1 T hen indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary.

There were special ways of worship and a special holy place made by man for the Old Way of Worship.

2 F or a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary;

A big tent was built and set up. It was called the holy place. It had a light and a table, and the holy bread was on the table.

3 a nd behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All,

Behind the second curtain there was another tent. This was called the Holiest Place of All.

4 w hich had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant;

In the inside tent there was an altar where special perfume was burned. There was also a large box made of wood called the box of the Way of Worship. Both of these were covered with gold inside and out. Inside the box was a pot made of gold with the bread from heaven. It also had in it Aaron’s stick that once started to grow. The stones on which the Law of Moses was written were in it.

5 a nd above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. Limitations of the Earthly Service

Above the box were the cherubim of honor. Their wings were spread up and over and met in the center. On the top of the box and under the shadow of their wings was the mercy-seat. We cannot tell anymore about these things now.

6 N ow when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services.

When everything was finished, the Jewish religious leaders went in and out of the outside tent to do the things which had to be done to worship God.

7 B ut into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance;

Once each year the head religious leader would go into the inside tent alone. He would not go in without blood. He gave this blood to God as a gift in worship for his own sins and for the sins of all the people who sinned without knowing it.

8 t he Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.

And so the Holy Spirit is teaching that, with the Old Way of Worship, the people could not go into the Holiest Place of All as long as the outside tent and its Old Way of Worship were being used.

9 I t was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience—

The outside tent is a picture of that day. With the Old Way of Worship, animals killed and gifts given in worship to God could not take away the guilty feeling of sin.

10 c oncerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation. The Heavenly Sanctuary

The Old Way of Worship was made up of Laws about what to eat and drink. These Laws told how to wash and other things to do with the body. These things had to be done until Christ came to bring a better way of worship. The New Way of Worship Has a Better Gift

11 B ut Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.

But Christ came as the Head Religious Leader of the good things God promised. He made the way for man to go to God. He was a greater and more perfect tent. He was not made by human hands and was not a part of this earth.

12 N ot with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

Christ went into the Holiest Place of All one time for all people. He did not take the blood of goats and young cows to give to God as a gift in worship. He gave His own blood. By doing this, He bought us with His own blood and made us free from sin forever.

13 F or if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,

With the Old Way of Worship, the blood and ashes of animals could make men clean after they had sinned.

14 h ow much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

How much more the blood of Christ will do! He gave Himself as a perfect gift to God through the Spirit that lives forever. Now your heart can be free from the guilty feeling of doing work that is worth nothing. Now you can work for the living God.

15 A nd for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. The Mediator’s Death Necessary

Christ is the One Who gave us this New Way of Worship. All those who have been called by God may receive life that lasts forever just as He promised them. Christ bought us with His blood when He died for us. This made us free from our sins which we did under the Old Way of Worship.

16 F or where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

When a man wants to give his money to someone after he dies, he writes it all down on paper. But that paper is worth nothing until the man is dead.

17 F or a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives.

That piece of paper means nothing as long as he is alive. It is good only when he dies.

18 T herefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood.

The Old Way of Worship had to have a death to make it good. The blood of an animal was used.

19 F or when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,

Moses told the people all the things they had to obey in the Law. Then he took the blood of animals together with water and put it on the Book of the Law and on all the people. He used special branches and red wool as he put it on them.

20 s aying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.”

Moses said, “This is the blood of the Way of Worship which God said you must obey.”

21 T hen likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry.

In the same way, Moses put the blood on the tent and on all the things used in worship.

22 A nd according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. Greatness of Christ’s Sacrifice

The Law says that almost everything is made clean by blood. Sins are not forgiven unless blood is given. One Perfect Gift

23 T herefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

The tent to worship in and the things inside to worship with were like the things in heaven. They were made clean by putting blood on them. But the things in heaven were made clean by a much better gift of worship.

24 F or Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;

For Christ did not go into the Holiest Place of All that was made by men, even if it was like the true one in heaven. He went to heaven itself and He is before God for us.

25 n ot that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another—

Christ has not given Himself many times, as the head religious leader here on earth went into the Holiest Place of All each year with blood that was not his own.

26 H e then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

For then Christ would have had to die many times since the world began. But He came once at the end of the Old Way of Worship. He gave Himself once for all time. He gave Himself to destroy sin.

27 A nd as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

It is in the plan that all men die once. After that, they will stand before God and be judged.

28 s o Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

It is the same with Christ. He gave Himself once to take away the sins of many. When He comes the second time, He will not need to give Himself again for sin. He will save all those who are waiting for Him.