Hebrews 9 Read, Study, & Breakdown
15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16 For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. 19 For when Moses had spoken every [g]precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” 21 Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And according to the law almost all things are [h]purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no [i]remission.
23 Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be [j]purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are [k]copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— 26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
NOTES HEBREWS 9 STUDY – (vv. 15-23, vv. 21-23, and vv. 23-28)
9:15-23: Hebrews contrasts the Day of Atonement – (once every year for forgiveness) with the covenant ceremony – (once at the beginning to establish the covenant) … In Christ’s one sacrificial offering, He affects what all the sacrifices of the old covenant did not … He even covers those saints departed under the old covenant, that they might enter God’s presence as they had been promised …
The Greek word “diatheke” means both COVENANT – (vv. 15, 18-20) and last will and TESTAMENT – (vv. 16, 17) … As with a testament, A DEATH – (vv. 16, 17) is required to initiate its conditions … This death is death to sinning; the new condition initiated by the testament is that of the resurrection, the reformation of our nature … As with a covenant, sprinkling WITH BLOOD – (v. 21) is necessary to consecrate all dedicated things into the covenantal reality ... The locus of life is blood – (Leviticus 17:11) … So, blood, our mortal life, is offered to God, who is life, and establishes us in a new relationship with Him – (vv. 19-21) …
9:21-23: Why was the earthly sanctuary sprinkled with consecrated blood??? Because it had to be cleansed, being of this mortal and corrupt realm, and it needed to be consecrated to God … The heavenly sanctuary, of course, never was unclean, but it did need worship to be inaugurated there …
9:23-28: Hebrews moves back to the sacrificial act of the Day of Atonement – (see vv. 11-14) … The blood sprinkled here brings the life of the covenantal people into God’s presence: it reconciles God and man … The final reconciliation, the eternal one, is the presentation of Christ’ sacrificial blood – (Hebrews 12:24) to God in heaven …
PSALM 116 (vv. 10-19) Study
PSALM 116 (117) (vv. 1-2) Study