Hebrews 9 Read, Study, & Breakdown
The Earthly Sanctuary
9 Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. 2 For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the [a]sanctuary; 3 and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, 4 which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; 5 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. 6 Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. 7 But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; 8 the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience— 10 concerned only with foods and drinks, various [b]washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.
The Heavenly Sanctuary and Liturgy
11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things [c]to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, [d]sanctifies for the [e]purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without [f]spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
NOTES HEBREWS 9 STUDY – (vv. 1-7, vv. 2-3, v. 4, v. 5, vv. 6-10, vv. 11-14, v. 14)
9:1-7: A description of the Mosaic tabernacle, which prefigures the heavenly altar … This passage here in scripture is read during the feasts of the Virgin Mary and Advent to describe the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God … Mary’s womb was prepared to be Christ’s tabernacle, the very dwelling place of God …
9:2-3: A most important detail in Hebrews is the inner veil, THE SECOND VEIL … It separates the holy place – (v. 2, THE SANCTUARY) from the most holy place – (v. 3), THE HOLIEST OF ALL), which contains the ark of the covenant and into which only the high priest can enter and only once a year … The inner veil forms the locus of the liturgical practice of the old covenant – (vv. 6-10) and reveals its imperfection … The people could not draw near to God – (see – v. 8) … At His death, Christ solved this alienation – (Matthew 27:51) …
Matthew 27:51: Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,
THE VEIL: that separated the Most Holy Place from the rest of the temple was a symbol of the separation between God and mankind: The death of Christ opened the way into the presence of God for all people, giving us all an access to that which is the most holy of all: God Himself:
9:4: THE ARK OF THE COVENANT contained the relics, as it were, of Israel: THE POT MANNA, Aaron’s rod, and the tablets of the Law …
9:5: - God is enthroned upon the CHERUBIM; hence, God’s throne in Israel’s midst, THE MERCY SEAT, has a Cherub on each side – (The Orthodox Christian altar is flanked by cherubim) … These representations, along with the pictures of cherubim on the inner veil – (Exodus 26:31) and the beauty and detailed workmanship of everything made for the tabernacle, serve as the icons of the OT … This, and numerous other passages, held put to rest the fear that the second commandment – (Exodus 20:4-6) prohibits all imagery … God cannot be represented because of divine nature in unknowable and hence cannot be depicted … However, when the Son becomes Man, the human nature of God the Son can be, and is, imaged …
Exodus 26:31: “You shall make a veil woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen. It shall be woven with an artistic design of cherubim
Exodus 20:4-6: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor [a]serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting[b] the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
9:6-10: While priests entered the holy place daily, only the high priest could enter the most holy place and only once a year, on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) … He entered with the animal blood of the atonement sacrifice, which was offered first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people … This annual sacrifice reveals the imperfect, temporary status of the old covenant, for (1): ONLY ONE MAN can enter God’s presence; (2): THAT MAN cannot enter continually; (3)
: HE MUST ENTER occasionally to repeat the sacrifice for sins, a sacrifice good only for a limited time; (4): THIS SACRIFICE deals entirely with materials from this age, which are imperfect and impermanent – it cannot begin in a participation in the age to come – (v. 10), THE TIME OF REFORMATION; (5): IT DEALS mainly with the outer man – it is superficial and cannot purify man’s heart and mind, let alone restore fallen human nature …
9:11-14: Christ, in contrast to the OT high priest – (see, notes on Hebrews 9:6-10) is the high priest of the new covenant … He enters the heavenly sanctuary ONCE FOR ALL – (v. 12) – Christ’s one sacrifice covers all sins by all people for all time- with THE BLOOD OF CHRIST – (v. 14), His own human blood, which heals our corrupt humanity – (v. 13), THE FLESH), restores us to our proper relationship to God, pure – (v. 14, CLEANSE YOUR CONSCIENCE) and holy, and draws us near to God in liturgical worship – (v. 14, SERVE THE LIVING GOD) … DEAD WORKS – (see, Hebrews 6:1 and notes) are human activity in and of this age, participating in mortality and corruption – (and normally even in sin) … Liturgically, dead works are th actions of old covenant worship …
9:14: ETERNAL SPIRIT: Proof the Holy Spirit is fully God …
PSALM 116:1-9 READ, STUDY, & BREAKDOWN
I WILL READ AND BREAK IT DOWN FROM MY ORTHODOX STUDY BIBLE – SUMMARY IS PART OF MY VIDEO CONTENT …
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