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Hebrews 9 Commentary

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Hebrews 9:1-7

The Old Covenant had regulations for worship, and the Pauline Author explains some of them here. He will then proceed to show how these look forward to and teach of Jesus.

The law and the tabernacle served as a representation of Christ and the true tabernacle in heaven, and now that Christ has come it is fulfilled. The truths demonstrated inside the tabernacle are now to be a reality within the tabernacle of the human bodies of believers, in their conscience.

Hebrews 9:11-12

Christ’s priestly ministry is better than that of the Old Covenant. He entered the greater tabernacle, through His own blood, and He did it once for all.

Hebrews 9:13-15

If the blood of animals was able to cleanse sins, then through the blood of Christ we will gain much more, leading to a life of constructive service to God and freedom from a cluttered conscience.

Hebrews 9:16-22

Death is necessary to validate a covenant; death played a role in the Old and the New Covenants.

Hebrews 9:23-28

Christ’s sacrifice was better than any previous sacrifices: He offered it in the presence of God, the blood of the sinless Son was offered, and it was offered once for all.

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Chapter Context

This chapter focuses on the comparison of Jesus’s sacrifice of Himself and the repetitive sacrifices offered by the Levite priests according to the law. The law and the Levite priests served as a reflection of and illustration for the better covenant enacted by Jesus. Contrasting the old sacrifices with the better sacrifice Jesus offered further reinforces that the New Covenant is better than the Old. Priests sacrificed animals and served in an earthly tabernacle as a reflection and anticipation of Jesus being offered as a once-and-for-all, perfect sacrifice and as a high priest serving in the greater and true tabernacle in heaven.