1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:10,780 We will be in Hebrews chapter one verse three. 2 00:00:10,780 --> 00:00:12,380 You guys already knew that though. 3 00:00:12,380 --> 00:00:15,080 You all are starting to figure it out. 4 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:19,400 Some of you may be wondering what I'm doing with all my extra time now that other people 5 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:22,680 are helping with some of these jobs and I'm not teaching Sunday school. 6 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:26,760 Well the answer to that is I'm reading a lot about the book of Hebrews. 7 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:32,680 I'm reading a lot of time in commentaries and looking at the book of Hebrews and we 8 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:38,360 are really breaking down these first three verses in this introduction to understand 9 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:40,720 them as best as we can. 10 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:42,360 We are building a foundation. 11 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:47,520 The author of Hebrews is building a foundation here that everything is going to be built 12 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:48,520 on. 13 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:56,080 The book of Hebrews is really a sermon that the focal point is Jesus Christ. 14 00:00:56,080 --> 00:01:00,680 When I've said it before I'll say it again, if you like Jesus the book of Hebrews is 15 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:03,720 a good book for you because it is a book about Jesus. 16 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:08,120 And so eventually we're going to make it through the whole book of Hebrews but we are just 17 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:10,120 now getting started. 18 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:15,920 We have been in verse three for a couple of weeks and today we'll be in Hebrews chapter 19 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:18,760 one verse three part C I will call it. 20 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:21,440 We'll look at one little part of it and talk about that. 21 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:28,720 We've talked about the Son of God, the glory of God, the Word of God and today we're going 22 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:32,880 to move on to the next section of Hebrews chapter one verse three. 23 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:39,200 So let's read verse three then we'll pray and get started. 24 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:45,120 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact expression of his nature sustaining 25 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:53,120 all things by his powerful word after making purification for sins he sat down at the right 26 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:56,640 hand of the majesty on high. 27 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:57,640 Let's pray. 28 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:02,040 Father God we come to you and your word is good. 29 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:08,800 God your Son is good and so I pray that as we read these words today, God that we see 30 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:13,720 your Son, that we see your Word, that we see the goodness of it. 31 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:17,400 God I pray that if there's one in this room today that does not know Jesus Christ that 32 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:20,480 they would know Jesus Christ when they leave. 33 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:25,960 God that we would realize today that we come into this place and we are wretched sinners. 34 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:30,920 God let us not fool ourselves to think we are better than we are because God we are 35 00:02:30,920 --> 00:02:32,200 not. 36 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,400 We come before you today not because of anything that we have done. 37 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:37,380 We come before you broken. 38 00:02:37,380 --> 00:02:41,960 We come before you because Jesus Christ has given his life on the cross and because you 39 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:46,640 have given us grace through that God and we come and we need your grace and we need your 40 00:02:46,640 --> 00:02:52,360 mercy God because we fail and we do so miserably time and time again. 41 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:57,760 So God I pray that as we read your word that your word would impact us that we would see 42 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:02,760 the need for being purified and that we would know that that purification today comes through 43 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:05,400 Jesus Christ and Christ alone. 44 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:08,240 And I ask these things in Jesus name. 45 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:09,240 Amen. 46 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:16,560 We are just looking at one little section of verse 3 today and it is this, after making 47 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:18,920 purification for sins. 48 00:03:18,920 --> 00:03:21,040 Now we are talking about Jesus Christ. 49 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:27,360 We are talking about the Son of God and the most important thing that Jesus did is that 50 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:31,600 he made purification for sins. 51 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:32,880 Why is that significant? 52 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:34,360 Why is that important? 53 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:42,080 Why is the fact that Jesus made purifications of sins important for us today? 54 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:47,440 When we look at scripture especially in the Old Testament we see this idea, this word 55 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:51,040 that you may see in a lot of your translations, the word atonement. 56 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:56,200 You may see the word purification depending on your translation from time to time and 57 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:58,600 this is what is necessary for us. 58 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:02,320 We as human beings are sinful. 59 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:07,200 And the scripture tells us that the wages of sin is death. 60 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:09,160 The wages of sin is death. 61 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:12,440 Death has to occur when sin occurs. 62 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:15,680 That's the problem that you and I deal with today. 63 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:19,600 That's the problem that Adam and Eve were faced with and that's the problem that all 64 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:23,400 of humanity will be faced with so long as we are on this earth. 65 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:28,760 We are sinners and the wages of sin is death. 66 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:34,400 But praise the Lord, God provides a way that we can be atoned for our sins and our sins 67 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:36,200 are atoned for by death. 68 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:43,040 Now if it was left to us we would sin and we would die and that would be a just punishment 69 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:44,760 for our sins. 70 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:48,720 Now we may think about the fact that Jesus gave his life on a cross for us. 71 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:55,280 We may think about the fact that blood atones for sins and we may ask ourselves the question 72 00:04:55,280 --> 00:04:56,280 but how? 73 00:04:56,280 --> 00:04:58,720 Like why is it even necessary? 74 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:06,000 If God is so good and God is so full of grace then why when sin entered into the world why 75 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:13,200 couldn't God have just used his grace abundantly and dealt with sin in that way? 76 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:16,080 Because God is also just. 77 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:18,680 Now God is certainly gracious. 78 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:22,240 Grace is part of God's nature but so is justice. 79 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:27,820 And so for God to be fully God and to be perfect in every way that he is God is certainly 80 00:05:27,820 --> 00:05:34,480 gracious and we are grateful to him for that but God has to be just. 81 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:37,840 God cannot allow sin to go unpunished. 82 00:05:37,840 --> 00:05:42,320 And we understand that if we begin to think about what that would look like you cannot 83 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:46,920 just allow sin to go unpunished and allow grace to keep on going and grace to keep on 84 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:50,840 going all at the same time while sin goes unpunished. 85 00:05:50,840 --> 00:05:52,240 What would happen in the world? 86 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:55,920 Well eventually we would sin and we would say well God is going to give us grace and 87 00:05:55,920 --> 00:06:00,760 we would sin and we would sin and we would have no desire not to sin and it would end 88 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:05,680 up being that God would be there to serve us to continually give grace to us and we 89 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:10,760 do nothing for God who is the creator of the heavens and the earth. 90 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:16,720 Now God doesn't exist to serve us we exist to love God we exist to serve God because 91 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:21,200 he is great and he created us and he provides for us. 92 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:27,080 So part of who God is is his grace praise the Lord but also part of who God is is that 93 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:35,160 he is just and for justice to be served sin has to be punished. 94 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:39,240 You look in our world today perhaps there are occasions where people who commit crimes 95 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:41,880 there is no punishment what is the result of that? 96 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:46,040 We see the result of that sometimes in our world. 97 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:51,760 People who commit crime and break the law that go unpunished it ends up to be a chaotic 98 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:55,240 world and so God is good. 99 00:06:55,240 --> 00:07:01,360 God is gracious but God is just and the wages of sin is death. 100 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:03,920 You cannot put the toothpaste back in the tube. 101 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:13,320 When sin entered into the world sin began to do what sin does and that is to cause death. 102 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:18,760 So for us to have a relationship with God we cannot do so because we are sinners there 103 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:24,840 has to be something that has to occur justice has to be served and that justice can be served 104 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:26,320 in two ways. 105 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:31,520 Two ways we can suffer the punishment for our sins that is we have sinned we are punished 106 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:39,360 justice is served but praise the Lord God saw fit to provide a better way. 107 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:44,600 So we see in the Old Testament in the story of Adam and Eve in the garden that they sinned 108 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:50,600 and after they had sinned we see in Genesis chapter 3 verse 21 the Lord made clothing 109 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:55,040 out of skins for Adam and his wife and he clothed them. 110 00:07:55,040 --> 00:08:01,600 Now the word sacrifice is not used here but God did have to get the skins from somewhere 111 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:07,560 and so it is certainly possible in that particular instance that that was the first sacrifice 112 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:15,120 that we see in the Bible that God sacrificed some animal and some form to provide skin 113 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:17,920 for Adam and Eve. 114 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:23,880 We also see as we continue to read on not much further in the book of Genesis this idea 115 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:29,240 of sacrifice and offering and these are words that you will see often in the Old Testament 116 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:35,600 sacrifice atonement burn offering these are all part of the things that God had commanded 117 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:40,840 his people to do and we see before the law ever even came into effect that is through 118 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:44,840 Moses when God says ok here is the way that things are supposed to be here is the way 119 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:50,280 the priesthood is supposed to be set up we even see burnt offering to the Lord before 120 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:56,760 that in Genesis chapter 8 verses 20 through 21 after Noah had been on the ark and the 121 00:08:56,760 --> 00:09:01,840 water went down they got off the ark it says that Noah built an altar to the Lord he took 122 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:07,960 some of every kind of clean animal and every kind of clean bird and offered burnt offerings 123 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:14,840 on the altar when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma it not interesting that what we see 124 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:20,240 sometimes for these burnt offerings in the Old Testament is it is a pleasing aroma to 125 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:26,280 God that is kind of weird right I mean what kind of God do we serve that he enjoys the 126 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:32,240 smell of dead animals well I don't know if it was so much the smell that was pleasing 127 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:36,240 to God is maybe so much as the heart that was behind the offering that was giving you 128 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:40,880 see that's what God really desires for these offerings that we see in the Old Testament 129 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:47,000 we see verses sprinkled through there that says what God really desires more than anything 130 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:53,160 more than all of these burnt offerings it's he desires a heart that really seeks him that 131 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:58,640 really trusts him and the reason why Noah was offering these types of offering was in 132 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:04,000 praise and in thankfulness to the Lord and that I believe is what is pleasing to the 133 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:10,600 Lord when these offerings were made from a right heart it is pleasing to the Lord I believe 134 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:15,040 that today when we serve the Lord now praise the Lord we're not offering sacrifices and 135 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:18,880 burning them on the altar but there are works and there are acts and there are things that 136 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:25,440 we do for God and when we do those because we love God and we desire to follow his commands 137 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:30,800 those things are pleasing to God when we do those things for ourselves when we do those 138 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:35,960 things simply to be seen by our by others when we do those things simply to get a pat 139 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:41,520 on the back I do not believe that those works are pleasing to God the works in and of themselves 140 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:47,000 may be good the things that we do may be the right thing for us to do but if we're doing 141 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:51,760 the right thing for the wrong reason that's not the way that God desires for us to do 142 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:58,080 things and so here Noah is offering this burnt offering to the Lord and it is pleasing to 143 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:04,960 God and so we see this idea of sacrifices and burnt offerings and then as we continue 144 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:09,440 to read through the Old Testament we see this spelled out for us much more clearly what 145 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:14,840 God desires and required of his people in the Old Testament now I'm going to be honest 146 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:19,280 with you I'm not I'm not really an expert in all of these sacrifices because you go back 147 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:23,080 and you read the book of Leviticus and you read some of these early things where God 148 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:27,280 told him to do some stuff it is some gnarly stuff like some weird stuff like put some 149 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:31,320 blood on your ear and on your toe and this animal for this sin and that animal for that 150 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:37,080 sin and it's just stuff that I don't fully understand and I don't fully get and it seems 151 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:42,240 kind of strange but this is the way that God had had told his people to do these things 152 00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:47,280 and at the end of the day the point is this not so much maybe necessarily all the details 153 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:52,840 of how things had been done but the point is this is that God's people and you and I 154 00:11:52,840 --> 00:12:01,520 are sinful and sin is atoned far by blood we see that in Leviticus chapter four excuse 155 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:07,720 me Leviticus chapter 17 verse 11 for the life of a creature is in the blood and I have 156 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:12,880 appointed it to you to make atonement on the altar for your lives since it is the life 157 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:19,560 blood that makes atonement okay so the wages of sin is death but the life of a creature 158 00:12:19,560 --> 00:12:27,360 is in the blood so death comes from sin but life comes from blood blood represents life 159 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:33,800 we see that life blood makes atonement right that's part of God's justice when we talk 160 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:39,200 about part of God's justice if we see it and that leads to death and blood represents 161 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:46,320 life life must cover death so that we can live and how does God say that that occurs 162 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:53,040 he says that it is the blood that makes atonement so for God to be just God is gracious praise 163 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:59,640 God but for God to fully allow us to enjoy and see that grace and God also to be just 164 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:05,160 there has to be sacrifice that has to occur there has to be blood that has to be shed 165 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:10,600 there has to be purification that has to be made and what is it saying Hebrews chapter 166 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:17,080 three that after making purification that is Jesus is the one who made purification that 167 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:23,200 must occur that atonement must take place for us to have good relationship with God our 168 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:30,040 sins must be atoned for and so we see in the Old Testament and particularly in the book 169 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:34,880 of Leviticus if you get bored this week need some homework read the book of Leviticus you 170 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:38,600 are going to see some gnarly stuff in there but we will sum up a little bit of what the 171 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:44,960 book of Leviticus is about today Leviticus chapter four verse 20 tells us this at the 172 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:52,320 end of the verse so the priest will make atonement on their behalf and they will be forgiven 173 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:57,360 okay so we all must be atoned to stand before God and be in his presence and the only way 174 00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:03,800 that atonement can occur is through blood and the only one who can offer that blood 175 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:10,240 is the priest and so it is in the Old Testament that God had established this priesthood okay 176 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:15,760 here you are my people God says and you are a bunch of sinful people and I am a good God 177 00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:22,920 and I desire to be with you and you to be with me but your sins must be atoned for therefore 178 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:28,240 God says I am going to establish this system I am going to establish some men who are going 179 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:33,840 to be priests among you and they will be the ones who are given the job to sacrifice these 180 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:39,800 variety of animals in this variety of ways so that this blood can be shed and so that 181 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:44,240 you can be atoned for now maybe when you read in the Old Testament if you haven't spent 182 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:48,040 a lot of time reading in it you may hear the word priest and you may say oh yeah priest 183 00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:53,080 that is kind of like a preacher nowadays not at all the priest in the Old Testament you 184 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:58,920 may would better come out better thinking about them as butchers because they made sacrifices 185 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:06,480 all the time lots of sacrifice to be a priest would have been a horrible job to have had 186 00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:10,960 to constantly be able to cut up these animals and you had to take this part of the animal 187 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:14,820 and offer it in this way and you had to take this part of the animal and offer it in this 188 00:15:14,820 --> 00:15:19,360 way and you had to burn this part of the animal and you had to clean yourself in certain ways 189 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:24,360 and you had to wash yourself in certain ways and you had to do it day after day and week 190 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:30,560 after week and year after year because the people that you were there with were constantly 191 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:35,160 sinning and you were sinning and so before you could ever do anything for the people 192 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:39,280 you had to make a sacrifice for yourself and then you had to make a sacrifice for somebody 193 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:42,720 else and the next day they were going to go off and guess what they were going to do? 194 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:49,560 They were going to sin again and so day after day these priests offer these sacrifices over 195 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:51,520 and over and over. 196 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:55,360 This was a nasty and bloody mess. 197 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:58,320 This was death, it was just nasty. 198 00:15:58,320 --> 00:16:00,640 Innocent animals that didn't do anything. 199 00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:06,180 And oh what a powerful picture, what a powerful realization maybe this is for you and I and 200 00:16:06,180 --> 00:16:11,760 maybe it was for God's people that when they saw these animals slain and slaughtered again 201 00:16:11,760 --> 00:16:20,840 and again and again maybe it helped them to realize holy smokes our sin is pretty rotten. 202 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:26,440 God saw that our sin was pretty rotten and can you believe that in all the sin that you 203 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:33,440 do and that I do that God still said I want to provide a way for them and God said in 204 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:34,920 the Old Testament this is the way. 205 00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:36,960 I'm going to set up this priesthood. 206 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:41,920 They're going to make these sacrifices at the proper time and this is how sin is going 207 00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:43,720 to be atoned for. 208 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:48,320 Let's read a little further in Leviticus chapter 5 verses 5 and 6. 209 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:52,000 Now in the context that I've been talking about some specific sins that we're being 210 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:58,000 dealt with and specific sins and specific things had to be dealt with in specific ways 211 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:02,880 but this just gives us an idea and kind of reinforces what the priests had to do. 212 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:08,600 In Leviticus chapter 5 verses 5 and 6 if someone incurs guilt in one of these cases that is 213 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:14,240 one of the cases previously mentioned he is to confess he has committed that sin. 214 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:18,840 He must bring his restitution for the sin he has committed to the Lord. 215 00:17:18,840 --> 00:17:23,160 A female lamb or a goat from the flock as a sin offering. 216 00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:29,600 In this way the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin. 217 00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:32,280 So here we see the same idea that we just talked about. 218 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:35,120 We see this repeatedly throughout the Old Testament. 219 00:17:35,120 --> 00:17:37,120 The priest, the priest, the priest, the priest. 220 00:17:37,120 --> 00:17:40,760 The priests are the ones who offer the sacrifices for the sin. 221 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:42,720 Now we have two priestly groups. 222 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:45,720 We have the priest and then we have the high priest. 223 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:53,360 As we read in 1 Chronicles chapter 6 verse 49 but Aaron and his sons did all the work 224 00:17:53,360 --> 00:17:55,440 of the most holy place. 225 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:57,000 Now what is the most holy place? 226 00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:59,880 Well we're going to talk about that here in just a second. 227 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:03,120 But there was this tabernacle that God had said, okay here's the way you need to build 228 00:18:03,120 --> 00:18:04,120 this thing. 229 00:18:04,120 --> 00:18:06,840 Here's the dimensions, here's the materials. 230 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:10,280 There's all this stuff that goes around but in the middle of this tabernacle there was 231 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:13,960 one place and that's where it said the Ark of the Covenant. 232 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:18,000 And there on top of the Ark of the Covenant there were these two angelic looking creatures 233 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:22,880 whose wings came together and it was there on top of that which is called the mercy 234 00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:29,840 seat that God would come down among the people and rest there in this most holy place. 235 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:36,240 And it was the high priest who was allowed to go into the holy of holies, the most holy 236 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:38,040 place once a year. 237 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:42,120 So here we see this with Aaron and his sons. 238 00:18:42,120 --> 00:18:46,640 They presented the offering on the altar of burnt offerings and on the altar of incense 239 00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:53,880 to make atonement for Israel according to all that Moses, the servant of God, had commanded. 240 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:55,480 So what is the job of the priest? 241 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:57,080 It is to make atonement. 242 00:18:57,080 --> 00:18:58,760 How do they make this atonement? 243 00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:02,120 It is through the blood of all of these different animals. 244 00:19:02,120 --> 00:19:06,280 Now we've seen this in Leviticus and Exodus and back in these parts and here all the way 245 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:10,680 is we're going through chronicles and it's recounting what God had laid out for them. 246 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:15,200 Here we see again it talks about the priesthood, it talks about Aaron, it talks about his sons, 247 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:18,200 it talks about the need for atonement. 248 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:21,120 And we continue to see this throughout the Old Testament. 249 00:19:21,120 --> 00:19:26,760 We continue to see this idea of atonement and the priest doing their job as we read through 250 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:29,600 the events of the Old Testament. 251 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:32,840 Second Chronicles chapter 30 verses 18 through 20. 252 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:34,600 Now this is an interesting story. 253 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:41,760 Now if you go back and you read the history of Israel, eventually Israel is pretty rotten. 254 00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:44,720 They split up into two groups. 255 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:49,120 One is referred to as Israel, that's the northern 10 tribes of Israel, they retain the name 256 00:19:49,120 --> 00:19:50,400 Israel. 257 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:55,360 The other two tribes that were part of the 12 tribes become known as Judah, they're 258 00:19:55,360 --> 00:19:58,240 the southern tribes, they become known as Judah. 259 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:03,280 They split apart and they each have their own different kings as we read throughout the 260 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:04,280 Old Testament. 261 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:06,840 Now Israel was bad all the way through. 262 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:10,760 Israel never had a bad king, they were bad, bad, bad. 263 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:16,000 Judah however had a few good kings, they had some bad kings along the way too. 264 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:20,960 But Judah did have some good kings along the way and one of those we read about here in 265 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:26,840 Second Chronicles chapter 30, one of those good kings was named Hezekiah. 266 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:31,280 Now it was often the case for God's people that they would do good for a little while 267 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:33,280 and then they would go back into sin. 268 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:35,560 We get that, we are guilty of that too. 269 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:39,600 You do good for a little while, you come to church, you read God's word, your prayer 270 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:43,440 life is good, you're walking in obedience to God, things are well. 271 00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:48,320 And then we slip and then we give in to temptation and then we give in to sin and then we kind 272 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:52,760 of put God back on the back burner and we're not seeking His word, we're not being obedient 273 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:53,760 to Him. 274 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:58,120 Well that was the case for God's people often in the Old Testament. 275 00:20:58,120 --> 00:21:04,080 Now when Hezekiah comes along, I encourage you to go back and read these chapters around 276 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:08,120 the Second Chronicles chapter 30, you can see this story, it's a good story. 277 00:21:08,120 --> 00:21:13,600 But Hezekiah comes along and he says, I'm summing up here, hold up a second, we're not doing 278 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:14,600 right. 279 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:17,200 We're not doing what God has called us to do. 280 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:19,360 We're not keeping God's commands. 281 00:21:19,360 --> 00:21:23,000 We're not doing all these things that God wants us to do. 282 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:27,560 Therefore I'm reinstating things the way that God had commanded us to do these things. 283 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:32,720 I'm reinstating the Passover that we remember what God did for us, that He delivered us 284 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:34,200 out of the land in Egypt. 285 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:39,480 I'm reinstating the sacrifices, all these things that we are supposed to be doing, that we 286 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:44,640 have not been doing, Hezekiah says, we're about to start doing these things. 287 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:50,280 So He tells everybody around, He says, y'all all come on down, we are fisting to start 288 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:53,960 doing what God has called us to do. 289 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:57,360 That may be a good message too for those who are God's people today. 290 00:21:57,360 --> 00:21:59,120 That's another message for another day. 291 00:21:59,120 --> 00:22:01,920 But perhaps we need such a wake up call. 292 00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:07,080 Perhaps there are those who are already God's children, but they are not living like Him. 293 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:12,400 Maybe we need to come together and say it's time for us to listen to and live by the word 294 00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:13,400 of God. 295 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:18,080 That's what will bring healing to our country and to our world. 296 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:19,600 Another message for another day. 297 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:24,680 But Hezekiah did this for God's people and this is what he said after he called everybody 298 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:31,520 in 2 Chronicles chapter 30 verse 18, a large number of the people, many from Ephraim, Manasseh, 299 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:35,520 Issachar and Zebulun were ritually unclean. 300 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:39,680 Now, when we look at the Old Testament there were certain things you could not do. 301 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:41,640 If you did these things you were unclean. 302 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:44,280 It didn't necessarily mean you were evil or anything. 303 00:22:44,280 --> 00:22:48,560 It just meant that you were unclean and there were certain processes you had to do to be 304 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:51,200 made clean and all of these different things. 305 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:53,920 An example, one of the things like touching a dead body. 306 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:57,320 If you touched a dead body you were unclean for a certain period of time. 307 00:22:57,320 --> 00:23:01,360 There were certain ways that you had to wash yourself and all these other things. 308 00:23:01,360 --> 00:23:04,400 Like I said, I don't completely understand all the ins and outs. 309 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:05,400 It doesn't matter. 310 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:10,760 But in this instance, these that some of the ones that Hezekiah had called in would be 311 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:18,080 those who would fall into that category of being ritually unclean for one reason or another. 312 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:19,080 Let's continue on. 313 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:23,160 Yet, they had eaten the Passover contrary to what was written. 314 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:25,200 So Hezekiah says, come on down. 315 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:28,040 We're going to eat the Passover like God called us to. 316 00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:32,760 But they come down and they eat the Passover but they weren't supposed to eat the Passover 317 00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:34,960 because they were unclean. 318 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:41,400 They didn't go through whatever process they needed to be made clean. 319 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:44,000 Yet they had eaten the Passover contrary to what was written. 320 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:50,880 But Hezekiah had interceded for them saying, may the good Lord provide atonement on behalf 321 00:23:50,880 --> 00:23:57,400 of whoever sets his whole heart on seeking God, Yahweh, the God of his ancestors, even 322 00:23:57,400 --> 00:24:01,280 though not according to the purification rules of the sanctuary. 323 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:04,440 Now, this is an interesting passage for me. 324 00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:09,040 Here there was a certain thing that God had laid out for them, a certain set of procedures 325 00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:11,360 in a way that they were supposed to do things. 326 00:24:11,360 --> 00:24:13,720 And Hezekiah told everybody to come on down. 327 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:14,720 They came down. 328 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:15,880 They were unclean. 329 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:18,600 They weren't supposed to take the Passover and they did. 330 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:20,200 But what did Hezekiah say? 331 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:24,040 It says that Hezekiah interceded for them. 332 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:30,360 It says, may the good Lord provide atonement on behalf of whoever sets his whole heart 333 00:24:30,360 --> 00:24:31,600 on seeking God. 334 00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:35,160 Now, who is the one that's going to provide the atonement there? 335 00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:39,400 Hezekiah is saying, God, may you make atonement for these people? 336 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:41,080 And for what reason did He say? 337 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:44,560 He said, because do it for the ones who are seeking you. 338 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:47,720 So Hezekiah said, look, these people weren't supposed to do this. 339 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:50,520 They didn't follow the commands in the way that they were supposed to. 340 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:54,000 But there was one thing about them that was right and that was good. 341 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:57,200 And that is they were seeking God for the right reasons. 342 00:24:57,200 --> 00:24:59,400 That is important for us to remember. 343 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:01,440 This is what God cares about. 344 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:08,080 He does not care about sacrifices and burnt offerings and the blood of goats and bulls. 345 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:10,000 That's not what God cares about. 346 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:14,200 What God has always cared about from the get-go. 347 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:20,280 And the thing that God still cares about today are, are you going to seek Him? 348 00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:27,000 And it is God who is going to provide the atonement through His precious Son, Jesus Christ. 349 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:28,960 So Hezekiah praised this prayer to God. 350 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:32,720 And He says, OK, God, these people didn't follow all the letter of the law. 351 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:34,400 They shouldn't have taken the Passover. 352 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:38,040 But God atoned for what they have done anyway. 353 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:41,560 And listen to the next verse here, verse 20. 354 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:46,200 So the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people. 355 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:47,560 Isn't that a beautiful thing? 356 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:50,320 God had hauled this whole system lined up for atonement. 357 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:55,400 But at the end of the day, Hezekiah recognized that God is good to those who seek Him. 358 00:25:55,400 --> 00:26:00,000 And it is God who ultimately atones for the people. 359 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:04,400 I think that's a beautiful passage for us to consider as we, as we talk about the idea 360 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:08,400 of atonement and purification here today. 361 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:09,400 Let's read a little further. 362 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:12,600 Another example from Nehemiah, chapter 12, verse 45. 363 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:16,560 Now I'll give you a little background here of what was going on in Nehemiah. 364 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:18,360 God's people were sinful. 365 00:26:18,360 --> 00:26:22,800 And they were sinful and they were taken into captivity for about 70 years. 366 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:24,640 The Babylonians had come in. 367 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:28,640 The northern Tim tribes that we just talked about, they had been overtaken by Syria some 368 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:29,640 time ago. 369 00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:30,880 Judah was a little better. 370 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:31,880 God was with them. 371 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:35,240 But eventually Judah, they didn't live for God the way they should. 372 00:26:35,240 --> 00:26:37,440 And by that point, the Babylonians came in. 373 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:39,680 They overtook the people of Judah. 374 00:26:39,680 --> 00:26:41,960 And for 70 years, they lived in captivity. 375 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:43,160 This is the book of Daniel. 376 00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:45,120 That's what's going on in the book of Daniel. 377 00:26:45,120 --> 00:26:49,560 But ultimately God had said that He was going to return His people to the land. 378 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:50,560 And He did. 379 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:55,720 And by the time we get to the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, we see that God is leading His 380 00:26:55,720 --> 00:27:01,080 people out of captivity and He's bringing them back to Jerusalem. 381 00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:02,760 And they're rebuilding the temple. 382 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:07,040 Now in Solomon's day, first they had the tabernacle, that tent we talked about. 383 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:12,520 But then eventually Solomon, King Solomon made this beautiful, huge, grand temple for 384 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:15,600 the Lord where the priests would offer their sacrifices. 385 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:17,200 And ultimately that was destroyed. 386 00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:21,840 And when God's people came back into Jerusalem, they rebuilt the temple. 387 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:26,480 We see this in Ezra and we see on into Nehemiah as they continue these works. 388 00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:28,680 And they rebuilt the temple, praise the Lord. 389 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:34,400 So the sacrifices that the priests can offer for atonement and purification are restored. 390 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:37,240 And then they begin to build these walls around Jerusalem. 391 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:39,760 And that's what's going on in the book of Nehemiah. 392 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:44,560 And ultimately with some opposition, they rebuild these walls. 393 00:27:44,560 --> 00:27:49,400 And after they get through rebuilding the walls, they dedicate the walls to the Lord. 394 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:53,840 And let's see what they do in Nehemiah chapter 12 verse 45. 395 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:58,720 They perform the service of their God in the service of purification along with the singers 396 00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:03,960 and gatekeepers as David and his son Solomon had prescribed. 397 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:04,960 So what did they do? 398 00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:08,560 They continued to do the things that God had commanded them to do. 399 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:13,480 The purification that was to take place, that had been taking place, off and on throughout 400 00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:17,640 the history of Israel, whenever they got back in, whenever they had rebuilt the temple, 401 00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:24,280 whenever they had rebuilt the walls, they did these purifications and this dedication, 402 00:28:24,280 --> 00:28:29,400 these burnt offerings that God had commanded them to do. 403 00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:34,920 And so we see all throughout the Old Testament this idea of purification and atonement. 404 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:38,160 We are sinners who must be atoned for. 405 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:44,600 The atonement comes only through blood and it can only be offered as a sacrifice by the 406 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:45,680 priests. 407 00:28:45,680 --> 00:28:46,960 This is the plan. 408 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:50,120 This is the way that God has laid this out. 409 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:53,600 Now it's important for us to understand this in some detail. 410 00:28:53,600 --> 00:29:00,280 When we see Hebrews chapter 3 where it talks about Jesus making purifications for sin, we 411 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:01,560 need to get that. 412 00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:03,880 That's why we're talking about all of these things. 413 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:08,760 And we will talk about these things in great detail because as we get in further into the 414 00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:14,480 book of Hebrews, the author of Hebrews spends a great amount of time talking about these 415 00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:15,480 very things. 416 00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:19,360 We are simply looking kind of surface level at this today. 417 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:21,680 But this is what we've seen through the Old Testament. 418 00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:27,520 The blood did a sacrifice by the priests to make the atonement for God's people. 419 00:29:27,520 --> 00:29:32,920 Now there was one particular atonement that was the big one. 420 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:34,200 It was the big deal. 421 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:38,280 And we often refer to it as the day of atonement. 422 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:39,560 You may have heard that before. 423 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:43,920 You may see that title perhaps over a passage of Scripture in your Bible. 424 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:44,920 The day of atonement. 425 00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:48,120 Now this was a one day a year thing. 426 00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:54,320 This was a one time a year when the high priest would go into the Holy of Holies, the holiest 427 00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:59,640 place that only the high priest could go, and offer sacrifices for the people's sins. 428 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:03,120 Now first the high priest had to offer sacrifice for his own sin. 429 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:07,560 And that came through the sacrifice of a bull and he had to do things in a variety of different 430 00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:08,560 ways. 431 00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:13,840 But once a year the high priest would go on the day of atonement to atone for the sins 432 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:15,760 of all the people of Israel. 433 00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:19,680 Now you may have heard the phrase yam kapoor and don't have a clue what that is. 434 00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:20,680 It's a holiday. 435 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:22,480 But it is the day of atonement. 436 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:25,480 That's what the Jews celebrate as the day of atonement. 437 00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:30,480 Now they're looking for atonement still in the blood of goats and bulls. 438 00:30:30,480 --> 00:30:34,480 We seek our atonement and know that it is found in Jesus Christ. 439 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:40,960 Nonetheless the day of atonement itself is what God called the people to do in Scripture. 440 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:46,760 Exodus chapter 30 verse 10 says, once a year Aaron is to perform the purification right 441 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:51,240 or atonement in some of your translations, on the horns of the altar. 442 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:57,120 Throughout your generations he is to perform the purification right for once a year with 443 00:30:57,120 --> 00:31:00,040 the blood of the sin offering for atonement. 444 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:04,480 The altar is especially holy to the Lord. 445 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:05,760 So this is a big day. 446 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:08,480 This is a big day for the people of Israel. 447 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:10,280 The day of atonement. 448 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:15,280 This is a special day for the high priest to go into the most holy place and to offer 449 00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:18,160 these sacrifices in the way that he would. 450 00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:21,680 Now if you want to read something this week and you don't have enough time to read all 451 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:25,840 of Leviticus, you may want to put a bookmark in Leviticus chapter 16. 452 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:30,040 Now I'm going to sum it up today simply because we are short of time. 453 00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:32,920 I thought about reading the whole thing but I will not. 454 00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:35,920 But I encourage you to read Leviticus chapter 16. 455 00:31:35,920 --> 00:31:37,520 It talks about the day of atonement. 456 00:31:37,520 --> 00:31:41,600 It talks about the sacrifice the priest had to make the sacrifice for himself and then 457 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:43,880 he could make the sacrifice for the people. 458 00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:49,600 But there's something interesting about that chapter when you begin to read is that once 459 00:31:49,600 --> 00:31:53,560 the priest had made atonement for himself, there were two goats that were supposed to 460 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:54,760 be there that day. 461 00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:59,800 There were two goats that were to be there and one of those goats the priest was to take 462 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:03,160 and he was to sacrifice that goat. 463 00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:09,240 He was to sacrifice that and shed that goat's blood for the forgiveness of sin. 464 00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:14,160 There was another goat however that the priest was not to sacrifice but after sacrificing 465 00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:21,320 the first goat which would atone for the people, the second goat would be brought to the priest 466 00:32:21,320 --> 00:32:27,840 and the priest would lay his hands on the goat's head and he would put the sins of the people 467 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:33,920 on that goat and the goat would be let go and the people's sins would be cast out. 468 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:34,920 They would be gone. 469 00:32:34,920 --> 00:32:40,080 You see that type of language in Scripture that our sins may be cast as far as the east 470 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:41,560 is to the west. 471 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:46,480 This is what occurred on the day of atonement, that a sacrifice was made for atonement and 472 00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:51,400 that our sins or the sins of God's people in that case were cast away. 473 00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:58,000 This was a significant day and as we see always in the Old Testament, all of these things 474 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:03,520 that God has implemented in the Old Testament are but a shadow of what is to come. 475 00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:09,320 It is a shadow of Jesus and what Jesus will fulfill in a more perfect way. 476 00:33:09,320 --> 00:33:15,800 And so as these two goats were brought so that sin could be atoned for and it could 477 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:22,480 be cast away, away from the people, this is what Jesus does for us. 478 00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:28,800 But Jesus does it in a unique way, a little different than what we see in the Old Testament. 479 00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:32,520 Similar but different in a much greater way. 480 00:33:32,520 --> 00:33:36,880 Let's read just a little part of Leviticus 16 verse 29. 481 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:39,240 This is to be a permanent statute for you. 482 00:33:39,240 --> 00:33:41,440 Oh, excuse me, wrong verse. 483 00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:43,160 Leviticus 16 verse 21. 484 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:48,200 Aaron will lay both his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the 485 00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:51,520 Israelites' wrongdoings and rebellious acts. 486 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:58,120 All their sins he is to put on them on the goat's head and send it away into the wilderness 487 00:33:58,120 --> 00:33:59,960 by the man appointed for the task. 488 00:33:59,960 --> 00:34:06,280 The goat will carry on it all their wrongdoings into a desolate land and he will release it 489 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:07,280 there. 490 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:09,200 And then skipping down to verse 29. 491 00:34:09,200 --> 00:34:11,120 This is to be a permanent statute for you. 492 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:15,960 In the seventh month on the tenth day of the month you are to practice self-denial and 493 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:21,160 do no work, both the native and the foreigner who resides among you. 494 00:34:21,160 --> 00:34:26,680 Atonement will be made for you on this day to cleanse you and you will be clean from 495 00:34:26,680 --> 00:34:31,080 all your sins before the Lord. 496 00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:33,120 This was significant. 497 00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:38,560 This is the way in the Old Testament in which God chose to atone for sin. 498 00:34:38,560 --> 00:34:41,640 The wages of sin is death. 499 00:34:41,640 --> 00:34:45,920 So death has to occur when sin occurs. 500 00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:50,920 We can die for our sin or God can atone for our sin. 501 00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:52,960 God chose to atone for our sin. 502 00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:59,640 And in the Old Testament the way that he atoned by the blood of goats and bulls was not, it 503 00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:02,640 was never going to be able to withstand, right? 504 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:07,160 We talked about that with the priest because day after day after day people would sin and 505 00:35:07,160 --> 00:35:12,440 so the priests were always making sacrifices on behalf of the people and this was never 506 00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:14,200 going to be sustainable. 507 00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:15,520 And praise the Lord. 508 00:35:15,520 --> 00:35:18,760 Would it not be horrible if that's what we had to do today? 509 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:22,600 That you came to church and that you brought with you some animals and all day I had to 510 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:27,480 slice them up and slaughter them up and we had to do that day after day and week after 511 00:35:27,480 --> 00:35:28,480 week. 512 00:35:28,480 --> 00:35:33,560 That would be a horrible thing and ultimately it would not atone for our sins and the way 513 00:35:33,560 --> 00:35:37,560 that they needed to be atoned for. 514 00:35:37,560 --> 00:35:43,640 And so God says I will provide a better way. 515 00:35:43,640 --> 00:35:46,640 And this didn't just pop up one day by the way in God's head. 516 00:35:46,640 --> 00:35:50,400 It's not like he said I'm going to make creation and then one day they're all going to sin 517 00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:52,240 and then I'll figure out a problem. 518 00:35:52,240 --> 00:35:58,160 No from the get go God had established this plan through Jesus Christ that all of these 519 00:35:58,160 --> 00:36:05,080 sacrifices foreshadowed because it said that Jesus was set apart before the foundation 520 00:36:05,080 --> 00:36:06,640 of the world. 521 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:14,120 Before things even came into existence Jesus was set aside to be our sacrifice. 522 00:36:14,120 --> 00:36:19,160 And so the things that we see in the Old Testament they were but a shadow of what God had already 523 00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:23,720 prepared and what was to come through Jesus Christ. 524 00:36:23,720 --> 00:36:28,200 And that is why it is so significant that when we finally flip the page from the Old 525 00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:33,680 Testament where all these animals were sacrificed when we flip that page to the New Testament 526 00:36:33,680 --> 00:36:42,080 and John says look here is the Lamb of God that is significant. 527 00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:44,200 Here John the Baptist is baptizing. 528 00:36:44,200 --> 00:36:48,560 He's preparing the way for people so that they know that the Messiah is coming. 529 00:36:48,560 --> 00:36:50,400 The one who will deliver them. 530 00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:52,760 The one who will forgive them of their sins. 531 00:36:52,760 --> 00:36:54,520 The one who will atone for them. 532 00:36:54,520 --> 00:36:57,120 The one who will make purification for them. 533 00:36:57,120 --> 00:37:04,520 And when Jesus came on to the scene that day that John was baptizing behold here comes 534 00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:07,440 the Lamb of God. 535 00:37:07,440 --> 00:37:13,960 And so when we see that language of Jesus that Jesus is a lamb we see this same imagery 536 00:37:13,960 --> 00:37:19,400 it should pop into our head of these sacrifices that God made in the Old Testament of these 537 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:26,120 goats or bulls or lambs or cows or whatever it was that when we see Jesus mentioned in 538 00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:31,800 this way that we know what the Scripture is talking about. 539 00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:33,280 This is what we need to get. 540 00:37:33,280 --> 00:37:40,200 The people of Hebrews needed to get this idea that Jesus is the purification for their sins. 541 00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:41,200 Why? 542 00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:47,160 Because the people of Hebrews were tempted to go back to the old sacrificial system. 543 00:37:47,160 --> 00:37:49,560 They had been freed from that through Jesus Christ. 544 00:37:49,560 --> 00:37:51,600 They had put their faith in Jesus Christ. 545 00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:53,760 They had been living for Jesus Christ. 546 00:37:53,760 --> 00:37:57,960 And now all of a sudden they said well let's go back to slaughtering animals again and 547 00:37:57,960 --> 00:38:06,400 the writer of Hebrews says Jesus is the Son of God the radiance of God's glory the exact 548 00:38:06,400 --> 00:38:13,760 image of God the nature of God and he made purification of sins. 549 00:38:13,760 --> 00:38:18,320 Now praise the Lord we don't have to go back to the old way of purification but we do still 550 00:38:18,320 --> 00:38:23,920 have to be purified for our sins and the only way in which God provides for us today for 551 00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:27,560 that purification to occur is through Jesus Christ. 552 00:38:27,560 --> 00:38:32,640 In the Old Testament it was through animals and that was until Jesus. 553 00:38:32,640 --> 00:38:36,080 Now no doubt there are many people today that are sacrificing animals to God and they're 554 00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:40,560 trying to follow these rituals as good as they think that they can and they are missing 555 00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:47,040 the point because God has said this is done because in that holy of holies between the 556 00:38:47,040 --> 00:38:52,120 holy of holies and the outer courtyard was a veil and only the high priest could go into 557 00:38:52,120 --> 00:38:57,360 that veil and offer that sacrifice but when Jesus was crucified on the cross that veil 558 00:38:57,360 --> 00:39:05,040 in the temple that day was torn by God himself because there is no longer a need for a high 559 00:39:05,040 --> 00:39:10,400 priest to enter into the holy of holies because Jesus Christ has done that for us once and 560 00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:13,120 for all. 561 00:39:13,120 --> 00:39:21,320 Hebrews chapter 10 verses 11 and 12 every priest stands day after day ministering and 562 00:39:21,320 --> 00:39:30,400 offering the same sacrifices time after time which can never take away sins but this man 563 00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:39,080 after offering one sacrifice for sins forever sat down at the right hand of God and who 564 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:42,640 is this man that is being spoken of here? 565 00:39:42,640 --> 00:39:45,320 It is Jesus. 566 00:39:45,320 --> 00:39:47,560 This is what makes Jesus unique. 567 00:39:47,560 --> 00:39:51,160 In the Old Testament there were sacrifices that had to be made. 568 00:39:51,160 --> 00:39:53,800 There were priests that had to make those sacrifices. 569 00:39:53,800 --> 00:39:58,600 There were kings that God had put over his people but here is the uniqueness of Jesus 570 00:39:58,600 --> 00:40:02,640 Christ that we will look at in much greater detail in Hebrews but this is the uniqueness 571 00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:04,600 of Jesus Christ. 572 00:40:04,600 --> 00:40:07,440 Jesus was the sacrifice. 573 00:40:07,440 --> 00:40:10,760 Jesus was the high priest who offered the sacrifice. 574 00:40:10,760 --> 00:40:13,280 He offered himself to God. 575 00:40:13,280 --> 00:40:17,920 Jesus is the king of kings and Lord of lords. 576 00:40:17,920 --> 00:40:22,680 Time and time again day after day Hebrews says the priest of the Old Testament had to 577 00:40:22,680 --> 00:40:28,280 offer sacrifices for people but Jesus has done it once and for all. 578 00:40:28,280 --> 00:40:35,080 When he gave his life on a cross and was crucified Jesus Christ has made purification for our 579 00:40:35,080 --> 00:40:40,880 sins and there is purification in none other. 580 00:40:40,880 --> 00:40:43,600 Do you know that truth today? 581 00:40:43,600 --> 00:40:47,000 Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ today? 582 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:49,160 Our sin has been atoned for. 583 00:40:49,160 --> 00:40:50,480 Blood had to be shed. 584 00:40:50,480 --> 00:40:54,960 The blood of goats and bulls was insufficient the book of Hebrews says but the precious 585 00:40:54,960 --> 00:40:58,560 blood of Jesus Christ was sufficient. 586 00:40:58,560 --> 00:41:00,000 He gave his life. 587 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:07,800 He took on death so that you could receive forgiveness of sins and the grace of God. 588 00:41:07,800 --> 00:41:11,560 He atoned for us like the goat that was slain on the day of atonement. 589 00:41:11,560 --> 00:41:16,640 He is the one that cast our sins away like the scapegoat who was cast into the desolate 590 00:41:16,640 --> 00:41:22,960 land and so it is when we put our faith in Jesus Christ that we have been purified because 591 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:31,240 Jesus is the purification of our sins today if we put our faith in Him. 592 00:41:31,240 --> 00:41:34,120 And that's the question that you have to answer. 593 00:41:34,120 --> 00:41:36,760 Have your sins been forgiven today? 594 00:41:36,760 --> 00:41:39,400 Are you purified today? 595 00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:45,240 Though your sins are as scarlet Jesus Christ will make them as white as snow today but 596 00:41:45,240 --> 00:41:49,280 only if you put your faith in Him. 597 00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:55,560 So Peter chapter 1 verse 18 says this, For you know that you were redeemed from your 598 00:41:55,560 --> 00:42:02,240 empty way of life inherited from the fathers not with perishable things like silver or 599 00:42:02,240 --> 00:42:09,560 gold but with the precious blood of Christ like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. 600 00:42:09,560 --> 00:42:17,360 He was chosen before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the times 601 00:42:17,360 --> 00:42:19,360 for you. 602 00:42:19,360 --> 00:42:24,440 We are redeemed today if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ. 603 00:42:24,440 --> 00:42:28,600 And all of the ways that those in the Old Testament had failed, they had failed everything 604 00:42:28,600 --> 00:42:30,440 that God put before them. 605 00:42:30,440 --> 00:42:35,120 God knew that that way was not going to be sufficient to sustain people for all of eternity 606 00:42:35,120 --> 00:42:37,880 and so God provided a better way. 607 00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:41,480 Yeah, the sins were atoned for in the moment in the Old Testament. 608 00:42:41,480 --> 00:42:45,720 Yeah, the priests did what they were supposed to do for a moment in the Old Testament but 609 00:42:45,720 --> 00:42:48,720 God says there needs to be a more perfect way. 610 00:42:48,720 --> 00:42:55,040 There needs to be a more perfect sacrifice and therefore I will send my perfect Son without 611 00:42:55,040 --> 00:43:01,000 spot or blemish whose precious blood will be shed for you so that you can be atoned 612 00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:05,480 for so that you can be made pure. 613 00:43:05,480 --> 00:43:12,080 So when we see in Hebrews chapter 3 that Jesus made purification of sins, we need to know 614 00:43:12,080 --> 00:43:13,920 what Jesus did. 615 00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:16,640 He put an end to all the blood of goats and bulls. 616 00:43:16,640 --> 00:43:21,920 He put an end to the high priesthood because Jesus himself is the perfect sacrifice. 617 00:43:21,920 --> 00:43:23,320 He is the perfect priest. 618 00:43:23,320 --> 00:43:24,860 He is the king of kings. 619 00:43:24,860 --> 00:43:30,360 He is the Lord of lords and he desires to make purification for your sin today by the 620 00:43:30,360 --> 00:43:34,560 work that he did on the cross if you would put your faith in him. 621 00:43:34,560 --> 00:43:36,560 Let us pray. 622 00:43:36,560 --> 00:43:39,560 Father God, we come to you today and we thank you for your good work. 623 00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:45,400 God, I pray that we would not fail to realize today who Jesus is. 624 00:43:45,400 --> 00:43:49,560 God, maybe there are some in here today and they are tempted in the same way that the 625 00:43:49,560 --> 00:43:52,000 audience of Hebrews was. 626 00:43:52,000 --> 00:43:55,800 God, they are tempted to turn from you. 627 00:43:55,800 --> 00:43:57,000 Maybe life has been tough. 628 00:43:57,000 --> 00:44:00,040 Maybe they've just began to live for the world. 629 00:44:00,040 --> 00:44:03,160 Maybe the world has been more appealing. 630 00:44:03,160 --> 00:44:09,200 But God, let them not be drawn away from Jesus but let us recognize the greatness of who Jesus 631 00:44:09,200 --> 00:44:10,400 is. 632 00:44:10,400 --> 00:44:16,160 The greatness of his sacrifice that he gave with his life on the cross, dear Lord. 633 00:44:16,160 --> 00:44:21,040 God, I pray that if there is one in this room that does not know Jesus, maybe today for 634 00:44:21,040 --> 00:44:25,760 the first time they have realized that they are a sinner, that they hadn't been doing 635 00:44:25,760 --> 00:44:29,480 right, hadn't been living right, hadn't been thinking right. 636 00:44:29,480 --> 00:44:33,000 Maybe today they realize that they are a wretched sinner. 637 00:44:33,000 --> 00:44:34,000 God, we all are. 638 00:44:34,000 --> 00:44:39,000 But, dear Lord, we thank you that the precious blood of Jesus Christ can purify our sins, 639 00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:43,040 forgive us of our sins, and make us new, dear Lord. 640 00:44:43,040 --> 00:44:46,840 That you will cast our sins as far as the east is to the west. 641 00:44:46,840 --> 00:44:52,360 That God, even after coming to Jesus, that when we sin, dear Lord, we have an advocate 642 00:44:52,360 --> 00:44:57,640 in Jesus that boldly is there for us, dear Lord. 643 00:44:57,640 --> 00:45:00,880 So God, I pray that if there are some in this room that do not know Jesus today, that they 644 00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:03,360 would before they leave. 645 00:45:03,360 --> 00:45:06,200 Maybe there are some in this room, God, and maybe there are some things that they just 646 00:45:06,200 --> 00:45:07,400 need to get straight in their life. 647 00:45:07,400 --> 00:45:09,120 I pray that they would, dear Lord. 648 00:45:09,120 --> 00:45:10,800 God, we thank you for your good word. 649 00:45:10,800 --> 00:45:15,400 We thank you for providing a better way through Jesus. 650 00:45:15,400 --> 00:45:18,680 God, we don't have to do all this gnarly stuff we see in the Old Testament that we don't 651 00:45:18,680 --> 00:45:19,680 really get. 652 00:45:19,680 --> 00:45:24,200 But God, that you have already done all that needs to be done through Jesus Christ. 653 00:45:24,200 --> 00:45:26,320 So let us get that, dear Lord. 654 00:45:26,320 --> 00:45:28,240 That is not hard for us to get. 655 00:45:28,240 --> 00:45:33,240 That Jesus loved us so much that he gave us only life so that we could be forgiven. 656 00:45:33,240 --> 00:45:38,520 God, I pray that we would live in that truth today. 657 00:45:38,520 --> 00:46:03,280 And I ask these things in Jesus' name, amen.