Original Blog Date: 05-11-2005
I've been listening to a lot of my older favorite cd's lately, actually compiling different songs I really like onto 2 different cd's using my pc's cd-burner and I forgot how much I liked the song ENTER IN by Petra. I'm not a big Petra fan, know nothing of their earlier or recent stuff, but I did buy one of their cd's once and really liked it. I think it was their NO DOUBT cd. I liked a lot of the tunes on that cd, and I really liked the lyrics of some of the songs. Some of the songs I didn't care for but overall, I was really surprised. Their music is pretty hard on the rock side and I'm just not into rock at all. I like some Pop tunes and country music, but the vast majority of everything I listen to is Christian music for good reason. I need the uplifting lyrics and truths of Christian music. You really have to scope out the "real" christian music from the stuff that's just being sung for the money aspect of the business. You can often tell when a song is inspired of God, annointed, or whatever you want to call it. ENTER IN is one of those songs to me. After you scrape back the rock sound of it, and really take a look at this song, the awesome truth embedded in it is something that really stokes the fire in my soul and heart.
Here are the lyrics with credit going to Bob Hartman as the song writer:
Enter In Words by Bob Hartman Based on Hebrews 10:19,20
Once a year for sacrifice, just one priest could pay the price
And step inside the inner veil to make the people free
The Temple stood the same for years till the Nazarene appears
Things will never be the same since 33 A.D.
When He spoke and bowed His head, He who saved the world was dead
Then the earth began to shake, Heaven's wall began to break
Opening the Holy Place...The temple veil is torn in two
The way is cleared for me and you to Enter in
(Chorus) We can enter in, enter in
Into Heaven's Holy place
We can enter in, enter in
Boldly by His blood we can approach His throne of grace
We can enter in a new and living Way
By our faith He will receive us when we pray
Now without a second look we forget what all it took
To be seen as innocent by His Holy eyes
Never thinking foolishly there is something He won't see
For our lack of righteousness there is no disguise
He won't look the other Way. Someone's life will have to pay
Once for all it has been done, Taken out upon His Son
He remembers it no more! Now for us He is the Door!
Opened up forevermore!
We can enter in, enter in
We can enter in His gates with thankfulness and praise
Into the once forbidden Holy place
We can live in goodness and in mercy all our days
We can enter in a new and living Way
By our faith He will receive us when we pray
We don't have to be afraid to seek His face
We can enter in
Hebrews 10:19-20 says: "Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh".
That is so awesome to think about. The once forbidden HOLY PLACE, which only the high priest could enter into (without being killed) is now the place that you and I can enter into by grace through Jesus Christ, and what he did on the cross. For many, many years, there was a big, long string of events that had to take place by the high priest, but since the cross, it's all changed. The writer of Hebrews says in chapter 9 (please read and re-read this):
Heb 9:7-14But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings-- external regulations applying until the time of the new order. When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!(NIV)
In the same chapter (9), it continues on about how the new covenant is now in place and talks of how under the law, God's law, BLOOD, was required to forgive sins. God gave his only son's blood for us, and the new, FULLY PERFECT covenant is now in place! It also talks about how Christ didn't enter a man-made sanctuary (as was done for generations) but he entered Heaven itself, to appear FOR US, in God's presence. It continues on to talk of how the high priest would have to enter in year after year, but Christ entered once, and did it right, for all eternity.
Wow, that's something to think about. I'm not smart enough to delve a whole lot deeper into all this, but I thank God that he's made all of this plain to average people like me.
Read through Leviticus (chapter one and on) all the things the priest had to do, it's incredible. All of that foreshadowed (as it says in Hebrews) what Christ would someday do (and now has done).
As the song ENTER IN says: "We can enter in His gates with thankfulness and praise; Into the once forbidden Holy place; We can live in goodness and in mercy all our days; We can enter in a new and living Way; By our faith He will receive us when we pray; We don't have to be afraid to seek His face; We can enter in".
To Him be the glory, forever,
Ken
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