someone will report a problem with the design that have caused them grief. I am still looking, still hoping to find the best.
     For the Israelite, the robes of the High Priest with the Urim and Thumin inside were perfectly designed so that Israel could experience peace through the counsels of God. Whatever situation they were in, the counsels of God were there to see that their peace was uninterrupted. Even an enemy attack would end in the Israelites having peace. Whatever the issue, God could insure that peace would attend. There on the breast of the High Priest were the mysterious counsels of God. He was with His people. The Bible tells of some times when the Urim and the Thumin were misused by those in authority and their actions warranted disasterous results. But, when approached in the proper manner, God ensured peaceful endings.
     John leaned on the breast of Jesus. Perhaps he not only heard the heartbeat of a man, but perhaps he found the peace of the counsels of God. Surely God wanted Jesus to be known as the Prince of Peace. Peace be with you was one of the first things He told His disciples. It was His peace that He left with them. The peace that passes all understanding; GOD LOVES YOU! The power to overcome lies within His glory. There, He  sits on His throne robed in both royalty and priesthood. God rests about you because He rests in His Son. You can rest in God because His Son rests in Him.  It is the ultimate perfect design! Here some churches say, "Peace to You" and hear the response, "And to You". For believers, it will ever be. Your proper approach? Love and worship Him!

Bibledoorajar: Light and Perfection

      There was something added to the breastplate of the High Priest which gave both he and the people more confidence.  In a pouch of sorts was placed what the Word calls the Urim and the Thumin. Urim means light and Thumin means perfection. When the High Priest needed a word from God he used the Urim and Thumin to seek Him. In return he received light and perfection from God about things that mattered. One might say that the High Priest had "perfect light shed on the matter" at hand. It was a system that worked only if heavenly knowledge was sought and if the process was used. God was always near to the heart of the High Priest.
     Jesus has said He only does what the Father does. He carries Him in His heart and we know that through Him, our High Priest,  we have the Father's perfect light and perfection available to us at all times.  God wants us all to be saved and come into a knowledge of the truth. Jesus is the erfect light to show the way. We can ask Him to lead us into all truth and He has promised to do so. It is the Father's will.
     The High Priest of old would roll the Urim and the Thumin and through that process would know the Father's will. But Jesus had given us a much better way. If we don't have, it may because we we have not asked.
     As the old hymn says:
                          "Tis the grandest theme, let the tidings roll, to the guilty heart to the sinful soul.
                          Look to God in faith, He will make thee whole, Our God is able to deliver thee."
                                           William Ogden
     If you are not sure about who can rescue you, consider the words of Jesus. "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." Light and Perfection.
    

Bibledoorajar: Bonds of Love

                            " There is never space between us for a separation
                             We are put together in the tightest way
                             And the Holy fusion causes this almagamation
                             Woh, we are held together in the brightest way"
                                        We Are Bonded, Twilah Paris

     We now have a view of the High Priest bearing stones on his shoulders and on a breastplate.  Each stone in its' placement is reflecting the glories God had given to the tribes of Israel. Now God instructs Moses to have specially prepared chains made that would be used to connect the stones on the shoulders with that of the breastplate. They were to be bonded together and nseparable in God's view. When the High Priest came before Him in the tabernacle the stones reflecting the children of Israel would show brightly and differently in the light of the candlestick and the glory which came from the cherubim over the mercy-seat.  The glory of the tribes as gifted by God would shine always because God had declared that the light would shine continually in the tabernacle. The shewbread was to set before God continually. Continually. Continually. Continually.
     Jesus has ascended to the Father. His priestly ministrations before God on behalf of we His people are continual. He ever lives to make intercession for us. Continually. Continually As the song says, Woh, we are held together in the brightest way. Woh, indeed! Thank you Fathe!

Bibledoorajar: Functioning in Place

     I think all Bible class participants want to avoid conflict during class discussions. I further think that that may be why many never speak up and share their views. Humanly, rejection is not easily received nor dealt with. After a particularly rejecting episode, I accompanied a sister to a retreat to seek a freshness in the Lord. Being away, we worshiped with a different congregation. What we heard during the praise portion was a reminder that only He is holy and that we only serve one Master. And the sermon? Well, it was on Jesus' admonition to not worry for He has all things covered. Just as those stones on the High Priest shoulders, He will carry each and every one of His to the very "steps" of glory. He knows when each of us was born to the Father and He WILL GET US HOME!
     But now we must consider further. The High Priest also wore before the ark and mercy seat a breastplate. It, too, was composed of twelve stones representing the 12 sons (tribes),  but the precious stones were not placed upon it in birth order. Rather, they were laid out in an order that reflected their diversity. Reuben may have been the first born, but he was not first on the breastplate. The first was Judah( praise).  From there, each stone (tribe) mentioned shone forth with a brilliance of its' own without rivaling the others for glory or beauty. Each had an appointed place that was entirely different from the birth order. No stone was the same as another. One might be extremely bold in color where another flashed it's own peculiar glory and beauty. The stones on the breastplate were unified, but very diverse. The glory seen in each was not intruded on by another, each having its' own place.
     The Father has gifted the living stones of the church in a diverse way, each of us giving forth a brilliance that is different but not defective. It might be defective if it was up to us to maintain it, but it cannot be broken because of the great faithfulness of our High Priest, Jesus. That is why we do not need to worry. Even if another "stone" seeks to conflict with us, Jesus will continue to help us exhibit our peculiar beauty and glory upon which the other cannot intrude. How great is that? What a comfort in times of differences among our brethren. The Bible does not tell us everything about every stone on the breastplate and we in the church will not know each other fully until we are all home where there will be no conflict. And just as now, Praise will have the first place. So praise the Lord, don't worry and shine on. Enjoy the diversity and always remember you have been intentionally placed in the church!

                     "Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place,
                       I can feel God's mighty power and His grace.
                       I can feel the brush of angel's wings,
                       I see glory on each face,
                       Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place."
                                                                    Lanny Wolfe

Bibledoorajar: What We Know and How to Go

     The scripture says that on each shoulder of the ephod worn by the High Priest were two opals encased in gold. Don't think about the pale opals that one sees today and that are not considered precious. The word from which this opal comes reflects a precious stone that was fiery and lustrous. These stones added to the necessary vestments that Aaron needed to wear in order to be High Priest. Each item reflected the relatedness Aaron had with the people of Israel and his responsibilities toward them.  Wearing the vestments helped him realize his compassion and mercy toward each one of the tribes. The vestments transformed him, so to speak, making him more attuned to the God/man relationship and his role in that relationship. It gave him power with the people and a virtue not earned. These stones were to shine forth as a memorial to the tribes, six being represented on each shoulder. When Aaron came before God, the tribes came with him. All the natures and characteristics we have learned about the tribes, the meaning of their names, prophecies over them, etc. shone forth to their God from the oldest to the youngest. However, one wonders about the closeness the average person felt toward God under that system.
     When Jesus changed the Aaronic priesthood to that of Melchizodek, the need for memorial stones and proper vestments was no longer necessary. The disanullment of all that law and requirements brought us a new and better hope that each believer is assured the closest of fellowship to our God.  Jesus gives us robes of righteousness that help us experience that closeness and each of us can envision ourselves as living stones that belong to God. It is what we know and therefore we know how to go.