June 06, 2025 | Be God's Family
The High Priest and the Inner Room
Scripture: Hebrews 9:6-10(NIV)
6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. 9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.
Devotional
What would be your Most Holy Place? Would it be your house, your church, or someplace else? Might it be the ocean, the woods, the mountains? The Most Holy Place was a chamber within the tabernacle that contained the Ark of the Covenant. The scripture says only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place with blood and only once a year. He would offer up the sins that had been committed in ignorance by himself and by the people. Wait! Say what? What about all the other sins people commit? It was assumed that known sins would be taken care of through the regular sin offerings and daily sacrifices. At that time, one could only approach God with a blood sacrifice. There was no direct access to God for the majority of the people.
The High Priest had to take blood to procure forgiveness of sins, not for fellowship. Access to the Holy Most Place was severely restricted. Even when somebody could enter, it wasn't for fellowship with God. Since God sent his only son, Christ, the perfect sacrifice, we can now go directly to God and we can be in His presence. With Jesus dying for us, the cross is sufficient to atone for both the sins we do in ignorance and sins that we commit intentionally. Even sins we do unintentionally matter and we still need to be forgiven for them. Our salvation rests on the blood of Jesus.
Their gifts and sacrifices could not clear their consciences to be fully, finally, and forever cleansed of the power of guilt that was the result of sin. So, the average Joe could never rest easy. With the coming of Christ, the old way of relating to God has been replaced. The new reformation is where Christ himself replaces the High Priest, the temple, the blood sacrifices and the food and drink rituals. Praise God!
Some things never change, which includes the problems of life. The circumstances change but not the basic problems. We are human, and we have a conscience that witnesses to our sinfulness with the testimonies of real guilt. We know what keeps us away from God is not our soiled hands, soiled clothes, or the distance from an altar. What keeps us away from God is real sin echoing in a condemning conscience. Thank God today for the new reformation!
How is your conscience these days? (A Heavenly Sanctuary -Grace Still Amazes)
Poem
Inner Room Of Purity
Isaiah 6
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
Isaiah 6:5
An honored task assigned to few
Can be misrepresented
If one assigned believes within
‘Tis self-glory intended
For though the outer frame is cleansed
The heart still hides great sin
Only the glory of the LORD
Reveals the filth within
Then “Woe is me!” the only words
From unclean lips are muttered
Then falling to the floor in fear
With no excuse to utter
This inner room of purity,
There, very few will seek
But those who wait upon the LORD
Will hear the Holy speak
