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9:1 Then verily the first
covenant had also
ordinances of divine
service, and a worldly sanctuary.
9:2 For there was a
tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the
candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the
sanctuary.
9:3 And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the
Holiest of all; 9:4 Which had the golden
censer, and the ark of the
covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot
that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the
covenant; 9:5 And over it the
cherubims of glory shadowing the
mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak
particularly.
9:6 Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always
into the first tabernacle,
accomplishing the service of God.
9:7 But into the second went the high priest alone once every year,
not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of
the people: 9:8 The
Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the
holiest of all was not yet made
manifest, while as the first
tabernacle was yet standing: 9:9 Which was a figure for the time then
present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could
not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the
conscience; 9:10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers
washings, and carnal
ordinances, imposed on them until the time of
reformation.
9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a
greater and more perfect
tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to
say, not of this building; 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and
calves, but by his own blood he
entered in once into the holy place,
having obtained eternal
redemption for us.
9:13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an
heifer sprinkling the unclean,
sanctifieth to the purifying of the
flesh: 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the
eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your
conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 9:15 And for this
cause he is the mediator of the new
testament, that by means of death,
for the redemption of the
transgressions that were under the first
testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal
inheritance.
9:16 For where a testament is, there must also of
necessity be the
death of the testator.
9:17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is
of no strength at all while the
testator liveth.
9:18 Whereupon neither the first
testament was dedicated without
blood.
9:19 For when Moses had spoken every
precept to all the people
according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with
water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and
all the people, 9:20 Saying, This is the
blood of the testament which
God hath enjoined unto you.
9:21 Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the
vessels of the
ministry.
9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and
without shedding of blood is no
remission.
9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the
heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things
themselves with better
sacrifices than these.
9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands,
which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to
appear in the presence of God for us: 9:25 Nor yet that he should
offer himself often, as the
high priest entereth into the holy place
every year with blood of others; 9:26 For then must he often have
suffered since the
foundation of the world: but now once in the end of
the world hath he
appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself.
9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the
judgment: 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many;
and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time
without sin unto
salvation.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
Hebrews
Book: Hebrews
Chapter: 9
Overview:
The Jewish
Tabernacle and its utensils.
(1-5) Their use and
meaning.
(6-10) These fulfilled in
Christ.
(11-22) The
necessity, superior dignity, and power of his priesthood and
Sacrifice.
(23-28)
1-5 The
Apostle shows to the
Hebrews the typical reference of
their ceremonies to
Christ. The
Tabernacle was a movable
Temple,
shadowing forth the unsettled state of the
Church upon
Earth,
and the human nature of the
Lord Jesus Christ, in whom the
Fulness of the
Godhead dwelt bodily. The typical meaning of
these things has been shown in former remarks, and the
ordinances and articles of the Mosaic
Covenant point out
Christ
as our
Light, and as the
Bread of
Life to our souls; and remind
us of his Divine Person, his holy priesthood, perfect
Righteousness, and all-prevailing intercession. Thus was the
Lord Jesus Christ, all and in all, from the beginning. And as
interpreted
By the
Gospel, these things are a glorious
representation of the
Wisdom of
God, and confirm
Faith in Him
who was prefigured
By them.
6-10 The
Apostle goes
On to speak of the Old
Testament
services.
Christ, having undertaken to be our High
Priest, could
not enter into
Heaven till he had shed his
Blood for us; and
none of us can enter, either into
God's gracious presence here,
or his glorious presence hereafter, but
By the
Blood of
Jesus.
Sins are errors, great errors, both in
Judgment and practice;
and who can understand all his errors? They leave guilt upon the
Conscience, not to be washed away but
By the
Blood of
Christ. We
must plead this
Blood On Earth, while he is pleading it for us
in
Heaven. A few believers, under the Divine teaching, saw
something of the way of access to
God, of
Communion with him,
and of admission into
Heaven through the promised
Redeemer, but
the Israelites in general looked
No further than the outward
forms. These could not take away the defilement or dominion of
Sin. They could neither discharge the debts, nor resolve the
doubts, of him who did the service.
Gospel times are, and should
be, times of reformation, of clearer
Light as to all things
needful to be known, and of greater
Love, causing us to
Bear
ill-will to none, but good-will to all. We have greater
Freedom,
both of
Spirit and speech, in the
Gospel, and greater
obligations to a more holy living.
11-14 All good things past, present, and to come, were and are
founded upon the priestly office of
Christ, and come to us from
thence. Our High
Priest entered into
Heaven once for all, and
has obtained eternal
Redemption. The
Holy Ghost further
signified and showed that the Old
Testament sacrifices only
freed the outward
Man from ceremonial uncleanness, and fitted
him for some outward privileges. What gave such power to the
Blood of
Christ? It was
Christ's
Offering himself without any
sinful stain in his nature or
Life. This cleanses the most
guilty
Conscience from dead, or deadly,
Works to serve the
living
God; from sinful
Works, such as pollute the soul, as dead
bodies did the persons of the Jews who touched them; while the
Grace that seals
Pardon, new-creates the polluted soul. Nothing
more destroys the
Faith of the
Gospel, than
By any means to
weaken the direct power of the
Blood of
Christ. The depth of the
Mystery of the
Sacrifice of
Christ, we cannot dive into, the
height we cannot comprehend. We cannot search out the greatness
of it, or the
Wisdom, the
Love, the
Grace that is in it. But in
considering the
Sacrifice of
Christ,
Faith finds
Life,
Food, and
refreshment.
15-22 The solemn transactions between
God and
Man, are
sometimes called a
Covenant, here a
Testament, which is a
willing deed of a person, bestowing legacies
On such persons as
are described, and it only takes effect upon his
Death. Thus
Christ died, not only to obtain the blessings of
Salvation for
us, but to give power to the disposal of them. All,
By Sin, were
become guilty before
God, had forfeited every thing that is
good; but
God, willing to show the greatness of his
Mercy,
proclaimed a
Covenant of
Grace. Nothing could be
Clean to a
sinner, not even his religious duties; except as his guilt was
done away
By the
Death of a
Sacrifice, of value sufficient for
that
End, and unless he continually depended upon it. May we
ascribe all real good
Works to the same all-procuring cause, and
offer our spiritual sacrifices as sprinkled with
Christ's
Blood,
and
So purified from their defilement.
23-28 It is evident that the sacrifices of
Christ are
infinitely better than those of the
Law, which could neither
procure
Pardon for
Sin, nor impart power against it.
Sin would
still have been upon us, and have had dominion over us; but
Jesus Christ,
By one
Sacrifice, has destroyed the
Works of the
Devil, that believers may be made righteous, holy, and happy. As
No Wisdom, learning, virtue, wealth, or power, can keep one of
the human race from
Death,
So nothing can deliver a sinner from
being condemned at the
Day of
Judgment, except the atoning
Sacrifice of
Christ; nor will one be saved from eternal
Punishment who despises or neglects this great
Salvation. The
believer knows that his
Redeemer liveth, and that he shall see
him. Here is the
Faith and patience of the
Church, of all
sincere believers. Hence is their continual
Prayer as the
Fruit
and expression of their
Faith, Even
So come,
Lord Jesus.