“but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people” (Hebrews 9:7 ESV).
While it often seems tedious to engage with repetitive details, the act of doing so can help us retain important information. For instance, let’s take this passage from Hebrews 9:7 as an example. If a portion of this Scripture seems familiar, it may be related to the fact that this verse reiterates something mentioned earlier in chapters five and seven of this epistle…
“For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness. Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins” (Hebrews 5:1-3).
“For such a High Priest was fitting for us… who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself” (Hebrews 7:26-27).
These passages remind us that the priests of the Old Testament era were fallible human beings, just like anyone else. This explains why the High Priest offered sacrifices for his sins as mentioned in the verses quoted above. It was only after the priest fulfilled these sacrificial requirements that he was permitted to minister on behalf of others. However, Jesus was sinless, and did not need to offer such sacrifices. Thus, He is uniquely qualified to serve as our High Priest.
Finally, Hebrews 9:7 mentions a sacrificial offering for the “…unintentional sins of the people.” We might associate this reference with the sinful acts that human beings commit in error. It might also include inadvertent sins that result from thoughtlessness, ignorance, or involuntary negligence. One source provides us with some further information regarding these types of sins…
“During the administration of God’s kingdom on earth before Christ, sacrifices for sin took away only sins ‘committed in ignorance.’ The Greek word in verse 7 corresponds to a Hebrew term in Leviticus 4, which deals with the sin offerings. That word may be translated ‘sin of inadvertency’ or ‘unintentional sin,’ but most precisely it refers to a ‘sin of wandering astray.'” (1)
(1) Sproul, R. C. (1994). Before the face of God: Book 4: A daily guide for living from Ephesians, Hebrews, and James (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House; Ligonier Ministries.