Hebrews 9:9

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Summary

Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;

A figure

The time

Hebrews 7:11

Hebrews 11:39

1 Peter 1:11

Gifts

Hebrews 5:1

That could

Bible References

A figure

For Christ did not enter the Holy of Holies made by hand, which is [only] a counterpart of the true one, but into heaven itself, where He now appears in God's presence for us. [See verse 12].

[So], he reasoned that God was able to raise up [Isaac] from the dead, which, in a sense, he did receive him back [from the dead].

Yet [physical] death ruled [over mankind] from the time of Adam to Moses, even over those people who had not sinned the way Adam did. [Now] Adam prefigured the coming of Jesus.

This water prefigured immersion [into Christ], which now also saves you, not by removing dirt from the [physical] body, but [by serving] as an appeal [or, "pledge"] to God for a clear conscience through the raising of Jesus Christ from the dead.

The time

So, if perfection [i.e., a right relationship with God] could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood, (for under it people had received the law of Moses), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise, according to the order of Melchizedek, who was not considered "according to the order of Aaron"?

And all of these people were commended [by God] for their faith, yet did not receive [all of] what was promised to them,

They studied [their own prophecies] to learn what, or which, [person or] time the Holy Spirit in them pointed to, in predicting the sufferings of Christ and the glories yet to come.

Gifts

For every head priest is chosen from among men, and is appointed on behalf of people, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.

That could

For if the blood of goats and bulls, and a [burnt] heifer's ashes sprinkled on people who had been [ceremonially] defiled, could purify them so as to make them [ceremonially] clean on the outside,

For on one hand, the previous command [i.e., the law of Moses] was set aside because it was weak and useless,

For the law of Moses was [only] a foreshadow of the good things that [were] to come [i.e., in the Messianic age], not the exact image of those things. It can never, by the same sacrifices, continually offered year after year, make [morally] perfect those who draw near [to God in worship].

Is the law of Moses contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could provide [never ending] life, then a person could be considered right with God by [obeying the requirements of such] a law.