Let’s read through the book of Hebrews one verse at a time in 2023. Every day explore a single verse and its cross references. AI-generated text draws the passages together. RSS feed.
For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh,
The cross references for Hebrews 9:13 all share a common theme of purification and cleansing. In the Old Testament, the blood of bulls and goats and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer was used to sanctify and purify the flesh. This is echoed in the New Testament references, which speak of purifying the heart by faith and obedience to the truth. The Psalm speaks of the need for purification, and the cleansing power of God. All of these references point to the need for spiritual purification, which is ultimately found in Jesus Christ.
| Passage | How It’s Related (AI-Generated) |
|---|---|
| Leviticus 16:14-16: And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times. “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. | Both passages refer to the atonement of sin through the shedding of blood. Hebrews 9:13 speaks of the use of the blood of goats and bulls as a means of purification, while Leviticus 16:14-16 describes the ritual of sprinkling the blood of a bull and a goat on the mercy seat of the tabernacle as a way of atoning for the sins of the Israelites. This ritual was a foreshadowing of the ultimate atonement of sin through the death of Jesus Christ, which is described in Hebrews 9:13. |
| Numbers 19:2-21: “This is the statute of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and on which a yoke has never come. And you shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be taken outside the camp and slaughtered before him. And Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and sprinkle some of its blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times. And the heifer shall be burned in his sight. Its skin, its flesh, and its blood, with its dung, shall be burned. And the priest shall take cedarwood and hyssop and scarlet yarn, and throw them into the fire burning the heifer. | Both passages discuss the ritual of purification involving the blood of a heifer. Hebrews 9:13 describes how the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, can sanctify for the purification of the flesh. Numbers 19:2-21 provides a detailed description of how this ritual is to be carried out, including instructions on how to obtain the heifer and how to prepare it for sacrifice. |
| 2 Chronicles 30:19: who sets his heart to seek God, the Lord, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary's rules of cleanness.” | Both passages discuss the importance of seeking God, although in different ways. Hebrews 9:13 speaks of the importance of the blood of animals in the purification of the flesh, while 2 Chronicles 30:19 emphasizes the importance of having a heart that seeks God, regardless of the rules of cleanness. In both cases, the message is that a genuine desire to seek God is more important than mere ritualistic observance. |
| Psalm 51:7: Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. | Both passages refer to the idea of purification. Hebrews 9:13 speaks of the purification of the flesh through the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer. Psalm 51:7 describes a spiritual purification, where the psalmist pleads for God to purge and wash him so he can be made clean and whiter than snow. |
| Acts 15:9: and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. | Both passages emphasize the power of faith in the purification of people. Hebrews 9:13 explains how the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer can sanctify for the purification of the flesh. In Acts 15:9, God is described as having cleansed the hearts of people by faith. This emphasizes the importance of faith in the purification of people. |
| 1 Peter 1:22: Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, | Both passages emphasize the importance of purification. Hebrews 9:13 discusses the purification of the flesh through the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer. 1 Peter 1:22 speaks to the purification of the soul through obedience to the truth and a sincere brotherly love. This love must come from a pure heart in order to be truly effective. |
Heavenly Father,
We thank You for Your mercy and grace, for Your willingness to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We thank You for the blood of Jesus that was shed for us, and for the sprinkling of His blood that sanctifies us and makes us clean.
We thank You for Your love and compassion, and for Your willingness to cleanse our hearts by faith. We thank You for Your mercy and grace, and for the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus that washes us whiter than snow.
We ask that You would continue to purify our souls by our obedience to Your truth, and that You would fill us with a sincere and pure love for one another.
We give You all the glory, honor, and praise in Jesus' name, Amen.
This reading plan reads through a single verse each day, six days a week, paired with the most-popular cross references for the verse. AI-generated (and human-reviewed) text provides an opening thought and concluding prayer along with an explanation for how each cross reference relates to the verse. In 2023, this reading plan works through Hebrews one verse at a time. Every seventh day is a catchup day. Want more info? Try this blog post.
Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com.