Heb 10

The New King James Version (Chapter 10)

10 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.Christ’s Death Fulfills God’s Will5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,But a body You have prepared for Me.6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sinYou had no pleasure.7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—In the volume of the book it is written of Me—To do Your will, O God.’ ”8 Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), 9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.Christ’s Death Perfects the Sanctified11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.Hold Fast Your Confession19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.The Just Live by Faith26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The LORD will judge His people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.32 But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: 33 partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; 34 for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. 35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:37 “For yet a little while,And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.38 Now the just shall live by faith;But if anyone draws back,My soul has no pleasure in him.”39 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

The initial theme of Hebrews is that the old sacrificial system no longer pleases God. Animal sacrifices are no longer sufficient. The blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins. It is evident that the law was a shadow of the world to come. The weakness of the legal system is seen in the fact that its sacrifices had to be constantly repeated. This repetition proved their total inability to meet the claims of a holy God. Notice the expressions used to capture this idea of repetitiveness: the same sacrifices; offer continually; year by year.

From verse 5 to 7 we have we see way back in Psalm 40 the author noted Gods disatisfaction witht he sacrifices and offerings of the Old Testament. Sacrifices were institiuted for back then but they were never the ultimate intention. The intention was not to put away sins but to point to the Lamb of God who would bare away the sin of the World. Clearly God was dissatisfied with sacrifices and the law when their inward lives were corrupt and sinful.

God prepared the way where God would come to live in a Human body Jesus Christ, a wonder of the incarnation where the eternal Word became flesh so that Christ could die for man.

God had great pleaseure in the obedience of His son Jesus Christ regardless of the cost he bared. He became an offering Himself on the alter of sacrifice. In versus 8-10, we see the demise of the old sacrificial system and the inaugeration of the one perfect and complete and offering of Jesus Christ.

In essence he takes the first that He may establish the second, abolishing the old system of offerings that were required of the law and introduces His own perfect sacrifice for sin. In verse 10, we see that Jesus’s obedience allows us to be sanctified through the offering of Jesus Christ once and for all.

In verse 12, we see that Jesus finished the work of redemption He now seats at the right Hand of God, the place of honour, power and affection.He also will one day rise up in judgment. He awaits until his enemies are made his footstool where every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. (Phil 2:10-11). This will be his his day of his public vindication throughout the earth.

In verse 16, there is a resemblance to Jer 31:31 ““The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah.” Then just after ine versu Jer 31:34 “And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”” This is His promise of full and legal forgiveness of sin.

At this point, there are now a number of warnings aimed at the Christian. The main warning is not to despise Christ. It indeed is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

We are now Priests under God and have boldness to enter the Holliest by the blood of Jesus. We have a new and living way. Now that Jesus had come to show us the way, He now is reigning forever. The veil has been taken away and Jesus ultimately our High Priest.

There are four points to describe how we should enter His throne room:

With a true heart

In full assurance of faith

Having our hearts sprinked from an evil conscience

Our bodies washed with pure water

To summaris this, we need sincerety, assurance, salvation and sanctification.

We also need to hold fast the confession of faith as in verse 23. His promises never fail us. He who promises is faithful. We will never be disappointed.

We should also never faresaking the assembling of the saints as in verse 25.

In verse 27, there is a Holy fear of Judgment for the apostate where there is no escape.

Believer’s Bible Commentary A. Warning Not to Despise Christ (10:19–39)

The apostate will be counted worthy of much worse punishment because his privilege has been much greater. The enormity of his sin is seen in the three charges that are leveled against him:

He has trampled the son of God underfoot

He has counted the blood of the Covenant by which He was sanctified a common thing

He has insulted the Spirit of Grace

Believer’s Bible Commentary A. Warning Not to Despise Christ (10:19–39)

Willful repudiation of God’s beloved Son is a sin of immense magnitude. God will sit in judgment on all who are guilty of it. He has said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay” (see Deut. 32:35)

The Lord will judge His people. The abiding lesson is not to fall into God’s hand for judgment as it is very fearful thing.

In the remaining verses of chapter 10, the writer gives three strong reasons why the early Jewish Christians should continue steadfastly in their allegiance to Christ.

1. Their former experiences should stimulate them.

2. The nearness of the reward should strengthen them.

3. The fear of God’s displeasure should deter them from going back.

We are to be good and suffer joyfully and righteously, not being afraid of being a prisoner of Christ, choosing Jesus over material things. In Pet 1:4 “we have an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away”

Our reward is near and should strengthen us. We cannot throw away our trust now. Our LORD is coming again with our full reward. We shall aim not to raise up fear of God’s displeasure. We need to persevere to the end lest He has no pleasure of us. We should not draw back and become lost once again. Amen.

MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments (A. Farstad, Ed.; p. 2188). Thomas Nelson.