Hebrews 9-10; Psalms 29 - Prayer Tents

Old Rules about Worship

9That first covenant between God and Israel had regulations for worship and a place of worship here on earth.G3767G3303G4413G2192G2532G1345G2999G5037G2886G39 2There were two rooms in that Tabernacle. In the first room were a lampstand, a table, and sacred loaves of bread on the table. This room was called the Holy Place.G1063G2680G4633G2680G4413G1722G3739G5037G3087G2532G5132G2532G4286G740G3748G3004G39 3Then there was a curtain, and behind the curtain was the second room called the Most Holy Place.G1161G3326G1208G2665G4633G3588G3004G39G39 4In that room were a gold incense altar and a wooden chest called the Ark of the Covenant, which was covered with gold on all sides. Inside the Ark were a gold jar containing manna, Aaron's staff that sprouted leaves, and the stone tablets of the covenant.G2192G5552G2369G2532G2787G1242G4028G3840G5553G1722G3739G5552G4713G2192G3131G2532G2G4464G985G2532G4109G1242 5Above the Ark were the cherubim of divine glory, whose wings stretched out over the Ark's cover, the place of atonement. But we cannot explain these things in detail now.G1161G5231G846G5502G1391G2683G2435G4012G3739G3756G2076G3568G3004G2596G3313 6When these things were all in place, the priests regularly entered the first room as they performed their religious duties.G1161G5130G2680G3779G2680G2409G1524G1275G1519G3303G4413G4633G2005G2999 7But only the high priest ever entered the Most Holy Place, and only once a year. And he always offered blood for his own sins and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.G1161G1519G1208G749G3441G530G1763G3756G5565G129G3739G4374G5228G1438G2532G51G2992 8By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the entrance to the Most Holy Place was not freely open as long as the Tabernacle and the system it represented were still in use.G40G4151G5124G1213G3598G39G5319G3380G5319G4413G4633G2192G2089G4714 9This is an illustration pointing to the present time. For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them.G3748G3850G1519G2540G1764G2596G3739G4374G5037G1435G2532G2378G1410G3361G5048G3000G5048G2596G4893 10For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established.G3440G1909G1033G2532G4188G2532G1313G909G2532G4561G1345G1945G3360G2540G1357

Christ Is the Perfect Sacrifice

11So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world.G1161G5547G3854G749G18G3195G1223G3187G2532G5046G4633G3756G5499G5123G3756G5026G2937 12With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.G3761G1223G129G5131G2532G3448G1161G1223G2398G129G1525G2178G1519G39G2147G166G3085 13Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people's bodies from ceremonial impurity.G1063G1487G129G5022G2532G5131G2532G4700G1151G4472G2840G37G4314G2514G4561 14Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.G4214G3123G2511G129G5547G3739G1223G166G4151G4374G1438G299G2316G2511G5216G4893G575G3498G2041G1519G3000G2198G2316 15That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.G2532G5124G1223G2076G3316G2537G1242G3704G1096G2288G1519G629G3847G1909G4413G1242G2564G2983G1860G166G2817 16Now when someone leaves a will, it is necessary to prove that the person who made it is dead.G1063G3699G1242G318G5342G2288G1303 17The will goes into effect only after the person's death. While the person who made it is still alive, the will cannot be put into effect.G1063G1242G949G1909G3498G1893G2480G3379G2480G3379G3753G1303G2198 18That is why even the first covenant was put into effect with the blood of an animal.G3606G3761G4413G1457G5565G129 19For after Moses had read each of God's commandments to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, and sprinkled both the book of God's law and all the people, using hyssop branches and scarlet wool.G1063G5259G3475G2980G3956G1785G3956G2992G2596G3551G2983G129G3448G2532G5131G3326G5204G2532G2847G2053G2532G5301G4472G5037G975G846G2532G3956G2992 20Then he said, "This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you."G3004G5124G129G1242G3739G2316G1781G4314G5209 21And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the Tabernacle and on everything used for worship.G1161G3668G4472G129G2532G4633G2532G3956G4632G3009 22In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.G2532G4975G3956G2511G2596G3551G2511G1722G129G2532G5565G130G1096G3756G859 23That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals.G3767G318G5262G3303G1722G3772G2511G5125G1161G2032G846G2909G2378G3844G5025 24For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf.G1063G5547G1525G3756G1525G1519G39G5499G499G228G235G1519G3772G846G3568G1718G4383G2316G5228G2257 25And 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.G3761G2443G4374G1438G4178G5618G749G1525G1519G39G2596G1763G1722G129G245 26If 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.G1893G1163G846G4178G3958G575G2602G2889G1161G3568G530G1909G4930G165G5319G1519G115G266G1223G2378G846 27And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,G2532G2596G3745G606G444G530G599G1161G3326G5124G2920 28so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.G3779G5547G530G4374G1519G399G266G4183G553G846G3700G1537G1208G5565G266G1519G4991

Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All

10The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship.G1063G3551G2192G4639G18G3195G3756G846G1504G4229G1410G3763G846G2378G3739G4374G2596G1763G1519G1336G5048G4334G5048 2If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.G1893G302G3756G3973G4374G1223G3000G530G2508G2192G3367G2089G4893G266 3But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year.G235G1722G846G364G266G2596G1763 4For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.G1063G102G129G5022G2532G5131G851G266 5That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, "You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer.G1352G1525G1519G2889G3004G2378G2532G4376G2309G3756G1161G4983G2675G3427 6You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin.G3646G2532G4012G266G2106G3756G2106 7Then I said, 'Look, I have come to do your will, O God—as is written about me in the Scriptures.'"G5119G2036G2400G2240G1722G2777G975G1125G4012G1700G4160G4675G2307G2316 8First, Christ said, "You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them" (though they are required by the law of Moses).G511G3004G3754G2378G2532G4376G2532G3646G2532G4012G266G2309G3756G3761G2106G3748G4374G2596G3551 9Then he said, "Look, I have come to do your will." He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect.G5119G2046G2400G2240G4160G4675G2307G2316G337G4413G2443G2476G1208 10For God's will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.G1722G3739G2307G2070G37G1223G4376G4983G2424G5547G2178 11Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins.G2532G3303G3956G2409G2476G2596G2250G3008G2532G4374G4178G846G2378G3748G1410G3763G4014G266 12But 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.G1161G846G4374G3391G2378G5228G266G1519G1336G2523G1722G1188G2316 13There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet.G3063G1551G2193G846G2190G5087G846G5286G4228 14For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.G1063G3391G4376G5048G1519G1336G37 15And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says,G1161G40G4151G2532G3140G2254G1063G3326G4280 16"This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds."G3778G1242G3739G1303G4314G846G3326G1565G2250G3004G2962G1325G3450G3551G1909G846G2588G2532G1909G846G1271G1924G846 17Then he says, "I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds."G2532G846G266G2532G458G846G3415G3364G2089 18And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.G1161G3699G859G5130G3765G4376G4012G266

A Call to Persevere

19And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.G2192G3767G80G3954G1519G1529G39G1722G129G2424 20By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.G4372G2532G2198G3598G3739G1457G2254G1223G2665G5123G846G4561 21And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house,G2532G3173G2409G1909G3624G2316 22let 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.G4334G3326G228G2588G1722G4136G4102G4472G2588G4472G575G4190G4893G2532G4983G3068G2513G5204 23Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.G2722G3671G1680G186G1063G4103G1861 24Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.G2532G2657G240G1519G3948G26G2532G2570G2041 25And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.G3361G1459G1997G1438G1997G2531G1485G5100G235G3870G2532G5118G3123G3745G991G2250G1448 26Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins.G1063G2257G264G1596G3326G2983G1922G225G620G3765G2378G4012G266 27There is only the terrible expectation of God's judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies.G1161G5100G5398G1561G2920G2532G4442G2205G3195G2068G5227 28For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.G5100G114G3475G3551G599G5565G3628G1909G1417G2228G5140G3144 29Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God's mercy to us.G4214G5501G5098G1380G515G3588G2662G5207G2316G2532G2233G129G1242G3739G1722G37G2839G2532G1796G4151G5485 30For we know the one who said, "I will take revenge. I will pay them back." He also said, "The LORD will judge his own people."G1063G1492G2036G1557G1698G1473G467G3004G2962G2532G3825G2962G2919G846G2992 31It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.G5398G1706G1519G5495G2198G2316 32Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering.G1161G363G4386G2250G1722G3739G5461G5278G4183G119G3804 33Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things.G5124G3303G2301G5037G3680G2532G2347G1161G5124G1096G2844G390G3779G390 34You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.G2532G1063G4834G3450G1199G2532G4327G3326G5479G724G5216G5224G1097G1722G1438G2192G1722G3772G2909G2532G3306G5223 35So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!G577G3361G577G3767G5216G3954G3748G2192G3173G3405 36Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.G1063G2192G5532G5281G2443G4160G2307G2316G2865G1860 37"For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay.G1063G2089G3397G3745G3745G2064G2240G2532G5549G3756G5549 38And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away."G1161G1342G2198G1537G4102G2532G1437G5288G3450G5590G2106G3756G2106G1722G846 39But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.G1161G2249G2070G3756G5289G1519G684G235G4102G1519G4047G5590

29[A psalm of David.] Honor the LORD, you heavenly beings; honor the LORD for his glory and strength.H4210H1732H3051H3068H1121H410H3051H3068H3519H5797 2Honor the LORD for the glory of his name. Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.H3051H3068H3519H8034H7812H3068H1927H6944 3The voice of the LORD echoes above the sea. The God of glory thunders. The LORD thunders over the mighty sea.H6963H3068H4325H410H3519H7481H3068H7227H4325 4The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic.H6963H3068H3581H6963H3068H1926 5The voice of the LORD splits the mighty cedars; the LORD shatters the cedars of Lebanon.H6963H3068H7665H730H3068H7665H730H3844 6He makes Lebanon's mountains skip like a calf; he makes Mount Hermon leap like a young wild ox.H7540H5695H3844H8303H1121H7214 7The voice of the LORD strikes with bolts of lightning.H6963H3068H2672H3852H784 8The voice of the LORD makes the barren wilderness quake; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.H6963H3068H2342H4057H3068H2342H4057H6946 9The voice of the LORD twists mighty oaks and strips the forests bare. In his Temple everyone shouts, "Glory!"H6963H3068H355H2342H2834H3295H1964H559H3519 10The LORD rules over the floodwaters. The LORD reigns as king forever.H3068H3427H3999H3068H3427H4428H5769 11The LORD gives his people strength. The LORD blesses them with peace.H3068H5414H5797H5971H3068H1288H5971H7965