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    Hebrews 9:13-28
    Lesson 427

    Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

    In this lesson:
     
    Lesson 426 continues. 
     
    Jesus, a better sacrifice than animals.
     
    Jesus' sacrifice fulfilled the Old Covenant.
     
    "The promise of eternal inheritance." (9:15)
     
    Also;
    Do you fear death?  Meditate on verses 9:27-28.

    Moses with the First Covenant.
     
    (Unknown artist)
    Study Tip:
     
    Repetition is a tool writers use to emphasize key points.
    Repeating words or themes is a clue that God considers them important.
    Hover over these passages a little longer to fully grasp their meaning.

    The Epistle of Paul The Apostle To The Hebrews

    The King James Bible    ​




    Hebrews 9:13-28
    Christ the mediator
    ​
    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:
     
    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?
     
    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.
     
    16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
     
    17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
     
    18 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.
     
    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,
     
    20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.
     
    21 Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.
     
    22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
     
    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.
     
    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:
     
    25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
     
    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.
     
    27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
     
    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.

    ​

    Margin notes:
     
    "The unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh." (9:13) - Sacrificing animals only symbolically cleansed the body.  Animal sacrifices cannot save the soul.
     
    "Purifying of the flesh." (9:13) - Again, the rites and ceremonies of the Old Covenant only symbolically purified the body, not the soul.  See Numbers 19:1-22 for more on ceremonial cleansing.
     
    "The blood of Christ...(will) purge your conscience from dead works." (9:14) - "The blood of Christ will purify and clear your conscience of sin."  The atoning blood of Jesus washes away the sins of everyone who accepts Christ as their Savior.  The blood of sacrificial animals cannot.   
     
    "Eternal Spirit." (9:14) - "Holy Spirit."  
     
    "Without spot." (9:14) - "Without blemish, fault."
     
    'He is the mediator of the new testament." (9:15) - Jesus is our High Priest (Hebrews 3:1) and mediator with God (Romans 8:34; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1).
     
    "By means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament." (9:15) - Jesus' death on the cross washed away the sins of those who lived before Jesus and died under the first (Old) Covenant.
     
    "Where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator." (9:16) - "Where there is a last will and testament, it is necessary for the person with the will to die before it becomes effective."
     
    "A testament is of force after men are dead." (9:17) - "A last will and testament is enforced only after the person is dead."
     
    "Neither the first testament was dedicated without blood." (9:18) - "Not even the First Covenant was established without blood." 
     
    "When Moses had spoken every precept." (9:19) - "When Moses pronounced all the commandments."
     
    "(Moses) sprinkled both the book, and all the people." (9:19) - See Exodus 24:7-8.
     
    "This is the blood of the testament." (9:20) - "This is the blood of the covenant."  Note the similarity between these words and the words spoken by Jesus at The Last Supper (Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24).
     
    "God hath enjoined unto you." (9:20) - "God has commanded you to obey."
     
    "He sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry." (9:21) - See Leviticus 8:15; 8:19.
     
    "Without shedding of blood is no remission." (9:22) - "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Leviticus 17:11; Matthew 26:28; Acts 2:38).  See "Today's question" below.
     
    "The patterns of things in the heavens." (9:23) - "The copies of things in heaven."  The tabernacle was a copy of the real thing in heaven.
     
    "Be purged."  (9:23) - "Be cleansed."  
     
    "Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are figures of the true." (9:24) - "Christ is not found in a man-made holy place (Hebrews 8:2).  It is only a copy of the real one in heaven."
     
    "To appear in the presence of God for us." (9:24) - Our High Priest Jesus stands before God to mediate on our behalf.
     
    "Nor yet that he should offer himself often." (9:25) - Jesus' atonement on the cross was the only sacrifice humanity needed.  He did not have to offer endless sacrifices like the Jewish High Priests.
     
    "The end of the world." (9:26) - The end of the world began when Christ died on the cross.  Since then, mankind has been living in the final phase of God's plan, the last days.
     
    "He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." (9:26) - He (Jesus) arrived to put away sin by sacrificing Himself."
     
    "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." (9:27) - We die and are judged.
     
    "Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many." (9:28) - Jesus' one sacrifice on the cross took away the sins of "many" but not all.  To be absolved of sin, we must believe and accept the sacrifice Jesus made for us.
     
    "Appear the second time." (9:28) - Jesus will reappear.  This is called the Second Coming. ​​


                                                  New Living Translation 
     

    Hebrews 9:13-28
     
    13 Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people's bodies from ceremonial impurity.

    14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.

    15 That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.
     
    16 Now when someone leaves a will, it is necessary to prove that the person who made it is dead.

    17 The will goes into effect only after the person's death. While the person who made it is still alive, the will cannot be put into effect.
     
    18 That is why even the first covenant was put into effect with the blood of an animal.

    19 For after Moses had read each of God's commandments to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, and sprinkled both the book of God's law and all the people, using hyssop branches and scarlet wool.

    20 Then he said, "This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you."

    21 And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the Tabernacle and on everything used for worship.

    22 In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.
     
    23 That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals.
     
    24 For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf.

    25 And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal.

    26 If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice.
     
    27 And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,

    ​28 so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.

    ​This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word-for-word translation of the Bible.  However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
    Today's questions:
     
    1.  Why must the forgiveness of sins entail blood? (9:22)   
     
    2.  What is the difference between sacrificing animals and Jesus' sacrifice on the cross?  
     
      
     
      
    Strengthen your relationship with God by studying the Bible each day.
    Answers: (Do you agree?)
     
    1. "This is no arbitrary decree on the part of a bloodthirsty God, as some have supposed.  There is no greater symbol of life than blood; blood keeps us alive.  Jesus shed his blood - gave his life - for our sins so that we wouldn't have to experience spiritual death, which is eternal separation from God.  Jesus is the source of life, not death, and he gave his own life to pay the penalty on our behalf so that we might live.  After shedding his blood for us, he rose from the grave and proclaimed victory over sin and death." 
     
    (From the "Life Application Study Bible" Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois; page 2462)
     
    2. "When the people sacrificed animals, God regarded their faith and obedience, cleansed the people from sin, and made them ceremonially acceptable according to Old Testament Law.  But Christ's sacrifice transforms our lives and hearts and makes us clean on the inside.  His sacrifice is infinitely more effective than animal sacrifices." 
     
    (From the "Life Application Study Bible" Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois; page 2461)​
      
        
     
     
    Application thought for the day:
     
    Does your conscience need purging? (9:14)
    Is God speaking to you through your conscience?
    Is there a problem in your life that needs to be addressed? 
    Pray over it, and your next spiritual step will be easier.   ​   
    Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke.  Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course, the "King James Bible."  All were critical in putting these lessons together.
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