23 April 2009
Not to be missed
is the interesting reading from Exodus which is indicated, but not contained, in the Treasury today. Note the repeated "as it has been shown you on the mountain, so it shall be made." Note the closer into the holy of holies the preponderance of gold and how as you move outward, silver, and finally bronze. Note the repeated use of color: blue, scarlet, purple. Note the bells that tinkle on Aaron's robe as he moves. Note Aaron carrying the children of Israel on his shoulders and on his heart as "regular remembrance before the Lord." Note the vestments "for glory and for beauty." Note the careful following of the Lord's prescriptions and the repeated: "so that he does not die." Note the whatever touches the altar becomes holy. The perpetual lambs - one each morning, one each evening. And the incense - morning and evening to the Lord. And the holy oil. Good stuff there, and much that Hebrews helps unpack. And much to tie into what I wrote earlier about liturgy as LIFE.
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2 comments:
I'll have to pick up my Bible when I get home today and dive in. I didn't notice the citation for the extra reading while I was in the Chapel this morning.
What was there provided some interesting reading... I was struck by the command to build the Mercy Seat atop the Ark... combine this with Numbers 21 (the Serpent on the Staff) and I am left with so many reasons of wondering why people object to images in the Church. Clearly God has ordered them to be used as signs and symbols, but has refrained from allowing us to worship them.
This stands in stark contrast to many whitewashed Churches in our era... well, whitewashed except for the American flag and the so-called Christian flag... But I digress.
If imagery is prohibited, than all graphic art is a sin. However, it is not. God stated that we are not to create an image for the purpose of worshipping the image. He has not said we cannot make an image at all. If he had, well, ya'll had better get rid of your cameras, your paint brushes, etc.
Of course, since white contains all light, one could say that painting one's house even plain white is idol-worshipping, as you are painting an image of a natural phenemenon (i.e., the spectrum of light)... and this could go on and on and on.
As an aside, for a book not intended to be a breviary, it sure does a pretty good job at being one.
Rob+
Thanks for this. Makes me yearn for Kleinig's Hebrews commentary too.
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