Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

In Praise of God the Savior

¹⁸ When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.

¹⁹ They went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived, the whole town became excited, and the women there exclaimed, “Is this really Naomi?”

²⁰ “Don't call me Naomi,” she answered; “call me Marah,^[a] because Almighty God has made my life bitter. ²¹ When I left here, I had plenty, but the Lord has brought me back without a thing. Why call me Naomi when the Lord Almighty has condemned me and sent me trouble?”

²² This, then, was how Naomi came back from Moab with Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the barley harvest was just beginning.

Earthly and Heavenly Worship

9 The first covenant had rules for worship and a place made for worship as well. ^2 (A)A tent was put up, the outer one, which was called the Holy Place. In it were the lampstand and the table with the bread offered to God. ^3 (B)Behind the second curtain was the tent called the Most Holy Place. ^4 (C)In it were the gold altar for the burning of incense and the Covenant Box all covered with gold and containing the gold jar with the manna in it, Aaron's stick that had sprouted leaves, and the two stone tablets with the commandments written on them. ^5 (D)Above the Box were the winged creatures representing God's presence, with their wings spread over the place where sins were forgiven. But now is not the time to explain everything in detail.

^6 (E)This is how those things have been arranged. The priests go into the outer tent every day to perform their duties, ^7 (F)but only the high priest goes into the inner tent, and he does so only once a year. He takes with him blood which he offers to God on behalf of himself and for the sins which the people have committed without knowing they were sinning. ⁸ The Holy Spirit clearly teaches from all these arrangements that the way into the Most Holy Place has not yet been opened as long as the outer tent still stands. ⁹ This is a symbol which points to the present time. It means that the offerings and animal sacrifices presented to God cannot make the worshiper's heart perfect, ¹⁰ since they have to do only with food, drink, and various purification ceremonies. These are all outward rules, which apply only until the time when God will establish the new order.

¹¹ But Christ has already come as the High Priest of the good things that are already here.^[a] The tent in which he serves is greater and more perfect; it is not a tent made by human hands, that is, it is not a part of this created world. ¹² When Christ went through the tent and entered once and for all into the Most Holy Place, he did not take the blood of goats and bulls to offer as a sacrifice; rather, he took his own blood and obtained eternal salvation for us.