God's kingdom comes

New Guest: Like this one, most posts are devotional; those related to CAR BIZ can be found by searching for that title. You might read 'Welcome,' the first post, dated November 12, 2008, in the archives

Saturday, May 30, 2009
Devotions: Ps 107:33-43; 108:1-6; Ezek 43:1-12; Heb 9:1-14; Lk 11:14-23

God turns deserts to farms, and farmland to salty wastes. He provides for the hungry and blesses the oppressed. He brings disaster to idolaters and the proud, and raises the needy from their affliction. The upright see this and are glad; let the wise ponder God’s steadfast love! Lord, Your love is greater than the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches above the clouds. Let heaven and earth adore our God, Master of all the earth, all the cosmos. Mighty Lord, tread down my foes!

In a vision, God takes Ezekiel to the eastern gate of His temple; God’s glory comes from the east, with a sound like many waters. Ezekiel falls to his face before God; His glory entered the eastern gate; the Spirit lifted up the prophet and set him down in the inner court. And YHWH’s glory filled the temple! A voice speaks from within the temple: ‘Son of man, I set My feet in this place, and I will live here forever, in the midst of the people of Israel. They will no longer defile My name or My temple by their abominations. Let them put away their idolatries and the corpses of their kings, and I will dwell in their midst forever. As for you, son of man, describe My temple to these people, so they can be ashamed of what they have done. Make them understand the plan and the laws of My temple. The whole area, the top of the Temple Mount, is most holy!’

The first covenant had its own regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary—structure, specific priestly functions and roles, a schedule. Many priests served daily in the outer court and in the Holy Place; but in the Holiest Place, only one priest entered and served, and that only once a year, and that only with blood offered for himself and for the people. Access to God’s sanctuary is closed as long as the outer tabernacle stands. So these former practices marked time and sustained worship until the time of reformation. But when Christ appeared, a High Priest of the new covenant—the good things we now have received from God—He came through a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not man-made but made by God Himself. Jesus entered once for all into the Holy Place. He came with His own perfect blood, not the blood of animals, thus securing an eternal redemption. How much more will the blood of Christ, Who through the Eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works, so that we serve the living God. Therefore, Jesus the Messiah is Mediator of a new covenant, so that all whom God calls may receive the promised eternal inheritance—Christ’s death has redeemed us from transgressions of God’s law and the first covenant. A covenant, a will, is enforced only at the point of death of the testator—likewise, no covenant is ratified without blood. When Moses had proclaimed all God’s Torah to the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book and the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.” In the same way, Moses sprinkled the tabernacle and the vessels used in worship. Under the law, almost everything must be purified with blood; and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins! So: the earthly replicas of heavenly things were purified with the Mosaic rites; but the heavenly originals are purified with a better sacrifice!

Jesus cast out a demon that had rendered a man mute; when the man spoke again, the people marveled. But some among them said Jesus cast out demons using the power of Beelzebul, prince of demons. Others continued to demand further heavenly signs to legitimize Jesus. Jesus knew their thoughts and confronted them: ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; every divided household falls. If Satan were divided, his kingdom would be over.’ [Obviously, this had not yet occurred.] ‘You say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul; if so, by whom do your sons cast them out? They will be your judges. But if I exorcise by the finger of God, then God’s kingdom, not Satan’s, has come upon you. When a strong man guards his possessions, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger opponent overcomes him, he loses everything. Whoever is not with Me is against Me; and whoever does not gather with Me, scatters.’