I LOVE today's "Grace Inspirations" by Joseph Prince!
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DON’T LOOK INSIDE THE ARK
1 John 2:2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. |
In the movie, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, the people who tried to
look inside the ark were struck dead. What was inside the ark that brought
judgment to those who looked into it?
The Bible tells us that the ark held the two tablets of the Ten
Commandments, the pot of manna and Aaron’s rod. (Hebrews 9:4) These items were
tokens of man’s rebellion. The two tablets of the Ten Commandments represented
man’s rejection of God’s standards. The manna represented man’s rejection of
God’s provision, and Aaron’s rod, man’s rejection of God’s appointed
priesthood.
God did not want to look at these tokens of rebellion. He wanted
to be merciful to His people, so He instructed them to place the items in the
ark and to cover the ark with its mercy seat, which is also the place where the
blood of the animal sacrifices was sprinkled.
Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would enter
the Holy of Holies to sprinkle on the mercy seat the blood of the animal that
had been sacrificed. The two cherubim on the mercy seat stood as guardians of
God’s righteousness and holiness.
Representing God’s eyes too, they looked at the blood on the
mercy seat. As long as the blood was there, the entire nation of Israel was
forgiven. God’s judgment passed over them and they were blessed for another
year. (Leviticus 16)
Today, the blood sprinkled on the mercy seat is not the blood of
bulls and goats, but the precious, eternal blood of the Son of God! (Hebrews
9:12) Jesus is our “mercy seat” for “He
Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours
only but also for the whole world”. The word “propitiation” in the original
Greek text is the same word as “mercy seat”. (Romans 3:25, Hebrews 9:5)
Beloved, God does not see your sins and count them against you
because He sees His Son’s blood. He sees His Son’s perfect work that has more
than satisfied Him. God does not want you to see your sins either. He does not
want you to look inside the ark by focusing on your sins. He wants you to focus
on Christ and His finished work!
Thought For The Day
Don’t focus on your sins. Focus on Christ and His finished
work.
AMEN!!! Instead of concentrating on our mistakes and weaknesses, let's get ourselves busy doing the things that HE has called us to do! If you don't yet have your own vision from God for your life, get busy helping with the vision that He has given to your Pastor! Your Pastor will be blessed, your church will benefit, God will be well pleased and YOU will be abundantly blessed! Blessed beyond measure!!! Amen! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Where you Are":
Shalom in Him!
