Hebrews 9:16-22
16 For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. 19 For 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, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” 21 Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.
A testament, covenant, or will mentioned here is God’s agreement with His people which was sealed with the blood of certain animals which were deemed acceptable for this purpose by God’s command. This covenant agreement was also as a last will and testament, and so required death for it to take force, as there is no testament until one dies to leave what is promised to the beneficiaries. The blood was the death required to seal the deal and provide the promise of atonement for sins, and so the temple rituals highlighted its use on every important detail, sprinkling the book of the Law and God’s people of the book. The priests also sprinted the vessels of ministry and even the tabernacle itself which held all these things in it. The lesson foreshadowed here was that a blood sacrifice was needed to purify and take away the sin’s penalty for the promise of the covenant to be inherited by the beneficiaries. Likewise in Christ as the fulfillment of the shadows had to shed His own blood for an eternal sacrifice which would give the new covenant force to effectually cleanse sinners forever and guarantee all He promised for eternity in His kingdom.
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