Scripture Reading: Genesis 3:1-24, Zechariah 3:1-2, Job 2:3, Revelation 12
For Little Ones: Use legos or blocks to build a “building” on a foundation. Explain how the truth of Yeshua as the Messiah is the foundation of our faith. Ask what would happen if you removed the foundation?
In the wilderness, God set up a system of sacrifice for sin where 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. (Hebrews 9:7) As we talked about before, that was during the Feast of Atonement. In a way, this High Priest was like a lawyer before the Lord. He had no fancy arguments prepared in our defense. He only had the blood. Not human blood, but the blood of the sacrifice. Because of this sacrifice, God forgave the people, including the High Priest. He would have to go into the tabernacle and through the outer courts, where the sacrifice was slaughtered and into the sanctuary, the holy place. Then he had to walk past the lamp with the seven branches and past the table that held the bread of the presence of God. Finally he would go through another curtain, the Holy of Holies. Inside, there was a golden box that looked like a throne called the Ark of the Covenant. This was also called the mercy seat because the priest would splatter it with blood, pleading for the mercy of Israel. And God would forgive the sins of all the people based on this one yearly action.
Did you know that you have an accuser and someone out to take you and your loved ones captive? Just like he did in the beginning, with Eve, Satan accuses people constantly, whispering lies about you to others and even before the throne of God. He also, when you do bad things, bringing the truth of your wrongdoings as evidence that you should be judged harshly. (Zechariah 3:1-2) Satan also accuses groups of people. He is out to ruin our lives. But you have a lawyer, someone to come to your defense. It is Yeshua, the Priest King.
The first Priest-King mentioned in the Bible, is Melchizedek. He ruled over Jerusalem, called Salem, or “peace,” back then. He was, quite literally, the Prince of Peace. A mysterious figure, he is only seen once during the time of Abraham . It is when He comes out of Salem with bread and wine and blesses Abraham when Abraham was reclaiming prisoners from a foreign Canaanite king (Genesis 14). In Psalms, David prophecies that God’s Spirit will fight alongside the Messiah as He rules in the middle of His enemies (Psalm 110). In the Psalm, God says to this King, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek,” who also ruled in the presence of his enemies. Yeshua will also rule over Jerusalem as the Prince of Peace.
Remember what we learned about the Branch of Jesse: Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord. Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.’ Zechariah 6:12-15
Yeshua is the High Priest and King who built the temple upon the foundation rock of His Messiahship and we who agree in this are the dwelling place for the Holy Spirit, who worship in Spirit and Truth as a shadow of things to come, when the New Jerusalem that He has prepared for us will come down and completely fulfill His plan for the Kingship of God over His chosen people and all the nations of this whole earth. When Yeshua, the perfect Lamb of God died the curtain in the temple was torn as a miraculous sign, Yeshua, who had pitched his tent with us and dwelled among us, had fulfilled the purpose of the temple by uniting the roles of priest and king, just like Melchizedek. Not long after, the temple would be demolished in war, but Jesus is the one who fulfilled the need for a man-made temple, tore the curtain to the holy places, and rebuilt the temple of God by the Holy Spirit! Even this spiritual temple is a foundation of things to come in the end when He dwells with us again (Joel 2). Now, instead of needing a yearly sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins, Yeshua intercedes for us before the Father, the judge of all people. God sees our hearts, our motivations, and our actions. He sees each situation clearly and He judges fairly, but Yeshua still mediates for us. He pleads for mercy on our behalf. He atones for our sins with the presentation of His blood on the altar. All of the angels, authorities and powers are in submission to him. (1 Peter 3:22)
We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being. Hebrews 8:1-2
Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Romans 8:34 Our enemy may come against us, but on the day of great judgment, we will not have fancy arguments to defend ourselves. Yeshua will present His blood to the throne of mercy and judgment as our defense. And we already know what the ruling will be. We will be declared righteous by faith. That’s good news! Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.” Revelation 12:10
Yeshua, Our High Priest, we thank you for your blood that atones, redeems, heals, rescues, and delivers us.
Questions to Talk About or Journal:
1. What kinds of accusations does Satan say about people?
2.What’s the difference between a true accusation and a false accusation? Yeshua’s blood defends you against both!
3. Remember how the Ark was called the mercy seat? When is the last time you were shown mercy?
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