9:1-10 What do we learn from this?
9:1-10 What do we learn from this?
This is a brief description of the earthly tabernacle Moses built as a representation or type of the true heavenly tabernacle into which Jesus entered bearing His own blood, after His death on the cross (CP 8:1-5; 9:11-12, 24; 10:19-20).
A detailed description is found in the Old Testament books of Exodus and Leviticus (CP Ex 25:1, 8-10, 17-40; 26:31-35; Lev 16:11-17).
This was the earthly shadow or example, of the heavenly reality. Every part of the tabernacle was typical of the nature of God, the coming redemption , the sinfulness of man, the means of pardon through grace, and the full reconciliation of man to God.
The sanctuary, or Holy of Holies, where God dwelt in the earthly tabernacle, typified God's dwelling place in heaven (CP He 8:1-5).
The Ark of the Covenant testified to God's presence in the sanctuary. It contained the Ten Commandments and was a continual reminder of the covenant between God and Israel (CP Ex 25:21; He 9:4).
The Ark also contained the manna which God gave to the children of Israel to eat in the wilderness, which foreshadowed Jesus as the true bread of God from heaven (CP Ex 16:4, 16-18, 33 with Jn 6:31-35).
The Ark of the Covenant also contained Aaron's rod that budded and bore almonds, which testified that God had chosen Aaron to be the first high priest of the earthly tabernacle, a type of the priesthood of Jesus (CP Nu 17:1-10 with He 5:1-6; 7:1-3, 11-17, 22-24).
The mercy seat covering the Ark of the Covenant, upon which the high priest sprinkled the blood of the sin offering every year on the day of atonement, typified the heavenly throne of grace where Jesus now sits at God's right hand (CP He 4:14-16; 9:24; 10:19-20).
The mercy seat emphasises that forgiveness of sins is possible only by God's grace and mercy on the basis of His justice satisfied through the shed blood of Jesus, who was the true mercy seat, or propiation for sin which is what mercy seat means (CP Lev 17:11 with Ro 3:24-25; 5:11; Col 1:20; 1Jn 2:2).
Finally, in He 9:8 we learn that the Holy Ghost signified by the fact that the high priest had to enter the Holy of Holies every year to make atonement for sin by sprinkling the blood of the sin offering on the mercy seat, that the earthly tabernacle was merely a shadow of the realities in Christ.
The Old Testament priests could not provide direct access to God for His people through the blood of animal sacrifices. It is only through the blood of Jesus, the supreme sacrifice, that a way was made that leads directly to God (CP Ro 5:1-2; He 9:7-9 with 8:5; 10:1, 12-14, 19-20).
See also comments on He 4:14-16, 7:25, 8:6.