Read

Hebrews 9:6-10

⁶When these things were all in place, the priests went in and out of the first room regularly as they performed their religious duties. ⁷But only the high priest goes into the Most Holy Place, and only once a year, and always with blood, which he offers to God to cover his own sins and the sins the people have committed in ignorance. ⁸By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the Most Holy Place was not open to the people as long as the first room and the entire system it represents were still in use.

⁹This is an illustration pointing to the present time. For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them. ¹⁰For that old system deals only with food and drink and ritual washing–external regulations that are in effect only until their limitations can be corrected.

Reflect

During this time, the only Israelites who could go into the holy place were the priests. They went in daily to tend to the tabernacle. You could say that they went in to have fellowship with God. They only entered the holy of holies only once per year and alone. It wasn’t for fellowship with God. Ancient Jewish Rabbis wrote of how the high priest would not prolong his prayer in the Hoy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, because it might make the people think he had been killed. When He came out, he threw a party for all of his friends, because he had emerged safely from the presence of God.

Unlike the Old Covenant, we can go to God as often as we like. We don’t have to wait for the Day of Atonement to have fellowship with God. In fact, you can throw your own party, as often as you like because you get to fellowship with God on a regular basis!

Respond

Do you have the same “fear” of God that the Israelites had?

What does it mean to fellowship with God?

If the old way didn’t provide a clean conscience for the people, does the new contract with God provide a clean conscience? Why?

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