Hebrews Chapter 9
Hebrews 9:1-5 “Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 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 tables of the covenant. Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now."
Why not discuss the details now?
Why was a Tabernacle necessary?
"Then have them make a sanctuary for me and I will dwell among them" Exodus 25:8
"The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: 'All nations will be blessed through you.'" Galatians 3:8 Because these things were only a shadow of the coming Christ, the ancients didn't have a clear understanding of the Gospel but they believed in the promise. I believe the greater blessing is for us as we have the completed revelation of Jesus but can see that God announced His plan thousands of years in advance. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." Genesis 3:15 Consider the following notes provided by Bob Deffinbaugh, The Story of the 'Seed' Drawing Near To God In studying this section of the Hebrew text, keep in mind Hebrews 7:18-19: "The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God."The Israelites were never allowed to enter the Most Holy Place, nor were the priests; only the high priest could enter, one time a year. How was it possible for men to enter into fellowship with God? How could men “draw near” to God in intimate fellowship under the Old Covenant, when worship was carried out by means of the tabernacle and the Levitical priesthood? |
Significance of materials used
The materials God called to use in the making of the Tabernacle furnishings were intentional and significant. Most pieces were either made of pure gold or wood overlaid in gold. Because of the purity of gold, scholars seem to believe that gold represents the deity and perfection of Jesus. Only bronze was used in the outer courts and symbolized sin and judgment. Silver was used in the building of the outer walls and may have symbolized redemption. Additional References: The Tabernacle Place What do the parts of the Tabernacle Represent? Bible History - Significance of the materials The Outer Court Although the Outer Court and Outer Walls are not mentioned, the materials and the furnishings are quite significant. Consider Exodus 26:15-18, 36:21-22 which indicate that the frames were made from wood and overlaid with gold and then fitted with silver bases to make the boards stand upright. Silver is said to stand for redemption. The cross boards (Ex 26:26,27; 36:31,32) are said to pass through the center of the boards (Ex 26:28, 36:33) and all the bars and rings were overlaid with gold. I've heard the significance explained best like this: The way for humanity to stand upright in God's presence is to be placed in redemption. You (wood) covered with holiness (gold) inside and outside and made to stand in Redemption (silver) and as a result not a single bit of your sin (wood) can be seen in God's Presence. The Holy Place The Lampstand was made of pure gold which was also beaten or hammered. The Lampstand represented Christ because He said He was the light of the world (John 8:12, 9:5). Mark 14:61-65 gives us insight into Jesus' sufferings when He was arrested and tells us that "the Light of the World" was beaten by the guards. The Table of Showbread was made of two materials: acacia wood and gold. The wood represented Christ's humanity while the gold represented His deity. The bread represented Christ's Presence. Jesus said that He was the bread of life (John 6:35). The table that held the bread was a shadow of Jesus and His earthly life work. The Golden Altar of Incense was also made of wood overlaid with gold, once again pointing forward to to Jesus, The Son of Man and the Son of God. The purpose of this altar was to burn incense before the Lord, as well as a yearly burnt offering. This was the closest piece of furniture in the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place where God's presence dwelled. Only once each year could the High Priest go beyond the Altar of Incense into the Most Holy Place. (Note that Hebrews 9:3 seems to place the Golden Altar in the Most Holy Place. Refer to the following article: The Altar of Incense: Where Was it Located for more information.) What is the significance of burning incense in the Tabernacle. The Most Holy Place The Most Holy Place was the inner room where God's presence dwelt on earth. To be more precise, God’s presence was associated with the mercy seat of the arc of the covenant, and with the cherubim that hovered above it. I will meet with you there, and from above the atonement lid, from between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will command you for the Israelites. Exodus 25:22 This room was never entered by common people, nor was God easily accessible even to the priests. Only the high priest was allowed into the Most Holy of Holies, and then only once per year. In fear and trembling and always with blood, he entered this room where the presence of God dwelt. The Ark of the Covenant was the focal point in this room and was fashioned from wood overlaid with gold, pointing forward to the humanity and divinity of the coming Christ. The mercy seat, also known as the atonement cover, was fashioned of pure gold and covered the top of the ark. It was on the atonement cover that the sacrifice for the sin of the people was offered by the high priest once each year on the Day of Atonement. Two cherubim, or angels, were fashioned out of gold as part of the atonement cover. Their wings were spread outward and upward over the cover, while their faces were turned in and down toward the mercy seat. Considering the description of the two golden cherubim placed at each end of the mercy seat, take a look with fresh eyes a familiar New Testament account in John: "Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot." John 20:10-11 I can't help but think that these angels, like the golden cherubims, stood as a witness to the sacrifice made on behalf of the sins of man. Unlike the golden cherubims, these angels were witness to the risen and living atonement. Paul also recognized this in Romans 3:25 "God publicly displayed him at his death as the mercy seat accessible through faith...." The Mercy Seat was where God was supposed to be seated, and from this place He was to dispense mercy to man when the blood of the atonement was sprinkled there. In a manner of speaking, the mercy seat concealed the people of God from the ever-condemning judgment of the Law. For more info see: What is the mercy seat? The ark was where God's mercy met man's sinfulness. The sole purpose of the Most Holy Place was for God to meet with man in the presence of a sacrifice offered to atone for man's sin. |
Hebrews 9:6-10 "When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 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. 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 standing. 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. They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings --external regulations applying until the time of the new order.
Daily Activities in the Tabernacle
The Holy Place and the Courtyard were very busy considering that the priests had to offer various daily sacrifices twice a day. It is my understanding that the priests were also supposed to offer teachings in the law (Deuteronomy 33:9-10; Malachi 2:7). The authors purpose was not to provide the details of these activities but to emphasize and contrast the activity of The Holy Place (the outer room) with the activity of the Most Holy Place (the inner room). Annual Activities in the Tabernacle Only one person – the high priest – could enter the holy of holies, and he could only do so on the annual Day of Atonement. And he dare not enter without the blood of a sacrifice. The high priest must first offer a sacrifice for his own sins and only then could he offer a sacrifice for the sins of the people. The author further specifies that the sacrifice which he offers for the people is for those sins they have committed unintentionally. |
Since the High Priest was able to enter the Most Holy Place, what does it mean that the way to the Most Holy Place had not been disclosed?
I believe the author is here speaking in reference to the Israelites in general, rather than just the priests or the high priest. Tabernacle worship restricted almost everyone from access to God’s presence. The courtyard of the tabernacle was as close as the average Israelite could get to God. The priests got a little closer because they carried out their tasks in the outer chamber of the tabernacle. But only the high priest could enter the holy of holies, once a year. One could hardly call the high priest’s relationship with God “intimate.” Thus, our author contends, as long as the tabernacle system was in place, there was no “way into the holy place” for the people of God. The restriction from access to God’s presence was evident in the design of the tabernacle. So far as I can tell, there was no door into the holy of holies. The only way into the holy of holies seems to have been through the outer chamber, the holy place. But the outer chamber was separated from the holy of holies by a very substantial curtain or veil. This substantial and very ornate screen was the only entrance to the holy of holies, and it could hardly be called a door. It was securely connected so that no one would venture in, to their own destruction. And because their access to God was limited, their worship was inferior to worship mediated by our Great High Priest under the terms of the New Covenant. The Tabernacle could not solve man’s sin problem, and thus its worship would always be less than ideal and inferior to worship mediated by our Great High Priest under the terms of the New Covenant. |
Hebrews 9:11-14 "When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 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, having obtained eternal redemption. 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. 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!
Jesus is the solution!
The solution to the flaws and weaknesses of tabernacle worship is found in Jesus Christ. It is interesting to note that verse 11 is rendered differently by various translations. NIV: But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here. NASB: But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, BSB: But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come, The Greek word used is Strongs #1096 ginomai and means "to become". In studying this what became clear is that it is above my pay grade to figure this out. What I do know for sure is that Jesus is the high priest of all good things! And since the author's intent is to contrast between the old and new covenants, if he is speaking of things already here....I would surmise that he is referring to the things that have been brought (are already here) with Christ. This was important since at the time of the author's writing, the Tabernacle was still functioning with priests under the old covenant...even though Jesus brought better things. The Greater and More Perfect Tabernacle The superior ministry of our Lord was not performed in the context of the old tabernacle. No, His place of ministry is the better, perfect, tabernacle of which the old tabernacle was but a shadow. The perfect tabernacle where Christ now carries out His priestly ministry is His heavenly throne: The Son is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word, and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:3). Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession (Hebrews 4:14). Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We have such a high priest, one who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven (Hebrews 8:1). |
A Better Sacrifice
Recall that the High Priests could only enter the Most Holy Place after he had offered a sacrifice for himself. Jesus entered the true Most Holy Place, the presence and throne room of the Father, after having secured our eternal redemption, and this not by means of any animal sacrifices, but by the shedding of His own blood. If mere animal sacrifices served to bring about external bodily cleansings, then how much more would our Lord achieve by His sacrifice? And don't miss this. I have come to understand that the Holy Spirit was involved in Christ's resurrection (Romans 8:11) but the Holy Spirit (eternal Spirit) was instrumental in the process of offering Jesus as an unblemished sacrifice to God the Father. Our Lord entered the presence of the Father after having secured our eternal redemption, and this not by means of any animal sacrifices, but by the shedding of His own blood. If mere animal sacrifices – the blood of goats and bulls and cow ashes – served to bring about external bodily cleansings, then how much more would our Lord achieve by His sacrifice? This was the sacrifice of Him who was without blemish, offered through the eternal (Holy) Spirit. How is our conscience cleansed? As sinners, our consciences are defiled so that we seek to hide from God (like Adam - Genesis 3:8) and to keep our distance from Him. In Hebrews 9:1-14, our author tells us that Christ’s atoning sacrifice through the shedding of His blood solves both sides of the problem. God’s wrath toward our sin is satisfied or appeased so that we can approach Him. But Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection also purifies our guilt-ridden consciences, so that we no longer seek to draw back from a Holy God but seek,through the Holy Spirit, to be in His Presence. Thus, the work of our Lord on the cross of Calvary not only paid the penalty for our sins, it cleansed our consciences, thus removing a significant barrier to our fellowship with God. The Old Covenant did not permanently cleanse men of their sins, and it did not purify their defiled consciences. A devout Jew who depended upon the “ceremonial cleansing” of the Old Covenant could never experience a purified conscience. |
Hebrews 9:15-22 "For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may received the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssoop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. He said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded, which God has commanded you to keep." In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
A Better Mediator
Because Christ offered Himself as an unblemished, perfect sacrifice, He also became the mediator of the New Covenant. And what about the sins committed while under the Old Covenant? Because it is said that Christ set those free from the sins committed under the first covenant, by default, indicates that the blood sacrifices of the Old Covenant could not take away the people's sins. Romans 3:25 further clarifies: "God publicly displayed him at his death as the mercy seat accessible through faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness, because God in his forbearance had passed over the sins previously committed." The Old Covenant and its Aaronic priestly sacrificial system did not put away the guilt and punishment for the sins of the ancient Israelites; it only put off the day of reckoning. The saving work of Jesus on the cross of Calvary applies to the sins of those who lived under the Old Covenant as well as to those living since the first coming of our Lord. Those called with received the promised inheritance But this is not to say that everyone, past, present, or future will benefit from Christ’s saving work. Our author is very clear on this point: those who receive the promised inheritance are only those who are called. While we see that the doctrine of election (God’s sovereign calling) is clearly taught in Scripture, men are still commanded to believe in Jesus for salvation. Paul will underscore this in Romans 10: if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.....For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:9,13) So, those who inherit God’s promised blessings are those whom God has sovereignly chosen and called, and also those who have believed in God’s promise. (We should remember from Hebrews 3 and 4 that the ancient Israelites failed to enter into rest because of their unbelief.) look up ransoming a relative |
The Necessity of a Sacrificial Death
Just as death is required to implement a will, death was also required to implement the Mosaic Covenant. When God made His covenant with the nation Israel, it was inaugurated with blood. Why Does God Require the Shedding of Blood? We could easily ask why couldn't God simply choose to forgive without bloodshed? It is important to note that it is not the physical act of shedding blood that is the key. No, shedding blood is just a way of referring to the fact that without death, there is no forgiveness of sins. The Bible has been clear; the punishment for sin is death. See also Why Did The Sacrificial System Require A Blood Sacrifice? (There's life in the blood Leviticus 17:11) But this leads to another question. Why is the punishment for sin so serious? Sin is rebellion against God, and it is so serious because of the greatness of the One we are rebelling against. God is the One who made us and gave us life and continues to give us life and breath each moment. He is our Creator! We may think that death is harsh, but that's because we're not unbiased. We're the ones who deserve to receive God's justice. So why can't God just let us off? Why can't He just ignore sin? It is not because He lacks compassion or mercy or a desire to forgive It is because God is a God of justice. If we were to ignore all sin, it would be as outrageous as if every murderer in the country was let out of jail with their criminal records wiped clean. God is merciful and gracious to His very core (Exodus 34:6-7), and this is why He came down to earth in the person of Jesus Christ to pay the penalty that our sin deserves. He didn't have to do that, but He longed to bring sinners back to Him. "Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?" Ezekiel 18:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 (reference: www.lookingforgod.com) Under the Old Covenant, sins were reckoned with (temporarily) by the shedding of the blood of sacrificial animals. Our Lord’s death is entirely consistent with God’s way of dealing with sin. The shedding of sacrificial blood may offend the sensibilities of some, but this was the way God had appointed to reckon with man’s sin. If we are appalled by the severity of God’s solution for sin, then surely we must begin to understand how appalled God is by our sin. We dare not take sin – or its consequences – lightly. |
Hebrews 9:23-28 "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. For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. 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. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people, and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Why is it necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified?
There are various suggestions speculating at the meaning and reason for this. Bob Diffenbaugh outlines various options for consideration but since Scripture doesn't provide an explanation, all we can do is speculate. However, if I were to speculate, I would agree with the following conclusion: I would be inclined to suggest a fourth explanation for the purification of the heavenly things. I look at the purification of the tabernacle, its furnishings, the high priest, and the people as an initiation or inauguration. In just a few days, a new president will be officially installed as the president of the United States by means of an inauguration ceremony. It is the beginning of a new regime, a new administration. Just as the Old Covenant was inaugurated by the sprinkling of blood, so too it was fitting for the New Covenant (and all its associated elements) to be inaugurated with blood as well. The shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross of Calvary was the inauguration of the New Covenant ministry of our Lord. It redeemed men from the penalty of their sins, but it did more. It commenced a whole new ministry in the heavenlies, at the right hand of God, and blood shedding was an essential requirement for its inauguration. The full context can be found here: https://bible.org/seriespage/dealing-death-or-worlds-greatest-bailout-hebrews-915-28 |
See also Preparing a Place for You for further insight.
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