A BETTER SACRIFICE
Thursday – February 1, 2018
As you can see we are immersed in this winter wonderland. It is one thing to hear about subzero temperatures and snow, it is another is deal with one or both. Still it is beautiful and we are blessed with the resources to keep both from consuming us. The same is true in the spiritual realm if you are a king submitted to the King of Kings. The evil that swirls about us and threatens (like a roaring lion) us cannot touch us. We are not to win one lose one and so on, we are to be winners without exception. Now, let’s move forward and delve back into our wonderful and powerful Bible Study from the Book of Hebrews by first reviewing our primary text.
Hebrews 9:22-25 (KJV)
22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
I suspect we all realize that the human author of Hebrews by the unction of the Holy Spirit is going into great detail as he brings revelation to the Hebrews. This revelation is not just for the Hebrews who had at that time or have now practiced or known about Judaism (the Law of Moses) all their lives, it is for us, the Gentiles. These things are very important to our understanding, our foundation concerning the things of God. It is good to at the first and all along our development to accept the Word of God at face value without knowing the foundation upon which it sits. However, we have an obligation to be diligent in our study to build a firm foundation that we may have a defense of our faith and teach others also. We must be able to trace the Cross right back to the Garden of Eden and identify the two covenants of blood, their, purpose, why the first was weak and the second was needed, why it could not start with Jesus, their origins and the responsibilities and benefits that are ours when we become a partaker in Christ Jesus.
We see that it was acceptable and necessary to cleanse the earthly Tabernacle with the blood of the various animals. The blood of these innocent animals however was weak and very insufficient for the earthly Tabernacle and wholly inadequate for the Heavenly Tabernacle. The blood of these innocent animals however imperfect provided a bridge to the perfect. This cleansing of sin by the blood of the various animals was an expression of the perfect Blood of Jesus to come, it was ceremonial cleansing. Can you imagine the putrid mess of all this blood and the sprinkling of it on the people and the various instruments of the Tabernacle? Yet, another reminder of the awful nature of sin.
This brings us to the (b) portion of Hebrews 9:23 which says: “but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these”. Were the things of the Tabernacle of Heaven specifically in the Most Holy Place, the habitat of God, contaminated with sin and the curse? The most obvious answer would be absolutely not for God cannot countenance sin or be in the presence of sin. That is why the Holy Spirit exited the earth for the most part on the Day of Sin and could not return until there was an appropriate expunging of sin and an invitation from earth. After ten days (ten is the number of mans responsibility) in the Upper Room the one hundred and twenty present came into one accord concerning receiving the Holy Spirit and being endued with Power from on high as Jesus commanded. The presence of God in the Tabernacle and later the Temple was separated from the people and even the priests except once a year and very exact circumstances. Now praise the Lord because of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus, empowered by the Eternal Spirit, the Holy Spirit not only abides with us but in us and empowers us to do the work of the Kingdom.
So, what are the Heavenly things that needed purifying and could only be possible by the better sacrifice? I believe the answer to this is found as we consider the origins of man. Remember, God (Elohim) said let us make man in our image and after our likeness and give him (them) dominion over the earth (paraphrase of Genesis 1:26). This is when the soul of man (mind and spirit) was made of like kind (same as), same stuff, as God (Jehovah, Word, and Spirit). This spirit man in the likeness and image of God was placed in the earth. God then made him (them) a physical body from the earth in which to house the spirit man giving man a connection to and authority over the earth. With sin the mind was first corrupted when they failed to throw down the ideas of the Serpent and their spirit man died instantly from this corruption. The wages of sin are death. Because the spirit realm is the superior realm corruption was initiated in the physical body due to the corruption of the mind and spirit. This living soul due to the presence of the breath of life now became a dead soul on the departure of the breath of life. Our heavenly body and our earthly tabernacle needed a total expunging of sin with the perfect blood of Jesus. This allowed the fire of the Holy Spirit to cleanse and quicken the spirit man, and allowed us to reverse the corruption of the mind with the cleansing water of the Word.
Until our next publication, I speak blessing into your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
Numbers 6:24-26 (KJV)
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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