Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction**

Over the past few weeks, beginning with chapter 5, the author of Hebrews has taught us about the High-Priesthood of Jesus Christ.

We have learned that the High-Priesthood of Christ is greater than the Priesthood of Aaron or any of those who were made High-Priests under the law.

To prove his point, the author spoke about the earthly and then pointed us toward the heavenly.

And in that study, I used terminology like “Type,” “Copy,” “Pattern,” and “Shadow.”

These terms refer to a type of symbolism … things speaking of something else.

It’s a copy, a pattern, or a model that signifies an even greater reality in heaven.

So, the writer to the Hebrews says that the earthly priests have a service which is merely a shadowy outline of the heavenly order.

In other words … The earthly priesthood was just a shadow to point people to the reality of the heavenly priesthood of Christ.

So, reasoning from scripture, the author established the heavenly, priestly ministry of Christ.

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Then with chapter 8, the author began to advance his point even further with the fact that Jesus ministers according to a better covenant.

He demonstrated from scripture that the new covenant has displaced the old.

And along those lines, here in chapter 9 he moves onto the better sanctuary.

presents a detailed contrast between the Old Covenant sanctuary (the tabernacle) and the New Covenant heavenly sanctuary where Jesus Christ now ministers.

The blood

Looking ahead, the author speaks of the better sacrifice.

In fact, the author affirms specific ways in which Jesus’ sacrifice for sins is “better” than the sacrifices offered by the old covenant priests, bringing his discussion of Christ’s superior high priesthood to a resounding climax.

Specifically, the author argues for the superiority of Christ’s offering on three bases.

(1) The place of the offering was in heaven rather than on earth (9:11, 23–25; 10:12–13).

(2) The blood of the offering was Christ’s own blood rather than the blood of animals (9:12–28).

(3) The offering of the heavenly high priest, unlike the continuous sacrifices of the old covenant priests, was eternal, having been made once for all (9:25–26; 10:1–18).

This contrast makes it clear that the New Covenant sanctuary is superior.

Back to the idea of type and shadow … In this world we have only pale copies of what is truly real.

in this world we have only pale copies of what is truly real.

The worship that we can offer is just a ghost-like shadow of the real worship which only Jesus, the real high priest, can offer.

The worship that we can offer is just a ghost-like shadow of the real worship … which only Jesus, the true high priest, can offer.

The center of Old Testament worship was the Tabernacle.

And the author of Hebrews lovingly thinks of it … it’s beauty and priceless furnishings.

And he thinks how glorious the true worship in heaven must be.

If all the loveliness of the tabernacle was only a shadow of reality, how surpassingly wonderful the reality must be.

And just as the author knew of the beauty of the tabernacle, so did the Hebrew readers of this letter.

So, he doesn’t describe the tabernacle in detail … he just alludes to some of its furnishings.

Now, we on the other hand, don’t know the beauty of the tabernacle.

We have an idea about the Temple, because we are not as far removed from it … though what we know is only from history.

We are much further removed from the Tabernacle.

We have a description of the tabernacle in the wilderness in Exodus chapters 25-31 and 35-40.

In those chapters we understand that God commanded the construction of the tabernacle.

Moses saw this pattern on the mount and he duplicated its essentials in the earthly tabernacle using earthly materials and familiar ideas.

says that the Tabernacle was built out of the free will offerings of the people.

In fact, the people were so generous they had to be told to stop.

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Now, let’s refresh ourselves on some of the aspects of the Tabernacle.

The court of the tabernacle was 150 feet long and 75 feet wide.

It was surrounded by a curtain-like fence of fine, twined linen.

That fence was seven and a half feet high.

The white linen stood for the wall of holiness that surrounds the presence of God.

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The curtain was supported by 20 pillars on the north and south sides.

On the east and west sides there were 10 pillars.

So, the courtyard within was rectangular in shape.

The pillars of the fence were set in sockets of brass and had tops of silver.

Of course, there had to be a way in, and so there was a gate … though only one.

That gate was on the east side.

It was thirty feet wide and seven and a half feet high.

It was made of fine, twined linen and with blue, purple and scarlet yarns.

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In the court, there were 2 things.

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There was the bronze altar and the laver.

The bronze altar was seven and a half feet square and four and a half feet high and made of acacia wood covered in brass.

The top was a grating of bronze on which the sacrifice would be placed.

There were also 4 horns to which the offering would be bound.

The laver held water for priests to wash their hands and feet before they carried out their sacred duties.

It was made from the brass mirrors of the women (glass mirrors did not exist at that time).

The Bible does not give the dimensions for the laver.

There was the laver.

The laver was made from the brass mirrors of the women (glass mirrors did not exist at that time), but its dimensions are not given.

The priests bathed themselves in the water in it before they carried out their sacred duties.

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Next is the Tabernacle proper.

The tabernacle was constructed of forty-eight acacia beams, fifteen feet high and two feet, three inches wide.

These beams were overlaid with pure gold and sat in sockets made of silver.

The tabernacle itself was constructed of forty-eight acacia beams, fifteen feet high and two feet three inches wide.

They were overlaid with pure gold and rested in sockets of silver.

They were bound together by outside connecting rods and by a wooden tie-beam which ran through their centre.

The tabernacle was divided into two parts.

The first—two-thirds of the whole—was the holy place; the inner part—one-third of the whole—a cube fifteen feet on each side, was the Holy of Holies.

The curtain which hung in front of the holy place was supported on five brass pillars and made of fine linen worked in blue, purple and scarlet.

The beams were bound together by connecting rods and by a wooden tie-beam which ran through their center.

The inside of the tabernacle structure was divided into 2 parts.

The first part one would encounter when entering was the Holy Place .... it took up 2/3rds of the area of the Tabernacle.

Then there was the Holy of Holies, a square area 15 feet on each side.

There was a curtain to separate these 2 areas.

That curtain was supported on 5 brass pillars and was made of fine linen worked in blue, purple and scarlet.

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The Holy Place contained 3 things.

There was the (a) golden lamp stand, (b) the table of shewbread, and (c) the altar of incense.

The golden lampstand or Menorah stood on the south side of the Holy Place.

It was made out of a single piece of solid gold.

It’s lamps were fed with pure olive oil, and were always to be lit.

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The north side is where the table of the shewbread stood.

It was made of acacia wood and was covered with gold.

The table was three feet long, one and a half feet wide and it stood two feet three inches tall.

Every Sabbath, 12 loaves made of the finest flour were laid on it, in two rows of six.

Only the priests were to eat these loaves when they were replaced.

And they were to be changed every Sabbath.

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To the east was the entrance to the Tabernacle, in line with the entrance to the courtyard.

To the west inside in the Holy Place and before the curtain was the altar of incense.

It was made of acacia wood covered in gold and was 1 1/2 feet square and 3 feet tall.

On it, incense was burned each morning and evening, symbolizing the prayers of the people rising to God.

I should mention that only priests could enter the Holy Place of the Tabernacle … no common worshipper could enter.

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In front of the Holy of Holies, there was the veil or curtain.

That curtain was made of fine, twined linen, embroidered in scarlet and purple and blue, with cherubim pictured upon it.

Nobody entered the Holy of Holies except for the High Priest.

And he could only enter once a year, on the Day of Atonement, and only after some very elaborate preparations.

Within the Holy of Holies was only one piece of furniture ... the ark of the covenant.