Hebrews 9
9
Old Covenant Ministry
1Now the first covenant also had regulations for ministry and an earthly sanctuary. 2For a tabernacle was set up, and in the first room, which is called the holy place, were the lampstand, the table, and the presentation loaves. # Ex 25:8-9,23-39; 26:1; Lv 24:5-8 3Behind the second curtain, the tabernacle was called the most holy place. # Ex 26:31-33; 40:3 4It contained the gold altar of incense and the ark of the covenant, covered with gold on all sides, in which there was a gold jar containing the manna, Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. # Ex 16:33; 25:10,16; 30:1-5; Nm 17:10; Dt 10:2 5The cherubim of glory were above it overshadowing the mercy seat. It is not possible to speak about these things in detail right now. # Ex 25:18-19; Lv 16:2
6With these things set up this way, the priests enter the first room repeatedly, performing their ministry. # Nm 28:3 7But the high priest alone enters the second room, and he does that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. # Ex 30:10; Lv 16:15,34; Heb 5:3 8The Holy Spirit was making it clear that the way into the most holy place had not yet been disclosed while the first tabernacle was still standing. # Jn 14:6; Heb 10:19-20 9This is a symbol for the present time, during which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the worshiper’s conscience. # Heb 5:1; 7:19 10They are physical regulations and only deal with food, drink, and various washings imposed until the time of restoration. # Lv 11:2-3; Col 2:16
New Covenant Ministry
11But the Messiah has appeared, high priest of the good things that have come. # Other mss read that are to come In the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation # Heb 2:17; 8:2; 10:1), 12He entered the most holy place once for all, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. # Dn 9:24; Heb 7:27; 10:4 13For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, # Lv 16:14-15; Nm 19:2,9,17-18 14how much more will the blood of the Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit # 1Pt 3:18; 1Jn 1:7 offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse our # Other mss read your consciences from dead works to serve the living God? # Ti 2:14; Heb 6:1; 10:2,22
15Therefore, He is the mediator # 1Tm 2:5; Heb 8:6; 12:24 of a new covenant, # The Gk word used here and in vv. 15-18 can be translated covenant, will, or testament. # Jr 31:31-34; 1Co 11:25; 2Co 3:6; Heb 7:22; 8:8; 13:20 so that those who are called might receive the promise # Gn 12:7; Rm 8:28; Gl 3:19; Heb 4:1 of the eternal inheritance, because a death has taken place for redemption from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. # Rm 3:25; 5:6 16Where a will exists, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17For a will is valid only when people die, since it is never in force while the one who made it is living. 18That is why even the first covenant was inaugurated with blood. 19For when every command had been proclaimed by Moses to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll itself and all the people, # Ex 24:6-8; Lv 14:4-6 20saying, This is the blood of the covenant that God has commanded for you. # Ex 24:8; Mt 26:28 # Ex 24:8 21In the same way, he sprinkled the tabernacle and all the articles of worship with blood. # Ex 29:12; Lv 8:15 22According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. # Lv 17:11
23Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves to be purified with better sacrifices than these. # Heb 8:5 24For the Messiah did not enter a sanctuary made with hands (only a model # Or antitype, or figure of the true one) but into heaven itself, so that He might now appear in the presence of God for us. # Rm 8:34; Heb 7:25; 8:2 25He did not do this to offer Himself many times, as the high priest enters the sanctuary yearly with the blood of another. # Heb 9:7; 10:19 26Otherwise, He would have had to suffer many times since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared one time, at the end of the ages, # Mt 24:3; 28:20; 1Co 10:11 for the removal of sin by the sacrifice of Himself. # Heb 4:3; 7:27 27And just as it is appointed for people to die once — and after this, judgment # Gn 3:19; 2Co 5:10 — 28so also the Messiah, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, # Is 53:12; 1Pt 2:24 will appear a second time, # Mk 8:38; 1Th 4:16 not to bear sin, but # Lit time, apart from sin, to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him. # Mt 26:28; 1Co 1:7; Ti 2:13
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© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.
Hebrews 9
9
Worship Under the Old Agreement
1The first agreement had rules for worship and a place for worship here on earth. 2This place was inside a tent. The first area in the tent was called the Holy Place. In the Holy Place were the lamp and the table with the special bread offered to God. 3Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place. 4In the Most Holy Place was a golden altar for burning incense. And also there was the Box of the Agreement. The Box was covered with gold. Inside this Box was a golden jar of manna and Aaron’s rod—the rod that once grew leaves. Also in the Box were the flat stones with the Ten Commandments of the old agreement on them. 5Above the Box were the Cherub angels that showed God’s glory. These Cherub angels were over the place of mercy.#9:5 place of mercy Or “mercy seat,” a place on top of the “Box of the Agreement,” where the high priest put the blood of an animal once a year to pay for the sins of the people. But we cannot say everything about this now.
6Everything in the tent was made ready in the way I have explained. Then the priests went into the first room every day to do their worship duties. 7But only the high priest could go into the second room, and he went in only once a year. Also, he could never enter that room without taking blood with him. He offered that blood to God for himself and for the sins the people committed without knowing they were sinning.
8The Holy Spirit uses those two separate rooms to teach us that the way into the Most Holy Place#9:8 Most Holy Place Literally, “holies” for “holy of holies,” the spiritual place where God lives and is worshiped. Also in verses 12, 24. was not open while the first room was still there. 9This is an example for us today. It shows that the gifts and sacrifices the priests offer to God are not able to make the consciences of the worshipers completely clear. 10These gifts and sacrifices are only about food and drink and special washings. They are only rules about the body. God gave them for his people to follow until the time of his new way.
Worship Under the New Agreement
11But Christ has already come to be the high priest. He is the high priest of the good things we now have. But Christ does not serve in a place like the tent that those other priests served in. He serves in a better place. Unlike that tent, this one is perfect. It was not made by anyone here on earth. It does not belong to this world. 12Christ entered the Most Holy Place only one time—enough for all time. He entered the Most Holy Place by using his own blood, not the blood of goats or young bulls. He entered there and made us free from sin forever.
13The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a cow were sprinkled on those who were no longer pure enough to enter the place of worship. The blood and ashes made them pure again—but only their bodies. 14So surely the blood sacrifice of Christ can do much more. Christ offered himself through the eternal Spirit#9:14 Spirit Probably the Holy Spirit. See “Holy Spirit” in the Word List. as a perfect sacrifice to God. His blood will make us completely clean from the evil we have done. It will give us clear consciences so that we can worship the living God.
15So Christ brings a new agreement from God to his people. He brings this agreement so that those who are chosen by God can have the blessings God promised, blessings that last forever. This can happen only because Christ died to free people from sins committed against the commands of the first agreement.
16When someone dies and leaves a will, there must be proof that the one who wrote the will is dead. 17A will means nothing while the one who wrote it is still living. It can be used only after that person’s death. 18That is why blood was needed to begin the first agreement between God and his people. 19First, Moses told the people every command in the law. Then he took the blood of young bulls and mixed it with water. He used red wool and a branch of hyssop to sprinkle the blood and water on the book of the law and on all the people. 20Then he said, “This is the blood that makes the agreement good—the agreement that God commanded you to follow.”#Quote from Ex. 24:8. 21In the same way, Moses sprinkled the blood on the Holy Tent. He sprinkled the blood over everything used in worship. 22The law says that almost everything must be made clean by blood. Sins cannot be forgiven without a blood sacrifice.
Jesus Christ Is Our Sacrifice for Sin
23These things are copies of the real things that are in heaven. These copies had to be made clean by animal sacrifices. But the real things in heaven must have much better sacrifices. 24Christ went into the Most Holy Place. But it was not the man-made one, which is only a copy of the real one. He went into heaven, and he is there now before God to help us.
25The high priest enters the Most Holy Place once every year. He takes with him blood to offer. But he does not offer his own blood like Christ did. Christ went into heaven, but not to offer himself many times like the high priest offers blood again and again. 26If Christ had offered himself many times, he would have needed to suffer many times since the time the world was made. But he came to offer himself only once. And that once is enough for all time. He came at a time when the world is nearing an end. He came to take away all sin by offering himself as a sacrifice.
27Everyone must die once. Then they are judged. 28So Christ was offered as a sacrifice one time to take away the sins of many people. And he will come a second time, but not to offer himself for sin. He will come the second time to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
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