We like the details when we like the topic.
Consider a newly engaged couple, do you have much trouble getting them to tell you the story about how they met and fell in love? Not likely. Or, how about new parents? Many will gladly recount the details of their birth story for you. How about a little kid who just saw something surprising? I think of my little 5-year-old daughter who recently told me the whole story of how she got a princess dress at Goodwill and how it really is an Elsa dress because of these 5 things… We love details when we love the topic we are describing.
God is no different. He loves details, especially when describing who he loves. He is very thorough, precise and passionate to communicate the intricate beauty and diverse glories of his Son.
For example, when you read the 9th chapter of Hebrews you see that God has been very intentional about communicating the privileged access that believers now have through Christ. He does this by reminding the readers that the access into the presence of God (the most holy place) was limited and restricted. Only the high priest could go and him only once a year. The labyrinth of cermonial rites, priestly uniforms, sacrifices, restrictions, and other divine directives all declared the need for a perfect, sinless, priest who could bear the freight of divine holiness and human sinfulness.
Then Jesus comes.
The one who is holy, innocent, unstained–the true and better high priest (Heb. 7:25)! He came through a greater and more perfect tent, into a more holy place, with better blood, and he secured eternal redemption (Heb. 9:11-12).
All the Old Covenant priests could do was to purify the external flesh for ceremonial purposes. So, for instance, if someone came in contact with a dead body they were unclean. The priests would then, according to Numbers 19, offer a sin offering, and use the ashes from the offering to be put into a container filled with water to be sprinkled upon the people. This outward act (via the sacrifice) purified the flesh. It was an external cleansing.
It is as if the writer of Hebrews is saying, “Consider the details here. You have a filthy, sin-stained heart. What are you going to do about that? Do you think you can just sprinkle some ash-water from a heifer on it and be clean? No! You need someone or something to get down in there and purify the blotch on your conscience!” And this is what Christ did!
“For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” (Hebrews 9:13-14)
You might read the details of Numbers 19 or Leviticus 16 and say, “Why all of these details? What is with the heifer and the wood chips and the water? Why this arduous ancient sacerdotalism?” And God says, “There is glory in the details! This is about my Son!”
Not all the blood of beasts,
On Jewish altars slain,
Could give the guilty conscience peace,
Or wash away its stain.But Christ, the heavenly Lamb,
Takes all our sins away;
A sacrifice of nobler name,
And richer blood than they. (Watts)
This is why we as Christians cannot be ambivalent to the details. Are tendency is to rush straight to our feelings and zoom past any doctrine. But, for the Christian, there are no true feelings apart from doctrine. Our doctrine fuels everything! Without the details we don’t have very much. Our feelings go up and down; we are all over the place. However, the truth about Christ, as revealed in Scripture, is rock-solid. It always meets us where we need to be to inform and conform us by and through the Word of God.
So, linger and loiter ’round the details. Stare at God’s constellation in the Bible and soon these brilliant stars of Christ will light up and you will say, “Glory!”
