Archive for June, 2008

Why the Sanctuary Doctrine Matters More Today Than Ever Before

Saturday, June 21st, 2008
A presentation to the Sanctuary Sabbath School at the Loma Linda University Church on June 21, 2008.  The Adult Bible Study Guide Lesson for this date was entitled "The Efficacy of His Priestly Ministry."


Sanctuary in the Old Testament


God introduces the sanctuary for the first time in Exodus 25 where he asks for one to be constructed.  This occurs in the middle of the 40 days that Moses spends on Mt. Sinai. That scene is preceded by the giving of the Decalogue and other laws governing the Sabbath, civil justice, and the festivals (chs. 20-23).  God then reaffirms his covenant with Israel (ch. 24).  God says, "let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them" (25:8).  This is followed in chapters 25-31 by detailed instructions on different parts of the sanctuary with specific dimensions and materials to be used.  
 
The fence of the sanctuary was to be 150 feet each on the northern and southern sides and 75 feet each on the western and eastern sides.  There was to be a courtyard where an altar of burnt offering and a basin for washing were to be found. Then came the tent which was divided into the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.  In the Holy Place, a table of bread, a lampstand, and an altar of incense were to be situated, and the Most Holy Place had the ark of the covenant at the center.
 
God also gives instructions on the priesthood—that Aaron and his descendants were to serve as priests and that they were to be consecrated for the office.  There was to be a high priest who would oversee the work of the priesthood.
 
The sanctuary in the Old Testament stood for Forgiveness, Reconciliation, Atonement, Peace, Wholeness.  It was one which God initiated and provided, though constructed and administered by human beings.  It clearly  signaled God’s desire to enter the human neighborhood—to dwell with people.  The sacrifices reminded of the pain of sin and separation and the need for wholeness.  The role of the priesthood was not to accuse or judge (after all, it was a self-reporting system), but to intercede, advocate, and minister.  It was risky to be a priest, as improper administration could mean death.  To be a priest meant to take risks daily—being willing to die for the sins of the people.  The sanctuary itself (God’s dwelling) bore the sins, took responsibility for the people, became contaminated and defiled—for the people.  The entire system taught what God does for us and, in turn, how we ought to live.
 

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From the Center to the Margins: A Call to Downward Mobility

Friday, June 6th, 2008

This is a sermon I gave recently at a student gathering.

There I was.  An F.O.B., lost in what seemed to be a maze of hallways at Andrews Academy.  Anxious, nervous, but also excited, I finally found where my 8:30 Personal Religion class, my first class in the Promised Land.  Timid and shy and scared I was that I had a difficult time gathering up the courage to open the door.  "Everyone is going to stare at me!  What am I going to do?  They’ll think I am so short and small and clumsy.  And how am I going to greet the teacher?  Do I bow or wave?  How should I introduce myself? Should I use my official Korean name or my American taken name?  Will they understand my broken English?  Will they accept me?"  The year was 1983.

I took a deep breath and opened the classroom door.  And my life has never been the same since.  As I entered, I felt some eyes.  But there was no snickering.  Yet there was to be no relief as the teacher, Mr. Borton asked me for my name.  I had registered late.  "Juhyeok Nam," I barely got it out of my throat.  "Pardon me?"  "Juhyeok Nam," I was almost swallowing the words back in.  "Could you repeat that once again, please?"  "JUHYEOK NAM," this time it was too loud.  And I did hear some scattered snickering in the background.

Finally, I had to spell out my name for the class roster.  "How do you pronounce that again?" Mr. Borton meant it to be a kind gesture, but I felt so naked and dissected.  I don’t look normal, I don’t speak normal, I don’t act normal, and even my name isn’t normal.  In short, I am abnormal.  The teacher was waiting, and I had to answer.  "Juhyeok Nam."

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