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139 The Tabernacle the "shadows of good things to come" in much of the ministry of the high priest in the tabernacle, as set forth in Hebrews, has to do with the great Day of Atonement. Later in these studies we want to consider the meaning of that greatest day in all the year for God's people; but here let us remember that it represented the very best that Judaism could offer Israel; and the Holy Spirit was prov- ing to the Hebrew Christians that Christ is far better than Judaism-better than the very best that the earthly high priest could do for the nation on the most sacred day of the year, when he went into the Holy of Holies with the blood of sprinkling, to represent his people before a holy God. Since Christ, the Great High Priest, was so much better than the earthly high priest in his ministry on the greatest day of the year, then surely He was better than the earthly priest on every other day of lesser impor- tance to the spiritual life of the nation. As we remember this very important point, the meaning of Hebrews be- comes more clear. Even a little child, born again by the Spirit of God, could get the beautiful message it holds! The Sin Offering In our study of the separate offerings, we begin with the first one brought by the guilty Israelite to be presented unto the Lord-the sin offering. God's instructions con- cerning it are found in Lev. 4:1-35; 6:24-30. The :first thing we note as we read these passages is that sins of ig- norance did not excuse the sinner (4:2). The whole mes- sage of the sin offering is that "all have sinned," and all need a Substitute, a Saviour. The priest had to bring his own sin offering (4: 3) ; "if the whole congregation of Israel" sinned "through ignorance," the sin offering had to be made ( 4: 13 ) ; "when a ruler" sinned "through ignor-
T ht Tabernacle blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he (Jesus) cometh into the world he saith (in_ addressing His Father in heaven), Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me." That body of our Lord was "prepared," in order that He might offer it as the all-sufficient Sacrifice on the cross. God can not die; and He had to take upon Himself a human body, in order to suffer, in order to "taste death for every man" (Heb. 2: 9). But let us continue reading our Lord's prophetic words spoken to His Father con- cerning His own offering of His body upon the altar which was His cross: "In burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, 0 God.... By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins : but this man (Jesus), after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his ene- mies be made his footstool ... there is no more offering for sin!" This is a wonderful exposition of the Old Testament record concerning the Levitical offerings! The Holy Spirit has made it all so very plain! And the words which we have just read are only a small part of the Epistle to the Hebrews, so rich and meaningful in its interpretation of the offerings that were presented to God upon the Jewish altar of burnt offering, just inside the gate of the court that surrounded the tabernacle. It is well to bear in mind, as we enter upon a detailed study of each of the five offerings, that the explanation of
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