Have you ever had that thought, or heard someone make that statement? Of course, we all have, it's been around a long time, I'm sure. Generally it's used in connection with the new year. But, have you ever had that thought in connection with the Bible? No, me either. Until, that is, I had a dream a few nights ago.
It all started with the lessons we've been studying in Sunday School. Our lessons for the month of September are on the book of Hebrews. Quite an interesting book! The writer of Hebrews (which most theologians agree was Paul) is writing about the Old Covenant and old Priesthood, and the New Covenant and new Priesthood.
I had been studying and reading the scriptures one night before I went to bed. Sometime in the middle of the night I remember these thoughts coming to me. Not sure if it was a dream or what, but you know how you KNOW that it's God speaking to you? That's what happened to me. The gist of what He said is:
Paul was setting the stage for the Hebrews to understand the power and importance of the New Covenant and it's High Priest, Jesus. He began with the Old Covenant and the old line of the Priesthood. It was fleshly in every realm. The priests came from the line of Aaron - a man - and the sacrifices were of animals. The tabernacle was made with human hands out of earthly materials. The Old Covenant could not remove sin or cleanse the conscience - it only covered sin and gave a short reprieve to the person bringing the sacrifices to the temple.
God used the Old Covenant to "keep" his children until the new and better Covenant was established. The Old Covenant covered sin and allowed the people to be forgiven, but it also pointed to the complete inadequacy of man to live up to it's laws, or to come into the presence of a Holy God - to the complete inadequacy of the blood of bulls and goats to remove sin, and the certainty of having to return over and over again to the Tabernacle to repeat the whole process. There was certainly no rest in the Old Covenant!
However, God was not finished with his man. No - His goal - His ultimate plan - was to bring man into right relationship with Him forever. Paul begins now to point out the new and better promises that came through the New Covenant. He points out all the differences between the Old and the New Covenants and the line of priests that came through Aaron and the one and only High Priest named Jesus!
The New Covenant is spiritual. The Priest came from God - his blood is Holy blood. He is man and God. His sacrifice was flesh and spirit all at the same time. He took his own blood into the Heavenly Holy of Holies - a tabernacle not built with human hands or of earthly materials - but of Holy hands and heavenly material - located in Heaven. No longer will man have to strive to come before God - to offer unending sacrifices and never have a clean conscience. Thanks be to God that through the New Covenant we can stand before the Heavenly Father cleansed and free and Holy - through our High Priest, Jesus. His sacrifice was made, once and for all, never to be repeated. It was more than more than enough.
Paul wants his readers to understand and receive the fullness of the New Covenant - all it offers us - to fully embrace the power and importance of that Covenant and it's High Priest, Jesus.
So, we should be rejoicing today and every day that our great High Priest, the eternal, supreme, Holy, Jesus, is seated at the right hand of God, ever interceding for us! We can enter into His rest everyday, receive forgiveness of our sins at any moment, and enjoy fellowship with our Father 24 hours a day. Receive the New Covenant and all it offers you today.
Glory to God - out with the old, and in with the NEW!
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