In the first part of this study we are looking back and in the next we are looking at the present.

1 – The stark requirements of the Old Testament (vs. 1-10)

Notice four things:-.

• Regulated (vs. 1-3) – In the Old Testament there was barriers to God. It was not impossible to get to God but everything was regulated. Read the book of Leviticus to see what was involved. There had to be lambs sacrifices, sin offerings, grain offerings, scapegoats, cities of refuge, ceremonies and feasts, Sabbath rules, temple taxes, mandated tithes and diet restrictions (what you could eat and how you could prepare it). You had to do these things, the best case scenario was excommunication and worst case scenario was death. For example if you disrespected your parents you would be stoned to death. How long would you be on death row? Not very long! The person was to be stoned that very day! It was extremely serious. Under the Old Testament you are still concerned about outward appearance and everything needs to be regulated.
• Remote (vs. 4-5) – God was a long way away from the people. The holiest place was the tabernacle or temple. Watch out if your holiest place is the church and not outside of it. The tabernacle was a portable place of worship. Everything about the temple and tabernacle was detailed and had to be that way – right down to the furniture and even things within some of these items of furniture. E.g. Ark of the Covenant.
• Restricted (vs. 6-9) – There was a lot of red tape. There were a lot of daily duties for the priests. They had ritual washing, ritual sacrifices, and ritual ceremonies. They were busy, busy, busy – all day and every day. They were making worship to God but it wasn’t really working. It was not something personal with God. Only the High Priest could go into the Holiest of Holies and even then only once a year. He had to offer blood as a sacrifice for his sins and the unintentional sins of the people. Notice there was no provision for the intentional sins of the people. Without the shedding of much blood there was no covering for their sins. They put bells upon the High Priest and a rope in case the High Priest did something wrong and God struck him dead and they had to pull him out! The way into the Holiest Place was not open to everyone and even then it was not safe. It did not work. (vs. 9).
• Ritualistic (vs. 10) – It helps you out physically – healthy diet and clean body – but does nothing for the spiritual well- being. God is Holy and He is to be feared. The Old Covenant was ruled by fear.

2 – The bridge to God is Jesus Christ (vs. 11-13)

Sometimes we need to take our burdens out of the immediate context. Sometimes we need to look back to realise how good things are now.

Imagine life 100 years ago. The average life expectancy was 47 years of age. Only 14% of homes had a bath, only 8% a telephone. There were few cars and few paved roads. Most women washed their hair once a month and they used egg yolks for shampoo. The leading causes for death were pneumonia, tuberculosis, diarrhoea, heart disease and stroke.

Do you think that is rough? A thousand years ago life expectancy was low. There were no hospitals. There was marauding bands of pirates, Vikings and roaming bands scoured the land unrestrained looking for victims. People were surviving rather than living. Women had no rights and children were often treated as slave labour. Most people couldn’t read. Christianity was run by a state owned church which keeps control and kept the Bible out of peoples’ hands.

• A better priest (vs. 11). Good things have already come in Jesus Christ. He delivers on everything He says.
• A better place (vs. 11) – Jesus got it done in a better place than an earthly tabernacle. The tabernacle had to be set up and then taken down again and again. Our eternal destiny is not hanging on the tabernacle. Jesus appeared before God the Father in Heaven.
• A better provision (vs. 12) – Jesus entered once for all into the Holy place. It was not by the means of the blood of animals. It was His own blood. He has secured eternal redemption. We owed a debt we could not pay. He paid a debt He did not owe. We were so bankrupt that we were dead in our sins. Jesus stepped up to pay the price for our redemption. It is eternal and it will last forever. It is the greatest treasure in the universe.
• A better purification (vs. 13) – In the old covenant they but ashes over the person for their purification. The old way was not getting the person clean on the inside. The sin issue was not being dealt with. With the blood of Jesus Christ there is a purification that works. Though your sins be as scarlet, they will be white as snow. No wonder the word “gospel” means “good news”.

Categories: Hebrews