Not What We Do but What He Did

Hebrews 9:1-5 KJV

Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.

For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary.

And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;

Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.

This passage seems to imply that the Old Testament worship was represented by those activities in the inner chamber of the tabernacle while New Testament worship is represented by what is inside the Holiest of all. 

When one considers it, the inner chamber was a place of duty and maintenance:

• The priests kept fresh bread there.
• The priests kept the light burning there.
• The priests kept incense rising to heaven there.

It was a matter of maintaining the status quo. 

Only once per year did anyone enter the holiest of all and that only by one man; the high priest. The work he did was on the Day of Atonement; the one day the sins of the people could be considered paid for. Inside was the ark, the mercy seat and the cherubim. There was nothing inside to maintain. All the high priest did was sprinkle blood. 

It reminds me that New Testament Christianity is not about what we do; it's about what Christ already did and what God has done for us. 

• He is feeding us His Word through the Spirit (pot of manna)
• He is guiding us by His Word (Ten Commandments)
• He is calling out shepherds to care for us in our journey (Aaron's Rod that budded)
• He is ministering to us through His angels (cherubim) and
• His mercies toward us are new every morning (mercy seat)

This is all made active by the blood of Jesus Christ shed just once for all men everywhere. 

When Jesus gave up the ghost the Bible says the veil of the temple was rent in twain, making the way into the holiest of all available to everyone all the time.

Ours should be more that a religion of duty but a faith in God's ministry in and through us.