Bible Passages Bridge: New Testament in a Year

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Hebrews 9:1 - 9:28- Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)

November 18
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King James and other versions... [http://bibleabc.net/bible/kjv/heb9-1.htm]
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Worship Under the Old Agreement
91The first agreement* had rules for worship. And it had a man-made place for worship.
2This place was inside a tent. The first area in the tent was called the Holy Place.
In the Holy Place were the lamp and the table with the special bread offered to
God. 3Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place.* 4In the
Most Holy Place was a golden altar* for burning incense.* And also there was the
holy box that held the old agreement.* The box was covered with gold. Inside this
box was a golden jar of manna* and Aaron's rod (stick)--the rod that once grew leaves.
Also in the box were the flat rocks [with the Ten Commandments] of the old agreement
[written on them]. 5Above the box were the Cherub angels* that showed God's glory.
These Cherub angels were over the mercy seat.* But we cannot say everything about
these things now. 6Everything in the tent was made ready in the way I have explained.
Then the priests went into the first room every day to do their worship. 7But only
the high priest* could go into the second room. And the high priest went into that
room only once a year. And the high priest could never enter that room without taking
blood with him. The priest offered that blood to God for himself and for the people's
sins. Those sins were the sins the people did without knowing that they were sinning.
8The Holy Spirit* uses those two separate rooms to teach us this: that the way into
the Most Holy Place* was not open while that first room was still there. 9This is
an example for us today. This shows that the gifts and sacrifices* that were offered
to God were not able to fully cleanse the person who was worshiping God. Those sacrifices
could not make that person perfect in his heart. 10Those gifts and sacrifices were
only about food and drink and special washings. Those things were only rules about
the body--[not about things inside people's hearts]. God gave those rules [for his
people to follow] until the time of God's new way.

Worship Under the New Agreement
11But Christ has already come to be the high priest.* He is the high priest of the
good things we now have. But Christ does not serve in a place like the tent that
those other priests served in. Christ serves in a place that is better than that
tent. It is more perfect. And that place is not made by men. It does not belong
to this world. 12Christ entered the Most Holy Place* only one time--enough for all
time. Christ entered the Most Holy Place by using his own blood (death), not the
blood of goats or young bulls. Christ entered there and got for us freedom forever.
13The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a cow were sprinkled on those people
who were no longer pure [enough to enter that place of worship]. That blood and
those ashes made those people pure again--but only their bodies. 14So surely the
blood of Christ can do much, much more. Christ offered himself through the eternal
Spirit* as a perfect sacrifice* to God. His blood will make us fully clean from
the evil things we have done. His blood will make us pure even in our hearts. We
are made pure so that we can worship (serve) the living God. 15So Christ brings
a new agreement* from God to his people. Christ brings this new agreement so that
those people that are called by God can have the things that God promised. God's
people can have those things forever. They can have those things because Christ
died to pay for the sins that people did under the first agreement.* Christ died
to make people free from those sins. 16When a man dies, he leaves a will* (agreement).
But people must prove that the man who wrote that will is dead. 17A will means nothing
while the man who wrote it is still living. The will can be used only after the
man dies. 18It is the same with the first agreement [between God and his people].
There had to be blood (death) before the agreement could be made good. 19First,
Moses* told all the people every commandment in the law. Then Moses took the blood
of calves and mixed it with water. Then he used red wool and a branch of hyssop*
to sprinkle the blood and water on the book of the law and on all the people. 20Then
Moses said, "This is the blood that makes the agreement good--the agreement that
God commanded you to follow."* 21In the same way, Moses sprinkled the blood on
the Holy Tent.* He sprinkled the blood over all the things used in worship. 22The
law says that almost everything must be made clean by blood. And sins cannot be
forgiven without blood (death).

Christ's Sacrifice Takes Away Sins
23These things are copies of the real things that are in heaven. These copies had
to be made clean by animal sacrifices.* But the real things in heaven must have
much better sacrifices. 24Christ went into the Most Holy Place.* But Christ did
not go into the Most Holy Place that was made by men. That Most Holy Place is only
a copy of the real one. Christ went into heaven. Christ is there now before God
to help us. 25The high priest* enters the Most Holy Place once every year. He takes
with him blood to offer. But he does not offer his own blood [like Christ did].
Christ went into heaven, but not to offer himself many times like the high priest
[offers blood again and again]. 26If Christ had offered himself many times, then
he would have needed to suffer many times since the time the world was made. But
Christ came [and offered himself] only once. And that once is enough for all time.
Christ came at a time when the world is nearing an end. Christ came to take away
all sin by offering himself as a sacrifice.* 27Every person must die once. After
a person dies, he is judged. 28So Christ was offered as a sacrifice one time to
take away the sins of many people. And Christ will come a second time, but not for
people's sin. Christ will come the second time to bring salvation to those people
who are waiting for him.

Footnotes:firstagreement The contract God gave to the Jewish people when he gave
them the law of Moses. MostHolyPlace Literally, "holy of holies," the place in
the Jewish tabernacle or temple where God met the high priest. altar A stone table
used for burning sacrifices offered to God. incense Special dried tree sap used
for a sacrifice. It was burned to make a sweet-smelling smoke. holy box ... agreement
Wooden box covered with gold that had in it God's law on two flat stones. manna
The food God gave to the Jewish people in the desert. Cherubangels Two images or
statues of angels. mercyseat Place on top of "the holy box that held the agreement,"
where the high priest put the blood of an animal once a year to pay for the sins
of the people. highpriest Most important Jewish priest and leader. Spirit,HolySpirit
Also called the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, and the Comforter. Joined with
God and Christ, He does God's work among people in the world. MostHolyPlace Literally,
"holies," for "holy of holies," the spiritual place where God lives and is worshiped.
sacrifice(s) A sacrifice is a gift or offering to God. Jewish priests killed animals
and offered them to God. Jesus Christ gave his own life as a sacrifice to pay for
people's sins. Spirit Probably the Holy Spirit. See note on Spirit, Holy Spirit.
newagreement This is the "better agreement" that God has given to his people through
Jesus. will The paper a person signs to show which people he wants to have his things
after he dies. Moses One of the most important leaders of the Jewish people during
the time of the Old Testament. hyssop A plant used like a brush for sprinkling liquid.
"This is the blood ... follow" Quote from Ex. 24:8. Holy Tent Or, "tabernacle."
The special tent where God lived among his people and where the Jewish priests worshiped.
"Taken from the HOLY BIBLE: EASY-TO-READ VERSION © 2001 by World Bible Translation
Center, Inc. and used by permission."
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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

New Testament in a Year - November 18

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