Redemption through far Better Blood and Sacrifice
11So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. 12With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. 13Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. 14Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. 15That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.
16Now when someone leaves a will, it is necessary to prove that the person who made it is dead. 17The will goes into effect only after the person’s death. While the person who made it is still alive, the will cannot be put into effect. 18That is why even the first covenant was put into effect with the blood of an animal. 19For after Moses had read each of God’s commandments to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, and sprinkled both the book of God’s law and all the people, using hyssop branches and scarlet wool. 20Then he said, “THIS BLOOD CONFIRMS THE COVENANT GOD HAS MADE WITH YOU.” 21And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the Tabernacle and on everything used for worship. 22In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. 23That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals. 24For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. 25And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. 26If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice. 27And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, 28so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.
1The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. 2If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. 3But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. 4For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, “YOU DID NOT WANT ANIMAL SACRIFICES OR SIN OFFERINGS. BUT YOU HAVE GIVEN ME A BODY TO OFFER. 6YOU WERE NOT PLEASED WITH BURNT OFFERINGS OR OTHER OFFERINGS FOR SIN. 7THEN I SAID, ‘LOOK, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD—AS IS WRITTEN ABOUT ME IN THE SCRIPTURES.’”
8First, Christ said, “YOU DID NOT WANT ANIMAL SACRIFICES OR SIN OFFERINGS OR BURNT OFFERINGS OR OTHER OFFERINGS FOR SIN, NOR WERE YOU PLEASED WITH THEM” (though they are required by the law of Moses). 9Then he said, “LOOK, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. 10For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. 11Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. 12But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. THEN HE SAT DOWN IN THE PLACE OF HONOUR AT GOD’S RIGHT HAND. 13There he waits UNTIL HIS ENEMIES ARE HUMBLED AND MADE A FOOTSTOOL UNDER HIS FEET. 14FOR BY THAT ONE OFFERING HE FOREVER MADE PERFECT THOSE WHO ARE BEING MADE HOLY. 15AND THE HOLY SPIRIT ALSO TESTIFIES THAT THIS IS SO. For he says, 16“THIS IS THE NEW COVENANT I WILL MAKE WITH MY PEOPLE ON THAT DAY, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS IN THEIR HEARTS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR MINDS.” 17Then he says, “I WILL NEVER AGAIN REMEMBER THEIR SINS AND LAWLESS DEEDS.” 18And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.
Hebrews 9:11-10:18
I told you in the previous Gem that this passage was filled with gold and difficulties so I have coloured those elements accordingly. It is already clear to you that the passage is held together with the keywords blood and sacrifice(s). One person already has asked about the difference between the singular and plural of sacrifice. Yes that is important and contains some very relevant thoughts for us to understand.
I will gather together some questions related to the pieces I have highlighted already in order to spark more readers questions. I will divide them into groups between the gold and difficulties when I work my way through each one in subsequent Gems. Many of these really are gems of understanding. This passage helps us to gain a good understanding of the depth of significance to us with Jesus being our Great High Priest. Bear with me. But there are some difficult parts to understand as well as some of you have realised already. Here are the questions so far:-
What is the connection to all the good things that have come? 9:11
Why does the writer labour the point about Jesus’ blood being so much better than the blood of animals?
How can the writer say twice God didn’t want animal sacrifices and offerings when that is how the Old System was set up? 10:5 and 8
What is the eternal inheritance? 9:15
- One person has written and told me they find the section related to do the covenant and the will hard to understand. 9:16-20
- You are in good company with the commentators who say such things as: “As it stands in my version it appears to me altogether inexplicable”.
- or “the writer in commenting on the sense of testament and will passes over the declaration of verse 18 without so much as noticing the logical inaccuracy which presents itself”.
- Why does the author say Moses sprinkled both the book of God’s law and all the people when Exodus 24 doesn’t include anything about the book being sprinkled?
Why does the writer say the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices 9:19 – that seems to suggest heaven needed purifying?
Why say nearly everything was purified with blood? 9:22
He has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin – I am confused with the comment appearing at the end of the age to remove sin. What does “end of the age” refer to? 9:26
I don’t think I really understand Hebrews 9:27. Could you explain that please Ian?
What does He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him mean? When are we saved? I thought we were saved when we accepted Christ. 9:28
Is there a connection between the shadow and the dim view? 10:1
What is the significance of the good things to come, and not the good things themselves? It seems there is something important hidden there. 10:1
Ian, I just don’t get the beginning verses in chapter 10 with all the blood sacrifice stuff and then the writer of Hebrew says God didn’t want it? Can you explain all that? 10:1-10
Why does the writer say Christ said the Old Testament quote in 10:5 when he didn’t?
You tell us to pay attention to the quotes from the Old Testament and note when they are changed. I see that the writer does that in this case. He quotes something he has quoted before but omits some and adds others and I don’t know why.
I noticed you highlighted the fact that the priest under the old covenant stood while Christ sits. I am sure that’s important so I hope you are going to explain it. 10:11-12
That’s a good bunch of questions to work on. I hope they will draw out other questions from you if your question is not there. I hope you have noticed the author of Hebrews is making a comparison between Christ and the actions of the High Priest on the Day of Atonement. We will dig into that as we progress through this passage. I am sure now you will gather between the highlighting and the questions that we have got some work to do to unravel this very important section which contains some difficult pieces to understand.
Put your thinking caps on.
It ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.
Mark Twain
That may be true Mark Twain, but there are sure some puzzling verses in the Bible that leave us bewildered.
Ian
The Bible is the only book you can always read where Author is present when you read it.
Ian
Make use of that; ask God for help to understand the difficult bits – then wait.
Ian
Have you realised you will also be able to ask the human author of each book of the Bible your questions when you see them?
Ian
‘He waits until His enemies are humbled and made a footstool under His feet.’ Who apart from Satan are his enemies?
Yes Ross, clearly satan is God’s prime enemy, whose name I refuse to spell with a capital letter. But there are other indications apart from demons and anything connected with satan, human beings can be enemies of God as well. I personally was an enemy of God during the time I was not only rejecting Him as my LORD and Saviour, but seeking to cancel Tania’s growing faith in order to have my own way. I deliberately used the word cancel in the light of cancel culture.
All those who are opposed to God, Christ and Gospel and the Cross are enemies of God.
All who oppose Him and refuse to bow in submission.
All those who are far away from God.
All who are separated from Him by their evil thoughts and actions.
This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. (Colossians 1:21)