Hebrews Chapter 9

 

1 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship
and also an earthly sanctuary. 

1. The  first covenant?

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The “first covenant” was the Mosaic Covenant. The writer compared it first to the New Covenant that replaced it. CN

The Mosaic covenant came with legislation governing how to worship God and where to approach God in holiness. ESVN 

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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. 

2. What is being described?

These verses simply describe the furniture of the tabernacle. The tabernacle courtyard contained an altar for animal sacrifice, a laver for ceremonial washings, and the tent itself (the word tabernacle literally means “tent”). The tabernacle was divided into two rooms by a veil. The first part was the sanctuary or holy place, housing the lampstand, the table for the showbread, and the altar of incense. The second room was the Most Holy Place (v. 3) containing the ark of the covenant, in which were stored symbols of the Mosaic covenant. The pot of manna reminded the people of God’s miraculous provision for them in the wilderness. Aaron’s rod was a sign of the authority of the priesthood. God had ordained Aaron and his sons to be representatives of the people before Him. The tablets were the Ten Commandments given to the nation at Mount Sinai. On top of the ark was the mercy seat, the place where God made His presence known. golden censer: In this passage, it sounds as if the censer was placed in the Most Holy Place, when in fact it was just outside the veil that separated the Most Holy Place from the holy place. Because of its function, the censer was commonly associated with the Most Holy Place. The Nelson study Bible 

 

6  When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 

3. What was the ministry of the priests?

Having described the tabernacle (These preparations having thus been made), the writer describes the worship that took place therein. priests go regularly into the first section. Only the Levitical priests were permitted access. They went into the Holy Place (i.e., the “first section” or first “tent”;) to perform their regular duties (changing the lamp oil, the bread of the presence, and the incense fire; and to offer daily offerings. ESVN

The priests had access to the outer tent, that is, the Holy Place. They went there continually in the performance of their ritual duties. The common people were not permitted in this room; they had to stay outside. Believer’s Bible Commentary 

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. 

4. What is the significance of talking about the high priest?

Since the writer is going to contrast Christ’s offering with the offerings of Judaism, he must first of all describe those which were required by the law. There were many he could choose from, but he selects the most important in the whole legal system, the sacrifice which was offered on the great Day of Atonement (Lev. 16). If he can prove Christ’s work to be superior to that of the high priest on the outstanding day of Israel’s religious calendar, then he has won his point.  Only one man in the world could go into the Most Holy Place—the high priest of Israel. And that one man, out of one race, out of one tribe, out of one family, could enter on only one day of the year—the Day of Atonement. When he did enter, he was required to carry a basin of blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance. Believer’s Bible Commentary 

The high priest entered the holy of holies only once a year on the Day of Atonement to offer the special sacrifices for that day. His offering then covered those sins of the people that they committed ignorantly as opposed to those they committed in deliberate apostasy. Some ignorance is culpable; sins of this kind do matter. In Israel the punishment for deliberate rebellion against the Mosaic Covenant was death. It is about this apostasy that the writer warned his audience. He also comforted them with the assurance that their High Priest would deal gently with the misguided who sin ignorantly . CN

5. With, what? Sins of ignorance? What about when I deliberately sin?

Numbers 15:27-31 (NIV) 
27  “ ‘But if just one person sins unintentionally, that person must bring a year-old female goat for a sin offering. 28  The priest is to make atonement before the LORD for the one who erred by sinning unintentionally, and when atonement has been made, that person will be forgiven. 29  One and the same law applies to everyone who sins unintentionally, whether a native-born Israelite or a foreigner residing among you. 30  “ ‘But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or foreigner, blasphemes the LORD and must be cut off from the people of Israel. 31  Because they have despised the LORD’s word and broken his commands, they must surely be cut off; their guilt remains on them.’ ”

It seems clear that the sacrificial system only applied to individuals who were trying to follow the 613 Mosaic rules and regulation and did not cover intentional sin. So if a man steals or lies and then justifies his sin, the covering provided by the High Priest did not apply to him and if discovered he is to be driven from the  community. This is similar to Paul telling the church to throw out a man who was sleeping with his father’s wife until he repented.

1 Corinthians 5:11-13 (NASB) 
11  But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 
12  For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 
13  But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.

Yes, and the goal here is to bring the offender to his senses and back into fellowship.

In the final analysis the writer is bringing out the fact that the New Covenant is superior, and better to the Old Covenant in that the sacrifice of Christ is eternal and not just temporarily covers the sins committed unintentionally but takes away the penalty for all sin, unintentional and intentional for all genuine Holy Spirit indwelt believers. Those of us who stubbornly persist in rebellious sins will be troubled by a heightened sensitive spirit until we repent, but even during this process we have been justified judicially by God and declared righteous because Jesus, the sin bearer paid the price for all who will believe.

 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 worshiper. 10  They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order. 

6. What is being illustrated here?

Through this typological picture of the tabernacle the Holy Spirit was showing that man did not possess direct and complete access to God (and would not) while the tabernacle and its law still stood. The tabernacle further served as a figure (Gr parabolē), a physical picture or symbol, for all to see that, just as access was not open into the Holy of Holies, access to God was not complete. Man’s conscience was always left unsatisfied. Since he must return repeatedly and since he never knew what happened within the closed chambers, he could never feel he had been completely and permanently cleansed. These outward rituals could not meet the deep spiritual need of man, nor would they remain after the time of reformation. This reformation (Gr diorthōsis—used only here in the New Testament) involved a reconstruction, a reshaping of all that existed within Israel’s religious structure. It might be called a “New Order” . KJV Bible commentary. 

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The Levitical system did not provide any direct access into God’s presence for His people. Rather, it kept them away. Nearness had to be provided by another way (v. 12). This is the primary lesson which the Holy Spirit taught concerning the tabernacle. It teaches how inaccessible God is apart from the death of Jesus Christ. See Introduction: Historical and Theological Themes. See the counterpart to this lesson in 10:20. Holy Spirit. See note on 2:4. By the Spirit-inspired instruction given for the Holiest of All, He was indicating that there was no way to God in the ceremonial system. Only Christ could open the way (cf. Jn 14:6). MSBN

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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. 

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7. A more perfect tabernacle?

The greater and more perfect tabernacle is the area that immediately surrounds God’s very presence in heaven, and is not a literal tabernacle at all. This tabernacle is superior to the Mosaic tabernacle since it is not made by mortal hands and is not of this creation—i.e., it is not earthly but heavenly .

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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, thus 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! 

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8. How does blood figure into all this?

Blood is a symbol of life (Lev. 17:11). The point is that the lives of innocent animal substitutes were sufficient only to atone for sin temporarily. However the life of Jesus Christ, because He was a perfect human substitute, adequately paid for the redemption of all people forever. Having died “once for all”  He was able to enter God’s presence “once for all.”

Leviticus 17:11 (ESV)  For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar
to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by
the life. 

The service of the Levitical priest obtained a limited, recurring, symbolic type of redemption. Christ, with His own blood, obtained eternal redemption. His sacrifice never has to be repeated because it is perfect. Millions and millions of animal sacrifices were fulfilled in the one climactic sacrifice of Jesus our Savior. The “with” is more accurately rendered “through.” It is not as though He took a bowl of blood. Rather, His shed blood was the channel of access. According to Mosaic Law, the blood of bulls and goats from the sacrifices made on the Day of Atonement would atone for the people’s sins (v. 12). The ashes of a heifer were mixed with water and were used to cleanse a person who had become ceremonially defiled by touching a corpse (Num. 19). The author of Hebrews points out that these ceremonies could purify only a person’s exterior, not a person’s heart. The eternal Spirit is the Holy Spirit; all three persons of theTrinity are involved in cleansing. cleanse your conscience: The defilement is internal, not external (v. 13). Christ’s death has the power to purify a person’s mind and soul. Dead works are the rituals of the Mosaic Law that could not give life (6:1).

Placing faith and confidence in what has already served its purpose and has now passed away is useless. It is disobedience. The author of Hebrews commands his audience to free their conscience from regulations of Mosaic Law and instead cling to Christ for cleansing. In doing so, they could truly serve the living God and not dead works  Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary. 

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Old Covenant sacrifices for sin on the Day of Atonement only provided temporary cleansing, but the sacrifice of Jesus Christ provided permanent cleansing. The reference to “the eternal Spirit” is unique in Scripture. The Holy Spirit had empowered and sustained Jesus in His office. All three persons of the Trinity had a part in redemption (v. 14). The “dead works” in view are evidently those of the Mosaic Covenant, though some commentators take them as referring to works that result in spiritual defilement. They are dead in that they did not impart spiritual life but only removed sin. Thus there is a contrast between ceremonial and conscience cleansing as well as between temporary and permanent cleansing in these verses. We should not feel conscience-bound to follow the Old Covenant in view of Jesus Christ’s perfect sacrifice but should serve God under the terms of the New Covenant. CN

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 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. 

9. How is Christ “the mediator”?

Christ mediates the covenant first by revealing it and then by serving as its priest who offers himself in sacrifice. ESVN

The writer now focused on the issue of sacrifice.
“The argument moves a stage further as the author turns specifically to what Christ has done. The sacrifices of the old covenant were ineffectual. But in strong contrast Christ made an offering that secures a redemption valid for all eternity. In the sacrifices, a good deal pertained to the use of blood. So in accord with this, the author considers the significance of the blood of animals and that of Christ.” CN 

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The word “mediator” is the translation of mesites which refers to one who intervenes between two, to make or restore peace and friendship, to form a compact, or to ratify a covenant. Here the Messiah acts as a go-between or mediator between a holy God and sinful man. By His death on the cross, He removes the obstacle (sin) which caused an estrangement between man and God. When the sinner accepts the merits of Messiah’s sacrifice, the guilt and penalty of his sin is his no more, the power of sin in his life is broken, he becomes the recipient of the divine nature, and the estrangement between himself and God, both legal and personal, disappears. Believer’s Bible Commentary

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 He concludes that there is no more need of another priest, for Christ fulfills the office under the New Testament; for he claims not for Christ the honor of a Mediator, so that others may at the same time remain as such with him; but he maintains that all others were repudiated when Christ undertook the office. But that he might more fully confirm this fact, he mentions how he commenced to discharge his office of a Mediator; even through death intervening. Since this is found alone in Christ, being wanting in all others, it follows that he alone can be justly deemed a Mediator. 

He further records the virtue and efficacy of his death by saying that he paid the price for sins under the first covenant or testament, which could not be blotted out by the blood of beasts; by which words he was seeking draw away the Jews from the Law to Christ. For, if the Law was so weak that all the remedies it applied for expiating sins did by no means accomplish what they represented, who could rest in it as in a safe harbor? This one thing, then, ought to have been enough to stimulate them to seek for something better than the law; for they could not but be in perpetual anxiety. On the other hand, when we come to Christ, as we obtain in him a full redemption, there is nothing which can any more distress us. Then, in these words he shows that the Law is weak, that the Jews might no longer recumb on it; and he teaches them to rely on Christ, for in him is found whatever can be desired for pacifying consciences. Now, if any one asks, whether sins under the Law where remitted to the fathers, we must bear in mind the solution already stated, — that they were remitted, but remitted through Christ. Then notwithstanding their external expiations, they were always held guilty. For this reason Paul says, that the Law was a handwriting against us. (Col_2:14.) For when the sinner came forward and openly confessed that he was guilty before God, and acknowledged by sacrificing an innocent animal that he was worthy of eternal death, what did he obtain by his victim, except that he sealed his own death as it were by this handwriting? In short, even then they only reposed in the remission of sins, when they looked to Christ. But if only a regard to Christ took away sins, they could never have been freed from them, had they continued to rest in the Law. David indeed declares, that blessed is the man to whom sins are not imputed, (Psa_32:2;) but that he might be a partaker of this blessedness, it was necessary for him to leave the Law, and to have his eyes fixed on Christ; for if he rested in the Law, he could never have been freed from guilt. Calvin’s Complete Commentary

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. 

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10. How is the subject of a will relevant?

In certain respects the covenants God made with humankind are similar to wills. With all wills, the person who made the will must die before the beneficiaries experience any effects of the will. CN

So a person who makes out a will, the will does not come into force until they die. They’ve made out their last will and testament. This is what I want done with my things after I’m gone. But that will does not come into effect, it does not have any force until after the person who has made it is dead. Then it comes into force. Jesus established the covenant, but by His death the covenant came into force, so that we are now in that glorious covenant. Christ having died, the covenant now comes in force. It is something that we now benefit from because of the death of Christ. Chuck Smith

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The author now avails himself of the natural realm to provide an illustration of a will or testament. The word is the same as that used in 8:6–7, for a covenant (Gr diathēkē), but its usage here is obviously different (see the discussion at 7:22). The usual Greek usage of this word (rare in New Testament usage, however) is that of a will. Such is its usage here, for this testament required the death of its maker. The Old Testament covenant may or may not require a sacrifice. A will, however, requires the death of its own maker. Indeed, a will can be changed many times, so long as its maker lives; but his death sets it in force. The nature of Christ’s death satisfies the requirements of both a will and a covenant, and it may thus be described as both (ch. 8—a covenant; here—a will). KJV Bible commentary. 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.  

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.  

11. What was Moses doing here?

 Since a covenant cannot begin until a death occurs, the Mosaic covenant also began with blood. The Mosaic covenant-initiation ceremony is recalled in . The author adds some specific details, such as scarlet wool and hyssop, and the sprinkling of the book itself, which are not mentioned in Ex. 24:3–8. While the source of the author’s information is unknown, these details are not improbable, since these elements were used in other such purifying ceremonies. The purification of the tabernacle and its vessels is summarized in Heb. 9:21, recalling the events of Exodus 40  and providing details from other rituals of atonement (e.g., Leviticus 16; see also Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 3.206). ESVN

This passage reminds us that the promises of God are then only profitable to us when they are confirmed by the blood of Christ. For what Paul testifies in 2Co_1:20, that all God’s promises are yea and amen in Christ — this happens when his blood like a seal is engraven on our hearts, or when we not only hear God speaking, but also see Christ offering himself as a pledge for those things which are spoken. If this thought only came to our minds, that what we read is not written so much with ink as with the blood of Christ, that when the Gospel is preached, his sacred blood distills together with the voice, there would be far greater attention as well as reverence on our part. A symbol of this was the sprinkling mentioned by Moses! 

At the same time there is more stated here than what is expressed by Moses; for he does not mention that the book and the people were sprinkled, nor does he name the goats, nor the scarlet wool, nor the hyssop. As to the book, that it was sprinkled cannot be clearly shown, yet the probability is that it was, for Moses is said to have produced it after he had sacrificed; and he did this when he bound the people to God by a solemn compact. With regard to the rest, the Apostle seems to have blended together various kinds of expiations, the reason for which was the same. Nor indeed was there anything unsuitable in this, since he was speaking of the general subject Or purgation under the Old Testament, which was done by means of blood. Now as to the sprinkling made by hyssop and scarlet wool, it is evident that it represented the mystical sprinkling made by the Spirit. We know that the hyssop possesses a singular power to cleanse and to purify; so Christ employs his Spirit to sprinkle us in order to wash us by his own blood when he leads us to true repentance, when he purifies us from the depraved lusts of our flesh, when he imbues us with the precious gift of his own righteousness. For it was not in vain that God had instituted this rite. David also alluded to this when he said,  “Thou wilt sprinkle me, O Lord, with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed.” (Psa_51:7.) Calvin’s Complete Commentary 

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22  In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.  

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12. Why is blood necessary for forgiveness?

In the Mosaic law, the initial purification of the people of God and of his sanctuary required sacrificial blood, and such sacrifices continued to be required in the law on behalf of God’s people. This is because sin necessitates an atoning blood sacrifice (Lev. 17:11). The OT sacrifices were given by God as types of Christ’s greater, perfect sacrifice to come. ESVN

Leviticus 17:11 (ESV)  For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. 

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 d o 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.

13. To sum up what has Christ accomplished?

The tabernacle on earth was just a figure—the reality is in heaven. “Now to appear in the presence of God for us” means before the very face of God. Christ has not entered into a man-made sanctuary. It is spiritual but real. He died on earth to save us. He lives in heaven to keep us saved. He is there for us. The high priest entered the earthly tabernacle with blood not his own, and he entered often. “But now once in the end of the world” should read “the end of the age.” This has no reference to what some people call the end of the world. Actually, the Bible does not teach the end of the world; it does teach the end of the age. “Hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” Christ came, made under the Law. He appeared at the end of the Law age, and He instituted a new age, the age of grace. Death is in the natural sequence of events for man. For the unsaved man, after death there is nothing but judgment. 

If the death of Christ does not save you, there is nothing ahead of you but judgment. Therefore today we can put it very simply: there is just one of two places for your sin—either your sin is on you, or it is on Christ. If you have not accepted the sacrifice of Christ, if you are not trusting Him as your redeemer, if He is no authority to you, then there is nothing ahead of you but the judgment of the Great White Throne. No one who appears there is going to be saved, but everyone will be given a fair chance to present their works and discover that God was right all along. And I have news for you: God is always right. So today if your sin is on you, there is nothing that can remove it but the death of Christ.

When Christ comes the next time it will be “without sin unto salvation”—that is, He will complete salvation at that time. Our salvation is in three tenses: I have been saved; I am being saved; I shall be saved. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). Now that is going to be a great day. It is going to be a great day for Vernon McGee, so don’t you be dissatisfied with me, will you not? God is not through with me. JVM

On the Day of Atonement, the people eagerly waited for the High-Priest to come back out of the Holy of Holies. When he appeared, they knew that the sacrifice on their behalf had been accepted by God. In the same way, when Christ appears at His second coming, it will be confirmation that the Father has been fully satisfied with the Son’s sacrifice on behalf of believers. At that point salvation will be consummated (cf. 1Pe 1:3–5). without reference to sin. See notes on 2:17, 18; 4:15. This phrase testifies to the completed work of Christ in removing sins by His sacrifice at His first coming. No such burden will be upon Him in His second coming. eagerly await. MSBN

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ESVN……………..….ESV Study Bible Notes

MSBN……………….MacArthur NASB Study Notes

 NIVSN……………….NIV Study Notes.

JVM ………………….J Vernon McGee’s Commentary

BN ……………………Barnes Notes

WBC………….…….Wycliffe Bible Commentary

CN ……….…………..Constables Notes

IC……………….…….Ironside Commentary

NET…………….…….Net Bible Study Notes.

JFB……………………Jamieson Fausset  Brown Commentary

VWS………………….Vincent Word Studies

CMM………………..Commentary on Matthew and Mark

BDB……………..….Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)

Darby……………….John Darby’s Synopsis of the OT and NT

Johnson……………Johnson’s Notes on the New Testament

NTCMM…………..The New Testament Commentary:  Matthew and Mark.

EHS………………….Expositions of the Holy Scriptures

CPP…………………The Complete Pulpit Commentary

SBC…………………..Sermon Bible Commentary

K&D…………………Keil and Deilitzsch Commentary on the OT

EBC……………….…Expositors Bible Commentary

CBSC……………….Cambridge Bible for Schools and College

GC……………………Guzik Commentary

RD…………………..Robert  Deffinbaugh

NSB …………………The Nelson Study Bible

MHC…………………Matthew Henry Commentary

CSTTB………Chuck Smith Through The Bible

LESB…………….Life Essentials Study Bible. 

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