From a different post, I gave the verse where God says there is only ONE God and ONE Mediator that is the Son of God. It also says that The man Jesus is the only Mediator between God and man. I know, like I used to believe, that it was ok to go to a priest and that priest could absolve my sins.
That being said, the Old Testament laws were given in a fashion that you did go through a high priest to get to God and ask for forgiveness. This place was called The Holy of Holies. Sacrificing was a demand to compensate for your sins.
I remember going to confess my sins and the priest would say he himself absolved my sin and all I had to do was say so many Hail Mary or so many Our Father prayers. Repetitive prayers will be another discovery, but I want to concentrate on the idea of going through a priest and that priest being able to forgive you.
The Old Testament laws were put into place and those rules can be found in Leviticus. God gave His commandments to Moses and he then gave them to His people. The people were scared of God and He knew He had to have a man of faith and chose Moses to bring His people out of slavery and save them.
We know we are all sinners. There was only ONE who walked sinless and that was Jesus. These people were no different and needed a way to express their sin. Sometimes God was really angry and destroyed, but He has a heart for His people and gave them a chance to ask for forgiveness.
Depending on how wealthy each was, they were instructed to give their best. Some were to offer up their best lamb, calf, or even birds and such. They brought those to the tabernacle, where the Holy of Holies was inside, on a selected day of Atonement six months after the Passover and usually in the fall. It was a cleansing of their hearts and an atonement for their sins. It was no celebration and party, but a serious confession to God for the wrongs they did.
Then, only the Levite priests were allowed to enter for them into this tabernacle where the Holy of Holies was located and Aaron and his Levite family were allowed. Up until Jesus died, this practice continued. It was the Covenant, or promise, that God put into place.
After Jesus died, Hebrews chapter 9 and 10 specifically explains that those Old ways were done away with and the New was set in place by way of the blood of Jesus. So when God says that His Son is now the ONLY ONE Mediator, He means that we cannot go through a priest, dead people (which was never implemented, or anyone else to get to God. Period!
Now, He is also specific to say the abolishing of the Old laws is not abolished because it leads others to The New Covenant. I love the parable of Matthew 20:1-16 with the owner of a vineyard, God, hiring workers, our souls. Some were ready to work and serve at the beginning of the day and some he hired toward the end of the day. Each received the same payment, Heaven.
Some find Jesus earlier on in their lives and some find Him later. The thing is, they see His truth and understand. The people in Acts 2 listened to Peter. In verse 37, they heard and were pierced to the heart and asked what they should do? They heard and believed in Jesus and their hearts were so convicted that they realized their sin and had to do something right away!
Peter told them in verse 38 to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins. Jesus died for our sins and when they HEARD, they believed! Being baptized for the forgiveness of sin is huge. Going through Jesus Christ, His name, was fulfilling the New Covenant. He did not tell them to go sacrifice a bull or anything else for their sins or even to go to a priest, Peter told them to go through Christ.
Romans 6:3-5 says that those baptized into Jesus were baptized into His death. It says we are buried with Him by Baptism into His death. Christ was risen from the dead and those baptized when they hear and are convicted, are to be baptized with Him. We have a chance for Heaven through Him only. That verse also says when this happens, we must change our sinful ways and walk with Him, doing His bidding!
Those sinful ways should be put behind you. Hebrews 10:1-18 is specific about the change from the Old to the New covenant and those who see, and do His will, hearing and being baptized into Him, He will remember their sins no more. But understand, these pierced in their heart and truly believing to the point of the need to do His will, were those who He saves. Many can say they believe, but do they?
