Friday, July 17, 2026

Opening Scripture

When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud. To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give. Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you” Exodus 24-25 (selected)

Opening Prayer

What can wash away my sin? What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. For my pardon, this I see. For my cleansing, this my plea. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Nothing can for sin atone. Naught of good that I have done. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. This is all my hope and peace. This is all my righteousness. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh! Precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

Hebrews 9

Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.

When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 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. 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. 

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. They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.

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. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 

When Moses had proclaimed every command 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. He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Reflection  

In today’s passage, the writer clarifies that everything about the original covenant between God and His people – the tabernacle, priesthood, ordinances, furnishings, and sacrifices – was just a “shadow” of the transcendent realities. They were initial and necessary material “copies of the heavenly things” they represented.

“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship” (Galatians 4:4-5).

Under the Old Covenant, the sanctuary was compartmentalized, and access was restricted. Priests entered the outer room (Holy Place) daily on behalf of themselves and the people, but the inner room (Most Holy Place) was only available to the high priest once a year. This arrangement revealed the limits of that system.

The Old Covenant’s sacrificial structure did not meet the people’s need at its deepest level. It could not “clear the conscience of the worshiper.” The old system focused on “external regulations applying until the time of the new order.” They were “only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings.”

In yesterday’s reading, the writer reminded his listeners that the Old Covenant anticipated a better New Covenant. “The ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises. For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.”

The New Covenant, of which Jesus is the Mediator, offers full access, eternal redemption, and a clear conscience! This New Covenant reflects the full participation of the Godhead. The Trinity’s active involvement in our redemption is displayed in “the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God.”

Flourishing Habit

Flourishing Christians

Throughout his letter, the writer has gone to great lengths to show the superiority of God’s New Covenant with His people through Jesus. In contrast, he has also shown the inferiority of the Old Covenant. Now that the “new way” has come, continuing to follow the “old way” is a worthless “dead end.”

“How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!”

In Hebrews 6:1, the NIV translates the Greek metanoias apo nekrōn ergon as “repentance from acts that lead to death.” In Hebrews 9:14, the NIV says the blood of Christ purifies our consciences from “acts that lead to death.”

The literal translation of nekrōn ergon is “dead works,” which I think has a significantly different connotation.

“Acts that lead to death” sounds like risky behavior that is either dangerous, criminal, or fatal. On the other hand, “dead works” sounds like unremarkable behavior that is worthless and ineffective.

Spiritually speaking, they can be one and the same!

To follow the admonition of Hebrews, we need to repent from “dead works” and have our conscience cleansed from “dead works.”

Religious rituals can never impart righteousness. Depending on “external regulations” that are “only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings” for salvation leads to eternal spiritual death. Sadly, many world religions are based on just this empty practice.

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval” (Romans 14:17-18).

Religious ceremony for God is no substitute for a personal relationship with God!

It is absolutely essential that we get this right, because “people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”

Praise God, those who are in Christ have nothing to fear. We can approach the throne of grace with confidence. Jesus our Champion, Captain, Hero, and High Priest has entered the Most Holy Place on our behalf to ensure our eternal salvation.

“Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!