It has been good to enjoy our studies on Wednesdays in the early chapters of Hebrews: the superiority of Christ in His Person. In chapter 4:14 we have considered the superiority of Christ in His Priesthood. In chapter 8 we learned that Christ is the minister in the sanctuary. In chapter 9 the subject is the superiority of His Offering and to give the context the writer gives a brief description of the tabernacle, where offerings were made, in 4 verses.
How amazing that the Spirit of God uses so few words to bring out key features of the tabernacle when we consider how much detail is given by the same Spirit in the Old Testament. Note that He says in verse 5 ‘of which we cannot now speak particularly’. That verse would indicate that there is more to learn. Has He captured our interest in this wonderful subject, the tabernacle? We have understood from chapter 8 that Christ serves His people in the sanctuary of heaven. The earthly tabernacle was a copy, a shadow of this. Hebrews 9:11 ‘Christ being come an high priest…by a greater and more perfect tabernacle’. However, by understanding more about the shadow, by getting into the detail in Exodus and Leviticus, we can understand more about the true, as God gave Moses a specific pattern to follow, this is the teaching of Hebrews 8.
If we did not have Hebrews, we might have misunderstood or neglected the tabernacle and left it as a drawing in a child’s picture book whereas we now learn that the Old Testament is the Divine picture book. Hebrews gives us many keys to unlock the significance of these Old Testament scriptures. Everything in the tabernacle speaks of Christ. Christ is the offerer and the offering. Heb 9:28 ‘Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many’. After His Cross work, He has not entered into the earthly tabernacle, He has entered into heaven ‘now to appear in the presence of God for us’. (Heb 9:24). Hallelujah!
Paul Bannister
To Christ the Lord let every tongue it’s noblest tribute bring:
Himself the subject of our song, what joy it is to sing.
Behold the beauties of His face, and on His glories dwell:
Think of the wonders of His grace, and all His triumphs tell.
S Stennett