1 ARST As for the earlier{ agreement that God made with Israel}, it required people to worship God in a specific way in a sanctuary on earth. BSB BSB: Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary.
2 ARST The sanctuary that the Israelites set up was a sacred tent{ that had two sections}. They called the outer section the Holy Place. In it,{ they put} a stand for lamps and a table on which they laid out{ special} bread. BSB BSB: A tabernacle was prepared. In its first room were the lampstand, the table, and the consecrated bread. This was called the Holy Place.
3 ARST The inner section was on the other side of an inner cloth hanging. They called this{ inner section} the Most Holy Place. BSB BSB: Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place,
4 ARST In it, they put the altar for incense and the sacred chest, both of which they completely coated with gold. In the sacred chest,{ they put} a gold container with manna inside{, the food that God gave the Israelites while they lived in the desert}.{ They also put in it} Aaron’ s staff that God caused to produce leaves.{ They also put in it} the stone slabs{ on which Moses wrote the most important parts} of the agreement with God. BSB BSB: containing the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. Inside the ark were the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.
5 ARST On top of the sacred chest,{ they put two statues of} glorious spiritual beings with wings.{ These statues} cast shadows on the lid for the sacred chest.{ However,} now is not the right time to carefully discuss each of these objects. BSB BSB: Above the ark were the cherubim of glory, overshadowing the mercy seat. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.
6 ARST After they had set up all those things, the priests went into the outer section of the sacred tent every day to serve God. BSB BSB: When everything had been prepared in this way, the priests entered regularly into the first room to perform their sacred duties.
7 ARST On the other hand, on only one day a year does the{ current} ruling priest go into the inner section{ of the sacred tent}. He has to take blood{ from an animal with him}, which he presents{ to God} to take away his own{ sins} and the sins that the rest of the Israelites committed by accident. BSB BSB: But only the high priest entered the second room, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.
8 ARST The Holy Spirit shows{ through what the priests do in the sacred tent} that God did not reveal how to enter the{ heavenly} Most Holy Place during the time when he required people to use the first section of the{ earthly} sacred tent. BSB BSB: By this arrangement the Holy Spirit was showing that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing.
9 ARST This{ first section of the earthly sacred tent} figuratively describes the time in which those Israelites lived. In that time, priests presented offerings that could not enable the people who brought the offerings to distinguish properly between what is right and what is wrong. BSB BSB: It is an illustration for the present time, because the gifts and sacrifices being offered were unable to cleanse the conscience of the worshiper.
10 ARST They also followed rules that were only about bodily things,{ including rules} about what to eat and drink and how to wash with water often. God gave them these rules to follow until he made a new agreement with his people. BSB BSB: They consist only in food and drink and special washings—external regulations imposed until the time of reform.
11 ARST In contrast, when the Messiah began to serve as a ruling priest,{ he gave us} the good things that we now have. He passed through the{ heavenly} sacred tent that functions better{ than the earthly one}. God, not humans, made this sacred tent, and it does not belong on the earth. BSB BSB: But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made by hands and is not a part of this creation.
12 ARST Then, when he went into the{ heavenly} Most Holy Place only one time, he did not present blood from animals that someone sacrificed{, like the priests who are descendants of Levi do}. Instead, he presented his own blood and freed{ his people} from their sins forever. BSB BSB: He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.
13 ARST Now{ those priests present} blood from animals that someone sacrificed, and they scatter ashes from a female cow, which they have burned, on unclean people.{ When the priests do these things,} they really do cleanse the outside of a person. BSB BSB: For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean,
14 ARST { Since that is true,} what the Messiah does with his blood cleanses people much more! He presented himself as a perfect sacrifice to God, and the Spirit who lives forever enabled him to do so. He cleanses the inside of you all, removing what you do that accomplishes nothing and enabling you to do what the only real God requires. BSB BSB: how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!
15 ARST Because{ the Messiah cleanses the inside of people}, God has made a new agreement through him. That way, God gives to those whom he chose what he promised that they would receive forever.{ That can happen because Jesus} died to free{ his people} from what they did wrong when they disobeyed the agreement that God made with Israel. BSB BSB: Therefore Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, now that He has died to redeem them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.
16 ARST Now when someone sets up a will,{ which is a type of agreement,} that person needs to die before the will becomes effective. BSB BSB: In the case of a will, it is necessary to establish the death of the one who made it,
17 ARST In fact, every will is valid only because of a dead person.{ That is} because a will is not effective while the person who set it up is alive. BSB BSB: because a will does not take effect until the one who made it has died; it cannot be executed while he is still alive.
18 ARST Much like that, God definitely required{ the Israelites to use} blood when he made the agreement with them. BSB BSB: That is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.
19 ARST Indeed, after Moses declared everything that God commanded in his law to the Israelites, he picked up{ a bowl containing} blood from animals that someone had sacrificed. Then, also using water, red cloth, and parts of a hyssop plant, he scattered the blood on the book{ in which he wrote what God commanded} and on all the Israelites. BSB BSB: For when Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people,
20 ARST { When he scattered the blood,} he said to them,“This blood signifies{ that} the agreement that God made with you{ is now effective}.” BSB BSB: saying, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.”
21 ARST Moses likewise scattered blood on the sacred tent and on every tool{ that the priests used} to serve God. BSB BSB: In the same way, he sprinkled with blood the tabernacle and all the vessels used in worship.
22 ARST Further, God commanded in Moses’ law that the priests should use blood almost every time they cleansed{ people or things}. In fact, God does not forgive anyone unless a priest presents blood{ from an animal that someone has sacrificed}. BSB BSB: According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
23 ARST So then, the priests had to sacrifice animals to purify the{ earthly} copy of the heavenly{ Most Holy Place}. Much like that,{ Jesus had to} present an even greater offering{ to purify} the heavenly{ Most Holy Place} itself. BSB BSB: So it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
25 ARST Further, he{ went into the highest heaven} to present himself as an offering only once. That is not what the{ earthly} ruling priests do. They go into the Most Holy Place every year{ and present} blood from an animal{ that someone has sacrificed}. BSB BSB: Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.
26 ARST { If Jesus had actually needed to present himself as an offering more than once,} then he would have needed to die very often since the time when God created everything. But here is what is true{ about Jesus}: during this final time period, he presented himself one time only as an offering to make sin powerless. BSB BSB: Otherwise, Christ would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.