18 September 2018

What an amazing privilege we have to be able to draw near to God! We who were once enemies of God because of our sin, deserving only of His wrath, are now able to draw near to God with confidence (Hebrews 7:19 cf. 4:16). This is possible for us through a better hope.

Yesterday we looked at the promise of God which gives us a hope which is like an anchor of the soul. This hope is Jesus our eternal effective high priest (Hebrews 6:20). This is a better hope than what Israel had. The Israelites had a hope of some sorts to approach God through their high priests, but this system of priests through which Israel could attempt to approach God was temporary (verse 23), weak and useless (verse 18), and imperfect (verse 19).

But now we have the introduction of a better hope (verse 19), Jesus as high priest who continues forever (verse 24), is effective in saving (verse 25), and who is perfect (verse 28). Jesus is the better hope who gives us confidence to draw near to God. Jesus is the guarantor of a better covenant (verse 22).

Just as the old covenant with its priestly system had to deal with the sin problem through perpetual sacrifices, so too the new covenant deals with sin. Sin is what separates mankind from God; sin is a barrier preventing us from drawing near to God. This problem of sin has been solved once for all (verse 27) through the self-sacrifice of Jesus our effective eternal high priest – He offered Himself as a sacrifice (verse 27).

This is why we now have a better hope to draw near to God with confidence. Jesus is our effective eternal high priest who has effectively and eternally dealt with our sin problem which was a barrier preventing us from drawing near to God. He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him (verse 25) and He intercedes for us eternally (verse 25).

Dear Christian, let us take hold of this better hope with confidence. Let us today draw near to God knowing that we have an effective and eternal high priest who intercedes for us and has done away with the sin barrier that separated us from God.

Let us not allow anything to prevent us from drawing near to God because we have a better hope in our high priest who is in heaven interceding for us.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your Son Jesus as our eternal effective high priest. Thank you that Jesus is able to save us completely. Thank You that we have a better hope through whom we can draw near to You with confidence. Help us to take hold of this hope and to draw near to You today and always. Amen.