What does setting up the veil teach about God's holiness and separation? The Setting: Exodus 40:21 “He brought the ark into the tabernacle, put up the veil for the screen, and shielded the ark of the testimony, as the LORD had commanded him.” What the Veil Proclaimed about God • Tangible boundary: A real, woven curtain separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, a physical reminder that God is not common or approachable on human terms. • Divine initiative: God, not Moses, designed the veil (Exodus 26:31–33). Holiness is defined by God’s own character, not by human ideas. • Continuous statement: Every priest who ministered in front of that veil saw a constant visual sermon—“Thus far and no farther.” • Consuming holiness: Leviticus 16:2 – “Tell your brother Aaron not to enter at any time into the Most Holy Place… or he will die, for I appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.” God’s pure presence would overwhelm sinful flesh. Why the Separation Was Necessary • Sin’s seriousness – Isaiah 59:2: “Your iniquities have separated you from your God.” • Protection for the people – When Uzzah merely touched the ark he died (2 Samuel 6:6-7). • Preservation of worship – By marking off sacred space, God preserved true worship from casual familiarity (Psalm 99:3). • Foreshadowing atonement – Only blood could breach that curtain once a year (Leviticus 16), teaching that reconciliation requires substitutionary sacrifice. Fulfillment in Christ • The once-for-all veil-tearing – “And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:51). God Himself ripped it, declaring the required sacrifice complete. • New and living way – Hebrews 10:19-20: “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that He opened for us through the veil—that is, His flesh.” • Eternal access but unchanged holiness – Hebrews 12:28-29 reminds believers that even with access, “our God is a consuming fire.” Living Lessons for Today • Approach with reverence – Casual worship dishonors the God who once set up a veil of separation (Ecclesiastes 5:2). • Celebrate gracious access – The removal of the barrier cost the blood of the Son (1 Peter 1:18-19). • Pursue practical holiness – “But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your conduct” (1 Peter 1:15). Our lives should mirror the separated, distinct nature God displayed in the tabernacle. • Long for consummation – Revelation 21:3 anticipates the day when the last “veil” of fallen creation is removed: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.” Responding to His Holiness Stand in awe that the God who once curtained Himself off now welcomes us “with sincere hearts and full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22), yet He remains forever holy, distinct, and worthy of utmost honor. |
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