How does Hebrews 9:20 relate to the broader theme of redemption in Hebrews? Verse in Focus “saying, ‘This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.’ ” Why This Moment Matters • Moses sprinkled blood on the people and the covenant scroll (Hebrews 9:19; Exodus 24:8). • Blood sealed the Old Covenant and visually underscored that sin demands a life-for-life payment (Leviticus 17:11). • Hebrews lifts that historic scene and sets it beside Christ’s own blood, inviting us to see the pattern of redemption fulfilled. Moving from Shadows to Substance • Old Covenant rituals were “copies of the heavenly things” (Hebrews 9:23). • Animal blood provided ceremonial cleansing, but only “until the time of reformation” (Hebrews 9:10). • Christ enters “not into a man-made sanctuary” but “into heaven itself” with His own blood (Hebrews 9:24). The shadow gives way to the substance. Redemption Thread in Hebrews 1. God’s Justice Requires Blood – “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22). 2. Christ’s Blood Achieves What Animal Blood Could Not – “He entered the Most Holy Place once for all time, securing eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12). 3. Conscience Cleansed, Access Granted – “How much more will the blood of Christ… cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14). 4. A Better Covenant Put in Force – “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant” (Hebrews 9:15). – Hebrews 8:6-13 echoes Jeremiah 31, promising internal transformation rather than external regulation. Key Links to Other Verses • Exodus 24:8 — Historical foundation quoted in Hebrews 9:20. • Hebrews 10:4 — “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” • Hebrews 10:10, 14 — “We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all… By one sacrifice He has perfected for all time those being sanctified.” • Hebrews 12:24 — Believers now come “to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” What Hebrews 9:20 Adds to the Big Picture • Confirms that covenants are ratified with blood—God sets the terms, and a life must be given. • Positions Christ as the greater Moses: He mediates a covenant not by sprinkling others’ blood but by offering His own. • Highlights obedience: “which God has commanded you to keep.” Redemption is not license; it ushers us into covenant loyalty. Personal Takeaways • Redemption is costly; our forgiveness rests on divine blood, not human effort. • Because the price is fully paid, guilt no longer dominates the conscience. • The “once-for-all” sacrifice invites confident, continual access to God (Hebrews 10:19-22). • Covenant faithfulness flows from gratitude—obedience becomes worship, not mere duty. |
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