July 12, 2014

Hebrews 9: , 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.

Paul is explaining why Jesus died and went to heaven. The first covenant with Moses was sealed through the blood of animal sacrifice. The new covenant could not begin until Jesus's blood was shed. It is like the fact that you do not get an inheritance until your benefactor dies. The new covenant includes a Christ who stays in heaven until he comes back for the faithful.

 This was an AHA moment for me. I would wonder about all those OT sacrifices, but I don't think I ever connected them with Jesus through the covenants. It isn't always easy to remain faithful, but it will be so worth it in the end.

 Prayer: I'm blessed to live under the new covenant. I know I wouldn't have been good enough for the first covenant, but Jesus did the hard part for me. The sacrifice was made long before I was even born. Through Your gift of faith,I have a guide to help me through this world and a promise of eternity with my Savior. Amen