Monday, February 6, 2012

Monday, February 6th

Today's passage from the Chronological Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Exodus 22-24
Today's scripture focus is Hebrews 9:16-22

16 In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 19 When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20 He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” 21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

The writer of Hebrews tells us the reasons the Messiah had to die. First, His will demanded it.

According to MacArthur

A will is not a bargain between two people. A will is something made out by one person, and the other person either takes it or leaves it. 


And so He is saying here, God has promised an inheritance. And that inheritance depends upon the death of the one who made it, in order for it to be received. That's a simple truth. And that's really all He's saying. A will cannot operate until the one who made it dies. Therefore, Jesus had to die. He had to die to release the legacy of God to men. The kingdom of heaven is bequeathed to all believers. Such is God's will and testament. And Jesus' death released it to our possession. And some of it is ours now, and it will be ours in its fullness when we go to be with Him. So the first reason for death, then, is simply that. Testament demands death.

Even the first/old/Mosiac covenant was ratified with blood (the Abrahamic covenant was too for that matter!).  Which means the second/new covenant also needed to be ratified with blood - the blood of Christ.  There is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood.

A beautiful thought from MacArthur...

when you put these things all together, they have to allow for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He had to die to release His will. He had to live to make it operate. He had to die to ratify the covenant. He had to live to keep the terms of it. And so the resurrection is implied in all of it.

Here he just says it all straight out (emphasis mine)....

You can't enter into God's presence by being good. You can't enter into God's presence by being a fine citizen. You can't enter into God's presence by going through religious mogus. You can't enter into God's presence by reading the Bible, by going to church, by being a member, by thinking sweet thoughts about God. The only way you'll ever enter into God's presence and into participation in the new covenant is by the death of Jesus Christ and your faith and belief in His shed blood on the cross in your behalf. That's the only way. That's the only access.
God set the rules. "The soul that sins, it shall die." And then God, in grace, moved right back in and provided a death substitute. Jesus' death is the only thing that satisfies God, you see. Because He requires death. And all over the Old Testament He splattered blood in order that they might be constantly made aware of the fact that bloodshed was the only expiation for sin.
Forgiveness is a costly, costly thing.

God did not just forgive glibly - His character prohibited it.
He cannot break the moral laws of His nature. He cannot violate the moral laws of His universe, and He built into His universe the fact that sin demands death, and, finally, He's the one that had to pay the price. And He paid it.

Forgiveness is a costly, costly thing - and Jesus paid it for me.  And how many times am I guilty of sinning, knowing that God will forgive me when I repent?  How many times have I stomped on the grace of God?


Tomorrow's scripture focus: Hebrews 9:23-28
Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Exodus 25-27

1 comment:

Miriam said...

It's a struggle of all of us sometimes, I think, to stand up to certain temptations when we tell ourselves they aren't that bad, and anyway, God will forgive us. Sucks to admit, but it is true. I am finding it harder to think that way, though, the more of the Bible I read and study.