Daily Writing

Saturday, 29 December 2018

It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience— Hebrews 9:9

These words are referring to the sacrifices that were still being conducted at the temple in Jerusalem. If you read it in other translations, you’ll see how various translators choose to state it. Some put it in the tense of “was” and “are;” others choose “is” and “were;” while others choose both verbs to be present tense. Translators choose to decide such things based on what they already believe concerning the 1) date of the original letter, or 2) if the letter was written to Christians in general or to first century Jewish believers in Christ, or 3) that the words are set from the eternal perspective of Scripture where what is stated, even if accomplished, continues on as if in the present tense.

The NKJV is most surely correct because it places the tenses as “was” and “are.” “Was” refers to the state of the sacrifices from their inception, even to the time of the letter. “Are” indicates these sacrifices were ongoing at the time of the letter (the temple had not yet been destroyed), but also because of the eternal perspective of Scripture.

And though the letter was certainly written to first-century Jewish believers, it also will apply to those Jews who will be alive when the temple in Jerusalem is rebuilt. Should they return to these rites and rituals? The author would emphatically tell them, “No.”

Understanding these things, he says, “It was symbolic for the present time.” Here, the word translated as “symbolic” is parabole. It is the same word translated as “parable” in the gospels. The author is saying that the things of the Old Covenant – such as the layout, structure, and materials of the sanctuary, all of the rites associated with that sanctuary, and even the days associated with those rites (such as the Day of Atonement) were teaching aids and living lessons which only figuratively pointed to what Christ would do.

He was writing to a Hebrew audience that had heard of Christ, but which was dealing with the decision of whether they should continue to adhere to temple rituals as well as following Christ. Did they need to make offerings for sin at the temple as prescribed by law? Again, the answer would be, “No.” He then continues by saying of the offerings, “in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered.” The words, “in which,” are referring to those things which are symbolic. A better rendering would be, “according to which.” As noted, the present tense is correct. The temple still stood, and there were Jews who were confused about what to do concerning making gifts and offerings in order to be right with God. And what does he continue saying about those offerings? That they “cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience.”

The words, “him who performed the service,” are speaking of the person coming with his offering, not the priest. The person who takes such a gift or offering to the temple is performing a service in hopes of cleansing his conscience. However, it is not possible that this could happen. The reason why is because as soon as he turned around and walked away from the offering which was intended to cleanse, he might sin again in some way, even before he stepped outside the temple area. If he was honest, he would go get another animal and hurry back to the priest to have the sin corrected. Such a stream of sacrifices would, literally, be never-ending. Unless there was a one-time for all-time Sacrifice, no person would ever dare to leave the area around the temple. Sin in man is that deeply entrenched. The very thoughts in his head are vile and require atonement.

The author will continue with this thought in the next verse, and then he will contrast what is stated here by showing the infinitely superior work of Christ, and its effect for the believer under the New Covenant.

Life application: It’s important to study and understand where translators have done a poor job and why. As the memo in the preface to the original 1611 King James Version says, a “variety of Translations is profitable for the finding out of the sense of the Scriptures.” The reason is, “They that are wise, had rather have their judgments at liberty in differences of readings, than to be captivated to one, when it may be the other.” In other words, if someone sticks dogmatically to a single translation he is unwise. Translators are fallible, and therefore by studying and contemplating multiple translations, one is much more readily able to properly follow what is being said and why. This really is important because the wording and terminology used in the original languages is often difficult at best and sometimes completely unknown to modern scholars.

Lord, how truly blessed we are to live in a day where Your word is translated into thousands of languages; and in some languages many times. We have study tools in abundance including commentaries, devotionals, computer programs, and more. Help us to use these to search out the wonders of Your word! May our knowledge of You be a joyous, lifelong pursuit! Amen.

Friday, 28 December 2018

…the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. Hebrews 9:8

The words here are based on what was just stated in the previous verse. Taken together, they say, “But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.”

As noted, a precept was being taught to the people through the total restriction of entry into the “second part,” meaning the Most Holy Place. As this place signifies a return to paradise that was lost at the fall of man, the people were being instructed that no return to God’s paradise was granted to the people through the Old Covenant. The cherubim on the veil symbolized the cherubim who stand guard at the entrance to Eden.

This is certain because the author says, “the Holy Spirit indicating this.” The Holy Spirit issues forth the words of Scripture, and those same words of Scripture issued forth the instructions for the priestly duties of Israel. Further, the Holy Spirit also illuminates those same words to be understood by those who pay heed. The people were being instructed that even the high priest was not granted a return to paradise because of his office. He was only allowed in to make a picture of what the coming Christ would do in reality. He went in with blood, he left after his duties were complete, and he could not enter again until the next Day of Atonement. This was to show “that the way into the Holiest of All [the Most Holy Place, symbolizing a return to paradise] was not yet made manifest.”

If the way into paradise had been made manifest, then once the rites of the high priest were complete, the veil would have been taken down and the people could have happily come streaming back in, assured of glory. But such was not the case. The high priest departed, the veil remained, and no person was authorized to enter under pain of death. This remained true the whole time that “the first tabernacle was still standing.”

Although getting ahead in the commentary, the veil is said later in Hebrews to represent the body of Christ. Also, in Matthew 27, we read this –

“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
⁵¹ Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split.” Matthew 27:50-51

The symbolism is obvious. Christ performed the work of atonement in His suffering and death. When He died, the law died with Him (meaning the Old Covenant). That is seen in Colossians 2:14, where the law is said to be nailed to the cross. In His death, the veil (His Body) was torn. Likewise, the law, of which He is the fulfillment, was torn and ended at that time. At the same time, the veil in the temple (which was a foreshadowing of His Body) was torn from top to bottom, and thus access to Eden is restored once again for all who come through His torn Body. He is “The Way” to this restoration.

As a side note concerning this, the Talmud (an extra-biblical Jewish writing) says that the veil in the temple, which was just before the Most Holy Place, was 40 cubits (60 feet) long, 20 cubits (30 feet) wide, and the thickness of the palm of the hand. It was made of 72 squares which were joined together, and was so heavy that it needed 300 priests to manipulate it. Whether this is an accurate description or not, it was exceedingly large, and yet it was torn “from top to bottom.” Due to its height and size, no human could have done this. Whether it occurred by an earthquake cracking the mantle from which it was suspended or not (as is speculated) is irrelevant. The fact that it occurred the moment Christ died is what is of significance. God was teaching Israel a lesson concerning Christ; we are to pay heed.

Life application: Understanding what occurred in fulfillment of the Old Covenant types and shadows, no person should ever say, “We still need to observe the precepts of the Law of Moses.” The author has explained the same thing again and again. In addition to what he is saying, the words of all of the other New Testament writers are in complete agreement. And even more certain is that of the witness of the Holy Spirit – from both Testaments. We are under a New Covenant and we are in a new dispensation. To reintroduce the law is to reject the work of Christ. Who can do such a thing and be held guiltless? Come to Christ, and put away your arrogant, high handed attacks against the Lord who has already accomplished everything necessary to return His people to paradise.

Lord God, we can only look with astonishment and complete gratitude at the work which you accomplished on our behalf – the death of Jesus – which opened a restored relationship with You! And even more, the resurrection! Now we also have the hope of eternal life! Amen.

Thursday, 27 December 2018

But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; Hebrews 9:7

The words, “the second part,” are speaking of the second and final room within the tabernacle, known as the Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies, Holiest of All, etc – based on translation). It is the room where the items of verses 9:4 & 9:5 were described. No person was allowed to enter this room, under pain of death, with the exception of the consecrated high priest. And even he could only enter “alone once a year.” This was on the Day of Atonement.

But even then, there were set restrictions on his entry into this inner room. He was never to come “without blood.” The shed blood signified that something had died in a substitutionary manner in place of the sin-filled offender. In this case, it was inclusive of all of the people in Israel, of whom he was not exempt. As it says, “which he offered for himself.”

The high priest of Israel was a sinner. He was born in sin, and he sinned in his life throughout the year. If he came into this room without blood, he would die. This is not because the blood of an animal could actually cover over his sins, but because of the typology which was pointing to Christ’s perfect substitutionary blood, which alone can truly take away sin. And so the high priest first offered for himself, and then also “for the people’s sins.”

No person was exempted from this. In Leviticus 23, further instructions concerning this day are given. There it says –

“And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. ²⁹ For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. ³⁰ And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. ³¹ You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. ³² It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.” Leviticus 23:28-32

These people could have actually worked, and who would be the wiser? And so it can be seen that these instructions come down to a single word for each person in Israel, which is “faith.” A person who didn’t have faith in what was occurring in the temple in Jerusalem would simply go to work or fail to afflict his soul. But a person who truly understood his deserved penalty for violating God’s law would be obedient to these precepts on this holiest day of the year. In this, it then acknowledges that their sins were “committed in ignorance.”

In other words, and as an example, King David committed adultery with another man’s wife. He further, then, had that man killed. He knew the law and he knew the penalty for it. But his sin, though understood as such, was regarded as a sin of ignorance because of his heart first having gone astray, and then his remorse over his actions when he was confronted with them. Any person who failed to have this attitude on this most holy of days would not receive atonement, because he failed to acknowledge that his sin was deserving of death. Thus, the blood of the substitute was without meaning to him.

This symbolism follows throughout the Bible. There must be a substitution for the sins people commit, or their life is forfeit. Jesus then is that Substitution. It is His blood, and His blood alone, which all of these rituals foreshadowed. Without His life in exchange for an individual’s sin, that individual’s life is forfeit; eternal condemnation awaits. Think on this and understand that you will face God either on your own merits, or on those of Jesus Christ. You will fail on your own; you will prevail in Him.

The instructions for entering this second part of the tabernacle are minutely recorded in Leviticus 16. To understand the significance of each detail of this holiest of days, and how these things point directly to the Person and work of Christ, please refer to these sermons –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KDwl9FXA28

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa5lOoxeF8I&t

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZD4Gi3rR1s&t

Life application: Considering this precept in light of Christ Jesus, we can see that until someone realizes that Christ died for their sins, and then accepts that payment for what he has done wrong, it is to him as if Christ’s death was unnecessary to atone for his life. Thus, his sins are not considered as in ignorance, and he will have nothing to atone for his high-handed sin against God. His condemnation remains, and he will never enter into God’s paradise. It is only through the shed blood of Christ that anyone can enter into that Most Holy Place. Thank God that our High Priest has gone before us to accomplish this on our behalf.

Thank You, O God, for the great blessing of knowing that all sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ our Lord. If we will but look to His great sacrifice on Calvary’s cross as our Substitution, we will be saved. Without that, we stand utterly condemned in Your perfect presence. All glory is from You, for You, and to You alone! Amen.

Wednesday, 26 December 2018

Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. Hebrews 9:6

The author begins with, “Now when these things had been thus prepared.” Though it appears he is specifically referring to the original sanctuary made at the time of Moses, this can still also refer to temple in Jerusalem. In the case of the portable sanctuary, only the priests, the sons of Aaron, could put up and take down the Most Holy articles. These were covered so that no one could see them when they were taken down, and uncovered only when the tabernacle was around them and assembled. After this, the other Levites could begin to perform their duties.

In the case of the permanent temple, the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place were prepared only once and then they were left to the exclusive use of the priests. The priests’ duties are laid out in the books of Moses, but particularly in Exodus and Leviticus.

The author then next says, “the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services.” As detailed in the law, there were things to be done regularly in the Holy Place. It is where the lampstand (the menorah) needed to be tended to daily. It is where the altar of incense was, and where there were regular daily offerings, and it is where the table of showbread was. This also needed regular attention in the replacement of the loaves of bread each week. Both the actual schedule of these things, and the details for performing them, are detailed carefully in the law itself.

These and other duties (such as the sprinkling of certain sin offerings before the veil) were conducted as needed, by either the high priest or one of the other priests, depending on what was according to the law.

The specificity here in this verse is given to show a contrast between these regular services performed in the Holy Place and those services which were then to be conducted in the Most Holy Place. That will begin to be explained in the next verse.

Life application: As noted in previous verses, every single detail of what is being presented by the author concerning these rites and rituals is merely a foreshadowing of the Person of Jesus Christ, or the work He has accomplished for His people. Israel, however, rejected Christ and their temple was destroyed. Israel is, even now, preparing to begin these rituals once again. They were ineffective in bringing the people to a right relationship with God in the past, and they will continue to be ineffective in doing so in the future. It is a sad thing to see how they have missed Christ, but someday they will put the law behind them and, as a people, they will call out to Christ Jesus and finally be freed of this heavy yoke which they have carried since the time of Moses. Pray that many Jews will come to Jesus now and be saved through His shed blood instead of continuing down this same miserable path of ineffective law-related rituals.

Lord God, just as the priests in the temple had their regular duties, so we have regular tasks in our jobs. Give us the strength, wisdom, and ability to properly perform our duties, no matter what they are. And may You alone receive the praise as our fellow workers see our conduct. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, 25 December 2018

…and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. Hebrews 9:5

After mentioning the ark and its contents, the author next turns to that which was “above it.” What is now to be described is designed as a lid for the ark itself. The ark was an open box of wood, completely overlaid with pure gold. On top of that would rest this next item. What will be named is actually one solid piece, but the author describes it from the top down. That is recorded in Exodus 25:17-21 –

“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width. ¹⁸ And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. ¹⁹ Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. ²⁰ And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat. ²¹ You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you.” 

As you can see, at the top of this are “the cherubim of glory.” What this means is they are the spot where the glory of the Lord would be seen from. This is recorded, for example, in Numbers 7:89 –

“Now when Moses went into the tabernacle of meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice of One speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim; thus He spoke to him.”

These were fashioned from the same gold, being one with “the mercy seat.” The Greek word is hilastērion, and it signifies the place of propitiation. It is the spot where the wrath of God is appeased, thus bringing about a state of propitiation between God and His people.

The only time the noun form of this word is seen, apart from this use in Hebrews, is by Paul. There he says that Jesus Christ is our place of propitiation; He is our mercy seat –

“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, ²² even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, ²⁶ to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:21-26

John, however, uses a form of the same word, hilasmos, to twice describe Jesus as being the propitiation for our sins –

“And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” 1 John 2:2

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10

With these references, we can see that Christ is the spot (the mercy seat) of our propitiation, and His shed blood is that which effects that propitiation. What is being seen in mere type and shadow is realized in the punishment upon Christ leading to His death on the cross. In other words, the wrath poured out on Him through His passion, and which ultimately led to His death, is what brings peace between God and man.

God’s entrance into humanity in the Person of Jesus was purposefully intended to bring about our propitiation after He fulfilled the law. In His perfect obedience to the law, He was – in Himself – seen to be the perfection of the law. In His death, the law was fulfilled and thus ended. At the same time, in His death, the wrath of God for the sin of those who transgressed under the law was poured out on Christ in an act of substitution (something allowed under the law), where an innocent died in the place of the guilty. In this act, propitiation was made between God and those who accept this act of substitution. And in the ending of the law, a New Covenant – in Christ’s blood – was enacted.

The author finishes with, “Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.” The words, “these things” are referring to everything he has said from verse 9:1 until now. The meaning is that everything associated with the “ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary” of verse 9:1, and which has only been briefly described, actually has much more which could be explained. And so, to get a fuller understanding of these things, if that is something which would interest you, you may refer to the series in the Superior Word sermons beginning with Exodus 25:1 and continuing on through the rest of the book of Exodus, and then through the book of Leviticus. And indeed, why stop there? Just keep watching all of the sermons from the Superior Word as they are published.

Life application: If there is a need for propitiation, meaning mercy, then that must mean that God really is angry at those who need mercy. It cannot be that mercy is necessary if no offense exists. Therefore, there must be a means of obtaining God’s mercy, or there must be a complete removal of that which offends Him. Thinking this through logically, if God has performed that work Himself through the Person of Jesus Christ, and if Jesus Christ has said that He is the only way to be restored to the Father, then no person can be saved apart from Him. Further, as only He fulfilled the Law of Moses, then no person who attempts to please God through adherence to the Law of Moses can be saved. Those who were under the law, and who looked forward to Messiah, were saved in anticipation of Messiah. But once Messiah has come, only through faith in His work can anyone else be saved. Those who hold to the law for their justification cannot be, and indeed they are not, pleasing to God.

Lord God Almighty, thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.