John N N Ng’ang’a Meditation of November 18 ,2024….Hebrews 9….how the old vs new covenant affect our view of death
Day 1
Hebrews 9 v1
Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary.
Hebrews chapter 9 talks about the difference between the old and the new covenant. Yes they are both covenants made between God and people but the terms are different. Therefore, in chapter 9 we are turning to the whole issue about worship in the new and in the old covenant.
You know, under the old covenant, worship was strictly governed by the regulations. I think that’s what Hebrews chapter 9 is saying. Verse 1 says,
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 and the table with its 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
So, the old covenant is represented by something physical, as described. The furniture is described. Go to Exodus 25 and you will see well described in details, the furnishings are described and how they are placed. Also look at Exodus 40 and even how often you can access the holy place, it is all clearly put. You can see it also in Leviticus chapter 16. and even the ingredients that are in that temple are well placed just as we have read.
These regulations also talk about the quality of sacrificial animals, you couldn’t just bring any animal, it had to be of a certain type. Obviously as we see these details, the writer of the book of Hebrews says it is not worth going to all those levitical details anyway because you operate under new covenant. He says Christians will not go back to it,
‘But we cannot discuss these things in detail now’,
It is not a matter he wants to subject us to. My guess is that is because the bible, the old testament is already there, you can go back and read it for ourselves and then you will understand about these tabernacle business.
what I hear verse 5 saying,
5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now
Don’t spend all your time looking at the details of the old tabernacle, no! it is not worth your time . I have seen people who spend a lot of effort, writing in detail about the covenant, what was where, what does it mean, how can the church also participate similarly. No! he is saying, no, no, no! those are not worthy details for Christians. First of all, they are there anybody can read but the aim is to emphasize the terms of new covenant in which we operate. The idea is to teach the new covenant, is to spend your time teaching people about the new covenant, not the old.
Day 2
Hebrews 9
6 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 functioning. 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
When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. The inner one, you didn’t go that often, but they went to the outer first part often. You came from the wider place where non priests people could be, to a place where only the priest could be. There was yet another one where only the high priest could go.
That is why verse 7 says, But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood.So the most holy place is a place even the high priest went with a lot of care. So, the old covenant is very different from the new one. We go into prayer and you are ushered in the presence of the holy God whoever you are.
Verse 8 says, 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. 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 worshipper.
So, here the message the Old Testament was an earlier order, there is now a new order. That system of worship was okay and right for that period, but once the new covenant has been put, the book of Hebrews is telling you, move to the new one. Do not behave like you are still worship in the old order.
Obviously as long as the old remained, the new was not available and could not be accessed! But hasn’t now the new way, the new covenant already being opened up by Christ? So how can we continue behaving like in the Old testament, is the wonder of wonders! So don’t be like the Galatians, and try to obey what Old testament rules and regulations and call it worship.
It was clear that worship under the old covenant could not be perfected because the worship focused on the outward, the physical. What can be seen by others is what you are dealing with and depending on. and clearly like verse 10 is saying.
They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings, external regulations applying until the time of the new order.
In other words, they applied at their time, but something has now changed. Christ blood is what has changed it. Once the blood flowed, you got new provisions under the new covenant and that is what verse 11 is saying,
Day 3
Hebrews 9
11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here,[a] he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is 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, thus obtaining[b] eternal redemption
He did not enter, verse 12 says, 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.
So, the Old Testament sacrifices made, you now seen as clean, but the new one, is dealing with your conscience, with your heart, with your spirit. So, under the new covenant you now have access to the true heavenly covenant.. the heavenly one, not a physical one. So when you go to church, that is not where God’s presence is, God’s presence is in heaven and every where . So, you go there to meet Him by faith. There is also a place we erroneously call ‘come to the altar’ as if that place is holier than where you are seated.
The writer of Hebrews wants it to be clear, the altar is in heaven, not on earth. We no longer physically go to a holy place and in this process, he is promising to cleanse our conscience, right where we are.In other words, don’t go to a physical place anymore, go to the heavenly one. Number two, let your conscience be cleansed. And in fact he says, that is what baptism is trying to do, it is trying to demonstrate that your conscience has been cleansed from acts that lead to death so that you may serve the living God.
You know, what the bible is actually telling us that under this new covenant, the past sins are fully redeemed. Look at verse 15,
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.
So, we now have gained redemption under the new covenant rather than need repetitive sacrifices that were happening under the old covenant. The last will in the testament was ratified by Christ’s death like happens with every will. Isn’t that what verse 15 is saying. Then verse 16, In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, mmh! this is a new covenant, how do you start entering into a new one? Because a will is in force only when the owner of the will has died. It never takes effect while the one who made it is living.
So, by Christ dying, the new covenant which had been promised, was promulgated. The one who promised had to die for it to become applicable. So, the New Testament then is Christ last will or testament.We now are able to enjoy what he accomplished when he died on the cross.
Day 4
Hebrews 9
. 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,[c] so that we may serve the living God!
But you know this plan has always been eternal, right from Genesis chapter 3 after the fall of Adam. He promised that a son of a woman would come under this new covenant to destroy the devil. Christ death was to ratify it, after he died, the conditions for inheritance were therefore set! We now could inherit it. You know, man-made denominations destroy this concept of Christ last testament.
16 In the case of a will,[d] it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 19 When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20 He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.”[e] 21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Some try to change the terms of the will like there is something else beyond trusting in Jesus that you need to do to enjoy what the new covenant has to offer. But you know, what Christ offered, you can’t change it! Similarly, if your father wrote a will, after he dies, you can’t change it! If it can be proved that is his will, that is the will that will be applied. So, Christ has already told us what we expect, and we can’t expect that we now can change it.So whether this denomination say this, that denomination say that , what matters is… what does God actually say?
What emphasized here is the emphasis that by shedding blood, the covenant was inaugurated. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
He wants to emphasize, whether the Old Testament or new covenant, blood was critical! in other words, something died for your sins to be forgiven. The difference is, we now no longer rely on blood of goats or chicken, because Christ has shed his own blood.
Day 5
Hebrews 9
23 It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.
You can see how different the covenants really are, but we have blood in both. The old testament required blood, we also require blood because without shedding of blood ,we have learnt, there is no forgiveness of sins. That’s why it is critical to think about the importance of the sacrifice Jesus gave on the cross. That’s how we get forgiveness and even more, Christ covenant has been that way ratified but with his very precious blood. The blood from himself. That then tells you that his covenant, the New Testament covenant is far much superior to the old one. So, you should not get back to the old. I think the message of Hebrews is, don’t go back to the old covenant, it would not be right or necessary.
You know verse 27 says,
Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
You know, Christ death was only at one time. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment. So, when somebody dies once he is confirmed dead…. the next thing he will see is judgement. Can you see how useless it is to pray for a dead body? He is stating that death is at once . Something happens that is irreversible. No prayer will change your judgment once you are dead, it is final.
So ,Christ died on the cross, we cannot then apply the Old Testament worship regulations any more . Similarly, please understand, when you see somebody die, you don’t waste your time praying for him! You know you see people writing, R.I.P, Rest In Peace. You are too late to say that and you are talking to copse!
This is because, the verse is saying, it is appointed for a man to die once, and after the death, the next thing you see is judgment. So, there is nothing like a purgatory or a place where there can be revision or appeal. You die once! Nothing happens after that to change you past and that is a very important thing to have at the back of your mind. But as long as you are alive Christ blood can cleanse your past fully.
Are you aware of that? That under this new covenant, its applicable only because Christ died, number one. Number two, its applicable to you if only you make that commitment before you die. If you die, its final! You are locked wherever you are locked in. Did you die in Christ? You go to be with him, did you die without Christ? You go for eternal damnation. It is locked at that point and there is nothing you or your living relatives or church can do to change that fact.
This is a very serious matter because, if you look at every newspaper there is paid RIP messages . People believe that there is something they can do, to affect their dead relatives destiny. There is absolutely nothing we can do.
Funerals are not about the dead person, this is saying. Once they are dead, they will go next go to God’s judgement! There is nothing we can do. You cannot pray for them for anything to happen! You should have prayed for them before they died!
So we need to understand what this covenant has done and apply it when we are still alive. Funerals are not about the dead; they are about comforting the living and disposal of the remains of the person. He is not here, this is just his remains in a coffin. It is like if you used to stay in a house, then you move to stay in a new estate, and you leave that house, people can’t come claim they have come to visit you when they go to that house. The dead body is not the person at all. It is his former residence. Whether you dress the body in clean clothes or dirty clothes, it really doesn’t affect the person who has died. It is too late! He has gone to judgement depending on the decision he had made when he was still alive.
So, it needs to be understood that there is absolutely nothing you can do with a dead body that will affect the person that has already gone. It is appointed to men once to die, once they are dead, they are not there! they have gone to judgement. They have gone to face the challenge of how they lived their lives on earth. Of course, if they are Christians, they go into eternal presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. I think that will be something that we need to all understand.
So, next time you are in a funeral, remember, the funeral is for comforting the living, is not even for honoring the dead, how do you honor the dead who is not aware of your honor? How do you honor me and I am not even aware, you can’t claim you are honoring me and I am not even aware. A dead person does participate in his own funeral event. There is nothing in the scriptures that talks about a dead person seeing how the funeral looks like. You can have an expensive funeral, it does not help the dead person in any way.
So, you if you want to show somebody respect, show them when they are still living. You cannot use words like RIP, rest in peace, because that’s a prayer that cannot be answered. You can’,t pray for the dead. You cannot talk about escorting the dead. We are escorting so and so. No. it is too late! he went well before the birail of his body! how can you escort somebody that is already not there. You can bury his body. You cannot escort anybody who is dead. You are taking his body to the burial place.It is not even to his resting place. You cannot call a grave a resting place for the one died. No! that’s a place for the body to rot. He is not resting there. A grave is not a resting place for the dead, because he is already with the Lord! We are told, it is appointed for men once to die, after that, we are to face judgement. A grave is a place for disposing the remains for the dead person.
Day 6
Hebrews 9
27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
I repeat you cannot escort a dead person, you cannot put him in a resting place, you cannot show him respect, but you can do something in memory of him. The reason we talk of his memory, it is to comfort the living. That’s why most of the funeral meetings should be talking about why we are grateful to God for the life of the one dead. That man lived, what difference did that man make in your life, and as the children listen, as the spouse listens, and as parents listens, they will be encouraged by knowing that life was not wasted, although it has been cut short. The testimonies you give during the funeral meetings are useful as a way comforting the living . So, we need to be clear, so that we don’t continue using those words, RIP, or, you know, addressing yourself to the dead person. He is already gone and gone. So why are you looking at the dead body and saying, “oh you were good to me! oh I remember when you did this to me”? How can you talk to a dead body?
You know the Anglican prayer book on burial talks about soil back to the soil, and they even throw soil down to the body, so that we are very clear that body joins the soil, because it is going to become soil. That needs to be fully understood.
Remember we are still trying to compare the old covenant with a new covenant. We are learning that the new covenant, once you are dead, you are assured that the Lord will be with you in the next life. Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many. That’s the importance of the death of Jesus, he died once, and took the sins of many, all of us! The whole human race, present, and future, anybody who is willingly admitting his sins, and committing himself to God, from then onwards is to be guided by him as the Lord and Master of his life, then their sins are fully covered.
But then we are also being told that , this Jesus, will appear a second time. Christians not only believe in the death of Jesus, they also believe in the second coming of Jesus, and that’s what this one is emphasizing. There is a second coming. When he comes the second time, he will not come to die on the cross or to shed blood again, no! but to bring final salvation for those who are waiting for him. It will be a time when we who have been forgiven our sins, will resurrect and join him.
Yes the bible talks of getting saved, but it’s a process. I keep emphasizing, remember getting saved there are three things happening. When you get born again, your sins are forgiven, you are justified. But even after you are saved, you still must deal with sin, sanctified, continuous cleansing. Thirdly, a day will come when Jesus comes back for us, when the trumpet sounds, we will be now glorified, now we will be free from sin. We then cannot sin, for will not have capacity to sin. That’s because he is coming the second time.
Day 7
Hebrews 9
25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.
I remind you why he came for the first time, to bear the sins of all of us. Why is he coming the second time? For the consummation of our salvation, for us to be glorified so that we will no longer have the issue of sin at all.It is my prayer and hope that this differences of the two covenants will come out clear to us so that as we read the Old Testament, if we read it in thankfulness, “thank God I don’t have to do that, and that , and that. Thank God I don’t have to do this other one.
We need to understand because that is what Hebrews is trying to tell us. We read it to understand the old covenant, but be grateful that you don’t have to follow those levitical requirements, whether in the Book of Exodus, or in the Book of Leviticus, or in the book of numbers, they are all there, and even in the book of Deuteronomy, but you are not expected to live under those regulations, under that covenant in any way.
That is what Hebrews chapter 9 is talking and reminding you about. Let me repeat what we have said. The first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. I hope you don’t call your church building a sanctuary or a temple, an alter, or a tabernacle, because it isn’t! That is an Old Testament concept. In the New Testament, he has a heavenly sanctuary. That’s why when you call people to the front, you are not calling them to an altar. The altar we have under the new covenant is in heaven in the presence of God.
The Old Testament covenant had the tabernacle with various places, place for men, place for women, place where the priest could reach, and a place where only the high priest could reach, but under the New Testament, Christ has paid the penalty for sin once and for all time . He is at the right hand of God the father, he lives in the sanctuary in heaven. All we need is to put our trust in him, and we enjoy God’s presence, God’s peace without being in a geographical location. We need to understand when he told the Samaritan woman, a time is coming and now is, when true worshippers will worship him in truth and in spirit, it is now in our time.
May the lord help you to worship, not just from a physical building you call church, but on a continuous presence of God in your life. That does not mean you don’t attend church, Hebrews chapter 10 talks about the importance of meeting together wherever we meet. but it needs to be understood, what matters are the people meeting together not the location where they are meeting. When you understand that then, you will enjoy fellowship with others without necessarily calling that place tabernacle. You can pray to God anywhere in your . but if you have chosen a palace to pray in it is not because His presence is not in other rooms. It is a prayer room not an altar.
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