O house of Israel, bless the Lord! O house of Aaron, bless the Lord! O house of Levi, bless the Lord! You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord! Blessed be the Lord from Zion, He Who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the Lord! (Verses 19-21)
Since then we have a great high priest Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest Who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One Who in every way has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16
I'm thinking of the famous picture of JFK in his office with John F. Kennedy, Jr., John-John. Sitting behind his massive desk, the president is shuffling through important papers while his son, who has been crawling between the president's legs, wiggles through them and looks out at the camera from the space between each side of the desk. The boy looks surprised that someone is taking a picture of the moment. To him, it's an ordinary thing, navigating the sacred Oval Office. It's where Dad works. John-John is welcome there. The President's kid has access only he is privileged to.
One priest once a year was allowed to go behind the curtain of the Holy of Holies in order to plead for forgiveness for the Israelites. The priest, a Levite, must also take the blood of the perfect sacrificial animal and sprinkle it before God onto the Mercy Seat for his unintentional sins as well as those of all the people. There was no general approaching of the Mighty God for the population of Jews. Going into the inner sanctuary where God dwelt in the temple in Jerusalem was a very, very exclusive right. It wasn't entered into lightly, either. The Levites had to go through a meticulous period of cleansing. The old covenant, the Law, was all about the rules. And a perfect lamb must shed its blood in a divine picture of what God would finally do in the new covenant with all who believe in Jesus. The writer of Hebrews explains it better than I can: But when Christ came as the high priest of good things we now have, He entered the greater and more perfect tent. It is not made by humans and does not belong to this world. Christ entered the Most Holy Place only once--and for all time. He did not take with Him the blood of goats and calves. His sacrifice was His own blood, and by it He set us free from sin forever.
Uncanny things happened in the universe on the afternoon Jesus died. A blood moon appeared, the earth shook, some dead rose from their graves and were seen walking about...but significant to our access to the throne of God was this: The heavy curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the outer courts of the temple was sixty feet high, twenty feet wide and as thick as 4 inches. It was huge! And virtually indestructible. Yet, on that afternoon, God ripped it in to two pieces, from the top to the bottom, revealing His Holy place to all. Accepting as the once-for-all sacrifice for sin, the blood sprinkled not on the Mercy Seat, but on the dust of Golgotha.
Like John-John, I now have access to the King. Not of some small kingdom situated on planet Earth. I can come boldly, as a beloved daughter, right into the throne room. There my Lamb sits at the right hand of the Father, intimately concerned with every little thing about my life--good and bad. I can go directly to the heart of things in the throne room because nothing is hidden from my God. Grace and Truth at His right hand reminds the Father of His blood that has covered in mercy and grace my sinfulness. I belong to the Father now. That blood has given me the privilege to dance and pray and sing in the Presence without fear because I am precious--as precious as my Savior's sacrifice. I don't need a priest, because Jesus is mine. And once and for all, I am forgiven, cleansed and set free from the horrible chains of my former life.
I will bless the Lord Who lives in Zion! Who sits enthroned in a rainbow of brightest emerald as the energy of heaven produces thunder and flashes of lightning while all heaven sings praises night and day (Revelation 4). I get to go in there. Whenever I want! And join the exaltation or talk about my needs. It's home. Zion. Where my Father lives. I will bless Him there forever!
Since then we have a great high priest Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest Who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One Who in every way has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16
I'm thinking of the famous picture of JFK in his office with John F. Kennedy, Jr., John-John. Sitting behind his massive desk, the president is shuffling through important papers while his son, who has been crawling between the president's legs, wiggles through them and looks out at the camera from the space between each side of the desk. The boy looks surprised that someone is taking a picture of the moment. To him, it's an ordinary thing, navigating the sacred Oval Office. It's where Dad works. John-John is welcome there. The President's kid has access only he is privileged to.
One priest once a year was allowed to go behind the curtain of the Holy of Holies in order to plead for forgiveness for the Israelites. The priest, a Levite, must also take the blood of the perfect sacrificial animal and sprinkle it before God onto the Mercy Seat for his unintentional sins as well as those of all the people. There was no general approaching of the Mighty God for the population of Jews. Going into the inner sanctuary where God dwelt in the temple in Jerusalem was a very, very exclusive right. It wasn't entered into lightly, either. The Levites had to go through a meticulous period of cleansing. The old covenant, the Law, was all about the rules. And a perfect lamb must shed its blood in a divine picture of what God would finally do in the new covenant with all who believe in Jesus. The writer of Hebrews explains it better than I can: But when Christ came as the high priest of good things we now have, He entered the greater and more perfect tent. It is not made by humans and does not belong to this world. Christ entered the Most Holy Place only once--and for all time. He did not take with Him the blood of goats and calves. His sacrifice was His own blood, and by it He set us free from sin forever.
Uncanny things happened in the universe on the afternoon Jesus died. A blood moon appeared, the earth shook, some dead rose from their graves and were seen walking about...but significant to our access to the throne of God was this: The heavy curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the outer courts of the temple was sixty feet high, twenty feet wide and as thick as 4 inches. It was huge! And virtually indestructible. Yet, on that afternoon, God ripped it in to two pieces, from the top to the bottom, revealing His Holy place to all. Accepting as the once-for-all sacrifice for sin, the blood sprinkled not on the Mercy Seat, but on the dust of Golgotha.
Like John-John, I now have access to the King. Not of some small kingdom situated on planet Earth. I can come boldly, as a beloved daughter, right into the throne room. There my Lamb sits at the right hand of the Father, intimately concerned with every little thing about my life--good and bad. I can go directly to the heart of things in the throne room because nothing is hidden from my God. Grace and Truth at His right hand reminds the Father of His blood that has covered in mercy and grace my sinfulness. I belong to the Father now. That blood has given me the privilege to dance and pray and sing in the Presence without fear because I am precious--as precious as my Savior's sacrifice. I don't need a priest, because Jesus is mine. And once and for all, I am forgiven, cleansed and set free from the horrible chains of my former life.
I will bless the Lord Who lives in Zion! Who sits enthroned in a rainbow of brightest emerald as the energy of heaven produces thunder and flashes of lightning while all heaven sings praises night and day (Revelation 4). I get to go in there. Whenever I want! And join the exaltation or talk about my needs. It's home. Zion. Where my Father lives. I will bless Him there forever!
No comments:
Post a Comment