John Calvin Commentary Hebrews 9:20

"saying, This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded to you-ward." — Hebrews 9:20 (ASV)

Saying, This is the blood of the testament, etc. If that was the blood of the testament, then neither was the testament ratified without blood, nor was the blood available for expiation without the testament. It is therefore necessary that both should be united. We see that before the explanation of the Law, no symbol was added, for what would a sacrament be unless the word preceded it? Therefore, a symbol is a kind of appendage to the word. And note, this word was not whispered like a magic incantation, but pronounced with a clear voice, as it was intended for the people, according to what the words of the covenant express, which God has commanded you. Perverted, then, are the sacraments, and it is a wicked corruption when there is no explanation of the commandment given, which is, so to speak, the very soul of the sacrament. Therefore, the Papists, who take away the true understanding of things from signs, retain only dead elements.

This passage reminds us that the promises of God are profitable to us only when they are confirmed by the blood of Christ. For what Paul testifies in 2 Corinthians 1:20, that all God’s promises are yea and amen in Christ—this happens when His blood like a seal is engraved on our hearts, or when we not only hear God speaking, but also see Christ offering Himself as a pledge for those things which are spoken. If only this thought came to our minds—that what we read is not written so much with ink as with the blood of Christ, and that when the Gospel is preached, His sacred blood distills together with the voice—our attention and reverence would be far greater. A symbol of this was the sprinkling mentioned by Moses!

At the same time, more is stated here than what Moses expressed; for he does not mention that the book and the people were sprinkled, nor does he name the goats, nor the scarlet wool, nor the hyssop. Regarding the book, whether it was sprinkled cannot be clearly shown, yet it is probable that it was, for Moses is said to have produced it after he had sacrificed; and he did this when he bound the people to God by a solemn covenant.

As for the rest, the Apostle seems to have blended together various kinds of expiations, the reason for which was the same. Nor indeed was there anything unsuitable in this, since he was speaking of the general subject of purgation under the Old Testament, which was done by means of blood.

Now, as for the sprinkling made by hyssop and scarlet wool, it is evident that it represented the mystical sprinkling made by the Spirit. We know that the hyssop possesses a singular power to cleanse and to purify. Therefore, Christ employs His Spirit to sprinkle us in order to wash us by His own blood when He leads us to true repentance, when He purifies us from the depraved lusts of our flesh, and when He imbues us with the precious gift of His own righteousness. For it was not in vain that God had instituted this rite. David also alluded to this when he said,

“You will sprinkle me, O Lord, with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed” (Psalms 51:7).

These remarks will be sufficient for those who wish to be soberminded in their speculations.