Parting a Curtain or Entering God’s Presence?

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Daniel 12 Listen: (2:40)

Read: Hebrews 10 Listen: (5:33)

Links for this weekend’s readings:

Read: Esther 1 Listen: (4:14), Read: Hebrews 11 Listen: (6:22)

Read: Esther 2 Listen: (4:31), Read: Hebrews 12 Listen: (4:36)

Scripture Focus: Hebrews 10.19-25

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

2 Chronicles 36.18-19

18 He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. 19 They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there.

2 Kings 25.13-15

13 The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried the bronze to Babylon. 14 They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service. 15 The commander of the imperial guard took away the censers and sprinkling bowls—all that were made of pure gold or silver.

Reflection: Parting a Curtain or Entering God’s Presence?

By John Tillman

Hebrews provides context and commentary on promises of the Old Testament and explains how Jesus brings those promises to fulfillment.

Some promises of God were openly stated: “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12.3b) Some were subtle—hidden in plain sight. The tabernacle (and temple that followed) echoed one of these subtle promises in architecture, reflected it in regulations, and whispered it in worship: “I will make a way back to Eden. You will walk with me in the garden once more.”

The physical and liturgical structure of the tabernacle and temple told this story. Worshiping there we would have passed through stages of purification and doorways of access. Sacrifices representing sin would die. Priests would stand before God and intercede for us. On one special day, the high priest would enter the holiest place, offering the holiest sacrifice on the holiest day on behalf of all the people.

The writer or writers of Hebrews experienced Temple worship and understood it. They knew what it meant to be washed with pure water and sprinkled to cleanse a guilty conscience. They knew what curtain they were talking about when they wrote that “a new and living way” was opened into the Holy of Holies. They knew what it meant to wait for the day that curtain would part.

Parting a curtain is one thing. Entering God’s presence is another. Through war and violence, Babylon parted the curtain but found the holy of holies absent of God. They conquered the place of God’s presence but found no peace. They possessed the implements of God’s worship but found no wisdom. They satisfied their greed and pride but found no transcendent truth or life.

If we enter like Babylon, we’ll be in God’s place without his presence. We’ll use implements of worship and dismiss his wisdom. We’ll find satisfaction of desires but no spiritual direction.

But we can draw near in a better way. Through peace and communion with Jesus, the holy of holies we enter overflows with the invaluable presence, power, and love of God. The spiritual curtain is parted, but on “the Day” spiritual reality will become ultimate reality.

Until that day, draw near. Hold unswervingly to hope. Trust the faithful one. Meet together and spur one another on with the encouraging truth that whispered promises can be shouted from rooftops. The way back to Eden is open.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer

Search for the Lord and his strength; continually seek his face. — Psalm 105.4

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more about Things Even Angels Question

Asking questions isn’t bad. But eventually Gabriel, instead of answering Daniel’s questions, tells him to move on. 

Listen to Breaking the Rhyme Scheme

Christ will break this rhyme scheme. The rhythms of oppression will be rewritten. The drumbeat of violence will be silenced. The time signature of terrors will give way to rest.

Restoration Begins

Scripture Focus: 2 Kings 25.28
28 He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. 29 So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table. 30 Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived.

Reflection: Restoration Begins
By John Tillman

Even the Babylonian destruction and exile, with all its violence and extreme practices, could not stop the purposes of God to bless the world through the people he chose.

Jeremiah told Jehoiachin that “even if he was a signet ring on my right hand, I would still pull you off.” (Jeremiah 22.24) However, Jehoiachin did surrender to Babylon rather than rebelling against him like other kings before and after him. 

Perhaps it was this surrender that eventually led to him being restored to some status by the Babylonian king. It is unrecorded in canonical scripture, but Rabbinical tradition assumes that Jehoiachin repented of his wickedness while in captivity. This is shown in how God seems to lift the curse on Jehoiachin that was pronounced by Jeremiah.

Jeremiah stated that Jehoiachin should be “childless” and that no son of his should sit on David’s throne or rule. However, after many years in chains and captivity, the repentant king is restored. 

The writer tells us that Jehoiachin “put aside his prison clothes” and ate at the king’s table. Jehoiachin also had a grandson appointed as governor when the Jews began to be returned to Jerusalem. The prophet Haggai would use the exact same phrase used by Jeremiah to indicate that God had relented and reversed the curse: “‘On that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” (Haggai 2.23)

Restoration begins with repentance. Exile and slavery are not the end for God’s people. They’re more like a restart. Israel had been enslaved when he called them out of Egypt. He would soon call them out of Babylon as well. In Egypt, Israel started as honored residents of the nation and ended up as slaves. In Babylon, the pattern reverses. 

Through Jehoiachin, the king who was raised from prison to the side of Babylon’s king, comes Jesus, the king who was raised from death to the side of Heaven’s king.

We, when we repent and return our affection to God, are lifted out of the prison of our sin and seated at the table with Christ. May we put aside our prison clothes, dress in Christ’s righteousness, and walk in freedom that produces justice.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting
Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy Name and glory in your praise. — Psalm 85.10

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.


Today’s Readings
2 Kings 25 (Listen – 5:24)
Hebrews 7 (Listen – 2:58)

This Weekend’s Readings
1 Chronicle 1-2 (Listen – 11:18), Hebrews 8 (Listen – 2:22)
1 Chronicle 3-4 (Listen – 8:52), Hebrews 9 (Listen – 4:40)

Read more about Captivity, Exile, and Exodus
The return from exile narrative is a mirror-version of the Exodus from Egypt narrative.

Read more about The Exodus and The Return
There are two different examples in scripture of God setting his people free from oppressive captivity and parallels in the New Testament to go along with them.