Hebrews Chapter Nine, Ritual & Reality

 

Hebrews 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,

 

The sancitfication mentioned here is ritualistic or ceremonial in nature. That is why the writer expresses it as sancitfication for the purifying of the flesh. It ritually cleanses the body, or symbolizes the spiritual cleansing that all such sacrifices are the antitype of. But specifically, what is the author referring to from the Mosaic Law?

First, the blood of bulls and goats is referencing the atonement of the Holy Place, the high priest and his family, and Israel as a whole, Leviticus 16:14-16. The high priest entered the Holy Place alone, once a year, with no one else in the tabernacle. He came with the offering of blood for the sake of sin’s remission, and he took this blood to sprinkle on the mercy seat in the Holiest of All. The tabernacle (and thus God’s presence among them) could remain in “the midst of their uncleanness” because of the sprinkled blood, which represented the Christ and the atonement He would make on the cross, on behalf of Israel and the world.

 

The other reference was in regard to the red heifer. We read, “Speak to the sons of Israel that they bring you an unblemished red heifer in which is no defect and on which a yoke has never been placed,” Numbers 19: 2, NASB. The heifer would be slaughtered in the priest’s presence, and some of its blood would be used to sprinkle towasrd the front of the tent of meeting seven times. The carcass would be burned outside the camp, and cedar, hyssop and scarlet would be cast into the fire. Finally, we are told, “Now a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place, and the congregation of the sons of Israel shall keep it as water to remove impurity,” Numbers 19:9, NASB.

 

Both of these antitypes find their origin in Christ. The Day of Atonement is like an enactment of what was to happen when the Lord finally entered the presence of the Father on our behalf, bearing the infinite, invaluable offering of his blood, shed for sin. The way into the Holiest of All woud be made open. Likewise, the red heifer was killed outside of camp and burned, but its ashes, the symbol of its sacrificial death, was what would cleanse a man from his sin and make him pure again, from a ceremonial perspective. A little later it is written about Jesus, our Mediator of the new covenant and His blood of sprinkling, a reference for its cleansing power. Unlike the water of the red heifer, or the blood of bulls and goats, our Lord’s blood reaches farther than the flesh; it purifies the spirit and imparts new life. Genuine atonement, complete and eternal forgiveness is achieved, whereas in the Mosaic dispensation they were intimated, since the shadow of the good things to come had not the power to effect this change.

 

Hebrews 9:14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

 

There are two types of cleansing at work in verses 13 and 14. There is the blood of the Mosaic sacrifices, which cleanse the flesh. And there is the blood of Christ, which cleanses the conscience. Ritual purification verses genuine cleansing from the guilt and shame sin incurs. The writer contrasts these in an effort to demonstrate to the Hebrew Christians that regressing into Judaism returns them to a state of ceremonial cleanliness, which avails nothing. Paul, testifying of his standing in the Law, states, “concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless,” Philippians 3:6. But with the very next breath, to ensure the Philippian church undrstands, he continues: “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ,” verse 7. In verse 8 Paul goes so far as casting the Law’s righteousness in with all other things he once considered gain, calling them all collectively: “rubbish.” The RSV translates the word, “refuse.” The NIV uses, “garbage.” The KJV is a trifle more graphic, and uses the word, “dung.” The Greek word is “skubalon,” and can mean garbage in general, or human waste specifically.

 

So, for those that pursue righteousness from the Law, or from anything other than faith in Christ, it is dung. Imagine searching for eternal life in a waste heap. That is the imagery invoked.

 

In verse 14 we also find a mention of the Trinity in Scripture. The Son, through the eternal Spirit, offered Himself to the Father. The three persons of the Trinity, in perfect unity, worked to accomplish the salvation of Adam’s race. Our Lord was offered without spot to God. Again, the language smacks of Judaic ritual, since the animal offered to Yahweh could not have spot or blemish. This was a great grief in Malachi’s time, with many professing worshipers bringing to God defective animals, Malachi 1:8. The issue with the offering was that the Jews were, by faith, to obey God in bringing to Him that which He commanded. When the supposed worshiper brought a lamb in any condition, even a stolen once, to the altar, it revealed not a heart bent toward loving God, but doing the bare minimum to still be considered religious, Malachi 1:13.

 

Christ offered nothing but His finest to the Father. As the sinless Lamb of God, He gave Himself over to the Father’s judgment, and so He suffered in the dark upon the cross, suspended between Heaven and earth, receiving in Him the punishment we were due. The spotless Lamb was stained by the enormous weight of our sin. But, like the Spirit is eternal, so is the Son, and so could He, being infinite, pay for the sum of man’s sin.

 

Finally, we return to the topic of dead works. This was addressed first in Hebrews 6:1, where it is written: “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.” Faith toward God is juxtaposed against dead works, which Christ’s blood, we are learning, cleanses us from. Dead works are just that: works void of spiritual life or vitality. They are offered in lieu of a living faith in God, and are meant to be our boast for gaining eternal life. The author insists the reader repent (change one’s mind) about such works and embrace faith in the living God.

 

Paul writes about this peculiar doctrine. “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God,” Romans 4:2. Whereas James wrote to his Jewish audience, insisting that a man’s faith could be tested by the visible manifestation of it (aka, his works), Paul writes that God needs no such measures. He sees the heart. He knows our motives and beliefs. James is testing the sincerity of men’s confessions by examining the fruit produced in their lives, fruit Jesus our Lord said would manifest as we abide in Him, John 15:5.

 

Paul continues. “For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him that does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,” Romans 4:3-5.

 

In summary, Paul intimates that all works, if done to wholly or partly justify the sinner before God, are dead works. The works James refers to in his infamous chapter 2:14-26, agree with Paul’s testimony that, “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them,” Ephesians 2:10. Opposed to the dead works, which Jesus cleanses us from when we come to Him by faith, Paul proposes good works that manifest our faith, and are done out of love for God and for others. Note the difference: the works are not done for God; as Paul testified, God doesn’t need our works. A man is justified by faith in Him. The good works are for others, and the motivation is a love of God manifesting in a love for the brethren and the lost, Titus 3:8, 1 John 3:16, 17.

 

Hebrews 6:1’s foundation began with repentance from dead works. The author tackles a subject that is the opposite side of the coin of James chapter 2:14-26. While James longed to see the evidence of one’s salvation enter their daily, practical lives, the author of Hebrews condemns works that are a substitute for the assurance of salvation that ONLY comes from the blood of Christ, shed on our behalf. Conditional salvation and falling away are not Biblical doctrines because both deny the sufficiency of Christ’s saving or keeping power, respectively.

 

Conditional salvation implies just that: there are conditions to be met for one to be saved. Go to church, be baptized, go to Mass, say the Lord’s Prayer, tithe, be a good person, etc. There isn’t an end to the list, really. That is also why there is no assurance of salvation in such religions. Rome, during the Council of Trent (1545-1563), stated dogmatically: “If anyone says that the sinner is justified by faith alone, meaning that nothing else is required to cooperate in order to obtain the grace of justification, and that it is not in any way necessary that he be prepared and disposed by the action of his own will, let him be anathema,” Canon 10.

 

But the singular condition for salvation, according to Scripture is, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved,” Acts 16:30. “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life,” John 3:36. “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation,” Romans 10:9. “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life,” 1 John 5:13. Click here to read more about the gospel message.

 

John’s confession is most profound. He wants his readership to know they (currently) possess eternal life. They already have a life that never ends through faith in Jesus Christ. It is not something that is worked for to attain or retain, but received as a free gift of God’s grace by responding in faith to the gospel of God’s Son. If you truly believe this, then you are saved. The death Jesus died, He died for you, to cleanse you from your sin, and clothe you with His righteousness. You are (currently) righteous, not because of what you have done, but what He has done for you. The works that ensue are ones of loving gratitude; not to pay back, or to make God owe us something, but to glorify God by selflessly helping others as Christ gave us an example.