Hebrews

Wednesday, 26 December 2018

Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. Hebrews 9:6

The author begins with, “Now when these things had been thus prepared.” Though it appears he is specifically referring to the original sanctuary made at the time of Moses, this can still also refer to temple in Jerusalem. In the case of the portable sanctuary, only the priests, the sons of Aaron, could put up and take down the Most Holy articles. These were covered so that no one could see them when they were taken down, and uncovered only when the tabernacle was around them and assembled. After this, the other Levites could begin to perform their duties.

In the case of the permanent temple, the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place were prepared only once and then they were left to the exclusive use of the priests. The priests’ duties are laid out in the books of Moses, but particularly in Exodus and Leviticus.

The author then next says, “the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services.” As detailed in the law, there were things to be done regularly in the Holy Place. It is where the lampstand (the menorah) needed to be tended to daily. It is where the altar of incense was, and where there were regular daily offerings, and it is where the table of showbread was. This also needed regular attention in the replacement of the loaves of bread each week. Both the actual schedule of these things, and the details for performing them, are detailed carefully in the law itself.

These and other duties (such as the sprinkling of certain sin offerings before the veil) were conducted as needed, by either the high priest or one of the other priests, depending on what was according to the law.

The specificity here in this verse is given to show a contrast between these regular services performed in the Holy Place and those services which were then to be conducted in the Most Holy Place. That will begin to be explained in the next verse.

Life application: As noted in previous verses, every single detail of what is being presented by the author concerning these rites and rituals is merely a foreshadowing of the Person of Jesus Christ, or the work He has accomplished for His people. Israel, however, rejected Christ and their temple was destroyed. Israel is, even now, preparing to begin these rituals once again. They were ineffective in bringing the people to a right relationship with God in the past, and they will continue to be ineffective in doing so in the future. It is a sad thing to see how they have missed Christ, but someday they will put the law behind them and, as a people, they will call out to Christ Jesus and finally be freed of this heavy yoke which they have carried since the time of Moses. Pray that many Jews will come to Jesus now and be saved through His shed blood instead of continuing down this same miserable path of ineffective law-related rituals.

Lord God, just as the priests in the temple had their regular duties, so we have regular tasks in our jobs. Give us the strength, wisdom, and ability to properly perform our duties, no matter what they are. And may You alone receive the praise as our fellow workers see our conduct. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, 25 December 2018

…and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. Hebrews 9:5

After mentioning the ark and its contents, the author next turns to that which was “above it.” What is now to be described is designed as a lid for the ark itself. The ark was an open box of wood, completely overlaid with pure gold. On top of that would rest this next item. What will be named is actually one solid piece, but the author describes it from the top down. That is recorded in Exodus 25:17-21 –

“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width. ¹⁸ And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. ¹⁹ Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. ²⁰ And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat. ²¹ You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you.” 

As you can see, at the top of this are “the cherubim of glory.” What this means is they are the spot where the glory of the Lord would be seen from. This is recorded, for example, in Numbers 7:89 –

“Now when Moses went into the tabernacle of meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice of One speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim; thus He spoke to him.”

These were fashioned from the same gold, being one with “the mercy seat.” The Greek word is hilastērion, and it signifies the place of propitiation. It is the spot where the wrath of God is appeased, thus bringing about a state of propitiation between God and His people.

The only time the noun form of this word is seen, apart from this use in Hebrews, is by Paul. There he says that Jesus Christ is our place of propitiation; He is our mercy seat –

“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, ²² even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, ²⁶ to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:21-26

John, however, uses a form of the same word, hilasmos, to twice describe Jesus as being the propitiation for our sins –

“And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” 1 John 2:2

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10

With these references, we can see that Christ is the spot (the mercy seat) of our propitiation, and His shed blood is that which effects that propitiation. What is being seen in mere type and shadow is realized in the punishment upon Christ leading to His death on the cross. In other words, the wrath poured out on Him through His passion, and which ultimately led to His death, is what brings peace between God and man.

God’s entrance into humanity in the Person of Jesus was purposefully intended to bring about our propitiation after He fulfilled the law. In His perfect obedience to the law, He was – in Himself – seen to be the perfection of the law. In His death, the law was fulfilled and thus ended. At the same time, in His death, the wrath of God for the sin of those who transgressed under the law was poured out on Christ in an act of substitution (something allowed under the law), where an innocent died in the place of the guilty. In this act, propitiation was made between God and those who accept this act of substitution. And in the ending of the law, a New Covenant – in Christ’s blood – was enacted.

The author finishes with, “Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.” The words, “these things” are referring to everything he has said from verse 9:1 until now. The meaning is that everything associated with the “ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary” of verse 9:1, and which has only been briefly described, actually has much more which could be explained. And so, to get a fuller understanding of these things, if that is something which would interest you, you may refer to the series in the Superior Word sermons beginning with Exodus 25:1 and continuing on through the rest of the book of Exodus, and then through the book of Leviticus. And indeed, why stop there? Just keep watching all of the sermons from the Superior Word as they are published.

Life application: If there is a need for propitiation, meaning mercy, then that must mean that God really is angry at those who need mercy. It cannot be that mercy is necessary if no offense exists. Therefore, there must be a means of obtaining God’s mercy, or there must be a complete removal of that which offends Him. Thinking this through logically, if God has performed that work Himself through the Person of Jesus Christ, and if Jesus Christ has said that He is the only way to be restored to the Father, then no person can be saved apart from Him. Further, as only He fulfilled the Law of Moses, then no person who attempts to please God through adherence to the Law of Moses can be saved. Those who were under the law, and who looked forward to Messiah, were saved in anticipation of Messiah. But once Messiah has come, only through faith in His work can anyone else be saved. Those who hold to the law for their justification cannot be, and indeed they are not, pleasing to God.

Lord God Almighty, thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Monday, 24 December 2018

…which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; Hebrews 9:4

The words now explain what was to be found in the “Holiest of All” (the Most Holy Place) within the tabernacle. The author begins with, “the golden censer.” The translation is lacking. It is not a censer, as if picked up and carried by the priest. Rather, it is an altar which remained in its place constantly. The Greek word to describe it is found only here in the New Testament. This altar is said here to be in the Most Holy Place. However, this seems to be in error. The description of this item is found in Exodus 30:1-10. The verse concerning its placement is found in Exodus 30:6 –

“And you shall put it before the veil that is before the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with you.”

This altar of incense, also called the “golden altar” (Numbers 4:11), and here in Hebrews as “the golden censer,” was not in the Most Holy Place, but rather before the veil in the Holy Place. For this reason, some translations call it the “golden censer” and not the “golden altar.” This is because a censer was filled with incense once a year and taken behind the veil by the high priest. Thus to avoid any supposed contradictions, translators assume this is what is being spoken of. But that does not appear to be the author’s intent. He is surely speaking of the altar of incense. But why would the author then expressly state that this item was within the Most Holy Place? John Lange explains the reason –

“For this reason we would rather find a theological idea than an archæological error in that passage of the Epistle to the Hebrews (9:4) which puts it in the Holy of holies. For this is the altar which by its incense symbolizes the prayer of the high-priest (Rev. 5:8; Heb. 5:7).”

It took a full sermon of explanation to detail the significance of this item, but to shortly explain the placement, incense was burned upon it twice a day. Being directly before the veil, the smell of this incense was the only thing to go behind the veil each day and throughout the year (with the exception of the high priest, once a year on the Day of Atonement). Incense in the Bible represents prayer. And so, the theological idea is that this golden altar is the transition between the earthly and the heavenly; between the physical world and the spiritual world. Therefore, the altar is said to symbolically be behind the veil. This is the last piece of furniture to be described by the Lord in Exodus, and yet it is the first one mentioned here by the author in Hebrews. The reason for this is because of its location. It is that which is passed first as one enters into the Most Holy Place. To more fully understand this, go watch this sermon – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4Dw8RDwjRk

The next item behind the veil is the very first item described by the Lord for construction. It is “the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold,” which is detailed in Exodus 25:10-16. Again, this item required an entire sermon to explain all of its intricate meaning. The author here only mentions that it is overlaid with gold. The gold symbolizes Christ’s deity, among other things. To understand the marvel of what this ark pictures, please refer to this sermon – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-VPtDW-qB8&t

After this, the author describes that which was contained in the ark. First, he notes “the golden pot that had the manna.” That was actually made before the ark was prepared, at the time of the initial giving of the manna which is recorded in Exodus 16. There it said –

“And Moses said to Aaron, ‘Take a pot and put an omer of manna in it, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations.’” Exodus 16:33

Later, after the ark was constructed, this is said to have been placed in the ark. To understand the full significance of this marvelous item, please refer to this sermon – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1pFhhIQg48

Along with that was “Aaron’s rod that budded.” That is detailed in Numbers 17. As of the date of this commentary, that sermon is a few weeks away from being typed. However, it is a marvelous passage, the sermon of which will be worth your Sunday morning attention.

Finally, in this verse, the author notes “the tablets of the covenant.” These were the second set of tablets containing the Ten Commandments. The first were dashed to pieces by Moses in Exodus 32. However, in Exodus 34, Moses was told to “Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke” (Exodus 34:1). To understand the significance of what these second tablets (in contrast to the first set) signify, please take the time to watch this sermon – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRNaHhDdzks

Life application: Most people know that the tablets of the covenant were kept in the ark, but they have probably never thought of why this was so. These reflect the perfect law of God by which all people will be judged. Those who fulfill them perfectly (and none can) will be accepted into God’s paradise; those who fail will be condemned. However, God gave us His Son to fulfill them on our behalf. Therefore, those who call on Him as their Mediator will be covered with His perfect atonement. This is why blood was applied to the top of the Ark (on the Mercy Seat) once a year. It symbolized an innocent death on behalf of the unrighteous. When the Mercy Seat was removed, only judgment could follow, such as in this case – “Then He struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. He struck fifty thousand and seventy men of the people, and the people lamented because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter” (1 Samuel 6:19). In Christ’s fulfillment of the law, He died on the cross, shedding His blood for our atonement. Paul says that the law was nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14). The symbolism is clear – the law is complete and finished in Christ. In His shed blood, a New Covenant was introduced. We are no longer under law, and we can no longer be condemned when we come to Christ. Stay away from heretics who reinsert the law in an attempt to be justified before God. Hold fast to the grace which is found in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Lord God – how beautifully the Old Testament unfolds in the Person and work of Jesus. Thank you so much for the book of Hebrews which opens our eyes to His wonderful perfection – our Substitution, our Bread of Life, and our faithfully watching Mediator! Hallelujah and Amen!

Sunday, 23 December 2018

…and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, Hebrews 9:3

The author described the first room of the tabernacle in the previous verse. That contained the lampstand (the menorah), the table, and the showbread. Dividing that from the final room, the Holiest of All (or the Most Holy Place as the NKJV translates it in the Old Testament), was a beautiful veil. Here, the veil is called “the second veil.” This is to distinguish it from another hanging which was at the entrance to the first room, the Holy Place.

This “second veil” is described in Exodus 26:31-33. On it, cherubim were woven. These were a reminder of the cherubim recorded in Genesis 3 which guarded the entrance to Eden. They were said to be east of the garden. The entire sanctuary also faced east. This veil, facing east, symbolically pictures the only way to be restored to God, and thus, the only way to be returned to paradise. This and more is carefully detailed in the Superior Word sermon corresponding to those verses.

Here, the author says that behind this “second veil” was “the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All.” The author will continue to describe what was contained within the rooms in the tabernacle in the verses ahead, as well as some of what occurred there as the priests conducted their duties. However, he will not address the actual shape or size of these rooms. It is this next room to be described, the Holiest of All (or the Most Holy Place), that should be reviewed to gain a fuller understanding of what will be explained in the next verses.

Determining the exact dimensions of the Holiest of All (Most Holy Place) in the tabernacle is rather complicated, but it can be done from the details of the Bible. This is thoroughly explained in the Exodus 26:31-37 sermon. Further, the Jewish Historian Flavius Josephus rightly states it was 10 x 10 x 10, or 1000 cubits exactly. This is documented in The Antiquities of the Jews, Book III, Chapter 6, Paragraph 4.

Later, the Bible tells us that the size of the Most Holy Place in the temple in Jerusalem was “twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high” (1 Kings 6:20). In both instances then, the shape of the Most Holy Place was a perfect cube. Remember that everything about both structures was given by God – first to Moses for the tabernacle and then later to David for the Temple. This reason is that they were a “copy and shadow of the heavenly things” (verse 8:5). And this is exactly what the Bible later records in the book of Revelation –

“The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal.” Revelation 21:16

Some have questioned whether this city is shaped like a pyramid or a cube, but allowing the Bible to interpret itself answers the question – it is a cube. This city which is prepared for the faithful believers of all ages is immense in proportions. The translation of “twelve thousand furlongs” equates approximately 1500 miles. In other words, it would fill up much of the land mass of the United States. And that is only in length and width; it is equally high.

Life application: As you are going about your business, remember that God has something wonderfully special prepared for you and for all of those who have called on Jesus by faith. Don’t let the tedium of life get you down, but rather keep things in their proper perspective – God has marvelous wonders in store for you!

Lord God, thank You for the sure promises of Your word and the splendid detail it holds for us as believers. Nothing is left unattended; every detail is just what we need in order to hold on to as we await what is coming! We love and praise You, and we thank You for the sure promises we possess. In the name of Jesus our Lord we pray! Amen.

Saturday, 22 December 2018

For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; Hebrews 9:2

In verse 1, the author brought in the subject of an “earthly sanctuary.” He now begins this verse with, “For a tabernacle.” The tabernacle is based upon the pattern Moses had seen. It is this which is consistently described here in Hebrews, rather than the later temples which were built in Jerusalem. Those were according to the same basic shapes and layouts, but there are differences. Therefore, the original tabernacle is the basis of the discussion in Hebrews. This tabernacle “was prepared.”

The idea here is that it was made by men’s hands; it is an earthly edifice. Moses was told to collect certain items from the people as an offering. Those were detailed in Exodus 25:1-7. After that, we read in Exodus 25:8, 9 –

“And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. ⁹ According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.”

After this, the actual instructions for how to fashion all these things were given, and then a near repetition of this was given in the construction of those same things. Everything was minutely prescribed and recorded to ensure that all was made according to the pattern. All of it was for the sanctuary. Within the sanctuary was the tent of meeting, and within the tent of meeting was the tabernacle itself. It is that area which the author now speaks of.

The entire layout of the sanctuary and all the materials used for it are given in great detail in Exodus, but this verse and the next few are only focusing on two specific rooms of the tabernacle – the Holy place and the Most Holy place. These may be known in various translations by other similar names. This verse details the first of these two rooms. And so the author begins by saying, “in which was the lampstand.” Actually, based on verse 9:6 where the author speaks in the present tense, the words should say, “in which is the lampstand.” The author speaks of these things based on Scripture. It is as if the priests are standing in front of him, ministering, and he is detailing what is going on before him.

The golden lampstand, or menorah, is first detailed in Exodus 25:31-40. Next, the author mentions “the table and the showbread.” The table was actually first detailed immediately before the lampstand in Exodus 25:23-30. The bread itself is actually described much later, in Leviticus 24:5-9. A detailed study of these things is available from the Superior Word in sermons which can be accessed in written, video, and audio formats.

Finally, the author says, “which is called the sanctuary.” The Greek literally reads, “the holies.” Using the term “sanctuary” does not correspond to the thought given in the Old Testament. The entire compound described to Moses is normally translated “the sanctuary.” The first room in the tabernacle is called the Holy Place. Here in the Greek, the word is given in the plural, and thus it should be translated as “the holies.” This is simply to maintain consistency.

Life application: Everything about the items being mentioned, down to the smallest detail, was given to picture the coming Person and work of Christ. Following along with the sermons mentioned above will reveal this to you. In the end, we have an absolutely sure word concerning Christ Jesus. There is no need to doubt if we are secure in our eternal destiny. If we have come to God through Christ, it is more certain than anything else. Trust in Christ and continue to pursue Him all the days of your life.

What an honor and a joy to know we have the fullness of Christ as revealed in the Bible. The ancients had implements which could only imitate the glories to come in Jesus. We thank You Lord for bestowing on us the riches of Your majesty as revealed in Him. All hail the name of Jesus! Amen.