OFFERED ONCE, SUFFICIENT FOREVER
Monday – December 18, 2017
Thank you, Jesus, for Monday’s, you are so good. Let us determine that this week will be unlike other weeks, and we will make the best use of our time (redeem the time) and we will not stress out but follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in all things. The following Scripture is the primary text for this wonderful Bible Study from the Book of Hebrews. We are at the end of the seventh chapter and will soon be plunging into the eighth.
Hebrews 7:26-28 (KJV)
26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.
28 For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.
Our High Priest is not like the High Priests of the Old Covenant who sinned, frail by way of the flesh, and died thus requiring an ever-changing priesthood. We have a High Priest that is untouched by sin yet was tested in everyway just as we are tested. It was not that Jesus was not tempted or that He could not sin, He chose not to sin. He was at all times yielded to the guidance of the Father through the Holy Spirit. We have the same Holy Spirit and so we too can be without sin. As the Scripture says, we are not under the law but under Grace however we must choose to be under Grace. In order to not be confusing, Grace is the Holy Spirit, just a different facet, work or manifestation. The men of old, before Jesus, did not have this wonderful Helper.
I don’t think that the body of Christ has ever really gotten a true picture of the awfulness of sin and the true costs of sin. The saints of old perhaps had a greater appreciation because they had to bring beautiful, innocent, and valuable animals to sacrifice for their sin. It is not like these animals were somehow killed in a hidden out of sight way, the animal was killed by the owner, the sinner.
Leviticus 1:2-5 (KJV)
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.
3 If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.
4 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
5 And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Brother and sister, we were not at Calvary but this is what we did to Jesus. Sin has been made to be fun and no big deal by the world and to some extent by the Church. We have gotten calloused to sin, and say “well that is just the way life is just look around”. We are not required to sin and it is not inevitable that we sin, we chose to sin. Unfortunately, well-meaning Pastors preach this inevitability of sin in our lives. That is a doctrine of devils and is to be cast down. Remember, when people see us they should be seeing Jesus, seeing the Father. Forgive us Father! Show us the way of change, the way to be exactly like our Lord and Savior to show your glory in the earth.
I want us to notice something interesting and I hope instructive in Hebrews 7:26. Notice how it says that Jesus, our High Priest is holy, harmless, undefiled, and so on. These appear to be all part of the same thing, repetitious. As we examine the word “holy” things like purity, righteousness, consecration, and sanctification come to mind. We are commanded to be holy, holy like God is holy.
Leviticus 11:44 (KJV)
44 For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
This command, admonition, to be holy as the LORD our God is holy comes at the end of extensive instructions concerning what animals are clean and can be eaten and which are unclean and cannot be eaten. They were to be separate from and not be defiled with the forbidden or unclean food. As an aside, these instructions were given at that time perhaps for health reasons related to their inability to properly preserve and prepare foods. It is commonly taught that all foods are permissible for us to eat to day. We might want to consider that although they may be legal so to speak they may not be wise choices. God designed and made this human body, which by the way has deteriorated significantly from Genesis 2:7, so He is in a position to know what would nourish and maximize the body in the natural realm. The most nourishing thing for the human body is the Word of God spoken over it. The Lord has told us that He will not withhold any good thing from those who walk upright. What about those who do not walk upright, those who choose the bad or forbidden things?
Psalm 84:11 (KJV)
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
As one considers God’s commands concerning all of the various potential foods you might be reminded of God’s instructions to Adam in the Garden of Eden.
Genesis 2:16-17 (KJV)
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Remember that all physical things have come out of the spiritual realm and all spiritual things have a physical representation and visa versa. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a physical tree that represented or illustrated spiritual realities. They were not to partake physically of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for in that day they would die. As we know from studying that Day of Sin they died instantly spiritually and some years later physically. Sin brought spiritual and physical death then, still does, and will forever. Sin effects the spirit realm first, bringing down God’s hedge of protection opening us up to the devil who only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Also, recall that a doctrine of the devil (spiritual realm) brought deception to Adam and they acted on the deceiving idea (had faith in it) and died spiritually instantly and later physically. Consider what brother James says.
James 1:15 (KJV)
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Okay, I said all of that to say this, the physical prohibitions of Leviticus are expanded examples of avoiding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God says to stay separated from evil, stay on the good side, the righteous, the holy side. Don’t eat the forbidden foods whether they be physical or spiritual (ideas). We are to be holy, remaining pure and avoiding the profane thing.
1 Peter 1:14-16 (KJV)
14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
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 (GW)
24 The LORD will bless you and watch over you.
25 The LORD will smile on you and be kind to you.
26 The LORD will look on you with favor and give you peace.’
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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