The Law Was Only a Shadow of Things to Come (Heb. 10:1)

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

                                                                                                            Date:  04-30-03

 

My Worship Time      Focus:  The law was only a shadow of things to come

 

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  Hebrews 10:1

 

            1. Message of the verse:  “For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.”  (NASB)

            In this chapter the writer will say why the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was better than that of the OT sacrifices.  He starts out by saying that the OT Law was only a shadow of the good things that will come, and it was not the very image of the things that will come.  The problem is that the sacrifices had to be made each year for only the covering of sin and this could not make those who made them perfect.

 

            2.  Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am truly thankful that I live on this side of the cross, and that I do not have to go around with having my sin only covered and not taken away as they are because of the cross of Christ.  There are a number of sacrifices that I may offer, and one of them is to offer my body as a living sacrifice to the Lord for His use of it each day of my life.  I do not do this each day as I should but I have given it to the Lord once for all and try to renew this offering each day.

 

The Word of God was convicting, refreshing and a challenge to my heart this day.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To give myself to the Lord for His service today.  To give my fear and my selfishness to Him in exchange for His courage and compassion, and to trust Him with my IBS today, and also to trust Him for safety as Sandy and I begin our travels to N. Ridgeville.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 40: 12

 

12.  For evils beyond number have surrounded me; my iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see; They are more numerous than the hairs of my head; And my heart has failed me.

 

 

 

Complete Salvation (Heb. 9:27-28)

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

                                                                                                            Date:  04-29-03

 

My Worship Time                  Focus:  Complete salvation

 

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  Hebrews 9:27,28

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”  (NASB)  “And just as it is destined that each person dies only once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died only once as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people.  He will come again but not to deal with our sins again.  This time he will bring salvation to all those who are eagerly waiting for him.”  (NLT)

            There are but a few exceptions to this statement, and that are all of those Jesus Christ raised from physical death while He was upon this earth, for they all died again so that would mean that they died twice.  There are two other exceptions to this that are seen in the OT, where Enoch and Elijah both went to heaven without physically dying, which is a picture of the rapture of the Church where there will be many who are alive at that time will not see physical death.  It might be noted that all of these people mentioned above were born dead spiritually, so in that sense they too died.  In verse 28 the writer says that Jesus Christ died so that all who have excepted His death for them will be saved and the finial part of that salvation will be seen when He returns to take those home with Him to heaven at the rapture of the Church and also at His second coming which takes place at the end of the great tribulation.  In the OT on the Day of Atonement the people eagerly awaited the high priest to come out of the Holy of Holies to show that God had excepted his sacrifice, so it will be when Christ returns from heaven as believers will be assured that God has accepted Christ’s sacrifice for their sins, for salvation will be complete at that time.

 

            2.  Spiritual meaning for my life today:  These verses are the heart and soul of my hope and the hope of all believers of all times for in them they tell about the final aspect of my salvation, which will be given at the second coming of Jesus Christ when He comes for His Church of which, by His grace and mercy I am apart of.  The Lord’s Table is to remind me of the whole of this truth as I think back to the death of Jesus Christ, which paid for my sins, the fact that He is now in heaven as my Great High Priest interceding for me, and that He will come again to receive me unto Himself.

 

The Word of God was very inspirational to me as I read it today, and it also challenged my heart to live for Christ today and everyday.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To trust the Lord, and to live for Him in all that I do today.  To trust Him to work into my life the qualities of courage and compassion, and to work out of my life the undesirable qualities of selfishness and fear.  To trust Christ to be in control of IBS, that affects me in so many ways of my life, physical, mental, and spiritual.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 40:9-12, & 1John 4:18

 

9.      I have proclaimed glade tidings of righteousness in the great congregation, Behold, I will not restrain my lips, O LORD, Thou knowest.

10.  I have not hidden Thy righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation; I have not concealed Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth from the great congregation.

11.  Thou, O LORD, will not withhold Thy compassion from me; Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth will continually preserve me.

12.  For evils beyond number have surrounded me; My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see; They are more numerous than the hairs of my head; And my heart has failed me.

18.  There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

 

 

5th Superiority: It's Ministry Represents Fulfillment (Heb. 9:24)

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

                                                                                                            Date:  04-26-03

 

My Worship Time   Focus:  5^th Superiority:  It’s ministry represents fulfillment

 

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  Hebrews 9:24

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”  (NASB)             

“For Christ has entered into heaven itself to appear now before God as our Advocate.  He did not go into the earthly place of worship, for that was merely a copy of the real Temple in heaven.”  (NLT)

            I could not understand at first why the NLT used the word advocate in it until I looked at some other translations that use the words “for us” in them, and figure that this is where the NLT gets the word Advocate from.  They are saying that Jesus Christ sits in heaven to minister on behalf of His Church to present both our needs and our service for Him an offering.  (See 7:25)  “Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” 

            Warren Wiersbe’s point from this passage is that the old tabernacle is made out of hands and therefore it will be temporary, but the tabernacle in heaven is not made with hands, for God made it, therefore Christ ministers in a superior place. 

            I want to talk about the word “copy” that is used in this verse and try to give some insights for the Greek word from which it is translated.  Strongs has this to say about this word, “ a thing resembling another, its counterpart, something in the Messianic times which answers to the type, as baptism corresponds to the deluge (#1Pe 3:21)”  “There is also an antitype which now saves us----baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”  This word is translated as antitype here as used in the NKJV, and these are the only two times it is used in the NT.  Macarthur says of this word, “The antitype either prefigures the type (as here in Heb.9: 24), or is a later illustration of the type as in 1Pet. 3:21.  In both cases, the antitype is not the real thing, but only a copy of it.  The earthly “holy place” in the tabernacles were only types of the heavenly abode of God.”

 

            2.  Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Warren Wiersbe says that believers are to beware of trusting anything for your spiritual that is made with hands, and he relates this to the man made tabernacles of the OT.  I think maybe his point is that things that come from man can have error in them, while things that are from God are perfect.  For instance if I run into a problem I need to go to the Word of God to find answers and not listen to worldly advice.  Everything I do should be done for the glory of God and not for man or myself.

 

The Word of God has brought conviction to my heart as I studied it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To trust the Lord to see me through the trip to take the kids to the airport safely and without fear, which can affect my IBS, to trust the Lord to replace fear with courage, and selfishness with compassion, as He conforms me to the image of Jesus Christ.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 40:9-11, & 1John 4:18

 

9.      I have proclaimed glade tidings of righteousness in the great congregation; Behold, I will not restrain my lips, O LORD, Thou knowest.

10.  I have not hidden Thy righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation; I have not concealed Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth from the great congregation.

11.  Thou, O LORD, will not withhold thy compassion from me; Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth will continually preserve me.

18.  There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

The Sacrifice for Heaven is Better (Heb. 9:23)

                                                                   SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

                                                                                                            Date:  04-25-03

 

My Worship Time      Focus:  The sacrifice for heaven is better

 

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  Hebrews 9:23

 

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.”  (NASB)  “That is why the earthly tent and everything in it—which were copies of things in heaven—had to be purified by the blood of animals.  But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals.”  (NLT)

            The writer is saying that the earthly tabernacle used animals for sacrifices, however there had to be a better sacrifice for the heavenly things.  Now as stated in an earlier SD, and it could have been on Hebrews 8:5, the heavenly “things” as it is described does not actually mean that there is a tabernacle like the copy on earth.  Why would there have to be a sacrifice for the “things” in heaven since there is no sin to defile it as there was on earth.  Dr. Wiersbe has some things to say that can shed some light on this question.  “Through Jesus Christ, we who are sinners can enter into the holy of holies in the heavenly sanctuary (Heb. 10:19-22).  Physically, of course, we are on earth; but spiritually, we are communing with God in the heavenly holy of holies.  In order for God to receive us into thin heavenly fellowship, the blood of Jesus Christ had to be applied.  We enter into God’s presence ‘by the blood of Jesus’ (10:19).”

 

2. Spiritual meaning for my life today:  As I have been stating all along in this section of Hebrews about the wonderful and perfectly planed plan of God in order for we as believers to be able to have direct communication with our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ our Great High Priest.  This verse gives more insight into this wonderful plan, as I see hear the reason that the blood of Jesus Christ has made it possible for me to come into direct contact with God and that, when I come right down and think about it is truly amazing grace. 

 

The Word of God was wonderfully instructive to my heart this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:    To trust the Lord to give me more of His courage and compassion replacing the selfishness and fear that I have, and to Trust the Lord to give me victory over both the physical and mental aspects of the EBS that ii must deal with each day.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 40:9-11 & 1John 4:18

 

9.      I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation; Behold, I will not restrain my lips, O LORD, Thou knowest.

10.  I have not hidden Thy righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation; I have not concealed Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth to the great congregation.

11.  Thou, O LORD, will not withhold Thy compassion from me; Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth will continually preserve me.

18.  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

 

The Shedding of Blood for the Remission of Sins (Heb. 9:21-22)

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

                                                                                                            Date:  04-24-03

My Worship Time      Focus:  Shedding of blood for remission of sins

 

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  Hebrews 9:21-22

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood.  And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”  (NASB)

“And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the sacred tent and on everything used for worship.  In fact, we can say that according to the Law of Moses, nearly everything was purified by sprinkling with blood.  Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.”  (NLT)

            Verse twenty-two carries along the same idea that was in verse twenty-one, and that is where the blood was sprinkled when the covenant of the law was given.  Some of these things were talked about in the book of Exodus.  In verse twenty-three the writer give us on of the most remembered verses in the entire book, but first he continues writing about how these articles that were used in the covenant of the law were purified.  He says that with few exceptions everything was purified by blood.  In some cases when very poor people could not afford even a small animal for a sacrifice they could sue flour.  The last part of the verse is what most people remember and it says that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.  Why is this the case and what does it mean?  Blood is the life of a person or an animal so the writer is saying that when blood is offered for the sacrifice that the sacrifice will die, something that is innocent dies for the guilty.  In the case of the OT the shedding of blood by an innocent animal is a picture of the innocent Lamb of God; Jesus Christ who gave his life for the guilty sinner.

 

            2.  Spiritual meaning for my life today:  This truth is the heart and soul of the Gospel, that Jesus, who was innocent, died for me the one who is guilty.  I learned of this truth before I was saved, and believed this truth for my salvation.  I am reminded of this truth each month at the Lord’s Table we observe at church each month.  I believe that this is why the Lord Jesus Christ set this up this way before His death so that as He says, “this do in remembrance of me.”  I do not ever want to think of this in the wrong light, as to say that I deserved it, for this was done by a loving God who knew it was the only way to save a sinner like me.

 

The Word of God brought a challenge to my heart to continue to remember His death and resurrection that was done for me, and never take this lightly or for granted.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To always remember the gift of salvation that the Lord gave to me through His shed blood and broken body on the cross.  To thank the Lord for each day of life that He gives me and takes care of me through His wonderful gifts of life including the air I breathe and the food that I eat.  To continue to pray that He would make me more like Himself especially in the areas of being courageous and compassionate.  To give me the grace each day to deal with IBS, both the physical and mental, and spiritual aspects of this syndrome. 

 

 Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 40:9-11, & 1John 4:18

 

9.      I have proclaimed glade tiding of righteousness in the great congregation; Behold, I will not restrain my lips, O LORD, Thou knowest

10.  I have not hidden Thy righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation; I have not concealed Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth from the great congregation.

11.  Thou, O LORD, will not withhold Thy compassion from me; Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth will continually preserve me.

18.  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love

 

 

There Was Blood in the Old Covenant (Heb. 9:18-20)

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

                                                                                                            Date:  04-23-04

 

My Worship Time                  Focus:  There was blood in the Old Covenant

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                         Reference:  Hebrews 9:18-20

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood.  For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, ‘THIS IS THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT WHICH GOD COMMANDED YOU.’”  (NASB)  “That is why blood is required under the first covenant as a proof of death.  For after Moses had given the people all of God’s laws, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with the water, and sprinkled both the book of God’s laws and all the people, using branches of hyssop bushes and scarlet wool.  Then he said, ‘This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you.’”

            If you look at all the covenants that are in the Bible you will see that blood is used in all of them, including the covenant of marriage.  In the book of Exodus, the 24^th chapter and verses 1-8 some of the things in these verses from Hebrews are told about.  However as John Macarthur says from his study Bible, not all of the items listed in these verses are mentioned in the OT, and thus the writer of the Hebrews either got his information directly from the Lord or there was tradition that was written down and he got if from there.  Either way it would seem to me that because the Holy Spirit is the One who gives direction to the writers of the Scriptures these things had to come from God.  I believe the important message from these verses is that all covenants have blood involved in them and that the blood of the old covenant was surely a picture of the blood of Jesus Christ that takes away sin.  Matthew 26:28 read as follows, “for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”

 

            2.  Spiritual meaning for my life today:  It goes without saying that blood is important in the eyes of God.  It also goes without saying that blood is the life substance of all beings, and therefore when the Bible talks about the blood of Jesus Christ, I believe it is talking about the life of Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ gave up that life in order for me to have eternal life, He gave up heaven to come to earth so that one day I will escape this sinful earth to go to His heaven and that is a truth that is well worth my time to ponder for all of eternity.

 

The Word of God was indeed refreshing to my soul today as I read and studied it.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To trust the Lord with the things that are going on with our investments that the Lord will be in the midst’s of them.  To trust the Lord to bring about the aspects of His courage and compassion into the fabric of my life.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 40:9-11 & 1John 4:18

 

9.      I have proclaimed glade tidings of righteousness in the great congregation; Behold, I will not restrain my lips, O LORD, Thou knowest.

10.  I have not hidden Thy righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation; I have not concealed Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth from the great congregation.

11.  Thou, O LORD, will not withhold Thy compassion from me; Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth will continually preserve me. 

18.  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears in not made perfect in love.

 

  

   

 

The Need of Death to Execute a Will (Heb. 9:16-17)

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

                                                                                                            Date:  04-22-03

 

My Worship Time                  Focus:  The need of death to execute a will

 

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  Hebrews 9:16-17

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it.  17 For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.”  (NASB)  Now when someone dies and leaves a will, no one gets anything until it is proved that the person who wrote the will is dead.  The will goes into effect only after the death of the person who wrote it.  While the person is still alive, no one can use the will to get any of the things promised to them.”  (NLT) 

            These two verses illustrate the necessity of the death of Christ, for without His death the provisions of the New Covenant would not be enforced.  The word used for covenant in these verses is the same word used for covenant in other places in this book. 

 

            2.  Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Sometimes when I read things in the Bible that seem to have less or little meaning to me, (not that the death of Christ has little meaning to me) I do not think of them in the same way that God thinks of them.  I know that because these two verses are part of the heart of the Gospel and they are very important to God and His plan for my salvation.

 

The Word of God was convicting to me today as I read it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  I want to remember the pain in my heart that sin gives me before participating in it.  I want to trust the Lord with my EBS today, to trust the Lord to give me more compassion and courage, and to perfect love in my life.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 40:9-11

 

9.      I have proclaimed glade tidings of righteousness in the great congregation: Behold, I will not restrain my lips, O LORD, Thou knowest.

10.  I have not hidden Thy righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation; I have not concealed Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth from the great congregation.

11.  Thou, O LORD, will not withhold Thy compassion from me; Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth will continually preserve me.

  

 

3rd Contrast: Temporary Blessings and Eternal Blessings (Heb. 9:15)

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

                                                                                                            Date:  04-21-03

 

My Worship Time      Focus:  3^rd contrast:  Temporary blessings & Eternal blessings

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                         Reference:  Hebrews 9:15

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “And for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, in order that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”  (NASB)  “That is why he is the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, so that all who are invited can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them.  For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins that they committed under that first covenant.  (NLT) 

            I am using the sub-headings from Dr. Warren Wiersbe’s book, “Be Confident” in these last few spiritual diaries.  In this one Dr. Wiersbe writes about the physical blessings that the people of the old covenant would receive and compares them to the eternal blessings that those in the new covenant would receive on that basis of Christ’s work on the cross and His continued work for us in heaven by his intercession for us as our Great High Priest.

            I want to go to the last part of this verse and talk about the part that says, “ those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”  This is the same calling that God gives to those in the New Covenant and it is the effectual call and it always is related to salvation, and in this context refers to OT believers.  The way that I understand this is that God called people in the OT for salvation and their sins were covered by the blood of the sacrifices given on the Day of Atonement, looking forward to the coming of Christ who, when He died fully paid for and took away their sins.  Christ death paid for all the sins committed including those in the OT and those in the NT that have been and will be committed. 

 

            2.  Spiritual meaning for my life today:  This verse amazes me at the awesomeness of God, and His grace and mercy that He shows to man because of His great love for man.  It shows me the ingeniousness of God; how He planned salvation for those He called to it.  I must admit that there are times when I struggle with this and I believe that Satan whispers in my ear that “God is not far,” and I must remember that it is impossible for God to do any wrong, for that would be against His character.

 

The Word of God was challenging to me and also refreshing to me as I read it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  It seems that I always have issues with IBS, and today is no exception, so I must again put my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as my sympathetic High Priest to give me the grace to get through this day, and not only get through it but to have a successful day in the Lord today.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 40:9-11, 1John 4:18

 

9.      I have proclaimed glade tidings of righteousness in the great congregation: Behold, I will not restrain my lips, O LORD, Thou knowest.

10.  I have not hidden Thy righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation; I have not concealed Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth from the great congregation. 

11.  Thou O LORD, will not withhold Thy compassion from me; Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth will continually preserve me.

 

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.