Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for February 24

THROUGH CHRIST WE CAN COME TO GOD AT ANY TIME

From: February 24, 2024

“Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat” (Leviticus 16:2 ESV).

The Lord told Moses to tell his brother, Aaron, that even though he was the high priest, he was not allowed to enter the Holy Place “at any time” he wanted. The Holy Place, or the Holy of Holies, was the inner room behind the veil that contained the Ark of the Covenant. Covering the Ark was a golden lid fashioned between two golden cherubim that was called the “mercy seat.” Upon this, the presence of the Lord would rest in the form of a cloud.

It was on this mercy seat that the high priest was to sprinkle the blood of atonement once a year on the Day of Atonement (“Yom Kippur”). This was the only time that the Lord permitted him into His throne room (With the exception of when the camp had to be packed up for travel, at which time the cloud would move out of the Tabernacle to allow them to pack up and move).

When Christ was crucified and the curtain to the Holy Place was torn (Matt. 27:50-51), a new covenant was established, opening up a new way to God’s throne room to all who are in Christ Jesus. Now, we can enter at any time because Christ, our Great High Priest, is ever seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us (Heb. 8:1-2). We can “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we might obtain mercy” (Heb. 4:16) because of Christ’s priestly work on our behalf.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for Jesus, our Mediator. Through Him we can approach Your throne whenever we want. We can come boldly as your children to speak with You. We praise You today for this wonderful access through Jesus, in whose name we pray, amen.

HAVE YOU LAID ALL YOUR SINS ON JESUS?

From: February 24, 2023

“He will lay both of his hands on the goat’s head and confess over it all the wickedness, rebellion, and sins of the people of Israel. In this way, he will transfer the people’s sins to the head of the goat” (Leviticus 16:21 NLT).

Two male goats were offered by the high priest as a sin offering on the Day of Atonement (“Yom Kippur”). The first goat was slaughtered and its blood sprinkled on the mercy seat of the Ark and on the altar for the purification of sins. Then, the second goat was brought alive before the high priest, who laid both his hands on the goat’s head, confessing and transferring the people’s sins to the head of the live goat. This second goat was then released alive into the wilderness as a scapegoat, carrying all the sins of the people upon its head.

These two male goats offered on the Day of Atonement are fulfilled in Christ. For Christ is the fulfillment of the law. His blood has been sprinkled upon the real Mercy Seat, not the type, by Jesus Himself (Heb. 9:12-14). And “the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6).

Have you confessed your sins, laying them upon Christ Jesus, so that they are taken away? Have you been washed clean by the blood of Jesus?

PRAYER: O Lord. What love You have demonstrated toward us in that while we were yet sinners, You died in our place. We confess our sins and accept Jesus as our redemption. We offer our lives as living sacrifices as our reasonable worship. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“Warn your brother, Aaron, not to enter the Most Holy Place behind the inner curtain whenever he chooses; if he does, he will die” (Leviticus 16:2 NLT).

From: February 24, 2022

OUR ACCESS TO THE FATHER THROUGH CHRIST JESUS

The Lord told Moses to tell his brother, Aaron, that even though he was the high priest, he was not allowed to enter the Holy Place “whenever” he wanted. The Holy Place, or the Holy of Holies, was the inner room behind the veil that contained the Ark of the Covenant. Covering the Ark was a golden lid fashioned between two golden cherubim that was called the “mercy seat.” Upon this, the presence of the Lord would rest in the form of a cloud. It was on this mercy seat that the high priest was to sprinkle the blood of atonement once a year on the Day of Atonement (“Yom Kippur”). This was the only time that the Lord permitted him into His throne room (With the exception of when the camp had to be packed up for travel, at which time the cloud would move out of the Tabernacle to allow them to pack up and move).

When Christ was crucified and the curtain to the Holy Place was torn (Matt. 27:50-51), a new covenant was established, opening up a new way to God’s throne room to all who are in Christ Jesus. Now, we can enter at any time because Christ, our Great High Priest, is ever seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us (Heb. 8:1-2). We can “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we might obtain mercy” (Heb. 4:16) because of Christ’s priestly work on our behalf.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for Jesus, our Mediator. Through Him we can approach Your throne whenever we want. We can come boldly as your children to speak with You. We praise You today for this wonderful access through Jesus, in whose name we pray, amen.

‘The Lord said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron that he may not come whenever he wants into the holy place behind the veil in front of the mercy seat on the ark or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.”‘ (Leviticus 16:2 HCSB).

From: February 24, 2021

APPROACHING GOD’S THRONE WHENEVER YOU WANT

The Lord told Moses to tell his brother, Aaron, that even though he was the high priest, he was not allowed to enter the Holy Place “whenever” he wanted. The Holy Place, or the Holy of Holies, was the inner room behind the veil that contained the Ark of the Covenant. Covering the Ark was a golden lid fashioned between two golden cherubim that was called the “mercy seat.” Upon this, the presence of the Lord would rest in the form of a cloud. It was on this mercy seat that the high priest was to sprinkle the blood of atonement once a year on the Day of Atonement (“Yom Kippur”). This was the only time that the Lord permitted him into His throne room (With the exception of when the camp had to be packed up for travel, at which time the cloud would move out of the Tabernacle to allow them to pack up and move).

When Christ was crucified and the curtain to the Holy Place was torn (Matt. 27:50-51), a new covenant was established, opening up a new way to God’s throne room to all who are in Christ Jesus. Now, we can enter at any time because Christ, our Great High Priest, is ever seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us (Heb. 8:1-2). We can “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we might obtain mercy” (Heb. 4:16) because of Christ’s priestly work on our behalf.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for Jesus, our Mediator. Through Him we can approach Your throne whenever we want. We can come boldly as your children to speak with You. We praise You today for this wonderful access through Jesus, in whose name we pray, amen.

“Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat” (Leviticus 16:2 NKJV).

From: February 24, 2020

WHO IS ABLE TO STAND BEFORE THE LORD?

The Lord gave Moses instructions to Tell Aaron his brother that he couldn’t approach the Ark, which represented the throne of God, at just any time he wanted. A veil separated the place called the Holy of Holies where the Ark rested, so that no one might see it, nor accidentally approach it. However Aaron, as the high priest, was commissioned to enter the Holy of Holies one day a year, which was called the “Day of Atonement” (Hebrew: “Yom Kippur”), in order to sprinkle blood upon the “mercy seat.” This blood was from the young bull offering that was for the atonement of the people of Israel’s sins. If anyone else entered past the veil or if even Aaron himself entered on another day, they would die.

Some years later, the Israelites in the town of Beth Shemesh made the mistake of thinking that they could look upon the Ark uncovered. But they were wrong. So many of them died that they cried out, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God?” (1 Sam. 6:20). Their question begs the answer, “No one.”

Yet God has provided a way. For on the day that Christ was crucified, the veil was “torn in two from top to bottom” (Matt. 27:51), so that a new and better way was made for those who by faith would come to stand before the Father. For Christ is now our Great High Priest. For “he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption” (Heb. 9:12).

Who is able to stand before the Lord? Only those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ are able to “come boldly to the throne of grace” (Heb. 4:16). In Christ, we are able to stand before the Lord at any time!

PRAYER: Dear Father, we give thanks for Christ’s provision for us, so that we are able to boldly approach Your throne of grace at any time of day or night. For by faith in Jesus we have been counted righteous and adopted as sons into Your family. Every detail of the Ark and the Tabernacle worship always pointed to Christ. And now He is ours and we are His! Hallelujah! In Jesus’ name, amen.

“He will lay both of his hands on the goat’s head and confess over it all the wickedness, rebellion, and sins of the people of Israel. In this way, he will transfer the people’s sins to the head of the goat” (Leviticus 16:21 NLT).

From: February 24, 2019

HAVE YOU LAID YOU SINS UPON CHRIST JESUS?

Two male goats were offered by the high priest as a sin offering on the Day of Atonement (“Yom Kippur”). The first goat was slaughtered and its blood sprinkled on the mercy seat and on the altar for the purification of sins. Then, the second goat was brought alive before the high priest, who laid both his hands on the goat’s head, confessing and transferring the people’s sins to the head of the live goat. This second goat was then released alive into the wilderness as a scapegoat, carrying all the sins of the people upon its head.

These two male goats offered on the Day of Atonement are fulfilled in Christ. For Christ is the fulfillment of the law. His blood has been sprinkled upon the real Mercy Seat, not the type, by Jesus Himself (Heb. 9:12-14). And “the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6).

Have you confessed your sins, laying them upon Christ Jesus, so that they are taken away? Have you been washed clean by the blood of Jesus?

PRAYER: O Lord. What love You have demonstrated toward us in that while we were yet sinners, You died in our place. We confess our sins and accept Jesus as our redemption. We offer our lives as living sacrifices as our reasonable worship. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“It is what comes from inside that defiles you” (Mark 7:20 NLT).

From: February 24, 2018

WHO CAN CLEANSE OUR DIRTY HEARTS?

Jesus pointed out the hypocrisy of the Pharisee’s hand-washing rituals. For they were careful to wash their hands before putting food in their bodies, but not mindful of the sinful attitudes that originated within their hearts. Yet, who can cleanse dirty hearts?

Only Christ can cleanse us from the sin that defiles our hearts. As the apostle Paul wrote, “He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people” (Titus 2:14).

“Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.” (Leviticus 16:2 NKJV).

From: February 24, 2017

The Lord told Moses to tell his brother, Aaron, that even though he was the high priest, he was not allowed to enter the Holy Place “just any time” he wanted. The Holy Place, or the Holy of Holies, was the inner room behind the veil that contained the Ark of the Covenant. Covering the Ark was a golden lid fashioned between two golden cherubim that was called the “mercy seat.” Upon this, the presence of the Lord would rest in the form of a cloud. It was on this mercy seat that the high priest was to sprinkle the blood of atonement once a year on the Day of Atonement (“Yom Kippur”). This was the only time that the Lord permitted him into His throne room (With the exception of when the camp had to be packed up for travel, at which time the cloud would move out of the Tabernacle and become a pillar of cloud leading the people).

This was the old covenant until Christ was crucified and the curtain to the Holy Place was torn (Matt. 27:50-51), establishing a new covenant and opening up a new way to God’s throne room to all who are in Christ Jesus. Now, we can enter at any time because Christ, our Great High Priest, is ever seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us (Heb. 8:1-2). We can “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we might obtain mercy” (Heb. 4:16) because of Christ’s priestly work on our behalf.

“There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him” (Mark 7:15 ESV)

From: February 24, 2016

Jesus explained that sin begins with an attitude of the heart before it becomes a behavior. Focusing on changing the behavior is unfruitful when only faith in Jesus will change the heart. The human heart is born with an attitude of rebellion against God saying, “My will,” rather than “Your will be done.” This teaching of Jesus also served notice that certain Pharisaical cleanliness laws were human additions to the Mosaic law and therefore not binding. The Pharisees had not lightened the burden of the people, instead they had added to it. Jesus came to change human hearts knowing that no amount of washing our hands would cleanse our hearts.

“There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man” (Mark 7:15 NKJV)

From: February 24, 2015

Jesus explained that sin begins with an attitude of the heart before it becomes a behavior. Our problem is within. Focusing on changing the outward behavior is unfruitful when only faith in Jesus will change the heart. The human heart is born with an attitude of rebellion against God saying, “My will,” rather than “Your will be done.” Jesus came to change human hearts knowing that no amount of washing our hands would cleanse our hearts.