Jesus eliminated the holy place

Hebrews 9:1-2 Now even the first covenant had regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle prepared, the outer one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread; this is called the holy place. In chapter 9, the author showed the superiority of the second covenant in Christ over the first covenant. The first covenant was a copy or shadow of the second covenant. The apex of both was and is the presence of God. In these first verses of chapter 9, we see the limitations of the first covenant as the author described the design of the sanctuary, meaning the entire place of worship, and its regulations. The author understood that the Holy Spirit was communicating something to mankind through the design and regulations of the tabernacle, the original sanctuary. Here’s the overarching point of this passage of Scripture. God’s ultimate glory is to bring the worshipper into His presence with right standing and a clear conscience. The first covenant did not offer a way for the worshipper to enter into God’s presence, but the second covenant did! In the first 7 verses of this chapter, he described the sanctuary and its regulations for divine worship. There were two tents, or tabernacles, in the sanctuary. The first tent, the holy place, was on the way to the place of God’s presence, the holy of holies. Its very presence in the design was a limitation to access to the glory of God. I won’t go into detail on the lamp stand, the table (a probably reference to the altar of incense), and the table of showbread because the author didn't. What I want us to be encouraged by is the powerful ministry of Jesus Christ that we enjoy. If you were to stop listening right at this point in this podcast, you could immediately enter into the presence of God, the Holy of Holies, to experience His love—His mercy and grace. The way into God’s presence has no limitations, as the shadow sanctuary had. There was no way for a worshipper to enter the holy place, much less the Holy of Holies. The holy place could only be entered into by the priests who served there. The worshipper had to stand outside after offering his sacrifice so he could pray. Today, as soon as this podcast is over, you have nothing to prevent you from entering and enjoying God’s love and presence as you worship God through Jesus’ ministry on your behalf and the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Jesus has made the first tabernacle in the sanctuary obsolete. It was a copy and a shadow; therefore, it had no power. Each of the objects in the holy place were symbolic of Jesus. Once He came, He fulfilled their purpose, so they are no longer needed or meaningful to us. Jesus eliminated the holy place. That’s what our lives are to display on a daily basis. We are the temple of God now. As God puts people in our paths, we have the privilege of showing them that the glory of God is now accessible. It is the love of Jesus flowing through our lives that communicates that reality. Living to love with Jesus can only happen as we abide in the Holy of Holies and His love pours through us to others.