Reflections | Sunday, 1st September 2013

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Taken from Mumbai Christian Diary: http://mumbaichristiandiary.blogspot.in/2011/08/blood-of-jesus-ii.html

To understand the blood of Jesus, we need to understand the ancient system of worship in the tabernacle. I spoke about it a little in the earlier post on propitiation (Read | Propitiation) but we will talk about it in more detail in this post. 

The ancient system of worship was not a creation of Man, but it was all ordained by God. God gave Moses specific instruction as to how things should be. He gave Moses the exact measurement for everything in the tabernacle. God made it very clear that it should be just like he says. (Exodus 25:40) This is because everything in the tabernacle was rich in meaning and spoke of Christ. The Old Testament ordinances spoke of New Testament realities. (Hebrews 8:5)
 

Now the tabernacle had an outer court where the people gathered. In the outer court was an altar where animal sacrifices were made. This altar spoke of Christ. It spoke of how God would sacrifice Jesus Christ on the altar of the cross once and for all for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)

In the outer court, there was also a brazen laver. This stood for the daily cleansing that believers would need after they are saved. It is true that our sins were paid for, once and for all on the cross of Calvary but sins do creep in, in a believer’s life and that is when we need to be cleansed by remembering the completed work of Christ.

Then there was the inner court. In the inner court was the seven-branched lamp stand. This lamp stand stood for Christ, who would be the light of the world. (John 8:12)

In the inner court there was also the table of shewbread, which stood for Jesus, who would be the bread of Life. (John 6:35)

And then, there was the golden altar of incense, where fragrant offerings were made to God continuously. This altar stood for the worship of believers. It also stood for the method of worship. Not everyone can worship God. What you do does not matter when you worship God. Yes, the bible does talk about us lifting our hands and clapping (1 Timothy 2:8) (Psalm 134:2) but there is something more important to learn here. What matters most is how you approach God to worship. Nobody can approach the altar of incense without shedding the blood of an animal at the altar in the outer court. You need to first be cleansed in your heart by the blood and then come and worship God. How can you worship God without first receiving salvation and putting your faith in Christ? 

Matthew 15:8

This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

Without salvation worship just becomes a ritual where we honor God with out mouths but our hearts are far from him. 

You need to first put your faith in the blood and then come and worship God with a pure heart. That is what makes a church so special. In a true church your race, community, country; all these things will not matter. What matters is that all have come through the altar, by putting their faith in the blood. (1 Peter 1:18-19) (Romans 3:25)

A thick veil separated the inner court from the holy of holies. The Holy of holies was the place where, God dwelled. There were no windows here because God is light and his presence would light up the place. 

This thick veil, the bible says was torn in two from top to bottom when Jesus Christ died on the cross. (Matthew 27:51). The veil represented the body of Christ that was broken for us to make a way for us to approach God boldly. 

Hebrews 10:19-21

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God;

Finally in the holy of holies was the Ark of the Covenant. Now in the Ark of the Covenant were the 10 commandments.

Imagine this for a moment. If a Man entered the holy of holies, the 10 commandments in the ark would accuse him immediately. The 10 commandments make every man guilty before God and speak judgment against all men and women. (Romans 3:19-20) (James 2:10). Above the tabernacle was the pillar of fire. The pillar of fire gave light and warmth in the night to the Israelites (Exodus 40:38) but it was also a pillar of God’s wrath and judgment. (Numbers 11:1) (Psalm 106:18) (Leviticus 16:2). So, if a man entered the holy of holies, and the 10 commandments accused him, the wrath of God would fall upon him and consume him immediately. (Psalm 50:3) (Psalm 106:18).

But God who is rich in mercy put a lid on the Ark of the Covenant and called it the mercy seat (the place where mercy sits). (Exodus 26:34). Therefore, a priest could now enter the holy of holies, and the 10 commandments would be covered and therefore not accuse him. The priest could then sprinkle the blood of an animal on the mercy seat to make atonement for his sins and the sin of the community. (Hebrews 9:7) (Leviticus 16:1-34) This spoke of Christ and how he would enter the presence of God in heaven with his blood and sprinkle it as evidence that the sins of the whole world have been paid for. (Hebrews 9:12) (Hebrews 10:10) (Hebrews 10:14)

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