How To Approach The Almighty Personally

Series Title:  Life Lessons from Leviticus? (For More In This Series )

A Sermon By Jim Hammond from Leviticus 16

Focus:  Through Jesus, we have personal access to the Almighty.

Many of you know that we have two dogs.  One dog is old and wise, Jessie, a 12 year old Golden Retriever.  Another dog, is …well okay, I’m just going to say how I feel today; she’s cute…and STUPID.  Baylee is a rather small Beagle that still appears to most people to be a puppy, though she’s now 3 years old.  I thought Baylee had graduated from being in an Old Testament relationship with us to a New Testament relationship with us.  But yesterday I discovered she should not yet have graduated! 

What’s an Old Testament relationship?  Before I get into that, let me ask how many of you have had a pet dog before and it was a good experience; raise your hand.  Okay., how many of you have had a pet dog that was a bad experience?  Okay.  How many of you have never had a pet dog?  Now I know who will appreciate this illustration, and who just won’t be able to relate.  But here’s trying anyway. 

Today, we are going to study a couple of passages of scripture that compare and contrast an Old Testament relationship to God, with a changed New Testament Relationship.  One of the best ways to describe that change is by way of describing the change in the way we have access to God.

I.      It used to be that Personal Access to the Almighty was only allowed Once A Year and With Dread (16:1)

It used to be that God set up a number of barriers for people so that they could not have direct access to himself.  That was best seen in the shadow picture of the reality the Tabernacle itself represented.  The Tabernacle represented God’s presence among his people.  But is was a restricted presence. 

Today if you are attempting to go out into the forests, you will run into barriers that say no access, or access restricted to authorized personnel only.  Or something like that.  Well in an Old Covenant relationship, God had set up barriers to himself.  Let me show you a picture of the Tabernacle to show you what I mean.

The outer wall kept all unauthorized personnel out.  Worshippers were allowed to come in for worship only when they were prepared to come in, and only if they were supervised by a priest.

Inside this outer wall was the actual Tabernacle structure.  This tabernacle structure was like God’s house, where his manifest presence dwelt among his people.  Only priests were allowed to enter the house.  Authorized personnel only. 

The house itself was divided by a curtain that separated the Holy place from the Most Holy place.  That curtain was only opened for restricted access.  It was only opened to allow the chosen High Priest to enter once a year.  We are going to learn about that today in Leviticus 16.  We are also going to learn from the New Testament, in the book of Hebrews, that the very strict restrictions were lifted and why they were lifted so that people could have a wonderful New Covenant relationship with God with unrestricted access, rather than restricted access. 

BACK TO BAYLEE…

Let’s get back to how Baylee is Stupid.  Hopefully this will be insightful rather than trite.  The risk I take here is that perhaps only those of you who enjoy dogs are the ones for which this illustration will be helpful. 

Baylee is Karissa’s dog.  This week Karissa was gone to Mexico with the youth group.  Baylee is spoiled.  She’s an indoor dog.  But she is an Old Testament indoor dog.  She only enjoys supervised access to our home, our sanctuary.  But Baylee knows how to push the right buttons, wiggle with the right motions, and smile a dog’s smile to get her way.  Like I said, she’s cute but stupid.  While Karissa was gone, Baylee kept getting her way, waking me up to take her out repeatedly through the night.  Usually Karissa has to deal with this.  Since Karissa was gone, and I didn’t want to put up with this anymore, I promoted Baylee.  I bought and installed another dog door.

Baylee’s relationship to our Sanctuary is similar to the Old Testament worshipper’s relationship to the Old Covenant sanctuary, the Tabernacle.  She has an outer court (her dog run).  She has access through a dog door anytime to the garage.  But I promoted her by putting a dog door in the kitchen door going out to the garage so she could have unrestricted access from the inside of our house (the most clean place) to the garage (a clean place), to the outer courts, or her camp (the not so clean place).

Yesterday, Baylee demonstrated her Stupidity.  She lost her mind.  Have you ever asked yourself what goes through a dog’s mind?  Here’s the answer.  NOTHING!   The good side of her stupidity yesterday is this.  I have this story to tell this morning, and the lessons I learned from it.  Before last night, I was in a conversation with my family on the way back from Phoenix where we went to a ball game.  I asked my family what came to mind when I told them the title of my message, “How To Approach The Almighty Personally.”  I mentioned that we would be studying the concept of unrestricted access to God, and I was still hunting for an illustration to bring it to life.  We came up with several ideas.  Access to the forest, the difficulty we had even accessing to the restroom at the ball park when 49,000 people were exiting at the same time etc.  It wasn’t till I came home that I said shortly afterward.  There’s my opening illustration.  Did I mention we were gone all day?

Before I tell you the rest of the story about Baylee, and I’m sure you’ve already been guessing what she did, let’s listen to Leviticus 16.

Leviticus 16:1-34

The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they approached the Lord. 2The Lord said to Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.

3"This is how Aaron is to enter the sanctuary area: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 4He is to put on the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments next to his body; he is to tie the linen sash around him and put on the linen turban. These are sacred garments; so he must bathe himself with water before he puts them on. 5From the Israelite community he is to take two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

6"Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household. 7Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 8He is to cast lots for the two goats--one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat. 9Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. 10But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat.

11"Aaron shall bring the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household, and he is to slaughter the bull for his own sin offering. 12He is to take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before the Lord and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense and take them behind the curtain. 13He is to put the incense on the fire before the Lord, and the smoke of the incense will conceal the atonement cover above the Testimony, so that he will not die. 14He is to take some of the bull's blood and with his finger sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the atonement cover.

15"He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the bull's blood: He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it. 16In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been. He is to do the same for the Tent of Meeting, which is among them in the midst of their uncleanness. 17No one is to be in the Tent of Meeting from the time Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Most Holy Place until he comes out, having made atonement for himself, his household and the whole community of Israel.

18"Then he shall come out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement for it. He shall take some of the bull's blood and some of the goat's blood and put it on all the horns of the altar. 19He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and to consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites.

20"When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. 21He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites--all their sins--and put them on the goat's head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. 22The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert.

23"Then Aaron is to go into the Tent of Meeting and take off the linen garments he put on before he entered the Most Holy Place, and he is to leave them there. 24He shall bathe himself with water in a holy place and put on his regular garments. Then he shall come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people, to make atonement for himself and for the people. 25He shall also burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar.

26"The man who releases the goat as a scapegoat must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the camp. 27The bull and the goat for the sin offerings, whose blood was brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement, must be taken outside the camp; their hides, flesh and offal are to be burned up. 28The man who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the camp.

29"This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work--whether native-born or an alien living among you-- 30because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins. 31It is a sabbath of rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance. 32The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garments 33and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the people of the community.

34"This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites."

And it was done, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Chapter 10 showed how priests who dared to approach God without do care and self preparation might die suddenly in the fire of divine judgment.  Thus chapter 16 sets out the proper rituals that the high priest must carry out if he is to preserve himself from a fate similar to Nadab and Abihu.

After the death of the two sons of Aaron (verse 1).  This flashback to chapter 10 places the laws about the day of atonement firmly and a specific historical context.  There was a certain dread associated with the Day of Atonement when the Most Holy Place was accessed by the High Priest.  So dreadful was it that bells were attached to the high priest so you could hear him inside the chamber.  In addition to the bells attached, a rope was tied on his ankle so that if he were to die in the presence of the Lord and you no longer heard the bells jingling in there, you could pull his body out of the Most Holy Place by pulling on the rope tied to him.

A.  Access was Allowable Only …

1.  On the Specified Day

2.  For the Specified Person

3.  With the Specified protections

The basic precaution is given so that the priests would protect themselves and not go at any time into the sanctuary behind the curtain, but only at the appointed time, and with the appointed protections.  Before the tabernacle had been built God had come to his people on Mount Sinai.  After the tabernacle was built, God’s presence was made manifest in the innermost part of the sanctuary.  Familiarity can breed contempt. 

The purpose of the incense, was similar to the purpose of the veil.  The smoke of the incense created a screen which would cover the mercy seat thereby protecting the High Priest.

BACK TO BAYLEE…

When we came home from the Ball game, the first thing we noticed when we pulled into the driveway was a cute Beagle face looking through our living room window.  Cute but stupid!  This meant she was standing on the back of the couch looking out the window.  Was she out of her mind?  What did she think she was doing?  One day of unrestricted access and now she thinks she owns the place, and she was wagging her tail in greeting. 

I admit I was a little nervous about what we might find.  Now the only reason I was nervous was this.  When I put the dog door in.  The process scared Baylee to death.  She watched as I turned on the loudest scariest thing she had ever heard in her short life.  I used a power jig saw with a hack saw blade to cut through a metal hollow core door. 

Now some of you are squirming at the thought.  I know what you’re thinking; You ruined a perfectly good metal door to allow your dog access to your house!  Let me ask you, how many of you were thinking this?  I thought so.  But this ruining of doors is what makes this illustration even more pointed.  Allowing my dog access cost me something.  Some of you are thinking, I’m stupid.  How many of you have also ruined doors for your dog?  Like I said, this illustration is working best for those of us who really like dogs.

Anyway, the only reason I was a bit nervous was that Baylee had developed a fear of the dog door, after that loud jig saw experience.  Though she was perfectly used to the first dog door, from the “not so clean place” into “the clean place”, now this new door, into “the very clean place” was causing her to feel what the High Priest must have felt.  DREAD!  That door, made a huge noise, and it was new.  She had never seen a dog door put in before.  It took us many efforts to get this skittish dog to scramble through the door.  We learned something strange.  She was much more inclined to go IN through the door than to go OUT through the door.  We developed  theories about this.  Maybe she could go in and not out because the door scared her as she looked at it from the inside.  Looking at it from the outside didn’t scare her so much.  Maybe.  But probably motivation had a lot to do with it.  She was simply much more motivated to use the door to come in rather than to go out.  She wants in.  For her, IN means comfort.  IN means coolness.  IN means finding a soft resting place, even a spot on the bed, under the fan.  I told you, she’s a spoiled dog.  OUT means discomfort.  OUT means uncomfortable heat and rocks.  The point is this.  Baylee is like us.  She wants what is comfortable and strangely avoids what is uncomfortable.  She doesn’t really want out.  But there are also some fears involved because of the Jig Saw.  Even when she gets her courage up to go IN for comfort, she bolts through the door, with that breathless look that says, “I did it.  I did it, oooh that was scary, but I did it, an I’m in.” 

So you see why I had some cause for nervousness about graduating Baylee to New Covenant unrestricted access status.  When I got into the house, I saw that my fears were well founded.  There were several small piles defiling the sanctuary not so judiciously hidden in far away corners. 

We still have Baylee…even though she has had an experience not too dissimilar from the experience of Nadab and Abibu…and you thought only Cats had nine lives.  If you are a dog lover, you probably want to stop and say a silent prayer for Baylee right now.  After all, I’m coming home later, and she still has a dog door.  Hmmm…there are lot’s of parallels here aren’t there?

The Primary Purpose For The Day of Atonement was not in order to establish a way for Sinful People to Approach God

Although today’s message is “How to Approach The Almighty Personally”, that is not the primary thrust of the Old Testament.  The thrust of Leviticus 16 is not how people could approach God so much as how God could continue to dwell with man.  The main purpose of the day of atonement ceremonies was to cleanse the sanctuary from the pollution introduced into it by the unclean worshipers.  The purpose for the ritual was in order to make it possible for God to dwell with Sinful People.  The aim of these rituals is to make possible God's continued presence among his people.  This tells me something about God’s love and desires.  It also tells me about his character and Holiness.

Let’s take a look at the change from Old Testament, restricted supervised access, to New Testament unrestricted access.

II.     How to Come Through The Curtain With Confidence (Hebrews 9-10)

Hebrews 9:1-28 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.

6When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 8The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. 9This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings--external regulations applying until the time of the new order.

11When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 12He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

15For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

16In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 19When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20He said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep." 21In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

23It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. 25Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Would you look at verse 27 again. 

27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

   On the way home from church a little boy asked his mother, "Is it true, Mommy, that we are made of dust?"

   "Yes, darling."

   "And do we go back to dust again when we die?"

   "Yes."

   "Well, Mommy, when I said my prayers last night and looked under the bed, I found someone who is either coming or going."

This reminds me of another familiar preacher story.  I believe I’ve shared both of these before with you. 

At a cemetery on a tombstone somewhere, I know not where, there reads these words…

   Pause now, stranger as you pass by;
   As you are now, so once was I.
   As I am now, so soon you'll be.
   Prepare yourself to follow me!

That’s thought provoking, but I liked what someone had placed on a piece of wood next to that saying on the tombstone, an added verse, that read,

   To follow you
   I'm not content,
   Until I know
   Which way you went! (God says there are two ways to go!)[1]

27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

This verse is a little heavy, don’t you think?  Does it undermine your confidence a little?  I want you to hear this verse again, but this time I want you to hear the noise it makes.  As I read the verse try to hear with the ears of your imagination the loudest scariest sound, through the ears of a little Beagle, the sound of judgment!  The noise of the jig saw.  This is the sound of scary judgment!  It is frightening.  27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.,

That’s why access is scary.  If it doesn’t cause you a little dread, you probably need to read Leviticus again.  You probably need to be reminded that God is Holy, and we are not! 

Listen, friends, Jesus did something so that we can know that we are more than pile of dust.  We have meaning, and eternal significance.  Jesus also did something so that we can know which way we will go.   Verse 28 summarizes how he did it.

28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Hebrews 10:19-25 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

A.  Come Through Jesus (Hebrews 10:19-25)

1.  Through Jesus we have Confident Access to God (10:19-20)

On the day Jesus took the judgment into himself when he hung from a cross, something amazing happened to the barrier.  He was the door of access this verse says.  He was the curtain.  As his body was torn and the blood flowed out, the Temple establishment was very surprised as the heavy curtain that hung as a barrier keeping us out of “the most clean place” was ripped, from the top down (see Matthew 27:51).

2.  Jesus is our Mediator-Priest who makes us clean from the inside out (10:21)

3.  Jesus gives us Hope (10:23)

B.  Since We Have ACCESS, We are Responsible to:

USE IT!!!!  WHEN IT’S COMFORTABLE, WHEN IT IS NOT!  DON’T BE LIKE BAYLEE

We need to use the ACCESS both going IN and going OUT!  We like going in.  We like the comfort of grace, the comfort of forgiveness, the comfort of God’s love.  But Jesus said,

John 10:9  I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.

Since We Have ACCESS, We are Responsible to USE IT!!!! Both coming in AND going OUT.  Even when it isn’t comfortable.

Since We Have ACCESS, We are Responsible

1.  Personally Draw near to God Regularly with a Sincere Heart (10:22)

I’ve been reading a book by Leanard Sweet called “Soul Salsa” on learning to put the dance back into your life.  It is steps for Godly living in the 21^st century.  Let me pass along some of the tid bits in one of his chapters that relates to this concept Drawing Near to God regularly.

·       Say grace before meals.  But we are talking about more than that.  G.K. Chesterton wrote,

You say grace before meals.  All right,
But I say grace before the play and the opera
And grace before the concert and pantomime
And grace before I open a book,
And grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing;
And grace before I dip the pen in the ink.

The point is to draw near to God in all of life.  Look for ways of accessing God in everything.  Worship is to be made a way of life, not a wayside on Sunday. 

2.  Hold Unswervingly to the Hope we profess (10:23)

Holding on to hope is the secret of persistence.  This is the "Code of Persistence." If you give up too easily, you might want to write this down and read it daily for a while:

·       I will never give up so long as I know I am right (that is, in the will of God).

·       I will believe that all things will work out for me if I love God and hang on until the end.

·       I will be courageous and undismayed in the face of odds.

·       I will not permit anyone to intimidate me or deter me from the goals I believe God has given me.

·       I will fight to overcome all physical handicaps and setbacks.

·       I will try again and again and yet again to accomplish what I believe is God’s will.

·       I will take new faith and resolution from the knowledge that all successful men and women have had to fight defeat and adversity.

·       I will never surrender to discouragement or despair no matter what seeming obstacles may confront me.

3.  Consider How to spur one another on to Love and Good Deeds (10:24)

·       Notice that the verse doesn’t just say, spur one another on.  It says to take time to CONSIDER HOW to spur one another on.  Here’s an assignment for you.  Include as part of your devotional time this week, a brainstorming session, be creative, CONSIDER ways of spurring one another on!  Be creative.  Let that creativity energize you to the point of going beyond the mere consideration. 

4.                Remain tenaciously committed to meet regularly together to encourage one another (10:24-25)

How many of you make it a high priority to be faithful in church attendance?  How many of you also make it a high priority to be tenaciously committed to your small group?  It isn’t always easy accessing God.  Sometimes it is comfortable (IN) sometimes it is not (OUT).  When we come home on a long day at work, it is more comfortable to kick back, relax, and watch a show, than to go back out, interact and spur one another on!

Would you pray with me.

Dear Lord,

I learned some things from my cute but stupid dog this week.  It amazes me how you arranged the circumstances for me to see things from a different perspective, your perspective.  I confess that I’ve been leaving piles defiling your sanctuary.  I confess that I’ve been shrinking back from the uncomfortable.  I confess that I’ve been stupid, and I’m not sure I’m even cute to you.  Thanks for loving me enough to allow your son to take the jig saw for me.  Thanks for loving me enough to allow unrestricted access to you.  I choose to enter into your presence and grace today.  I also choose to go OUT, through Jesus.  IN and OUT.  Help me to lay my fears before you and go IN and OUT with confidence. 

In Jesus’ Name, AMEN.