It is abundantly clear that sacrifices offered by imperfect men never have and never will be sufficient to remove sins. In fact, even under the Old Testament—a revelation from Almighty God—the sacrifices of bulls and goats only reminded people of their sins. Note, the sins were not “rolled forward” as some wrongfully conclude. Rather, they were reminded of their sin and the need for a sacrifice to take it away…and that the animals did not do the job because they had to be offered again and again.

Instead, Jesus came as the perfect sacrifice for sins. He was divine and God prepared a body for Him. He came to do the will of God, “by which will we have been sanctified.” The sacrifice we offer now is our body as a living sacrifice to God; both in gratitude and duty (Rom. 1:1, 2).

Hebrews 9:16-22 tells us the death of Christ was essential. The New Covenant could not be established without it. Remission of sins would be impossible if He did not shed His blood.

The first covenant was established with the blood of animals; the second with the blood of Christ. Hence, the latter is far superior to the former. Its requirements and our resulting obligations and gratitude reflect this. Let us honor the blood-sealed Covenant of Christ.

In Hebrews 9:11-15, the writer previews what he will discuss in the rest of chapter 9 and all of chapter 10. His lists many things about Jesus, His function, and the purpose of His advent.

1. High Priest.
2. Built a greater tabernacle.
3. Used His blood, not that of animals.
4. One sacrifice, not many.
5. For redemption, including those under the Old Testament.
6. Mediator.
7. Established a New Covenant.

Truly, Jesus is our all in all.

The writer gives us a good overview of the first tabernacle. It would be nice to see it today as it was then; no doubt an amazing structure. Yet, it was temporary and significantly inferior to what we have now.

Take note that the ark of the covenant contained three things: 1. The golden pot that had the manna; 2. Aaron’s rod that budded; 3. The tablets of the covenant. The latter is what is interesting. The tablets were the Ten Commandments which were representative of the entire covenant. Since the covenant is done away with, so are the tablets. In other words, the Ten Commandments are no longer in force (cf. 2 Cor. 3:3-13). Our moral standards are rooted in the New Testament of Jesus Christ, not the Old Testament of Moses.

Jesus Christ is the true high priest now. In contrast to the Levites who ministered in a physical tabernacle/temple made with the hands of men, Jesus ministers in the true tabernacle—the church—built by the Lord.

The Old Testament system was merely a copy and shadow of the real and genuine. And, as Moses was required to follow the pattern given by God, so are we. If it was important to do so for the “shadow” it is that much more important for the substance.

Notice again the writer states Jesus is the Mediator of a “better” covenant established on “better” promises. We are way better off than folks under the Law of Moses.

Jehovah took an oath that Jesus would be a priest in the order of Melchizedek. This was superior to the way Levitical priests were appointed. And, thus, “Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.” The covenant is superior just as His priesthood is.

His priesthood is unchangeable because He is eternal. The priests under the old covenant died. Jesus, being immortal, does not need replacing.

Because of the exceeding greatness of His priesthood and its unchangeable nature, Jesus is able to save to the uttermost. He can completely save the worst of sinners—not almost, partially, or just barely—but completely. How thankful we ought to be for this.

Finally, His one sacrifice was sufficient to all for all time. There is power in the blood…power to save even me.

Hebrews 6:13-20, is all about the faithfulness of God. The contrast is the fickleness of some men (Heb. 6:1-12). God is not this way.

When God made a promise to Abraham, He meant it. Nothing could or would stop Him from keeping it. The Savior was sent into the world. He gave His life for us; to take away our sins. Now we have an anchor for our soul.

Jesus is in heaven, ruling and reigning at the right hand of God. He is our advocate before the Father. No matter what happens in life, our faith in Him cannot be taken away or the blessing promised stolen. As we maintain our confidence in Him, we are assured of His blessings and the promised rest. So, the troubles of life are troublesome, but they do not move us away from the promise.

Hebrews 6:1-12 is one of the more difficult sections of the book, maybe the most difficult.

The readers are admonished to move on; to grow beyond the basics of the religion of Christ. They are then warned about falling away (something related to a lack of knowledge and / or growth).

In the context, those in danger of falling away are those who are turning back to the Old Law. They obeyed the gospel, enjoyed spiritual blessings in Christ, but are losing trust in Him as the way of salvation. When one loses that trust in Christ, it is impossible to get them to repent. And, in their action they are crucifying afresh the Son of God. In such cases, they are “thorns and briers” fitted for destruction, not redemption.

The writer expressed confidence that the readers would not be among those falling away and exhorted them to “imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

In Hebrews 5:1-14, the writer begins a discussion about the priesthood of Christ, which is finished in chapter seven.

God appointed the priests of the Old Testament. They served to offer sacrifices for themselves and on behalf of men. Similarly, Jesus was appointed by God as high priest. However, Jesus did not offer a sacrifice for His sins—He had none. He only sacrificed for the benefit of men.

In the sacrifice offered, He learned obedience. He wanted there to be another way, but humbly submitted to the Father’s will and offered Himself on a tree. Thus, He was perfected as the Savior of man.

The writer digresses at this point and tells the Hebrews they ought to be more mature. This is true with many who have been Christians for any length of time. Study and application of God’s word are neglected, and therefore a person stands in need of teaching instead of being able to teach others.

The word of God is powerful. It penetrates the soul. It reveals our true nature; our attitude and disposition toward God and truth. Without it, we are totally lost. With it, we know the why of life. Let us embrace it.

We can and must make our appeal to heaven in time of need. A bold approach is required. We are to lay it all out before God, seeking His help and comfort. His throne is a throne of grace. He is not a tyrant or indifferent toward us. Rather, He loves us and is interested in our daily struggles and trials. His desire is to bless us, help us grow, draw us closer to Him and save us in the end. Let us take advantage of God’s favorable disposition and lean on Him for our needs.