For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. (Heb. 8:3 KJV)
The most precious, priceless and invaluable gift of God to man is Eternal life.
This Eternal life must be understood. It’s source, nature and maintenance. It is important that we understand a gift to draw value from it. How often one may be presented with a gift and lacking understanding of what the gift is or how to operate the gift leaves such one as if nothing of value was delivered or presented. In most cases such gift becomes redundant, occupies storage space, gathers dust and eventually becomes a nuisance making the best of goodwill extended by the giver of no effect. How often we have made great gift redundant being ignorant of its value.
Concerning the gift of God, the Bible clearly declared and delivered; “… the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Roman 6:23) As with the gift of God, only few understood the concept of death as God meant it or its truly is; and because death is not so understood; many are indeed dead yet professing to be alive being unaware of their true state.
As in Adam, after he ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil concerning which the Lord had said, “…Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Gen. 2:16-17) Notice the strong and conclusive statement of the Lord; “…thou shalt surely die.” That was both conclusive and verily true. At the fall, man had eaten of this tree and had indeed die but was yet breathing, talking and walking…after all, he could walk away to hide from God when he said, “… I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (Gen. 3:9-10) but man had surely died. It is important to understand that man’s separation and restriction from the presence of God is the true death. Death is separation from God. Life is being (in the presence) with God. About this Life the Bible, “In Him was life; and the life is the light of men.” (John 1:4) Man, as a result of the fall, died. Cast out of the presence of God and restricted from coming near God. About this state and condition the Bible says, “… at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:” (Eph. 2:12) Man became without God in the World and so by this had truly died.
But God desired and delighted to dwell and interact with man, He began a process and delivered a model of His restoration and revival for man. The tabernacle was delivered to Moses, a symbol of God’s presence amongst His people with restrictions that limit access and frequency to the very presence of God – the Holy of Holies demarcated by a veil through which no man except the high priest can come and even the high priest can only come once a year and that not without blood to safe him from being destroyed by the presence of God. The Bible says “…into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:” (Heb. 9:7-10)
But when The Lord Jesus Christ came, He declared, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved….” (John 10:9) and at His death, “… the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; (Matt. 27:51) signifying unrestricted and unrestrained access to God’s presence.