Chapter 9

After a horrendously difficult week or so, it’s good to be writing a commentary again! However, before you rejoice TOO greatly at the return of your daily dose of borderline heresy, please be advised that I still have a fortnight or so of reports, and it’ll be at least a week (and possibly more) before I can say for sure that we’re back to normal. Up until the last of them are done, I may continue to be a little sporadic!

ANYWAYS . . .

Chapter 9 is a little weird.

I say this because Mick[1] goes into detail about the Tabernacle.

You may be wondering what’s weird about this. Well, there are two things:

1) He’s talking about the TABERNACLE, not the Temple, which was contemporary to the audience.

2) He’s talking to Jews, so shouldn’t he expect them to know this stuff?

A little consideration, though, indicates that the second of these is the key to understanding the first. Mick’s contemporary audience may have known the later temple, especially Herod’s temple, but a world with limited literacy means that the details of the older days may well be lost. Mick makes sure that they are all on the same page.

From here it’s a matter of the immense contrast between the old covenant and the new covenant.

However, the reason for the nature of the ceremonies in the Tabernacle (many of which continued into the Temple) is explained – they are POINTERS to the new covenant.

Why is this important to us?

Well, the main detail for us is one that is important through Hebrews – GOD HAS NOT CHANGED. God hasn’t suddenly gone from works to grace. He was always the same, and the details of the covenant bear this out.

This is critically important because this changelessness is one of the main features of what God is. If He had changed, He’d not be the God we worship. Since He has not, even in thousands of years, we have the confidence that He is indeed the God we know and love.

[1] If you’ve read all of these, you’ll know that this is my shorthand for “The Unknown Writer of the book of Hebrews.”