July 12th, 25: Unlocking the Treasures: Christ, the Second Room, and Life in God’s Kingdom

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• TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 11-14; Hebrews 9
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One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you.

TODAY'S EPISODE:

Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible podcast! In today’s episode, host Hunter invites us to join him on July 12th—day 194 of our journey through the Scriptures. We explore powerful passages from Isaiah chapters 11 and 14, and journey into Hebrews chapter 9. Together, we’ll uncover prophetic visions of hope, justice, and the coming reign of God’s peace, as well as deep insights into Christ’s sacrifice and what it means for our access to God’s kingdom life today. Hunter reflects on these ancient texts, drawing connections to our daily lives and leading us in heartfelt prayers for peace, unity, and trust in God’s love. Whether you’re a longtime listener or new to the community, join us as we gather to “warm our hearts by the fire of God’s love” and be reminded—you are loved.

TODAY'S DEVOTION:

There is a second room, and in it are symbols of a second chance. That's what the writer of Hebrews is telling us. There is the holy place, the first room. But then he talks about the second room. In that room is a box containing symbols. In that box there is manna, the symbol of God's provision, care and love. There is also a staff in the box. It represents God's judgment, His wisdom and his rule. And there are tablets. These speak of his law and his righteousness. These are artifacts and tokens of God's kingdom. The symbols of the kingdom are all covered up in a box. And the cover of the box is called the atonement seat.

It seems as if the vestiges of this greatly desired kingdom are shut up, locked up in this box, out of reach. Access to these sparse tokens was granted only once a year, and only to one person. When that person entered this second room, he offered a sacrifice of blood on the atonement seat where these symbols of the kingdom reside. It's almost as if he were trying to open the box and that kingdom life by the shedding of the blood. He would enter that room year after year, hoping to unlock, as it were, the gifts of kingdom life. But the key to the lock on this box could not be opened by the shedding of the blood of calves and goats. Releasing the power of these kingdom symbols requires a far greater sacrifice than the blood of goats and bulls. There's only one person that can open up these treasures.

God has sent his own high priest into the second room. He has offered his own blood on the seat of atonement. And with the sacrifice of His Son, we are given full access into kingdom life. Now we can know and experience his love. We can know his judgments and wisdom in our life. We can live righteously before him, because now His Spirit resides in us and his laws are written on our hearts. Our champion, Christ, has gone into the second room and offered his blood on the atonement seat for the whole world. The treasures of that box have been opened up for all.

We no longer need to send our man in once a year to look at a box with scraps and tokens of a kingdom long ago, filled with failed dreams and distant hopes. No, these symbols point us to what Christ has done for the world once for all time. He has won the treasures of kingdom life for all, here and now. So let's not live on scraps and tokens and remnants of some distant hope. He went into that second room for us and he has opened up the treasures of life, life in his kingdom today.

And the prayer of my own heart today is that I will see what he has done, that I will rest in his completed work, and that I will know his joy. That's the prayer that I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, my son. And that's the prayer that I have for you. May it be so.