Hebrews 8
Hebrews
{8:1} Now of the things which we have spoken [this is] the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens
{8:2} A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
*We have an high priest in heaven.
We have a minister of the sanctuary.
We have a minister of the true tabernacle.
We have a minister of the sanctuary and true tabernacle that the LORD pitched- not man.
Think about it for a moment. God show Moses a pattern in the mount that he was to follow in creating the earthly tabernacle.
There is a heavenly tabernacle.
Now why would heaven NEED a tabernacle if in heaven there is no sin?
Heaven needed(s) a tabernacle because angels sinned, because man sinned. Because sin came into existence and sin to be blotted out of existence has to be destroyed where it began. Sin isn't unique to earth, people like to think that it is, but it orginated in heaven. The way of escape had to be created in Heaven. The plan of salvation was made in heaven. Were animals sacrifices made in heaven, did angels come and offer sin offerings, no.
When Lucifer sinned and caused 1/3 of the angels to sin with him they weren't given a second, third, fourth, fifth...endless chances to sin and repent, sin and repent, they weren't to be forgiven seventy times seven times. Lucifer's sinning, his rebellion against God in God's realm inciting open rebellion among all angels was something that needed figuring out right away. They weren't instantly destroyed though that was an option. God is a God of love. Love suffers long. Love gives of itself. Love would rather save than destroy. Lucifer wanted to prove God wasn't who He said He was. He wanted to prove that God plays favorites, that God was evil himself. That God's love was greater towards His Son than the angels. By definition love is fairness because fairness is good and love is all things good. For some unknown reason Lucifer began to envy God. The created wanted to be the creator. Lucifer as all angels have been given certain powers, an Lucifer thought that He, as an angel with his own ability to perform, could take God's place an be like God.
Wrongly Lucifer had this desire and nurtured it, helped it to grow and not only had the wicked desire in himself but wanted to share it with others inciting one third of the angels to believe that they too should be like their creator and deserved the worship of the Creator. Weren't they spectacular beings? Weren't they powerful? Didn't they have their own special miracle working abilities? Weren't they Spirit like God Himself? Why did they need to worship their creator if they were just as good as their creator? They knew the love of God would save them from instant extinction. They counted on His amazing love to keep them alive. They were after all most like Him. If He wielded the power to wipe the dissenters out of existence wouldn't that prove that in reality God is not love as He claims but rather a megalomaniac of the worst sort using His devineness as evil. Lucifer set it up, or so he thought, in such a way that God would lose no matter what He did. God would lose if He destroyed them and God would lose if He let them live.
A plan was needed, a way was needed to reveal the true love of God to all and to destroy the evil that had reared up into existence.
First all the angels had to make a choice. God or Lucifer, which did they want to follow? God wasn't forcing them to choose Him, they and they alone could make that decision.
In the end 1/3 of the angels chose to follow Lucifer.
Once that was established a plan was needed to save any that would fall into the trap of Lucifer and his hoard. Lucifer boasted that God's creations could not live sinless, that they too, like the evil angels would not follow Him, that they'd realize that God was just as evil as Lucifer claimed He was, not to be trusted, not to be believed.
God believed humans- made a little lower than the angels- would not succumb to the same impulse as Satan. However God knew that the humans would have temptor, something Lucifer didn't have. Lucifer of his own accord filled his heart with himself. Knowing the humans would have a temptor God had to have a divine plan in place to prove once and for all the evilness of sin and the righteousness of Himself, the love He was. Sin couldn't be allowed to exist forever, sin is an enmity against God, sin destroys love.
What could prove God's love as triumphant over sin? What could prove God's love completely so that none could question His love as he wipes sin out of existence and all that embodies sin?
The plan of Salvation.
The Heavenly Sanctuary.
The plan of Salvation was created in Heaven, the way shown in Heaven. The only sacrifice acceptable in the heavenly tabernacle not made with hands is Jesus. God's only Son. The way was made. Thy way o' God is in the sanctuary. Psalms {77:13} 'Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God
as our God?'
So here when we read -
{8:1} Now of the things which we have spoken [this is] the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens
{8:2} A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
- We know that the plan of salvation, the way of salvation was created in Heaven. Just as in the earthly sanctuary- a type of the heavenly- we know that a sacrifice was needed to forgive sin, to cleanse sin, to destroy sin once and for all.
Jesus came and lived among us as one of us and then sacrifice His sinless self for us and then He went to heaven after certain days and there He is carrying out the ultimate plan to rid the entire existence of all from sin. A plan that was given to us on earth so we'd know that all would be judged- the corporate, the individual, and only once a year would the Sanctuary be cleansed. Once the Heavenly Sanctuary is cleanse it will never be defiled again, never. The cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary is once for all, just as Christ's sacrifice was- once for all. When the cleansing is over and the cup is filled so that it can be filled no more, when all has been decided, Christ will return for His chosen- those who chose Him- and sin will ultimately be wiped from existence completely.
{8:3} For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore [it is] of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
{8:4} For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law
{8:5} Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, [that] thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.
{8:6} But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better
promises.
{8:7} For if that first [covenant] had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
{8:8} For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
{8:9} Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
{8:10} For this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people
{8:11} And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
{8:12} For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
{8:13} In that he saith, A new [covenant,] he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old [is] ready to vanish away.
Isn't this beautiful-
{8:11} And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
*They shall NOT teach every man his neighbor and every man his brother.
NOT teach.
We are so hung up on teaching and yet we know that there will be a day- this day-
Saying Know the Lord, for ALL shall know me from the least to the greatest.
Before Christ returns, before it is finished and the fate of all decided, all will KNOW the Lord. The laws will be put into our minds and will be written on our hearts, God will be our God and we will be His people.
Praise be to God, all glory and all honor! All power and majesty unto our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ now and forever!
By His grace and mercy!
Amen.
2/1/10
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
The throne of grace. It sounds so majestic, the throne of grace.
Grace is --
charis
khar'-ece
From G5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude): - acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (-ious), joy liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy).
grace (grâs) noun
a. A disposition to be generous or helpful; goodwill. b. Mercy; clemency.
A favor rendered by one who need not do so; indulgence.
A temporary immunity or exemption; a reprieve.
8. Theology. a. Divine love and protection bestowed freely on people. b. The state of being protected or sanctified by the favor of God. c. An excellence or a power granted by God.
When we think of the grace of God we think of the unwarranted forgiveness that God gives to us, the reprieve, the mercy, the divine love of God given to us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
To be told to come boldly unto the throne of grace is to place ourselves before God. We can't go knock on a door and be admitted to a room containing the throne of grace so that we can kneel before that throne and God upon it, can we? No. We aren't able to do that literally but figuratively we do need to do just that. We need to place ourselves before God, humbling ourselves even as we boldly take that step to put ourselves into the very real presence of God, the Holy Spirit interceding for us literally where we cannot go. Only at the throne of grace will we find the grace we need to help us. By the grace of God we are helped by God in so many, many ways. In fact it is only by the grace of God we even live.
Please Lord, let us learn to come boldly before You our only source of true help, the only place we can find the help we need to live in You and only in You. We are in a world that would tear us down and destroy us at every opportunity. We live in a world that brings pain and anguish to those we love while we remain feeling helpless to ease their heartache, their pain. How gladly we say, or think we would take their pain and bear it for them just so they didn't have to endure it themselves and yet we know that we are all tried in fire, that our faith is perfected as we are chastened and go through the hardships of life excessive or not. Please Lord I come boldly before You now and kneel at Your throne of grace pleading for Your help in our time of need. You know our needs Lord, please help us endure all that we need to in You, and through You, so that we may one day be with You forever in eternity. By Your grace Lord, by Your grace.
In Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior now and forever.
Amen.
2/1/11