"16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established.17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf."
Hebrews 9:16-24
An interesting and instructive second meaning of 'covenant' is now taken up in 16. The new covenant is likened to a last will and testament, which comes into force after the death of the testator. When once he dies, the terms of the will stand, and cannot be altered. In this connection we may recall our Lord's words, "For their sakes I sanctify myself that they also might be sanctified through the truth". That, so to speak, is one of the clauses of the will, which comes into force through His death! Then once more, the emphasis upon blood (18-22). Even the old covenant, which was only a shadow, and could not deal with the problem of sin, needed blood - for this reason: it pointed forward to the great fact that blood needed to be shed in order for the remission of sins. Interestingly enough, the Old Testament ordinance referred to in 19 concerns the cleansing of a leper - an instructive parallel for the leprosy of sin. In 21 there is seemingly a reference to the act of the high priest on the day of atonement of sprinkling blood on the mercy seat and the horns of the altar 'to make atonement for the holy place'. In 23 the Apostle goes so far as to maintain that the pattern of things in the heavens needs to be cleansed, and there is at least a suggestion here - substantiated by other parts of the Scriptures - of the far-reaching effects of man's sins, going far beyond the bounds of humanity. We recall that verse in Job (25:5) which tells us that the very stars are not pure in His sight. This is the universal, even cosmic effect of the sin of man, and it serves to throw into even greater relief the glory and majesty of Christ's redemptive work. How infinitely great must that redemption be!