As we continue with chapter nine, the author is going to change his focus from the mediators of the covenants to the covenants themselves. He has started the transition already and now he is really going to swing into it. We are really going to start getting into some heavy and very interesting stuff. So we will only go as fast as we can so that we can all really understand what is going on.
Chapter Nine (cont.)
paraginomai (came) v11 Means to become alongside of or to arrive on the scene, here specifically talking about the human scene. Here the word speaks of an Advent. Jesus was not a mere human being born in the midst of humans. He came from outside of the human race and joined it through the virgin birth.
dia (through) v11 This again is the preposition of intermediate agency. The author is again making the point of the kind of “tabernacle” that the priest serves in effects the priests ministry. If the priest serves in a “type” his service cannot be as effective as the one who serves in the actual.
ktisis (creation) v11 The word used for natural creation. Jesus’ tabernacle was not part of this creation or material universe.
idios (own) v12 The personal pronoun for ownership autos is not used here. The word used is a special word used of a unique relationship
The effectiveness of Jesus’ blood rested, not in the fact that it was human blood, but in the fact that it was blood that had flowed in the veins of the man who was truly God and truly human. This sinless blood out of this unique relationship was the only blood that God would allow to be sprinkled on the mercy seat in the Holies (Holy of Holies)
heurisko (obtained) v12 The writer could have used lambano which is the general word for the idea of obtaining or procuring something. But he uses a specialized word. This word means to find, to come upon, to find a thing sought, to discover. In the middle voice it speaks of the act, not merely of obtaining something, but of seeking for something, of finding it, and then of appropriating it.
lutrosis (redemption) v12 To release on receipt of ransom, to redeem or liberate by payment of a ransom. This word was used of ransom money paid in order to free a slave. This paints a neat picture of what Jesus did for us.
The authors point in verses 13 and 14 is, if the blood of animals, who had no choice in the matter, was sufficient to cleanse the flesh, how much better is the blood of Jesus’ who by his spirit offered himself spotless and sinless to God. The author is starting to prove again his point of superiority by establishing the fact that the blood involved in the new is far superior to the blood involved in the old. The author has made the pint that the blood of the first testament could only cleanse (not cover) from ceremonial defilement, the blood of the new can cleanse from actual sin.
mesites (mediator) v15 One who intervenes between two, either to make or restore peace and friendship, to form a compact, or to ratify a covenant
Jesus became the Mediator not only in order that he might pay the penalty of sinners who live now, since the cross, but also that he might do so for those who lived before the cross. Sinners who were saved under the OT were actually saved, not by it or by any sacrifice offered under it, but through the atoning work of Jesus in the New Testament.
In verses 16 through 22 the author reminds his Jewish readers of the laws and regulations regarding will’s and the laws under which they are or are not enforced. He states that a will is not in effect until the testator or will-ee is dead. God being the testator of the first will and not yet ready to come in the flesh, provided a sacrifice, a substitute whose blood would be used to make the first testament effective. The point here being that nothing was cleansed without death, or the shedding of blood.
In verse 23 the author states that even the heavenly places had to be cleansed with blood. Why? If it is in heaven why doesn’t God’s holiness make the heavenly tabernacle Holy. The heavenly tabernacles purpose is the meet with man, so we see that man’s guilt of sin even extends to THE Holy of Holy’s and since it is God’s meeting place with man it takes death or blood to make it effective. Up until the death of Jesus, the earthly tabernacle was the only place man could have fellowship with God. On the occasion of Jesus’ death the veil was torn in the earthly tabernacle ending it’s time of usefulness, at the same time the heavenly tabernacle was commissioned for use through the blood of Jesus on the cross.
In 25 and 26 the author again makes the point that Jesus’ sacrifice was once and for all. In stark contrast to the earthly priest who daily had to offer sacrifices for himself and others. Jesus also did this at the end of the age, or the period of effectiveness of the Old Testament. Jesus did all of this at end of the effective time of the OT and at the birth of the effective time of the new.
In verses 27 and 28 we again need to remember who the author is talking to. These readers are Jewish. In fact this whole discourse would remind the Jewish readers of the acts of the High Priest on the day of Atonement. First the priest would appear at the brazen altar to make the sacrifice for the people. This would correspond to Jesus’ death on the cross. Next the High Priest would take the offering into the Holy of Holy’s to offer the sacrifice to God. This would correspond to Jesus presentation God in the Holy of Holy’s. The last thing the High Priest would do, would be to go to the Outer Courts having in a symbolic way accomplished salvation. This is the appearance that the Author here is talking about. The second coming here is advent of Jesus at the Millennium where he will proclaim salvation to the Jews.
Chapter Ten
In verses 1 through 4 the author again makes the pint the animal blood, while it could make somebody ceremonially clean who had been previously unclean, could not nor was it ever intended to remove sin. And the fact that this was an ongoing process for the individual meant that the sacrifices themselves were not effective in even cleansing the conscience of the sinner. The sinner knew his sins were not forgiven, merely covered for a season.
In view of the facts mentioned above, Jesus in verses 5 -10 offers Himself to be the sacrifice. In verse 8 it is the fact of the sacrifices ineffectiveness to remove sin that God is displeased with, not the sacrifices themselves. God appreciated the obedience when it came from a contrite heart, regardless of their obvious ineffectiveness. When Jesus offers Himself as the sacrifice, Gold takes away the First Testament and brings in the second or the New Testament. This is the argument of the book of Hebrews.
The author again next compares the earthly priests work of never being complete, to Jesus’ work which is finished. From the earlier words we have studied we know that this sitting down was in fact a coronation of the true High Priest.
Again in verses 13 through 18 the author closes this section of his argument the way he started it by quoting Jeremiah. This covenant would be written on hearts, not tablets of stone, this covenant would remove sins not cover them up. And for the first time the sinner would have a sense and a promise of sins actually removed not covered up. This is why Romans 8:1 says “there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus”. At the end of 18 the author makes the important point that since sins are forgiven, there is now no longer the need for continual sacrifices. Again reminding the readers of the uselessness now of the Levitical system.
No comments:
Post a Comment