Scripture: Hebrews 9:6-10 (ESV)
“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.”
A few years ago my wife and I bought second hand tickets to see Sir Paul McCartney perform live in Melbourne. When the tickets were first released, we considered going, but decided that they were too expensive, so imagine our delight when someone near us had to cancel and sold their tickets to us at a significant discount. Sure there was a risk that they sold the same tickets many times over, but as it turned out, the sellers were honest and we got to go to the show. The only problem was our seats were about as far back as you could get. We stared wistfully down at those seated near the stage, where the power of the performance would be felt most strongly, where the heat from the surprise fire cannons could be felt most warmly, and where the atmosphere would be most electric. Don’t get me wrong, we had a great experience! But it was nothing like being right there in the front where it all happened.
That is the same picture the author of Hebrews paints as he continues to reflect on the Tabernacle. The outer temple is like being in the nosebleed section. You get to be close-ish to the action. But you don’t get to go into the bit where it all happens. The holy place is still a holy place – set apart for God. But it is not the Most Holy Place. You could enter into the holy place if you were a priest, but you could only enter into the Most Holy Place if you were the high priest, and only once a year.
But notice the key ingredient you needed to enter into the Most Holy Place. It is blood. You could not come into God’s presence without blood. Why? Because for sin to be atoned for blood had to be spilled. Remember what God said to Adam and Eve, way back in the garden? If you sin, you will die. They sinned, and so death is the result. So for people to be washed clean of sin, death has to happen, blood has to be spilled. No person could not go to God without blood. Not even the High Priest.
For the Christian today things are no different. We still can’t enter God’s presence without spilled blood. But we enter not with the blood of a lamb, but with the blood of the lamb.
We have the everlasting, eternal blood sacrifice of Christ to offer up before the Father and wash us clean eternally.
And that’s way better than being in the nosebleed section of faith.
Praise God!
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for giving us your blood to wash us eternally clean. Thank you that we can enter in to the Father’s presence, with great confidence and deep joy. thank you that you have not left us out in outer courts, but have given us access to the innermost place. We are so privileged. Amen
Spiritual Challenge:
Today, reflect on the fact that no matter what happens to you here on Earth, you are always welcome in the inner courts of God because of Jesus. Live out of that reality.