Hebrews: The Daily Discipline of a Devoted LifeSample

In Spielberg’s movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, unsuspecting bystanders come into contact with aliens, who seem to download into their minds a picture of a mountain. We don’t understand why this mountain is important until the end of the movie, when each of these people travel to the mountain to discover that it is the chosen meeting place for the aliens and humans to get to know each other! 

When Moses was on Mount Sinai, he was given instructions to build a tabernacle where animal sacrifices would be offered that allowed sinful Israelites to approach a holy God: ‘See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain’ (v. 5). We aren’t quite sure what that tabernacle ultimately points to until we come to Christ in the New Testament, or the new covenant. The Old Testament tabernacle was ‘a copy and shadow of … heavenly things’ (v. 5, ESV). 

The ceremonies connected with the tabernacle were all external. They could make an Israelite ceremonially right with God, but they could not change an Israelite’s heart. God was using the picture of the Old Testament tabernacle, with its Holy Place and Most Holy Place (which regular Israelites could not enter), to teach us about our separation from God caused by sin. And our sin is something that cannot be taken away ceremonially – it demands a change of heart. 

In verses 8–12 the writer quotes from Jeremiah 31, a pivotal passage that predicts how Christ would fulfill what the tabernacle ministry was foreshadowing. The Israelites could not keep the old covenant, based on the Ten Commandments: ‘they did not remain faithful to my covenant’ (v. 9). But God knew they couldn’t, and had always planned to establish a new covenant: ‘I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts’ (v. 10). 

The new covenant would deal with our hearts in a way the old covenant never could. Jesus’ blood cleanses our consciences and the Holy Spirit changes the desires of our hearts, so that we can know God personally and have a new longing to serve him that Old Testament Israelites never enjoyed. 

The days of killing lambs and goats are over. Jesus has now come to deal with the real, inner heart problem that separates us from God, and by his blood we can enter the Holy of Holies every time we pray, and have fellowship as forgiven sinners with the God of the universe!

Reflection

Make sure the ceremonies of your church don’t deflect you from examining your own heart.