The tabernacle was separated into two parts: the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. No one could go into the Most Holy Place except for the high priest, and even then, it was only one time a year, on the Day of Atonement, when he brought in the blood of a goat as a way of making up for the Israelites’ sins. Why were there such severe limitations on the Most Holy Place? Since God is so holy, He cannot be with sin, so His presence was separated from the Israelites because of their sinfulness. He was separated from them by the curtain between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. Hebrews 9:8 says, “The way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed.” There wasn’t really a way for the Israelites to get rid of their sin. Their animal sacrifices and the blood that the high priest brought into the Most Holy Place were just temporary solutions. They only cleansed them from sin on the outside. In vs. 9 it says, “The gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper.” There was nothing that the Israelites could do so that they could be with God—they had to remain at a distance.
But even though there was nothing the Israelites could do, God made a way. He sent His Son, Jesus, to be our High Priest. Jesus didn’t enter the Most Holy Place that was a part of the earthly tabernacle—He entered heaven itself. And He didn’t offer animal sacrifices to atone for sin—He offered His own body. Hebrews 9:11-13 says, “But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.”
Even though the high priest’s sacrifices weren’t truly able to forgive sins, Jesus was able to forgive our sins because He was the perfect sacrifice, for He never sinned. And Jesus’ sacrifice doesn’t just cover our sins for a short time, until we sin again—we are forgiven forever. Hebrews 7:26-28 says, “Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.” And in chapter 9 vs. 14 it says, “He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”
Look back at the end of verse 13 in chapter 9: “obtaining eternal redemption.” Jesus’ sacrifice brought us back to God; we don’t have to be separated from Him anymore. We are redeemed. Maybe you remember what happened the moment Jesus died. The curtain of the temple, which separated the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place, was torn in two. Since Jesus had taken away the sin of the world, there was no longer a curtain separating people from God. His sacrifice made it possible for us to be with Him. Because we have been forgiven, we can now have the hope of eternal life with Him in heaven—all because of the love Jesus had for us and the sacrifice He was willing to make for us.
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