Hebrews 9:1-6 …. Examining the Evidence.

9:1 Then verily the first covenant (marriage) had also ordinances (G1345) of divine service (in service and worship of God), and a worldly sanctuary. (physical structure)

G1345 δικαίωμα dikaioma (d̮iy-kai’-ō-ma) n. an equitable deed.
(by implication) a statute or decision.

We can see the description of the 10 commandments withing Paul’s statement here. The first marriage established at the mountain contained the whole of the Torah, or instructions, for the relationship between YHVH and man. There are 4 key areas to this relationship:

The Priesthood
The Mediator
The Law (instructions)
The Temple

Exodus 24:3 “When Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.”

From the early declarations of this letter to the Hebrews we have borne witness to the facts as follows:

The Priesthood was established in Melchizedek and that there was a need for helpers in the earthly administration of the commands as established by YHVH. The Mediator, or go-between, for the people at that time was Moses and he was an earthly representation of a greater spiritual concept. The same as the earthly priesthood. And, it all points to Yeshua.

The Law, or instructions, are the character traits of YHVH, and, it is His desire that we become like him. [on earth as it is in Heaven] We were created in His likeness, or character, and it is our restoration to this character that He has sent the Holy Spirit to guide us. The temple has now become this interconnected relationship with YHVH, through Yeshua, carried by The Ruach (Holy Spirit) where we are one body.

Genesis 2:24 “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh”
Mark 10:7-9 “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”

This is why YHVH places such an emphasis on our being faithful and true. The previous relationships were defiled by the tricks of Satan and the willful disobedience of man. When we stay on the path YHVH has placed before us we will continue to abide in His love and protection, when we veer off the path is when we get into the plans of the Adversary.

1 Corinthians 6:16 “What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.”
Jeremiah 3:8 “And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.”
Deuteronomy 13:1-3 “If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”

This was the discussion in the last chapter as well…. “He is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.” What is better about it? The next item on the list is the Temple…. the place where we meet with YHVH. In the days of Abraham there was no permanent home and as Abraham roamed the countryside he would have to build an alter in each new location. These are made of stone… that’s a lot of work!

Abraham had herds and flocks and would be in need of fresh pasture often. Sheep have no top front teeth so that they can eat vegetation close to the ground while preventing them from accidentally pulling up plant roots and destroying the lands that they graze, yet they will eat all of the plant along the way.

The same issue would plague the people of the Exodus despite having the Tent of Meeting. This was the temporary place where men could commune with YHVH. This is why Paul extolls the Corinthians in his letters….

2 Corinthians 5:1-9 “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.”
1 Corinthians 6:19 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”

Now look what Yeshua says…

Mark 14:58 “We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.”
John 2:19 “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

This is just one of the better promises in which our Salvation rests. WE have become intrinsically interwoven with the character of Messiah Yeshua. This why it is so important to separate ourselves from the ways of the people. We do not want to worship God in the same way as the heathen. It is not a part of His character.

Hebrews 9:2 For there was a tabernacle (tent of meeting) made; the first, wherein was the candlestick (light), and the table (place for food), and the showbread (bread of life); which is called the sanctuary.*

G39 ἅγιον hagion (ha’-ǰiy-on) adj.

a holy thing (i.e. set apart by Yahweh God unto himself).
(of location) a holy place.
(double emphasized) Holy of Holies (the Holiest of all Holy places).
(Note:) In Hebraic Koine Greek, at times “Holy of Holies” is spelled out, or truncated by adding the definite article as “The Holies,” or by explicit reference.

Hebrews 9:3 And after the second veil, the tabernacle* which is called the Holiest of all;

Hebrews 9:4 Which had the golden censer (altar of incense), and the ark (holder) of the covenant (promise) overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna (heavenly sustenance), and Aaron’s rod that budded (evidence for resurrection), and the tables of the covenant;

Exodus 16:4 “Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or not.”
Nehemiah 9:15 “And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.”
John 6:51 “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
John 4:10-14 “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
Exodus 23:20 “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.”
John 14:2-3 “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Hebrews 9:5 And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat (place of atonement); of which we cannot now speak particularly.

Revelation 4:8 “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”
Hebrews 12:29 “For our God is a consuming fire.”

Hebrews 9:6 Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. (liturgical actions)

Can you image being called forth to serve YHVH here on the earth? What an honor right? Maybe you feel as though you are currently called to “minister for the Lord” …. have you considered the magnitude of this calling?

Taking my own situation into consideration… I feel horribly ill-equipped to represent the beauty and majesty of His plan of Salvation. As Isaiah said… I am a man of unclean (unworthy) lips and I live in a world of unclean lips.” Trust me in this, I have fear and trembling! I want to be what HE wants me to be…. and like Paul in Romans 7…. I am at war with the flesh…