Eucharistic Meditation, September 26

1 Kings 7:48-50

In the sermon this morning, I noted that the two rows of water ?chariots?Eoutside the temple formed a gauntlet of water that the worshiper or priest passed through as he approached the temple. Every time anyone walked toward the temple, he symbolically relived the exodus, passing through the waters to the ?high place,?Ethe holy mountain, where God dwelt in glory.

But there was another gauntlet in the temple. In addition to the 10 stands of water that were outside the temple, Solomon made 10 golden lampstands that were set up within the temple in two rows of five. This is a notable expansion beyond the single lampstand of the tabernacle, and also marks another passage, this time a passage through fire. A priest entering the temple would first pass through the waters of the sea, and then, like a new Moses, ascend to the presence of God, passing between two rows of burning golden trees.

In these two gauntlets, we have a picture of the relation of Old and New Covenants. Under the Old Covenant, Israel passed through a baptism of water that brought them to the foot of the mountain of God. But only the priests passed through the baptism of fire and ministered in the house itself; only they approached the glory; only they passed through the baptism of fire. John the Baptist comes to renew Israel, baptizing with water to prepare Israel to stand once again at the foot of Sinai and renew covenant. But, as John the Baptist said, Jesus comes as one who baptizes not with water but with fire. John?s baptism, like all the baptisms of the old order, only brought Israel to the altar; but the fiery baptism of Jesus brings us into the temple itself, and through the baptism of Spirit and fire, we are encouraged to approach the throne of God who sits above the cherubim.

You have received this baptism. You have access not only to the altar and the court, but to the temple itself. You are baptized to draw near. You are baptized to come into the house. And when you enter the temple, you find that a table has been set for you, a golden table, set with drinking bowls and cups of gold, laid out with the face-bread of God. Through Jesus, you are priests, baptized to draw near, washed so that you may eat and drink.