The Grace Commentary – Your free verse-by-verse Bible commentary Hebrews 9

Hebrews 9:8

The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing,

(a) The Holy Spirit is also known as the Spirit of God or the Spirit of Christ; see entry for John 14:26.

(b) The way into the holy place. Jesus is the Way.

(c) Not yet been disclosed. Although some in the Old Testament had a prophetic understanding of God’s plan for salvation (1 Pet. 1:10), most people had no idea what was coming.

Hebrews 9:9

which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience,

(a) A symbol. The tabernacle was a picture what has now been revealed in Christ.

(b) Perfect in conscience. Good deeds and sacrifices may quieten a conscience for a time, but there is only one way to have a good and perfect conscience before God, and that is to live in submission to the Holy Spirit.

(b) Conscience. Your conscience is that inner voice that lets you know whether you are walking in the will of God or whether you have departed from it. The original noun (suneidesis) it is made up of two words that loosely translate as “with knowledge.” Your conscience knows when you have crossed the line and missed the mark. How does it know? From where does your conscience acquire the knowledge of right and wrong? For some, this knowledge is defined by cultural norms. For others, it may come from some religious code such as the Law of Moses. But ultimately any definition of right and wrong is grounded in the character of God. God alone defines what is good and it is his sense of morality that is hardwired into creation.

See entry for Conscience.

Hebrews 9:10

since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation.

Washings. The original word for washings (baptismos) is related to the word for baptism (baptisma) and means immersion (see Heb. 6:2). To be baptized means to be dipped or immersed. See entry for Baptism.

Hebrews 9:12

and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

(a) Once for all. God doesn’t do partial redemptions. On the cross, everything that needed to be done was done and no further sacrifice for sin remains (Heb. 9:26, 10:18). The blood of Jesus completely satisfied all demands against you (see entry for 1 John 2:2).

(b) Eternal redemption. In Christ you are eternally forgiven and eternally saved. See entry for Heb. 5:9.

(c) Redemption means ransoming. To redeem is to release someone by paying a ransom price. Jesus gave his life as a ransom for all (1 Tim. 2:6).

Hebrews 9:14

how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

(a) The blood of Christ is the remedy for all your sin and all your guilt (see entry for Heb. 10:22).

(b) Cleanse your conscience. It is possible to have a conscience that is good, clear, and perfect before God (Acts 23:1).

Many of us are condemned by our consciences for things we have done or not done. Burdened by guilt we turn to religion to find relief only to encounter the ceaseless demands of the law. With religious zeal we try to make the guilt go away but it’s no use. We keep nine laws but break the tenth. We’re good six days but stumble on the seventh. No matter how hard we work, the guilt pile just keeps growing. The only cure for a guilty conscience is the cleansing blood of Jesus.

Hebrews 9:15

For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

(a) For this reason. Paul is drawing a conclusion based on what he has just said. “For this reason” was one of Paul’s favorite sayings. See entry for Rom. 1:26.

(b) Redemption; see entry for Heb. 9:12.

(c) Transgressions. The original noun parabasis means overstepping and can be translated as transgression (1 Tim. 2:14), violation (Rom. 4:15), offense (Rom. 5:14) or breaking the law (Rom. 2:23). It is related to the verb parabaino which means transgressing or going beyond.

(d) The promise of the eternal inheritance. The old covenant did not promise eternal life because the law is incapable of imparting life (Gal. 3:21). But the new covenant promises an eternal inheritance to those who come to Christ through faith.

Hebrews 9:16

For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it.

Death. On the night before his death, the Son of God announced a “new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20). He was declaring his last will and testament, a new covenant that would come into effect when he died. Christ’s death on the cross is the great dividing line of history as it marks the beginning of the new covenant.

Hebrews 9:21

And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood.

Sprinkled. The tabernacle of Moses and the various implements and garments used in Old Testament worship were sanctified by the sprinkling of blood (Ex. 24:6, 29:21).

Hebrews 9:22

And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

(a) Cleansed. Old covenant cleansing rituals were a shadow of a new covenant reality; we are cleansed by the blood of the Lamb (Heb. 12:24).

(b) The Law refers to the Law of Moses (Jos. 8:31, John 1:17). See entry for The Law.

(c) Forgiveness. The original word (aphesis) for forgiveness is a noun that is sometimes translated as remission and means a letting go or dismissal (see entry for Luke 24:47). Because of his great love, God chooses to remember your sins no more (Heb. 8:12, 10:17), and he is no longer holding your sins and trespasses against you (2 Cor. 5:19).

Hebrews 9:26

Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

(a) The consummation of the ages was the cross. The era of the old law-keeping covenant came to a glorious culmination at the cross.

(b) He has been manifested. Christ appeared in human form.

(c) Put away sin. As far as God is concerned, your sins have been done away with. Your sins are no longer the issue. The only question is whether you will come humbly to his throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace (Heb. 4:16).

A sign that you have not received his grace is you are trying to make yourself right with God. “I have to repent and confess and deal with my sin.” Such a mindset reveals that you have forgotten that you have been purified from your former sins (2 Pet. 1:9). Your sin was dealt with once and for all at the cross and no more sacrifice remains. Jesus will never come and die for your sins again (Heb. 9:28, 10:18)

Hebrews 9:27

And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,

Judgment. The word for judgment means decision or verdict. Every one of us makes a decision about Jesus, and in the end, every one of us gets what we want. Those who desire life shall have it and in abundance, for Jesus is the Giver of Life. And those who prefer to have nothing to do with him shall get their wish too.

Hebrews 9:28

so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

(a) The sins of many. Why does Jesus bear the sins of many (Is. 53:12), when his sacrifice was for all (Heb. 7:27, 1 John 2:2)? Jesus paid for all but not all receive his grace. Many do; some don’t. All who come to the throne of grace shall get grace, but not all come. See the entry for Matt 20:28.

(b) A second time refers to the second or final coming of the Lord. This event is also referred to as the day of Christ (Php. 1:6, 10, 2:16), the day of the Lord (Acts 2:20, 1 Cor. 5:5, 1 Th. 5:2, 2 Th. 2:2, 2 Pet. 3:10), the day when the Son of Man is revealed from heaven (Luke 17:30, 2 Th. 1:7), or the days of the Son of Man (Luke 17:26).

(c) Salvation. The original word means deliverance or rescue. Jesus is the great Deliverer who rescues us from our enemies (Luke 1:71). See entry for Salvation.

(d) Without reference to sin. All your sins – past, present and future – were dealt with once and for all at the cross and no further sacrifice for sin remains (Heb. 9:26, 10:18).

When Jesus returns, he will not come to deal with your sin because everything that needed to be done was done at the cross. “For Christ also died for sins once for all” (1 Pet. 3:18).

(e) Eagerly await. In his eschatological parables Jesus told stories of masters, noblemen, and bridegrooms being gone “a long time” (Matt. 24:48, 25:5, 25:19). Since Jesus has been gone a long time, he exhorts us to “be like servants waiting for their master” (Luke 12:36). The need to wait is echoed by the epistle writers. “Wait eagerly for our adoption as sons” (Rom 8:23); “We hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it” (Rom 8:25); “We eagerly await a Savior” (Php. 3:20); “Be patient brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits…” (Jas. 5:7); “Wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life” (Jude 1:21).

Jesus and every New Testament writer spoke of the need to wait patiently and eagerly for the Lord’s return. We are to be watchful and ready, but we are not to put life on hold. Plant trees and raise families, and do whatever God put you on this earth to do. Invest, build, dig deep and go long. Let your light shine so others may praise your Father in heaven.

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Hebrews 9