“the blood … for sin”
(Heb 13:11, NKJV)
In this secondary theme about the effect of the blood of Jesus we are currently discussing the premises found in Heb 9:14 – “the blood of Christ … [shall] cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God”. In a previous teaching we pointed out that Jesus only did that which His father had already prepared for Him to do. This becomes the definition of the works that God expects from us. We used the Scripture from Eph 2:10 (Ampl) to try and illustrate the story of the healing of the man at the bath of Bethesda – “For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].”
Considered along with the Scripture from Hebrews quoted above it is important to wrestle this matter out. We know that the word sin in Hebrew and Greek means to miss your mark. This mark can be likened to a benchmark. God has a particular redemptive purpose for each person’s life. Sin is thus, as Thayer’s Greek Definitions defines it, “to wander from the path … assigned to one”, “to be without a share in … (your) destiny”. The blood, Scripture teaches us, is for the sin – it is with the blood that our consciences are cleansed of dead works! The blood of Jesus is thus directly responsible for calling us back from the deceptive and wayward roads we have all walked (Isa 53:6; Rom 3:11), and placing us on the more excellent Way (1 Cor 12:31).
Let us illustrate this by using Joseph as a prototype. An important intersection point in Joseph’s life is that of becoming aware of his Godly redemptive purpose, as is seen in Gen 37:12-22. His father sends him to his older brothers. He answers his father in verse 13b – “Here I am”. This statement is characterized by a literary stylistic device used throughout the Hebrew Bible to point out certain moments of destiny. The Hebrew term hineh means here or behold, “and has the effect in biblical narratives of shifting what follows into the present tense … The biblical construct is intended to portray a moment of real presence in which the ego is truncated as an individual’s destiny begins to unfold”. (Brain Lanchaster, p 157).
In verse 15 the following happens – “Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, “What are you seeking?”
Biblical exegetes all agree that this “man” is none other than “the angel of the covenant” (Mal 3:1) – Jesus! After this meeting so pivotal for Joseph’s destination, time in the text changes from past tense to present tense! Sela. Joseph’s search for the road leading towards his calling has commenced with his answering the man in verse 16a – “I am seeking my brothers.” Joseph’s name means God will add another son, which points to his identity – he must lead many brothers from disobedience to the wisdom of the just (Luke 1:17).
Joseph’s way is finally called “the way of righteousness” (Prov 8:20), “the way of life” (Ps 16:11; Prov 15:24), where he walks upon Jesus’ “paths of righteousness” (Ps 23:3)! In the next teaching we will consider the practical implications of this state of affairs.
- Sela: Can you identify such a moment of destiny in your own life?
- Read: Lev 24-25; Zech 6-7; Isa 64-65 (to make up for the little homework of the last teaching).
- Memorise: Isa 64:4-5 (and we see God’s hand in the synchronization of the text!)
- For a deeper understanding: Listen to Tom Gouws’ teaching (available on CD) – “Lo and behold”.
