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Dear Reader
Note: In the body on this article the verses from Hebrews are in italics, the explanation of the verse/s follows in straight text with additional scriptures shown in bold italics.
Background to Chapter 9
In this chapter the writer draws a comparison of features between the Old and New Covenants explaining how much greater the New Covenant is over the Old!
Features of The Old Covenant
The Earthly Holy Place
1 Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. 2 For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, 4 having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 5 Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.
In verses 1-5 the writer briefly describes the physical aspects of "the place of holiness" or the "tent of meeting" if you prefer in the Old Covenant. The Tabernacle had two sections, the first section was called the Holy Place and the second was called the Most Holy Place It was a place of worship and the offering of sacrifice for personal and corporate sin for the Israelites.
Only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies! The Most Holy Place contained the most sacred items of worship, the golden altar of incense and ark of the covenant which itself held the manna that God created in order to feed the Israelites in the wilderness, Aaron's budded staff and the tablets on which were written the 10 commandments. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies to make the required animal sacrifices for the sin of the people!
For more information on the construction and order of the Tabernacle please read for yourself Exodus 25-40.
6 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. 8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9 (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.
In verses 6-10 the writer explains how the priests of the Old Covenant times operated within the regulatory confines, imposed by God, on how the personal and corporate sin offerings were to be made. These sin offerings were made through the blood of animals according to God's regulations. Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies (the second section of the Tabernacle where God's presence dwelt)) once a year to make atonement for the sins of the Israelites as a nation.
In this way the Holy Spirit shows us that the the way to the Father (into the new covenant Holy of Holies) could not achieved whilst the first section, the old covenant, still stood. Which is symbolic of this present age where we can only come to the Father through the son, once we are born again!
For more information on how the Old Covenant sacrifices were made according to the regulations given to Moses by God, please read Leviticus 1-7.
Features of the New Covenant
Redemption Through the Blood of Christ
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)
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Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, is the perfect High Priest, He is without sin.
12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
Jesus took the sins of every man that has ever been upon Himself and shed His blood on the cross for us and thus secured for us eternal redemption from our sins and eternal reconciliation for us with God when we accept Him as Lord and Saviour and repent of our sins.
13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
The sacrifice of animals to cover man's sin was only a temporary measure and did not secure for us eternal redemption, but the shedding of the blood of Jesus for all our sin once and for all, secures us eternal redemption when we confess our sin before God, turn away from our sins and accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour!
Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God in the Most Holy Place and is our mediator and He intercedes on our behalf before the Father which grants us permission to enter the Father's presence, as when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour we become God's children too and coheirs in all He has from the Father!
15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.
In verse 15 Jesus as "the mediator of a new covenant" is likened to the making of a will whereby an inheritance is guaranteed to an inheritor. In this case Jesus is the New Covenant (the will make) and us as born again Christians are the inheritors of all that God has for us in Christ Jesus. Thus an inheritance can only by received on the death of the one who made the will - for us this is our new covenant in Christ Jesus who died for us on the Cross!
Jesus’ death on the cross which paid the price for our sin also accomplished redemption for those under the first covenant. Every sacrifice for sin made in faith under the Mosaic command was an initial IOU which was paid in full at the cross. Jesus paid the price for the sin of all mankind throughout the ages!
16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.
So in verses 16 and 17 we see that our promised inheritance could only be achieved through His death on the cross as a will only comes in to effect on the death of the one who made it!
18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
In verses 18-22 the writer explains that the old covenant was established through the High Priest sprinkling everything with blood which brought temporary purification and forgiveness of sins through the shedding of the blood of sacrificial animals.
23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
In the old covenant It was acceptable for the copies of the spiritual heavenly things in the earthly sanctuary to be “purified” with imperfect sacrifices. But the heavenly things themselves could only be purified with a perfect offering - the blood of Jesus the perfect sacrifice. Jesus who was without sin or deceit of any kind!
24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
After His resurrection Jesus ascended into heaven from whence He came and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. He is in the Most Holy Place in the throne room of God far removed from the earthy replicas!
Jesus' sacrifice of His own blood was once off because of His perfection, He is sinless. He does not have to repeatedly shed his blood as had to be done in the imperfect old covenant and done by imperfect men!
The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and the shedding of His blood did away with sin and death once and for all! For a born again Christian death has no sting and eternal life in Christ Jesus is our assurance!.
Here, to expand on verses 27 and 28 I will take the liberty of quoting the late, great evangelist Charles Spurgeon:
“A man dies once, and after that everything is fixed and settled, and he answers for his doings at the judgment. One life, one death – then everything is weighed, and the result declared: ‘after this the judgment.’ So Christ comes, and dies once; and after this, for him also the result of what he has done, namely, the salvation of those who look for him. He dies once, and then reaps the fixed result, according to the analogy of the human race, of which he became a member and representative.”
To receive eternal life in Christ Jesus we must accept Him as our Lord and Saviour, admit before God that we are sinners and repent, repent means to turn away from, of those sins!
