6/12/88
Now Paul reviews some of the carnal ordinances which pointed to Christ and were done away with in Him.
Verses 1-7, v. 7, he reminds the Hebrews of the necessity of the yearly atoning sacrifice which had to be made.
V. 8. The reason was the Holy Ghost was showing that the approach unto God's throne was not yet opened. As long as the first tabernacle stood the way was not open.
V. 9. It was a figure of the coming of Christ. The work of the priest in the old tabernacle could not clear the conscience, nor could it remove the power of sin from over the individual. Paul is only going over what he has already covered.
Remember, he is not only countering the influence of the old Hebrew religion as it tries to influence the new church, but, he is also preparing them for the removal of the old religion, 8:13. 70 A.D. closed the Hebrew history.
Even the priest could not be made perfect even though he did the service.
V. 10. All of those things only stood until the time of reformation. The perfecting of things. They were only to be used until Christ when He put everything in its perfect order.
1.) Restoration of all things, Matt. 17:11. Context was time
of Christ.
2.) Matt. 19:28, context is now.
3.) Acts 3:19-23, context is from Christ first advent to his second.
4.) Heb. 9:10, context was fulfilled at Christ.
5. Rev. 21:1, context is the result of what is taking place now.
6.) Rev. 21:5, cross-reference refers back to II Cor. 5:17.
V. 11. This points to the new perfect tabernacle. Again, here is Acts 15:16 and Ezek. 40, gives us the description of this tabernacle. (Ezek. 40-48 must be spiritual, otherwise, you will have a physical building which is beyond reason.) 17/8 mile square= 500 rods.
This new covenant in Christ is as much better than the old as what the new temple of Ezek. 40-48 is better than the old of Solomon's. If rebuilt literally, 60,500 ft. per side, and the city 3-4000 square miles. Jer. never over 2 ½ square miles. In fact, the temple size is larger than the old city.
V. 12. This greater and more perfect tabernacle which is not made with hands cannot be entered into by the blood of goats and calves. Christ, the High Priest of this tabernacle entered into it by His own blood. He only had to enter in one time unlike the Hebrew priests who had to go in once a year.
This one time entering by the eternal son of God purchased eternal redemption. A ransom, deliverance, redemption. Redemption from the penalty of sin, Lk. 1:68.
There is another word, redeemed used in Titus 2:14; I Pet. 1:18.
This one means--to redeem, to liberate by paying a ransom---. To cause to be released to one's self by payment of ransom, to deliver, from evils of every kind, external, and internal. Deut. 13:5, the people were redeemed from Egypt to serve God. I Cor. 6:20; 7:23, Christ bought us, not only from eternal death, but from servitude to the world, flesh and the devil.
The redemption here in Heb. 9:12 is eternal redemption. The penalty of sin paid so we might be able to enter into heaven, and we do not have to worry about falling from this redemption.
The redemption of Titus 2:14; I Pet. 1:18 is the buying back from servitude. Adam sold his posterity into sin. He sold them into slavery to the world, flesh and the devil. The redemptive work of Christ buys us back from that servitude so that we no longer have to serve those things. We have His power (as well as command), to serve Him now, v. 14.
V. 12. The OT priests had to shed this blood as he sought forgiveness for his own sins and the sins of the people. Christ had no sins to seek forgiveness for, therefore his shed blood secured the pardon for his people, us. His offering was wholly for others.
V. 13. As we said, not only did His blood purchase eternal redemption, but also freedom from the power of sin. The OT blood could not do this at all, which was shed on the great day of atonement.
The OT rites and rituals could not purify the unclean. They were only rituals which spoke of the coming sacrifice which could. They could not cleanse the conscience, nor free from the power of sin.
They were able to remove the ceremonial uncleanness such as from touching dead bodies, but they could not remove the filth of the flesh.
V. 14. If they had been able to do that how much more would have Christ been able to.
The eternal spirit. Christ was eternal as well as is the Holy Spirit. He made an eternal offering in the power of the eternal spirit of God. It was a spotless offering as well as an eternal offering. Because it is eternal, there is enough room in it to cover everyone who comes to Him. It is without end in its scope, size, power coverage. There is absolutely no chance of there being to many within this offering (in Christ), so that there is not room for more.
The sacrifice was Himself, who was without spot.
The old covenant dealt with outward ceremonies and rituals. We have an example of this in Matt. 15:1-20; Mk. 7:1-10. Here we see the ceremonial washing of the hands. The religious leaders, as they carefully observed this they were proud of their cleanness. The old covenant pronounced many things unclean and gave methods for removing that uncleanness, (with blood, water and fire were they cleansed).
The new covenant showed the heart as being unclean and gave the blood of Christ to remove that uncleanness.
The comparison in Heb. 9:13-14 is between the outward ceremonial cleansing of the flesh and the inner purging of the conscience. This purging could not be accomplished by all of the rituals in the world. The blood of Christ is the only thing which can remove quilt.
Adam tried to cover over his quilt with fig leaves and man has used his means every since to remove quilt. As we have preached several times, man will spend vast sums of money and time and go through all kinds of rituals to remove guilt, as long as he doesn't have to come to the blood of Christ for the removal of sin.
No doubt, we have people who attend church here and maybe even tithe, but it is done to remove guilt so they don't have to get their heart right.
The thing that would draw my suspicion that folks might be on a guilt trip is when they refuse to renew their personal fellowship with God. When they refuse to confess and make right their past sins. This is the only way they can place those sins under the blood of Christ. A person who tries to renew his fellowship or walk, or should I say, a person who tries to clean up his act (purify the flesh, v. 13), without a very good dose of Prov. 28:13, 14, is doing the same things the Pharisees did in Matt. 15. It is no more than a ceremony which they are going through to cleanse the outside and to try to remove guilt without sacrifice.
I'm afraid many times church attendance and other "religious acts," is used as is hand washing for the Pharisees. An attempt to clear the conscience without turning from sin. I know several people that, no doubt, this is true of. Of course, many churches thrive on this very thing. Soothing the conscience without really having to serve the living God with the whole heart, should, might and mind.
6/9/88
Folks want to be released of their guilt without having to serve Him.
V. 14. Dead works. We find a mention of these dead works. These are any and all works outside of the empowering of the Holy Spirit. These are works apart from the sacrifice spoken of in Rom. 12:1-2. It is impossible to serve the living God apart from living works, Gal. 2:20. Christ's work makes it possible to die, yet live. To serve the living God with living works.
(Dead works or manner of life), v. 14. Psychology offers this. The purpose of being purged from dead works by the redemptive work of Christ is to serve the living God with living works. He is not as the gods of this world. He sees all, knows all and we will stand before Him one da and answer for all.
(V. 15), for this cause Christ meditated a new covenant by means of his death. A new covenant that gives eternal life and freedom from guilt so we can serve the God which we will answer to one day.
II Cor. 5:10, 11, only through the meditation death of Christ could anyone receive the promise of eternal inheritance. Whether OT saint or NT saint. As well as freedom from dead works, dead work, sacrifices and offerings.
The covenant under Abraham, Moses and Christ is the same. The method of sealing it or administering it is different. Abraham and Moses= blood of animals. Christ= his blood.
The sum total of four pages of research is this. "(202, Hebrew), the proper solution of this question (covenant) lies in the fact already hinted, that but one covenant, strictly so called, obtained, alike under Moses and Christ, and that the old and the new of the epistle to the Hebrews points only to different modes of its administration. It is certain that the Sinitic covenant did not supersede the Abrahamic, which was nothing but the covenant of grace," the covenant that was confirmed before God in Christ, Gal. 3:15-17."
The thought is that the better sacrifice of Christ instead of offering ceremonial cleansing of the flesh, now makes our works clean and acceptable before God. This is done under the new testament whereas the OT was only bulls and goats.
By the means of His death the new testament (covenant), redeems the transgressor. His redemption also gives the promise of eternal life as well as freedom from the dead works.
V. 16. Here we see the reference to the covenant (not a will). The covenant in the OT had to be sealed by the death of a victim, really a mediator. A OT covenant had to be sealed with the blood of a sacrifice. (Remember, Paul is writing to Jews about a uniquely Jewish problem, sacrifices and offerings for sin.)
V. 17. Scripture knows nothing about human sacrifice to seal a covenant, therefore this must be referring to the slaying of the animal which has been chosen to be slain to seal the covenant. As long as the animal lives, the OT covenant was not in force. The reference would be that as long as Christ was alive the new covenant was not in effect.
V. 18. Paul points out that the first covenant had to be sealed with blood. We talked of this in SS class. We can find this record of the blood in Ex. 24:5-8.
Those he is writing to well knew what he is talking about.
V. 22. Almost everything was purified by blood. Some things were purged by water, or oil, or fire, but, when it came to the matter of remission of sin under the OT law, blood had to be shed, without exception.
V. 23. The physical things of the religious instruments of the Jewish religion (tabernacle and all the vessels, v. 21), being patterned after heavenly things had to be purged, purified in this manner. But the real things which they were patterned after in heaven had to be purified by a better sacrifice.
V. 24. That sacrifice is Christ. He did not enter into the holy place of the physical temple, because it was only a figure of the true. Rather He entered into the real which is now in heaven to appear before God for us.
Again, Paul is addressing a Hebrew problem, one which we as people in a much latter date cannot even identify with. We have not had to contend with this problem. Therefore Hebrews is dealing with something we don't know about. Yet the application is for us.
V. 25. Paul calls attention that the Hebrew high priest had to enter yearly into the Holy place, but Christ only had to go into the heavenly tabernacle one time. If he had to go in more than once, he would have had to die more than once.
The Christian religion is better.
1.) Our tabernacle is in the heavens of which the earthly Jewish tabernacle was only a figure or shadow.
2.) Our High Priest only had to enter into it one time with His blood whereas the Jewish high priests had to enter in yearly with the yearly sacrifice.
3.) Our High Priest went for us, giving remission of sins and free access to the Father. The old Jewish religion, the worshiper could not enter into God's presence, nor find remission of sin, nor a clear conscience, nor purging of dead works.
4.) (V. 26), Christ put away sin, the old Jewish priest could not.
V. 27. The comparison here is our one death, one judgment is the same as v. 28. Christ's one death, offering for our sin, and one appearing for those who look for Him.
V. 28. The first time He became sin for us. The second time he comes, it will have nothing to do with becoming sin for us. Rather it will be to claim His own who are looking for Him, Acts 1:10, 11.
V. 26, holds an interesting statement.
In the last dispensation or economy; that under which the affairs of the world will be would up, Acts 2:17; I Cor. 10:11; Isa. 2:2.
1.) Christ came once humble, despised and put to death. Next time he will be back as the King of king and Lord of lords.
2.) Rev. 1:7, every eye shall see him.
3.) They will not see him merely to admire or gaze upon him.
4.) The great mass of men are not prepared to meet him. The flood or Sodom.
5.) Christians are prepared and will rejoice.
6.) We should live in preparation of this grand event. "Whether he come to remove us by death, or whether in the clouds of heaven to judge the world, the period is not far distant when we shall see him.