Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Hebrews chapter 9. Hebrews chapter 9. I'd like to look at verses 6
to 10 this evening. But before we look at our Lord's
Word, let's ask his blessing. Our Father, it is so wonderful to be able
to call upon You in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and
to know that we can, by His blood, with assuredness, enter into
the very throne room, into that place where You are. And we can
call upon You. for the sake of our blessed Savior
and ask. Lord, we ask tonight, would you
bless the service? Lord, if you bless, it will be
blessed. Lord, if you don't bless, there
is no blessing. Help us tonight. Help us to hear. Help me as I preach. Lord, make
these words alive to our hearts. Oh, that our hearts truly might
burn as you open unto us the Scriptures for the sake of our
blessed Savior. Amen. The tabernacle in the wilderness
had been constructed just exactly the way that Jehovah had instructed
that tabernacle to be built. Now, from that we know man has
absolutely, absolutely no input into the worship of Almighty
God. It is all of God's doing, God's
instruction, God's direction. Isn't that wonderful? I just
love it. knowing that we are here this
evening, and we are here to just take the Word of God, open God's
Word, and start right where we left off last time, and just
hear what does the Lord have to say. That is the only thing
that matters. Lord, what do You have to say?
Would You bless this Word tonight to our hearts? Verse 6 says,
Now when these things were thus ordained, the priest went always
into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. That's what
I want to preach on tonight for just a few minutes. Accomplishing
the service of God. Isn't this an amazing thing?
I'm talking about tonight assembling together in His presence, by
His authority, telling us, I'm there. And we believe Him by
faith. We believe that He's here. This
Old Testament that the Apostle Paul was instructing these Jews
on to show them what was actually being set forth. That symbolic
system of worship ordained by the Lord Himself reveals, as
I've said before, what's going on right now. Now, see, this
is what makes it so wonderful, is that we're not just looking
at this thing historically. If that's all it was, that's
what we've said before, if it's just that it was just a historical
fact. And this is just the way they
did it back then, and that's just how. But knowing that what
was being set forth in the Old Testament, those types and shadows,
that symbolic picture of the high priest, the great high priest,
It's what's going on right now. So I want to know. Tell me, Lord,
what is happening right here. These things, when they were
just ordained, when they were prepared, that's what it means.
The priest went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing
the service of God daily. They went in. Every day of the
year except. on the Day of Atonement. Every
day these priests would go in and they would do the same thing
over and over and over. Every day. Every day. That was
their calling. They would go in, they would
dress the lamps of that tabernacle. In that outer portion, that outer
portion of the tabernacle itself, the holy place. Not the holy
of holies, but the holy place. there was that candlestick. And
that candlestick, I'm doing like this because of the way it was
described, the candlestick to my left here. And that candlestick,
you know that that is setting forth the Lord Jesus Christ who
is the light of His people right now. That candlestick. Every
day they would go in and they would dress those lamps of that
candlestick. They would supply it with the
holy oil, trim their wicks, and that was done, the Scripture
says, morning and evening, every day. There was that golden altar. There was the altar right in
front of the veil. I keep saying that, but it's
so important. Get it in your mind and you'll
understand what's going on. Golden candlestick right in front. A golden censer. Golden altar. And on that golden altar, right
in front of the veil behind which was the Holy of Holies, there
was that golden altar. And every day, they burned incense
every day with the fire taken from the brazen altar. It was
outside in the open air. That's where that burnt offering,
that scent offering was offered. And right after that morning
and evening sacrifice, they'd take those coals and they would
come in to that golden altar and they would put those coals
on that golden altar and they would put incense on that golden
altar. And there was showbread. There
was a table and there was showbread, and that showbread changed twelve
loaves of bread every Sabbath. That showbread was changed every
day. Every day they were in that outside
part of the holy place. Every day trimming those wicks
on that candlestick. Every day putting that incense
on that golden altar. Now from this we're instructed. Concerning our high priest, we
have daily needs. I need him every day. I need the light of our blessed
candlestick Himself every day. Come ye, Isaiah said, let us
walk in the light of the Lord by faith, walking right now. I need faith right now. I need
light right now. I need to be taught right now.
Faith cometh. Light cometh. Instruction cometh. That's why it's so necessary.
Sit. Stay under the sound of the Gospel.
Taught. Instructed from God's Word. Instructed concerning God's Scriptures. God's light. Believers, we don't
walk in the light. of nature. That candlestick was
the only light in that holy place. There wasn't. There were no other
windows. There was a veil. It was dark. You shut out that
candlestick, and there's no light in there. This is the only light
that we have. This is the only light we need.
This is the only light we want. Lord, You teach me, and I'll
be taught. That golden altar. Every day
now that candlestick lit. Aren't you glad that He would
teach us tonight? He'd teach us. Have you ever
been to take your Bibles and begin your day before you do
anything else? Take your Bible and just read
it. I was reading something this morning. I'm going to have to
show you this. I was reading this morning. First
Thessalonians 15, 24, I think. I hope this is it. OK, this is
it. I was reading this, and this
scripture just jumped out at me. This has nothing to do with
Hebrews. But it was good to me, Carl,
and I want to read it. I was reading 1 Corinthians 15,
and this verse, verse 24, then come at the end. Then come at
the end. when it's all over, when the
last of God's elect have been called out of darkness, then
cometh the end when He shall have delivered up the kingdom
to God, even the Father, when He hath put down all rule and
all authority and all power." I'm thinking, you know, here
we are, we're going through this world and we know that it is
but a vapor. Paul said, I die daily. I was
looking at that Scripture and trying to get some light on that
Scripture. I die daily. I thought, well,
it has to do with something, him dying to sin. No, here's
what it meant. He walked through this world
realizing this could be my last day. This could be it. This could be the last day I'm
on this earth. I don't know. I have no promise of tomorrow.
I mean, I just, all of a sudden, if He called and my heart stops
beating, I choke. I'm gone. This could be my last
day right here. I die daily. And realizing that
this could be the last time. This could be the last time I
ever preach. If this is the last time I ever preach, exalt Christ. Pray that God bless the message
to be of comfort to His people. We need light every day. We don't
know. We know in part. We prophesy
in part. Oh, that I might know Him. Someone said one time, did you
think that Paul knew the Lord? Yeah, he knew the Lord and he
knew that he needed to know the Lord. Oh, that I might know Him. That I might win Him. That I
might be instructed by Him. That golden candlestick. Daily. Daily. I need to be taught. That
golden altar. Every morning. Every evening. Aaron. When I say Aaron, his
sons were helps to him. So therefore, when it says Aaron,
Aaron didn't do all of it in that holy place. Holy of holies,
yes. But not in a holy place. But
those candles. I mean, that golden altar. Whenever lamps would be dressed,
that golden altar would have the coals placed again, fresh,
that incense fresh. And there, right there, remember
this is daily, every day that was done, morning and evening,
every day. That incense, symbolic of the prayer of the Lord Jesus
Christ in that holy place, set forth the continual intercession
of our Lord right now. Ever living. Ever interceding
before the Father Himself for His own. Praying for us. Interceding
for us. Never ceasing to intercede. That's sure bread. Twelve loaves
of bread. Typical. of the 12 tribes of
Israel, which is actually symbolic of the whole church of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Those 12 tribes of Israel were
a picture of all of God's spiritual Israel. But that 12 loaves of
bread, that bread that spiritually we eat of God's appointed food,
the bread of heaven, the bread of life, a beautiful picture
of His body that was broken for us. We're not here tonight to
feast upon carnal doctrine or doctrines of men or traditions
of men. We're here to talk about, to
seek after, to honor, to praise, to worship Him. Him. A person. the blessed Lord Jesus
Christ. We have daily needs that our
Lord shall surely provide. So every day, he says, when these
things were thus ordained, the priest went in always into the
first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. That is what
our blessed Savior is doing, accomplishing the service of
God. He said, My need is to do the will of Him that sent me
and to finish the work, and He did. Verse 7, went the high priest
alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself
and for the heirs of the people. Those sons of Aaron, like I said,
they could assist him in that holy place. They could go in
and administer the services that needed to be done. But on the
Day of Atonement, Aaron alone could go into that holy of holies. He would take off all of the
golden breastplate and the twelve stones with all the names of
the tribes of Israel. He had a stone on each side of
his shoulders right there. He had six names on each shoulder
bearing up symbolically on his shoulders. the government of
the people. Upholding them. Those 12 names
on His heart. I think about that. And I know
when the Lord said, I've known you. I've always known you. I've
loved you with an everlasting love. You think about how personable
this is. When He went to the cross for
everyone for whom He was dying, He knew them. This is not just
a blatant something happening that he's not aware of. He knows. He said, I know my own. I know
my sheep. I've known of them. And he went
bearing their guilt with them on his heart. But on the Day
of Atonement, that high priest, he was clad only in the holy
linen. That's what he had, just a picture. of our Lord, holy, harmless,
Lamb of God, humbling Himself. And He went in, Aaron the high
priest, He went in with that censer, that golden censer. And it had the coals in that
from off the brazen altar, always from off the brazen altar when
Nadab and Abihu They came and they offered strange fire. And
it doesn't say where they got the fire, but it said it was
strange fire. And it was not accepted by God. And they came and they were going
to try to put that strange fire on that golden altar of incense. And God killed them. And I'm
telling you, Almighty God is not going to be approached outside
of a sacrifice that he's accepted and ordained. But on the Day
of Atonement, Aaron would go in with the coals from off that
brazen altar in that golden censer, and he would walk in with that
incense into that Holy of Holies. Turn to Leviticus 16. This is where the Lord set forth
exactly what was going on on that day. Leviticus 16, verse
12. And he shall take a censer full
of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord,
and his hands full of sweet incense, beaten small, and bring it within
the veil. And he shall put the incense
upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense
may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony that he
die not. And he shall take of the blood of the bullock and
sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward. And
before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle the blood with his finger
seven times." When he went into that Holy of Holies, that high
priest, he would come into that holiest place, that place where
that mercy seat covered that Ark of the Covenant. It was the
only piece of furniture that stayed in there. He'd carry in
that golden censer. And He would put that incense
on those coals in that censer, in that smoke. The incense would cover that
mercy seat. Speaking of the fragrant excellency
of Christ's person when Almighty God, the Lord Jesus Christ, offered
Himself as a sin offering. Oh, the sweet smell! of that
satisfaction. When he entered in, he would
take the blood of that bull that had been killed for a sin offering
for himself and for his house, and he would sprinkle it. And
then on that Day of Atonement, after he had made atonement for
himself, for his offering, you remember this. Aaron was a man. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son
of God. He was a God-man, but a man without
sin. Aaron had to go in and make atonement
for himself first. God didn't kill him. Then he
would come in and he would take two goats. Two goats. And he'd
cast lots. And the lot that fell on one
goat, that was going to be the offering. That was the Lord's
goat. And he would take that goat and
he would kill it as a sin offering. He would do this for the errors
of the people. And he would go in, just like he went before,
when he went in for himself, he'd go in this time for the
people. And he would take that golden
censer and he would put that incense on it again. And he would
go in and he'd sprinkle that blood on that mercy seat. And afterwards, he would come
out of that holy place. And having made atonement for
that holy place for himself, for the errors of the people.
Then He would take His hands after He had slain the first
goat. There was one more goat. That was the scapegoat. And He
put His hands on top of that live goat. He confessed all the
iniquities of the children of Israel. And He sent that goat
away into a land, the Scripture said, that was not inhabited. Christ alone, our great High
Priest, The only one qualified to absolutely appear before God
Almighty and put away our guilt. And God accepted it. God carried
those sins away in the blessed person of our Savior. Cast them,
the Scripture says, as far as the east is from the west, behind
His back. That day of atonement, every
day, every day, every day, they had things to do in that holy
place, but one day a year. Once a year, that foreshadowed
the fact that Christ, by one offering, has perfected forever
them that are sanctified. Aaron would go into that holy
place, the holiest of holies. He'd do that on the Day of Atonement,
year after year after year after year. Christ, one time. Entered
into heaven, one time. There to appear for us. Well,
verse 8. The Holy Ghost thus signifying
that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest
while as the first tabernacle was yet standing. Look at the
blessed role, if I can say it like that. I pray I'm saying
it reverently. The blessed place that the Holy
Spirit has continually taken. in the revelation to God's people
concerning what was going on. It was the Spirit of God that
was teaching us in this. The Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost,
this signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not
yet made manifest. This tabernacle, you know it
set forth the glory of our blessed Lord in His present ministry
to his people, present and eternal. But it was only a type. It was
only a picture. The way, the scripture says,
the Holy Ghost signified or showed that the way into the holiest
of all was not yet made manifest while that first tabernacle in
the wilderness was still standing. That entire legal system of the
law, while that was standing, the way Christ himself, who is
the way, the truth and the life, the way into the holiest of all,
had not yet been made manifest. He was set forth in type. He
was set forth in picture. He was set forth in shadow. And
God's people looked forward to him. But he had not been made
manifest yet. He had not yet been born of a
virgin. He had not yet actually lived
as a man, manifested in the flesh, and died as our federal head
and substitute yet. He hadn't been actually sent
into the world, slain from the foundation of the world. in God's
eternal purpose and mind and will, but the Spirit of God was
showing in that Old Testament worship that the actual way into
the holiest of all was not yet made manifest. Now, what we're
looking at now is the revelation of what the Spirit of God was
setting forth in those shadows and types and purpose, verse
9 and 10, which was a figure for the time then present in
which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not
make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the
conscience, which stood only in meats and drinks and divers'
washings and carnal ordinances imposed on them until the time
of reformation." The Lord God of heaven never intended, never
for that tabernacle system of worship to be a perpetual way
in which he was going to be approached. The Lord set forth in that system
a parable, a type, a shadow of what the glorious redemption
of our Savior would be. And it was understood only to
the ears of those that God gave a heart to see it. Some trusted
in it. They trusted in those types and
figures and shadows. They trusted that they had obeyed
God because of the things that they were doing. But only a believer
knows there's life only in the Lord Jesus Christ. That system
could not make the conscience to be at peace. Only the one
that the system pointed to could settle our hearts. We know this. The blood of bulls and goats
doesn't put away sin. We know this, that it is not
by washing, symbolically, water. We know that it's not an actual
candlestick that is our light is pictures and types only. It is the Lord Jesus Christ.
All of these carnal ordinances ordained of God Himself, only
those things pointed to Him. They were a weight and a burden
that no man could bear. No man could do what those symbols
pointed to, to the one that those symbols pointed to. No man could
do that. No man could actually put away.
They were a yoke, I'll tell you this, that was used too hard
to be carried. That stood in meats and drinks
and washings and ordinances imposed on them until the time of the
Reformation, until the time that the Messiah appeared Himself. And when He did, that's when
they saw a better covenant. They saw the fulfillment of it
when He came, when He lived, when He died. I think about that
when He said, It is finished. And that veil was rent. In my
mind, I just picture that opening up. And there in plain view,
the way into heaven itself had been revealed, the fulfillment. of all that God had promised
in all of those tides and shadows now openly displayed. Oh, this
evening that we're able to know right now that daily we have
a great high priest who is our light. He is by His own perfection,
by His own obedience, by the shedding of His own blood, He
has absolutely satisfied God Almighty. The incense of His
intercession, the Lord who hears Him daily and shows mercy to
us for His sake, He's the one we eat right now. We feast on
Him tonight. And I know this. He is the great
High Priest who laid down His life one time and God accepted
it. want a perfect sacrifice. Why
did God accept it? Because it was perfect. Because
He was obedient. And now He ever liveth. Oh, the
joy that we have just to be able to consider one more time what
our great High Priest has done for us. For Christ's sake, we
pray these things be blessed to our heart. Amen.