Heb 9:1-10 Old Covenant

Hebrews  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  35:20
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Hebrews 9:1–10 ESV
1 Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. 2 For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, 4 having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 5 Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. 6 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. 8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9 (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.
I’m amazed at God’s hand in the selection of our passage today and next week. Because I didn’t pick these passages nor did I try to time it, this is what was next in our study of Hebrews. Several weeks ago, I was praying asking that God would make a way for me to stay in Hebrews instead of picking a different passage that would fit the celebration of Easter. God answered that prayer. Since I started the study in Hebrews I have not been intentional in dividing the passages so certain passages would fall into certain dates, I just take one week at a time as I studied the passages I divided them as it seems fit each week based on God’s leading. By God’s providence, we are going to be studying these verses here in Hebrews, which will remind us of God’s holiness and the reverent fear of God. Talking about a different fear you probably remember that I don’t like heights, which added to the mine craziness of electing to fly for the first time in a little glider as we essentially jumped off a mountain! Really even climbing up a normal ladder if I look down I feel slightly dizzy. In fact, I can remember needing to be on a taller extension ladder once to reach the gutters of a two-story house. My memory of that experience was my white knuckles and my relief to be on the ground when the job was done. All of that is because of fear. My wife would love to someday skydive, I can assure you I’m not doing that, just thinking about it is unpleasant to me. If I ever skydive, which I won’t, I might as well go without a parachute because I would probably pass out right after getting out of the plane and never actually pull the chord. The text we are going to study today will remind us of another fear, a good fear, the reverend fear of a completely holy God. God is not only completely holy, but He is also Sovereign, and it is by God’s providence that we are here today. I would say one aspect that the Jews had mastered was their understanding of the fear of God, likely due to the old covenant and how they viewed God; unlike many today who focus on God’s love and grace over this equally important attribute of God. Just stop and think about how amazing it is when we consider how God orchestrates things. God exercises absolute rule over nature and over the events of human history. It is because of God’s Sovereignty we celebrate still today an event that happened 2 thousand years ago. Jesus entering Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Have you ever stopped to think about how “ordinary” of an event… a man (well God too, and He had just raised a man from the dead) but a man riding into a city on a donkey. Then the people of the city celebrated and rejoiced as they laid down their cloaks and small branches of trees in front of him, crying out Psalm 118: 25– “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” I’m sure by the time the whole city is rejoicing this ordinary event turned into extra… ordinary… As we remember Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we must remember that this is what was in place when Jesus entered Jerusalem. These followers knew nothing different and their world was about to be turned upside down! Our grandparents experienced the same in a small way with the introduction of technology. The world gathered around tiny TVs when man first walked on the moon, and started to drive cars, which weren’t all that reliable let’s be honest, after literally hundreds of years with horses and really dependent on the sun for life until the introduction of electricity in all homes. Look at how the average man lived his life just 123 years ago to today. If we brought back our great-grandparents to today, they would experience a similar shock that what these Jews did with Jesus introducing a new covenant! As you hear the passage being read again, or as you look at your Bible you might think… here we go… Marcos is going to be so boring today…there is nothing here that I can relate to… why are we talking and studying something that is not in place anymore… The author of Hebrews just said in v13 of chapter 8 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” Why should we study what was growing old and was ready to vanish away 2 millennia ago? Before we answer that question, we should check our expectancy before we study Scripture. For many years I would dread reading through Leviticus or through the genealogies in Scripture. Until one day it changed to the point that I would even get excited to study a passage that many believers would even dread to read. What caused the change? Scripture has not changed, it is still the same, it is the word of God as it always has been. However, my attitude and expectations changed. Once I prayed and asked God to give me excitement and joy for reading and studying His word… I had excitement and joy for His living and breathing Word! Furthermore, when we come to God’s word we should expect to hear from God. When we gather on Sunday we should have great expectations to hear, see and feel God moving in our midst. I’m sure that you are aware of what happened in Asbury, and how many people went with great expectations to experience God. The amazing thing is that people were in a half-mile-long line for hours in the rain or sun with a great expectation to worship God. While we week in and week out, likely come to church on Sunday with little to no expectations at all. If we had an ounce of expectation every Sunday when we come to worship Jesus I’m sure that God will respond even to our little faith that we will hear, see and feel God moving in our midst. Therefore, before we study this passage let me pray for you that God will create in us a spirit of great expectation to hear and study something that is more precious than gold, sweeter than honey, even the drippings from the honeycomb. Lord Jesus, I pray for all of us here that as we study your word you will give us a spirit of great expectation to hear directly from you, to know that this is your inspired word, that you breathed out these words. And through your word all things were created, by the power of your word you gave us life, you have showed us who we are and how much we need you. Through your word, you continue to sanctify us and lead us to know you more and more. Through your word you reveal yourself to us, you tell us how Holy and gracious you are, you tell us the future and what is to come. But, Lord I ask that you forgive us for so often coming to your word without the expectation to hear from you. Lord open our hearts, and our minds to your word, implant your word in our hearts, and give us life and joy and excitement to study your word. In Jesus' name, we pray. God had just told us at the end of chapter 8 that the old covenant was vanishing away, then He goes on to describe the old covenant in chapter 9. I think that the reason God is doing so is to show us two things. First, to remind us that God has been revealing Himself to man throughout history from the earthly tabernacle as a replica of the heavenly temple, showing us that God is holy to the minute details of the Levitical law. Second, the old covenant points to and is fulfilled in Christ. All of the rituals are significant because they point to God’s holiness and simultaneously to God’s grace through its fulfillment in Christ. These 10 verses could be divided into two parts, the first five verses point to the physical aspect of the tabernacle, while the last verses refer to the practical aspect of worship in the old covenant.
Hebrews 9:1 ESV
1 Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness.
The author had just told us of the better promises of the new covenant, now as an introduction to this description of the old covenant the author gives these two themes that he is going to develop, regulations for worship, that is the practical aspects of worship in the old covenant and the place of holiness, that is the physical aspect of the tabernacle. This description of the tabernacle is what the author starts with in v2. 2 For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place.
Hebrews 9:2 ESV
2 For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place.
Pictures
The author of Hebrews does an amazing job of summarizing the description of the tabernacle in a very concise manner. Not every detail of the tabernacle is described here in Hebrews, later on, the author says “we cannot now speak in detail” but the main parts and aspects of the tabernacle are described here in these verses. You might be more like me that I have a hard time imagining these parts of the tabernacle, there are some pictures I want to show you to make it easier to remember, but these are artistic representations based on the Biblical text. I hope this might help you to remember what you probably studied before about the Old Covenant. When the author refers to the tent, he is referring to both sections of the tabernacle, which is an enclosed tent that stood within a fenced courtyard. The first section was called the Holy Place, while the smallest section within the Holy Place was called the Most Holy Place. The furniture in the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place is mentioned briefly as setting the scene for the later description of the priestly ministries associated with these holy places. Here in v2 there are two items that are mentioned, the six-branched lampstand and the table on which the bread of the presence was set. The instructions and directions for the tabernacle is found in Exodus 25 when God instructs Moses with a floor plan and furniture shown to him when he met God on the mountain. Here Heb 9:2 only refers to the first section the Holy Place inside the tent. Then v3 -5 describes the other section in the tent, the Most Holy Place. It is important to mention that all the gold and beauty of the tabernacle was to reflect God’s glory and His presence, much like the ornate cathedrals in Europe and other places today. As we have seen previously the tabernacle was a replica of the heavenly reality.
Hebrews 9:3–5 ESV
3 Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, 4 having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 5 Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.
Pictures
Then the author goes on to describe the Most Holy Place, or the Holy of Holies. As you look at the pictures and the description you might notice that the altar of incense in the picture is in the Holy Place, while here in Hebrews seems to say that this altar is in the Holy of Holies. According to Exodus 30:6; 40:26-27 and Lev 16:18, they all make it clear that the altar was located in the Holy Place immediately in front of the second curtain that led into the Holy of Holies. We know the author of Hebrews is an expert in the Old Testament, so it is unthinkable for the author to make such an amateur mistake. If we pay attention to the language it says that the Most Holy Place was having the altar and the ark of the covenant. The altar was closely tied to the Most Holy Place because from it on the Day of Atonement the high priest carried burning incense into the inner curtain. Furthermore, in the description of Solomon’s temple in 1 Kings 6 the altar is identified with the Most Holy Place. Thus, it is not a mistake but this description is intentional to point or associate with the ministry of the priest in the tabernacle. The main focal point here in these verses is the ark of the covenant, which is also called the ark of the testimony. The ark was a wooden chest covered with gold, in it, there were three things. The first object was the tablets of the covenant, which contained the text of the covenant delivered on Mount Sinai. The second object inside the ark was a jar with manna that God provided to the people in the desert. Lastly in the ark, there was Aaron’s staff that budded signifying that priestly privilege can be granted by God alone.
Pictures
Then in v5 the author makes a quick reference to the two cherubim on top of the ark, and between the angels, there was the mercy seat, the place of propitiation for sins. This cover was the Lord’s royal throne and the place where He spoke to His servants. After such a great concise summary description of the tabernacle, the author says “Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.” As the author gives this abrupt end to the description it makes it clear that the author has no interest in making an exposition about these details, but to point to the regulations of worship, how the priests enter the Holy Place and the High Priest once a year entered the Most Holy Place on the day of the atonement.
All of these details were well-known to the first readers of this letter, and as they hear these words my guess is that they knew the author here was talking about God’s holiness, while we in this century half-read these words and think to ourselves, this is boring, missing completely the awesome Holiness of God.
Hebrews 9:6–7 ESV
6 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people.
Pictures
Back in v1 the author first mentions the regulations for worship, and after this description of the tabernacle; the earthly place of holiness, the author goes on to describe the regulations for worship. In this description, there is a clear contrast between the priests and the high priest which is done by emphasizing the two places in the tabernacle. In the first section, the priests replenished the oil in the lampstand regularly, the bread of the Presence was replaced every Sabbath, and incense was burned twice a day on the altar in front of the curtain leading to the Holy of Holies. The high priest entered by himself only once a year into the Holy of Holies. While there were several priests that entered the Holy Place and performed their tasks daily and weekly, the High Priest entered alone once a year the Holy of Holies. Furthermore, for the priests to enter the Holy Place there was no need for the shedding of blood for they replenish the oil in the lampstand and replace the bread of the Presence. However, in order for the High Priest to enter the Holy of Holies it was required the shedding of blood for his own sins as well as for the people’s sins.
Hebrews 9:8–10 ESV
8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9 (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.
V8 I think is saying that the Holy Spirit is indicating that the two sections in the earthly tabernacle point to the distinction of the old and new covenant, that the old covenant will have to vanish away as the new covenant was inaugurated by Jesus the perfect and eternal High Priest. Then in v9, the author says “which is symbolic for the present age”. Here we need to pause and ask what present age the author is referring to. The author just said in v8 that the first section is still standing, meaning the tabernacle is still standing, then later in v9 he says that “gifts and sacrifices are offered” indicating that these are currently happening in the time this letter was written. Thus, it is safe to assume that this letter was written before the year 70 AD when the temple was destroyed. What is the present age here in v9? The time after the coming of Christ and before the destruction of the temple. In Hebrews 8:13 the author said: “In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” Now in v 10, he calls the new covenant the “time of reformation” when there would not be an earthly temple, but only the heavenly one, when one could draw near to God only through Jesus’ priesthood. The transition time from the old covenant to the new we could say lasted about 70 years. From Jesus’ birth until the destruction of the temple. During that time those that rejected Christ were still going to the temple and following God’s direction of the old covenant. God was telling them over and over that salvation and access to God was only through Christ. However, they resisted God until God’s patience was over and He brought judgment and utterly destroyed the temple and the entire priestly, sacrificial system to this day. To this day the Jews have no temple or sacrifices that are offered. In order for the Jews to continue existing as a religion they had to reinterpret what the sacrifices are, and how they should worship God while there is no tabernacle or temple. In the same manner, God’s patience one day will come to an end for this “generation” and judgment will come. Today is the day of salvation if you have not repented today is the day! God is calling us to repent now, and believe in the Lord Jesus. Tomorrow might be too late. Because “the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” Pause… I pray you that pay attention to this warning from God’s word as we head back to finish our study this morning. We understand why this text was important for the first readers of this letter, but we might ask why God took so long to bring the new covenant through Christ? Or we might ask why God even established the old covenant since the new is so much greater and better? If we take the young earth approach to the age of the earth, that God created the world in seven literal days, the earth age is between 6 and 10 thousand years old. If we take the lowest number 6000 years, that means there have been 2000 years since the new covenant was established, and roughly 4000 years of the old covenant. We might say that is a long time, but why so long, what is the point for God to establish and have the old covenant effective for so long? What does the Old Covenant teach us about God, that it was so important that God kept the old covenant for so many years? I think it is to show God’s holiness, that in order for sinners to approach God their sins need to be covered in blood. Isn’t the holiness of God exalted with so many regulations and requirements and sections of separation in the tabernacle? Let’s imagine for a second that you were a priest and were appointed to serve in the tent. You followed all the rules and sacrifices and as you approach you are aware of your sins and your conscience bears witness against you. Furthermore, you know from Genesis 38 that God struck Onan and Er dead because they were evil in His sight; and from 1 Samuel 25 that God struck Nabal and he died; and from 2 Samuel 6 that when Uzzah touched the ark he died; and from Acts 5 that Ananias and Sapphira drop dead after they lied to the Holy Spirit. And so many other examples that we will not have time to mention. Aware of all of this let’s imagine that you are the high priest entering the Holy of Holies, you did the sacrifice and you have the blood of animals on you, but your conscience is not clear, you know you are guilty and you are going to enter into God’s presence. Before you enter there are little bells attached to your garment, and you don’t know why so you ask someone why are these bells on my garment? You are told just in case God strikes you dead, so if we hear the bells, we know you are alive. Then before you enter the Holy of Holies, they tied a rope on one of your ankles, then you ask why this now? In case God strikes you dead the rope will allow us to pull your body out of the tent without having to enter it ourselves. This is like telling someone to jump out of an airplane without a parachute, if you reach the ground safely it is by God’s grace not your guiltless conscience. It is no wonder that in Luke when Zechariah was appointed to enter the tabernacle and he had an encounter with the archangel Gabriel, that it says of the people outside as they were waiting for him, “they were wondering at his delay in the temple.” Often we don’t realize this but they wondering “was he dead?” They may have had thoughts such as… We know his wife Elizabeth is baren, and we know that is a sign of God’s punishment, this is not good, “did God strike him dead?” As followers of Christ under the new covenant, we often don’t recognize God’s Holiness. We are so used to the concept of full access to God through Christ that we forget how much that cost. We forget how incredibly short we come to our immeasurable Holy and Awesome God. C.S Lewis gives us a great picture of Christ in his book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, where Jesus is referred to Aslan the lion. “Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion." "Ooh" said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion"..."Safe?" said Mr Beaver ..."Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King.” May we never forget God’s awesome holiness. It should cause us to have a reverent fear of God. We can and we should confidently approach the throne of grace, but may we never forget that it is only because we are covered in the perfect blood of Jesus who can cleanse our conscience and declare us innocent in the presence of The Most Holy God. Pain and suffering and darkness had to be conquered before Easter could come. But Easter is a far greater triumphant entry. This celebration is coming my friend and must come.
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