Prayer- coming into the Holy of Holies
Do you sometimes feel that you pray and pray and you just don’t seem to get that breakthrough, or you’re praying for family members and nothing seems to happen or you wonder is God hearing what you say, or you feel like David at times…
Psalm 10:1 NIV)1 Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
Are you like me where you want to come into the throne room of God and know He has heard your prayer, even if He says “No”? Paul writes in Hebrews
Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
So how do I do this with confidence!? How do I come into the throne room of God with confidence and ask God for his wisdom and mercy and help when e.g. I’m praying for my daughters or something special ?
To answer this we need to go back to basics. We need to first remind ourselves of how God set up the earthly tabernacle, the priesthood and the sacrifices because in Hebrews it says
Hebrews 8:5 (NIV)5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”
In fact the tabernacle is so important that 50 chapters are devoted to it! 50 chapters.
The word "Tabernacle" occurs 328 times in the King James version of the Bible. "Fully fifty chapters in the Bible are devoted to the Tabernacle, showing its importance in God’s sight".... "Each part of the Tabernacle teaches us spiritual lessons concerning the Person and work of Christ and the way of approach to God". (ref William MacDonald "Believer’s Bible Commentary",1995, p. 114)
We better take it seriously, God does- look was happened
Leviticus 10 (NIV)10 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. 2 So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. 3 Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke of when he said: “‘Among those who approach me I will be proved holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honoured. ’”Aaron remained silent.
Or what about Korah: Numbers 16:35 (NIV) 35 And fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense……..16:40 ……... This was to remind the Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense before the Lord, or he would become like Korah and his followers.
This is serious stuff. So God took the design of the tabernacle, the priesthood and the sacrifices very seriously because as it says in Hebrews 8 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. There is a way of approaching God, not respecting God or not honouring God can have serious consequences.
So let’s have a brief look at sacrifices and the tabernacle and see what we can learn and apply to ourselves today.
I often wondered why God decided on a blood sacrifice and all this killing of animals. But we need to remember that the first sacrifice was done by God Himself. When Adam and Eve sinned, an animal was sacrificed and in Genesis
Genesis 3:21 (NIV)21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
Adam and Eve’s sin exposed them. Their sin was covered by the sacrifice of an animal. Right from the start nothing was more evident than the “wage of sin is death”. Even in the next generation it was made clear to Cain and Abel that the fruits of their own labour would never be satisfactory, only blood sacrifice. So Cain paid the price of that error. That’s why Paul writes in Hebrews
Hebrews 9:22 (NIV)22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Let’s quickly look at the Tabernacle
We come in through the east side (facing west) through the camp of Judah (on their flag was a Lion, so through the Lion of Judah, and we come to the brazen altar. The sacrifice was bound to one of the four horns, hands laid on the animal, symbolic of confessing and transferring sin, the animal killed and the blood collected in basin some of which was sprinkled on the altar and then parts of the animal burned on the altar. Fire pans or censers carried some of the coals and fire to the altar of incense inside “The Holy Place”. Note that there were specific sacrifices for specific circumstances
The priest then came to the brazen laver full of clean water and washed before entering the first veil. On entering the Holy Place, on the right was the table of Shewbread and on the left a huge golden 7 pronged lampstand made out of pure gold (worth millions of $ in today’s money!)
Just in front of the Holy of Holies was the Altar of Incense. The priest took the burning coals in his censer and added a specific formula of incense resulting in a thick cloud of fragrant smoke. On the Day of Atonement, once a year the high priest would go through this inner veil and inside was the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy seat. The priest entered with a censer of hot coals in one hand and incense in the other, again creating a fragrant smoke and then entered the holy of holies again to sprinkle blood. Remember the Ark had led Israel through the waters of difficulty across the Jordan river, it had led Israel around the walls of Jericho, Priests had stood before the Ark seeking God’s counsel whether to go into battle of not (Jud20:18-48), so at that time coming into the Holy of Holies meant coming into the presence of God
Just a quick note on the priests. You were born into the service. If you were not a Levite you could not become a priest, you could not enter into the presence of God.. The priest wore white linen coat, over which was a blue robe , embroided on the bottom were golden bells and pomegranates of blue purple and scarlet.. Over this was a short sleeveless jacket called an ephod consisting of two pieces, a front and a back . Two Onyx stones were on his shoulders each bearing the 12 names of the tribes of Israel. He had a gold breast plate attached to the ephod with 12 stones bearing each tribes name. Part of the ephod was a pouch containing the Urim and Thummin used in revealing the will of God
The Levite priests were the conduit to God. This is why Melchizidek is so important. He was a High Priest but not a descendant of Levi and it was said of Jesus
Hebrews 7:17 (NIV)17 For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” Not a Levite. The point of this is
Hebrews 8:1-2 (NIV) 8 Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, [Jesus}] who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.
And so because
Ephesians 1:5 (NIV) 5 he[a] predestined us for adoption to sonship[b] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—
We are now priests in the order of Jesus and we can enter into the Holy of Holies and because the veil was torn we can do it day after day. And just like the priest represented all the other tribes of Israel, we can represent and bring others into the Holy place with us!
That’s my introduction to where I want to go today!
Firstly sometimes when we want to come into the presence of God we forget that we come in through the outer courts first!
Luke 24:46-47 (NIV) 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem
This is what happens in the outer courts, the altar and the laver before we come into the Holy place. This is stated again in Acts
Acts 3:19 (NIV)19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
The priests in the tabernacle offered up specific offerings for specific sins, there was sacrifice and they were cleansed by the blood. In the same way we need to confess our sins at the foot of the cross and be washed by His blood
Psalm 24:3-4 .. Who may stand in his holy place? [in other words who may come into His presence, into the holy of holies]…The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
And like the Levite priests who offered up a sacrifice for the sins of the rest of the tribes of Israel, i.e. for those who were not priests, should we not, as priests of the order of Jesus, be doing the same when we pray for those do not want to or cannot come into the Holy place? When we are praying for family members who are still in the wilderness? Should we not be confessing their sins of their behalf and covering them with the blood of Jesus? Because, this is what was done in the outer courts. And even Job did it
Job 1:4-5 (NIV)4 His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.
But our function in the outer court is not finished until we wash in the brazen laver. And while we may confess our sins and cover them with the Blood, our repentance is not complete until we wash our hands of the matter. While physically the priests we are washed and cleaned, spiritually and mentally for us, that which is impure is also washed away and is no more. It has gone! Now we are ready to come into the presence of God with confidence being cleansed and pure. In the words of David the Blood has blotted out my transgressions, and my iniquity has been washed away and I have been cleansed from sin (Ps51). It is gone out of our minds. To continue think about our sin at this stage is to reject the sacrifice of Jesus and hinders you coming into the presence of God.
The next matter we should not ignore as we come into the Holy Place, is the Holy Spirit. As we come into the Holy Place and using the Tabernacle as an analogy we have the Tri-union God present. We have the Bread of life, Jesus who now sits on the Mercy seat at the right hand of the Shekinah glory of the Father. And we have the Holy Spirit represented by the 7 pronged lamp filled with oil. The sevenfold ministry of the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Wisdom, the Spirit of Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel, the Spirit of Might or Power, the Spirit of Knowledge, Spirit of Fear and the central Spirit of Godliness. And for us to be in the Holy of Holies, and for us to present before God, and to receive His mercy and help, this is what we need. And it’s provided by the Holy Spirit
Isaiah 11:2-3 (NIV)
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
John 14:16-26 (CEV)
16 Then I will ask the Father to send you the Holy Spirit who will help[a]you and always be with you. 17 ………. 26 The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you.
The key word here is ask. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you with wisdom and understanding, with knowledge and counsel!
Jer 29:13 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
So we need to ask and keep on asking for the Holy Spirit to be with us in prayer to give us that wisdom and understanding and knowledge and counsel, just as Paul writes in Ephesians 1
Ephesians 1:17-19 (NIV)17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[a] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
Then finally let’s look at when we arrive at the Throne room of God, the Holy of Holies. In Hebrews
Hebrews 12:18-24 (NIV)
18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 …….
22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Revelation 1:12-16 12 When I turned around to see what sort of voice this was that was addressing me, I saw seven golden lampstands. 13 And among the lampstands, I saw One like the Son of Man right in front of me dressed in a long robe. Across His chest was draped a golden sash. 14 His head and hair were pure white, white as wool and white as snow; His eyes blazed like a fiery flame; 15 His feet gleamed like brightly polished bronze, purified to perfection in a furnace; His voice filled the air and sounded like a roaring waterfall. 16 …, and His face shone a brilliant light, like the blinding sun.
And He proceeds to tell John about the seven churches. Revelation and wisdom about what is happening in the present, and we extrapolate those lessons to what is happening in our current age as well. Be that as it may, we receive wisdom and revelation and understanding of what is happening in our lives right now when we come into the throne room of grace!
But it goes beyond this Revelations 5
Revelation 5:1-5 (NIV)5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
When we go into the throne room of God we have One who can open up the seals and knows the future! We have a mediator, we have a High Priest who can look into the future and guide you away from what is iniquitous, away from that which will harm, and on the straight and narrow path that is righteousness. And what is more prayer can change the future!
2 Kings 20:5-6 (NKJV)5 “Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord. 6 And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.”
Prayers and tears and He changed the plan of Hezekiah’s life!
The One who opens the seals can change our lives and our future!
I want to conclude by saying that by earnestly repenting and worshipping our God, and coming into the throne room of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him."
Amen