Author: Charlie Garrett

Saturday, 12 January 2019

Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. Hebrews 9:23

The word, “Therefore,” is given based on everything mentioned in the previous seven verses concerning the shedding of the blood of the covenant-victim and the purification of the things associated with the tabernacle, its implements, and its rites. Those verses ended with, “And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.” With that understood, he says, “Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens.”

Note: The archaic KJV incorrectly says “patterns” instead of “copies.” This is exactly the opposite of what is occurring. It is the heavenly which is the pattern, and it is the earthly which is a copy. See Exodus 25:9 and Hebrews 8:5. If you use this version, a margin note correcting the error is necessary.

These “copies of the things in the heavens,” meaning the earthly tabernacle and associated implements, “should be purified with these.” The word “these” is speaking of the blood of purification obtained from the covenant-victims. There was defilement in these earthly things, and they required a sacrifice of atonement to cover their defilement. However, this entire process was only typical of Christ’s greater work. As the author notes, “but the heavenly things.” That is referring to those things associated with the true and more perfect tabernacle in heaven which is the pattern for the earthly copies. These are purified “with better sacrifices than these.”

First, the word “sacrifices” is plural. Though Christ died once (see Romans 6:10 and Hebrews 9:26), the author’s intent is to show that His single sacrifice is the fulfillment of all of the various types of sacrifices found under the Old Covenant, and which were typical of His one-time sacrifice. Everything of the past which foreshadowed Christ is summed up in His one act. Secondly, this raises an obvious question – “Why would the heavenly things require sacrifices for purification?” Scholars debate this, and several interesting suggestions have been proposed, but which miss the fact that these are spiritual realities in heaven, not physical things.

Under the Old Covenant, the author has already said that all things were sprinkled with blood in order to purify them, including the people (9:19). As we are the purpose of Christ’s coming, meaning the redemption of man, then it is necessary that we be purified by Christ’s shed blood. Christ presented Himself before the Father to purify those things which will be accepted into His eternal realm – His people, who are being built into “a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22).

Though Ephesians is written to the Gentile led church and Hebrews is written to the Hebrew people, the same truth applies to both. A purification is being accomplished in us which was only prefigured in the earthly sanctuary of the Old Covenant.

Life application: The Bible tells of the heavenly dwelling – perfect in all ways, but entrance to it comes at a cost – “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life” (Revelation 21:27). In order to be accepted into God’s paradise, one must be cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. To reject His gracious sacrifice is to remain outside of God’s favor and outside of His eternal dwelling. Come to Christ, be purified through His shed blood, and be reconciled to God once and for all eternity.

Glorious! O God, You are glorious. You have given us access to You once again through the blood of the Lamb. If we are willing to accept the truth of Your word, and to come to You through Christ Jesus, we shall be reconciled to You for all eternity. You have done it all, and You ask us to simply believe. How gracious You are to Your people! Thank You, O God! Amen.

Friday, 11 January 2019

And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. Hebrews 9:22

The idea is better expressed by the NAS, which says, “And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

There are exceptions where purification takes place apart from blood, but the overall idea of purification is that things “are purified with blood.” This is a general statement covering what has been said in the previous verses. The blood purifies because the blood testifies to the death of the covenant-victim. In such a case, that death must take place in order to ratify the covenant. Because of this, and because sin is dealt with through the giving of such a covenant, “without shedding of blood there is no remission.”

With this absolutely stated, it should be reexplained that though it is true that there is no remission without the shedding of blood, it is also true that not all shed blood can atone for sin. Rather, the blood shed under the Old Covenant (except for Christ’s fulfillment of it) merely anticipated Christ. Hebrews 10:4 will explicitly state that the blood of the animals sacrificed for sin could not take away that sin. Thus, it is an ineffectual, anticipatory, and merely typical system of sacrifices.

Further, no other shed human blood can atone for sins. This is because of the stain of original sin in man. All have sinned and, therefore, it is impossible that a sin-filled sacrifice could atone for the sins of another. This is true even with supposedly innocent babies which were sacrificed on altars throughout Israel’s history (based on the practices of surrounding nations). God rejected those sacrifices because original sin existed in them already. It was inherited from their first father, Adam. If these babies did not have sin, then they would have resurrected after being sacrificed, because “the wages of sin is death.”

But only Christ resurrected. This proves that only Christ’s blood can truly remit sins. To sacrifice another for sin, such as a baby, a young virgin, one’s own sibling, and etc, is simply committing an act of murder. They already had sin, they died in sin, and there was no atonement for the one who sacrificed that person in hopes of being purified from sin.

Life application: There are certain verses in the Bible that one would do well to remember because they carry key doctrine. When using such verses while discussing the gospel, salvation, sin, atonement, substitution, and many other major points, they will shed light on the subject matter. Hebrews 9:22 is one such verse. Many churches will no longer speak about the blood atonement mentioned in the Bible. But God’s word proclaims the necessity of shedding blood to atone for sin and – as clearly as could ever be stated – this verse avers “without shedding of blood there is no remission.” It is not those things cherished by many in today’s world which save. The bald guy on TV is completely wrong when he jangles a handful of gold and says, “This is the sound of security; this is the sound of gold.” When the gold is gone, those who trusted in it will be condemned for their misplaced trust. Rather, it is only through the precious blood of Christ that atonement for sin can be made. Don’t miss this key point. When God looks at a faithful believer, He sees the death of His Son and His shed blood – the Just for the unjust. Praise God! As is stated in Exodus, so the same truth carries through in us today, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you…”

Lord God, how can it be that You would send Jesus to the cross in our place? We have failed you since birth, and each day we continue to fall short of Your glory. And yet, You opened Your heart to us, giving us the precious blood of Christ as our atonement. Thank You for having covered us with His perfect righteousness. Glory belongs to You alone! Amen.

Thursday, 10 January 2019

Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. Hebrews 9:21

After receiving the covenant from God, Moses slaughtered an animal and sprinkled the blood on the altar which had been erected. After that, he read the Book of the Covenant in the hearing of the people. Once that was completed, the people proclaimed, “All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient” (Exodus 24:7). From there, he sprinkled the blood on the people, thus binding them to the words they uttered.

In this verse, it is noted that Moses likewise “sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry.” It is not explicitly noted in Moses’ writings that the tabernacle (literally, the tent) was sprinkled with blood. It was, however, sprinkled with anointing oil as is indicated in Exodus 40. In Exodus 29, it is seen that, for the consecration of Aaron and his sons, they and their garments were to be sprinkled with the oil and with the blood that was on the altar as well. Thus, it was probable that the same procedure with blood was a part of the Exodus 40 sprinkling, though not specifically mentioned –

“And you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it; and you shall hallow it and all its utensils, and it shall be holy. ¹⁰ You shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar. The altar shall be most holy. ¹¹ And you shall anoint the laver and its base, and consecrate it.” Exodus 40:9-11

A great deal of work went into making all of these things, and many of them were made of fabric which was extremely beautiful, such as the garments of Aaron and his sons. Here is a part of their description –

“And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate an ephod, a robe, a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister to Me as priest. ⁵ They shall take the gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and the fine linen, ⁶ and they shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, artistically worked. ⁷ It shall have two shoulder straps joined at its two edges, and so it shall be joined together. ⁸ And the intricately woven band of the ephod, which is on it, shall be of the same workmanship, made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen.” Exodus 28:4-8

The actual detail of the workmanship in these garments goes on for many more verses. After all of this care and attention, Moses sprinkled them with blood. This would have permanently stained those things which were made of fabric. This was a lesson that everything on earth was tainted at the fall, including the people. Therefore, to symbolize their corrupt nature and their need for atonement, they were sprinkled with blood to symbolically purify them.

This is actually what Peter is referring to in the opening words of his first epistle –

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, ² who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance.” 1 Peter 1:1, 2

Life application: What does God see when He looks at you? If He sees you without the covering of Christ’s sacrifice, He looks upon you in wrath, because – by your very nature – you are a child of wrath. But if He looks upon the blood of His Son sprinkled on you, then you have moved to a propitious place of favor! As those things of the Old Covenant only anticipated Christ, why would anyone consider going back under it? The blood which was sprinkled was only effective in how it looked forward to Calvary’s cross. The law, which included the sprinkling of animal blood, did nothing to truly cleanse the people. Only in Christ does that occur.

O God, Your word says that the blood of Jesus can cleanse our souls. It can take away all stain of sin. Now we can stand righteous in Your presence, but not because of our own goodness. Rather, it is because of the righteousness of Christ. It is in Christ alone that we are washed and cleansed! Thank You for Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Wednesday, 9 January 2019

…saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” Hebrews 9:20

This continues what was stated in the previous verse. The author explained what rites were accomplished in the cutting of the covenant at Sinai, and now he shows what words accompanied the rite of sprinkling. It is speaking of Moses’ ratification of the Old Covenant. Moses was given specific directions about every single thing he was to do and how he was to do it. When he did something, he did it speaking as an appointed instrument, subordinate to the One who appointed him. As it says, “which God has commanded.”

The fact that God directed all things to be done, and that He also commanded the people within the covenant itself, shows that the covenant is one between a Superior and subordinates. The people agreed to accept the leadership of the Lord, and to do those things which He determined should be done. This then was ratified in the blood of covenant-victim. However, there is a difference between what occurred at Sinai, and what occurred in Christ.

When Jesus gave the New Covenant, it was on His own authority: “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:20).

This is similar to when prophets of old spoke or acted –

“When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed. ³³ He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord.” 2 Kings 4:32, 33

Elisa prayed to the Lord for restoration of the dead. However, Jesus spoke and acted under His own authority –

“Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, ‘Young man, I say to you, arise.’ ¹⁵ So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.” Luke 7:14, 15

Life application: The supremacy of Christ is a concept which has been and will continue to be analyzed in the book of Hebrews, sometimes subtly as in the verse looked at in this commentary. Jesus is “greater than” in all ways because He is the incarnation of the LORD Jehovah. The Old Testament conceals Him; the New reveals Him. Don’t miss the mark by worshiping a false Christ found in a false gospel, such as the “Jehovah’s Witnesses” of today do. Theirs is an ancient heresy going back to a man named Arius which has continued to infect right doctrine throughout the ages. Further, when verses speak of keeping the Lord’s commandments (such a 1 John 2:3, 4), it is referring to the commands of the Lord within the New Covenant context. It cannot be speaking of the Law of Moses, because that law is obsolete and set aside. This is an even older heresy put forth by Judaizers, which is warned about in Paul’s New Testament epistles, especially Galatians. Be aware of the deceit of such false doctrines. Worshiping incorrectly because of belief in a false Christ can only end in death and condemnation.

Lord God, You have set us free from the bondage of our sin and from the bondage of the law which highlights our sin, through the blood of Christ. We can worship You in a way never possible before because of what Jesus did first. Help us to always hold fast to the glorious truth of the gospel which brings freedom from bondage, and also full fellowship with You. Help us to always walk in the light of Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tuesday, 8 January 2019

For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, Hebrews 9:19

The words now give a general description of the rites associated with the establishment of the Mosaic Covenant as has been discussed in verses 9:16-18. “For when Moses” shows that the author has been referring specifically to the Mosaic Covenant. His words have not been speaking of either a “will” or a “testament,” but a covenant. At that time, “Moses had spoken every precept to all the people.” That is seen in Exodus 24:6, which will be cited below. The words he read out to the people were “according to the law.” In other words, he read the agreement which was to be ratified between the Lord and the people, openly and fully. There was nothing hidden from their ears concerning the covenant.

After that, “he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled the book itself and all the people.” The details here do not specifically match what was stated in Exodus 24. For example, it only says “oxen” were sacrificed as burnt and peace offerings. However, the term, “calves and goats,” could be a simple all-inclusive idiom. Or, it could be that the goats were part of an unrecorded sin-offering. Further, the mixture of water, scarlet wool, and hyssop is not specifically referred to in Exodus 24. This doesn’t mean Moses didn’t do this, but rather that it is simply unrecorded. In this, the author is detailing what was known to have occurred.

As an explanation of these things, the mixture mentioned included –

1) The blood of calves and goats. This indicates that young and innocent lives were sacrificed to seal the covenant when accepted by the people. The exact animals, and how they point to Christ, are discussed in the corresponding Superior Word sermons.

2) The water. This was mixed into the blood as a foreshadowing of the blood and water that came from Christ’s side –

“But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.” John 19:34

3) The scarlet wool. This points to Jesus’ sacrifice and the cleansing it provides –

“‘Come now, and let us reason together,’
Says the Lord,
‘Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.’” Isaiah 1:18

4) The hyssop. This is a plant similar to mint and was symbolic of the cleansing power of Jesus. David uses the terminology of such cleansing –

“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:7

The procedure Hebrews is alluding to is mentioned in the book of Exodus, and the mental picture it provides is sobering –

“And Moses took half the blood and put it in basins, and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar. ⁷ Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, ‘All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient.’ ⁸ And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, ‘This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words.’” Exodus 24:6-8

Even the people were sprinkled with the blood of the covenant. This made it binding on them as they said, “we will do, and be obedient.” However, as Paul states elsewhere –

“But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith.’” Galatians 3:11

As you can see, the people promised something they could never fulfill. God knew this, but in His great mercy He provided a covering for them each year on the Day of Atonement; a day which looked ahead to its fulfillment in Jesus.

Life application: The rites of the Old Covenant continually looked forward to their fulfillment in Christ Jesus. They were only types and shadows of what was to come in Him. They actually did nothing but anticipate His fulfillment of these things. To understand what has only been briefly discussed in this verse’s commentary, go back and watch all of the Superior Word sermons in the Pentateuch. You will have a well-rounded understanding of the typology presented there, as well as its fulfillment in Christ.

Lord God, looking at the intricacies of Your plan of redemption, we can see the absolute wisdom in all You have done, and the glory of the promises which are yet ahead for those who have come to You in faith through Christ. Truly, we stand in awe of this plan – from Genesis to Revelation. Glory and praises – they surely belong to You! Amen.