I walked outside into a dense fog this morning. As I approached the pasture fence, I could hear my “Good Morning Symphony” (with Roo’s crow rising above the rest) – but I couldn’t see everyone. I knew they were there, but it was as though they were behind a thick curtain.
There is an AMAZING story about the curtain in God’s temple that never fails to humble my spirit and excite my soul! Maybe you already know about this historical event, but in case you don’t (or maybe you don’t mind hearing it again), I’m going to tell you about it!
The ordinary Hebrew people in the Old Testament only had access to God through the priests who lived in the temple. The priests only had access to God to a point – to the curtain. The curtain served as a divider. It divided the temple into a place where people could enter, from the highest holy place – where God dwelled.
There is really a lot more to this beautiful story than I can share on FB, but catch the main point here – an ordinary person did not have direct access to God. The curtain was a physical obstacle and a spiritual reminder that we could not enter the Holy presence of God.
When Jesus took his last breath on the cross, the temple curtain was torn in two – from the TOP to the bottom. God did that for us. He removed the barrier that separated His presence from us. Jesus was the last blood sacrifice to our Holy Almighty God. And now, we are free to enter the throne room and sit at His feet.
Yes, really!!! Amazing, right. Takes my breath away every time!
When God ripped that divider – He invited us to know Him personally. He dismantled formal religion as a means to access Him. (Over the centuries we have reconstructed formalities – we just can’t help ourselves, huh!)
Today we have the invitiation, the freedom, to walk straight into His open arms. Don’t put up any new barriers. Don’t let guilt or shame or regret or insecurity become a curtain between you and God. He truly wants you close. Let the curtain fall. Let Him love you.
“At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split.” Matt. 27:51
