Hebrews

Joyce Webb 2018

Chapter 9

Vs. 1 In the first covenant (promise, agreement) between God and his people Israel (Hebrews, Jews) there were rules of how the worship was to be done. There was a church called a “tabernacle”. It was a special tent.

There were two rooms in this tent. A larger room that the priests went into to light a candlestick, burn incense, and put bread on a special table.

There was a smaller room called the “Most Holy Place” or the “Holy of Holies”.

This smaller room had a special box with angel shapes over it covered in gold called “The Ark of the Covenant”. Inside of it was the 10 Commandments, a jar of manna, and the rod of Moses that had grown leaves and almonds. (Numbers 17:8)

The special box was a symbol or sign of God’s holy presence and his holy spirit. No one was allowed to touch the box or they died.

They moved the box by long poles that were made to carry the box without touching the box. Only special priest were allowed to carry and move the box.

In the larger room, the priests went in every day to take care of the candles, incense and bread.

In the smaller room, only the high priest was allowed to go in. He went in only once a year. He went in to take blood of a sacrificed animal that was killed for the sins of the people and for his own sins.

Vs. 8 These rules of worship was the way the Holy Spirit showed them that ordinary people and even the ordinary priests were not allowed into the most holy place of God’s presence. Even the High Priest could only go in at special times. And only with blood.

This showed how holy God was. No sin was allowed in his presence.

When the priests came into God’s holy presence it was with the covering of blood. The blood showed the death of the animal who died for man’s sin.

Vs.9 In this old system of worship there were rules about washing the outside of things the washing of hands, bodies, things, they were about eating certain foods,

They were about killing an animal and that animal’s death was a substitute for them in their place. They should have died because of their sin, but the animal died instead and his blood was shown to God instead of their blood.

Washing the outside of your body, eating certain foods and having an animal die for you was not a perfect sacrifice for your sins.

This was a temporary or short-term (time) thing until the real thing happened.

Man himself was responsible to die for his own sins.

God had promised Adam that someday God would have a son “seed” of the woman die for Adam so Adam would not have to die.

Until this “seed son” came and died, animals died for the people’s sins. When this “seed son” came, he would die for the sins of man. A man for a man. This would be a complete and final sacrifice.

Vs. 11 Jesus Christ came born as a human baby. He died.

He had never sinned. But he took the sins of all people on himself. He died in their place.

Jesus took his own blood and showed it to the Father God in heaven. Just as the High Priest took the animal’s blood into the Holy Place once a year.

Jesus’ blood the blood of a perfect man a man’s blood for a man was shown to God in heaven to show that the sacrifice was done and complete.

This allowed man to have his sin debt paid once and for all.

(This is not “automatic” meaning everyone is automatically forgiven. Man has to come to Jesus who died for him and ask Jesus for forgiveness.)

Jesus is the one who is the “go-between” “mediator” between man and God. Jesus is the one who made it possible for us to have our sins forgiven. So he only he is the one we go to to ask for forgiveness and to go to God the Father for us.

Vs. 16 In a will a person writes that when he dies his things, money, etc. will go to certain persons. No one gets anything until that person dies.

Vs. 18 That is why the “blood” of the animal and the blood of Jesus was required as “proof” that the animal died, or Jesus (standing in for man) died. Their blood was proof of their death.

Moses took the blood of an animal with water and sprinkled it over things—-making them holy and pure. The blood made them holy and pure.

Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.

Blood was required as proof of death.

It was sprinkled on things or people to “cover” it to make it pure.

Jesus’ blood covers our sins, or washes away our sins so we can be pure.

Vs. 23 The things of the earthly place of worship had to be “covered” with an animals blood. The heavenly place of worship needed more than animal’s blood, it needed the blood of a perfect man.

Priests on earth had to offer animal’s blood again and again.

Jesus’ blood the blood of a perfect man was a “perfect” sacrifice. No other sacrifice was needed. It was done once

and for all time.

Vs. 27 Man dies once and after that comes the judgment.

So Christ died once to take away the sins of the people. His sacrifice was perfect and complete.

He will come to earth again, but not to die. He will come again for those who believe in him and he will take us to heaven where our salvation will be complete.