Exodus 26:31-33 ESV [31] “And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. [32] And you shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, with hooks of gold, on four bases of silver. [33] And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy.
Separation from God
The veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and with fine linen was a dividing curtain between the Holy Place and The Holy of Holies. It was placed there to protect the priests from the Ark of the Covenant. The place where God’s holiness and glory would dwell.
The word veil means to separate in Hebrew. Sinful man must be separated from the Holy God lest he dies. No one can enter into the Holy of Holies except the high priest. And he was only allowed to enter one day per year, The day of Atonement. On that day he must carry the blood of the sacrifice and place it on the mercy seat of the Ark. He could only come by the blood.
The veil was made with cherubim skilfully worked into it… So, let me pause here and attempt to give some context.
The children of Israel ask for separation
You may recall when God himself spoke from Mount Sinai that the people separated themselves from God. They stood far off.
Exodus 20:18-21 ESV [18] Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off [19] and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” [20] Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” [21] The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. Or maybe you recall their response to Moses when he came down from meeting with God?
The holy presence of God always reveals our sinful condition. Often we avoid God and His people because we love our sin. Avoiding the bible, avoiding the church, avoiding Christian music, all because these convict us of our sinfulness.
Exodus 34:29-35 ESV When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. [30] Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. [31] But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. [32] Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. [33] And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. [34] Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, [35] the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
The children of Israel could not bear God’s glory or his voice. They wanted a veil. They wanted distance. They wanted separation.
This separation did not begin in the wilderness. Separation began in the Garden of Eden and it was caused by sin.
Genesis 3:22-24 ESV [22] Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” [23] therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. [24] He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
As with the entrance to the garden of God, the entrance to the Holy of Holies is guarded by cherubim. God’s protecting angels.
Sin separates us from God
Isaiah 59:1-2 ESV [1] Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; [2] but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
This separation caused by sin must be dealt with supernaturally.
It is believed that the veil in the tabernacle was 3.5 inches thick 15 feet wide and 7 feet tall. Further, it is believed that the veil in Herod’s temple took 300 priests to hang. While the veil in the Tabernacle was somewhat smaller, it was an impenetrable curtain. The priest couldn’t penetrate it. It was a barrier to protect him from certain death from exposure to God’s holy presence.
So what does the New Testament say about this veil?
Matt 27:50-52Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent, And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
Jesus! Jesus became flesh. Jesus died for our sins and took down the barrier. We no longer have to be separated from God. The veil was torn in two by God! We now have access through His sacrifice.
Hebrews 10:19-22 ESV
[19] Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, [20] by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, [21] and since we have a great priest over the house of God, [22] let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Jesus fulfilled all the requirements. We no longer need to fear God. We can come boldly into His presence
Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV [14] Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. [15] For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. [16] Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Are you separated from God? Confess and repent of your sin and ask Jesus to let you experience His glory.
