Heb 9:1-5 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Heb 9:1-10:18: 9:1–10:18 This section argues that Christ’s death, the sacrifice in the new covenant, is superior to the sacrifices in the old covenant. In 9:1-10 , the author describes aspects of worship under the regulations of the old covenant (see Exod 28–29 ; Lev 1–10 ; 16:1–17:16 ). In Heb 9:11–10:18 , these regulations are contrasted with Christ’s superior offering. Summary for Heb 9:1-5: 9:1-5 These verses describe the Tabernacle , Israel’s place of worship before the Temple was constructed.

Summary for Heb 9:1-10:18: 9:1–10:18 ^a This section argues that Christ’s death, the sacrifice in the new covenant, is superior to the sacrifices in the old covenant. In 9:1-10 ^b, the author describes aspects of worship under the regulations of the old covenant (see Exod 28–29 ^c; Lev 1–10 ^d; 16:1–17:16 ^e). In Heb 9:11–10:18 ^f, these regulations are contrasted with Christ’s superior offering.
Summary for Heb 9:1-5: 9:1-5 ^g These verses describe the Tabernacle, Israel’s place of worship before the Temple was constructed.
9:2 ^h Israel’s Tabernacle was a tent with two rooms (see Exod 25–31 ⁱ; 35:1–40:38 ^j).

• a lampstand: Exod 25:31-40 ^k; 26:35 ^l.

• a table: Exod 25:23-30 ^m.

• The priests went into the Holy Place daily in their ritual duties (Heb 9:6 ⁿ; see Exod 28:43 ^o; Num 28:3-8 ^p).
9:3 ^q At the back of the first room of the Tabernacle was a curtain that separated the first room from the second room called the Most Holy Place (Exod 26:31-33 ^r). This curtain was a sacred barrier: Only the high priest could go behind it into the Most Holy Place, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement (Heb 9:7 ^s; see Exod 30:6 ^t, 10 ^u; Lev 16:2-34 ^v; 23:27-32 ^w).
9:4 ^x The gold incense altar probably stood just outside the inner curtain (Exod 30:1-10 ^y); its location is ambiguous at points in the Old Testament, but it was closely associated with the Most Holy Place (Exod 30:6 ^z; Lev 16:13 ^aa; 1 Kgs 6:22 ^ab).

• Since it represented the presence of God, the Ark of the Covenant was the most important item in the Tabernacle (see Exod 25:10-22 ^ac).

• The gold jar containing manna was a reminder of God’s provision in the wilderness (Exod 16:32-34 ^ad).

• Aaron’s staff that sprouted leaves (see Num 17:1-11 ^ae) was a reminder not to rebel against God’s chosen leaders (Num 17:10 ^af; cp. Heb 13:17 ^ag).

• The stone tablets of the covenant held the Ten Commandments and were to remind the people of the terms by which they were to live out the covenant (Exod 25:16 ^ah; 31:18 ^ai; Deut 9:9–10:5 ^aj).
9:5 ^ak The cherubim of divine glory were statues of angels formed into the Ark’s cover. This category of angels is especially associated with God’s glorious presence (Gen 3:24 ^al; Pss 80:1 ^am; 99:1 ^an; Isa 37:16 ^ao). The Ark’s cover itself was the place of atonement, on which the blood from the Day of Atonement sacrifice was to be sprinkled (Lev 16:14-16 ^ap).

• But we cannot explain these things in detail now: The main focus of the discussion is the offering of sacrifices under the old covenant (Heb 9:6-10 ^aq).