Hebrews 8:13-9:10--The Earthly Holy Place

​Hebrews 8:13-9:10 English Standard Version (ESV)
Listen:  https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/esv/Heb.8.13-Heb.9.10
8:13 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.

The Earthly Holy Place
9:1 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.

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I realized I neglected to discuss the last verse in chapter 8 in my last blog and since it is a key verse that also fits with this blog's text, then I decided to include it once again so that I'd have a chance to cover that verse as it applies to what we are about to discuss in the beginning of chapter 9.

​The New Covenant makes the Old Covenant obsolete because the Old Covenant of the Law and the blood of bulls and goats was to point people to the need for the Lamb of God that would take away the sins of the world, not just simply cover over them.  While we know that the Law of the Lord will not pass away because it is part of the Word of God which will never pass away, the power of the Law will pass away when death has been destroyed and there will be no more need for the Law written on tablets which men are forced to learn and abide by because once God's kingdom is established here on earth with all those who are citizens of His kingdom, His will will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  We will obey Him immediately and completely.  The law will no longer be needed to prick men's consciences because we will without sin and without the capability to sin as our flesh and the devil that both have been at odds with the Spirit and the new creation that Christ is turning us into will be destroyed.  No more sin....no more death.  No more sorrow...no more pain.  For now though the Law of the Lord serves a purpose of helping us identify those who are law-breakers and who think they are outside of the authority of God and those who are kingdom citizens who have subjected themselves to the will of God and His Law.

Returning to the temple...the center of worship for the Old Covenant, the rules were meticulous about setting up the Tent of Meeting and the furniture and making the Showbread and the incense, but most of all there were very strict regulations on how to handle the Ark of the Covenant and who could enter the Holy of Hollies, when they could enter and how they must enter.

I have already spoken of much of this to say, but will add that most of the priests never entered the Holy Place let alone the Holy of Hollies.  Only one clan--the sons of Aaron--were allowed to minister in the Holy Place and serve as High Priest that would enter the Holy of Hollies on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kipur).  When the High Priest did come he had to put on special white garments just for that day and he had to make sacrifices that would make his white garments stained in blood so that all the nation would see the price that had to be paid both for his personal sins and the sins of the entire nation--but notice it was only the unintentional sins that were atoned for.  With all this in mind, I'd like to take a side-trip to have you read Psalm 51 which is David's prayer after Nathan the prophet confronts him about his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah.

​Psalm 51 English Standard Version (ESV)Create in Me a Clean Heart, O GodTo the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.51 Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
    blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
    and cleanse me from my sin!
3 For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
    and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
    and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
    and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
    wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
    let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
    and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
    and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
    and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
    O God of my salvation,
    and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
    you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
    build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19 then will you delight in right sacrifices,
    in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
    then bulls will be offered on your altar.

David knew that in the time of the Old Covenant that his only hope was for God to choose to forget His sin and take it away and for God to give David a new heart and make all things new and restore the things that were lost and were broken.  See how the New Covenant isn't really so new?  We just now have more details, but men of God seemed to know from long ago that the blood of bulls and goats was never sufficient...but now we know the plan that God had all along, to send His Son Jesus to be The Way, The Truth, and The Life..the only way to the Father.  We know the who and the how now that the patriarchs and prophets of old only saw glimpses of in the Old Covenant...the Passover, the scapegoat, the Ark of the Covenant, the Tent of Meeting, the High Priest, the guilt offerings, fellowship offerings, sin offerings, offerings of first fruits, and much, much more.  Lord willing, I'l explore some of the Old Testament with you next year and we'll try to see how the Old Covenant was meant to be an image of what would ultimately be fulfilled in Christ.

Back to the final section of the main text.  The common man could not even enter the Holy Place, where the priests could enter to attend to the Table of Showbread, the Candlestick (Menorah) and the Altar of Incense.  As long as we are stuck in a religious system of sacrifices that simply cover sins and ceremonial washings to make us clean on the outside, we will never be good enough to enter the presence of God...we may think we are past this, but how many times to you hear of people that constantly "recommit" their lives to Christ because they weren't sure if their sins were really taken away the first time.  And, yes, we still need daily cleansing from sin and to be made holy (called sanctification), but for those who truly believe, we are what God says we are.  We do not approach Him based off of rituals and rites, but based off of the finished work that was accomplished by God through Jesus Christ the Son of God, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, and the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  We look forward to one day when we too will be able to enter into the Holy Place that is heaven and serve there as Jesus continues to serve as our Great High Priest in the Most Holy Place--the very throne room of God.  I believe that is the image that the author is trying to portray here as he says that the first section which represents this present age (our mortal life) is still standing.

I know this one was rather long, and I am guessing that many may be looking forward to talking about something else other than the Law and sacrifices and priests.  Believe me, this really can be exciting stuff, but don't worry as we are almost to the part of the book of Hebrews which most of you probably know best.  The portion in which we discuss the faith of the forefathers and how we have a better faith and how Christ is both the author and perfecter/completer/finisher (all are appropriate translations) of our faith.