Heb 9:1-10 | 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).
Summary for Heb 9:6-8: 9:6-8 ^ar The worship practices in the Holy Place, the first room of the Tabernacle (9:2 ^as), were the duty of the priests, who kept the lamps lit and the sacred loaves of bread replenished (Exod 27:20-21 ^at; Lev 24:8 ^au).
9:7 ^av The yearly duty was carried out on the Day of Atonement, when the high priest offered sacrifices for the sins not covered by other sacrifices during the previous year (Lev 16:1-25 ^aw).
9:8 ^ax was not freely open: Free entrance into the presence of God was not available to all of the people under the old covenant system.

• The outer room of the Tabernacle, which served as a sacred barrier keeping the people from the presence of God in the Most Holy Place, was symbolic of the whole system. Under that system, people were kept out of God’s presence rather than led into it.
9:9 ^ay This is an illustration: The problem with the gifts and sacrifices of the old covenant is that they were not able to cleanse the consciences of the people—they could not remove people’s guilt before a holy God (cp. 9:14 ^az; 10:2 ^ba, 22 ^bb; 13:18 ^bc).
9:10 ^bd The old system dealt only with physical regulations, and it could not deal with the condition of the heart (8:10 ^be; 10:21-24 ^bf). Consequently, it was provisional, only intended to last until Christ could come and establish a better system (9:11–10:18 ^bg).