Category: Devotions

The author is pastorally explaining to a community of believers who feel compelled because of persecution to return to Judaism that there isn’t anything to go back to. At the time of writing the Temple was probably still functioning even after the work of Christ on the cross (which tore the curtain in two). Instead of it being an option to return to the Pastor is saying it continues to be a disappointment because it does not satisfy the longing of our hearts.

^“The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. ⁹ This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. ¹⁰ They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.” (Hebrews 9 v 8-10)

The High Priest entered the Most Holy Place once a year on behalf of the people and was careful to follow particular instructions to carry out his duty. Every year it failed to satisfy the needs and the desires of the people. We now see that it was designed to do just that, fail.

The Holy Spirit was declaring:

• There was a better way into the Most Holy Place and it was the way that Jesus took.
• The old way of service had to stop for the new way to commence.
• That the external never deals with the internal state of our soul.
• That the Tabernacle was an illustration of the presence of God being an impossibility.
• The conscience of the High Priest was never cleared and so neither was that of the people.

And for us today?

• There is a better way and it is not ritual, duty, trying to be good, it is Jesus and relationship with Him.
• We cannot try good works and religious duty and at the same time experience the new way.
• No amount of religious duty will deal with our troubled soul.
• Entering into His presence through effort is impossible.
• Only Jesus and His work can clean the inside of our lives.

You have moved beyond the second curtain. What happens with you at the altar is crucial. It is never only about you, it is always for a bigger purpose.

“When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. ⁷ But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.” (Hebrews 9 v 6-7)

The High Priest had passed through the veil into the holy of holies in the Temple. This was a no entry place except for this day, this moment. It is difficult for us to appreciate the hallowed atmosphere. It was possible to die here if you had the wrong motive (Leviticus 16:13). But it was here that God had said He would be met when the incense was poured out (Exodus 25:22).

The High Priest alone in the place of sacrifice. He pours the incense on the altar. The place is filled with a beautiful fragrance.

Moses had heard from God, “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts,and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred. Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the Ark of the Covenant law in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the Lord.Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from their people.” Exodus 30:34-38

The incense was not for the enjoyment of the people it was for God. But the beautiful smell was the signal that God was there meeting with them and it was then that they would pray. Maybe they thought the incense attracted God to them, a sign for Him to come?

He is alone, He is being careful to do all that the priest should do. He has poured the incense on to the fire. Symbolism is all around him. He has prayed for the protection of Israel and for the coming Messiah. What he doesn’t realise is that all the artefacts around him have their central meaning in Christ, the whole of the Temple was a picture of Jesus.

Outside of the Holy of holies people would be praying, the fragrance of the incense has reached them. Inside, alone, is a man chosen by God having the experience of sacrifice.

Of course we have a High Priest who has gone this way. He is our Shepherd who lays his life down for His sheep. He is Jesus. He is not in a Temple made by man but He has ascended to Heaven’s Temple and is appearing on our behalf. (Hebrews 9:24) What is Jesus doing right now? He is taking the prayers of His people, yours and mine (Revelations 5:8). He was the sacrifice. He paid the price. He took the cup of suffering. He was obedient to God’s plan.

A strange title I admit but you will see why.

The author is contrasting what we have now with what was before. He is trying to convince the community of believers not to go back to Judaism. That the law written in their hearts is better than the law written on stone. That the new covenant far outweighs the old and the glory of God in their lives is greater than the past glory. He seems to linger on the temple furnishings and yet not enough: I wish he had time to tell us more.

“Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. ² A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. ³ Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, ⁴ which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. ⁵ Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.” (Hebrews 9 v 1-5)

The Holy Place

The lampstand: I wish we could discuss how it represents not only the light of God but His presence and the oil on the lamps the anointing of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The table with the consecrated bread: I wish we could discuss how it represents Jesus the Bread of Life.

Second curtain: I wish we could discuss how it represents entrance into the Holy presence of God and a longing for it to be torn in two giving access for such.

The Most Holy Place

The golden altar of incense: I wish we could discuss how it represents the prayers of God’s people rising to heaven.

The gold-covered Ark of the Covenant: I wish we could discuss how it represents the presence of God, for some it literally contained His presence within the Ark.

This ark contained the gold jar of manna: I wish we could discuss how it represents the provision of God for our lives.

Aaron’s staff that had budded: I wish we could discuss how it represents God’s fruitfulness and authority working through our lives.

The stone tablets of the covenant: I wish we could discuss how it represents God’s guidance of His Word for our lives.

Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover: I wish we could discuss how it represents God’s voice speaking between the cherubim and above the seat of mercy, the combination of Voice, Glory and Mercy!

I wish he had time to tell us more. “But we cannot discuss these things in detail now” v5.

We just glimpse with imagination into a culture, a time and place which is alien to us and yet carries a symbolism that we are thankful and cry out for today.

The author takes the community of believers back to the time of their prophet Jeremiah. He knew that trouble was coming and it came. Babylon wiped out Judah, its cities and the people. Devastation and exile. People longed for their covenant of sacrifices, the temple and artefacts. But Jeremiah longed for the day of a new covenant when nothing could be lost again because something would be written in their hearts. The old covenant demanded a lot from people. It was the call of ‘if you do this then I will do that’. But the new covenant was simply this, ‘I will’. As we read these verses we can see how this new covenant carried the promise of uniting (Israel and Judah who previously were divided), enabling us to walk with God by placing the new covenant in our hearts and forgiving us for when we get life wrong. Let us read:

“For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. ⁸ But God found fault with the people and said: “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. ⁹ It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. ¹⁰ This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. ¹¹ No longer will they teach their neighbour, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. ¹² For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” ¹³ By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.” (Hebrews 8 v 7-13)

This was not Moses carrying the demands for works but Jesus who fulfilled those works by His own work, not by the blood of animals but by HIS BLOOD.

I will make a new covenant, v8. God made it. It had nothing to do with the performance of man. It still hasn’t. This is not about how good you are but how good HE is.

I will establish, v10. God didn’t just make the new covenant but He established it. He made sure this was long lasting, a forever covenant, the old was always paving the way for the new. It is lasting here now in 2024.

I will put this new covenant in their hearts, v10. Trying to do the right thing is not the same as being transformed from within and allowing God’s law to work through our lives.

I will forgive and not remember their sins, v12. The old was hoping the good works outweighed their bad works, the new completely removes the bad, it is called forgiveness and blotting out sin completely.

I will make the covenant of works obsolete, v13. The old is out of date, the new is as important in 2024 as much as 33 AD.

Take one or all of these ‘I WILL’ promises and thank God for them and how it applies to you today.

This letter to a community of believers who are tempted to turn back to Judaism is a huge encouragement to us who also follow Jesus in a difficult world. It calls for us to look again at the benefits of a life with Jesus bring. It is simple, foundational and yet building your life on these truths are what brings you through this life to the next. Here are our next verses.

“Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. ⁴ If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. ⁵ They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” ⁶ But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.” (Hebrews 8 v 3-6)

This author is truly pastoring carefully the community of believers building from one theme to another. We are heading to a fuller explanation of the powerful promises/new covenant we have in Jesus.

Jesus had to offer gifts and sacrifices just like the high priest. But of course not in the Temple for we have already seen that Jesus was from the tribe of Judah and not Levi. But the sanctuary of Jesus is that of heaven not earth. We are reminded that Jesus is altogether better.

Jesus ministry is better: the emphasis is not on the ability of man to come into relationship with God but that of Jesus. It is the ability of Jesus that far outweighs anything we could possibly do.

Jesus’ mediation is better: His blood is better than that of animals. His blood stands between God and man which is better than the sacrifice of animals which only was able to bring man before God. His blood brings God near.

Jesus’ promises are better: This is leading us to a fuller explanation in the passage to come but reveals something of what these promises are established on and that is we will find out are the unconditional grace of God.

So today be encouraged in these truths of Jesus:

His ability to deal with your sin.

His blood seals a better covenant of relationship with God.

His promises that carry us through this life.

For many they will not read this book of Hebrews because it just seems so difficult with so many pages about priests and sacrificial systems. We are in a different timeline but also a completely different culture. However, if we don’t persevere we will miss huge important truths about Jesus Christ.

The one reason why you should not abandon your church and your faith is found in these passages that we are reading: Jesus Christ.

“Now the main point of what we are saying is this: we do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.“ Hebrews‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭

The main point is we need a High Priest and we have one, Jesus Christ.

The main point is we need a perfect High Priest and we have one, Jesus Christ, who sat down, a symbol of completed work, and who is exalted as Son of God, for no other can sit at the right hand.

The main point is we need an active High Priest and we have one, Jesus Christ, who is serving in the sanctuary of heaven.

Therefore we don’t abandon and turn back, we turn to Jesus, for who will save us when we sin?

We don’t reduce the one who died, was raised, ascended, exalted and glorified to something less, to dethrone Him because other important religious experiences, ideologies or the temptations of the world want to sit alongside Him in our lives. It doesn’t sit comfortably.

We don’t rely on our spiritual experiences from the hands of men, the glory of man (and of women of course!) and what man can perform and produce. It all is a shadow of the true spiritual experience when a divine exchange happens from the tabernacle of the Lord in heaven and where we are here on earth. 

The main point is Jesus.

Not once a year (day of Atonement) nor once for all people though it has power to do that.

So what is it? What is this once for all sacrifice of Jesus for sins?

”Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect for ever.“

Hebrews 7:27-28

We have learnt how to accommodate fears and sins, addictions and anxiety, they have become part of our daily lives. We have left Egypt but Egypt hasn’t left us. So every day we come before our priest and seek forgiveness and we know Jesus does exactly that because the Bible says so. And so we are forgiven and then we make a commitment to do better. And then we fail again the next day and we repeat the performance. Now can you imagine adding a priest/pastor into that way of life? So that we would visit that person who can then bring resolve to our troubled souls.

These people were being tempted to go back to their culture of mediation because it was just too difficult to be a Christian. The problem was that it was not effective. For the priest had to deal with their own sin along with the sins of the people. It was crying out for something to once for all deal with the problem.

Once for all means the sacrifice was enough. Around the world there are many trying to pay enough penance for the things they have done wrong. They feel the need to atone for their sins. To pay back. To put things right. And yet, Christ’s sacrifice was enough.

Once for all means the sacrifice was effective. The problem with the old sacrificial system was it could never deal with the daily power of sin. Why would you ever turn back to an old broken system from a place of grace?

Once for all means the sacrifice is the essence of Christianity and what differentiates us from all other religions. With us there are no laws making us right with God; with us we know God came to us so it is pointless to work at trying to get to God; and with us our leader is not dead!

How thankful we are that once for all is still appropriate for us today.

Thank God for your priest/pastor. However let’s be kind to them. They’ll never be able to compare with Jesus. They will never get to the place when the members are truly satisfied.

”Such a high priest truly meets our need – one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.“ Hebrews 7:26

Your priest/pastor at times find themselves not as committed to the Church as you would like. But Jesus is. He is holy.

Your priest/pastor can be easily blamed for they are imperfect. But Jesus cannot. He is blameless.

Your priest/pastor has stains, mistakes and intentional sin on their record. But Jesus has not. He is pure.

Your priest/pastor is focused on many things. But Jesus is focused on the right thing. He is set apart from sinners.

Your priest/pastor is not yet the finished article. There is more to come. But Jesus is. He is exalted above the heavens.

When I visit churches I mostly enjoy talking to members who have been in their church for decades and some all their life. They have seen many pastors lead their church during their lifetime. “I could tell you a few things” they say to me. They’re right of course. They have seen the highs and lows of church life and they have remained which we are so thankful they did. We need to listen more to these people. They have seen more than we have and their eyes are full of wisdom.

I’ve got good news today.

”Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives for ever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.“

Hebrews 7:23-25

Priests die and when they do they no longer serve the people, intercede for them, mediate for them before God.

The author is telling the people, ‘why go back?’

Jesus is eternal.

Wholly, totally, forever, never to be removed or replaced as representing you before God.

In the year 100 he was High Priest and in 2024 He still is!

He doesn’t come and go, He remains.

He is here.

So the Levitical system and Aaron work hasn’t in fact worked! It is useless. That’s what the author tells the people.

But Jesus, the High Priest from the tribe of Judah, (in which the law prevented any men becoming priests) in the order of Melchizedek, does work!

So how do we know that is the case?

“And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, ²¹ but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’ ²² Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.” (Hebrews 7 v 20-22)

The other priests were not affirmed by God, but Jesus is and the author uses the prophecy in Psalm 110 again as evidence. But once again he sets up for a further revelation by introducing a new subject. This time it is the covenant.

Sinai was spectacular, it was revolutionary for the law was birthed but it could never guarantee that people would be able to be not only acceptable to God but draw near to Him. In fact that covenant set the people up to fail. It was impossible and it still is to please God through efforts.

Here comes the new subject: Jesus is the guarantor of a better covenant, a new one.

If someone defaults on their loan agreement then the guarantor has promised to pay the debt. The guarantor is responsible to cover those payments. The loan company or the bank can move to take action against the guarantor to cover the costs. If it can be proved that the one in debt has failed to keep up with payments then the guarantor can be claimed against.

We have defaulted. We have failed to fulfil the expectations on our lives as people of faith in God.

We are in debt to God for the sins we have committed.

We have failed our God.

But we have a guarantor! Action has been taken against Jesus on our behalf. He went to the cross for us. He has covered our payments and His blood still does.

This is the new covenant! And so we are off into exploring this wonderful truth. But before we do thank Jesus He is your guarantor. He has you covered. He has your back when it all goes wrong and when you go wrong. Amen!