Hebrews 9 - Shadow or Substance, Ritual or Reality?

Bible Study Series: Jesus in Hebrews - Better by Far!

Bible Study Lesson: Hebrews 9 Shadow or Substance, Ritual or Reality?

by I Gordon

We are in Hebrews 9 today and this chapter is a study in contrasts and a plea to move on from the shadow to the substance in Christ. There is nothing quite as tiring and boring as religion but thankfully we aren't called to a religion. We are called to the reality of a living relationship with Jesus Christ - and that is neither tiring nor boring! The shadow and substance will be compared in various ways today and it's not just theological. All of these contrasts have a bearing on how you live your Christian life. So we are in the first half of the chapter today, in Hebrews 9:1-15, exploring the call to move from the ritual to the reality in Christ. Specifically, we'll look at:

• The tabernacle - How does each object, each 'shadow', point to the reality in Christ?
• The message - How and why did the Old Testament's 'Don't come near' change to 'Come, draw near'?
• The sacrifice - How can the reality in Christ truly cleanse our conscience where religion never can? 
• The standing - Why does this new standing in Christ free us up to truly serve God?
• We'll conclude with an overview of the shadows versus the substance in Christ - what are we to avoid and what should we focus on?

Let's begin with what the author didn't have time to tell us!

What the author 'may' have said if he had more time!

Heb 9:1-5  Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary.  (2)  A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place.  (3)  Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place,  (4)  which had the golden altar of incense and the gold- covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.  (5)  Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.

You probably know that the Old Testament's tabernacle is one of the greatest pointers to Christ in all of scripture. But oh Mr Writer of Hebrews, you can't discuss these things in detail now? If not now, when? Because you won't get another chance! Ok, he can't hear me! : ) We know that the entire tabernacle was in three main sections with the outer court, the holy place, and the holy of holies. And the writer draws our attention to the articles that were placed in the later two rooms. So what would the author of Hebrews have said if he had more time? Well, I'm sure he would have pointed out that all of these articles were all shadows and pictures of the reality and substance in Christ!¹ So let's quickly explore what the writer didn't have time for:

What was in the Holy Place 

• The Lampstand - This provided light in the Holy Place and burnt perpetually. Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12) and just as the lamp illuminated the tabernacle, Jesus illuminates our spiritual darkness. One day coming, in the heavenly Jerusalem, there will not even be the need for the sun for the Lamb will be its light! (Rev 21:23)
• The Showbread - There were 12 loaves of bread in the Holy Place which spoke of God's provision for His people, the 12 tribes of Israel. And who is that provision? Jesus said, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35). He is the true sustenance and provision of God for His people.

What was in the Holy of Holies

• The Altar of incense - This was normally in the Holy Place but was taken into the Holy of Holies on the day of Atonement. It points to Jesus as our intercessor (Romans 8:34), and our prayers are offered through Him. Revelation 5:8 also links incense with the prayers of the saints.
• The Ark of the Covenant - The Ark was the presence of God, the meeting place between God and man. And Jesus is now the true meeting place - God dwelling among us (John 1:14). And within the Ark there were some special items:
  • The Jar of Manna - This was a reminder of God's provision in the wilderness. Jesus is the true manna from heaven (John 6:31–35), sustaining us not just physically but spiritually and eternally.
  • Aaron's staff that budded - This was a miraculous sign given by God to show who His chosen Priest was. And again, Jesus is the eternal High Priest, chosen by God as we have seen in this book of Hebrews (Hebrews 5:5–6). So why was a budding rod a sign of God's choice? Because the budding staff symbolizes resurrection, life coming from that which was dead. And again this is a picture of whom God chose, the One who defeated death and rose from the grave! If you remember the story from Numbers 17 you will also note that Aaron's rod produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds. Why almonds you ask? Well the almond tree is the first to blossom in Israel and again this pictures the one who was the firstfruits of the resurrection - Jesus Christ!
  • The Stone tablets - The Ark also contained God’s law, engraved on tablets of stone. Jesus fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17) and established a new covenant written not on stone but on our hearts (Hebrews 8:10).
  • The Cherubim - These were guardians of God’s holiness, placed above the Ark. Their image was also woven into the veil separating the holy place from the holy of holies (Exodus 26:31–33). This veil was torn at Jesus’ death (Matthew 27:51), symbolizing access to God through Him.
  • The Mercy seat - The place of atonement, where blood was sprinkled. Jesus is our mercy seat (see Romans 3:25 where the same word in Greek is used, 'hilasterion'), the place where God’s justice and mercy meet through Jesus' sacrifice.

In all of these things the author of Hebrews is showing the difference between the shadow and the substance. He is showing that everything that the Jews knew under the Old Covenant pointed to something greater in the person of Jesus Christ. It is all about Jesus! But there was something else that that the Tabernacle and the law taught. And this can be expressed in the following, somewhat surprising words... 'stay away!' Let's explore that.

The message of the Old Testament after the fall - Stay away!

Heb 9:6-10  When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry.  (7)  But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.  (8)  The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing.  (9)  This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper.  (10)  They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings--external regulations applying until the time of the new order.

The writer begins with a contrast that I'd like to draw your attention to. He says that 'The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing.' Did you note that? Through the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was showing that man can't come into God's presence. Amongst all the beauty of the Tabernacle there was also a message given to the Israelite and this message was clear - 'Stay away! Do not come near to God. You can come so far, but no further. He is perfectly holy and you are anything but! Unless you have a death wish, just keep your distance! The High Priest can come into God's presence by a blood sacrifice, but only then just once a year. But you... you stay away!' We can follow this message through the scriptures after the fall of mankind, and it's especially prevalent under the law of Moses.  

• The situation after the fall - Mankind was barred entry from the garden by a cherubim and a flaming sword!
  Genesis 3:24 – “So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword... to guard the way to the tree of life.”
• When Moses encountered God at the burning bush he was warned not to come close because of God's holiness
  Exodus 3:5 – “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”
• At the giving of the law at Sinai, God’s presence was so holy that even touching the mountain was forbidden.
  Exodus 19:12 – “You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.’”
  Exodus 20:18–19 – “Then they said to Moses, ‘You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.’”
• The High Priest approaching God's presence in the Tabernacle was under strict conditions and could come but once a year.
  Leviticus 16:2 – “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil... lest he die.”
• Foreigners could face death if they came near God's presence
  Numbers 1:51 – “When the tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down... but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”
• When entering the Promised Land they had to keep their distance from the Ark
  Joshua 3:4 – “Yet there shall be a space between you and it [the Ark], about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it...”
• The consequence when some Israelites looked into the Ark was death
  1Sa 6:19-20  But God struck down some of the men of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. ...and the men of Beth Shemesh asked, "Who can stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God?.."
• The great prophet Isaiah's response when he saw the Lord expressed this same theme
  Isaiah 6:5 – “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips... for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”

Are you getting the message? God's presence is so holy that even touching the mountain that He descended on required the death penalty. And don't even think about coming into the Holy of Holies yourself! That won't end well! We don't talk about the holiness of God as we should do, do we? But it is important to see this because it makes the grace of the New Testament shine with an even greater glory!  

The message of the New Testament after the cross - Come near!

So let's now contrast this with the message of the New Testament. Instead of 'stay away' we have come near.

• Jesus' personal invitation to all
  Matthew 11:28 – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
• The exhortation for believers to approach God with confidence, not fear
  Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
• Believers approach with a heart cleansed by the blood
  Hebrews 10:22 – “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience...”
  Ephesians 2:13 – “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
• Believers have access by faith and through grace
  Romans 5:2 – “Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand...”

I'm sure you can see the contrast here. And what happened to turn the 'stay away' into 'come today'? Jesus died on the cross, our sins were atoned for and the curtain that separated the holy place from the holy of holies was torn in two! That's what. And I'm not sure that God could have performed a more dramatic outward act to show that the way into His presence was now open! Now the writer ends this section by saying that the various ceremonial washings of the old covenant were simply external regulations that were in effect until the time of the new covenant. He will now show us how much better the cleansings were through Jesus' sacrifice, cleansing both heart and conscience. 

The way to a clear conscience and true acceptable service

Heb 9:11-15  When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation.  (12)  He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.  (13)  The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.  (14)  How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!  (15)  For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

There are a series of contrasts here to again encourage the reader to move from the shadow to the substance, from the ritual and onto the reality. And again, you can imagine the Jews of the first century saying 'We've got Moses. We've got the temple. We've got the High Priest. We've got the sacrifices and the blood of goats. And what have you Christians got? Well? You haven't got anything!' Well, we have One that on the basis of His perfect life and perfect sacrifice was able to enter into the heavenly temple and He did so by His own blood! 

How will you enter heaven?

'He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood'

Now this raises the most important question - Jesus entered Heaven by His own blood. So how are you going to enter heaven? By your works? Even Jesus didn't enter by His works! By your church attendance? Or by trusting wholly in the death of Christ and the shedding of His blood for your sins? Listen to what William Newell writes on this:

"O "Professing Christians," "church members," down here on earth--whether "active" in "church work" or not, hearken! Whereon are your hopes of Heaven built? What right have you, who committed the sins Christ bore, what possible right have you to Heaven? None whatever! If He entered through His own blood, how do you expect to enter? God has shut out all "good works." I beg you, trust not in "confirmation," or "baptism," or in any ordinance whatever; or in your "church duties," or generous giving, or "regular attendance," or zeal in "Christian activities," whether at home or abroad, and however approved by men. Nay more, trust not in your fancied "spirituality," your "prayer-life," your separation from the world, your being persecuted, even.
For Christ Himself entered in through His own blood. And what do you mean, you poor sinner? Do you dream that God will look at your "works"? ...Oh, the damning delusions under which many so-called "Christians" walk! Never having known their guilty, lost, state; never told by their preachers that guilty men can be made nigh to a holy God only by shed blood; that "apart from shedding of blood there is no remission": that Christ has entered Heaven and God's presence through His own blood; that He is there representing only sinners, who, as guilty sinners, have seen their guilt put away by the shedding of Christ's blood--that alone!"
William Newell, Hebrews verse by verse

And not only did Jesus enter the heavenly holy place by His own blood, but the writer says He obtained eternal redemption!² That is how long our redemption lasts for those that trust in Him alone. Eternity! The result of this gives our next contrast concerning the effect on our conscience. We read earlier that under the Old Testament, the gifts and sacrifices being offered 'were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper.' The writer of Hebrews will go on to say in the next chapter that the Old Testament sacrifices were just an annual reminder of one thing - 'You are a sinner. You are unclean and need a death on your behalf.' 

Heb 10:1-4  The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming-- not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.  (2)  If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.  (3)  But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins,  (4)  because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Let's be clear: Only Christ's blood can clear our conscience³ because we know it is a perfect sacrifice, one time for all sin, opening the way again for mankind to come and fellowship with God Almighty! And look also at what it cleanses our conscience from and what it stops us doing: Out text says from 'acts that lead to death', or better, from 'dead works' as other versions say. So what is a dead work? Dead works are all our efforts to be right before a Holy God by our own efforts. Even in the Old Testament, when doing the very things prescribed by the law, these often became 'dead works', devoid of any inward heart change, and God hated it! God was very clear on this as He spoke to His people Israel through the prophet Isaiah saying:

Isa 1:10-18  Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah!  (11)  The multitude of your sacrifices-- what are they to me? says the LORD. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.  (12)  When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts?  (13)  Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations-- I cannot bear your evil assemblies.  (14)  Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.  (15)  When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood;  (16)  wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong,  (17)  learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.  (18)  Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

Simply put, without faith it is impossible to please God and any ritualistic, heartless, outward observance of religion, even if it is based on what God has said to do, becomes tiring to Him. He desires a true heart change. That is why the New Testament says that 'Christ is the end of the law for righteousness for those that believe!' Righteousness, or a right standing with God comes through faith in Christ alone. This puts a stop to man's effort to endlessly make himself pleasing and right with God through works. If you think about it, this is what separates Christianity from every other religion in the world. Every other religion is man's ongoing effort to make themselves right before God. Only in Christianity does God come down and pay the price so that we could be given a gift of righteousness. And that, my dear friend, is something you never want to get used to! And what is the outcome? Scripture says having stepped off the dead works treadmill, our conscience can be cleansed through faith in Jesus' sacrifice so that we can truly serve the living God! There is nothing so debilitating as constant guilt and uncertainty in serving God. And there is nothing so freeing for true service, as knowing that Christ has eternally answered the sin and righteousness question! J. Vernon McGee writes well on how our cleansing should lead to serving the living God. 

"This is the thing I want to emphasize above everything else. The earthly sanctuary had nothing in the world to do with changing people's lives. But today you can come to Christ, and He can change your life. He alone can enable you to worship God in spirit and in truth and make Him a reality in your life. Many folk today just play church—like we played house by the hours when we were kids. I know a lot of Christians who are grown up and have gray hair, and they're still playing church. They go to committee meetings, they're on the board, some sing in the choir, some teach a Sunday school class—they are as busy as termites and just about as effective. They think they are serving God. My friend, you can never serve Him until you have worshiped Him...
Because good works are never a cause of salvation but are a result of salvation, the writer goes on to say, "purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God." The word serve is actually worship—"to worship the living God." Worship and service go together. You can't serve God without worshiping Him; neither can you worship Him without serving Him. When I see a lazy saint doing nothing for God, I don't question his salvation, but I do question his worship. Does he really worship God? Oh, if you fall down before Him in adoration and praise, then you are going to get up on your feet to start doing something for Him, my friend."
J. Vernon McGee

Conclusion

So as we conclude, what have we seen? We've seen that there is the shadow and there is the substance. There is religion and there is a true relationship with Christ And we don't want to mix the two! Nor do we want to focus our attention on the shadow when God is calling all to behold His Son! Here is a summary of the shadow and the substance from what we have seen so far in Hebrews 9:  

Look also at the warning Paul gave in Colossians, concerning focusing on the outward, the shadows, instead of the life we have through a risen and living Savior today!

Col 2:13-19  When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,  (14)  having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  (15)  When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.  (16)  Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day--  (17)  things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.  (18)  Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,  (19)  and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.

So instead of being concerned about what you eat, drink and put in your mouth, be concerned about what you are feeding on spiritually and what is going into your mind. Is it true to the word of God and honoring to the Lord Jesus? Instead of being caught up with outward religious observances, be concerned about whether the Holy Spirit has a place at home in your heart. Instead of making a big deal about a feast day, or angelic beings, make a big deal about Jesus Christ and His victory on the cross and in the resurrection - and what that means for your life today. Instead of asking others if they are observing the Sabbath, ask yourself whether you are living in the promised rest in Christ right now - and everyday! 

Have you got a lifeless religion or a living relationship with the risen Savior? All of these things are part of our need to move from the shadow and into the substance. We are to leave the rituals and live in the reality of the living Christ... everyday!

FOOTNOTES