Hebrews 9 - God's Remedy for Guilt

Introduction

Illustration: Getting punished and still watching TV

One of the central themes of the Gospel is guilt … We were guilty but Christ dealt with that.

The book of Romans deals with this subject … through one man sin entered the world …

Overt guilt - You know you’ve done something wrong and you feel guilty about it.

Covert guilt - Which is this sense that we all have that thought that something is wrong—a sense of shame.

Example: Adam and Eve felt in Genesis 2... The first effect of their sin was shame over their nakedness. They were naked before they sinned, but their nakedness didn’t bother them... because they were clothed in the love and approval and acceptance of God. But now having been stripped of that, they felt naked.

Illustration - Say that you got caught embezzling from the IRS and had to pay a $50K fine and spend 2 years in prison... If you paid your fine and served your sentence your legal guilt would be gone, but walking back into church here you’d still feel shame.

Hebrews 9:1–10 NIV

1 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now. 6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. 9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.

Tonight: God’s Remedy for Guilt

In this first portion of chapter 9, the author of Hebrews goes through a description of the Old Testament sacrificial system and he explains that the whole temple was set up to deal with our guilt, our sense of separation from God.

The Lampstand - lit day and night; a reminder of God’s continual presence. (According to the Mishnah, it was supposed to resemble the Tree of Life)

The Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions known as the Oral Torah.

The Table of Showbread - Had these 12 loaves of bread on it, called “the bread of the presence.” Interesting that in most religions the people leave bread for the deity. This was supposed to symbolize bread God was giving to them. It was called “the bread of the presence,” the promise that God would always provide for them.

The Altar of Incense - It stood right in front of the Holy of Holies. Represented two things: another barrier between them and God, but also that their prayers like that insense were always going up before Him.

Separating this section from the innermost section, called the Holy of Holies (vs. 3), was a curtain.

It was called the paroket, which means literally “shut off,” which was exactly the veil’s purpose.

It was really thick, about 4 inches. It was woven of 72 cords (each with 24 strands). Blue and red and purple.

Layers of overlapping material so that the place where the presence of God, the Holy of Holies, was in absolute, unapproachable darkness.

In the Holy of Holies was one piece of furniture, the Ark of the Covenant.

There were a few things inside the Ark,10 but on the top of it was the mercy seat where the blood of sacrifice was sprinkled.

And on top of that stood two cherubim, which stood like guards guarding entry to the presence of God.

Hebrews 1. The Old Covenant’s Tabernacle and Its Furnishings (1–5)

Inside the ark were the golden pot that had the manna (Exodus 16:33), Aaron’s rod that budded (Numbers 17:6–11), and the tablets of the covenant (Exodus 25:16).

• The manna reminded Israel of God’s provision and their ungratefulness

• Aaron’s rod reminded Israel of their rebellion against God’s authority

• The tablets of the covenant reminded Israel of their failure to keep the Ten Commandments and the rest of the law

Hebrews 1. The Old Covenant’s Tabernacle and Its Furnishings (1–5)

As God looked down into the ark, He saw the symbols of Israel’s sin, rebellion, and failure. But when the blood of sacrifice was applied to the mercy seat, God saw that blood covering over the sin of Israel, and He looked at the blood instead of the sin of Israel.

Into that Holy of Holies only one priest, the high priest, would enter, and only 1x a year, on a day called “Yom Kippur,” the Day of Atonement. On that day the High Priest would go in and sprinkle the blood of a clean animal sacrifice upon the top of the Ark.

The High Priest was to make meticulous preparation before entering the Holy of Holies. No defilement was allowed upon him.

Leviticus warns that if any defilement were found upon a person touching the Ark, he would be struck down in God’s presence. That wasn’t an idle threat, either—there are several stories in the Bible of that happening to people: Nadab, Abihu, Uzziah, Uzzah—all touched the ark with defilement and died.

In fact, some traditions say that small bells were placed on the edge of his robe and a rope tied around his ankle so that if he were struck down they could hear it and drag his corpse out safely. That’s probably a legend, but it shows you the seriousness they took all of this with.

Additional Notes if time permits:

The week leading up to the Day of Atonement was an intense process. Old Testament scholar Ray Dillard describes it: describes it:

“A week beforehand, the high priest was put into seclusion— taken away from his home and into a place where he was completely alone. Why? So he wouldn’t accidentally touch or eat anything unclean. Clean food was brought to him, and throughout the week he’d wash his body and prepare his heart.

The night before the Day of Atonement he didn’t go to bed; he stayed up all night praying and reading God’s Word to purify his soul.

Then on Yom Kippur he bathed head to toe and dressed in pure, unstained white linen. Then he went into the Holy of Holies and offered an animal sacrifice to God to atone, or pay the penalty for, his own sins.

• (he offered three bulls. The first he paid for, and it was an offering for his own sin—you see this referred to in verse 7)

After that he came out and bathed completely again, and new white linen was put on him, and he went in again, this time sacrificing for the sins of the priests.

But that’s not all. He would come out a third time, and he bathed again from head to toe and they dressed him in brand new pure linen

• HE put on AN EPHOD with stones representing the 12 tribes of Israel showing that they were on his heart and he was representing them,

and he went into the holy of holies and atoned for the sins of all the people....

Dillard continues... “this was all done in public. The temple was crowded, and those in attendance watched closely. There was a thin screen, and he bathed behind it. But the people were present: They saw him bathe, dress, go in, come back out. He was their representative before God, and they were there cheering him on. They were very concerned to make sure that everything was done properly and with purity, because he represented them before God.”

After this the High Priest would come out and they would go through the ceremony of the scapegoat.

Two goats were brought: one was sacrificed for sin, the priest would take his blood and sprinkle it toward the people (you’ll see that referred to); and then they would take a piece of wool and dip it into the blood and tie it around the neck of the other goat (that’s what the ‘scarlet wool’ in verse 19 refers to) and then set that goat free in the wilderness, representing the fact that the goat was carrying away the sin of the people. (That’s where we get the phrase “scapegoat”.)

**It was supposed to be a really bad omen if the goat wandered back into the camp, so they would station a few guys outside to make sure the goat fell off a cliff or something.

So, all these ceremonies and regulations and arrangements for entering the presence of God... but here is what the author concludes about it all:

Hebrews 9:9–10 NIV

9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.

Seriously!! All of that and it couldn’t do the one thing we needed: perfect the conscience, remove the guilt or change the heart.

Hebrews 9:11–12 NIV

11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.

Hebrews 9:13–14 NIV

13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

Don’t these symbols, the author says, have to point to something? YES!! They point to Christ.

Hebrews 3. The Holy Spirit Gives Understanding regarding the Priestly Service under the Old Covenant (8–10)

It was symbolic for the present time: Symbolic is the ancient Greek word parabole. The tabernacle itself and all that the Old Covenant represented were suggestive of deeper truths, parables of the New Covenant.

The cleanliness required in the temple was a picture of the holiness required by God to be in His presence.

Surely God’s concern was not dirt. He created dirt. Physical uncleanness represents something.

The effect that uncleanness has on you gives you a picture of how moral uncleanness affects God.

Illustration: If someone reaches out their hand to shake yours, and you notice they have fecal matter on their hand, you recoil.

That’s all symbolic of the reaction God has to moral uncleanness. It is repulsive to Him.

The work of the high priest pointed to the work of Christ.

If you study the last week of Jesus’ life, you’ll notice that Jesus seems to be staging His own Day of Atonement. Just like the High Priest...

He began to prepare for a week beforehand: it’s called “the Passion week.”

The night before His sacrifice, He stayed up all night.

He wasn’t clothed in rich garments like the Jewish High Priest, he was stripped of the only garment he had.

Instead of being cheered on by the people, however, he was jeered by them, and He was abandoned by nearly everyone he loved.

He wasn’t bathed in a purifying pool; He was bathed in human spit.

And when he came before God, He didn’t receive words of encouragement; the Father turned His face away.

But He effectively put away our sin forever, because He wasn’t a sinful high priest making a sacrifice for our sin, He was a perfect Savior who became the sacrifice for our sin.

Just like the high priest wore the 12 tribes of Israel on his garment, Jesus had us on his heart when “for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross and despised its shame.”

Each piece of the tabernacle was a shadow of Christ:

He was Lampstand that brought the light of God to us.

John 8:12 NIV

12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

He was the table of showbread.

John 6:35 NIV

35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

The curtain was a symbol of His flesh, torn so we could enter the presence of God. At the crucifixion a Roman soldier saw the curtain torn in two, symbolizing that the way unto God had been opened...

He was the mercy seat where His blood was sprinkled so that we could find forgiveness of sins.

One of my favorite details in the Gospel of John (20:12) John mentions two angels in the tomb, at the head and foot of where Jesus was laid... like the cherubim on the sides of the mercy seat on the Holy of Holies. Jesus’ slain body was now our mercy seat where we find forgiveness of sins.

Finally, He was the scapegoat:

Jesus carried away our sins forever. As far away as the East is the West, hidden in the depths of the sea. They are not merely covered over; they are gone forever.

What is most intriguing to me in this passage, however, is how the writer says that the blood of Jesus does something with our guilt that the Old Covenant never could.

3 things the blood of Jesus does with our guilt:

1. From guilt to purity

Hebrews 9:14 NIV

14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

Jesus did not simply cover our guilt, or waive the penalty, He did away with it forever.

Charles Spurgeon used to say that it would now be unjust for God to punish us for our sin, because God would be requiring two payments for the same sin.

How does Jesus dying for sin remove my guilt before God?

C.S. Lewis called it the “Deeper magic” of the universe, that when an innocent willfully suffers for the guilty, then the curse upon the guilty is reversed.

I can’t tell you exactly how it all works, but what I can tell you that the Bible is clear that apart from the blood of Christ there is no forgiveness of sins.

Hebrews 9:22 ESV

22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

Forgiveness means you are released from the negative consequences of guilt. Purity means that you are given an exalted position of righteousness.

We’ve been bathed, cleansed, dressed in white, made pure.

2. From dead works to loving service

Hebrews 9:14 ESV

14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Religion is filled with all kinds of works, but they are dead, because, before the gospel, the reason we were doing good works was to try and get God to approve of us.

If you are doing something good so that God will reward you for it, that’s not loving God; it’s loving yourself.

Illustration: If you own a beach house and I take you out for dinner … That’s not love for you, that’s an investment. I think, “For a $60 dinner I can score a week at a beach house!”

Religion leads you to dead works, because you are doing good works to be accepted by God. The gospel gives you God’s acceptance as a gift, and the result is that you begin to serve God because you love God; because you are grateful to Him.

Example:

John Newton (writer of Amazing Grace), former slave owner, who told the story about a converted slave owner, maybe himself, who would save his money and go to the slave auctions to purchase slaves and then promptly set them free... In one of these occasions he told the girl she was free and she said... “I choose to go with you.”

3. From dread to longing

Hebrews 9:27–28 NIV

27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

The biggest change of the gospel … We used to have a sense of dread about God, but the gospel gives us a love for God, and a longing for Him.

When you fear judgment, you don’t really want to be around God; when you are assured of His love and acceptance for you, you start to crave being around Him.

People say, “Well, I know that God has forgiven me but I can’t forgive myself.”

When you make that statement what you are saying is that your opinion of yourself matters more to you than God’s does.

Closing Example:

Remember the Duck: “The story about the little boy who killed his grandmother’s pet duck? He accidentally hit the duck with a rock from his slingshot. The boy didn’t think anybody saw the foul deed, so he buried the duck in the backyard and didn’t tell a soul.

Later, the boy found out that his sister had seen it all. Not only that, she now had the leverage of his secret and used it. Whenever it was the sister’s turn to wash the dishes, take out the garbage or wash the car, she would whisper in his ear, “Remember the duck.” And then the little boy would do what his sister should have done.

There is always a limit to that sort of thing. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore–he’d had it! The boy went to his grandmother and, with great fear, confessed what he had done. To his surprise, she hugged him and thanked him. She said, “I was standing at the kitchen sink and saw the whole thing. I forgave you then. I was just wondering when you were going to get tired of your sister’s blackmail and come to me.”

The difference between the High Priest and Jesus …

The High Priest would enter once a year with fear and trembling (Not to commune with God) and no one else could enter.

Jesus entered the Holy of Holies once and for all, tearing that 15x15x4 curtain in two and invites us to come in and join Him!

Sources:

“No More Consciousness of Sins” by J.D. Greer

“God’s Remedy for Guilt” by Steven J. Cole