My High Priest (Hebrews)

 

The reflection of yourself in the mirror is not really the real you.  It is a photocopy, so to speak.  Only other people can see the original you.  This is what the Old Testament (OT) Tabernacle and sacrifices are like - the reflection of the real Tabernacle and Sacrifice we meet in the New Testament (NT).  Yes, some call the OT events and practices foreshadows but sometimes that word seems vague and borderline archaic to me.  Anyway, you can get the point.  What I'm saying is, Heaven is the True Tabernacle and Jesus is the real Sacrifice.

In the OT Tabernacle there were priests who mediated and helped the Israelites to offer up their sacrifices before God.  The head priest being called the High Priest, of whom Aaron was the first.

In this High Priestly position, only he could enter the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle.  This is where the ark of the Covenant rested and the presence of God hovered.  The High Priest could not simply go in whenever he wished either.  It was a very serious ministry and matter because it was where God's great holiness abided, hovering over the ark of the covenant.  

This man could only go in once a year and he must have a blood sacrifice from an animal.  In one hand he'd have a sacrifice for his own sins and in the other hand, for the sins of all those millions of Israelites.  If he didn't obey this, he would die.  He had to repeat this two-handed sacrifice each and every single year.

You can see then, that these sacrifices did not clear the conscience.  The OT sacrifices could never take away or atone for sins and feelings of guilt.  This is why Jesus Christ had to come be our High Priest - not as a foreshadow, but as the real sacrifice.

Jesus was sinless so He did not need a sacrifice for Himself when He came before God His Father.  Nevertheless, He offered Himself once for all, to take away the sins of all the billions of people in the world who accept Him as Savior.  The blood of Jesus was accepted by God and it is that which,

"cleanses our consciences from acts that led to death" 

and now we can serve the living God without feeling guilty for our sins.

Have you allowed Jesus to be your High Priest?

Jesus, You are my High Priest forever.  Thank You for washing my sins away with Your precious blood and giving me a clean and clear conscience.  My guilty feelings are gone and now I can serve You freely.  Thank You for making this possible from out of the depths of Your unshakeable love for me.

Amen.

                                                       ~ERC  April 2024~

Based on Hebrews 8:3 & 9:7-10, 14, 25-28.

Sing, There Is A Fountain, along with the Gaither Music TV.