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Hebrews, chapter 10.
12.
But this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sin, forever sat down on the right hand of God, and henceforth expecting till His enemies be made as footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever them that are sanctified, where the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us. For after that He had said before.
This is a covenant that I will make with him after those days that the Lord.
I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Now we're remission of these is there is no more offering for sin.
Having therefore, President boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.
By a new and living way which He had consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh, and having a high priest over the House of God. Let us draw near where the true heart in full assurance of faith, having your heart sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for He is faithful to promise, and let us consider one another to provoke the love and the good work. Need not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together, as a manner of some, is but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching.
For if we sin willfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin.
But a certain fearful looking for judgment and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.
He that despised Moses, Lord, died, and without mercy, under two or three witnesses.
Of how much sore punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy, who have trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith He was sanctified and unholy things, and has done despite under the spirit of grace? For we know him that has said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense that the Lord, and again.
The Lord shall judge his people.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
But call to remembers the former days in which, after you were illuminated, he endured a great fight of afflictions, partly whilst you were made a gazing stunt, both by reproaches and afflictions, and partly while she became companions of them, they were so used.
For He had compassion of me and my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
Not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward, for you have need of patience. But after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise. For yet a little while neither shall come, will come, and will not tarry.
Now that Josh will live by faith. But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
But we are not of them which draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe for the saving of the soul. Her brother was asking me.
About the sufferings of the Lord.
In connection with the curse what there was in the Old Testament.
Which would point to that.
I suppose.
Connection with that that we could look at what is said about the sacrifice of Christ, connection, the curse and Galatians in Galatians chapter 3.
For as many as are of the works of the law.
Are under the curse.
For it is written, cursed is everyone.
That continues not.
And all the things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God it is evident for.
The just shall live by faith.
And the law is not of faith, but the man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us. I suppose Paul in writing is referring to us Jews.
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Hath redeemed us from the curse of the law.
Being made a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone.
That hang us on the tree while he is quoting from Deuteronomy chapter 21.
There when he says Christ is everyone that hangeth on a tree.
Now it's been striking to me to see that because in the previous verses, just a verse or two above that it speaks of stoning the one who offended, who broke the law. And then this is added if anyone is hanged on a tree.
Well, you just can't help but feel.
That the Spirit of God penned that because the Lord would come in a day when the Gentiles would be in power who did their execution by means of crucifixion, hanging people on a tree. So it seems to me that the Spirit of God was just pointing forward to that time when the Lord would come.
And he would be hanged on a tree, and he would take the curse. And so He has redeemed us from the curse of the law that is Jews. Now the Gentiles will be brought in here in connection with the verse 10, it seems to me.
For as many as are of the works of the law under the curse. So if a Gentile, and there are many today who have professed to be Christians even that put themselves under the law, but really they're putting themselves under the curse. Well, that's a solemn thing. But it would seem to me that especially for the Gentiles, we, it's what we have in.
In Corinthians.
That the Lord was made sin for us.
Just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God as far as Gentiles are concerned, who never were under the law.
The Lord accounts to them that they have sinned. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And the Lord Jesus went to the cross, and he was made sin for us. That is, our sins were laid upon Him, and he suffered the judgment for those sins. So.
It seems from this that he bore the curse, and he also bore the judgment for sin. There may be some other brother could add something to this.
That connection, looking back at Genesis chapter 3, to notice there that there were really seven things which came as the result of man's disobedience. There was the enmity, the bruising.
The sorrow, the curse, the thorns, the sweat, and the dust of death. All of them mentioned right there in chapter 3. The enmity, the bruising, the sorrow, the curse, the thorns, the sweat, and the dust of death.
And perhaps sometimes it is pictured as though God reached down into that situation and plucked us from it. But is it not right to say that God himself really could not do that? The Lord Jesus came into this world, and every one of those seven things are specifically mentioned in connection with the Lord Jesus.
I repeat them the enmity, the bruising.
The sorrow, the curse, the thorns, the sweat and the dust of death. I say the dust of death with caution because.
He saw no corruption. But in the 22nd Psalm, prophetically we read, Thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
So that it is to me very remarkable and very beautiful that all those things which came upon man and upon this world because of sin.
Where all endured by the Lord Jesus and we might be delivered from that position. I've enjoyed too, I must admit contrasting that with Revelation 5 where we read.
Thou art worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. There in Genesis are seven of those awful curses, if you wish, and in Revelation 7 notes of praise.
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Of praise, and between the two is the cross of Christ. Might be nice to be reminded.
Scripture. You referred to Brother Anderson in Deuteronomy. Look at them for a moment. Something that was on my mind and heart this morning when we remembered the Lord.
That's so.
Remarkably brought out in that portion the end of the 21St chapter of Deuteronomy.
You mentioned the two occasions for the death sentence.
In verse 18 we read.
The man have a stubborn and rebellious son.
Was a son brought in and all? What a contrast, beloved.
And we think of the Son of God, whose obedience was perfect.
And then in the 22nd verse to read, and if a man have committed a sin worthy of death.
And the Lord Jesus stood before the high priest, and what was it that he was condemned on?
For his confession that he was the son of the highest.
That merited him the death sentence.
And all. What a contrast. In each case we have that obedient son, delighted to do his father's will.
And yet condemned to death.
We are the one who.
Confessed a good confession before the authorities before whom he stood.
Brought him the death sentence. What a solemn thing that is, I've often thought, when the Holy Spirit.
Through Moses had these words penned in the very Pentateuch, here in the very book of the Law of the Lord.
It was Jehovah that is revealed to us in the writings of Moses, and here to pen these very words of a rebellious son of a man, and had deserved death.
When the Lord Jesus Himself came, the Lawgiver Himself, and by whom these words were pinned, and then he was subject to this sentence so unjustly put upon him. And all, beloved, He suffered it for you and for me.
I think of verse 12 and verse fourteen of our chapter.
And we think of the confusion of religion around us, and we can realize that where one is introduced, it takes away that confusion.
And so we see one sacrifice, and we see one offering, and how.
We need to lay hold of this in this Dark World because there's so much that would take away from.
This sacrifice, this offering of the Lord Jesus, let us keep it ever before US1 Sacrifice 1 Glorious Person, Jesus Christ, who glorified God, who answered.
To God for every holy and justice claim, and because of that we can be LED out of confusion and given peace that we can truly enjoy as Christians. But there's so much around us that would rob the Lord Jesus of His glory.
And to introduce on every hand the truth or.
The teaching that a person can be saved and lost.
And that there is the need of being saved more than once is to dishonor the Lord Jesus and to take from His glory, as we have set before us in these verses.
This man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins whatever, sat down on the right hand of God.
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I believe in the Tabernacle.
There was in the Holy Place or in the holiest of Holies. There was no seat. The work was to be repeated.
But here the Lord Jesus when that work.
Was finished that one sacrifice offered. He took his seat in the highest place of authority, and his acceptance is ours. One sacrifice forever sat down on the right hand of God. The translation in both verses. In the 12Th verse it says one sacrifice.
In perpetuity, and then in the 14th verse. For by one offering he hath.
Perfected in perpetuity, that is. It's in contrast with the priest standing, as you said, offering over and over again the same sacrifices which could not take away sin. But this one sacrifice, it will never lose its value in the sight of God.
In perpetuity, and that is, it continues forever. And when we reach those shores of eternal glory, it will still be about the Lamb that was slain, about his precious blood. And so if this is so, as before the eye of God, and then as He looks upon us who have been brought into blessing through that work, it's in perpetuity with us too. And so it says in the 14th verse. For by one offering he hath.
Forever, and before we could ever be lost again, the work of Christ would have to lose its value before God. But there it is in perpetuity. It's accomplished at Calvary, but its value will ever be celebrated in heaven. And we ought to be and are entitled to be in the enjoyment of this now in our souls.
In perpetuity. It's lovely the way those thoughts are brought together in the 12Th verse and in the 14th verse.
We read in Revelation chapter 2 and also in chapter 3, especially in chapter 3 it says I will make them come and worship at thy feet that say they are Jews and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan, that is they they held to ritualism, to a continual sacrifice.
And it put a slight upon the work of Christ.
But I believe one of the characteristics, or at least something to consider in connection with the Philadelphian testimony is that it makes everything of Christ above all his sacrifice, but also the fact that he is the true gathering center. But here you have that mentioned right in the midst of that Philadelphian testimony, that question of those that say they are Jews and are not, but of the synagogue.
Of Satan there the Lord Son unto my Lord, said thou my right hand, till I make thy clothes thy footstool.
But noticing here in the 12Th verse also, as we have it in the chapter one and verse three, that he himself takes that seat in his own right. So the Spirit of God has taken what we have in the Psalms and interprets it that the Lord Himself in virtue of what is done.
Has a perfect right to sit down on the right hand of the throne of God.
How wonderful it is to know that, but that it is not only that God has given him that place, but He Himself has the glory which accrues to him through the work of the cross.
To take that seat in perpetuity is will never be taken away from him.
This man, there's a man in the glory, the heaven, even the heavens are the Lords, but the earth has he given to the children of men in the Psalm. And then the Lord saying, in the 14th of John in my Father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go, I will come again. Then in Luke 19 he puts a parable, says a certain noble man went into a far country to receive for himself a Kingdom and to return. So now we have come to the moment, this man.
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Well, he had to offer the sacrifice for sins 1St, and then he enters in and he's enters in as a man and as a noble man. But he's coming back and he's coming to bring us into that place of glory too. It's a wonderful, wonderful thing that now there is a man in the glory.
With all this right and power, and he's going to bring us there. Believe too that we have set before us here that which we can avail ourselves of as to access. We're not only saved in our sins, put away those sins gone, but we have access.
As believers into the very presence of God.
In verse 17 and 18 and 19, which seems to continue the subject of these verses and their sins and iniquities.
Will I remember no more? God is reminding us that those sins are gone and He does not remember them because He has been glorified.
Then it says where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. There's never to be another offering for the believer. Sins that offering, that one offering in for purity is ever perfect before God, and God delights in that.
And you and I have the.
Holy boldness now to come into the very holiest of holiest, and I believe that's the presence of God, is it not?
Being gathered to His precious name, that place where we were this morning, sitting together at the Lord's table, was the holiest of holies. That was the very presence of the Lord Jesus.
And His being there makes that place, as He will make that place in the eternal day of glory when we are up there. It's going to be He himself that will make the place. But down here.
It's everything to the child of God to be in the.
Blessed joy of having free access.
There's nothing richer, is there, than that access into the presence of the Lord Jesus through His precious blood. Having therefore, brethren, boldness or liberty to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, every believer has that.
Titled To be there.
And He has the liberty to be there, but we have not all availed ourselves of it. But it's true for us. And it's because of that one sacrifice, and because our sins are gone, and because God remembers them no more, and because there is no more offering for sin.
A wonderful these things are to enjoy because I believe that many Christians do not enjoy the liberty that is theirs.
Nor the access that we have as brethren.
In Revelation chapter 5 we see the Lord Jesus as the Lamb and.
As it were slain, or as it as if it had just taken place. And this is at least 2000, more than 2000 years after the work has been accomplished on Calvary's cross.
But this is a beautiful portion of the Word of God to show us that that work is ever fresh and new in the presence of God. And there we do see Him as the one that has.
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By his death and Calvary gained a right to take that book of Judgement and to cleanse the earth, the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world.
But it gives occasion for the redeemed to realise the one that has claimed upon everything as the Redeemer is the one that has spared us the judgment that he is about to execute. And so it leads to worship. I thought two beloved that tell me if I'm wrong here, the difference between.
Sanctification by one offering.
And perfection that it seems that the sanctification has more in view of us being set apart, called out from the world and set apart in view of the world. We're sanctified by the death of the Lord Jesus. We are completely called out and set apart, but the perfected by one offering forever seems to be.
As to what we were God worth now, and what we were in the past and what we are now as a result of having come.
To the one who had died for us on Calvary's cross, on the one hand.
The only thing that really will effectively call us out and separate us and sanctify us in connection with the world is the work of Christ, his death. But it also is dead, which will cleanse us and make us perfect so that we are fit for the presence of God.
Is that the correct difference there between?
All, I believe, sanctification, Sanctification in this chapter brings in the thought of being set apart from the whole system of things in Judaism, because the great danger seemed to be with these Jewish believers that they were going on with the two things. And that is, they were going on still with those sacrifices and still profess to recognize that the work of Christ was sufficient.
But he shows that through the work of Christ we are not only set apart from a world that's under judgment, but also from that whole system of things that God established that had to do with what came before. Before that work was really accomplished. But now that it has been accomplished and there's a glorified man at the right hand of God, and we have that standing in him.
Why then we have neither anything to do with the world system, which is under judgment.
That's the 14th, the 13th verse from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. But also we have taken our place outside of all this order of things that was once established in Judaism. So I believe the two things are brought before us. Was also going to say too, in connection with the Lord Jesus having gone back to glory.
That he could have gone back in his own right.
If he had at the end, that's why it says, when the time came that he should be received up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem like the Hebrew servant, when he had perfectly glorified God in his whole pathway, He had a right to go back to heaven alone. No man had ever done that. But here was one to whom the gates of glory would open, as the 24th Psalm says.
Who would enter into the glory? He that had clean hands and a pure heart, Who could go in? Only the Lord of glory himself. He had title to do that. But when the time came that he should be received up, it's as though, like the Hebrew servant, he has a choice now. Is he going to go free and have that liberty alone, or is he going to have the companionship of his wife and his children?
If he says I love my master, my wife and my children, I will not go out free.
Then he must go to the judges. Then he must provide a way so that he could have that company. And that's exactly what the Lord Jesus did. When the time came that he would be received up, He set his face to go to Jerusalem. And why, brethren? Well, He wanted your company and mine. And the man who sits at the right hand of God sits there as the one who has glorified God about the question of sin, so that he.
Have associated with himself a people in that glory and he has given us already titled to be in his presence. As it's been remarked through the work that he has accomplished. The high priest alone once a year and this continuance remembrance, continual remembrance of sin, but now your sins and iniquities will I remember no more. And so he is there in the presence of God for us not to settle.
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Question of sin that has been settled, but he is there as we have in the.
21St verse And having a high priest over the House of God. He's there as the one who has glorified God about the question of sin, but now his present work is to maintain our souls in the enjoyment of that.
And just a little comment too, in connection with having boldness to enter into the holiest. I believe it is true, brethren, that we worship in the holiest of all, but I believe that as it's looked at here.
It is the position into which every believer has been brought, and he is entitled to enjoy it. It isn't that I am not in the holiest of all, except when I come on Lords Day morning into His presence to remember Him. It's the place that grace has brought me into. And it is because I am in that place that I have liberty and boldness in connection with worship. Otherwise it would be afraid.
To come say on Lord's Day morning into his very presence where he's in the meds, if I didn't have the consciousness that through that work I have been fitted to be there. And that fitness is all through the week. It's all the time. We have that place before God through the work that Christ has accomplished. We might just notice in Leviticus 16, I think on Saturday, the scapegoat was referred to.
And Brother Brinkman's remarks brought this to mind. In Leviticus 16 he spoke about Revelation 5 stood a lamb as it had been slain. And how with God that is recent he, he never forgets. Oh, that cross, it's always before him.
And here in this atonement, in this chapter, we come down to.
The 14th Verse. And the priest was to take of the blood of the Bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward. And before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger 7 times. Just a precious thought here in connection with the eye of God.
And with our own sight of that cross.
That it's Once Upon the mercy seat for the eye of God. Just once. Oh God, or least Abraham in type, says to that servant.
In the 24th of Genesis.
Take heed that thou bring, not my son Hit her again.
God has sent his son into this world once to die. He's not coming back for that work that's all finished. And God never forgets the cross. It's always before his mind and it's recent with him. But it was seven times before the mercy seat an eastward, I believe to perhaps.
At least it presents the gate before us. The people's entrance into there was on the.
East And so you and I need continually to be reminded of the cross of Christ. And that's why we read this morning in the 20th of Acts upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread each Lord's day, each seven days. And continually you and I need to be reminded of the cross that we forget, not that sacrifice.
Point over in numbers.
29 Here in Numbers 29 we have the order of that seventh month, which is a very significant time in Israel's history. If you notice in especially in Leviticus 23, you see that it has a prophetic bearing on their coming history. And so you have the Feast of Trumpets mentioned 1St and then.
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In verse seven you have that great day of atonement.
The affliction of their souls that we were considering in Leviticus 16. But then you notice on in verse 12 we have the 15th day of that seventh month which is the Feast of Tabernacles, and prophetically I believe that would figure the time of the coming Millennium. Well now you notice here that there was a certain requirement.
They were to offer certain sacrifices each day.
Of that period of time and you notice that there were a certain number of bullocks and then they were to also to offer.
14 lambs. But now as you go down through each day at verse 12, down and then beginning at verse 17, then verse 2023262932 and 35.
You see that the number of lambs 14 never changes. It's always 14 lambs. It's like a a double testimony to the perfection of the work of Christ. Never does it change. But we noticed that the number of the bullocks offered diminishes because it appears as though even in the Millennium, even during that thousand years of glorious rain of the Lord Jesus that.
Righteousness and joy and peace it will diminish. That is the value.
Of this blessing will diminish in their hearts. And this just speaks of the character of man, doesn't it? All over again, all through the ages we can see the the heart of man, how that everything entrusted has deteriorated and has been spoiled. That is the heart of man.
There's another thought that I was considering too in connection with this. Perfected forever them that are sanctified.
Over in Acts chapter.
19.
We notice here Acts chapter 19 and verse nine. It says but when divers were hardened and believed not but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them and separated the disciples. He separated the disciples. I don't know if we have any definite effort before this to separate the disciples from the synagogue.
But it appears by now that the apostle realizes the serious influence of this Judaizing spirit, and so he separates the disciples. And surely that is so important in connection with the present testimony. And I believe, brethren, we should be very much exercised about anything that would creep into the present testimony to the truth of the one body that would.
Favor of the old way that would bring in anything connected with the former things, as we've had before us here in Hebrews.
Beautiful thought in the book of Genesis with the East. You know, when Cain left the presence of God, he moved towards the east of Aden. And isn't it beautiful that that the Tabernacle was opened towards the east, wasn't it?
And the blood is sprinkled towards the east. I think it's beautiful to see that God, as it were, is inviting the ones who have left His presence to come back to Him. The opening is towards the very direction where Cain went, leaving the presence of God.
And that's where the blood is sprinkled in that direction.
2IN connection with the building of the wall and Nehemiah's day was the Eastgate. I really liked that because you know, you see the names of retirement homes and senior citizens buildings. They're usually Sunset Lodge or something like this, you know, as though well, getting near the end of the journey and the sun is soon going to go down.
I like to think that the end of the.
Believers, life is eastward the Eastgate, looking toward the sun, rising by the grace of God. And when I see those words, sunset, lodge and so on, I think, thank the Lord. We face eastward waiting for the sunrise, and we can see by degrees it departs, just as though God was loath to.
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Remove that testimony, but you know God must show us the other side of the picture.
And before we get out of the book of Ezekiel, God shows us the return of that glory, and it returns by way of the East. And so there will be blessing marvelous to see the ways of God in connection with that people of old. It should just thrill our hearts when we think how wondrous and marvelous is His grace toward us in this age.
To look at a couple of things in type that we have in the Tabernacle.
As to where God meets with man, let's look in Exodus chapter 29 for the first one. The gate was on the east I believe, and we read down here in verse 42 of Exodus 29. It says it were God coming out to man. This shall be a continual Burke offering throughout your.
Generations at the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord.
Where I will meet you to speak there unto thee. Notice it's at the door of the Tabernacle, as old God is coming out there to meet those who bring that sacrifice. And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the Tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory. And I will sanctify the Tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and I will sanctify also both.
His sons to minister to me in the priests office. Now let's go to the 7th of numbers for the meeting in the sanctuary. We've been Speaking of that worship and our entrance into the Holy of Holies. I believe it's typified here.
In the last verse. This is a long chapter, the last verse 89.
Of #7.
When Moses was gone into the Tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of the testimony from between the two char bends, and he speak unto speak unto him. Well, it's through Christ who has entered into that sanctuary.
That we have had this wonderful privilege of entering right into the holiest today.
Christ, therefore us and our worship and our entrance right into the presence of God sitting down. It's really beautiful that there were actually no seats for any of the priests could sit down, but there is that one thing that is called the mercy seat. And there the eye of God could rest. There was the provision that he had made. And when we come to the New Testament, we see the Lord Jesus seated down.
And we are told in the first epistle of John that he is the propitiation or he is the mercy seat for our sins. And so because he has become the mercy seat, because he has glorified God about the question of sin, now we too can come in with that holy boldness and rest, because the mercy seat was a type of the Lord Jesus, and he is now seated at the right hand of the majesty.
High and so we find that rest we come into his presence and all this is set before us in that perfect peace in regard to the high priest too, when it says having a high priest over the House of God in the 21St verse, we know that in the in the garments that were worn by the high priest on the day of Atonement, he didn't wear the garments of glory and beauty. He wore the holy.
Garments and those holy linen garments he wore when he went in to make atonement. But there were also provided those garments of glory and beauty. And the Lord Jesus having glorified God about the question of sin, now he appears answering to that type in those garments of glory and beauty. He didn't make atonement when he wore those garments of glory and beauty. It was for the maintenance.
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People that they might be preserved and in the favor of God.
And oh, how precious to think that the Lord Jesus there, in those particular things that are brought before us in connection with the garments of glory and beauty, He carried the names on his shoulders, He carried the names upon his heart. And then there was the Urim and Thummim. And those three things are what sustain us now having a high priest over the House of God.
That we can be in the consciousness that He's carrying us upon his shoulders of strength.
That He is carrying us upon His heart of love, and that all His ways with us are in perfection. They're always in wisdom as well as in love. Because the Urim and Thummim was under those stones that were upon His, on his breast and the breastplate. So when it says here in this 21St verse, having a high priest over the House of God, it's the present work the Lord Jesus is carrying on. Isn't it lovely? We're considering these two things.
What he has done to bring us into acceptance as the one who has offered that one sacrifice.
And what He is doing now to maintain our souls in the enjoyment of the place where grace has brought us. And He would have us to know this not only not with timidity, not that we're wondering about our acceptance, but how lovely brethren, holy boldness, entering into the very holiest of all. For the holy eye of God cannot see one spot upon the One who has been cleansed by the blood and fitted through the work of.
Christ, He's perfected forever. Next 3 verses We have something that's very important and that is perhaps our responsibility as those who are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ and brought into this large circle of blessing. We have those two words.
That should speak to us very loudly.
I believe these two words are given to us.
12 different times in the book of Hebrews, the little words, let us.
In verse 22 and verse 23 and in verse 24, because of the privilege we have, then there is the responsibility and that which should be an exercise for each of us in the journey of life. Let us draw near with a true heart.
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith. Let us consider one another to provoke and to love.
And to good works how needed it is for us to.
Now the enjoyment of.
What has been accomplished for us by the Lord Jesus?
And what he is doing for us right now is you have mentioned as our great High priest. And so there is that work that has been accomplished for us and there is that work that is going on now for us up there as our great High Priest. But there is a work in us, is there not? And that has to do with.
Bringing us into the.
Place in its enjoyment, let us we can't just.
Sort of coast along. We need to be exercised, we need to lay hold of these things in reality, do we not? Let us. So three times we have in these verses and 12 Times in the Epistle, these words. Let us.
This epistle.
As an exhortation in the 13th chapter, 20 second verse.
The writer says, I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation.
For I have written a letter unto you in few words. This is why we get these expressions. Let us It's an exhortation. It's written to to stir us up. It was written to stir up those Jewish believers. It was necessary.
Become tempted to go back to the old order of things that was given to them in Judaism.
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But they were not to go back to that, because Christ had come, and it speaks of.
The new and living way which ye hath consecrated for us in verse 20. Well, I think the thought there, and the word new is newly made. It has no connection with the old. It was a new thing altogether. And if they were going back to the old, they wouldn't leave this thing that had been newly made the new way. Well, this would be a solemn thing for them, so you can tell.
All the way through things are said to to stir them up.
To really get at their conscience about this to get their eye upon the Lord Jesus and find all their sufficiency in him. And I noticed in verse 15, the Holy Ghost is brought in here. It says we're of the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us. Now the Holy Ghost had come. What I think what it means here is that the Holy Ghost spake in the Old Testament about these things pointing forward to it.
But the Holy Ghost now had come to earth and the testimony had been given from Pentecost on to the Lord Jesus Christ and what He had come to do, and the work was finished. The Holy Ghost was still testifying. And of course later on in the chapter it speaks of doing despot onto the spirit of grace. Well, if they went back again, they would just be disregarding what the Holy Ghost.
Testified to. So there's so much here that's in the way of exhortation.
Just to stir up. And that's why it's good for us, isn't it? Israel in the coming day of the new covenant will enter into the blessing of this. But as you say, the Spirit has already come to bring us into the good of this right now, so that we're not going to have to wait until Israel's day when they are blessed. The Spirit is now a witness to us of the blessedness of this, and in a much fuller way, because even in the millennial day.
There will not be that liberty to come into the holiest of all. Now that is something that is peculiar and special to us in this present Church period.
And that's why he desires that these Hebrew believers would see that it is a new, it's a living way. It was something. It is something that is especially for this particular time, Israel, as I say, in a coming day, will be brought into the blessing of the new covenant founded upon the blood of Christ.
But we are brought into a much better thing as our brother brought before us. God has provided some better thing for us, and how much better our place now.
And also this 20th verse, I just wondered whether we should mention what it says there. It's a new way, as our brother has just said, it's a living way. And that is.
The flesh can enjoy ordinances, the flesh can enjoy fine buildings, the flesh can enjoy all that appeals to the senses, even religiously. But one has to be born again and possess a new life to just sit quietly without any of those external things and just enjoy the Lord's presence.
It's a new thing altogether and it's a living thing, and because we possess a new life, we can sit with just simply bread and just simply wine on the table. It's not a special sanctuary or something, it's just simply around the Lord Himself.
And we, if we possess a new life, we can sit there and quietly enjoy his presence with all that holy boldness and liberty. And then too, when it says through the veil, that is to say, His flesh, the veil in the Tabernacle was really a picture of the Lord Jesus. We remember how it was blue and purple and scarlet and fine twine linen that was woven with.
With gold and all that represented to us the glory of that person who walked through this world, the one who came down and all those glories centered in him. But what did his perfect life do well? What did the veil do well? It actually proclaimed to his every Israelite, there's no entrance for you. And the perfect life of the Lord Jesus only condemned us. It only showed us that.
He had no right. There was only one who had the right to go back there and could have gone back alone. But He wanted to have us. And so if there was to be any access, the veil must be rent. And whose hand was it that rent the veil? It was rent from the top to the bottom. And now since the Lord Jesus on the cross bore our sins in His own body on the tree, and shed His precious blood, now God is saying, and now.
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He's not going to have the joys of having the lawn. He has already provided a way of access into his presence through the rent veil. And as someone has said, two things are very blessed in connection with it and that is that God could come out now, which he couldn't be for.
Is what he wanted to do for man was restrain. Justice had withstood the purposes of love, the Lord had a baptism to be baptized with, and there was a restraint on the outflow of what was in the heart of God.
Until the Lord Jesus had accomplished that work, and how wonderful when he cried, it is finished. The veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. The blood was shed and access is now provided into the presence of God. So God comes out to tell all that's in his heart, and we go in in perfect acceptance. And the result of it is.
That we are brought into this place of nearness. And now, as our brother has remarked.
These three precious fruits show themselves in the life of the believer and I believe I just call attention to the fact that the 23rd verse when it says let us hold fast the profession of our faith.
It's really the profession of our hope so that we really have the three things that characterize Christian life. Faith, hope and love. Faith because we can rest upon what God has said about what Christ has done. Hope not because we're faithful, but because he's faithful and loved because we love, because he first loved us and these three things now characterize us. It isn't just.
Provided for which there was number response within us. But as our brother said, he did something in us too, so that we could enjoy all this and not only the one living to make it solve, but produced in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, that response, that fruit that makes us enjoy all that has been provided. I think that.
Secular history brings out something about this veil that they.
Priests and Pharisees, whoever they were, they patched it up again. Well, this is really what the apostle is trying to open their their eyes to see that it's useless to patch it up if they tried to patch it up where they shut shut up the way into the presence of the Lord and that was a serious thing there's they're supposed to see now that the way is opened up and what a wonderful thing but.
Were shook to it and they didn't understand. But that's why I believe God by His Word gives them this, that their eyes might be opened. And why is it we have the word of God-given to us by the Spirit to open our eyes? We don't see things even when we're reading the Word, unless the Spirit of God opens our eyes to see it and illuminates the pace. That's the only way we can get anything for ourselves.
So I think it's wonderful that you have the Spirit of God.
We speak of him as the third person of the Trinity, brought in here too, as well as God. The epistle starts out with God, and of course it's the Lord Jesus Christ all the way through. Well, all is brought together here.
To open the eyes of those who need to see.
The privilege that we have is passing within the veil.
I believe there's two scriptures that would help us to consider how we come in, and that is in first Peter chapter 2 and verse five. First Peter chapter 2, verse 5.
He also has living stones are built up a spiritual house.
And holy priesthood to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ and also in Revelation chapter one and verses 5:00 and 6:00 and from Jesus Christ to his.
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The faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth, unto him that loves us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests, or a Kingdom of priests.
Priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion.
Forever and ever, Amen, I believe, as we enter into the holiest through the veil.
It's not only as forgiven sinners, and that is very true. We are forgiven sinners, but we have a special office given to us, and we say this for all believers because all believers are holy priests.
And we are a Kingdom of Greece and Christendom and religion around us would take this away and spoil the blessedness of being there as a priest to offer those spiritual sacrifices.
And has been said, we can come together and even if it's in quietness, and it's good to sit still, to be quiet sometimes and just to be free to be there in his presence as a priest to offer those sacrifices before him. So not only do we come into his presence, but we come in with.
Special service and privilege as a priest, a holy priest. Think of it, how favored we are to enter into these things, how much they should mean to us. Beloved brethren, let us go on in the pathway. Let us possess these things in the reality of it.
And to be before God in the full enjoyment.
Of what we have as Christians to enter into His holy presence with boldness, and as holy priests to offer spiritual sacrifices before Him. That is the sacrifice of praise to His blessed name.
In verse 22, I've heard that applied as if it is connected with our self judging ourselves before we remember the Lord. That is not what that verse conveys, does it? It is really here an admonition that if we draw near, we better make sure that we are of a true heart, that we really belong to the Lord, and that we are.
In the Christian position, that's the force of the verse, isn't it?
There are the two things that from the Lord's side there flowed the blood and the water, and so the blood has to do with our conscience. And so it says, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. What is it that has removed sin from my conscience before God?
Well, it's the precious blood of Christ, but if I were only forgiven.
Supposing I had wronged somebody and He had merely forgiven me, that would not set me at ease in His presence. I might easily say, well, He forgave me, but I wonder what He thinks of me. But isn't it wonderful a body washed with pure water? And that refers to what we have in John 13. Not the washing of the feet there, but what the Lord said when Peter said, not my feet only, but also my hands.
My head, the Lord's answer was, he that is washed or washed all over needeth not saved to wash his feet, but is clean every whit. I believe it's very important, brethren, that we should distinguish between those two things. The washing all over is what our brother was talking about in the young people's meeting.
That is, every believer in the Lord Jesus is a new creature in Christ Jesus.
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He has been washed all over, once and for all, and God sees him not merely with his sins forgiven, blessed indeed that is, but sees him in a life that never sinned and cannot sin. It's what is spoken of in Titus, the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. And so when I come into the Lord's presence, I can have the enjoyment of those two things.
That the blood has once for all removed my guilt as before God, and the God isn't looking upon me merely as a forgiven Sinner, but accepted in the beloved, a new creature in Christ Jesus. As I sometimes said, Rahab the harlot was sheltered from the judgment of Jericho, but she was afterwards married to the into the royal line of Israel.
Could you imagine if she sat down at the table with her new husband Salman?
And looked across the table and said to him, oh, it's wonderful to be a forgiving harlot. I think I can hear his reply when he looks back and says, oh, but you're far more than that to me. I don't think of you that way. It's true. You're forgiven, but I don't see a spot on you. Well, that's the way the believer is. That is our position, brethren. And that's why when he talks about holy boldness, what can give us holy boldness that we don't know this?
Many dear Christians break bread merely as forgiven sinners, and they're constantly uneasy.
But if we could just see this, how wonderful a place that we have been brought into. For here in Hebrews it's not so much the condition of soul, what is the thought, but our standing before God. Now the condition of soul is very necessary for the enjoyment of it. And so if our feet aren't washed, the Lord said, if I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
And that is, if we're allowing defilement in our lives, we can't enjoy these things we're talking about.
We're going to be uneasy, not because our standing has been disturbed, not because the blood has lost its value, but because we are. We've allowed something to come in and rob us of communion with the Lord. So we're not enjoying the things that are set before us here. And that's why it says having an high priest over the House of God for our standing is always perfect, but the work of Christ as our high priest and our advocate.
To maintain our souls in the enjoyment of where grace has brought us through the work of Christ.
In the Old Testament, we have what answers to that or what is the type of that pointing to it. In Exodus chapter 29, we have Aaron and his sons washed. Well, that's the whole body that's washed. That's their preparation for the position of being priests and serving as priests.
But if you go over to the 30th chapter you find out to have to keep on washing but not the whole body and verse.
Verse 19 Verse 18 tells about the labor that's to be made. Chapter third and verse 19 For Aaron has and his son shall wash their hands and their feet their aunt when they go into the Tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water that they die not well. It was a solemn thing if they their feet and hands were defiled, they had to wash, but they didn't have to do the the other over again. That was done.
That was it, but they had to do this repeatedly. So you see how the Old Testament and the New Testament, the truth we get there, they all fit together because it's given to us by by God. The same Spirit dictated all of this holy men of old specters, they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
And it's so wonderful to see this. And this is the mark, one of the marks that this book we hold in our hands is the word of God.
This expression, the sprinkling of blood or the sprinkling, would that have to do more with the thought of the application of the blood? Yes. Once for all, yes.
Just a little comment in connection with the priest. Our chapter says not the very image of the things. So when the Lord was going to do it, he only watched the disciples feet, but not their hands. And so in the Old Testament these priests had to be constantly engaged with these sacrifices. So they had to wash both their hands and their feet because the work was never done that they were carrying on.
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But now there's no something that we have defiled our hands in connection with.
At a sacrifice that's all complete, but we do pick up defilements. So isn't it lovely? It's not the very image. It shows, as you say, the perfection of the Word of God. The priests, because they had to go on with these continual sacrifices, they washed both their hands and their feet. Now, since the work has been forever completed, we don't have to wash our hands, but we do have to wash our feet because we pick up defilements in this world that we walk through.
Think of the the altar that they were to make. They were to make it of stones, but not to lift up any tool on it. They were to take the stones just like they were. They were not to use their hands to fix them up. Well, this is this is a good principle that you bring out there.
Revelation 4 and verse six, it says before the throne was a sea of glass. Oh, I have enjoyed the thought there that it's a it's fixed. That is as far as the labor and all is concerned. There is no more need of the cleansing in the way the foot washing, but rather it's in a state of fixed purity, a sea of glass in connection with your.
Done in first Peter one verse two I believe we have again the sprinkling.
And we have it there elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.
That seems to refer to when we come into the good of that work, when it is as it were put upon us through faith of that. And then I think this 23rd verse is so beautiful too. Let us hold fast. It's really the confession of our hope without wavering. For He is faithful that promise when the children of Israel placed themselves in a condition of obedience.
By what hope had they have ever entering the land?
Because they fell into the worship of the golden calf and the Lord said I'll have to consume them. But he provided a way, and that way was such that he could bring them through the wilderness and bring them in. Why? Because they were faithful. No, because He is faithful. And so is there any of us that will say, well, I'm sure I'm going to be faithful to the end.
No, we hold fast the confession of our hope because he's faithful.
He's made a promise. He's the captain of our salvation, bringing many sons to glory. And is the captain going to fail? No. So we don't hold fast on the ground of our faithfulness. But because he is faithful, he's going to complete that work and he's going to bring us home and present us faultless before his throne.
Exhortation in verse 24 and what it goes on with in verse 25.
Is really quite striking.
We're to consider one another, to provoke unto love, unto good works.
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, the matter of some is, but exhorting one another.
Now we've just considered that the whole epistle is an exhortation written by the apostle.
Is not enough. No, they are to exhort one another now. Well.
Perhaps this is a word for ourselves, not that we pound one another.
Where we lay down the law to one another. But I think there's a way that we can exhort one another as led by the Spirit of God, because the apostle is being led by the Spirit of God in his exhortation. And perhaps this is an example for us in exhorting one another approaching. Well, we're certainly right on the very threshold of the great apostasy.
And if we ever needed the fellowship of the Saints in the Assembly, it is now.
To provoke one another to love and good works. It is serious time, isn't it? Moment to that little expression, Let us draw near. That's always seemed so very, very lovely to me, as though we had in this chapter that which gives us perfect right and perfect access. But then comes the little word, Let us draw near.
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When you stop and think of that rent bail and what it cost God that the veil might be rent just to think of anyone.
Shall I say, standing aloof and saying, Well, I know it has all been accomplished, I know that access is mine to enjoy, but to to have to be told, shall I say, let us draw near? Sounds to me something like Joseph in the presence of his brethren.
He had been through so much, he had been into prison and now released from prison, his brethren are before him. And he says, Draw near to me, I pray you, I like that, come near to me, I pray you. And all his brethren drew near. And so, dear brethren, when we read of these things, and we realize what it cost God, what it cost the Lord Jesus.
That this title and this access might be ours.
Then to read such words as we have been reminded of, let us draw near. It really should speak to our hearts.
The desire of our heart ought to be to respond fully to such words as thee.