Regulations for Worship

Today’s reading is Hebrews 9.

“Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness” (Hebrews 9:1, ESV).

If I were to say, “Even Bob likes that movie,” wouldn’t you assume I like that movie? I mean, after all, even Bob likes it. Or you might take that as an expression of surprise if someone else didn’t. I mean, it is so standard for people to like that movie, even Bob likes it. That kind of statement says something is so much a standard even the one you would expect to violate the standard adheres to it.

That is what we see in Hebrews 9:1. “Even” the first covenant has regulations for worship. That is, we expect every covenant with God, any covenant with God to have regulations for worship. If there were a covenant we would expect not to have regulations, it would be that first one. Yet, even it has regulations for worship. There were regulations to be followed to enter God’s presence, there were rules. There was a righteous way to enter God’s presence and any other way was unrighteous.

If even the first covenant had regulations for worship, what do we expect from the second? Regulations for worship. Some folks have the idea that as long as we in some way claim to be praising God, we can worship how we want under this second covenant. Untrue. The new covenant has regulations for worship. We don’t just get to worship however we want. We expect to find rules, patterns for how to approach God’s presence and to declare God’s worthiness. Consider, even the first covenant had regulations for worship, why would we expect anything less in the second covenant?

That being said, there is clearly some difference in our regulations for worship. Why? Because the holy place under the first covenant was an earthly, a worldly holy place. Our high priest, however, has gone into the heavenly Holy of Holies. The regulations will be different. We won’t enter God’s presence through the shedding of animal blood or the handwashing of priests. We enter God’s presence through Jesus Christ. We aren’t looking to the prescriptions of Moses to know our regulations. We look to Jesus, we to look to the means by which He has communicated to us (see Hebrews 1:1; 2:3-4). But we do look for them. We don’t ignore them. We don’t dismiss them.

Let’s keep reading our New Covenant Scriptures. Let’s worship the way the second covenant directs and describes–through and in the name of Jesus Christ.

Tomorrow’s reading is Hebrews 9.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
2. What were some of the regulations for worship under that first covenant of which you are aware?
3. What are some of the regulations for worship under the new covenant?
4. Are you glad we worship under the New Covenant instead of the Old? Why or why not?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?