The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-02
Sunday Study,

our Hig b P RE S t 1 n II a V e n.
The International Sunday school lesson
for June is found in Hebrews TX, 11-14,
24-2S. The scene is located in Italy and
the date is about A. D. Go. The Golden
text is from Hebrews vii, 25: He ever
Liveth to Make Intercession." It will be
noticed that the lesson skips from the
Acts into the Epistle to the Hebrews.
The epistle was probably written from
Rome to Jerusalem. It's purpose is to
prove the superiority Of Christianity over
Judaism, and especially the permanent
and complete value of Christ's priesthood
and sacrifice as compared with the rites
of the Jewish religion. This instruction
was necessary to meet a tendency to fall
away on the part Of Jewish Christians
who found their faith unpopular and
whose expectation of jesus speedy re-
turn was disappointed. Those to whom
the epistle was addressed were still prac-
ticing the Jewish ceremonial, not seeing
how completely Jesus had fulfilled the
purpose Of the law.
The imagery Of the whole lesson is
drawn from the ritual of the day of
atonement, when the priest, after offer
tng sacrifices, entered the most holy place
IN the temple to intercede for the peo-
pie, The law governing the ceremonies
OF that day IS found in Lev xvi. and
should be carefully read IN connection
with this lesson. The first duty of the
high priest on the day Of atonement was
70 offer a sacrifice for sin, after which
he sprinkled the blood Of the sacrifice on
the affairs and on the mercy seat. The
tabernacle" is the holy place, the outer
part Of the tabernacle Christ's entrance
into the presence OF God Is through a.
way which Is spiritual not material-the
way which he declared himself to be
(John xiv, 81. Moreover he prepared
Tor mis- entrance by taking with him not
the blood Of sacrificed beast, but his
own blood. Because the way and the sac
rlnce were what they were, Jesus need
enter the presence of God with the sacrI-
hciai blood only once Cor all
In verses Is. Il. the writer turns for a
moment from the ritual of the Day Of
Atonement to that Of the publication of
those who had been defiled. This ritual
Is prescribed in Mum. xix. The blood
and ashes Of the victim were held to
onset the uncleanness Of these who had
touched dead body or otherwise become
unht TO Join In worship. The blood of
Christ, the perfect sacrifice ought IN
90 Tor us far more than was wrought bv
the ancient sacrifice Through him wa
obtain cleansing which makes if foravaT.
proper for us to approach God in faith
Inc dead works are endeayors 70 wiz,
salVatlon by ceremonial, which result
only in greater distance between us ami
zoo. Getltng rather than cleansing us
10 me Jewish mind the tabernacle was
= F+SSp pt of heaven But even
f. b 1%I conception We're the true one, the
y, zen. Is above. Christ has entered real
~ INTO the presence of God, to speak for
US. as the high priest made offering on
SHe pay of Atonement by sprinkIing the
pIood on the mercy-seat. Christ aIS0
mas mas made a sufficient atonement in fti' n
sdhsie Sacrlhce. If he had needed to pa
sacfIhced often, he must have come into
e ene world S centuries before he appeared,
anu ne must have come over and over
egaIn. The fact that he came when he
on proves .G5s that he needed to come but
OIce,-Ihe entrance of Christ into God q
presence was for the purpose of Winning
20 torgIVeness for his people. So long as
ne IS absent from the world he is DOING
S Ems work. The high priest remained
~ d rev moments in the holy of HOLES.
then reappeared to finish the ceremoniai
e e bless the people. Christ remains
t Vii H. Dut when he returns his work
instead OF making parallel between