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Hebrews 9:16-22
The author of Hebrews is in the midst of describing the old covenant of the Law given to Moses and its fulfillment in the new covenant given through Jesus. The author of Hebrews tells us that in the making of a testament/covenant/will, the one who makes the will then dies for the will to take effect. We already know from Hebrews 9:15 (NKJV), “And 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.” Man died spiritually to God through sin when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, but the shedding of blood, which is the requirement for a covenant/testament/will was not shed by man but by God of the animal, which I believe to have been a lamb, when he made clothing to cover the sins of Adam and Eve.
The shedding of the blood of animals was the requirement of the Law as through the disobedience of man being the initial cause for bloodshed. It was meant to be a living punishment that was brought on man by himself in his disobedience to God through which repentance should result. But this covenant/will/ testament could not yet take full effect because the testator has not died/shed His own blood (Hebrews 9:16-22). However, as God shed the blood of the animal to make clothes/covering for the sins of Adam and Eve, He now required the same covering of man’s sins through the shedding of the blood of animals but shed by man, “imposed until the time of reformation” (Hebrews 9:10c, NKJV), explained in Hebrews 9:6-10, when He/God/Jesus died putting the testament/covenant/will in action. God declared in Leviticus 17:11 (ESV), “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.” Jesus proclaims in Matthew 26:28 (NIV), “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Jesus was telling about His fulfilling of the covenant/will/testament when He would die on the cross and fulfill “all” (Matthew 5:17-18; Hebrews 9:11-15).
This is a command, example, and promise of the requirement for the blood through death that fulfills the covenant/will/testament.
This picture that the author of Hebrews is painting for us is of the unfulfilled covenant/will/testament of the Old Testament that God gave to Moses that was brought about to show us sin and our inability to overcome it on our own as no man’s blood was worthy of the righteousness required by the covenant to fulfill it. It is only through the blood of the purity of the maker of the covenant by which it can be fulfilled. God made the covenant with Abraham which led to the giving of the Law through Moses to govern the covenant and show man his inability to fulfill it. This only leaves God to fulfill what only He can. The Law was given to show man his need for God in his life – to show us the need for God in our lives to fulfill what we cannot, although we try in vain, as we spend our lives in blindness, to the gift that God offers us in the redeeming and fulfilling of the promise that God Himself fulfilled for us when He came as a man in the form of Jesus to do His part in the requirement of the bloodshed and death to fulfill the everlasting covenant/will/testament between Himself and all who will believe in Him. John 1:11-13 (NKJV) proclaims, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” I encourage you to put your trust in God to do the things for you in which you cannot do for yourself, and you will find the peace of heart that you have been striving in vain for all your life. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6).
Dear LORD,
You have given us the picture in the Old Testament of the old covenant/testament/will that is required by the testament itself to have the blood and death of You, who made the covenant, to make the covenant active. Until You came to fulfill it in Jesus, the covenant was set as an everlasting promise, but when Jesus shed His blood and died pure, You fulfilled the covenant for all who will believe in You – the goal of it all – to believe in You with all our heart, soul, and mind; and to love our neighbor as ourself as Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:37-40. Please help us to see that it is You that makes all things possible for those who will believe in You that we would find a new life of fulfillment in Christ Jesus. In Jesus name I pray, amen.