The Blood of Christ - Hebrews 9:13-14

Why there is nothing in this life more precious.

Author: Randy Pritts

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Part of the SoGreatSalvationSeries

Today's Text :

"The blood of bulls and of goats" v13

To understand the blood of Christ you have to first understand the blood of bulls and goats previously offered. The use of blood for the symbolic cleansing of the Temple, the alter, the high priest and the priesthood, the sins and transgressions of both the individual and the nation were officially instituted in the BookOfLeviticus , even though there are uses of it going all the way back early in Genesis. There are also historical evidences of blood being used in a multitude of other cultures for a multitude of purposes. Blood is viewed to carry both life and innocence in it, and is considered sacred.

In Leviticus, the bullock (young calf) and kid goat (young goat) had to be without blemish, they were to be used for the sin offering (both are shadow types of Christ). Blood and or blood mingled with oil was used daily to sprinkle seven times over the horns of the alter, on people and door posts, before the curtain and on the implements, and once a year even upon the inner chamber mercy seat. There was a very precise protocol for the priests to follow. Considering the amount of sin needing to be addressed, it sounds to me to be an orderly way to make a bloody mess. As I understand it, priest from all across the nation would rotate through this Temple duty once a year to spread out the burden and stress.

Now to you and I and our modern culture this all seems like a whole lot of animal cruelty, and it is there is no denying. That, however, is not the only way to look at it. For the majority of citizens a ram and a bull were very expensive, it cost them a great deal to atone for their sins, and yet they could not stop themselves from sinning. This speaks volumes to the nature and profundity of our sins. As shocking as the cruelty might be, the nature of our sin brethren should be just as shocking.

The priests that attended to such a gruesome stinking horror, you would think that the sight and stench of this would turn them from their sinning ways, not even that week or two of service could keep them from their eventual decline and defilement. Shocking as the cruelty to these animals is, so too, this speaks volumes to efficiency and legitimacy or our earthly religions. This as well should be equally as shocking. Oh, we might say that no amount of sin and transgression is worth all of this inhumane bloodiness, when instead we should be asking "are my sin really as serious to God as to require this? Both things are cruel of course. Which is crueler: animal cruelty or sin and rebellion before the eyes of a most holy God?

I could take this argument a step further. Cruelty to an ram or a bullock (or two doves if couldn't afford them) is one tremendous thing, especially when the whole affair didn't repair the underlying condition causing sin. It is quite another thing however, this cruelty to the eternal Son of God for whom and through whom all things were created.

So you don't believe in the blood of Jesus. Doesn't surprise me, but that doesn't mean that the blood of Jesus was not shed for you. What a costly and precious thing that God spared not HIS own Son, providing the means to be cleansed and purged and redemption for you. You might say "none of my sins are serious enough to even need that". Well who are you to even say that? There is no greater sin than to have your self exalting and presumptuous sins nail Jesus to the cross, cover Him up inside a tombstone, and walk away from that saying "no thanks... doing fine on my own... now pitiful religious icon just step aside". This is the blood and suffering of the Son of God you are outright rejecting.

Now it is quite another thing not to understand what this blood thing is all about and why it is our only way out. That I think that I can help you out with, and this chapter in Hebrews might be the perfect place to get us started.

"Sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh" v13

Flesh, as you might already know, is not the same thing as soul and spirit. Earlier in this commentary series we profiled the dividing line of both soul and spirit (see: DividingAsunderOfSoulAndSpirit). In a sense what has been sanctified of old is a matter of flesh - outward appearances. We are quite good at dressing up and putting on the makeup of much better looking outward appearances, you and I. We judge things by the way things outwardly look. Ah, but the flesh is one place where not everything we look upon is as it appears.

In another sense the flesh is the part of the body that for the moment exerts a great deal of physical and mental control. Our body might for example crave another drag of nicotine, it will force our mind which is convinced that it wants to quit smoking to find an excuse to justify doing this. For many, the flesh has direct control over their sexual hungers and preferences. For many it has control over their eating patterns, their bullying or aggressive nature. For many it has control over their impulses or physical/mental wellness. Many people choose to be defined by who they are in the flesh and define others by who they appear to be by skin color or stature or dimensions etc... What can be said about purification of the flesh is that it is mostly symbolic and ceremonial. In this case it was however sanctioned by God during this time period, meant and served to be a "shadow of the heavenly things" from above.

Note that the purging of the flesh v13 is contrasted v14 by the purging of one's "conscience from dead works". Conscience properly is to mean "moral conscience" which you will notice is being negatively affected by the influence of dead works. We can define this even closer to the original Greek by calling it "co-perception", a perception or conscience that accompanies God's. This helps to identify the complexity of moral conscience as being the entwining of that of God's that which has innately been given us, with that of our human will which has fallen and rebels, which has struck out at others and itself been scared up and lives day to day immeasurably dirty. Man's perception of morality has taken over the lead role, the echoes of God's perception haunts him. There is nothing that the man can use to purge this, or to clean it, not even by religion, only the blood of Christ has the power to accomplish that task.

Note too what the co-perception is needing to be purged from: dead works; what man's perception of morality thinks is good and right in its' own eye that is causing the spirit/soul all the damage. Remember that this author of Hebrews has already mentioned need "let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God" 6:1.

Let's explore these "patterns" of things a little bit more.

"The Holy Ghost this signifying" v8

Everything and every item involved in the Levitical protocol was meant to have significance. Up to now we've been calling them "shadows", which they are, but in the same vein what is most important about each shadow is each shadow's significance. Previously I have said that God is speaking to us in types and shadows because our mortal and finite words and conceptualizations are too small and too detached to understand most messages HE is attempting to convey; HE is having to bridge HIS way step by step from there in Heaven to here.

So then, there is a significance to the Tabernacle design, each article copied from the pattern exact so that the language is true to form, each gesture and ritual precise so that the vocabulary is clear, each station proceeding one to the other so that the sequence remains intact. Think of the pattern as an symphonic orchestration notated in familiar chord structures and notes. Perhaps at first we don't know what the composer intends to convey, but we are struck by the enthralling tone and scope of it, the melodies and rhythms. And as we study and listen to it a second and a third and an umpteenth time to it we begin to understand that it is painting a vivid picture of Christ for us. Not Christ in small words alone as would be painted on a billboard sign "next exit", but Christ in the struggle for man's soul and attention, Christ as He is sent to death to overcome it, to be our sacrifice and cleansing life and innocence giving blood, to rise again into the first chamber, there making prayers and intercession, to offer us guiding light and God a sweet smelling incense, to enter the second there before God's mercy seat, the true fulfillment of the Law of Moses, the miraculous power of the staff and the re-sprouting rod of Aaron, HE who the Cherubim smile to look upon.

Here's the thing that is most important for us to understand about this - that even with all the shadows and types and patterns that had been ordained therein, it was all setup to convey are signify "that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest", which was a figure for the "time then present". God was saying "Before I make this perfectly clear to you, I want you to understand the basic vocabulary; this is why I am going to do this this way/this is how I am going to do this, and this is representative of the Christ through whom I am going to accomplish this through. It is like saying "look for the time being I will grant you the symbolic cleansing of the flesh, but there will come a day when "unless your righteousness exceed the righteousness of scribes and Pharisees you will in no case enter the Kingdom of Heaven" kjv@Matthew:5:20, which requires a cleansing of much more than the flesh and symbolically.

"How much more shall the blood of Christ" v14

Perhaps now you see the need for the blood of Christ - the blood of a much better covenant - the blood that only this "high priest" has been able to offer up. This blood is required for the cleansing. It is also said "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" kjv@Matthew:26:28. It is also written "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God" kjv@Romans:3:25. Our author today will later go on to say "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission" kjv@Hebrews:9:22.

It is sung "there is power in the blood of Jesus". Power in deed! Power to reach into the flesh and the soul and the human spirit, purge the sin from within. You might say "I do believe in the power of the blood of Jesus, but somehow, at least right now I just don't feel it". I think that we all at times feel like that, and feelings alone are very tricky things. There are two or more things that I would like to share from my experience with you in this regard :

1. I do not have any doubt that by the time we enter that glorious eternal kingdom, the blood of Christ our Savior will have completely purged us. There will be no chance that sins' wicked root and seed will crop back up again; separating us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. It might be hard for us to get a full sense of that right now, but the blood of Christ is in fact by necessity leading us day by day that direction.

2. Just as the shadows and type speak of the overwhelming and deliberate efficacy of Christ's precious blood, so too do they speak of measure of responsibility and inter-activeness on our part to cooperate in the process, being aware and confessing and repentant of each dark sin revealed in His light, concerned of yet hidden and unknown sins yet to be exposed. It is almost as if the axe has been laid to the root, but yet the stems and leaves have days involved to dry up and wither. As it is said by the author here "purge you from dead works", perhaps the work of full repentance and resulting new living works are the treatment at hand to reach the accomplishment and experience of real power; "to serve the living God".

The fact that you are feeling unsettled and concerned for your sins is a good sign. Those sins one by one need to be handed over and left behind, the wounds and the scars and the memories of which need to be thoroughly released and bathed. Each time, you will step out further and further into the experience of His power. Get familiar I would say with the blood and the daily usage of it in your walk and fellowship. If this were meant to be a one time magic pill or single shot vaccination then I gather the shadows and types would have been drawn out much differently. It is the work on the cross by Jesus that is meant for us to be just one time. It is the results and wealth of that one time that is to be employed by us and brought to light each day!

Comment Board: BloodOfChrist Tags: Christ, Blood, Purging, Cleansing, Sanctification, Shadows, Old Testament, Jesus, ,

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