Hebrews 9:13, commentary and pictures

The blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on the unclean gave an outward, bodily, ceremonial cleansing to those who were ceremonially defiled. That cleansing was limited to the flesh and could not cleanse the conscience, take away sin, or save, for an animal's life is worth less than the sinner's and could stand only as a figure of the perfect offering to come. Those rites were types and shadows pointing forward to Christ, with the slain victim's blood symbolizing the blood of the Son of God, because atonement comes only through His shed blood and His blood alone cleanses from sin. If those outward means purified the flesh, how much more does the blood of Christ purge the conscience from dead works to serve the living God, giving an inward cleansing far beyond the outward cleansing of the flesh. Through the eternal Spirit He offered Himself without spot and without sin as the whole and complete antitypical sacrifice, and as High Priest by His own blood He entered once into the holy place to obtain eternal redemption and now pleads its efficacy to pardon and restore sinners.

Ancient Rites and Shadows

The blood of bulls and of goats, with the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctified to the purifying of the flesh. That sanctifying was outward, bodily and ceremonial, making the ceremonially unclean person ceremonially clean in the flesh. It purified the flesh but reached no farther, pointing by contrast to a greater cleansing to come through Christ.

That outward cleansing could not cleanse the conscience, take away sin, or save. The life of an animal is worth less than the life of the sinning person, so it could not be a ransom for sin or satisfy the demands of a broken perfect law. It could be accepted only as a figure representing the perfect offering to come, a symbol of the great and complete sacrifice to be made for the sins of the whole world.

The rites were types and shadows leading to Christ, founded upon Him and having meaning only through Him. The blood of the slain sacrificial victim symbolized the blood of the Son of God. Blood was sacred because atonement for sin could come only through the shedding of the blood of the Son of God, and the cleansing of the sanctuary from the sins of the people with blood typified that the blood of Christ alone can cleanse from sin.

The red heifer without blemish symbolized Christ, who endured Satan's temptations without sin and offered Himself as a spotless sacrifice for humanity. The priest's change from gorgeous robes to plain linen points to Christ, who humbled Himself, took the form of a servant, and offered Himself as both priest and victim. In the earthly type the high priest clothed in white caught in his hand the gushing blood of the slain sacrifice and cast it seven times toward the tabernacle or temple as an expression of perfection. This means Christ as the great antitype, Himself both high priest and victim, clothed with His own spotless robes of righteousness, His visage marred more than any man in giving His life for the world, casts the crimson virtue of His offering toward the Holy Place to sprinkle many nations and reconcile man to God through the blood of the cross.

When Christ gave His life on the cross, type met antitype in fulfillment, and the animal offerings lost their value because His one great offering fulfilled what they had foreshadowed. The need for those sacrifices was soon to cease, leaving the temple as the tomb of a departed dispensation. The gospel is the development and consummation and glory of the Hebrew faith, for Christ in His crucifixion, priesthood and ministry in the sanctuary is the great object that cast its shadow backward into the Jewish age, and as Messiah He is the antitype of all the sacrificial offerings. The ceremonies taught that sin separates people from God and that access to God requires a mediator, with Christ's voluntary sacrifice and mediatorial work providing the way for guilty sinners to approach God. Israel's sacrificial service was a link between God and the people that kept faith alive in the coming Redeemer, taught the plan of salvation and the people's duty, and was to be so accepted that God would continue His presence with Israel.

Animal blood and heifer ashes could purify the flesh but could not take away the guilt of rejecting God's present mercies and warnings. Abundant offerings could not replace true sorrow for sin and obedience to God, for a broken and contrite heart was worth more than offerings made without repentance. The rivers of blood that flowed at the harvest thanksgiving when sacrifices were offered in large numbers taught that even the productions of the earth and the bounties provided for man's sustenance are owed to the offering of Christ upon the cross of Calvary, and that all received from God is the gift of redeeming love.

Christ's Greater Cleansing

Paul argues from the lesser to the greater: if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean could sanctify to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ purge the conscience from dead works to serve the living God. The old cleansing is set forth only to prove the far greater cleansing in Christ, for what purified the flesh in ancient Israel is surpassed by what purges the conscience now.

Christ made a whole and complete offering, laying down His life that His enemies might become friends of God, becoming poor that through His poverty the poor might be made rich. Through the eternal Spirit He offered Himself without spot and without sin to God, bearing sins in His own body on the tree that those dead to sins should live unto righteousness. He is the only hope and only refuge, the spotless Son of God who in His own body offered the antitypical sacrifice.

His blood does what the old rites could not, for the prescribed sacrifices could only ceremonially purify the flesh in an outward, bodily sense under the ceremonial law. In contrast His spotless self-offering cleanses the inner conscience from lifeless works so that people can serve the living God, an inward cleansing far surpassing outward cleansing of the flesh. This is the far greater work to which the lesser pointed, the purging of the conscience from dead works in place of mere sanctifying to the purifying of the flesh.

By means of His death He is the Mediator of the new testament for the redemption of the transgressions under the first testament, that by means of death for their redemption those who are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. His death both purges the conscience and opens that inheritance, making Him mediator of the new covenant through whom the called receive what was promised. Entirely innocent, He was punished for human disobedience as substitute and surety, paying the penalty and bearing the curse, with entire justice done and Christ as its object receiving the penalty in the place of the sinner. By His own merits He covered everything the justice of God demanded, satisfying justice and vindicating the honor of the law in order to uplift fallen man degraded by sin, so that the sinner who receives and holds Him as personal Saviour goes free and though guilty is looked upon as innocent and is spared from perishing. His sacrifice reveals God's character as holy, good, compassionate and loving, with the cross as the mightiest pledge of justice and love and with forgiveness and reconciliation made known to fallen and unfallen worlds through the love of God.

Having come as High Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, He entered once into the holy place by His own blood to obtain eternal redemption. He is now in the sanctuary as interceding High Priest, making an atoning sacrifice and pleading the efficacy of His blood to pardon sinners and restore them to allegiance to God through the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour, the only hope of salvation.

Receiving Its Power Daily

The old law that an unclean man who refused to purify himself must be cut off from the congregation has special meaning for the present time. If the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean purified the flesh in ancient Israel, the blood of Christ does far more in purging the conscience from dead works to serve the living God. For those living in the perils of the last days and exposed to the temptations of Satan, it is essential to have the blood of Christ applied to the heart daily.

That inward cleansing, far surpassing the outward cleansing of the flesh, brings converting power. It frees from faultfinding, gives oneness of mind under the softening influence of the Holy Spirit, and makes men submissive so that God can use them effectively in His work. Those who become children of God are consecrated to the ministry of service not with the lesser blood that only purifies the flesh but with the blood of Christ as the better sacrifice. As the purchase of His blood they reveal genuine holiness, bear satisfactory fruit in works of righteousness, daily receive the merits of His grace to practice His virtues, and give the world evidence that they are unselfish rather than selfish.

His blood provides justification and, through the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit, cleanses the inner conscience from lifeless works so that people can serve the living God, bringing sanctification. This glorious offer has been kept open for years and must not be despised, for to reject His delegated messengers is to reject Him. To neglect, despise and reject this justification and sanctification leaves no more sacrifice for sins but only fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation. Yet forgiveness is with God for those who humble themselves, cease stubborn resistance, confess the iniquities that separated them from God, and ask for pardon and blotting out of sins, and they can be converted and transformed.

Through His sacrifice those now on probation are prisoners of hope, with forgiveness and reconciliation open through the love of God to the repentant and contrite in heart who believe in Christ as the atoning sacrifice. Christ is now in the sanctuary as interceding High Priest, making an atoning sacrifice and pleading the efficacy of His blood, through which sins are pardoned and sinners go free and return to allegiance to God. Because Israel's sacrificial service was a link between God and the people that taught the plan of salvation and the people's duty and kept faith alive, the offerings were to be accepted so that God would continue His presence with them. Those serving in connection with the sanctuary therefore had to maintain holiness of heart, purity of life, reverence for God, and strict obedience.