The
writer of Hebrews shared how his readers “are come unto
mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels”.
In chapter twelve and verse twenty-four of Hebrews, the writer
referred to “Jesus the
mediator of the new covenant” where we read:
And to
Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of
sprinkling,
that
speaks better things than that of
Abel.
The
verse begins, “And to Jesus the mediator of the new
covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling,...”. The
writer began with the word, “And Jesus”
whose name means “Jehovah is Salvation” and is “the Son of God,
the Savior of mankind and God incarnate” “the mediator”
which refers to “the one who intervenes between two either in order
to make or restore peace and friendship, to form a compact or for
ratifying a covenant” “of the new”
which means “the recently born, young and youthful” “covenant”
or “disposition or arrangement of any sort which one wishes to be
valid; the last disposition which one makes of his earthly
possessions after his death and in a testament or will”, “and
to the blood” or “the
bloodshed” “of sprinkling”
which means “aspersion either ceremonially or figuratively”.
Jesus Christ, who also is in “heaven”, according to the writer of
Hebrews is the “one who intervenes” between God and man who
“sprinkled” His
own shed “blood”
as a sacrifice for sins.
The
verse continues, “...that speaks
better things than that of
Abel.”. The
writer added the words, “that speaks”
or “which
utters, articulates and tells” “better
things”
which means “more useful, serviceable, advantageous and excellent
things” “than that of Abel” whose
name means “vanity” and was “the second son of Adam who was
murdered by his brother Cain”. The sacrifice of Jesus' “shed
blood” was much greater than the offering presented to God by
“Abel”.
(See Genesis 4:2-9)
When
we consider these words in Hebrews, we see the superiority of Jesus'
“bloodshed” over all other sacrifices made on behalf of man's
sin. Abel offered his animal sacrifice from the best of his flock,
and Jesus offered Himself as the ultimate offering to God. Jesus was
the spotless lamb of God who shall reside in “heaven”
until the time when all people who will believe in Jesus as Savior
and Lord shall be received unto Him. Jesus' “blood” was
the only “appeasing sacrifice” that was acceptable to God, and
all others shall never satisfy Him. Let us rejoice in our Savior
Jesus who gave everything that we might dwell with Him in “heaven”
someday.
Next
time the writer exhorts his readers to “see
that you refuse not him that speaks”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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