Entering Into God’s Presence

Knowing God Through His Names

Priest (Sphere of Religion)

To Study and Ponder

• Throughout the history of Israel the High Priest was the most important person in the nation. Eventually Israel, in disobedience to God, demanded a king so they could be like the surrounding nations - the king became the most powerful person in Israel, but the high priest still remained the most important person.

• Not just anyone could be the high priest, he had to be called of God and he had to be of the correct family line. In Exodus 28:2-30 God tells Moses that Aaron and his sons are to serve him as priests, wearing special clothes made of fine linen. (Wool from the sheep would make them sweat, and sweat was a sign of the original curse.) The names of the twelve tribes of Israel were to be engraved on two pieces of onyx, and these were to be attached to the ephod which the priest was to wear in the most holy place. The high priest also had to wear a breast piece which had twelve stones on it, each stone with the name of a tribe of Israel engraved on it. Thus he bore the names of the tribes of Israel on him as he ministered before the Lord making intercession for the nation of Israel.

• Each high priest had to be anointed with a special anointing oil (Leviticus 21:10) and they all had to be sprinkled with the blood of a ram that was used as a burnt offering. (Exodus 29)

• Once a year, the high priest would enter into the most holy place and offer a blood sacrifice to God for the sins of the nation, asking for forgiveness. He would have to be wearing all of the correct clothing, be cleansed himself, sprinkled with blood and offer an unblemished animal sacrifice. If he came out of the most holy place alive, then God had accepted his sacrifice and the people knew that their sins had been forgiven by God. (Lev.16:34)

• All of these rituals, the clothing, anointing, and sacrifices point to our great high priest, Jesus! The apostle John writes that “He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.” (1John 2:2) Even the wicked high priest of Jesus’ day prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation and for God’s scattered children. (John 11:49-52) Isaiah 53:12 says he “He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.”. We are told (Luke 4:18 and Acts 4:27) he was anointed by the Holy Spirit (as was the high priest) he was called by God as a high priest (Hebrews 5:1-10) He is called “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) and we see him as the lamb who was slain. (Revelation 5:1-14; Is.53:7) John sees him wearing priestly garments. (Rev. 1:20)

• Jesus is the one who has made a way for us to live in God’s presence.... we can now “go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him.” Hebrews 10:22a (NLT)  Individuals, nations, the earth will be with Him, living face to face in eternity because of Jesus.

• Jesus is a tender, sympathetic high priest who pleads for us, came to help us, and made provision for our weakness ..... showing God’s intense love and desire for reconciliation. (Hebrews 2:17, 4:15)

• Hebrews chapters 4-10 give us more detail on Jesus our high priest .... some highlights are listed but do read these chapters right through!

• Heb.7:24-26 because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven.

• Heb.8:6 But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.

• Heb.9:25-26 he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice.

• Heb.10:14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

Memory/Meditation

Lower Grades:

... our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Hebrews 10:12 (NLT)

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe.  Hebrews 4:14  (NLT)

Middle Grades:

..... because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. Hebrews 7:24-25 (NLT)

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin.  But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.  1John 2:1-2. (NLT)

Upper Grades:

By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.   Hebrews 10:20-22 (NLT)

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:15-16. (NLT)