Hebrews 9

Hebrews 9:1

The Lord instructed Moses to establish a place of meeting between Him and the people, wherein a courtyard one hundred fifty feet long and seventy-five feet wide was to be cordoned off with white linen. I’m sure when Moses heard these dimensions, he thought, Wait a minute. There are three million of us. We’ll never fit in such a small place. But it’s almost as if the Father was saying, “That will be sufficient because, at any given time, there won’t be that many who will want to spend time with Me.” Beyond the courtyard was the sanctuary, or tabernacle. It looked just like the tents the people lived in as they wandered through the wilderness, and was covered with badger skins. Forty-five feet long, fifteen feet high, and fifteen feet wide, it was divided into two compartments. The first compartment was thirty feet long and was called the Holy Place. In this Holy Place stood the table of showbread to the right, upon which twelve loaves of bread sat. To the left, was the golden candlestick, comprised of seven oil lamps. Straight ahead was the altar of incense, wherein incense would be offered to the Lord. And behind the altar of incense hung a massive veil, held up by four golden columns that rested in silver socketsa beautiful picture in itself, silver being the metal of redemption.

Hebrews 9:3

Behind the veil was the ark of the covenanta three-foot-by-two-inch box containing the Ten Commandments, Moses’ rod, and a pot of manna. Covering the ark was a lid called the mercy seat. And above the mercy seat were two golden angels whose wings met and whose eyes looked down upon the mercy seat. I draw your attention to verse Heb_9:4, where mention is made of a golden censer, or altar of incense. According to Exodus, this altar of incense was in front of the veil. But here in verse Heb_9:4, the author puts it behind the veil, in the same room as the ark of the covenant. Is the Bible contradicting itself? No, I suggest that somehow the altar of incense was moved. Somewhere along the way, someone put the altar where it wasn’t supposed to be. Yet God still workedwhich is a great relief to me because in my heart, at my house, in this church, things get messed up. Furniture gets out of placebut God can handle it. So, too, I’m amazed at how God has worked through the Church. Some churches are led by men in pointy hats, scarlet robes, backward collarsand I wonder how God could work through guys dressed like that. Other churches have pastors who wear sweatshirts, Birkenstocks, and sit on stools. How could God work through them? Some churches have big programs. Other churches have none. It’s amazing to me that all of us haven’t so messed it up that no one can find the Lord. Yet somehow God breaks through and works through us all to draw people to Himself. Amazing!

Hebrews 9:6

As he prepares for ministry, the young Levite goes into the courtyard and sees his dad offering sacrifices. Finally allowed to minister himself, he goes into the Holy Place, where every morning and evening he would trim the wicks, refill the oil in the lamps, and replace the incense on the altar of incense. Once a week, he would replace the twelve loaves upon the table of showbread.

Hebrews 9:7

Once a year on the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, it would be the high priest’s privilege to go alone into the Holy of Holies to sprinkle blood on the mercy seat and catch a glimpse of the Shekinah glory of God. In Jesus’ day, here’s what would transpire: The week before Yom Kippur, the high priest would never leave the temple ground, for every day of that week, he would rehearse what he would do on the Day of Atonement. When that day finally came, arrayed in his high priestly robes, he would sacrifice a bull on the brass altar in the courtyard as a dedicatory offering. That done, he would take off his high priestly garments and put on his linen garmentslong underwear, really, covered by a tunic and sash. Then he would sacrifice another bull as a sin offering for himself. At this point, two goats would be chosen by lot and a red scarlet cord would be tied around one, signifying it was the sacrificial goat. The other goatthe scapegoatwould be carried into the wilderness.

Why two goats? Because our sins are not only forgiventhey are forgotten, carried away as far as the east is from the west (Psa_103:12). The priest would then take the coals from the outside altar with two handfuls of incense into the Holy Place. And as he put them on the altar of incense, a cloud would fill the room. Returning to the brass altar, he would carry the blood that had drained from the bull back into the Holy Place, and this time he would go through the veil into the Holy of Holies, where he would sprinkle the blood seven times on the ground and seven times on the mercy seat. After that, he would sacrifice the sacrificial goat and take its blood back into the Holy of Holies, where he would sprinkle it again seven times on the ground and seven times on the mercy seat. Finally, after sacrificing the bull and going into the Holy of Holies, and after sacrificing the goat and going into the Holy of Holies, he would come back out and place his hand upon the living goat, saying, “Bear and be gone.” In other words, “Bear the sin and take it away.” Then, at last, the priest would stand before the people. With both hands, he would pronounce, “Forgiven,” and the people would begin to hoop and holler and celebrate because if the priest was not purified properly, if he went into the Holy Place presumptuously, his resulting death would signify that they weren’t forgiven. So the people always waited to see if the high priest would make it out of the Holy of Holies. Are we forgiven? they wondered. Did the sacrifices work? Is God pleased? Are we okay? Don’t you see what happened concerning our High Priest? The whole world was watchingwithout even knowing for what they were watching. And our Great High Priest, wrapped in white linen, emerged from the Holy of Holies on Easter Sunday. The tomb was the Holy of Holies? Certainly, for when the disciples peeked in that morning, they saw a bench sprinkled with bloodHis blood where His body had lain. And we are told by the Gospel writer that on either end of the bench sat an angel. Thus the picture of a blood-sprinkled mercy seat was complete. When Jesus emerged from the tomb on the third day, it was a declaration of forgivenessnot just for a year, but for eternity. Therefore, because of the Resurrection, we are confident that our sinwhatever it is, whatever it was, whatever it will beis forgiven, forgotten, no longer an issue. The Resurrection is crucial because if Jesus had not come back from the dead, we would never know if the offering took. And we had no other Priest to send in. “Show us the Father and it will suffice us,” said Philip (see Joh_14:8). And he was right, for the chabod, the glory of God as seen in the Holy of Holies, is what the heart of every man craves. Here’s the question: Where are you in your walk with the Lord? Maybe you’re in the courtyard, saying, “I’m saved. The sacrifice was made for me. Praise the Lord, I’m forgiven!” Many of you are in that place, and that’s terrificbut there’s more… Move out of the courtyard and into the Holy Place, where you can servewhere you’re trimming the lamps, that is, letting your light shine for others; where you’re changing the showbread, that is, feeding others; where you’re involved in offering incense, that is, praying for others. The outer courtyard is the place of salvation. The Holy Place is the place of service. Most of us in this room have realized and celebrated our salvation and are now engaged in service. But there’s a deeper, better place. It’s called the Holy of Holiesit’s being in the presence of the Lord. “Tell Mary to come and help me, Lord,” cried Martha. “Oh, Martha, Mary has chosen the better partsitting in My presence,” answered Jesus (see Luk_10:40-42). “What a waste,” complained Judas as Mary anointed Jesus’ head with costly perfume. “That money could have been used to feed the poor.” “On the contrary,” said Jesus. “What she has done will be spoken of throughout the world for all time” (see Mat_26:13). Gang, the highest, deepest, richest place to be is sitting in the presence of the Lord. I believe there may come a day when we as Christians finally understand that it’s not what we’re doing for Him in the Holy Place, but being with Him in the Holy of Holies that matters. There is nothing that more closely approximates heaven than being in the presence of the Lord. “But there’s a problem,” you might be saying. “When I go into the Holy of Holies, when I spend time in the presence of the Lord, my sin is ever before me. I see huge splotches on the garments I thought were fairly white.” You’re in good company, for when did Isaiah cry, “Woe is me. I am a man of unclean lips”? When he was in the presence of the Lord (see Isaiah 6). But the good news is this: An awareness of sin ushers in repentance. “Lord, I’m not what I thought I was, and I’m not who I want to be.” You know, I never have those thoughts when I’m playing racquetball. So if I fill my life with enough activity, I never have to deal with the splotches. People immerse themselves in hobbies, recreation, or even ministry because if they stay busy enough, they can walk around feeling pretty clean. It’s only when I come with you and sit before the Lord or have a quiet time in the morning hour that I say, “I’m dirty.” And conscious repentance results in unconscious holiness. For although we leave the Holy of Holies feeling as though we’re not worthy, as though we’re inadequate, as though we’re inconsistentothers see in us a holiness of which we are not even aware. When Moses descended from Mount Sinai after receiving the Ten Commandments, although he didn’t realize it, his face glowed (Exo_34:29). Likewise, there are young men, older women, middle age guys in this room tonight who will choose to go deeper in the Lord, saying, “I’m not going to be satisfied in the courtyard celebrating salvation. And I’m not even going to be satisfied trimming wicks, changing bread, and offering incense. I’m going to be one who goes into the Holy of Holies.” If you make that decision, God’s greatness, grace, and glory will cause you to repent and say, “I’m nothing.” But people around you will say, “Man, you’re glowing. Share with us. Help us.” Truly, a man who has been in the presence of God will, like Isaiah, say, “Woe is me.” But he’ll be used. He’ll be blessed. He’ll glow because conscious repentance leads to unconscious holiness. The word translated “errors” literally means “ignorance.” Thus, the blood only covered sins done in ignorance, or unintentionally. You see, the only sins forgiven in the old economy were sins in which one was caught up without knowing what he was doing. That is why, after taking Bathsheba and then killing her husband, David cried, “For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering” (Psa_51:16). In other words, “There’s no sacrifice, no burnt offering I can give for my sin because my sin was intentional. I knew what I was doing.” But then, looking beyond the sacrificial system and prophetically to the Cross, David goes on to say, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart…thou wilt not despise” (Psa_51:17). “Sacrifices won’t work,” he said, “not for my sins. But, Lord, You know I’m sorry. I’m broken within. So somehow, some way, someday You’ll make a way that I will be forgiven.”

Hebrews 9:8

The problem with the Old Testament priesthood was that it provided limited access and limited effectiveness. It was limited in access because only one man (the high priest) could enter into the presence of God only one day (the Day of Atonement) each year. It was limited in effectiveness because the high priest was himself a sinner.

Hebrews 9:11

Once again, keep in mind this epistle was written to Hebrew Christians who were being drawn back to the sacrificial system. And here again, the author is saying, “Don’t go back. Why would you want to return to rules and regulations when the work of salvation has been completed by Jesus Christ, the only perfect Lamb of God?” When a Jewish person went to the temple to worship, he would bring a lamb to offer on the altar. After careful examination by the priest, if the lamb was found to be without spot or blemish, the worshiper could worship confidently. You see, the priest never inspected the persononly the lamb. Satan will try to whisper in your ear, “You’re blemished. You’ve dropped the ball. You haven’t been a woman of prayer. You haven’t been a man of integrity. You can’t worship. You can’t talk to the Father. You can’t be blessed.” But he’s wrong. At the temple, the priests didn’t inspect the worshiper. They inspected the lamb. The same is true of you and me. “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” declared John the Baptistwhich is why three days before His crucifixion, Jesus Himself was scrutinized as the scribes and Pharisees, Sadducees, and Greeks questioned His theology, His morality, and His integrity (Matthew 22). Pilate’s declaration that he found no fault in Jesus meant He passed even their inspection perfectly. Therefore, we can come to the Father confidently and talk to Him freely based not upon our righteousness, but solely on the perfection of the Lamb.

Hebrews 9:13

The reference to the ashes of a heifer is found in Numbers 19, wherein we read that when a person came into contact with a corpse, ashes of a heifer were to be sprinkled in water and poured over him to ceremonially cleanse his flesh in order that he could continue in tabernacle or temple worship. The author asks how much better is the blood of Christwhich doesn’t only deal with the external, but with the internal as well. Suppose, late to an appointment, I speed through Medford, Oregon, at 85 mph. Glancing in the rearview mirror, I see red lights flashing and realize I’ve been caught breaking the law. “Sorry, Officer,” I apologize to the policeman who pulls me over. “I didn’t know I was going that fast.” Nonetheless, he writes me a five thousand dollar ticket. As he hands it to me, it drops in the gutter, but he picks it up, shakes it off, and says, “I’ll see you in court.” When my trial date arrives, the judge looks at my ticket and says, “This is a citation for something, but I can’t make out what it’s for because it’s covered with mud. Therefore, I guess you’re free to go.” So I go my waynot because my offense was taken away, but because it was covered. In a similar way, the blood of bulls and goats would cover sinnot remove it, but cover it. Now suppose the ticket hadn’t fallen in the mud. The judge would read the ticket and say, “Okay, Pastor Courson, you were going eighty-five through Medford. That will be five thousand dollars.” Then I would be in a heap of trouble because I certainly don’t have five thousand dollars. But imagine just then my brother Jimmy walks in, whips out his hefty wallet, and pays my fine without even denting his billfold. Then I would be free because the price of my offense was not just covered by mud, but truly paid. The soul that sinneth shall surely die (Eze_18:20). Although ashes of heifers and blood of goats and bulls could cover sin, they could not pay for it because payment required the death of a man. Jesus came on the scene and died for me. Yes, I’ve sinned. Indeed, I’ve blown it. But I’m freenot because of some technicality but because God Himself became a Man and died in my place. So what does the Enemy do? Rev_12:10 says he accuses us day and night. “You blew it. You didn’t do that. You should’ve done this. You dropped the ball again.” But when you really understand the idea of God becoming a Man and dying in your place, you don’t go around with the baggage of a guilty conscience because when Satan reminds you of your shortcomings, your past failings, or your present weaknesses, you can say, “That’s only half the story, Satan. I’m a worse sinner than you even know. But your reminding me of these things only makes me all the more amazed by what Jesus did on my behalf.”

Hebrews 9:15

Jesus is the Mediator, the Executor of the will. But He’s also the Testator. In other words, He’s got to die before the will kicks in. On earth, this would be a dilemma… Suppose eighty years from now, my mom goes to heaven and the family meets to read her will. “Look what I get,” says Jimmy. “I get the electric grill!” “Wait a minute,” I say, “I get the electric grill"and an argument ensues. All the while, Mom is up in heaven. She knows what she meant. Jimmy’s right. He did get something electric. But it’s not the electric grill. It’s the electric bill. Because she’s in heaven, however, she can’t do anything about it. In Jesus, such a problem doesn’t exist. You see, Jesus being the Fulfillment of the Old Testament law, when He died, the new will, the New Covenant came into effect. And when He rose again, He became the Executor of the New Testament, who, by the Holy Spirit, lives in our hearts and tells us how it is to work out in our lives. Fabulous! He not only is the Testator who gives us the New Covenantbut He is the Mediator who guides us in the New Covenant.

Hebrews 9:18

Referring to Exodus 24, when the Old Covenant came into effect, when the tabernacle was erected and the priesthood established, everything was sprinkled with blood Why? Read on. Someone once said to me, “That book in your hands is full of blood and war, sin, greed, and lust. And they call it Holy Bible?” “Yes,” I said. “It is full of sin and death. But it also tells the truth about the solution for all of those terrible situations. It’s blood. Why blood? Because how else could God so clearly illustrate to humanity the severity of sin? What else could He do? How else could He proclaim to our culture that sin is serious? You don’t wink at it. You don’t make jokes about it. You don’t pay five bucks to see it on the screen.” Why is God so deadly serious about sin? It’s not because He’s prudish and can’t handle violence or sex. It’s because He knows what sin does. Sin kills. It kills happiness, joy, health, and life. It kills kids, families, societies, and cultures. That’s why the only way there can be forgiveness is by the shedding of blood. There’s no such thing as Forgiveness Lite. Forgiveness only comes through blood.

Hebrews 9:23

The earthly tabernacle is a pattern of the heavenly tabernacle, so if the earthly tabernacle was purified with blood, then the heavenly tabernacle must be purified with a much better sacrifice than the blood of bulls and goats.

Hebrews 9:24

I believe personally that between the time Jesus died on the Cross and the time He rose again, He sprinkled His blood in the heavenlies. Why would heaven need purifying? For one, Satan’s been there and still has access to heaven (Job_1:6). Not only that, but we’re thereseated with Christ (Eph_2:6). Thus, the blood of Jesus Christ is necessary to purify and sanctify heaven.

Hebrews 9:25

There are those who teach that there’s a continual sacrifice taking place, that the perpetual suffering of Christ goes on each time the mass is celebrated and the Eucharist served. No, the Scripture says clearly Christ offered His Body once.

Hebrews 9:27

Man dies once. After she had been dead one thousand years, Jesus declared the Queen of Sheba would rise up in judgment (Mat_12:42). He didn’t say, “The Queen of Sheba would rise up in judgment if she was still aroundbut now she’s Elizabeth Taylor or Shirley MacLaine or someone else.” When Elijah and Moses appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus didn’t say to Peter, James and John, “Meet Rajneesh. He used to be Moses.” No, he was still Moses. Take those who say the Bible doesn’t teach against reincarnation to this passageand wallop ’em!

Hebrews 9:28

Jesus is not coming back to bear our sin. That was done once, and once is enough. No, He’s not coming back bearing a Cross. He’s coming back wearing a crown.