Hebrews 9—Christ's Eternal Priesthood

God made five foundational covenants in the bible:

Adamic Covenant – Immediately after the fall of the human race into sin, God promised Adam that a redeemer will come and rescue him and the human race from the consequences of his sin.

Noahic Covenant – God promises never again to use a flood to destroy all life. After the flood, Noah offered a sacrifice to the Lord, which is a picture of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

Abrahamic Covenant – A great nation would arise from him, and through him and his offspring, the entire world would be blessed. This is God's redemptive plan through Jesus.

Mosaic Covenant – God promised to make Israel "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation", pointing the way towards the coming of Christ.

New Covenant – The everlasting promise to forgive sin and restore fellowship with those whose hearts are turned toward Him.

The covenants progressively build upon one another, forming a complete redemptive story line. When sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, God promised a Redeemer. He preserved the world through Noah, initiated redemption through Abraham, established the nation of Israel through Moses, and then fulfilled all of his covenants through Jesus.

The author refers to the Mosaic Covenant as the first one, not because it was the only covenant God established, but because it is the one that is being replaced. It was the first covenant to establish a priesthood and the Tabernacle service, which is the main subject of the author in this text.

Hebrews 9:1-5

The Mosaic Covenant had strict rules for worship in the tabernacle to maintain the holiness of the people and their relationship with God, emphasizing the need for atonement and purification which pointed to deeper spiritual truths and the ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

There were two rooms inside the tabernacle. Priests went regularly into the first section, to trim the lamps on the lampstand and supply them with oil. They were to place two stacks of six loaves of bread each Sabbath on the table that stood for the 12 tribes of Israel, acknowledgment that God was the resource for Israel's life and nourishment. The altar of incense was the staging area for coals used to burn incense specially crafted for use in the tabernacle. While Exodus places the Golden Alter in the Holy Place, this verse uses the Greek term "echousa", which normally refers to ownership, rather than location. This material was taken behind the veil by the high priest yearly as part of the Day of Atonement.

In the Most Holy Place, the Ark of the Covenant, was an ornate box used to hold the stone tablets of the covenant, also known as the Ten Commandments. Also within the ark was gold jar of manna, kept as a reminder of God's provision for the Israelites during their 40 years in the wilderness and Aaron's staff that budded was a sign of God's chosen priesthood. Resting on the top of the ark was the Mercy Seat where the high priest would sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement to atone for the sins of Israel.

Exodus chapters 25-27 and 36-38 give a detailed description of the tabernacle and its furnishings.

Hebrews 9:6-7

The earthly tabernacle service of the Levitical priests included daily and weekly ritual duties in the Holy Place. Once a year, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies with a blood sacrifice, to temporarily atone for the unintentional sins of the priesthood and the people.

Hebrews 9:8-10

The rituals were in effect only until more effective system could be established. Food, drink and various ceremonial washings, symbolized the need for mankind to be cleansed of sin. The fact that the Day of Atonement had to be repeated yearly signals that it wasn't a final solution.

Hebrews 9:11-12

Without a blood sacrifice, the high priest was unable to enter the Holy of Holies in the man made tabernacle. Similarly, without His blood, Jesus was unable to enter the Most Holy Place in Heaven and until He became the eternal High Priest.

Hebrews 9:13-14

Leviticus 15 lists a number of reasons why a person would be ceremonially unclean. Strict cleanliness laws were essential to ensure that the people remained worthy to dwell in God's sacred presence. Purification regulations were designed to provide a solution for restoration.

"Works of death" are sinful actions and the spiritual death that results from them. Jesus' sacrifice has an everlasting power of purifying and cleansing the guilty sinner who repents and comes to saving faith in Christ Jesus. He is no longer condemned and is free to serve God.

Hebrews 9:15

The Old Covenant was based on adherence to the Law, highlighting humanity's inability to achieve righteousness on their own. The sacrifices only covered sin. They were merely symbolic of what Christ would eventually do. God calls everyone through the gospel. The promise of eternal life is given to all who respond to God's invitation to salvation.

The Jews were waiting for Messiah, expecting a conquering king. They were familiar with the Old Testament laws and sacrificial system. Hebrews was written to the early Christians to prove that Jesus Christ was the promised Savior. God saved the Old Testament saints who were trusting that God would send a mediator on the same basis as he saves everyone, by grace alone, through faith alone, and ultimately in Christ alone.

Hebrews 9:16-17

The term "will" here refers to a legal document that outlines the distribution of a person's estate after their death. This "will" refers to the New Covenant. Jesus' death was necessary to bring the promises of the New Covenant into effect, offering eternal inheritance to believers.

Hebrews 9:18-20 (Exodus 24:8)

The the Mosaic Covenant involved a series of sacrifices and the sprinkling of blood which is essential for the purification of sins. The use of blood signifies the seriousness of the agreement. God's redemptive plan requires the shedding of blood in order for men and women to be saved.

Hebrews 9:21-22

The act of sprinkling blood was a significant ritual in the Old Testament. Blood represented life, and shedding it in sacrifice represented the death penalty for sin, effectively "cleaning" the area through sacrificial atonement. The high priest would sprinkle blood on the altar and other sacred objects to cleanse them from impurity and sin underscoring the sanctification and dedication of objects in worship.

Hebrews 9:23-24

Just as the earthly tabernacle had to be cleansed with the blood of animals, so was the Tabernacle in Heaven. Jesus never entered the tabernacle on earth since the law prohibited a priest who was not a Levite to enter. However He did enter the Heavenly Tabernacle because He was a Priest according to a higher order. In the Old Covenant, they repeated sacrifices with the blood of animals to cover sin. In the New Covenant, Jesus was sacrificed once, with His own blood, to removed the power and penalty of sin.

Hebrews 9:25-26

He is our permanent representative. His sacrifice was so perfect, He only had to suffer once. He gave his life for all those who accept Him to pay for our sins, so we could be forgiven.

Hebrews 9:27-28

Physical death is the natural order established since the fall of man, then judgment follows. When Jesus comes again, judgment comes to gather the saved in order to bring them into Heaven and those who believe will receive the gift of eternal life.