Bible Commentaries
Hebrews 9

Verses 1-12

8 Few phrases are so unfortunately confusing as "the New Testament". The Greek word for "testament" and its Hebrew equivalent never carry the ordinary meaning of a will, or legal instrument for the disposal of property after death. They are close equivalents of our

"covenant" or "contract". To speak of the Greek Scriptures as "the New Testament", and the Hebrew as "the Old Testament" is most misleading, because, as a matter of fact the new covenant is found in the "Old Testament". Jeremiah gives it in full ( Jer_31:31-34 ). It has never been in force yet and "New Testament times" will not come until after the time of great affliction when Jehovah calls Israel and Judah back to Himself. In truth, the new covenant is not for the nations at all, though, of course, a large section of the "New Testament" is especially for the nations. The "old covenant" is not the Hebrew scriptures, but the compact made with Israel at Mount Sinai. It was two-sided. The people proposed to do their part and Jehovah engaged to do His. They promised to obey Him, but dismally failed to do so, consequently He could not fulfill His promises to bless them. The new covenant which He will make with them after they have been restored to their land, and have received their Messiah, is radically different from the old. The people have no active part in it whatever. All depends on Jehovah. Hence it will not be a failure. The law that was written on stones will be written on their hearts. Instead of demanding a penalty for every infraction, He will be propitious. Instead of recalling their sins and lawlessnesses, He will blot them out. Instead of an "atonement" or shelter for sin made by the blood of he-goats and calves, the blood of Christ will put them completely away. At present we have the infinitely higher privilege of confidence in God Himself, not His promises or His covenants. The law is not inscribed on our hearts, but we were caused to die to the law through the body of Christ. We are not a regeneration but a new creation.

2 In the holy place of the tabernacle, just before the curtain which separated it from the holy of holies, were two pieces of furniture, the table with the bread on the north, the lampstand on the south ( Exo_26:35 ; Exo_40:22-25 ). These typified the great truths of communion and testimony. No sunlight could enter the holy places. All light was supplied by the holy oil, which typified the holy Spirit, thus indicating that all real knowledge of God must come, not through the light of nature, but through divine revelation. The bread is typical of Christ, the Bread which is God's delight and man's sustenance. Communion with God is possible only through Him. The holy place speaks of man's need in approaching God. The holy of holies exhibits the higher truth of God's desire for worship. Sweet incense floated up to Him from the golden altar. His Presence abode above the ark of the covenant between the cherubim. The stone tablets of the covenant were securely hid from sight beneath the lid of the ark, which was the propitiatory or mercy seat. Here it is that Jehovah met the mediator of His people. The word rendered "censer" is sometimes translated "golden altar". But it is used twice in the LXX of a "censer in his hand" ( 2Ch_26:19 ; Eze_8:1 l ), and never of the golden altar. This was before the curtain, not in the holy of holies. Worship is not in view, so the altar is not mentioned.

6 The chief lesson of the tabernacle structure (as well as that of the temple) never seems to have entered the minds and hearts in Israel. A God Who hid Himself behind thick curtains, and Who forbade access into His presence except on rare occasions, Who divided the holy places into two compartments and dwelt alone in the furthest one, out of reach of all except the high priest once a year, makes it evident that the way to Him is far from open. And, as a consequence, the services based on these barriers must be impotent to clear the way, and were temporary measures, lasting only until Christ would crush all barriers by His surpassing sacrifices, and open the way of access to His presence.

Verses 13-28

13 This refers to the two great sin offerings of Lev.16 and Num.19. The victim was burned, the ashes preserved, and water that flowed over them availed to purify. This ordinance fills an important place in Israel's future as well as its past ( Eze_36:25 ).

15 This new covenant is for Israel and Judah only. The nations have no part in it at all. They never had the law and never will have it. They never had a divine service or a tabernacle, neither were the promises made to them. All of this is for the Hebrews only.

16 Covenants, in ancient times, were ratified by means of sacrifices. When Jehovah wished to confirm His covenant with Abram, five different animals were divided into halves, which were laid over against one another so that the contracting parties could pass in between them, thus indicating that they ratified the covenant ( Gen_15:8-21 ). As this covenant was one of pure grace on God's part, Abram was not allowed to pass between the pieces. The symbols of Jehovah's presence passed through alone, thus confirming the covenant without conditions on the part of Abram. Until the victims have been slain no covenant was considered binding.

16 The rendering "testament" and "testator" has no concord whatever with the context. It is true that a testament is of no force while the testator is living, but that has no possible application here. If the covenant with Abram were a testament made by God, then, according to the reasoning, it has no force so long as God lives! The old covenant was confirmed by death-not the death of either party to the covenant, but by the sacrifices which the young men offered ( Exo_24:5-8 ). The blood of these victims was sprinkled on the scroll of the covenant and on the people.

18 The old covenant, under which the people rashly contracted to do all that the law demanded, was dedicated with the blood of calves and he-goats. The new is inaugurated with the blood of Christ. which has power to fend all failure, and refuses all human help.

26 It is evident that Christ did not appear at "the end of the world", nor, indeed, at the conclusion of the eons. Neither has sin been completely eliminated. Such, however, is the efficacy of His sacrifice, that we know that sin must eventually be banished from the universe. And we know also that this will be at the conclusion of the eons. Hence this somewhat complicated sentence has been rendered to this effect.

27 This is not a general statement concerning all men, but the men who have been in view continually, that is, the Levitical priests. The word judgment has no reference to the judgment of mankind for sin, but the setting to rights of those cases in Israel which continued until the death of the high priest. The innocent man-slayer lived in the city of refuge until the death of the great priest ( Num_35:22-29 ). Then he might return to his patrimony. This was his "judgment". The parallel demands that this judgment correspond with the salvation which will come to those who are awaiting Christ. He, the great Chief Priest, has died, and in due time Israel, the man-slayer, shall return to the land of his possession.

28 This appearance of Christ refers to His return to Israel. He will bring salvation to all, whether they watch or are drowsy ( 1Th_5:10 ) when He comes for us. But to Israel He brings salvation to those awaiting Him. Just as the high priest entered the holy of holies on the great day of atonement and came out to bless the waiting throng, so Christ has entered the heavenly sanctuary and will bring a benediction when He comes.

1 The sacrifices under the law were but dim figures of the great Sacrifice. They made atonement, that is, a shelter for sin. The offering up of Christ made a real propitiation, for it put away the sins which had been covered by the blood of bulls and goats. Atonement covered sin, pardon put it away, but justification, which we enjoy, goes far beyond both. The Hebrews were not justified.

5 The unbeliever's objection that the God of Israel was a terrible God Who delighted in the blood of slain beasts, is here directly denied. The whole sacrificial system, not only as an atonement for sin, but also as a means of worship by whole burnt offerings, gave Him no pleasure in itself, but only as it was typical of the true. The physical perfection of an animal was nothing to Him except as a reminder of the moral and spiritual perfection of the One Who came to do His will. The blood of beasts could cover sins, but had no power to put them away, yet it foretold the true Sacrifice, and the sufferings which suffice to offset all sins-covered or uncovered-and eventually to justify all who have committed them as well as to vindicate God for the presence of sin in the world. These grander results are not, of course, in view in this epistle.