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The Epistle to the Hebrews |
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Chapter 10
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For
It Is Impossible
1For
the Torah, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and
not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which
they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw
near. 2Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because
the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had
consciousness of sins? 3But in those sacrifices there is a reminder
of sins year by year. 4For it is impossible for the blood of bulls
and goats to take away sins.
The
word "only" is not in the Greek text. The Torah is a true reflection
of the good things to come. The regulations and commandments of the
Torah that are incumbent upon us to obey in This World are a
reflection of the reality of the World to Come. That being said, the
animal sacrifices, specifically, since they are only a reflection of
the heavenly reality cannot actually bring to fruition what is
needed to enter into the World to Come. The animal sacrifices never
have and never will make worshippers perfect nor cleanse their
consciences from sin. We should continue to note that the writer in
no way repudiates the sacrificial service of the Jerusalem Temple as
performed by the Aaronic priesthood but is simply explaining their
inadequacy in relation to the World to Come.
To
Establish the Deutero
5Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, "SACRIFICE AND
OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME;
6IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO
PLEASURE. 7"THEN I SAID, 'BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE
BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.'" 8After saying
above, "SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND
sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE
in them" (which are offered according to the Torah), 9then He said,
"BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL." He takes away the first in
order to establish the second. 10By this will we have been
sanctified through the offering of the body of Yeshua the Messiah
once for all.
The
writer, in classic Jewish style, makes a midrash and places
the words of Psalm 40 on the lips of the Messiah. By using the
Septuagint version of the Scriptures, the writer shows how God
purposed to use the Messiah to bring fulfillment to the animal
sacrifices. By the Messiah's sacrifice, the protos (the
first) has been taken away in order to establish the deutero (the
second). In other words, the Messiah's sacrifice guarantees the
World to Come for those who have been set apart by God for
salvation.
For
All Time
11Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time
the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12but He,
having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE
RIGHT HAND OF GOD, 13waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES
BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. 14For by one offering He has
perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 15And the Holy
Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, 16"THIS IS THE
COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE
LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL
WRITE THEM," He then says, 17"AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS
DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE."
Just
as we cry out to God for forgiveness everyday and yet still sin, the
animal sacrifices could never take away our sins. Through the
Messiah's sacrifice, we have assurance that as His elect we will be
perfected. He confirms this by once again quoting the New Covenant
passage from Jeremiah which promises a permanent change of heart for
the entire nation of Israel made possible because God will forgive
us of our sins.
Assurance
18Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer
any offering for sin.
This
is one of the many great verses that teach us of our eternal
security in Messiah. Those of us who have experienced and continue
to experience the genuine work of the Spirit in our lives, that is,
the work of repentance; we have full confidence and assurance that
there is no longer any offering for sin. In other words, through the
Messiah we have complete forgiveness for all of our sins.
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Practical Ramifications
19Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy
place by the blood of Yeshua, 20by a new and living way which He
inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21and since
we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near
with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with
pure water. 23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without
wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24and let us consider how
to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25not forsaking our
own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging
one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
The
writer exhorts us to live according to this confidence. Our hearts
should always be focused on the fact that our eternity is secure.
Through our faith in the Messiah, we should live lives of obedience,
displaying the fact that God's promises have already begun to be
fulfilled in our lives and communities. This can be done through
love and good deeds, which in the context of a believing community
would be obeying the Torah with all of the right intentions and
attitudes. The writer instructs us not to forsake assembling. The
word in Greek used here for "assembling" is "episunagoge."
The writer is instructing the Hebrews community to continue to
assemble in the synagogues despite the fact that they have been
ex-communicated from the Temple. We would do well to look to the
synagogue mode of worship and study, as this was the normal practice
of the believing communities of The Way. All this is to be done
while encouraging one another, knowing that "the day" is drawing
near. The "day" referred to here is the World to Come, as explained
back in chapter 4.
Willfully Sinning
26For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of
the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27but a
terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL
CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.
Just
as in chapter 6 verses 4-8, the writer uses rhetoric to explain that
those who continue to willfully practice sin after hearing the truth
of the Gospel have no hope that Messiah's sacrifice will be applied
to them. The writer is not describing someone who truly believed and
then fell away as this is not possible (John 6:37-4 and 10:28-29,
Romans 5:9-10 and 8:1 and 8:31-39, Philippians 1:6, Hebrews 7:25,
etc). Again, he's using rhetoric to motivate the Believers to live
obedient lives.
Another Light to the Heavy
28Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on
the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29How much severer
punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot
the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the
covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of
grace?
The
writer makes another comparison of a smaller truth and bigger truth,
known in Jewish literature as "the Light to the Heavy." Here the
smaller truth (the "light") is that anyone who rejects or disobeys
the Torah dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three
witnesses. The writer is referring to those commandments in the
Torah that carry the death penalty, which can only be administered
after a legitimate trial with two or three witnesses. The bigger
truth (the "heavy") is that those who have rejected the Messiah and
His sacrifice will be more severely punished than simple physical
death; those who reject the Gospel will be eternally punished.
The
Rest of Chapter 10
30For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY " And
again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE." 31It is a terrifying thing
to fall into the hands of the living God. 32But remember the former
days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of
sufferings, 33partly by being made a public spectacle through
reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with
those who were so treated. 34For you showed sympathy to the
prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property,
knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a
lasting one. 35Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which
has a great reward. 36For you have need of endurance, so that when
you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.
37FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND
WILL NOT DELAY. 38BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF
HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM. 39But we are not of
those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to
the preserving of the soul.
The fact that he is using rhetoric is confirmed in the following
verses but especially verse 39 when he explains that negative things
he's been explaining doesn't actually apply to them because they are
the ones have faith; their faith is what leads to the preserving of
the soul, this speaks of the fact that work of salvation that God
has begun in our lives has an end purpose, namely to bring us into
the World to Come. |
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