Hebrews 9:1-28

How can I get to heaven?

Hebrews

Ian Mackervoy

Chapter 9

A new way to praise God 9:1-28

The old holy place 9:1-10

v1 The first agreement had rules for praising God and giving him honour and respect. It had a special holy place here on earth. v2 Moses set up a large special tent. The first area contained the lamp and the table with the holy bread on it. This was the holy place. v3 Behind the second curtain there was a room that was the most holy place. v4 In here there was an *altar of gold on which priests burned special *incense. There was also a special large box made of wood and covered with gold. This box was the box of the agreement. In it was the gold jar that contained bread from heaven. There was also Aaron’s stick that began to grow, and the stones on which God wrote the agreement. v5 On top of the special box there were the shapes of two special *angels. Their wings spread over the box. Under the shadow of their wings, on top of the box, was a lid of pure gold. We cannot speak in detail of these things now.

v6 While this special tent was in use, the priests went in and out of the first room to do their work. v7 Only the chief priest could go into the inner room. He had to go in, by himself and only once a year. When he went in, he had to take blood with him. He offered the blood to God for the *sins he himself had done. He offered blood also for any *sins that the people had done without realising it. v8 The Holy Spirit was teaching that the way into the most holy place in heaven was not yet open. He would not show it while the first special tent was in use. v9 The old special tent was an image, or a copy, for the present time. In the tent the priests offered gifts and sacrifices to God. Yet these could not make the conscience clean before God. v10 The gifts and sacrifices were only food and drink. There were rules on how to wash and other rules to do with the body. These rules were there until the time of the new agreement.

Verse 1 To show how much better the new agreement is, the author writes first about the old agreement. The old agreement included the rules about *worship, that is, how to praise and honour God. This was to take place in a special holy place. Its use was only for here on earth, not in heaven.

Verse 2 As God had told Moses, they set up a large special tent. This special tent had two parts. The outer part of the special tent was the holy place. The inner part was the most holy place. In the outer part, the holy place, were a special oil lamp and a special table. Skilled workmen made the special lamp to the exact plan that God gave to Moses (Exodus 25:31-40). On the table was the holy bread. There were 12 loaves of this bread. Every Saturday, Aaron had to replace them with fresh loaves of bread. After the death of Aaron, the chief priest of the time would do this. The priests, but nobody else, ate the old loaves when they took them off the table. They had to eat the loaves in the holy place, for this bread was holy to the *Lord.

Verse 3 Through a second curtain was the most holy place. This was the very special place where the chief priest met with God. Only the chief priest could go in there and only once a year. The curtain was there so that nobody else could approach God.

Verse 4 By the curtain, near the special box of the agreement, was an *altar of gold (Exodus 30:1-6). On it the priests burned *incense every day.

The special box of the agreement was a large box made of wood, with gold all over it (Exodus 25:10-22). In this special box of the agreement were three things.

There was the gold jar of the bread from heaven (Exodus 16). When the people went through the desert God fed them. He sent bread each morning for them to collect and eat. God told them to put some of it into this jar. It was there to remind them of how God cared for them.

The stick of Aaron that came into flower was there (Numbers 17). There had been trouble in the camp of *Israel. Some people did not accept that Moses and Aaron were the right leaders for them. So God told them to put a stick for each *tribe in the special tent. The next day, the stick of Aaron had flowers and fruit on it. The other sticks were just dead sticks. So God showed them that he had chosen Moses and Aaron. God told them to put this stick into the special box of agreement to remind the people how God had led them.

Also in the special box of the agreement were the stones on which God had written the 10 laws. He had given these to Moses on the mountain top (Deuteronomy 5). These 10 laws were the rules that the people had to obey.

Verse 5 There was a figure of a *cherub on each end of the lid of the special box of the agreement. The *cherubs were special *angels who were to show that God was there in all his honour. God told Moses to make the figures of gold. They faced each other across the lid of the box. Their wings spread over the box. The lid itself was of pure gold. This was the place where the chief priest had to put the blood of the *sacrifice for *sin. Each year when he did this, God said that he would forgive the *sins of the priest and people.

It was not the writer’s purpose to explain what all these things meant. He wanted to show how much better the real things in heaven are than these.

Verse 6 The priests had to go into the outer part of the special tent every day. They prepared the lamps in the morning and lit them in the evening. They had to say prayers to God at fixed times in the morning and in the evening. At these times the priests burned *incense on the *altar of gold. Each week they had to change the bread.

Verse 7 The chief priest went into the most holy place once a year. When it says once a year, it means on one day of the year. He had to go in more than once on that day. The priest was in danger of the anger of God, when he went into the most holy place. There had to be the right sacrifices made to God to make it safe for him. He had to make a *sacrifice for his own *sins on the *altar. Then he went in with some of the blood and put it on the lid of the special box of the agreement. Then God forgave his *sins. Then the chief priest made a *sacrifice for the *sins of the people. He went in again with some of that blood and put it on the gold lid of the special box. Then he asked God to forgive the people as well.

Verse 8 The Holy Spirit used the special tent to teach us an important truth. It was that there was no way that the people could go directly to God. Only the priests could go into the holy place. Even they could not go beyond that. The chief priest alone could go to God in the most holy place. He could only go there on one day of the year (Leviticus 16).

While that form of *worship was in use there, the *Spirit did not tell about the direct way to God.

Verse 9 The ‘present time’ could mean the time when the special tent was in use. In those days the direct way to God was not yet open. It could mean the time when the author was writing. The direct way to God was now open in Jesus. In the old special tent the priests offered gifts and sacrifices to God. The problem was that these had no power to change a person’s heart and mind. These could not clean the conscience from *sin and so make the people right with God.

Verse 10 There were strict laws about food and drink. The *Jews had a lot of rules about washing and for much of their daily lives. These were all to do with the outside of a person and had no effect on the inside of a person. These old laws applied until the time of the new agreement came. The new agreement put an end to the old laws and replaced them with a better way.

The blood of Christ 9:11-14

v11 Jesus has now come as the chief priest of the good things that have come. He has gone into the better and more perfect tent. Men did not make this special tent and it does not belong to this world. v12 Jesus did not take the blood of goats and young cows into the most holy place. He took his own blood into the most holy place, once for all time. He has purchased us with his life so that we may live always with God. v13 The priest took the blood of goats and young cows and the ashes of a young cow. He put them on the people who had done bad things. This made their bodies clean. v14 The blood of Jesus will do much more than clean bodies. By the Holy Spirit who lives always, Jesus offered himself to God on our behalf. He was the perfect *sacrifice for all who have *sinned. He is able to make our conscience clean from all the *sins that lead to death. By him we may now serve the God who lives always.

Verse 11 The writer does not tell us what the good things are that have come. It must be the sum of all that Jesus has won for us by his death and *resurrection. He is now our chief priest of the new agreement. The place where he is, as our agent, is much better than the old tent. That was only a copy of the true place of *worship. This is where Jesus has gone. This is the holiest place of all, where he meets with God on our behalf.

Verse 12 By the blood, the priests went into the most holy place in the special tent. Jesus did not need the blood of animals. Those priests had to offer a *sacrifice for their own *sins. Jesus was perfect, and so he had no need for such a *sacrifice. He has gone, on our behalf into the true and holiest place of all. There had to be a *sacrifice for our *sins. Jesus died once for the *sins of all people and his blood, that is, his death, is sufficient for all time. The text seems to say that Jesus took his blood into that place. It means rather that he went in because of the value of the blood that he gave on our behalf. With his death Jesus paid the price to set us free from *sin. Now in him we can be right with God and can go and live forever with him.

Verse 13 The blood of goats and young cows and their ashes had the effect of cleaning a person on the outside. This could not take away a person’s *sin, for that is on the inside. Nor could it make a person right with God. It is only the blood of Jesus that can make the conscience clean. It is only the blood of Christ that can remove the *sin.

Verse 14 Jesus was both *human and God. He was perfect and had no *sin in him. How much more effect must the blood of Jesus have than the blood of animals! There are three reasons why his blood is so special:

• It was by the *Spirit that he offered himself. Several times the *prophet Isaiah spoke about the servant of the *Lord who was coming one day. (This refers to the *Messiah, that is, Jesus Christ. ‘Christ’ means *Messiah.) On the first occasion, God says, ‘I have put my *Spirit upon him’ (Isaiah 42:1). This means that all that Jesus would do would be with God’s power. This includes his final great act of dying to take away our *sins.

• Jesus freely offered himself, for he agreed to do so. He was ready to be a *sacrifice for the *sins of us all. He gave himself for us.

• He was perfect and had no *sin, yet he offered himself to God. He was the one perfect *sacrifice that could pay for the *sin of all of us. He is the one *sacrifice that would please God.

So Jesus is able to make our consciences clean through his blood, and so to make us right with God.

Christ brings us into the new agreement 9:15-22

v15 Therefore Jesus is the one who obtained for us the new agreement with God. When Jesus died, he paid for all the *sins that people had done under the first agreement. The people whom God now calls can have what he promised. That is, a place in heaven that will always be theirs. v16 Before a person dies, he can say who is to own his things after his death. He writes down his wishes in an agreement. Before anyone can take his things, there has to be proof that the person who owned them has died. v17 Because this agreement is for after the person dies, it has no value while the one who made it is still alive. v18 This is why even the first agreement had no value without a death. v19 Moses read aloud all the commands of the law to all the people. Then he took the blood of young cows and goats, and some water. With red wool and branches of *hyssop, he put some on the book and some on all the people. v20 As he did so he said, ‘This is the blood of the agreement which God has commanded you to obey’ (Exodus 24:8). v21 In the same way he put some of the blood on the special tent. He also put some on all the things that the priests used in their work. v22 In fact, by the old law, the use of blood makes nearly everything clean. If there is no *sacrifice of blood, God will not forgive our *sins.

Verse 15 Because Jesus can make us clean from *sin, he is the one who brings us into the new agreement with God. His blood was the price that he paid to make us free from *sin. The sacrifices of old were to show the death of Jesus that was to come one day. This *sacrifice of Jesus was there for those who lived under the old agreement. It is there as well for us who live under the new agreement. The way to heaven is the same for all whom God calls. All who trust in Jesus will have a place in heaven. That place will always be there and so will they.

Verses 16-17 Most types of agreement are where two persons agree and both have rights and responsibilities. There is also an agreement made by one person. This is when a person says what should happen to his property when he dies. While this person is still alive, the agreement has no value. It comes into effect only when the person who made it is has died. Those who would benefit from the agreement have to show that its maker is dead. Then they can take the possessions left to them in the agreement.

Verse 18 God made both the old and the new agreements. In the old agreement, God told the people what they had to do. He promised life to them, if they kept all his laws. But even this first agreement had no worth without the blood of a *sacrifice.

Verses 19-21 When Moses received the first agreement he did two things. First, he read aloud to the people all God’s laws that they were to obey. He made sure that they understood what God was asking them to do. He told them of the good that would come to them, if they obeyed God’s laws. He told them of the punishment that would follow, if they did not obey God’s laws.

Then he took the blood of young cows and goats. Using red wool and *hyssop, he put some of the blood, with water, on the book of God’s law. He put some of it on the people as well. This was to wash all things and make them clean at the start of the agreement. As he did this, he told the people that they must do all that God demands.

Moses took some blood and put it on the special tent. He also put some on all the things that the priests would use in *worship (Exodus 24:4-8).

Verse 22 When the writer says that blood cleans almost all things, there were some things which did not need blood. Fire could make some metal objects clean. Those who were too poor to bring even a small bird as a *sacrifice could bring flour (Leviticus 5:11-13). To make a person clean from *sin there had to be blood. For those who were too poor to *sacrifice an animal, there was still the blood of sacrifices that the priests used on behalf of all the people. There had to be a *sacrifice of blood for God to forgive *sin. Where there is no blood, God will not forgive *sin.

The perfect *sacrifice 9:23-28

v23 The first agreement gave copies on earth of the real things that are in heaven. These copies had to be clean. The blood of the sacrifices of goats and young cows made the copies clean. The real things in heaven need much better sacrifices than animals. v24 For Jesus did not go into the holy place made by men. That was only a copy of the true one. He went into heaven itself. Now he is there before God on our behalf. v25 The chief priest of the old agreement had to go into the most holy place once every year. He had to take blood with him. It was not his own blood, but the blood of an animal. Jesus does not need to go to heaven again and again with his blood. v26 If he had needed to do this, he would have had to die many times since the world began. As it is, Jesus came once in these last days. He came to take away all *sin. He died once for all time as the perfect *sacrifice.

v27 Everyone will die one day, and then afterwards stand before God. He will be their judge. v28 So Jesus died once as the *sacrifice. By doing that, he took away all the *sins of many people. He will come a second time. He will not have to die again for our *sins. He comes the second time to rescue all who are waiting for him and make them whole.

Verse 23 The special tent and all that was in it were copies of the real things in heaven. They had to be clean. To make them clean, there had to be the blood put on each object. But the blood of goats and young cows could not clean what is in heaven. They need much better sacrifices than the blood of animals.

Verse 24 The work of Jesus was not in the special tent that people had made on earth. That special tent was only a copy of the real thing in heaven. Jesus made his one perfect *sacrifice here on earth. He then went home to heaven. He went home to his Father, on behalf of his people. Now he always stands before God to pray for those who trust in him.

Verses 25-26 The chief priest had to go into the most holy place each year. He had to go in with blood. This was not his own blood, but the blood of animals. Jesus gave his own blood and not the blood of animals. If the blood that the chief priest offered could have taken away *sin, he would not have needed to go into the most holy place every year. In contrast, the blood of Jesus did take away *sin once and for all. So he does not need to make that *sacrifice again. He made it once for all time and then he went into heaven. If the blood of Jesus had not been enough for all time, he would have had to die many times. As it is, he came to earth once as a *human. He died one death for us and rose to life again. He has paid the price for all *sins and forever.

Verse 27 All of us must die one day. The death of the body is not the end. After death we must all give an account of our lives before God. He will judge us and decide our future.

Verse 28 It was the same for Jesus. He came to this earth as a *human being and died. But his death was different from ours, because he did not have to die, for he was perfect. He died as the *sacrifice for *sin. God put on Jesus all of our *sins, and Jesus accepted the punishment for them all. He does not wait for the judgement of God. When he rose from the dead that was proof that he had satisfied God. It proved that his death had dealt with our *sins. Jesus will come back again one day. He will not have to do anything more about *sin, for he has already done that. He will come for those who trust him and are waiting for him. Then their *salvation will be complete and they will go to be with the *Lord, for always.

altar ~ the special table, for burning animals or other gifts offered to God.
incense ~ something that gives a sweet smell when it burns; the priest burned it in praising God in the temple.
temple ~ a special building for the worship of God. The Jews had one in Jerusalem for the worship of the true God.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise, thanks and respect.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children. It is also a name for the people of Israel.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel; the temple of God was there.
Israel ~ God changed the name of Jacob to Israel (Genesis 35). The sons of Jacob were the beginning of the nation of Israel. The land that God promised to them is the land of Israel.
angel ~ a spirit person made by God to serve him and take his messages. There are angels who sinned and now serve the Devil.
spirit ~ that part of a person which we cannot see but which can speak to other spirits or to the soul; there are other spirits which can be good or evil.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God; sins are the wrong things that we do.
soul ~ the part of a person that we cannot see that is in us during our life and lives after we die; it is our inner life (not the body); it is that part of people that God speaks to through their spirits.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God; sins are the wrong things that we do.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise, thanks and respect.
Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all.
Israel ~ God changed the name of Jacob to Israel (Genesis 35). The sons of Jacob were the beginning of the nation of Israel. The land that God promised to them is the land of Israel.
tribe ~ family from one man. Israel grew from the 12 sons of Jacob. These 12 families formed the 12 tribes of Israel.
Israel ~ God changed the name of Jacob to Israel (Genesis 35). The sons of Jacob were the beginning of the nation of Israel. The land that God promised to them is the land of Israel.
cherubs ~ special angels who were in the most holy place.
angel ~ a spirit person made by God to serve him and take his messages. There are angels who sinned and now serve the Devil.
spirit ~ that part of a person which we cannot see but which can speak to other spirits or to the soul; there are other spirits which can be good or evil.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God; sins are the wrong things that we do.
soul ~ the part of a person that we cannot see that is in us during our life and lives after we die; it is our inner life (not the body); it is that part of people that God speaks to through their spirits.
sacrifice ~ an offering to God, often an animal or bird, by the Jews to ask God to forgive their sins. Jesus gave himself to die as a sacrifice for our sins.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children. It is also a name for the people of Israel.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God; sins are the wrong things that we do.
Israel ~ God changed the name of Jacob to Israel (Genesis 35). The sons of Jacob were the beginning of the nation of Israel. The land that God promised to them is the land of Israel.
spirit ~ that part of a person which we cannot see but which can speak to other spirits or to the soul; there are other spirits which can be good or evil.
soul ~ the part of a person that we cannot see that is in us during our life and lives after we die; it is our inner life (not the body); it is that part of people that God speaks to through their spirits.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children. It is also a name for the people of Israel.
Israel ~ God changed the name of Jacob to Israel (Genesis 35). The sons of Jacob were the beginning of the nation of Israel. The land that God promised to them is the land of Israel.
resurrection ~ rising from the dead; coming alive again.
Messiah ~ the special servant of God, the name God chose for Jesus Christ. The person that God sent to save his people from their sins. God promised the Jews that Messiah would come. Jesus is that Messiah but the Jews still do not believe it.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God; sins are the wrong things that we do.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children. It is also a name for the people of Israel.
Israel ~ God changed the name of Jacob to Israel (Genesis 35). The sons of Jacob were the beginning of the nation of Israel. The land that God promised to them is the land of Israel.
hyssop ~ a small bush used by the Israelites with the blood of sacrifices.
Israelites ~ the people of Israel.
Israel ~ God changed the name of Jacob to Israel (Genesis 35). The sons of Jacob were the beginning of the nation of Israel. The land that God promised to them is the land of Israel.'human being ~ a human person.
salvation ~ when God saves us from the result and punishment of our sin; the rescue from sin, as God forgives us and gives us new life in Christ.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God; sins are the wrong things that we do.