Thursday Night Worship Service; Hebrews 9:6-15

During the sermon last Thursday night, I posed the question of "Did Christ have to die on the Cross?".  The reality is that no... He did not... God could have chosen any means He wished to demonstrate His grace to us.  The question isn't really valid, the reality is He choose to demonstrate grace and forgiveness to us in this manner.  We can ask why this 'symbolic' representation of the forgiveness of sin?  But, really we can't say did He have to do it this way, to do that ignores that God is all powerful and can do whatever He chooses to do in whatever fashion He chooses.

A good 'symbol' is impactful and weighty, it serves to drive home the point of the great meaning behind the symbol.  In this regard, the crucifixion and the resurrection with all their violence and blood... are perhaps the greatest symbols ever devised.  Our job as Christians is to pass the weight and import of the 'blood' of Christ and the meaning of the Cross on to our children and grandchildren.  

I had prepared several OT references to use during the sermon and I have those attached below.  Time did not allow me to use more than one though I believe several of these could pertain to a longer sermon over these verse in Hebrews.

Be a blessing to someone today!  (Tell them about Jesus!)

In His Grace (and by His blood),

Roy

2

Hebrews 9:6-15 Revised Standard Version (RSV)
6 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go continually into the outer tent,[a] performing their ritual duties; 7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood which he offers for himself and for the errors of the people. 8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the sanctuary is not yet opened as long as the outer tent[b] is still standing 9 (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with food and drink and various ablutions, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.

11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come,[c] then through the greater and more perfect tent[d] (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking[e] not the blood of goats and calves but his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify your[f] conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred which redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant.[g]

Footnotes:
a) Hebrews 9:6 Or tabernacle
b) Hebrews 9:8 Or tabernacle
c) Hebrews 9:11 Other manuscripts read good things to come
d) Hebrews 9:11 Or tabernacle
e) Hebrews 9:12 Greek through
f) Hebrews 9:14 Other manuscripts read our
g) Hebrews 9:15 The Greek word here used means both covenant and will

Isaiah 1:11-17
“What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.“When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.

Ecclesiastes 5:1
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil.


Psalm 40:6-8
In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. Then I said, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”



Amos 5:21-24
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.


Micah 6:6-8
“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?


Jeremiah 7:22-23
For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’


1 Samuel 15:22
And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.


Proverbs 21:3
To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.


Hosea 6:6
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.


Psalm 51:16-17
For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.