Having Entered the Holiest

During the reign of king David for three consecutive years Israel experienced a famine.  David inquired of the LORD to determine the cause and it was revealed the famine was a consequence of "Saul's bloody house," the previous king who wrongly persecuted and slaughtered the Gibeonites who had entered into a covenant with Israel.  David then went to the Gibeonites and asked what could be done to atone for the wrongs against them, and they requested seven of Saul's descendants be hanged before the LORD in Gibeah.  The bodies remained night and day hanging until the rains came and ended the drought and famine.  Sin brought a curse upon the land and the justice meted upon the guilty brought restoration to the land.

2 Samuel 21:12-14 reads, "Then David went and took the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, from the men of Jabesh Gilead who had stolen them from the street of Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hung them up, after the Philistines had struck down Saul in Gilboa. ¹³ So he brought up the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from there; and they gathered the bones of those who had been hanged. ¹⁴ They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the tomb of Kish his father. So they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God heeded the prayer for the land."  The principle at work here is atonement was needed before God was entreated for the land.  David, priests and the people prayed but the prayers were not heeded and answered until atonement was provided.

Through Jesus Christ a new and living way has been provided to boldly approach God because He has once for all offered Himself as a sacrifice for all sin.  Hebrews 10:18-22 reads, "Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. ¹⁹ Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, ²¹ and having a High Priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."  There is no offering or sacrifice man can make to enter into the presence of God boldly in prayer because Jesus has paid it all.  Those born again by faith in Jesus can draw near to God with full assurance of faith we will be heard, not because of our righteousness or good works, but because of what Jesus accomplished on our behalf on Calvary and now sits at the right hand of the Father.

We are undeserving of favour and acceptance from God, yet having received it by God's grace through faith we boldly draw near in agreement with the heavenly reality to entreat Him knowing we will be heard.  Ephesians 2:4-7 tells us, "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."  No penance, no period of probation, no payment required to receive and walk in the grace God has blessed us with.  Jesus our great High Priest sits at the right hand of the Father because He has completed the work, and the spiritual reality is we have been justified and sanctified to sit with Him in glory, members of His own body.  When we abide in Christ by faith the exceeding riches of His grace and kindness towards us is proclaimed to all in heaven and earth.  How glorious and good is our God and Saviour!