S) "33 You shall hang up the veil under the clasps, and shall bring in the ark of the testimony there within the veil; and the veil shall serve for you as a partition between the holy place and the holy of holies."
Exodus 26:33 (NASB)
O) This veil is within the construction of the first tabernacle. God was giving very detailed direction as to who everything was to be constructed and assembled. Later, the temporary temple would be replaced by a permanent temple, when Solomon constructs it centuries later (see 2 Chronicles 3). Some of the specifications of the tabernacle might seem arbitrary, but we must remember that this was a shadow of the heavenly temple (see Hebrews 8:5), so the details are not random. This veil that God required, served as a physical representation of the spiritual separation between the LORD and His people. Perhaps the heavenly temple has no such veil, but on earth it served as both a symbolic and vital barrier. When the Spirit of God was manifested within the holy of holies, anyone who entered into that portion of the tabernacle, without proper atonement and cleanliness, would die (see Leviticus 16:2). This is the veil that was torn, as we see in Matthew 27:51, when Jesus died on the cross.
A) Understanding the historical significance of that veil, and all that it meant, gives a much deeper understanding of what Jesus did by dying for my sins. The reconciliation that He bought with His blood, was life itself. Still the above verse is not an instruction to me, so much as it is a reminder of who God is. He is holy and just, but He is also gracious and merciful. He taught His people about His ways with great detail, that they might live in covenant with Him. God does not change. He is still gracious with me, teaching me His ways. Through the Bible, I can learn about His character, and the statutes by which I am to live. I see the mercy He has given me, and that love compels me to obedience. So, when I read the above verse, I remember that the circumstances of life have changed, but God has not. He took away the partition, but He still has particular ways He wants His children to live. He is merciful, and in Christ my sins are atoned, but in His grace, He still instructs me through His Word about how to live.
P) Father in heaven, in Your perfect holy temple, be magnified! How great a love You have shown, to make a way to remove the veil, to eliminate the separation that existed between You and Your beloved. Thank You for the immeasurable grace there is, in my reconciliation to You. I celebrate the mercy, but let me also celebrate Your instruction. It is such a blessing to know that You wish to teach me Your ways, in order that I might live in more intimacy with You, God. Help me to seek Your instruction, as often as I need Your mercy. Let Your will be done. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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