What Old Testament practices does Hebrews 9:20 connect to the new covenant? Hebrews 9:20 in Context “saying, ‘This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.’ ” (Hebrews 9:20) Old Testament Moments Hebrews Has in View • Exodus 24:3-8 – Moses read the Book of the Covenant, sacrificed young bulls, mixed the blood with water, then “sprinkled it on the people and said, ‘Behold, the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you…’” • Exodus 29:20-21; Leviticus 8:30 – At the ordination of Aaron and his sons, blood was applied to ear, thumb, toe, and garments to set priests apart for service. • Leviticus 16:14-19 – On the Day of Atonement the high priest sprinkled blood on and before the mercy seat to cleanse the Most Holy Place, the tent, and the altar. • Numbers 19:18-19 – Hyssop dipped in water and sacrificial ashes sprinkled the unclean for purification. • Leviticus 17:11 – “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls…” Key Elements Carried Over • Blood of innocent animals stands in for guilty people. • Sprinkling signifies cleansing and dedication. • The covenant is “cut” (sealed) by blood, making the terms binding. • Hyssop, scarlet wool, and water reinforce visual pictures of purification (Hebrews 9:19). How Hebrews Bridges to the New Covenant • A once-for-all sacrifice replaces repeated animal offerings (Hebrews 9:11-12, 26). • Jesus’ own blood inaugurates the “better covenant” foretold in Jeremiah 31:31-34 (quoted in Hebrews 8:8-12). • He enters the true Holy Place in heaven, not an earthly replica (Hebrews 9:24). • His sprinkled blood “speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24), offering complete forgiveness. Takeaways • The Sinai blood-sprinkling ceremony foreshadowed Christ’s cross. • Every OT purification rite rehearsed the cleansing that Jesus’ blood now provides. • Because His sacrifice is perfect and final, believers stand in a covenant that can never be annulled or improved upon. |
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