The Power of the Blood

If you've read my blog for a while you have probably gathered that one of my favorite Bible verses is:

Hebrews 4:16

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.



A couple weeks ago, I came to a deeper appreciation and understanding of why we can enter God's presence with confidence; it is because of the power of the blood.  I was reading in the book Birthright: Out of the Servant's Quarters into the Father's house by John Sheasby (which, by the way, is a book I recommend) and he brought up a passage of Scripture that somehow had never registered in my mind before.  It was from Exodus 24.  Moses is about to establish the first covenant with the people, by the sprinkling of the blood.  See what happens:

Exodus 24:6-11

Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls,

and the other half he splashed against the altar.

Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people.

They responded, “We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey.”

Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said,

“This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD

has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

 Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up 

and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like

a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky. 

 But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites;

they saw God, and they ate and drank.

This has been sinking in for weeks and I am still in awe of it.  Be mindful that this is the first covenant, this was only the blood of animals that allowed this to take place: because of the blood, 74 people were able to come into the presence of God and not only see Him but eat and drink with Him.  I think God was so excited back then that He was willing to give Israel a little taste of what the future would hold for the people of God.

Hebrews 10:19-25

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence

to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 

 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,

and since we have a great priest over the house of God,

let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings,

 having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and

having our bodies washed with pure water.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 

 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,

not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing,

but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Beloved, God has made a way for us to draw near to Him, to come into His presence whenever we are in need and it has absolutely nothing to do with our worthiness nor does our unworthiness prevent us from this gift.  The power of the blood of Jesus Christ, His once and for all sacrifice has made the way.  I pray that you are not missing out on the benefits of being in God's presence due to a lack of understanding or confidence in the new covenant, the power of the blood and the blessings that come with it.

In Christ,