Posts Tagged ‘blood sacrifice’

Scripture reading for November 8th: Hebrews 9:1-10

The first covenant had an earthly tabernacle designed according to the pattern that Moses had received from God on the mountain.  This tabernacle had two rooms.  The outer room had a lamp stand, a table with twelve loaves of bread.  This room was called the Holy Place and the priests would go in there regularly to keep the lamps burning, change the loaves of bread.  The second room, the Most Holy Place, was behind the curtain and it contained the Ark of the Covenant made of pure gold overlay and guarded by two golden cherubim with wings outstretched.  The ark contained the tablets of stone with the ten commandments on them, a jar of manna from the Israelites wilderness journey, and Aaron’s rod that budded and produced fruit.  In front of this Ark was a small golden altar of incense.  (Hebrews 9:1-5)

The writer of Hebrews did not want to discuss the articles he had just listed.  As we think about the Ark and its contents, we are reminded of Jesus Christ.  The lid of the Ark was called the ‘mercy seat’ where the glory of God dwelt.  This ark was made of common Acacia wood, overlain with gold.  Jesus had the appearance of a normal human, but was really the royal Son of God who was King of Kings.  He was the One who came to fulfill the law written on the tablets of stone, perfectly obeying the Father.  He was going to give His own body as the true ‘bread from heaven’ as an offering for sin.  His body would be dead and in a grave but God the Father would resurrect Him as His chosen authority to be ruler and High Priest forever!  Jesus would offer His sinless blood on the real Mercy Seat in heaven once, for all!

The priests of Israel could enter the first room to minister daily, but only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place once a year on the Day of Atonement.  He must bring sacrifices for his sins and for those committed in ignorance by the people.  As Jesus breathed His last breath, the curtain blocking the Most Holy Place to ripped apart!  Now reality is ours in the new covenant!  We have access to the Most Holy Place through the torn body and blood of Jesus !

Scripture reading for January 29th: Exodus 28-31

One of the main duties of a priest is to represent men before God.  A priest must care for people and their needs and be able to help them connect with God.  Without help, we as humans are in a difficult position with our Creator.  We are born in sin and darkness, caring only about ourselves.  Our sins separate us from God and we have no way in ourselves to approach God.  (Isaiah 59:2)  But a priest who understands and knows God and is trained and equipped to contact God for us can bridge the gap!  God provided such a Priest in Jesus Christ!

The Levitical priesthood was to have special clothes made of fine linen.  These clothes were designed to give them dignity and honor before God and man.  (Exodus 28:2)  They must be properly dressed and their clothes were designed to help them with their work.  The first piece of clothing was the ephod made of gold, blue, purple and scarlet yarn.  This ephod was to be made by a skilled craftsman and fashioned to fit the priests.  Two black onyx stones engraved with the names of the twelve sons of Israel were to be fastened on the shoulder pieces of the ephod.  Aaron, the high priest, was to bear these as a memorial before the Lord. (Exodus 28: 12)

In addition to the ephod, a breastpiece was also part of the clothing.  This breastpiece was to be made like the ephod of the same kind of colored yarn.  It was to have twelve precious stones mounted on it in four rows of three stones each.  These stones each represented one of the sons of Israel and their offspring.  The priest was to bear these stones on his chest, symbolically carrying them on his heart before the Lord.  (Exodus 28:29)

Jesus Christ is now our High Priest.  He knows how we feel and represents our needs before God, His Father.  (Hebrews 4:14-16)  He carried our black sins on His shoulders to the altar of the cross. He carries each person as a precious jewel on his heart before the Father.   He is now dressed in robes of perfect righteousness because of perfect obedience.  He enables all who trust in Him to become priests as well!  He dresses us in His holy garments!  We become the righteousness of God in Him! (2nd Corinthians 5:21)

Scripture reading for December 14th: Hebrews 8-10

I love new things!  Sometimes old things are nice to collect, but new things are nicer to use because they have all the latest technology and all the parts are new.  Everything we were used to with the old has to be relearned with the new things.  Sometimes this shift is difficult for us because we are set in our ways.  This is what happened to many Jewish believers in the time of the letter to the Hebrews.  The author spent some time and effort explaining the new covenant and how it was so much better than the old covenant.

The old covenant had laws and regulations for those who broke those laws.  The old covenant had promises for those who obeyed and warning for those who didn’t.  Moses was the mediator of the old covenant and Aaron and the Levites were the high priest and priesthood.  These were men who had failings themselves and eventually died.  The old covenant had a mobile tabernacle carried by the Levites, and God could only be visited at prescribed times by a certain few people.  In fact, only Aaron the high priest could go into where God’s dwelling place was in the Holy of Holies.

Under the new covenant, things were much easier and better.  Jesus Christ is the mediator of this new covenant.  He revealed it to us by His life, teaching, and sacrificial death on a cross.  He was God’s Son, not just a servant.  He was perfectly obedient to the old covenant while here on earth and then became the sacrifice for laws broken under the old covenant.

His sacrifice was better because His body and blood were without sin.  He offered it once for all to put away sin.  (Hebrews 9:14)  His blood was offered in heaven on the heavenly mercy seat when He rose from the dead.  He lives forever and is able to be a perfect high priest of a different order, that of Melchizedek.  (Hebrews 6:20)  He can identify with us because He is a man and has lived here on earth, experiencing our temptations. (Hebrews 4:15-16)

When we trust in Christ and His sacrifice for us, God gives us a new heart and sends His Spirit to live in us.  (Hebrews 8:10-12)  We become priests of the new covenant here on earth–a kingdom of priests!  Our sins are forgiven and erased from God’s memory.  We become the new dwelling place of God, living stones in His new body the church.  We become children of our Father and can approach Him boldly without fear to find help in times of need or just to worship and have fellowship.

New covenant people love to gather together and encourage each other.  We know Jesus Christ is coming soon!  We want to be ready and reach as many as possible before the full reality is unveiled when He appears!  (Hebrews 10:19-25)