Redemption Obtained

Hebrews 9:1-14

How can guilty sinners, men and women who know they are sinners, -- who know they have broken God’s holy law, willfully and constantly, from their youth up, -- who know that in thought, word, and deed, in action and in attitude, they are vile, abominable, and unclean, approach the holy Lord God with confidence, peace, and assurance of acceptance? That is a huge question. But the answer to that question is given plainly and clearly in Hebrews 9:1-14.

The Tabernacle

In verses 1-7 we are given a brief description of the ordinances of divine worship in the Old Testament. That typical, ceremonial dispensation had a tabernacle (a temporary place of worship) made according to the pattern God showed Moses in the mount. It was an earthly, carnal tabernacle; and the rules and regulations for sacrifice and worship were carnal ordinances (Heb. 9:10). The tabernacle was forty-five feet long, fifteen feet wide, and fifteen feet high. It had two sections separated by a heavy veil.

In the first section, called “the holy place,” there were three pieces of furniture. (1.) The table of showbread was a wooden table overlaid with gold, picturing both the humanity and deity of Christ. The bread (twelve loaves) represented Christ, the Bread of life. (2.) The golden lamp stand portrayed our Lord Jesus Christ as the Light of the world. It was made of pure gold, representing our Lord’s deity. There were seven candles in the lamp stand, portraying the perfection of his being and the completeness of his revelation. (3.) The altar of incense (Ex. 30:1,6-9), with its continual, sweet burning incense before the veil, typified Christ’s intercession as our great Advocate and High Priest before the Father.

The second section of the tabernacle was called “the holiest of all.” In that room there was one piece of furniture with two parts. That one piece of furniture was the ark of the covenant, the most important thing in the Jewish worship in the Old Testament. It was made of wood covered with pure gold, and contained the tables of the law, Aaron's rod that budded, and the golden pot of manna. The mercy-seat was a solid lid of pure gold. It completely covered the ark and the tables of God’s broken law, which were in it. The mercy-seat, the place of atonement and propitiation, was overshadowed by the cherubims of glory (Rom. 3:24-26).

The Sacrifices

In verses 6 and 7 the sacrifices, required by God’s law in the Old Testament are described. The common priests went every day into the holy place, the first tabernacle, every morning and every evening, accomplishing the service of God. None of the common priests were allowed to go beyond the veil into the holiest of all. The high priest alone was allowed to enter in behind the veil. He went in once every year, on the day of atonement, with the blood of the paschal lamb, and sprinkled the blood of the lamb on the mercy-seat covering the broken law (Ex. 30:20; Lev. 16:15-17).

The Meaning

These things may seem strange to us. Many look at these things and say, “Well, that has no meaning for us today.” What a tragic mistake! In verses 8-10 the Holy Spirit tells us that these divinely ordained ordinances signified the necessity of Christ’s accomplishments at Calvary. The Holy Spirit used those ordinances to declare that the way to God was not yet revealed (Heb. 10:18-20). The tabernacle, its priesthood, and its services were only symbols, types, and pictures of Christ and the accomplishment of redemption by him. Those sacrifices and services could never take away sin (Heb. 10:1-4). All the carnal ordinances and legal services of the Old Testament were imposed upon the children of Israel until the coming of Christ, who put an end to them by fulfilling them.

Redemption Accomplished

In verses 11-14 the Holy Spirit tells us that Christ, our great High Priest, our sin-atoning Substitute, by the sacrifice of himself, has actually accomplished and obtained eternal redemption for God’s elect by the infinite merit and efficacy of his shed blood.

Verses 11-12 declare the efficacy of Christ’s shed blood. – The Lord Jesus Christ has, by the sacrifice of himself, fully satisfied the law and justice of God, and has thereby obtained eternal redemption for us. At God’s appointed time Christ came (Gal. 4:4,5), made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem and save his people. He came to bring the good things of everlasting salvation and ultimate glory to God’s elect (Eph. 1:3-6). He dwelt (tabernacled) among men as a man. In him men meet God, and in him God deals with men. He is our Representative, our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (2 Cor. 5:19). He died in our room and stead (2 Cor. 5:21). By the merit of his blood, our great High Priest entered into the true holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. By his one offering the Lord Jesus Christ perfected forever all who were sanctified, set apart by God for himself in eternal election (Heb. 10:11-14). Now, because Christ has made us priests, believing sinners can come boldly before the very throne of grace (Heb. 4:14-16; 10:19-22; Luke 23:45).

Not only is his blood efficacious with God, Christ’s blood is efficacious to purge the consciences of believing sinners, when applied to our hearts by the Holy Spirit (vv. 13-14). When the holy Lord God looks on the blood of Christ, he says, “ENOUGH.” When the believing sinner looks on that same blood, his conscience says, “ENOUGH!” Thus, redemption was obtained. Thus redemption is applied!