Sun.’s Devo - Jesus, Our High Priest

Read: Leviticus 7:28-9:6; Mark 3:31-4:25; Psalm 37:12-29; Proverbs 10:5 We read the final instructions for the peace offering which was offered by the person voluntarily. The person presented his peace offering to the Lord and lifted it up with his hands. It was his sacrifice of praise to God. The priest would enjoy part of the offering as his share as the priest. *** This ended the instructions for the six offerings - the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, as well as the ordination offering and the peace offering. They were now ready to begin. *** First, Aaron and his son were to bring all the materials for the sin offering. Moses assembled the whole community at the Tabernacle entrance and announced that these were the offerings that the Lord commanded of them. He dressed Aaron in the high priest garments in front of the people. Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the Tabernacle and everything in it, making them holy. He anointed Aaron ands sons and clothed them in their priestly garments. *** Moses brought in the bull and Aaron demonstrated the requirements for the sin offering. This led to the burnt offering which were all part of the ordination offering. Moses was acting as God as he anointed Aaron and his sons to be the high priest and priests for the people. Moses did everything that the high priest would do from then on out. The offerings he offered that day were to cleanse the priests first before they could cleanse the people. Jesus had to live a sinless life and offer himself first before the people could be cleansed and receive salvation. Hebrews 7:27 says this of Jesus, “Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.” *** Moses was offering up the sacrifice for the sins of the priest. This ordination ceremony lasted for seven days, then on the eighth day they were to offer an additional sin offering, peace offering and grain offering because God was going to appear to them that day. The people came to meet the Lord that day at the entrance of the tabernacle. *** In Mark, we read that Jesus spoke both inside of houses and outside to the public. It was just like what happened at the Tabernacle. The people stood outside the entrance and could observe, but the people inside were actually participating with what God was doing. Jesus even said that the people inside the house were like his mother, hand his brothers. He was making a point. *** When he was outside preaching to the multitudes, he spoke in parables so that they could see and be responsible for what they saw, but they would not understand with their hearts. He told the most important parable first. This parable was the doorway into all the other parables he would give them. *** He told the meaning to his disciples when they asked. God was the scatterer of the Word and spiritual truths. He scattered them everywhere. All nature teaches his truths; you don’t have to go to church to learn about God and his ways. But, only the heart that is hungry and searching and open will be able to comprehend God’s mysteries hidden in plain sight. Lord, may we be those who pay close attention to what we hear and understand your mysteries and seek your face. May our hearts be fertile soil that your Word can take root and grow.