Jesus is our high priest

Hebrews 8:1-13 – Jesus is Our High Priest

Now we are returning to our main point. How fortunate we are to have a High Priest who sits on the throne of God, offering us better promises than ever before. There is nothing wrong with all the High Priests who have gone before. They are simply limited to what they can offer. How do we respond to that? Take some time to reflect on that.

All that is said about Jesus’ identity as High Priest and the new covenant can only serve to comfort us with hopeful expectation. Our response should be to remain faithful, unlike those given the old covenant. They turned their back on God, despite God’s grand provision for them. In turn, God turned his back on them. Continue reading “Hebrews 8:1-13 – Jesus is Our High Priest”

Hebrews 4:1-16 – Promised Rest

Read Hebrews 4:1-16

If you’re the parent of young children, you know the word “rest” sounds like a distant memory. It’s fleeting for you, and you wonder if you’ll ever be able to rest again. If it’s not burning the candle at both ends to get it all done each day, it’s lying awake at night worrying about something. But that rest is only a glimpse of the rest our author describes, the rest God promises and hopes for us.

Have you made an intentional attempt at resting each week? God set the prime example for us when he created the world and then rested. God knew we would benefit so much from rest. More importantly, God wanted us to stay close to Him, and this gift of rest is meant to keep us connected to our Creator. Our author has some startling things to say about our resting. Continue reading “Hebrews 4:1-16 – Promised Rest”

Hebrews 4:16 – Throne of God

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:16)

I wonder how many people think about the day when they will approach the throne of God. Instead, we focus on the life God has given us, just trying to get by each day. It can be struggle enough to just be “present” in our lives and not always worried about the next thing, like what’s for dinner.

Context (Hebrews 4:14-16) We learn that Jesus is our High Priest, and that’s significant. High priests were traditionally the only ones who could approach God in the temple. The Holy of Holies was God’s dwelling place among men. We can all imagine Jesus in the presence of God, he is God. But our memory verse says that we, too, can approach the throne of God just like Jesus. Continue reading “Hebrews 4:16 – Throne of God”

Numbers 20:22-29 – Aaron’s Death

Read Numbers 20:22-29

We will all pass from this world, and this was Aaron’s time to be called to rest. The first high priest himself could not escape God’s wrath. He, too, would not personally see the Promised Land. Aaron’s death sentence for the spectacle involving the water at Meribah has now been accomplished. Earlier in the chapter we learned that Moses’ other sibling, Miriam had also died in the wilderness.

God commanded that Aaron’s death be preceded by a ceremony passing the priestly garments to Aaron’s son, Eleazar. The people were able to witness this transfer of power, yet the details of how Aaron joined his ancestors in death is not revealed here. It was important that the people understand what happened so they would give Eleazar the same respect they had had for Aaron. Continue reading “Numbers 20:22-29 – Aaron’s Death”

Zechariah 3:1-10 – A Burning Stick

Read Zechariah 3:1-10

Our focus now shifts to the high priest’s leadership of the new people of God in this “new age” or time after captivity. Jeshua or Joshua, depending on your translation, is the high priest in this vision, having come from the Zadokite tradition. Zechariah has a front row seat to observe Joshua’s questioning and accusations by Satan himself. What a vision!

Satan’s attempts to distract Joshua are rebuked by God. The LORD says to Satan, “This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.” Joshua would have been lost forever, consumed by the fire of sin, if he had not been plucked out of Satan’s grip. God had bigger purposes for Joshua, and this prophecy gives him great spiritual authority among the people.