Daily Meditations

Hebrews 9:6 Our daily visit to the Holy Place This verse rather blandly summarises all of the daily routines of the priesthood of Israel as these god-fearing men came and went from the Tabernacle. Remember that this Tent was first constructed whilst the Israelites were nomads, and for many years it was taken down and re-erected as they moved from place to place. After a few hiccups, the sacred building only came to rest more permanently once the people had arrived in the Promised Land and they found a safe and secure home in Shiloh. Later, David would have it re-established on Zion in preparation for the construction of the Temple, under Solomon. Wherever the Ark of the Covenant went and all the furniture associated with it, the daily routines would take place, and the ordained priesthood would go daily in and out of the Holy Place. Fragrant incense was burned on the Golden Altar, and prayers were offered to the Lord God. At evening the seven lamps on the Menorah were maintained so tha...

Hebrews 9:5 The cherubim of the Glory What a beautiful picture is presented to us here! Any High Priests entering the Most Holy Place would, I imagine, be immediately drawn to the majestic images before them; the cherubim, arrayed in gold that towered over the Ark of the Covenant and its mercy seat. These amazing sculptures were designed to draw the eye, they represented the glory of the Lord and, as our verse tells us, “ Overshadowed the atonement cover .” The cherubim were made out of beaten gold and were an extension of the golden cover that fitted over the ark. Their wings were spread upwards and the two creatures faced each other looking towards the cover. It was in the space between them that the Lord announced that He would meet with Israel and give them His commands. Exodus 25:17-22. Later, in Numbers 7:89 we read,  “When Moses entered the tent of meeting (Tabernacle) to speak with the Lord, He heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonemen...

Hebrews 9:4 The golden Altar of Incense Having perused the items of the inner Tabernacle furniture and their placement within the tent, this verse seems to throw up an obstacle, for it places the golden altar of incense alongside the Ark of the Covenant and within the Most Holy Place! Scholars accept that there is a problem here, if the altar was used by priests twice daily, to offer prayers to the Lord, how could it be housed within the Most Holy Place which was entered only once a year by the High Priest? The general agreement seems to be that this altar was closely associated with all that took place within the curtain, it was the sole obstacle to entering through into God’s presence and so it was included in the same package as it were! From this altar of incense, the High Priest would use the holy fragrance when He made His annual visit to worship and sacrifice before the Lord. In other words, the altar of incense and the Ark of the Covenant were inextricably linked!  There ha...

Hebrews 9:3b Inside the Tabernacle The Holy Place It’s time to look a bit more closely at the furniture that occupied the inner Tabernacle of the Israelites. This will hopefully help to make sense of the rest of this chapter of Hebrews. As the priest entered the Holy Place, and only priests could enter, they would be illuminated by the light from the menorah, or seven branched lampstand. Light is, of course, at the very heart of God’s dealings with the earth and with mankind. Light was given at the beginning of creation; it dominates every day of our lives in contrast with darkness. Jesus was the light of the world; His Holy Spirit gives us light as does His Word. If you are a true believer in Christ, then you share in His Holy Spirit. He is your light. That was the whole point of Pentecost.       The Table of Shewbread occupied the space opposite the Menorah. On it were 12 loaves of unleavened bread in two stacks of 6. Some incense was placed on the table to anoint the o...

Hebrews 9:3a Inside the Tabernacle The Holy Place was not the final part of this sacred tent, there was another curtain that confronted the priests who daily entered the Tabernacle. It hung as a taunt, for some of these men must have wondered what exactly lay beyond. But it was also a barrier, for no ordinary priest was allowed to pass through this curtain or to see what lay within. It was believed that God’s holy presence dwelt in this inner sanctuary, called the Most Holy Place. Only one man was allowed to pass through the innermost curtain, and he could only do only it but once per year, on the Day of Atonement. We will talk more about this in a few verses time.   Throughout this chapter it will be helpful to have at least an illustration of the Tabernacle and its furniture so that the layout and the nature of the sacred objects can be better visualised. We will provide this next time. If you were a priest and therefore allowed to serve in the sanctuary, it must have been a very...

Hebrews 9:2 The Holy Place There is no room here to look in detail at the regulations for building the Tabernacle. These can be found in Exodus 25 and later chapters. As we know, the instructions for building this “tent” and its furnishings were precise and had to be followed meticulously. For those who study the plans and the symbolism or significance of every detail in its construction, the Tabernacle offers a wealth of understanding about the nature of God and His relationship with His people. Every single piece of this temporary structure points to Christ and to the permanent heavenly Tabernacle where He now serves as our High Priest. The first room of the Tabernacle is often referred to as the Holy Place and in it was the lampstand or seven branched Menorah, the lamps were kept burning night and day. In addition, a Table of consecrated bread was positioned on the north side of the room, this held 12 loaves which were replaced once per week. Positioned near the entrance to the next...