What is the meaning of Hebrews 9:20? This is Hebrews 9:20 opens with the certainty of Moses’ declaration, “This is...” As he sprinkled the blood, he was pointing to a tangible, visible sign that the people could not miss. • In Exodus 24:8, Moses said nearly the same words, grounding the nation in a definite historical act. • Hebrews uses that moment to anchor believers in the definite, once-for-all sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 9:12). • The writer is saying, “Look right here—this is real, this is present, and this matters right now.” the blood Blood in Scripture always carries weight. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:11). • It signals life poured out for atonement (Hebrews 9:22). • It foreshadows the “precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish” (1 Peter 1:19). • When Moses sprinkled both scroll and people (Hebrews 9:19), he was dramatizing that sin demands a life, and God supplies it. • In Jesus, the symbol becomes substance: “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). of the covenant, A covenant is a binding agreement initiated by God. Here it refers first to the Sinai covenant, then—through Hebrews—to the new covenant in Christ. • Exodus 24:3-8 lays out Israel’s pledge: “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do.” Blood sealed that pledge. • Jeremiah 31:31 speaks of a future covenant written on hearts; Hebrews 8:10 quotes it to show fulfillment in Jesus. • The author links old and new so readers see continuity: the same God, the same seriousness, now completed in Christ (Hebrews 9:15). which God God stands as the covenant’s architect and guarantor. • Genesis 15:17 depicts God alone passing between the pieces, underscoring unilateral grace. • “God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice” (Romans 3:25), revealing divine initiative from start to finish. • Hebrews 6:17 says God “confirmed it with an oath,” so the promise rests on His unchangeable character, not human strength. has commanded you Covenant relationship carries obligation. • Deuteronomy 6:1-3 introduces commandments so Israel may “fear the LORD your God... all the days of your life.” • Jesus echoes the call: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). • For believers addressed in Hebrews, obedience means clinging to Christ rather than drifting back to ritual (Hebrews 2:1). to keep. “Keep” speaks of ongoing, faithful practice. • James urges, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22). • Hebrews 10:23 encourages perseverance: “Let us hold resolutely to the hope we profess.” • The sprinkled blood both cleanses and commissions; having been set apart, we now live set-apart lives (1 Peter 2:24). summary Hebrews 9:20 reaches back to Sinai, lifts up the sprinkled blood, and thrusts it forward to Christ’s cross. Every phrase underscores a God-given, blood-sealed covenant that calls His people to wholehearted obedience. Because Jesus’ sacrifice is final and perfect, we can trust the covenant completely—and we are invited, indeed commanded, to keep it with grateful, obedient lives. |
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