CONTEXT: The book of Hebrews is a letter of exhortation ("But I urge you, brethren, bear with this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly" Hebrews 13:22) addressed to Jewish recipients who had entered the New Covenant or were being drawn that direction. This letter provides many exhortations (strong urgings, appeals and encouragements) designed to undergird the readers so that they would hold fast to the truth about Jesus their great High Priest and conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the New Covenant into which they had entered, despite severe persecution ("a great conflict of sufferings" Hebrews 10:32) and strong temptation to return to Judaism and the regulations of divine worship under the Old Covenant ("who shrink back to destruction" Hebrews 10:39). Chapters 5-7 presents a strong argument explaining why Jesus is a better High Priest than the Levitical priesthood and Chapters 8-10 amplify why Jesus now has a more excellent ministry in the New Covenant and how this covenant is a better covenant with better promises.

Remember that the Old Covenant ("the first"), which was never referred to as everlasting, was inaugurated by God at Mt Sinai, with the nation of Israel, through the mediation of Moses, for the purpose of setting Israel apart as God's special possession and included promises of blessing for obedience and curses for disobedience (therefore a conditional covenant), and Israel agreed to obey the covenant laws ("All...we will do!"), this agreement being solemnly attested to and ratified by "the blood of the covenant".

How does the place of service of earthly priests contrast with that of our High Priest Jesus? (Heb 8:5-note)

What is the main point of the preceding chapters? (Heb 8:1-note)

Jesus our High Priest has taken His seat at right hand of throne of Majesty in heavens

Where does He minister? (Heb 8:2-note)

What is Jesus' ministry in the true tabernacle according to (Heb 7:25-note)?

How is the first covenant described? (Heb 8:7-note)

Not faultless

What was the fault? (Heb 8:9-note)
People did not continue in OC

What is the status of the first covenant? (Heb 8:13-note)

How is Jesus' ministry described?  (Hebrews 8:6-note)

More excellent
(than OC priests)
Mediator a better covenant

Where is this better covenant first mentioned and to whom? (Heb 8:8-note)

Jeremiah 31:31, 32, 33, 34
To Israel and Judah

Why is the NC
a better covenant? (Heb 8:6-note)

It is based on

Better promises than OC

What are some of the better promises noted in Heb 8:10,11,12 (see notes Heb 8:10,11,12)?

"I will" (6x) (no conditions)

Put His laws into their minds

Write laws upon their hearts

Be their God, they His people

All shall know God

Mercy for their iniquities

Remember their sins no more

What structure does the writer describe in Heb 9:1; 2; 3; 4; 5 - see notes Heb 9:1; 2; 3; 4; 5)?

The earthly tabernacle
(see note)

See Tabernacle Diagram
 

See note on location of
"altar of incense"

How is the priestly activity characterized in (notes Heb 9:6; 7 see notes Heb 9:6; 7)?

Priests continually (daily) entered the outer tabernacle (note)

Only High Priest entered the 2nd (Holy of holies) 1/yr & only with blood for himself & the people (note)

How did the Holy Spirit use the Tabernacle to teach Israel according to (Heb 9:8-note)?

He used it as a "Symbol" =
The OC trappings were set beside the NC to allow comparison (See note)

 What truths did the Holy Spirit teaching using the symbol of the Tabernacle (Heb 9:8-Heb 9:8; Heb 9:9 note)?

1) The majority of the people had no access into the presence of God (Holy Place = Holy of holies) as long as the Tabernacle stood or as long as it had a significant standing in their mind (See note regarding translation)

2) Animal sacrifices were unable to cleanse one's conscience (remember that the heart of the problem is the problem with the heart) (note)

What was the implied weakness of the OC according to (Heb 9:10-note)? (Clue: see NLT)

How does the writer allude to the New Covenant in (Heb 9:10-note)?

The time of reformation
(straightening out)
(see note)
 

Only the NC could set things right between God and man

Application to NT believers: Are you still trying to earn a sense of being pleasing to God by trusting in your good deeds and/or good behavior. The problem with this approach is that you never know when you have done enough to please Him and the result is often an uneasy, troubled, restless feeling. If this is you beloved, you need to cease striving and know that He is God and believe that He has graciously provided for your bold entrance into His glorious presence through His beloved Son's finished work as your Great High Priest!
 

How is the priestly activity of Christ contrasted ("but when") with that of the OC (Heb 9:11-note; Heb 9:12- note)?

1) Where?: He entered the greater, more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, not of this creation

He entered the "holy place" in heaven = very throne room of God!

2) When?: He entered once for all

His work is finished. PTL! (See John 19:30)

3) How?: He entered through His own blood (not through the blood of animals)

What did the priestly activity of Christ accomplish (Heb 9:12-note)?

Eternal
Redemption

Redemption = lutrosis = Greeks used it to describe paying a ransom to free slaves, for all who enter the new covenant it means deliverance from the guilt, penalty and power of our old "master" Sin, so that now we don't have to obey Sin

What was the purpose of the blood of animals and sprinkled ashes of a heifer (Heb 9:12-note;Heb 9:13 note)?

V12 Made it possible for the earthly high priest to enter the Holy Place on the Day of Atonement

How did blood of Christ compare with the blood of animals (Heb 9:14-note)?

Much more effective

Blood of Christ was
Without blemish
(cf 1 Peter 1:18-note; 1Pe 1:19 note)

Christ by the power of the eternal Spirit as the High Priest Who offered Himself as the sacrifice!

OT priests carried animal blood in as their offering
 

How much more effective was blood of Christ compared to blood of animals (Heb 9:14-note)?

The blood of Christ effects a complete cleansing of our conscience from dead works (deeds that only lead to death) to serve the living God

How does the writer refer to Christ in (Heb 9:15-note)?
Mediator of a New Covenant
(see comment)

How did He become the Mediator?
A death took place

How does the writer explain why Christ had to die (Heb 9:16-note; Heb 9:17- note)?

What did Christ death accomplish according to (Heb 9:15-note)?

Redemption of the transgressions committed under the first covenant
(see comment)

How was the first covenant inaugurated? (Heb 9:18; 19; 20; 21; 22) (see notes Heb 9:18; 19; 20; 21; 22)

With blood (which was proof of death so that as is the case with a will the terms of the will could now be activated) - Moses sprinkled people, book, tabernacle, vessels of ministry

The blood of the covenant

What was the effect
of this blood? (Heb 9:22-note)

Almost all things
cleansed with blood

What does he reiterate regarding the blood in (Heb 9:23-note)? What was the blood used for?

Copies of the things (emphasizing again that the tabernacle on earth was just a model) in the heavens were cleansed with blood

How were the heavenly things cleansed? (Heb 9:23-note)

With better sacrifices

than the blood of animals

Why were better sacrifices necessary? (Heb 9:24-note)

Christ entered not into a copy (like the earthly priests) but into heaven itself

What is the better
promise that is suggested in (Heb 9:22-note)?

Forgiveness of sins

Note: (Also see note) Strictly speaking this is not a promise although it does foreshadow or preview a better promise. The point the writer is making is that forgiveness cannot occur without the shedding of blood - shedding of blood in the OC brought a temporary sense of forgiveness but it was an incomplete forgiveness. Perfect forgiveness demanded a perfect blood sacrifice, which the writer has already presented in in verse 14. Christ's who was without blemish fulfilled the Law which paved the way for perfect forgiveness to be received by those who believed.

Forgiveness = aphesis [from apo = away from + hiemi = send] (see word study on aphesis) which refers first to an action which produces a separation. Aphesis was used as a legal term meaning to repay or cancel a debt or to grant a pardon. Through the shedding of His own blood, Jesus Christ actually took the sins of the world upon His own head, as it were, and carried them an infinite distance away from where they could never return. That is the extent of the forgiveness of our trespasses.
 

What's the better promise Christ accomplished by entering into the true holy place made without hands? (Heb 9:24-note)

Appears in the presence of God for us (in our place)

What does he repeat about the high priest in (Heb 9:25-note)?

How often did Christ enter the true holy place? (Heb 9:26-note)

Once at the consummation of the ages
 

What did Christ
accomplish? (Heb 9:26-note)

What analogy does the writer make to help us understand Christ's death just once (in contrast to the yearly deaths of animals)? (Heb 9:27-Heb 9:27; Heb 9:28 note)

What is the better promise that is effected by Christ dying once? (Heb 9:28-note)

Bear the sins of many

What else is promised as a result of His dying once?

Christ shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin
(His second coming)

Who will receive this future tense salvation (explained below)?

All who eagerly await Him
 

Beloved are you looking for Him?

Looking will motivate living for Him!

This verse speaks of...
 

Future tense salvation =
We will be saved =
Glorification =
Click Three Tenses of Salvation

(Eph 1:14 - note, Ro 8:23-note)
 

How did the writer refer to the Law in (Heb 10:1-note)?

Shadow not form (reality)

Why was the Law a shadow... What could the Law never do? Heb 10:1; 10:2; 10:4)(see notes Heb 10:1; 10:2; 10:3; 10:4)

1 Yearly sacrifices can never perfect those who draw near

2 Cannot remove consciousness of sins

4 Impossible for animal blood to take away sins

Was the Law useless? What was one purpose of the Law? (Heb 10:3-note)

Constant reminder
of sins

What was the Law a shadow of in (Heb 10:1, 2, 3 4)?(see notes Heb 10:1; 10:2; 10:3; 10:4)

Good things to come
The very form of things

What are "the good things to come"?

The New Covenant mediated by the Great High Priest Who offered the perfect sacrifice once for all time

What are the implied promises of the "good things to come"?
 

1) Make perfect those who draw near to God

2) Removes consciousness of sins

3) Takes away sins

How does Jesus explain the inadequacy of the OC burnt offerings and sacrifices according to (Heb 10:5-note; Heb 10:6-note; Heb 10:8-note)?

Father did not desire them

What was God's solution in view of the inadequacy of the Law? Heb 10:5; 10:6; 10:7; 10:8; 10:9  (notes Heb 10:5; 10:6; 10:7; 10:8; 10:9)

God prepared a body for Jesus (He had to have a body to be a blood sacrifice)

What was Jesus' response to God? (Heb 10:7-note; Heb 10:9-note)

He came to do
His Father's will

What is the conclusion in view of the fact that Jesus states He will do His Father's will? (Heb 10:9-note)

Takes away the first in order to establish the second

How are we sanctified since the Law is taken away? (Heb 10:10-note)

What is the better promise in (Heb 10:10a-note)?

We have been sanctified

Perfect tense indicates completed action at a point in time in the past with present and ongoing effect.

This verse speaks of...
 

Past tense salvation =
We have been saved =
Justification by faith =

Click Three Tenses of Salvation

We have been once and for all time declared righteous (our standing or position before God is that we are perfectly righteous because we are hid in Christ, our Righteousness)

How does he describe the work of the earthly priest? (Heb 10:11-note)

Stand daily ministering and offering the same sacrifices

What is the problem with their ministry?

Can never (ever)
take away sins

What is the contrast in (Heb 10:12-note)?

Jesus offered one sacrifice for sins for all time

How do we know it was a satisfactory sacrifice?

Jesus sat down at the right hand of God = His work is finished

What is Jesus doing now according to (Heb10:13-note)?

Waiting until all His enemies are conquered
(footstool for His feet)

What did Christ's one offering (in contrast to the many offerings of the earthly priests) of Himself accomplish? (Heb 10:14-note)

He has perfected for all time those who are (being continually) sanctified

This verse speaks of...
 

Present tense salvation =
We are daily being saved =
Sanctification by faith =

Click Three Tenses of Salvation

How can we be assured that God has perfected us for all time and is daily sanctifying us? (Heb 10:15-note)

Holy Spirit continually bears witness with us

What does the Spirit quote? (Heb 10:16-note; Heb 10:17-note)

What promises does the Spirit repeat? (Heb 10:16-note; Heb 10:17 note)

God's Laws upon our heart
Written upon our mind

God will no more remember our sins and lawless deeds

How complete is the work of the New Covenant? (Heb 10:18-note)

There is no longer a need for blood sacrifices

What is the wonderful promise in Heb 10:18-note?

There is now forgiveness of all our sins and iniquities

What is the basis on which a believer can now enter the presence of God?  Heb 10:19; :20; 21; 22; 23 (notes 19; :20; 21; 22; 23)

19) The blood of Jesus

20) A new and living way has been inaugurated for us through the veil (His flesh) in the very throne room of God

21) We now and forever have a great High Priest

22) Our hearts have been sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water

What is the better promise in Hebrews 10:19-note?

Confidently enter Holy Place Into presence of God

What is the better promise in Hebrews 10:22- note?

Hearts sprinkled clean
(new heart Ezek 36:26,
circumcised hearts Dt 30:6)

1) Draw near with a since heart in full assurance of faith

2) Hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for He Who promised is faithful