18.1 Our Way Through
© 2018 Christ Revealed Bible Institute
When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. …that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before (Joshua 3:3-4). – Narrow is the gate and pressed-in is the way which leads to life (Matthew 7:14). – I am the way (John 14:6).
The picture God gave us defining for us our Way into Life is the tabernacle of Moses in the wilderness. That Tabernacle is designed specifically to enter, to pass through, and to arrive inside the Holy of Holies – Life. Do you see how parallel Joshua 3:3-4 is with Hebrews 10:19-22? – We enter with ALL boldness.
Ministry in the Church. In this session we are attempting to discover how two things, the pattern of home called “the flow through rooms” and Hebrews 10:19-22 work together to inform us regarding essential qualities of God that must be found inside of any Christian Community. When I wrote about the sixth most important verse in the Bible in Symmorphy I: Purpose, I quickly discovered that I had no idea what this one long sentence was actually saying. In fact, it took the writing of a couple of lessons before I even had a handle on what to write about. It is the same now. I know that “the flow through rooms” includes the quality of ministry in the Church, but in order to have any clear idea of these next two sessions, we must simply begin with the pattern.
The Flow Through Rooms. From Patterns of Home. Arriving at, moving into, and traveling around a house is a completely different way of knowing a building than the more static feeling of simply being in a room. Rooms are designed to contain, to define space, to create settings for the activities that occur within them. As you travel through rooms—entering, leaving, passing along their edges—it is necessary to approach spaces with a unique awareness, paying attention to many things at once: where you are going, the rhythm of the movement, the spaces you are passing, the surface you are moving along.
Creating Rooms Outside and In showed us that the whole site can be thought of as being composed of rooms. The different opportunities (or challenges) presented by each new location—each room—must be bridged by some form of connecting space, and that space plays several important roles. It offers an introduction to the next space—arrival; it contains the movement as you travel from one spot to the next—passage; and it provides a space to adjust from one experience to another—transition.
To accomplish all those tasks effectively, the connecting space must become a real link, including enough of the qualities of each of the rooms it joins to soften the edge between them and ease the transition. At the same time, the space must have an identity of its own to allow a real pause—a moment to gather thoughts and belongings before moving on. This difference in the way rooms and passages are experienced presents real challenges in home design—often a single space will play both roles at different times—but it also creates some of the most rewarding and memorable experiences a home can offer.
Working with the Pattern
Houses vary. In small homes it’s important to minimize the total area used by traffic flow (or circulation), whereas in large homes it may be more important to create spaces that celebrate the movement from room to room. In all homes, however, a few simple strategies can help create a graceful flow through rooms.
- The flow through rooms begins at the streets; plan circulation outdoors as carefully as indoors.
- Locate the main entry near the center of the house it serves and link it directly with the major circulation routes.
- Plan a car connection for both residents and guests: allow for relatively short distances where heavy loads must be carried—from car to kitchen—and make the route to the entry clear to visitors.
- Place rooms along a privacy gradient, with the most public spaces near the entry and the most private more remote.
- Borrow space from the edges of the more public rooms to create passages that enliven the space but don’t disrupt the activities taking place within.
- Define each transition in a house in a way that offers a moment’s pause—a chance to leave the space you are in and contemplate the space you are about to enter.
- Locate staircases so that they leave the main circulation route and arrive in an upstairs hall in the midst of the rooms they serve.
- Give circulation spaces a distinct form; define them with architectural elements; gates, changes in floor or wall material, overhead beams, different ceiling heights, columns or half-walls.
- Make the most efficient use of space and enliven circulation paths by giving them additional uses as libraries, galleries, and storage and display areas; offer short-term seating when it is possible.
The FLOW. Now the first thing is to clear up my own confusion regarding this pattern of home. I had read that phrase, up until now, as the flow-through rooms, with “rooms” being the noun and “flow-through” being an adjective describing specific spaces. I was wrong, and so I must reword that just a bit in what I have written previously.
The noun, here, is FLOW. The pattern is Flow. The phrase “through-rooms” is an adjective describing the primary word “flow.” I also fear that my enjoyment of “sevens,” in tatters after the last pattern, is in danger of complete overturn in this one J. There are so many things found in Hebrews 10:19-22.
Action Points. Let’s list our action points.
1. Plan the flow outdoors as well as indoors. 2. Make the front door the center and the primary link. 3. Plan short movement of heavy things. 4. Create a gradient from public to private. 5. Move around without disrupting activity. 6. Pause between spaces. 7. Put staircase landings in the center of the rooms they serve. 8. Give circulation spaces distinct identities. 9. Fill circulation spaces with unique displays.
I feel as if I understand the Tabernacle of Moses and by extension, the local church, clearly for the first time. We are speaking of how a LIVING Body is alive. I am excited, to say the least.
Hebrews JSV. Before bringing in Hebrews 10:19-22, in order to understand it better, I just completed the first draft of the JSV for Hebrews 8-13. The fruit from doing this task is many and significant. Hebrews is the most complicated book in the Bible because it is argued definitively. The writer of Hebrews thought the same way as I do – different styles, but same approach. It is only by pouring over the phraseology, the word choice, and the development of thought in creating the JSV translation/ paraphrase that I finally know the argument of Hebrews (having studied the book for over forty years). Chapter 13 is a tack-on, most likely Paul adding his two cents to someone else’s letter. The argument, then, from 1:1 to 13:1 is one argument, with all the various parts flowing in to build to or explain out from that one argument.
Explaining the Argument. By chopping the one argument all up into tiny pieces, the teachers of Hebrews have typically never come near what any part is actually about. Let me explain that one argument.
First, the writer of Hebrews had a definite point in mind, but that point was a bit hazy. So, in order to build to and discover that point, the writer dropped back and began to lay some groundwork. This is exactly how I write. Then, the point the writer was after made its way into the flow of writing, but all in pieces. So, the writer of Hebrews doubled down and started again to lay the groundwork. When he (or she) got to the main point, everything was in place, and that main point could now be unified and complete.
The Main Point – Scattered. Here is the main point of Hebrews as it first appeared, mostly clear, but scattered apart.
But Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. – For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. – Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. – There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. (Chapters 3 & 4).
Everything coming before is to build up to this point. Everything following after until the end of Chapter 7 is to explain out from this point.
Establishing Again. But as the writer was working out from that scattered main point, the realization came that a further foundation needed to be established before the main point could be said complete and together. Thus the writer brought in two more things from the Old Testament, the tabernacle of Moses and the New Covenant of Jeremiah. Then, the writer said some profound and extraordinary things about “no consciousness of sins” and the absoluteness of the sacrifice of Christ before stating the main point in full.
Then – EVERYTHING coming after is nothing other than a further expansion of that ONE main point. (Such abuse and confusion have happened because people never knew that.)
The Sixth Most Important Verse. So here is the MAIN POINT conveyed to us by the writer of Hebrews, an extraordinary reality that just blows everything right out of the water. Everything else in the entire book serves only either as foundation to give understanding or explanation coming out.
From the JSV. Therefore brethren, having boldness of freedom to enter into the Holiest in the blood of Jesus with which He consecrated for us a newly sacrificed as well as a living way through the veil, that is, through His flesh; and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us approach [everything inside the Holiest] with a true heart, in full assurance of faith; having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil consciousness; and having our bodies washed with pure water.
The Holiest. Now, I am sending you the JSV rough draft of Hebrews 8-13. I want you to make special note of how everything in the remainder of chapter 10, as well as all of Chapters 11 and 12 are nothing more than a continual reference back to 10:19-22. This is not me forcing something onto the original words, but the original words that are lost in all Calvinist translations.
Here is the first specific statement in the letter regarding the Holiest. Sustaining all things by the word of His power. (Actually, the whole first sentence of four verses.) And here is the last specific statement regarding the Holiest. For our God is a consuming fire; let brotherly love continue. It’s all about living inside the Holiest, which we know of as John 14:20 (a line the writer of Hebrews had never read).
Enter Boldly. So, let’s specify all the wonderful things inside this four-verse sentence.
1. We enter every next place in God in the boldness of freedom.
2. God gives us the picture of the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle of Moses as His means to convey to us that vast extent of God-meanings found inside this little three-word phrase – Abide in Me.
3. Every step of the way into every next place in God, and especially into living entirely inside the Holiest is consecrated for us by the Blood of Jesus. Every step is purified; every step belongs utterly to God.
Utterly Carried. 4. We are carried through every step we take through this way inside the Lord Jesus, first as the sacrifice, all of our sin carried in His death, and second as the scapegoat, all of our sinfulness carried inside His empty grave.
5. When we see our flesh as our own, the Veil stands as a barrier keeping us out; when we see our flesh as the Lord Jesus, flesh of His flesh, then the Veil is the wide-open door into everything of God.
6. Jesus, our High Priest, is our connecting energeia in every step, connecting us in all ways with God and with one another as God’s dwelling place.
7. We approach (to connect with) everything we find inside the Holiest – and that’s a whole lot of God stuff.
Approach Everything. 8. We approach everything inside the Holiest with a true heart. We are real; we are honest. We are true humans as God made us. Our hearts are true; our hearts are filled with Jesus.
9. We approach everything inside the Holiest inside of full assurance of faith (the faith of the Son of God). The meaning of this faith is given the entirety of Chapter 11 to illustrate and explain.
Boldness is a function of the heart and the mouth, but faith is deeper. Faith is specific to the Word God speaks. Faith connects directly with every Word of the Covenant found inside of the Holy of Holies. Assurance is substance, the very fabric of God underlying all things real.
Hearts Sprinkled. 10. Our hearts are sprinkled clean from an evil consciousness. One unbroken [bearing of all sin] sacrifice for sins… For by one offering, He has perfected those who are continuously being made holy [by God]. – No consciousness of falling short of God (Chapter 10).
{That’s not the word “eternal” in either verse. The words “unbroken [bearing of all sin]” and the word “continuously” are my attempt to convey the meaning of the Greek word, diénekés, in this context.}
Hebrews tells us HOW – having set aside every encumbrance and the easily distracting “falling short of the mark” {that is, the consciousness of sins}, through endurance we should exercise ourselves in the great conflict set before us, looking into [penetrating with purpose] Jesus, the source and the completion of our faith… (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Bodies Washed. 11. Our physical bodies, representing not just themselves, but EVERYTHING in the physical world and in all of our life experience on this earth is WASHED with pure water. Everything outward inside of life together is continuously pure by the good-speaking of Jesus.
“What God has cleansed you must not call common [or unclean]” (Acts 10:15). – Behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God (2 Corinthians 5:17b-18a).
Working these chapters from Hebrews into the JSV as well as writing out all the points in this lesson, those from Patterns of Home as well, has done something really BIG inside of me. In the next lesson, we want to see how the movement inside the Tabernacle fits the movement in God inside life together.
Eleven Action Points Let’s conclude with our eleven action points.
1. Enter all of God in the boldness of freedom. 2. Live only inside of Jesus inside of God. 3. Be ever conscious of the purifying blood of Jesus. 4. Allow Jesus to carry you in all that you are. 5. Call your flesh the flesh of Jesus. 6. See Jesus as the Energeia connecting you to God and to His house. 7. Connect with everything inside of God (this is the bold piracy of children).
8. Be real; let your heart be true. 9. Walk in the full assurance of the faith of Jesus. 10. Look ever INTO the Lord Jesus removing from you all thought of ever falling short of God – or rather, look ever INTO the Lord Jesus as your own ever-hitting of the bullseye. 11. Consider everything in you and in your life and surroundings as washed pure and clean, Father and you together making all things good.