RETURN TO SYLLABUS
HEBREWS 9:11-15
LESSON #19
THE PRIEST WITH A CLEAN HEART
- MEMORY VERSE: HEB 9:22
- REVIEW AND CONTEXT:
- WE HAVE STUDIED THE TABERNACLE AND THE PRIESTHOOD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. ALL ARE PREFIGURES OF JESUS CHRIST, HIS PERSON AND HIS WORK ON OUR BEHALF, AS WELL AS OUR RELATIONSHIP TO HIM. THE REST OF THE CHAPTER BRINGS ALL THESE THINGS INTO FOCUS FOR US.
- HEB 9:8-10 THE HOLY SPIRIT IS MENTIONED IN VERSE 8. HE IS THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS WHO REVEALS JESUS CHRIST TO US AND GUIDES US INTO THE HOLY OF HOLIES.
- GOD CALLED MAN TO WORSHIP HIM AND YET THERE WAS A VEIL BETWEEN THE HOLY PLACE AND THE HOLY OF HOLIES. NOW THAT VEIL IS TORN OPEN SO THAT WE HAVE ACCESS. THERE ARE 2 STAGES OF DIVINE NEARNESS TO GOD. YOU CAN GO INTO THE HOLY PLACE, BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT WANTS TO TAKE US INTO THE HOLY OF HOLIES.
- HOW DO YOU ENTER THROUGH THE TORN VEIL?
- YOU MUST BE WILLING TO PASS THROUGH THE VEIL BY DYING TO SELF WILL AS CHRIST DIED, LIVING WITH CHRIST IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, CONTROLLING YOUR MOTIVATIONS AND DESIRES, AND TO LIVING FOR HIM AND SERVING HIM.
- READ HEB 9:11-15
- PREFIGURES IN THIS SECTION
- OLD TESTAMENT HIGH PRIEST (11) = JESUS CHRIST, OUR HIGH PRIEST
- OLD TESTAMENT TABERNACLE (11) = THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY WHERE GOD’S THRONE WAS LOCATED.
- ANIMAL SACRIFICE (12) = JESUS CHRIST, OUR SACRIFICE FOR SIN
- THE HOLY PLACE IN THE TABERNACLE (12) = FIRST STAGE OF OUR NEARNESS TO GOD AS A ROYAL PRIEST FOLLOWING THE PATTERN SET BY JESUS CHRIST.
- JESUS CHRIST LEARNED OBEDIENCE TO GOD BY THE THINGS HE SUFFERED (HEB 5:8)
- ASHES OF THE RED HEIFER (13)
- THIS IS ANOTHER PREFIGURE OF JESUS CHRIST WE HAVE YET TO IDENTIFY.
- CLEANSING OF THE OLD TESTAMENT PRIEST BY BLOOD (14) =
- OUR CLEANSING BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST
- WE WILL SEE THAT IN DETAIL LATER
- THE “FIRST COVENANT” (THE MOSAIC COVENANT) OF THE OLD TESTAMENT (15) = THE NEW COVENANT IN THE BLOOD OF CHRIST UNDER WHICH WE LIVE TODAY.
- THE ASHES OF THE RED HEIFER (13) = CHRIST, WHO CLEANSES US FROM SIN AND SPIRITUAL DEATH READ NUM 19:1-22
- AN ORDINANCE OF CLEANSING:
- USED FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ACCIDENTALLY OR OF NECESSITY CAME INTO CONTACT WITH A DEAD PERSON.
- CHRIST CLEANSES US FROM SPIRITUAL DEATH
- USED BY THE PRIESTS TO CLEANSE THEMSELVES AND THE TEMPLE.
- USED BY THE JEWS ON A NATIONAL LEVEL
- READ DEU 21:6-9
- JEWS BELIEVE THAT BEFORE THE MESSIAH CAN COME, THEY MUST PURIFY THE TEMPLE MOUNT BY PERFORMING THIS ORDINANCE, THEN REBUILD THE TEMPLE, THEN BEGIN ANIMAL SACRIFICE. EZE 36:18, 24-25
- AT THE PRESENT TIME, ORTHODOX JEWS ARE IMPORTING A SPECIAL KIND OF REDHEIFER FROM THE UNITED STATES, BREEDING THEM TO ARRIVE AT THE PERFECT ANIMAL WITHOUT BLEMISH.
- TO GOD, THE JEWS ARE GUILTY OF THE SHED BLOOD OF CHRIST. MAT 27:25
- SHED BLOOD MEANS SOMETHING DIES, AND DEATH DEFILES. HOWEVER, BLOOD NOT ONLY DEFILES BUT IT ALSO CLEANSES. THE BLOOD OF CHRIST WILL CLEANSE THE JEWS OF THIS GUILT WHEN HE RETURNS AND THEY ACCEPT HIM AS THEIR SAVIOR. ZEC 13:1
- SOMEHOW (BY THE HOLY SPIRIT), UNBELIEVING JEWS KNOW THEY NEED CLEANSING BEFORE THEY WILL BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THEIR MESSIAH.
- THE PRACTICE OF CLEANSING:
- THE PRIEST WOULD WASH HIS HANDS OVER THE RED HEIFER. (MUCH LIKE PILATE WASHED HIS HANDS OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST MAT 27:24)
- THE RED HEIFER WAS BEHEADED OUTSIDE THE CAMP SYMBOLIZING THAT SIN IS TAKEN OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS, AND JESUS DIED OUTSIDE THE CITY OF JERUSALEM.
- THE PRIEST SPRINKLES BLOOD IN FRONT OF THE TABERNACLE 7 TIMES. (#7 IS GODS COMPLETE NUMBER)
- THE ENTIRE ANIMAL IS BURNED.
- CEDAR WOOD, HYSSOP, AND SCARLET ARE CAST INTO THE FIRE.
- CEDAR = THE HIGHEST OF TREES MEANING THE DEITY OF CHRIST.
- HYSSOP = THE LOWEST OF HERBS MEANING THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST
- SCARLET = MEANING THE SHED BLOOD OF CHRIST
- THE PRIEST WASHES HIMSELF AND HIS CLOTHES.
- ASHES FROM THE BURNT RED HEIFER ARE MIXED WITH WATER AND KEPT OUTSIDE THE CAMP FOR THE OCCASION WHEN THEY WILL BE NEEDED FOR CLEANSING.
- ASHES = SIGNIFIES A FINISHED SACRIFICE, COMPLETE AND ACCEPTABLE TO GOD.
- CHRIST, OUR FINISHED SACRIFICE, COMPLETE AND ACCEPTABLE TO GOD.
- WHY DO WE NEED SO MANY PREFIGURES OF THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST?
- EACH PREFIGURE PRESENTS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ASPECT OF WHAT CHRIST ACCOMPLISHED FOR US.
- FOR EXAMPLE:
- THE SCAPEGOAT OFFERING ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT = CHRIST WHO SEPARATES US FROM OUR SINS SO THEY ARE REMEMBERED NO MORE.
- THE ASHES OF THE RED HEIFER = CHRIST WHO CLEANSES US FROM THE POWER OF SIN BY SEPARATING US FROM SPIRITUAL DEATH AND GIVING US A CLEAR CONSCIENCE (13,14).
- CLEANSING OF THE PRIESTS (13-14)
- READ EXO 29:19-20
- TO SERVE A “LIVING” GOD, NOT A DEAD IDOL. TO SERVE HIM AS A ROYAL PRIEST, CLEAN AND READY TO MINISTER TO OTHERS.
- BLOOD ON THE RIGHT EAR = THE BLOOD OF CHRIST APPLIED TO WHAT WE HEAR.
- BLOOD ON THE RIGHT THUMB = THE BLOOD OF CHRIST APPLIED TO WHAT WE DO WITH OUR HANDS.
- BLOOD ON THE RIGHT TOE = THE BLOOD OF CHRIST APPLIED TO WHERE WE GO.
- THE SIGNIFICANCE TO US:
- THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST FIRST PAID FOR OUR SINS, THEN OPENED THE GRAVE, AND THEN OPENED HEAVEN (THE TORN VEIL), THEN CLEANSES OUR CONSCIENCE. THE PURPOSE FOR ALL OF THIS IS TO MAKE US READY TO MINISTER AS A ROYAL PRIEST TO OTHERS.
- OUR CONSCIENCE IS SPRINKLED WITH THE WATER OF PURIFICATION BY JESUS CHRIST, OUR HIGH PRIEST.
- CLEANSED FROM DEAD WORKS (14)
- WE DISCUSSED “DEAD WORKS” IN HEB 6:1
- (PLEASE REFER TO YOUR NOTES)
- HOMEWORK
- HEBREWS 9:16-28
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
- APLICATION OF HEB 9:11-15
- WHAT NEW THINGS HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT CLEANSING FROM SIN?
- HOW WILL KNOWING THESE THINGS MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE?
- PREPARATION FOR HEB 9:16-28
- READ HEB 9:16-28
- IDENTIFY AS MANY OF THE PREFIGURES AS YOU CAN IN:
- VERSES 16-22
- THE FIRST COVENANT (MOSAIC COVENANT)(18) = THE NEW COVENANT
- VERSES 23-28
- WRITE ALL THE THINGS THAT THE SHED BLOOD OF CHRIST ACCOMPLISHED.
- WHY DOES VERSE 22 SAY THAT “ALMOST ALL” IS PURGED WITH BLOOD?
- MEMORY VERSE: HEB 9:20