Hebrews 9:6-7 "Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. (7) But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people."
These verses speak of the work of the priests and the work of the high priest. Daily sacrifices were brought for the priest to offer unto the Lord. Those sacrifices were for various reasons. There were sacrifices of thanksgiving, there were sacrifices asking forgiveness for daily sins and tresspasses, as well as various other sacrifices. The priests offered those sacrifices. There was a ritual through which he had to follow in order to properly offer those sacrifices. The sacrificial animal was slain and the blood was poured, some on the altar and the remaining portion at the base. Parts of the animal were burned on the brazen altar. Before the priest could go into the holy place, he then went from the brazen altar to the laver. The laver was basically a large wash pot where he would wash his hands before entering the holy place. Inside the holy place was the candlestick, the table of shewbread, and the altar of incense. This work was performed on a daily basis.Once a year, the high priest (and only the high priest) went into the "Holiest of all" This place was covered by a veil, or curtain, in which was the ark of the covenant. Inside the ark (a box made of wood and covered with solid gold) was a bowl of manna preserved from the time of Israel traveling through the wilderness. Also inside was the rod (staff) of Aaron where God had shown Himself to be sovereign in who He appointed as the High Priest. And inside the ark were the tables where the 10 commandments were written. The covering for the ark was a piece of solid gold with two cherubim (angels) carved out of that gold. This was called the mercy seat. It was upon the mercy seat that the blood of atonement was sprinkled seven times. God would come down in a cloud of smoke and there receive the sacrificial offering for the sin nature of the people. His accepting the offering represented their sins had been rolled forward for another year.
This work of the priest represented our coming to God each day, asking for forgiveness of sins. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) Each of us sin on a daily basis, either intentionally or unintentionally. We constantly are in need of God's forgiving grace for those transgressions. But our sin nature could never be put at one with God (atonement) by our works. Even though we are faithful to ask forgiveness, the fact remains that on our own basis, we still stand in need of that daily forgiveness. The priest could not go farther than asking forgiveness for those daily transgressions. It was the high priest who went into the Holy of holies and there made atonement for their sin nature. But even that was not correcting the problem, it was simply rolling it forward.
We see the work that is necessary for us to have atonement, to be made at one with God. Man cannot do that work. The high priest under the law could not do that work on an eternal basis. Hence, we go back to chapter 4 where the writer introduced us to Jesus, our Great High Priest. The next couple chapters will tell us what Jesus did in order for us to be at one with God. I will slip down a few verses to show you the end result. "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." (Hebrews 9:12) This eternal redemption is the peace that was under consideration back in chapter 4. Only Jesus Christ could obtain it. This 12th verse tells us that Jesus has already obtained our eternal redemption by His own blood.
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
Oh, precious is the flow
that makes me white as snow.
No other fount I know
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.