Chapter 9 continues our theme from the last study – Jesus our High Priest, and the New Covenant.
Read Hebrews 9:1-5
1 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.
Exodus chapters 25-31 describe the detailed instructions God gave Moses for the construction of the Tabernacle (which was carried over eventually in the design of the Temple). Moses was instructed to ‘Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.’ (Exodus 25:9) It was to be an earthly copy of the reality in Heaven (Hebrews 9:11).
Perhaps the important thing to take from this is that above all it was a Holy place – v3. At the centre of the Tabernacle was the Most Holy Place with the Ark of the covenant where the presence of God would be manifested. Only consecrated priests could enter the Tabernacle, and only the High Priest could enter the ‘Holy of Holies’
Read Hebrews 9:6-10
6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But 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. 8 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 functioning. 9 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 worshipper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings – external regulations applying until the time of the new order.
Look at verse 9: It was painfully obvious that the people, the priests and even the High priest could never totally cleanse themselves from the guilt and power of sin. Only by offering repeated sacrifices could they hope to gain salvation.
Read Hebrews 9:11-14
11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation.
12 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, so obtaining eternal redemption. 13 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. 14 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!
In the previous study, we looked at the nature and function of Jesus as High Priest.
Yes – the writer is repeating himself, but that is because it is important.
Here again he explains that the old Sacrificial System had now been totally replaced. The sacrifice of Christ was once for all and can never be repeated.
Instead of a priest offering the blood of an animal, Jesus offered his own blood – the final perfect sacrifice – once, for all.
Now look at Hebrews 9:15
15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance – now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
Here he explains that Christ’s sacrifice was for ALL sins, including those that had been ‘covered over’ under the old covenant.
The theme of us receiving an ‘eternal inheritance’ is picked up in the next verses.
Read Hebrews 9:16-22
16 In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 19 When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20 He said, ‘This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.’ 21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
How can we compare the covenant with a will?
(Actually in the Greek the same word is used for both.)
The benefits provided by the will only come through death. Salvation from sin only comes through the death of our Savior. As children of God we are ‘heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ’ (Romans 8:17) and as such we are redeemed, we are forgiven and we are justified (Sanctification is on-going!).
The first covenant was only a promise of forgiveness. The killing of an animal was a sign that you accepted your part in the agreement. Only when Christ died would it take full effect. So how could his death apply retrospectively to those who died under the old covenant? As there is no time in eternity god can view the death of everyone as a single event, welcoming us all as if we’d died at the same (Earth) time.
(For a greater expansion on this theme see the study in 1 Corinthians 16)
Read Hebrews 9:23-28
23 It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
A brief glimpse into the eternity that awaits us: Christ who returned to heaven victoriously, is now able to intercede for us with the Father (verse 24), and is now willing and able to share his righteousness with his children.
Hebrews 10 is an artificial break – the theme continues seamlessly.
Read Hebrews 10:1-4
1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming – not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshippers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. 4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Is it wrong for some churches to continue the practice with regular confessions and the offering of penances as a form of sacrifice ‘repeated endlessly year after year’, before the penitent can receive absolution?
They have not grasped the central fact of the new covenant: that Jesus has done it all for us – there is nothing we can add, as if the death of Jesus was not sufficient.
‘For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.’ (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Read Hebrews10:5-8
5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
‘Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.
7 Then I said, “Here I am – it is written about me in the scroll – I have come to do your will, my God.”’ (Psalm 40:6-8)
8 First he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them’– though they were offered in accordance with the law.
The guilt of sin can lead to depression – even despair. So it was necessary to provide the first covenant where sacrifices provided for forgiveness.
Then why have a first covenant at all? Could Jesus not have come earlier?
Firstly we are told it was ‘at just the right time’. God knew what he was doing.
But it seems that the Israelites needed to live through enough time where they could attempt to keep the covenant agreement.
It was only when it was patently obvious that their failure was complete that God would step in again.
Read Hebrews 10:9-14
9 Then he said, ‘Here I am, I have come to do your will.’ He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy.
We need to look at verse 10 and verse 14 ‘we have been made holy’ and ‘he has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy’. Now some would like to claim that because verse 10 says I have ‘been made holy’ there is nothing more that I need to do.
Some people struggle when coming to Jesus with feelings of guilt. They say I’m not good enough to come to Jesus. He wouldn’t accept me until I become a better person. That’s putting the cart before the horse! Only after we have come to Christ, and he has provided our salvation, can our sanctification begin.
Now some would like to claim that because verse 10 says we have ‘been made holy’ there is nothing more that we need to do.
Christ’s finished work means that when God looks at us through the blood of Jesus we are perfect. If we died today and joined God in heaven, that would be reality. But we know that as we still live in this fallen world we are liable to sin and need a lifetime of sanctification helped by the Holy Spirit living in us – so verse 14: ‘those who are being made holy’.
Like Paul in Philippians 3:12 ‘Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.’
And also in Romans 7:19 ‘ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing’.
Read Hebrews 10:15-18
15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:
16 ‘This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the Lord I will put my laws in their hearts and I will write them on their minds.’
17 Then he adds:
‘Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.’ (Jeremiah 31:33-34)
18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.
When we accept Jesus into our lives things change. We experience an awakening of our spirit, a change of heart and mind, and our attitudes are now directed by God’s Holy Spirit now living in us. It is as if God’s laws have entered our hearts and are written on our minds. Our consciences are enlightened and the work of God's grace to conform us more and more to the image of Christ – Sanctification – has begun.
Read Hebrews10:19-22
19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Here the imagery is of us, now consecrated priests, freely and confidently entering the Temple’s Most Holy Place – past the curtain – directly into the presence of God. Not taking with us the blood of an animal, but claiming the shed blood of Christ.
Read Hebrews10:23-25
23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
So How do we ‘spur one another on towards love and good deeds’?
Meeting together! And encouraging each other, and . . . ?
We considered Hebrews10:26-31 in our last study so we won’t look at it here.
Read Hebrews10:32-35
32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34 You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. 35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
It has never been easy to stand out as a Christian. Even today many are still suffering like this for their faith. But here we are encouraged to adopt God’s own perspective on the events of our life, and look forward confidently to our rich rewards in the next: our ‘better and lasting possessions.’
Read Hebrews10:36-39
36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For, ‘In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.’ (Isaiah 26:20, Habakkuk 2:3)
38 And, ‘But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.’ (Habakkuk 2:4)
39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.
And living by faith is the theme of our next study in Hebrews 11.
