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Hebrews 09:11-28 The Superior Sanctuary – audio
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Text: Hebrews 9:11-28
Introduction
1. In the current section of the epistle to the Hebrews, the focus is on the superiority of the New Covenant which provides:
a. Better promises – Hebrews 8:7-13
b. A better sanctuary – Hebrews 9:1-28
c. A better sacrifice – Hebrews 10:1-18
2. Three weeks ago we considered the earthly sanctuary of the Old Covenant, that tabernacle which:
a. Served as copy and shadow of the heavenly things – Hebrews 9:9; Hebrews 8:5
b. Involved fleshly ordinances imposed only until the time of reformation – Hebrews 9:10
c. And was therefore limited in its ability to provide what man truly needed! – Hebrews 9:9b
3. In the second half of the ninth chapter, we are now introduced to the Heavenly Sanctuary of the New Covenant:
a. The true tabernacle in which Christ is a minister – Hebrews 8:2
b. The true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man – Hebrews 8:2
Body
I. IT IS HEAVENLY (Hebrews 9:11, Hebrews 9:24)
A. A GREATER AND MORE PERFECT TABERNACLE
1. A tabernacle not made with hands
2. A tabernacle not of this creation
3. Where then is this tabernacle? Look ahead to Hebrews 9:24
B. IN HEAVEN ITSELF
1. Christ has not entered the earthly tabernacle made with hands
2. It is into heaven itself that Christ has entered!
3. He now appears in the presence of God
4. Therefore the superior sanctuary is none other than heaven, where God dwells!
5. In this heavenly sanctuary Christ serves as High Priest of the good things to come. The good things includes the promises of Jeremiah 31:31-34, especially the one pertaining to forgiveness of sin
II. ITS MINISTRY EFFECTIVELY DEALS WITH SIN (Hebrews 9:12-15)
A. ETERNAL REDEMPTION IS PROVIDED (Hebrews 9:12)
1. Christ entered the Most Holy Place (heaven)
a. Just as the high priest entered the Most Holy Place in the earthly sanctuary
b. With these two major differences:
1) Jesus took not the blood of goats and calves, but His own blood
2) Jesus entered once for all, not once a year
2. With His blood, He obtained eternal redemption
a. This is why He does not need to offer His blood every year – Hebrews 10:10-12
b. But His redemption is eternal in another sense, as seen later in Hebrews 9:15
B. THE CONSCIENCE IS PURGED OF SIN (Hebrews 9:13-14)
1. The blood of animals was able to purify the flesh of an unclean person
2. But the blood of Christ is able to purge the conscience from dead works (i.e., sin) to serve the living God
a. The animal sacrifices could not do this – Hebrews 9:9-10; Hebrews 9:10:1-2
b. For the daily and annual sacrifices constantly reminded them of sin – Hebrews 10:3
c. Therefore Christ not only removes the legal guilt of sin, but also the inward (or emotional) guilt of sin!
C. THERE IS REDEMPTION FOR SINS UNDER THE FIRST COVENANT (Hebrews 9:15)
1. His role as Mediator of the New Covenant is not limited to those who lived after it became of force
2. His death covers not only sinners since His death, but also those who lived under the first covenant, who were called to receive the promise of eternal inheritance!
3. In providing atonement for those before and after His death, Jesus has truly obtained eternal redemption
III. ITS MINISTRY NECESSITATED A COSTLY SACRIFICE (Hebrews 9:16-22)
A. TO INITIATE A NEW TESTAMENT (Hebrews 9:16-17)
1. A testament, or will, requires the death of the one who makes it
2. It does not become of force until the testator dies
3. The New Covenant with its heavenly sanctuary is like a testament, requiring Jesus’ death for it to become of force
B. TO DEDICATE A NEW COVENANT (Hebrews 9:18-23)
1. Consider what was done with the first covenant
a. It was dedicated with the blood of calves and goats
b. Its tabernacle and furniture were purified with the sprinkling of such blood
2. Should the new covenant require any less?
a. The first covenant contained only copies of the things in the heavens
b. The heavenly things required purification by better sacrifices, Jesus’ own blood
IV. ITS MINISTRY IS FINAL AND COMPLETE (Hebrews 9:24-28)
A. CHRIST IS NOW IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD FOR US…
1. No longer is a high priest serving in a tabernacle made with hands
2. No longer is one serving in what was only a copy
3. Jesus is ministering as High Priest in that which is the true holy place!
B. HE ONLY NEEDED TO OFFER HIMSELF ONCE
1. The all-sufficiency of His sacrifice is seen that He only needed to offer Himself once
a. Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often from the foundation of the world
b. Like the high priests of old, who entered the Most Holy Place each year
2. Therefore, at the end of the ages, He came to put away sin once for all!
a. The phrase end of the ages is equivalent to the last days – Hebrews 1:2
b. That final period of the world’s history – 1 Corinthians 10:11; 1 Peter 1:20
3. Just as man dies only once, so Jesus needed to be offered for sin only once
C. WHEN HE COMES AGAIN, IT WILL BE FOR SALVATION, NOT SIN
1. With His first coming, He was primarily the sin-bearer
a. He came to bear the sins of many
b. Which He did by dying on the cross for our sins – 1 Peter 2:24
2. His second coming will be apart from sin
a. To bring salvation (from the wrath of God to come – Romans 5:9)
b. To those who eagerly await for Him – 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10
Conclusion
1. How is the sanctuary of the New Covenant superior?
a. By virtue of its nature: heavenly, not physical
b. By virtue of its ministry:
1) Dealing effectively with sin
2) Providing complete and final deliverance
2. Why should we be interested in the ministry of The Superior Sanctuary?
a. Because death is our appointed lot (unless Christ comes first) – Hebrews 9:27
b. And then comes the judgment – 2 Corinthians 5:10
c. The ministry of Christ prepares us for that coming judgment!
3. Are you prepared to stand before the judgment seat of Christ?
a. Preparation involves obedience, for Jesus is the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him – Hebrews 5:9
b. Preparation involves allowing the blood of Christ to purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God – Hebrews 9:14
4. Through obedience to the precious gospel of Christ, we can eagerly wait for Him, knowing that for us He is coming to bring salvation and not condemnation! – 1 Thessalonians 1:10
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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Hebrews 09:01-10 The Earthly Sanctuary – audio
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Text: Hebrews 9:1-10
Introduction
1. The main points in the “The Epistle To The Hebrews” are rather simple
a. The superiority of Christ – Hebrews 1:1-7:28
b. The superiority of the New Covenant – Hebrews 8:7-10:18
2. In the “transition passage” of Hebrews 8:1-6, we find
a. The first point summarized – Hebrews 8:1
b. The second point introduced – Hebrews 8:2-6
3. In demonstrating the superiority of the New Covenant, three points are made
a. The New Covenant is based upon “better promises”
b. The New Covenant pertains to a “better sanctuary”
c. The New Covenant provides a “better sacrifice”
4. In Hebrews 8:7-13 we read of the “better promises”
a. Foretold through the prophet Jeremiah – cf. Jeremiah 31:31-34
b. In which God promised a closer relationship with His people, made possible by the forgiveness of sin
5. In chapter nine, our attention is now drawn to the matter of the “better sanctuary” provided by the New Covenant
a. To appreciate the author’s argument, we must be acquainted with the sanctuary of the first covenant
b. Therefore we find a brief discussion concerning “The Earthly Sanctuary” – Hebrews 9:1-10
c. We could turn back to the books of Exodus and Leviticus to read about the earthly sanctuary, but in our text we find a helpful and concise summary.
Body
I. THE EARTHLY SANCTUARY: ITS DESCRIPTION (Hebrews 9:1-5)
A. THE HOLY PLACE (Hebrews 9:2)
1. This was the first part of the tabernacle, in which the priests entered daily
2. Inside of it were
a. The lampstand – Exodus 25:31-40; Exodus 26:35
1) Placed next to the south wall of the tabernacle
2) Made of gold and had seven lamps for burning olive oil
3) It was never allowed to go out
b. The table and the showbread – Exodus 25:23-30; Exodus 26:35; Leviticus 24:5-9
1) A table overlaid with gold
2) On which were kept twelve loaves of bread, in two rows of six
3) Fresh loaves were brought in each Sabbath, and the old were eaten by the priests – 1 Samuel 21:3-6; Matthew 12:3-4
B. THE HOLIEST OF ALL (Hebrews 9:3-5)
1. This was the part of the tabernacle behind the veil, also called “The Most Holy” – Exodus 26:31-33
2. This innermost room of the tabernacle, the holiest place in the worship of Israel, had
a. The golden altar of incense (golden censor, KJV)
1) The golden altar of incense was actually in the Holy Place, just on the other side of the veil separating the two rooms – Exo 30:1-10
a) On this altar sweet spices were continually burned with fire taken from the brazen altar (which was outside the tabernacle)
b) The morning and evening services were begun by the High priest offering incense on this altar
c) Once a year, the High Priest would take a censer of burning coals from this altar along with incense into the The Most Holy Place – Leviticus 16:12
2) It is appropriate to say the The Most Holy Place “had” the golden altar
a) For the smoke of the daily incense would permeate through the veil, and as such be “a perpetual incense before the LORD” – Exodus 30:8
b) The annual ceremony on the Day of Atonement connected in a tangible way the altar of incense with The Most Holy Place – Leviticus 16:12
b. The ark of the covenant
1) A chest made of acacia wood, about four feet long by two and half feet high and wide – Exodus 25:10-16
2) Covered with gold, it was the most sacred thing in the tabernacle
3) In it contained:
a) The golden pot that had the manna – Exodus 16:32-34
b) Aaron’s rod that budded – Numbers 17:1-11
c) The tablets of the covenant – Deuteronomy 10:1-5
4) Covering the ark was the mercy seat – Exodus 25:17-22
a) This lid, covered with gold, was topped with two cherubim (with wings stretched upward, and their faces “toward each other and toward the mercy seat.”)
b) The Lord was said to appear in a cloud above the mercy seat – Leviticus 16:2; Numbers 7:89; 2 Kings 19:5
3. As stated by the author himself, “of these things we cannot now speak in detail”. But a little more is now said regarding the ritual of the earthly sanctuary
II. THE EARTHLY SANCTUARY: IT’S RITUAL (Hebrews 9:6-7)
A. THE RITUAL OF THE HOLY PLACE (Hebrews 9:6)
1. Every morning and evening, the priests would go into The Holy Place “performing the services”
a. They would trim the lamps on the lampstand – Exodus 27:20-21
b. They would offer incense on the altar of incense – Exodus 30:7-8
2. On the Sabbath, the priests would replace the Showbread – Leviticus 25:4-9
3. But none went into The Most Holy Place during these daily services
B. THE RITUAL OF THE MOST HOLY PLACE (Hebrews 9:7)
1. Once a year, only the high priest entered The Most Holy Place – Leviticus 16:2
a. On the Day of Atonement
b. The tenth day of the seventh month – Leviticus 16:29
2. The high priest would do three things:
a. Offer the incense to cloud the mercy seat – Leviticus 16:12-13
b. Sprinkle the mercy seat with the blood of a bull, as a sin offering for himself and his family – Leviticus 16:11,14
c. Sprinkle the mercy seat with the blood of a goat, as a sin offering for the people – Leviticus 16:15
3. In this way he offered blood for his own sins and those of the people committed in ignorance – Hebrews 9:7
4. With this summary of the ritual of the earthly sanctuary, we are reminded of the sort of services rendered under the first covenant. But what was the true purpose of such service? And did the sacrifices provide complete redemption? These questions are addressed in the next three verses.
III. THE EARTHLY SANCTUARY: ITS SYMBOLISM AND LIMITATION (Hebrews 9:8-10)
A. IT WAS SYMBOLIC
1. As already stated, the tabernacle and its service was “a copy and shadow of the Heavenly things” – Hebrews 8:4-5
2. Thus it was “symbolic for the present time” – Hebrews 9:9
a. Symbolizing what eventually would occur when Christ came
b. Symbolizing what Christ has now done in reality when He entered heaven – Hebrews 9:11-12, Hebrews 9:24-26
3. The Holy Spirit was thus indicating that “the way into heaven itself was not yet made manifest” – Hebrews 9:8
B. THERE WERE LIMITATIONS
1. The gifts and sacrifices could not make one perfect in regard to the conscience – Hebrews 9:9; cf. Hebrews 9:14; Hebrews 10:1-4
2. The ceremonies involved “fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation” – Hebrews 9:10
a. Just as the sanctuary was “earthly”, the ordinances were “fleshly”
1) In contrast to that which is heavenly, spiritual
2) Indeed, all of the ritual was designed to impact the physical side of man
a) His senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch)
b) The burning of incense, the blowing of trumpets, the vestments
b. Such ordinances were designed to be temporary
1) Until “the time of reformation”, when changes in worship would be made
2) Indeed, now God expects “spiritual” worship – John 4:21-24
a) Worship that is more in keeping with God’s true nature (Spirit)
b) Worship that focuses on the inner man
1. Singing, where the emphasis is on melody made in the heart – Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16
2. Even in the Lord’s Supper, which has physical elements, the emphasis is on the communion we share in the body of and blood of Jesus as we commemorate His death – 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
3. Therefore we should not be surprised to learn that the early church did not simply incorporate the fleshly ordinances of the first covenant into their worship
Conclusion
1. The earthly sanctuary and its fleshly ordinances served God’s purpose well
a. It revealed the terrible nature and high price of sin
b. It revealed the need for the shedding of blood to provide the remission of sin
c. It prepared people for the coming of the ultimate sacrifice and complete redemption
2. But as useful as it was, it was temporary and symbolic
a. A copy and shadow of what was to come
b. Designed to vanish away when what it represented came to pass
3. As we shall see more fully in our next study
a. Christ has come and entered into “the greater and more perfect tabernacle”
b. He has “obtained eternal redemption”
c. He has made it possible to “purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God”
4. Why would one ever wish to go back to the earthly sanctuary and its fleshly ordinances?
5. Why do some people wish to introduce Old Testament practices into the worship of the Lord’s church?
6. It can only be a failure to appreciate what we now have in Christ, and the kind of worshippers God now desires. As Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well:
“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” – John 4:23-24
7. Are we worshipping God the way He desires? Or in whatever way that appeals to our fleshly senses and personal desires?
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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