Our Old Covenant Purpose - Hebrews 9:1-10

I’m more excited about this week’s section than most we’ve done so far – and that’s something! I’ve loved all of this study so far. We become so engrossed in our own little reality in our own little time that we lose sight of the greater picture. This study reminds over and over, however, that God’s reality focuses on the whole picture, beginning with the fall of Adam and Eve and ending with a new heaven and a new earth sometime in the future. His reality includes a plan to redeem every person in every land in every era from the beginning until the end.

Click picture for a printable handout for this section.

Last week’s section revealed the old covenant plan had a fault due to our inability to live up to it. I asked a question a few weeks ago and I ask it again now, “If the old covenant – the Law, the sacrifices, the priesthood – had a fault, then why do it? Why not skip it and go straight from Melchizedek’s priesthood to that of Jesus the Messiah?”

We found the first answer when I posed my question the first time. We learned the old covenant was required in order to define and reveal sin for us. “For no one will be justified in His sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law” (Romans 3:20; see also Romans 7:7-8 and Galatians 3:19).

The second answer is equally as important and we find it at the beginning of the passage for this section. I encourage you to start by reading Hebrews 9:1-10. The old covenant was necessary because it gave us the regulations required to atone for our sin. To reveal sin without offering a plan for atonement would be inadequate. In its completeness, the Law both defines sin and offers a way to make it right.

What are those regulations? (9:1)

Regulations are the acts required to make someone righteous. The regulations utilize great detail to show us both the ministry / worship required of us and the place where that worship should occur. We’ll look at them in a lot less detail here.

Regulations for Ministry
Some translations say “ministry” while others prefer the word “worship.” Either way, the idea here isn’t the normal words for ministry (diakonos from which we get deacon) or for worship (proskyneo from which we get prostrate). Hebrews 9:1 uses a far less common word, latreia, which means, “the service and worship of God according to the requirements of the Levitical law.” More simply put, the old covenant gave us regulations for how to worship and serve in the Temple.

Regulations for the Earthly Sanctuary
The tabernacle was “a copy and shadow of what is in heaven” based upon a pattern given to Moses by God (Hebrews 8:5). The real thing is God's throne room in heaven.

The Law gave us the regulations to atone for our sin – both in the required acts of service and the location in which those acts were done.

Regulations for the Earthly Sanctuary (9:2-5)

When stripped of all the elaborate details, the sanctuary was an outer room called the Holy Place and an inner room known as the Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies was a square room half as big as the Holy Place.

The Holy Place contained the lampstand with the oil, the table with the loaves of bread, and the altar with the incense. The Hebrews passage lists the altar of incense in the Holy of Holies but the Old Testament lists it as “in front of the veil by the ark of the testimony where the High Priest could burn incense “every morning” and “at twilight” (Taken from Exodus 30:6-8). If the High Priest burned incense twice a day then the altar must have been in the Holy Place as the High Priest could only enter the Holy of Holies one time per year. We’ll discuss the possible reasons why the author of Hebrews changed it in the application later.

The Most Holy Place, or the Holy of Holies, contained the Ark of the Covenant covered by the mercy seat. Two golden cherubim angels covered the mercy seat with outstretched wings. The Ark held a golden jar of manna (Exodus 16:31-36), Aaron’s staff that had budded (Numbers 17:1-11), and the tablet on which God engraved the Law (Exodus 25:16). This location was most holy because it was God’s dwelling place on earth. He told Moses, “I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony; I will speak with you from there about all that I command you regarding the Israelites” (Exodus 25:22).

Regulations for Ministry (9:6-7)

The priests and high priest had very specific duties. The requirements were long and complex. Here, though, we’ll look only at the basic duties given in the Hebrews passage.

The priests entered the Holy Place daily. The oil in the lamp was to burn continually so it required constant care; they had to place fresh bread on the table before every Sabbath. The priests ate the removed bread in a holy place (Leviticus 24:1-9). The Law also required them to burn incense on the altar every morning and evening (Exodus 30:7-8).

The Holy of Holies was entirely different. The high priest alone could enter the Most Holy Place, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement. The rituals involved were deep and intricate. Regarding the Holy of Holies, though, he entered the room with blood from the bronze altar outside the sanctuary, incense from the altar of incense, and coals from the altar. The smoke from the burning incense would cover the mercy seat to protect the high priest while he sprinkled the blood from the sacrifice on the mercy seat (Leviticus 16:11-14).

What’s the Point for Us? (9:8-10)

Ok, wow, that’s a lot of details and information. Actually, though, it’s nothing compared to the depth of detail given in the five books of the Torah! Perhaps, like me, you find it interesting because of a Spirit-given love for the Jewish people and their history. Or, maybe you like it because it’s part of the Word of God, although I admit, many Christians bore easily with the Old Testament Law. Why should we care?

We care because as long as the ancient tabernacle and later the Jewish Temple stood, “the way into the Holiest Place was still closed” (Hebrews 9:8 CJB). With the Messiah, that way is now open to us.

All of the regulations were physical representations of the true Holy Place before God; they were only to be “imposed until the time of restoration” (Hebrews 9:10). Or, to put it another way, they were “imposed until the time for God to reshape the whole structure” (Hebrews 9:10 CJB). With the Messiah, the time of restoration began.

One little word in verse 9 really helps us understand the significance of it all. The regulations were “a symbol for the present time.” The word symbol is the same Greek word we often translate as parable. A parable is an earthly example used to teach a spiritual, heavenly truth. The earthly tabernacle and temple ministry are an earthly example used to teach us about the true tabernacle and service before God’s holy throne in glory. That throne room is the Holy of Holies where Jesus entered with the blood of His own sacrificed body. “We have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens – Jesus the Son of God… We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner… who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary and the true tabernacle that was set up by the Lord and not man” (Hebrews 4:14, 6:19-20, and 8:1).

As a parable, great significance hides in the details if we are willing to search it out. What can we learn from this elaborate parable?

We have three duties as priests to fulfill on a regular, ongoing basis.
We are followers of Jesus. Therefore, we are priests of the tabernacle in which He serves as high priest. “To Him who loves us and has set us free from our sins by His blood, and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father – the glory and dominion are His forever and ever” (Revelation 1:5-6; see also Revelation 5:9-10). The items in the Holy Place and the regular duties of the priests show us our similar duties.

The lampstand burned continually to shine light outward and provide illumination. Likewise, we need to continually shine God’s light out to the world through the power of the Holy Spirit within us. Oil often symbolizes the Holy Spirit in Scripture. (Matthew 5:14, John 8:12, Ephesians 5:8).

The priests inwardly consumed the old bread on the table weekly after they replaced it with fresh loaves. Similarly, we come together once a week to consume the bread of life – the Word of God, the Word made Flesh (Matthew 26:26, John 6:31-58).

Finally, the priests burned incense on the altar every morning and evening. The smoke permeated the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. Even more, it rose upward before God as a fragrant offering. The burning incense represented the prayers of the people (Revelation 5:8, 8:3-5). Our third duty as priests in God’s kingdom is to regularly and daily intercede before God on behalf of the people.

Remember the discrepancy between the book of Hebrews and the Old Testament regarding the location of the altar of incense? Let’s consider that now. Even in the days of the old covenant, the smoke from the altar entered the Holy of Holies to cover the mercy seat and protect the life of the high priest. In that regard, it has served a duty in both rooms since the beginning. However, I think there’s more here.

When Jesus died, God tore the veil separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). This tear revealed to us that the way into the Holy of Holies was opened for all people at all times; not only the High Priest on the Day of Atonement (Hebrews 6:19-20). We no longer need a high priest to take the incense from the altar into the Holy of Holies for us along with the blood of the sacrifice. With Jesus’ final and sufficient sacrifice, we can boldly approach God’s holy place personally and individually. We can stand in His presence and offer up our own incense prayers for forgiveness, intercession, praise, and thanksgiving.

We have a high priest who atones for our sin and enables our connection with the holy, triune God.
The Holy of Holies contained only one piece of furniture but within it were three separate items. The Holy of Holies was an exact representation of one God comprised of three distinct persons. Unfortunately, the three elements of the triune God also revealed our human nature to sin against each individual One. Therefore, we also see the need to sprinkle the blood of atonement upon the mercy seat.

The manna was the bread of heaven which came down to offer life to the people. Jesus clearly taught us that He is the true bread of heaven (John 6:31-58). However, the Israelite people responded to the manna with gripes and complaints of ungratefulness. Likewise, in our sin nature, we respond to Jesus' gift of the bread of His body with ungratefulness.

The staff was the symbol of being a priesthood chosen by God. A staff also offers guidance. The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth (John 16:13). Even more, He is the mark sealing us as a chosen priesthood (Ephesians 1:13). Aaron’s staff budded in response to complaints among the Israelite people. Others among the people felt they were more qualified to serve as priest. Yet God made Aaron's staff bloom to confirm that he was God's choice for the priesthood. Our sinful response to God’s guidance through the Holy Spirit is to rear the ugly head of pride and rebellion. We choose to control our lives ourselves rather than submit to the control of the Spirit who has marked us as His chosen one.

The tablet contained the Law – the standard of perfection of a Holy God (Leviticus 22:31-33). The fault with the old covenant wasn’t with perfect God; the fault was in our inability to live up to it. In the tablet, we see our final sin response – our failure and lack of perfection. We can never live up to God’s perfect standard.

We have a temple and a temple ministry.
This has been long; I know. Thank you for staying with me until now. This is the heart of why we care about the duties and requirements of the ancient tabernacle. The Jewish temple was destroyed 1,945 years ago. And yet, the temple still exists today as the dwelling place of God on earth. “Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary and that the Spirit of God lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s sanctuary, God will destroy him; for God’s sanctuary is holy, and that is what you are” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). The destruction of the temple ended the daily service of the priests and yet we are called to perform that very service – that latreia duty. “Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1).

Friend, you are the temple of God and He calls you to perform the regulated acts of the priests within your body. He has saved you by grace as our high priest Jesus sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat to atone for our ungratefulness, pride and rebellion, and lack of perfection. Now is the time for you to step into your daily duties as priest in His kingdom - shine your light continually in the darkness, consume the bread of Jesus and His Word on a regular basis, and enter God's holy presence in prayer to intercede for this hurting world. This is your spiritual worship; this is your latreia.


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