 Okay. Good morning and welcome. It's good to connect with you through this call. We're going to study from the book of Hebrews and we will continue. We've done till chapter eight and today we will pick up a chapter nine. Let's pray and let's get started. I'll just say a word of prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your amazing work, Lord. Father, we thank you for such wisdom for God that Father is displayed in the way, Father God, you have worked out our redemption, Father. Lord, we thank you, Lord, for all the truths that we are learning about Jesus and how He's so perfect and Father God and Lord, how He's a high priest and He has become our sacrifice of God. Father, we just pray that whatever we learn will help us deepen our relationship with you, Lord, and strengthen our walk with you. Father, we commit this course, we commit every student, even the faculty, Father, and we just ask for your grace, Lord, to honor your word and live by it. We commit all things into your hands, Father, in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Let's go to Hebrews chapter nine. In Hebrews chapter eight, we saw the comparison between the old covenant and the new covenant and how Jesus became the core signer or the mediator of our new covenant. Something new and when we say new, it's new even in terms of its quality that He brought about and the new covenant has better promises for us. And so those were some things that were given to us in chapter eight. Now, let's move on to chapter nine. We can read it portion by portion and then I'll begin to explain. Let's see how far we get in today's class. So Hebrews chapter nine verses one to five. Could someone please unmute and read it? Okay, maybe one person can. Two of you started reading. Rosalind, you can read first and the other person, who was it? I missed. Me and Zellie told you. Zellie, okay. Zellie, could you read the next section? Is that okay? Okay, awesome. Fine. Let's go ahead. Rosalind, please carry on. Hebrews chapter nine verse one to five. Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary for a tabernacle was prepared. The first part in which was the lampstand, the table and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary. And behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle, which is called the holiest of all, which had the golden sensor and the Ark of the Covenant, overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron's rod that buttered and the tablets of the covenant, and above it were the cherubim of glory, overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. Okay. Thank you, Rosalind. So he is simply presenting the structure of the tabernacle. The tabernacle is the earthly tabernacle or the tabernacle which was built by Moses, which he is calling as the earthly sanctuary is a shadow of the real tabernacle in heaven. That's something we have discussed. So in this section he is just presenting the structure where he talks about the parts of the tabernacle. We know there's an outer coat, inner coat, and then you have the holy of holies and some of the furniture of the tabernacle, things like you had a lampstand. There was a table of showbread and then you had other things like a golden sensor, Ark of the Covenant and where each one was placed and the articles within the Ark of the Covenant, things like a golden pot which had manna, Aaron's rod that buttered and tablets of the covenant. These were placed inside the Ark of the Covenant and then on top was the mercy seat, the blood needed to be put on that and then the presence of the Lord would come. So he's just describing it for us and I think we already know this. We have learned about this from the book of Exodus, Exodus chapter 25 to 31 and then again 35 to 40. They describe all of these articles as well as the structure of the tabernacle. So in essence there were certain instructions for worship and God gave this so that we can understand what heavenly worship is like. So something like when you have there is worship instance in the earthly tabernacle. Now we know there are scriptures that talk about our prayer being an incense and going up in the presence of God. So there is a significance. Whatever exists in the earthly tabernacle has a spiritual meaning to it has a heavenly association. So that is how we have to understand and the author is just telling us plainly like these things existed. This was the structure of the earthly tabernacle. Now let's move ahead from there. We'll read the next section here. Hebrews chapter 9 verses 6 to 10. Kezali, kindly pick it up. The Holy Spirit indicating these that they were into the holiest of all was not yet met manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience. Concern only with foods and drinks various versions and fleshly ordinance imposed until the time of reformation. Okay. Thank you so much. So we notice that the priests had many responsibilities. So if one was a priest, there's hard work. There's schedule. You have supposed to do so many things in the temple. The activities needed to be maintained because up in heaven. How is it constantly there's worship? You know constantly God is being exalted and glorified and just a picture of that was the earthly tabernacle and we see the duties of priests. So priest, the Hebrew word is Kohen and you know priests were appointed. We know God chose one of the tribes of Israel to have that priestly responsibility and in that responsibility came ministering to God. And there was also responsibilities as far as people are concerned. So they had they had to minister to the people through various sacrifices and you know various activities that they did. So as far as ministering to the Lord is concerned in the tabernacle there were daily offerings that were sacrificed incense needed to be burnt in the holy place and there was the lamp stand right. So the wicks of the lamp stand they had to make sure that it is tended so that the lamp continues to burn properly. Then they had to make sure there was always bread on the table of sure bread and God had instructed. There are a lot of instructions we are not going into the details of it. The bread of the presence it was called and so it would be laid there but at the end of every on a weekly basis the bread had to be renewed. So the priest had to ensure that that work is done and also there were instructions about you know what they could consume what they couldn't consume what they have to wear how they have to approach. So they had to first make sacrifices for themselves so that they are acceptable in God's presence and they would go in in order to perform all these different duties which they had. Now as far as the people are concerned there were other responsibilities remember that's what the responsibility of a priest is. One is towards God one is towards people. So towards people what is it that they would do they would attend to various sacrifices. There were a lot of animal sacrifices and sacrifices of other grains that was offered unto God and there was a manner in which the blood had to be shared and the portion of that blood needed to be offered on the altar. So they had to do all this methodically and properly. So in the sacrifices if you go back and study there are all kinds of sacrifices there are like burnt offerings. Sorry morning and evening sacrifice there were sacrifices such as Passover and there was a special time known as the day of atonement which came once in a year where only the high priest was allowed to go into the holiest Holy of Holies. So for that also there is a particular manner of sacrificing so the priests were engaged in sacrifices. They also made offerings to God so people would come and depending on their situation for some sort of Thanksgiving or repentance before God they would make offerings. So there are burnt offerings, there are grain offerings, peace offering, fellowship offering, sin offering, guilt offering. So you can imagine if we were thinking that being a priest is a very cool job you know you just go and you have nothing to do. Sorry from the way the practices of the tapenakala are described it's quite busy their schedule is so tight and they have to do it methodically time to time and keep up that rhythm. So they were doing all this work but in a broader sense they had a responsibility to minister to God so whatever God wanted them to do they had to do that and they had a responsibility to minister to people. So the offering sacrifices related to people so that also they needed to do so that's what we observe here. So broadly like I've kind of you know described that passage for us in verse 7 it says in the second part the high priest went alone once a year not without blood which he offered for himself and for the people since committed in ignorance. So this is talking about the day of atonement so the holy of holies where the high priest would go but notice one is he's taking blood but that blood it's significance that blood has to firstly make atonement for the priest himself and why is that because he was also human being and he's also tainted by sin and so he needs purification himself and he's offering the blood for the sake of the people whom he represents. So that is about the earthly priest high priest verse 8 the Holy Spirit indicating this that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. So while you know these practices were going on they knew something about how God how we should approach God how divine worship is possible but they did not have the full idea. It's only when Jesus came that everything fell into perspective that these were but a shadow we've used that term earlier these were showing us or pointing us towards the fulfillment of all things which was going to happen through Christ Jesus. So even though these things were going on it was not yet very clear you know what how exactly this is going to be fulfilled but it's only after Jesus came and you know he redeemed us that we were very clear on who it is who would ensure that we now have the power to do it. So we now have a proper entrance into God's presence and and can worship freely before our God in verses 9 and 10. It continues to state about you know the symbolism that comes out of these practices. It says it was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience. Only with foods and drinks various washings and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation. So these are symbolic and because they were symbolic there is an implication that it's not doing the work fully. Just think about it if a priest made an offering with let's say or a sacrifice with blood for his own sins. If it was perfect there should not have been a need to make another sacrifice it should have just stopped. But because what they were doing was not perfect okay so we saw how a priest himself had to cleanse his own life from any kind of sin but whatever sacrifice he made it was not able to clear his conscience fully. Like yes it is dealing with the sin for that moment but he has to go back and do it again. Okay so a lot of rituals were there and they were not perfect which is why they had to be repeated again and again and again. So priest for himself also has to repeat it again and again and again and they were living in the shadow that way. Perfection was not there okay and there was no option. They had to wait for perfection but while they were waiting for perfection in order to continue approaching God and ministering to God, ministering to people, repetition, rituals, foods, drinks, washings, ordinances until the time of reformation. What is this until the time of reformation? Obviously we understand till Jesus came, till Jesus fulfilled the work of redemption and then obviously we will also talk about it. When Jesus came and did it it was perfect. When perfection comes there is no need to repeat these rituals that's the point. But unfortunately in the case of what is known as the shadow there's a lot of repetition day to day. You have to keep going with all the sacrifices, all the offerings. Okay now let's read from verse 11 and 12. So 11 and 12 please anyone? Verse 11, But Christ came as high priest of the good things to come with the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands that is not of this creation, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood he entered the most holy place once for all having obtained eternal redemption. Amen. Praise God. So you know it's talking about perfection now. So far we talked about things that are a picture of perfection. So I was just reminded when you know one of my nieces she was very tiny, someone she knew got her a toy laptop. And she was so excited about it. It was this tiny laptop pink in color just making some noises. Like if you click and some images will change and you know and she was so excited. I have a laptop you know and so whenever I would look at it I'd be like what a joke. It's so tiny and it can hardly do anything. If you consider a real laptop and the stuff that people do you know on a real laptop and a real computer people are working on you know programs for NASA and AI and robotics and crazy things are happening on the real thing. But comparing it to something so little and the excitement of the child over that small thing. I mean it's precious of course but the point that I'm trying to make is it's but a shadow. It's pointing us to the bigger better upgraded you know perfect. Perfect thing or option that God has for us. So in a manner it's like that. You know the temple practice yes they are valuable. They're very very valuable so precious and that's how God ministered to his people through the time of the old covenant. But there was that time when Jesus came and perfection came and it's really you know tough to compare how much greater the real deal is compared to the shadows that existed. And in these two verses you know the writer is talking about Christ the real high priest. Remember we saw so many features of this real high priest. He is the high priest in the true tabernacle. He's a high priest forever high priest in the order of Melchizedek. Very very powerful. A high priest who did not have to make any sacrifices for himself. Such a mighty high priest when Christ came as a high priest of the good things to come with the greater and more perfect tabernacle. Talking about heaven. The real tabernacle. Everything else is but a shadow of the real tabernacle and this tabernacle is not made with hands. The heavens they're not made with hands. They're created by God and they are so it's majestic to say the least. We may not even have the words to describe the majesty and the glory of the real tabernacle where God himself dwells and you know worship takes place. And the beauty of that worship. It's amazing you know when we go to the book of Revelation and we read about the things that are unfolding. We are in awe of the real tabernacle and Jesus is the high priest of that tabernacle. That's perfection. It's perfection and verse 12. He says not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood he entered the most holy place once for all having obtained eternal redemption. So notice in the earlier verses we talked about priests who had to offer the blood firstly for themselves but think about Jesus. He didn't have to do any of that. He was already perfect already perfect and the priests went in with the blood of what? Animals, goats and calves but we see that that was not perfection because the blood had to keep being shed. If it was perfect then what is the need for new blood to be shed every day but that was the status in the shadow. In the case of the real tabernacle and Christ our great high priest he went in with his own blood it says. I don't know how many levels above we can't fathom. It's beyond our understanding but what God did was he just gave a glimpse, a tiny glimpse. A small picture the blood of goats and the blood of calves it was just pointing to a greater level of perfection which is to come in himself and his blood. So in the real tabernacle how did Jesus enter? He entered it says with his own blood. He entered the most holy place once for all having obtained eternal redemption. So this was possible after what Jesus did on the cross. So till Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross this was not possible isn't it? So somebody had to pay the price, somebody had to shed blood, somebody had to make propitiation for the sins of mankind. So when that was done you know when Jesus said it is finished, it is finished the implication is huge. It's not just that okay my sins are forgiven and you know I become a child of God now. There are so many things in Christ Jesus we can talk when we say we are redeemed. We can write books on it. So much has happened when we say we are redeemed. We are translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light as sons and daughters in the kingdom of light. We have rights, we have authority, we have freedom, we have privileges. So incredible change has taken place through that change in our position of just being redeemed. I am talking only about one thing but the impact is huge. What has happened in heaven? The Lord Jesus, the real high priest has gone back to his real office if you want to call it. The real tabernacle not made with hands where true worship, heavenly worship is taking place. He's walked in with his own blood that blood speaks of a million things. That blood that has made the entryway into the presence of God. It has sealed the covenant. It talks about our forgiveness. So much has taken place by that sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross of Calvary. But we had to wait up until then. Until then, whatever we are talking about, it's not possible. The temple practices had to keep going because there was no other option. There was no other option. If we have to approach a holy God, there has to be forgiveness of sins. It's sort of like make do with the blood of goats, lamb, goats and calves and all that. So the practices were repeated but perfection came after the work that Jesus did. So he did the work and he entered the real tabernacle with his own blood. It says that's perfect blood, the most holy place once for all. So perfection sealed it all. There's no need to repeat. Now people may ask the question, why aren't we practicing? We are talking about God and the presence of God, the Holy of Holies. Why aren't we practicing as Christians all of these temple rituals? There's no need. We just saw in verse 12. It says he entered the most holy place once for all, finished. When you have the real deal, why do you want to go back to the toy? Just for our understanding, I'm not minimizing the sacrifices of the temple. But it's sort of like that. When you have the real deal, why to go back to something which is way below? And we are terming it as shadow. So as believers, of course we'll study, when we study the book of Peter, that there are spiritual sacrifices now. It's not the rituals anymore but we have spiritual sacrifices that we can make. Not so that we can be accepted by God. That is already done. But we do it as people who are in Christ Jesus. What are those sacrifices? We'll talk about it. It's our worship. The sacrifice of our lips. We worship God. We pray. We give. So all these become our spiritual sacrifices that God takes notice of. So things have shifted after Jesus did it once for all. And we become partakers of the spiritual way of doing things. And not so much the ritualistic, earthly way of doing things. Any thoughts, any questions? I'll also come to our chat. I think Jefina has asked a question about the tabernacle of Moses. I haven't really looked much into it, Jefina. She's asking, is it still there? Just wondering. So we know that the tabernacle of Moses was a tent of meeting. Because those people were always moving. So obviously I don't think it was stationary in one place. Whenever they went, it was makeshift. They would sort of go pitch it and then worship. Then what happened is the temple, the building of the temple took place. So it went from tabernacle, the worship shifted to the temple. So we can only refer to the temple now. The existing temple that we see where worship would have been reinstituted similar to the tabernacle. Any other question or any thoughts about it? So tabernacle of Moses, we cannot locate it. It was a moving tabernacle. I have one more question. Yes. Verse 9, it says, I just want a little more explanation on this. Verse 9, it was symbolic for the present time. Then it says gifts. We understand what sacrifices says about. Then it says gifts are being offered. So it says the present time and then it says gifts and sacrifices. I'm just quite confused what was actually possible. Okay, so as far as the present time is concerned, it's talking about the time until before Jesus redeemed us. So that's the present time. When the priests were offering up their sacrifices. Now what are the gifts? You want to know what are the gifts of the temple which were offered in the temple? So the gifts, I think if we just do a study, I had enlisted some sacrifices but I didn't really study the gifts. I'm sure we can find some names of what gifts people offered for various situations. So yeah, so I think that that will need some study. But symbolic for the present time simply means Jesus has not yet come and died on the cross. So in that time the shadow continues and that's the present time. Okay, so I have, you know, the book of Hebrews is so amazing. It's facets of Jesus from the beginning till the end. Just when you thought, oh wow, he's all this as deity. Suddenly you see how he's sharing in our humanity and then you're going wow. This is how he shared in our humanity and he died on our behalf. He became our brethren and just while you're celebrating it, you realize, oh, he's a greater leader than Moses. He's greater than Joshua. He's offering a greater rest. And you know, the journey just keeps continuing, continuing because the Eiter is speaking to the Hebrew believers and I'm sure his hope was that they'll understand how great this blessing or this faith is that they've walked into that you just can't contain it. There is so much in it. And just for the sake of a discouragement that they're going through to let go of this wonderful faith would be such a big mistake. And you know, he talks about that, right? In chapter 5 he says, I wish you were all teachers. I wish you, you know, you go on to maturity. And then he says, he talks about the children of Israel, how they did not walk into the rest of God. And he slowly comes to that subject of falling away and how when we have a heart of unbelief, we run the risk of falling away. And then you just keep observing, you just keep observing. He starts talking about the priesthood of Jesus. Okay, an amazing priesthood where we learn so much about how God chose him, how God appointed him. Though he may not be from the tribe of Judah, he's from another unique lineage, so to speak. And so we study all about, you know, Melchizedek and all that high priest forever. He can never be changed. Just while you're celebrating it and you're thinking, oh, wow, Jesus is a high priest. Hebrews 9 is talking about Jesus our sacrifice. Okay, he is the perfect sacrifice and it just doesn't stop. So we will celebrate the fact that he finally came and became that perfect sacrifice that every other ritualistic sacrifice. Had to just stop. There's no need for it, right? And we will pick up in the next class about his shed blood. So when we are saying sacrifice, there's the shedding of the blood, right? The shedding of the blood. We've talked about the new covenant, but we'll talk about the blood of Jesus and the power of the blood of Jesus because he is that perfect Lamb of God. And that's the part that we are going to celebrate in the next class. So, yeah, it's never ending. You're just going to be amazed by who Jesus is and the work that he has done, right? And the revelation of that amazing work that has become the fulfillment of all things, you know, which are part of the tabernacle. So let's just close with prayer and I want to request somebody from the class to pray please. Let's do. Dear God in heaven, we thank you for this session that we had. Thank you for the privilege to learn your word and to know that we have a great high priest, Jesus Christ, who is our perfect sacrifice, our Lord and Savior. We thank you, Jesus, for paying the price by shedding your own blood and you made a way for us to boldly come to the Father. Thank you, Jesus, for your blood has made a way for our redemption. Help us to stand strong with this revelation and walk a victorious life to bring glory to your name. Thank you, Lord. We also bless Pastor Nancy with, fill her with more grace and may the spirit of revelation rest upon her as she teaches us this word. Use her mightily and keep her in good health. Thank you, Lord, for hearing our prayers in Jesus' mighty name. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Rosalind. Thank you, everybody. God bless you. May the truth of this book of Hebrews bless our hearts and help us worship the Lord stronger and deeper. Okay, so bye for now and we'll connect tomorrow in our session. Thank you. Bye. Thank you, Pastor. Thank you.