Access Granted - Pt. 3

 

Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and man earthly place of holiness. For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation. (Hebrews 9:1-10 ESV).

 

The way to think about the old and strange and foreign is not to say it's irrelevant, or to say that it's just a shadow of eternal truths, but rather to say, that in that old period of history, under God's sovereign design, everything was pointing to a new period of history that began with Jesus, and in which we now live. And the old period has much light to shed on the meaning of the new period.

 

Why did he call the old, strange, foreign period of history "this present time" if he lived after the death and resurrection of Jesus? The answer is given, I think, in Hebrews 8:13 which really introduces this whole section: "When He said [referring to God's voice in Jeremiah 31:31], 'A new covenant,' He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear." Do you see where he sees himself? He sees himself in the time of transition from old to new. The old system of relating to God through ritual and sacrifice and priest and tabernacle "is becoming obsolete and is ready to disappear. And the new order, the "reformation" has been inaugurated in Christ and is replacing the old. Very soon the temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed and the entire priestly, sacrificial system would be finished, as it is to this day.

 

Tomorrow we will discover why this is so important. Today, meditate on the simplicity of God’s plan. He sent His only begotten Son as the final, best answer to all of our needs. In Him we can be sure of eternal life!