ineffective; but on this occasion the Son of God, our Priest, offered not another sacrifice, but as the God-Man cast Himself upon the altar to meet the rending fires of divine wrath •— the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world! How great was man’s guilt if only the Son of God could meet and expiate it! If the sin and the crime against God was great, the sacrifice of the Son of God upon the cross of Calvary and the benefits of His death were even greater; for the penalty of man’s sin was not only fully paid, but paid in such an hon orable and full way as to reflect glory upon a righteous God and His irrevoc able laws. His sacrifice was complete and sufficient. “ But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God. From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.” All sins — past, present and future — were forever borne away by the effi cacious death of Christ. To fully realize all that God has done for us in Christ by His death on Calvary would overwhelm us with a joy that would tax the strength of our present frame. Who is able to comprehend it? Now to Appear as Our High Priest (vs. 23, 24) Now to appear for us! How much it will mean for the child of God not simply to acquiesce in a great doctrine but to seize the living fact that Christ is not only alive, but that He is yon der at the right hand of Majesty as our advocate. “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). Why is He there? The Scripture tells us — “ Now to appear in the presence of God for us.” He is there as our intercessor to swing the golden censer of incense. It is by this perpetual ministry that the child of God is kept saved, is cleansed for service and for fellowship. This doc trine is beautifully anticipated by our Lord when He washed the disciples’ feet, making a distinction between the washing of regeneration and the washing of sanctification. “Jesus saith to him, He that is. washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit.” How many otherwise sincere Christians confuse the two! Not only is He there as our High Priest who ever stands before the *Pastor of the Salem Baptist Church, and Presi dent of Piedmont Bible College, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. DECEMBER, 1958
golden altar of incense to intercede in our behalf, but He is there like wise, having borne His precious blood before God, there to be sprinkled upon the heavenly mercy seat. We are reminded by Scripture that the earthly tabernacle and priestly ministry were but a pattern of the things in heaven. On the great day of atonement the high priest offered a bullock for the nation, and immedi ately after the sacrifice was offered on the brazen altar, the priest took the blood of the victim in a basin and went within the vail and sprinkled it upon the mercy seat. Tradition tells us that Israel’s high priest, when per forming this annual rite, never went beyond the vail into the holiest of all until first of all a rope had been tied about his foot that, should he die within the vail, his body might be retrieved without necessitating the entrance of others. This entrance be yond the vail was an awe-inspiring
event. According to the Levitical rite, the high priest, bearing the blood of the victim, sprinkled it seven times upon the mercy seat — seven speak ing of complete redemption. It is well to note that the high priest, in per forming this function, was arrayed in spotless white, symbolizing the right eousness of Christ our High Priest who was once offered on the brazen altar of Calvary, then to ascend with in the heavenly vail to make atone ment for us. After this complete atonement, Israel’s high priest came out into the holy place and there burned incense upon the golden altar, speaking of Christ our High Priest now in the heavens making interces sion for us. “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). How much spiritual poverty has CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" Mieah 5:2.
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BETHLEHEM FROM THE SOUTH SHOWING BELFRY OF CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY
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