What a contrast!
Col 2:17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Heb 9:14.
I struggled with the next sections of chapters 9 and 10 for some time, not really knowing how to approach them. Not because there is so little to consider, but that there is so much and it is all tangled up so that it is hard to know where to begin and how to unravel the threads. When I read FB Meyer’s consideration of this section in his book: “The way into the holiest” I was impressed with the way that he approached it.
He said: “In this marvellous paragraph (vv. 6-14) there are five striking contrasts between the picture symbols of Leviticus, and the realities revealed in the New Testament Scriptures. And to their consideration we will at once proceed, thanking God as we do so that we live in the very midst of the heavenly things themselves, rather than in the shadows, which, though they doubtless helped and nourished the devout souls of an earlier age, were confessedly inadequate to supply the deeper demands of man’s spiritual life.” In our considerations today I have borrowed heavily from FB Meyer’s thoughts.
The first tabernacle is contrasted with the true (vv. 6, 8, 11)
As we know from our earlier studies of the tabernacle the original tabernacle with its golden furniture and stunning embroidery must have been glorious to see as they were assembled on the plains of Sinai. No doubt even the angels were impressed with the design as they tried to understand the significance.
Like all man-made things though, it was eventually destined to wear out – no matter how lovingly it was constructed and cared for. It must have shown signs of wear when it was carried across the Jordan into the Promised Land. In David’s days the reverence for it could not blind him to the need to replace it.
How different is the true tabernacle – the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands v11, which Moses tabernacle pictured. But what is this greater tabernacle? Have you ever felt that the whole universe is one great temple? In a sense it is; the lofty mountains, the vast oceans, the infinite starry heavens. Truly The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Ps 19:1 NIV. But, wonderful as the universe is, it is not what the writer was thinking of, for the more perfect tabernacle is, not of this creation v11. You won’t find it anywhere on the earth, nor even in the furthest reaches of space for it is heaven itself, God’s own special dwelling place.
There now, His work completed, our great High Priest is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. Ch 8. So the tabernacle gives us a picture of heaven itself and the eternal temple, though we don’t have time to look at that today.
The high-priests are contrasted with Christ (vv.7,11).
Ordinary Israelites were allowed into the outer part of the Tabernacle; but it was the Levites and priests who looked after the Tabernacle and performed the sacrifices and rituals. At their head was the high-priest with his beautiful garments. On his shoulders, he carried two precious stones, engraved with the names of the tribes of Israel. On his chest, nearest to his heart, he carried twelve more precious stones, again engraved with the names of the tribes of Israel. What a grand spectacle he must have presented to his people!
And yet there were two fatal flaws. They were prevented by death from continuing 7v23 and they were sinful men, who needed to offer sacrifices for their own sin 9v7. As we saw last time, on the Day of Atonement, he couldn’t even go into the HoH until he had made a sacrifice for his own sin and that of his family (Lev 16:11-13).
How different is our great High-Priest! Death tried to master him; but God raised Him up, because it was not possible that He should be held by it Acts 2:24. And because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood Heb 7:24. Truly He is a priest for ever 7:17&21. We looked at this in some detail when we studied the seventh chapter. Ch 9 adds that He offered Himself without spot to God v14. Even at His mock trial they were unable to convince Pilate that He had done any wrong. Judas, His betrayer, was compelled to confess that it was innocent blood (Mt 27:4). Peter, His closest companion declared that He committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth 1Pe 2:22.
When the Lord died as the perfect sacrifice for my sin His conscience was clear for He was truly innocent; unlike even the most godly men and women who are only too conscious of their great sin.
2Co 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
He dies to atone for sins not His own;
your debt He has paid, and your work He has done
Truly such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens 7:26
I know that He suffered for my sin so that I shall never face God’s judgment. Do you?
Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Saviour!
After His crucifixion, Jesus completed His sacrifice by presenting His own blood before His Father’s heavenly throne like the high priest on the Day of Atonement. His resurrection is the proof that His sacrifice was accepted by the Father and is sufficient to save all those who trust in Him.
The veil is rent!
We have already seen that another wonderful contrast is in the access that we now have into God’s presence and that this is illustrated by the veil or curtain separating the Holy place from the HoH. This curtain was only drawn aside once a year by the high-priest to allow him access into the HoH.
Verse 8 leaves us in no doubt about the lesson that God wanted His people to learn from this. By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the entrance to the Most Holy Place was not freely open as long as the Tabernacle and the system it represented were still in use. NLT
Although the Israelites were nearer to God than the rest of mankind, yet there was a depth of intimacy from which they were excluded by God Himself .
For us though, the veil is torn away. Jesus entered into the HoH (heaven) and as he passed through the heavy curtain in the temple in Jerusalem was torn in two from the top to the bottom. Surely no priest who witnessed it could ever forget the moment, when, as the earth quaked, the veil tore apart revealing what only the high-priest was allowed to see.
The only veil or barrier between Christians and God today, is the one that we weave with our own sin or unbelief. We may explore and enjoy the secrets of his love and stand unafraid where angels worship. We can contemplate mysteries hidden since before the creation of the world. The love of God has no secrets for us whom He calls friends.
FB Meyer asked, in the light of this: Why are we so content with the superficial and the transient, with the ephemeral gossip and literature of our times, with the outer courts in which the formalists and worldly Christians around us are contented to remain? when there are such heights and depths, such lengths and breadths, to be explored in the very nature of God.
The rites of Judaism compared with the truths of the Gospel. V10
The OT rites involved external things like food, drink, ceremonial washings and animal sacrifices, which made the worshiper ceremonially clean, but didn’t change their heart.
9 It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience–– 10 concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.
The tabernacle was wonderful and its mysterious ceremonies were impressive, but these rituals could never save the people – they just looked forward to Christ. No Israelite, in OT days, could have been under the illusion that the sacrifices fully dealt with their sin. As Heb 10:2 reminds us the constant repetition proves their weakness. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.
What saddens me is that so many people are still taken up with these sort of things, thinking that money or ritual can buy forgiveness. Why would God be moved by elaborate workmanship or ritual? Why would He care whether we eat fish on a Friday, we crawl on our knees to a shrine miles away or mouth the same meaningless words time after time and call it a prayer? He doesn’t! He is interested in our hearts and whether we truly love Him. Our actions only please Him when they are motivated by and demonstrate our love.
Is 29:13 Therefore the Lord said: "Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honour Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men
Joel 2: 12 "Now, therefore," says the LORD, "Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning." 13 So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.
How different it is now! Our consciences are purged 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? We know in our hearts that the death of our Lord Jesus has completely dealt with all our sin. He has so fully taken them from us and put them away that they cannot be found. It is as though they had never been; God has erased them from His memory banks!
True, we still sin while we are on this earth – all too frequently! And this should sadden us. But the blood of Jesus does for our conscience what the OT sacrifices could never do. For the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1Jo 1:7 And the same blood also provides a way to cleanse our conscience daily from our ongoing sin.
What about you? Do you know with complete certainty that your sins have been dealt with? If not there are two possible reasons either:
• You haven’t truly asked God to forgive you for your sin because His beloved Son paid the penalty that you deserved when He died on Calvary’s cross; or
• You were truly saved, but have allowed some sins to come between you and your Saviour. When such sins interrupt our relationship we often loose the assurance of salvation and forgiveness. God often uses this to bring us back to repentance, so that we can begin to grow again as Christians and become useful in His service.
Either way, don’t remain in uncertainty and dissatisfaction. Seek the Lord now!
6 Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55
You will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deut 4:29
