Hebrews 9:6-10 – Our privilege in Christ

In these five verses, the writer talks about the regulations of the divine service in the Tabernacle. Here, he continues to highlight the inferiority of the Old Covenant. The Holy Place is referred to as the “outer tabernacle” in verse 6, and the Holy of Holies as “the second” in verse 7. While the priests could continually enter the outer Holy Place daily, only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies once a year, on the Day of Atonement.

What was being said about the daily divine worship in verse 6? The priest would enter the Holy Place daily to pour oil in the menorah or the golden lamp-stand; or to replace the bread on the table of showbread weekly; or to put incense on the altar of incense. But only once a year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies to offer the special sacrifices for that day (Leviticus 16:34). The offering would only cover the sins committed ignorantly by the people. This meant that only sins not premeditated could be atoned for in the old system. But intentional sin could not be atoned for. 

In verse 8, the writer’s intention was to show that the Holy Spirit wanted to convey the information, that the system of the Levitical priesthood did not make available a way into God’s presence for the ordinary believer. As long as the earthly tabernacle with its Holy Place was still standing, entrance into God’s presence was not available to the people. The phrase “a symbol for the present time” in verse 9, conveys the idea under the Mosaic Law, entrance into God’s presence was not possible. Hence, it represents the failure of the old system.

In verses 9-10, the author pointed out that the sacrifices of the old system could never perfect the conscience of the worshippers. The conscience is the moral faculty of a person that either commends or condemns that person. The sacrifices prescribed in the old system could never remove the guilt of one’s sin that would hinder his oneness with God. The Old Covenant system of worship could not meet the deepest longing of God's people, an intimate personal relationship with God. Its rites and ceremonies were merely external matters, until God would provide a better system at “a time of reformation.” The time of reformation refers to the New Covenant that Christ inaugurated.

In summary, verses 1-10 conveyed five reasons why the sanctuary of the Old Covenant was inferior: (1) it was an earthly sanctuary - verse 1; (2) it was only a type of something greater - verses 2-5; (3) it was inaccessible to the people - verses 6-7; (4) it was only temporal - verse 8; and (5) its ministry was external rather than internal - verses 9-10.

The old system only dealt with physical and ceremonial cleansings of the flesh. It was not able to offer purification of one’s conscience from dead works. At best it could only provide the people a temporary and limited entrance to God. It could only satisfy one’s conscience until Christ’s arrival, to enable one a permanent access into God’s presence.  

The question for us today is unlike the early readers of Hebrews. They chose to revert to the old system. For us, our issue is not about the choice, it is more an issue of our willingness to come to God regularly through Christ! It is silly of us not to seize the opportunity to regularly enjoy our Christ’s obtained privilege, when the way is obviously open to us! We must seize the moment!