The writer of Hebrews begins his telling comparison between the saving powers of the old and new covenants with a brief summary in verses 1-5 of the layout and furnishings of the wilderness tabernacle, which he concludes by saying, “Of these things we cannot now speak in detail” (v. 5). Indeed, there was no real need to discuss them in detail because his Jewish readers were well acquainted with the desert sanctuary and its regulations for worship.

The inadequacy of the Old Covenant (vv. 6-10): The old system was inadequate for two reasons – its limited access and its limited efficacy. Just how restricted the access was, is seen in the experience of the official hereditary priesthood as verse 6 describes it. If they were fortunate, they got to go into the outer room once in their priestly lives for a week. The Israelite layperson’s access was even less – the front of the courtyard, and that’s all! If one was fortunate enough to attain high priest, one could have access for a blessed (and tense!) minutes at best. On the Day of Atonement, when the high priest took his censer in to first burn incense in God’s presence, it was prescribed that he must not stay too long “lest he put Israel in terror.” The people waited with bated breath, so that when he came out from the presence alive, there went up a sigh of relief. In verses 7-8 the point is crystal-clear: throughout the ages of the old covenant, there was no direct access to God, period!

But as inadequate as the access to God under the old system was, it was exceeded by its limited efficacy. The blood sacrifice that the high priest offered only covered sins of ignorance (v. 7). There was no provision in the old covenant’s sacrificial system for forgiveness of premeditated sins! Premeditated, willful sins were called sins of the “high hand,” and for such there was no remedy (see Num. 15:30-31).The spiritual limitations of the old system went even deeper, because since only sins of ignorance were forgiven no one could have a completely clear conscience (vv. 9-10). So the limitations of the old covenant were profound – limited access and limited efficacy.  The average Joes were several ecclesiastical layers removed from access to God’s presence – and their consciences never rested easy.

The adequacy of the New Covenant (vv. 11-14): Christ’s unrestricted access is dramatically stated in verses 11-12. Christ came having given His own precious blood once and for all, and then He sat down at the right hand of the Father – never more to leave. Everything foreshadowed by the earthly tabernacle is fulfilled in His priesthood in ways beyond description. But there is even more, for the unlimited access is crowned with unlimited efficacy as Christ makes consciences clean. To make this point, the author reiterates the limited nature of the old system in verse 13. Considering that the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer had that much effect described in Numbers 19:1-13, “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (v. 14). There is deep glorious forgiveness in the new covenant, and it is available to all! What more can we ask for than forgiveness of our sins and a clear conscience? We have exactly that in Christ!

Hebrews 9:1-14 Reflection Questions:

What type of priest was Zechariah in Luke 1:5-25?

How does the old covenant point to Christ?

What type of sins were committed by the high priest and Jewish leaders that convicted Jesus to death?