Bible Diary - Hebrews 9:15-23

September 21, 2008

I don’t know for sure what provision God made for Old Testament believers, but this passage makes it clear the role Jesus plays in dealing with my violations of God’s call. In this passage, both the new and old covenants are likened to a will, which becomes valid only at the death of the maker of the will.

9:15 And so he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance he has promised, since he died to set them free from the violations committed under the first covenant. 9:16 For where there is a will, the death of the one who made it must be proven. 9:17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it carries no force while the one who made it is alive. 9:18 So even the first covenant was inaugurated with blood. 9:19 For when Moses had spoken every command to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats with water and scarlet wool and hyssop and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 9:20 and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that God has commanded you to keep.” 9:21 And both the tabernacle and all the utensils of worship he likewise sprinkled with blood. 9:22 Indeed according to the law almost everything was purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. 9:23 So it was necessary for the sketches of the things in heaven to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves required better sacrifices than these.

In Old Testament times, this death was symbolized by sprinkling of the blood of sacrificial animals. Without this shedding of blood there could be no forgiveness. Blood ritual, however, was only a sketch of purification in heaven, and the ritual had to be performed over and over again, because the people and their priests knew that their forgiveness was not complete.

The passage to follow explains how the new covenant under Jesus Christ completes the sketch and provides true forgiveness.

Dave

-sdg-

Posted by Dave | Filed Under Bible