“Since we have
confidence to enter
the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way opened for us through the veil,
that is, his body…
let us draw near to God with a sincere heart
and with the full
assurance that faith brings”
Hebrews 10:19-22a
Many weddings include old and
new traditions. Did you know in the past it was a tradition for the bride to
carry a bouquet of garlic that supposedly protected her from evil? Can you
imagine a bride reeking of garlic as she walked down the aisle? Swapping that
tradition with carrying a bouquet of fragrant flowers is definitely a good
change. One beautiful old tradition that
is still included in many weddings is the bridal veil. Only after the vows are said is the groom
allowed to lift the veil and kiss the bride.
The biblical story of Isaac
and Rebekah’s wedding includes a bridal veil. Since Abraham could not find a suitable match
for his son locally, he sent his chief servant to search for and select a bride
for Isaac. The servant’s prayer was answered when he found Rebekah. Not only was
she beautiful and from the right family, she was willing to come with him and
be married to a man she had only heard about, never seen. After a long journey, Isaac was spotted in
the distance. Rebekah “took her veil and covered herself” so he could not see
her until after the wedding. The veil
acted as a separation between Rebekah and Isaac until they knew each other intimately
as husband and wife.
(Genesis 24:42-66).
The story of Isaac and Rebekah foreshadows the wedding God the
Father has planned for his son Jesus. Like
the chief servant did for Rebekah, the Holy Spirit moves those who are willing
towards intimacy with Jesus. When we accept Him as our Savior, we become His
and gain full access to Him. He also wants
full access to us, but sometimes we keep part of our hearts veiled.
What gets in the way of our intimacy with Jesus? Sometimes it’s little things, like being too
busy to spend time alone with Him, or not involving Him in our decisions and
plans. Other times, we back away from close relationship because we feel guilty
and fearful of being exposed, or don’t want to stop doing something we know is
wrong. We may even be disappointed by the way our life has turned out, and feel
He doesn't care that much for us after all.
Are any of these veils keeping you from intimacy with Jesus? What would it take to convince you that He is worthy of your time, your loyalty, and your trust?
God also used to wear a
veil as a barrier, dividing us from Him. In the temple, a
thick curtain separated the outer sanctuary from the Holy of Holies,
where God’s presence resided. Only the high
priest was allowed to enter, and only once a year. Jesus made an incredible sacrifice to remove that barrier. At the moment when He, hanging on the cross, gave up His spirit, “the
veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and
the rocks were split.” (Matthew 27:51) God shook the earth, split the rocks, and broke the heart of His Son so you could be close to Him.
Is that enough to convince you that He deserves full access to your heart? Jesus, like a gentleman, allows you to choose whether or not to be close to Him. Like my choice to move towards deeper relationship with John, like Rebekah's choice to leave everything she knew and marry Isaac, you can choose to remain at a distance or draw close to Him.
Will you choose to lift the veil that is keeping you from intimacy
with Jesus?
~ Billene Westerman
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