Hebrews 9

Series In Hebrews: Jesus Is Truly Better
OT Leviticus 16:1-34   NT Hebrews 9
“the Messiah has appeared, high priest of the good things that have come”

VERSES 1-5
In this passage the preacher lays out the temple geography ultimately to make the case that Jesus is more superior. Since temple worship was ordered under the covenant of works the preacher is telling his audience that with all the awe inspiring splendor and beauty of the temple so much so that people were not worthy to even enter, yet the new covenant is still far greater (v1). As we have read in prior chapters the the temple was a replica of Jesus (8:1-6) who is currently interceding for us now (7:25). Then the preacher abruptly ends his conversation about the temple (v5) not wanting to continue on the topic of the temple which was the customer of the time. Rather he moves on to a bigger discussion of Jesus which the temple was supposed to be pointing to.



VERSES 6-10
The physical temple while understood to be a structure of permanence for Israel was an indicator of something far greater (vs 6-10). The issue at hand is access to God. It is clear even from natural revelation that we are sinful people (Rom 1:18-19) and it manifests itself not only in our actions but in our thoughts and attitudes of our heart. Such sinfulness is incompatible to a righteous God therefore access is restricted to sinful man. As the preacher explains there were two rooms (vs 6-7) or chambers to the “tent” (σκηνή Gen.,Sing.,Fem.)(v 8 ) or tabernacle. Only priests or those who were under the law of the priestly line of Levite had access to the first chamber and the high priest had access to the second chamber but only once a year, and only with blood.

Access to God is a critical point in this passage. Notice in (v4) there was reference to Aaron’s staff that had budded. This was the result of the some of the other priests among the other tribes believed that anyone can enter the tabernacle. God had called on the priests from the various tribes and in order to show Aaron’s role as the high priest he budded Aaron’s staff. Aaron was called to enter the tabernacle and so to we as Christians have been called to enter God’s presence through the new covenant that is in Jesus. This is not a right or entitlement that we have but only a humble sense of gratitude to God for having called us because of Jesus who tore the veil from top to bottom we may enter the most holy.

VERSES 11-22
The section of verses can cause some confusion because of contemporary understandings of “will” and testaments that sometimes get imposed on the text. Notice in verse 16 and 17 the word being used in English is “will” (HCSB, NIV, ESV) which is different from the word we have been using up to this point in our Hebrews study which is “covenant”.  In the Greek it is the same word διαθήκη (Neut. Sing. Fem.) but our English translations usually interchange between “will” and “covenant”. The reason for this is the ease of understanding the text, however I will take the side with other translators (ie. NASB) who would keep the “covenant” terminology throughout the text.

The preceding context (vs 1, 4, 15) of the text seems to indicate there is a covenant that was established and fulfilled by which we receive an “eternal redemption”. While the word “will” is more understandable to modern day American readers, it misses the significance of OT covenant which are promises under sanctions. Moreover the following text seems incompatible with the concept of a “will” since we have yet to see a will being sprinkled with blood (v19) and while this could happen arbitrarily it is completely compatible with the biblical concept of covenant.

16ὅπου γὰρ  διαθήκη, θάνατον  ἀνάγκη    φέρεσθαι    τοῦ   διαθεμένου:
    for where     covenant      death    necessity  to be offered  of the  making covenant

17διαθήκη γὰρ  ἐπὶ νεκροῖς βεβαία, ἐπεὶ μήποτε  ἰσχύει   ὅτε   ζῇ   ὁ  διαθέμενος
   for a covenant   over   dead      firm       since  never     strength when  lives the making covenant

Having made this clarification our passage begins by arguing the superiority of Jesus over old covenant blood rituals. The preacher makes the case that Jesus is not a high priest of a temple made with hands but He entered the most holy place of a more “perfect” tabernacle and offered Himself as a once and for all blood sacrifice, receiving death, and thus making Him the mediator of the new covenant. Because of this we have been cleansed from dead works and now able to serve the living God.

VERSES 23-28