In our current American culture, it has become "hateful" to exclude people, for just about any reason. Here are some controversial examples from over the past few years:
- 2012 Augusta National golf club admits first woman
- 2013 Restriction that prevented U.S. women from serving in direct combat was lifted
- 2015 Boy Scouts of America admit openly gay scoutmasters
- 2016 The Obama transgender bathroom fracas
I could cite many more, but I'm sure you get the drift. Those who object to any group, club, church or other institution excluding people for any reason, even legitimate reasons, are labeled "haters".
The Bible, on the other hand, is an exclusionary book, as we'll see as we take a look at the Jewish Temple in today's post.
In our Hebrews study, which has, for reasons I can't explain, "meandered" more than any of my previous studies here at the RDM blog, we are now going to delve more deeply into the components of the Jewish Temples/Tabernacles, as promised in the post "Dual Citizenship" from a few days ago.
We will begin with the Temple entrances that, whether the Tabernacle was pitched in the wilderness wanderings or either of the two Temples constructed over the hundreds of years before Jesus was born, faced East. A good question to explore would be, "Why was that the case?" A second good question would be, "Who was allowed to enter at each entrance, and why?"
For starters, the Garden of Eden was the first "sanctuary", the place where God met with man (Adam and Eve). The garden was planted, we are told in Genesis 2:8, in the East of the area known as Eden. This is the first instance we see of "East" having a prominent role in God meeting with man.
When Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden, they were sent out "East of Eden", therefore signifying that moving away from God is to travel East. If that sounds like "a stretch", consider that when Lot departed from Abraham he went East to the area that became Sodom.
Then, later under the inspired leadership of Moses and Aaron, the Tent of Meeting (again, where the presence of God descended to meet with man) was pitched so that the entrance faced East. See Numbers 3:38 (ESV)
Those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, guarding the sanctuary itself, to protect the people of Israel. And, any outsider who came near was to be put to death.
When the Temple was built in Jerusalem, the entrance likewise faced East, toward the sunrise and the city's Eastern gate. But, let's leave this point of directionality and focus on the "who" of the Temple entrances. There's another important factoid revealed here in the Numbers passage, which became part of the Temple ritual later. The Temple priests, like their forebears before them, guarded and governed who was allowed access to various parts of the Temple. In the case of the Tabernacle, no non-Hebrew peoples were allowed entrance. In the more elaborate Temples to follow, Gentiles were allowed into only the most outer courts of the huge building. There was a literal "Court of the Gentiles" for instance, which resembled a large outdoor bazaar. Gentiles could proceed no further into the Temple than this outer court which, it could be argued, was not truly a part of the Temple at all.
Jews could proceed through the first East-facing entrance, the Beautiful Gate, into the Court of the Women. Jewish women could proceed no further. Jewish men could proceed on through the next East-facing entrance, called the Gate of Nicanor, into the Court of Israel. But, only the male Levitical priests could enter the next area, called the Court of the Priests. It was this area of the Temple which corresponded to the design of the Tent of Meeting. (Just click the link.)
http://www.jesuswalk.com/moses/images/tabernacle-flow-of-worship-2293x1251x300.jpg
In the graphic of the Temple's Court of Israel, at the link above, the "Enter" designation on the East side --- the entire area pictured here could only be accessed by Levitical priests. Hmmmm....quite exclusionary, right?
Personally, I am so glad that my Savior reassured me that, regardless of the Temple, He is "the Door", the only door I need to experience joy, forgiveness, restoration and eternal life, beginning here and now.
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
John 10:9 (ESV)
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6
For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.
Jesus, the Second Adam, in bringing the perfect "second covenant" does not exclude anyone. No lock on that Door! He invites anyone to come to Him and through Him for salvation, because eternal redemption is found in none other. Praise His holy name!
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_military
http://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/448/what-is-the-significance-of-east-in-the-scriptures
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Temple
http://www.friendsandheroes.tv/Temple_in_Jerusalem.html
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