Hebrews Chapter 10
Hebrews 10:1- 4 “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves. For this reason, it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Shadow of good things
The blood of animals was an imperfect sacrifice. Not only did animal sacrifice need to be offered over and over, it did not have the power to actually "cleanse" man from sin, only to "cover" that sin temporarily (Hebrews 9:8–10). The phrase "made perfect," as used here, is not a reference to absolute sinlessness. In this context, "perfection" carries the same meaning it usually does in the New Testament, which is that of completion and maturity. The sacrifices of the old covenant could not fully cleanse man in order to stand before God. The new covenant, however, can change the conscience of man and totally remove sin, allowing us to be "perfected"—matured and completed—in the eyes of God. Annual Reminder If those sacrifices could actually cleanse the conscience—meaning a complete removal of sin—then wouldn't priests have stopped offering them? Why continue to offer sacrifice for sin, unless those sacrifices are not enough? The old covenant sacrifices served more as a reminder of sins than as a solution for sins. By repeating them year after year, the priests not only proved that animal sacrifices were insufficient, they also demonstrated that human sin remained un-forgiven....that sin had not been truly dealt with. It had been "covered," but not "cleansed" temporarily delaying judgement. Animal blood can only solve a ceremonial problem: something physical and external. Our real problem with sin, however, is internal. This is why God promised to establish a "new covenant" written on the hearts and minds of the people. The old covenant was meant to symbolize the new covenant, to prepare mankind to accept the ministry of Jesus Christ. The very flaws which have been pointed out, in fact, were meant to draw mankind's awareness to our need for a single, perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 9:8–10). Application (Ray Stedman) Every sacrifice was a life laid down. By it God is saying that this is the quality of life that pleases Him; a life laid down, self-giving, not self-loving. Some Christians have an incorrect perception...they believe that Jesus died on the cross in order that they might be free to live for themselves; that He bore all the pain and suffering, therefore, there is nothing like that for them to bear at all. If they are asked to endure pain, difficulty or heartache, something is wrong. The truth is that Jesus died in order that I might be free to die with Him, and He rose again in order that I might be privileged to rise with Him. You will never know the rising without the dying. Unless we are willing to lay down our lives we can never have them back again. We can never save our life until we are willing to lay it down. "Whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it" Matthew 16:25. If in our hearts there is a readiness to give ourselves on His behalf in the service of others, we shall find in that dying that we are also rising, living again. Life takes on a new dimension. The Old Testament sacrifices taught that there had to be a death, but that was the teaching of the shadow. Now we see it in the living substance of the flesh of Christ Himself. The Old Testament revealed the divine design, but in Christ we advance to the divine desire. |
Is there a contradiction?
Is Leviticus 16:30 a contradiction to verse 4 which states: "...because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins." Would the animal sacrifices take away their sins or not? The Hebrew verb טָהֵר / taher is used consistently throughout the Hebrew Bible in terms of cleansing or purifying, and so in the context of Leviticus 16 the stated meaning is that by performing the described ritual, the High Priest would have his sins cleansed and he would become pure. This ritual purification was required once a year in order for the High Priest to become fit for service (Leviticus 16:32-34). In Hebrews, the author is discussing the fitness of this and other sacrificial rituals to literally absolve sins, and deals with the theological issues of whether or not the blood itself was the effective component of the sacrifices. The author of Hebrews is saying it was never possible for the blood of animals to take away or cleanse sins and is arguing that the Law, including animal sacrifices, held no power in itself to forgive sins, but was a shadow of the reality to come. "But when this priest had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right hand of God, where he is now waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are made holy." (Hebrews 10:12-14 NET) He sees Jesus' one sacrifice being effective for all time (v12, v14), past, present and future. And he goes on to flesh this out throughout the rest of the chapter and then through chapter 11, where he demonstrates that all the 'holy ones' of the past were commended by faith, which was demonstrated by their actions (cf. James 2:22). And this was done with the future in view: "For God had provided something better for us, so that they would be made perfect together with us." (Hebrews 11:40 NET) In other words, all these 'holy ones' of the Old Covenant were commended for their faith, and so by their faith in God they would receive salvation through Jesus together with us. Did the blood of bulls take away their sins? No. Did their faith in God to forgive through genuine faith and repentance take away their sins? Ultimately, yes. And this was demonstrated in genuine sacrifices, which was always to be an act of faith and not a mere blood transaction. So, 'what does clean mean?' - it does truly mean to be clean of sins, but in the Hebrews author's view this was accomplished by their faith in God to save them - and not by the blood of bulls. https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/21959/leviticus-says-animal-sacrifice-will-cleanse-you-from-your-sins-hebrews-says-it |
Hebrews 10:5-10 “Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burn offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, 'Here I am --it is written about me in the scroll--I have come to do your will, O God.' First He said, 'Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them' (although the law required them to be made). Then He said, 'Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
A recurring theme in the book of Hebrews is the use of Old Testament quotations. The writer is making it very clear that the message of the New Testament is not a rejection of the Old, or a claim that Judaism was wrong. Instead, the point of the old covenant was to foreshadow the new covenant. The physical objects and rituals were meant to explain mankind's need for a single, perfect sacrifice. The repeated rituals, the use of human priests, and even the construction of the temple were all meant to demonstrate this truth (Hebrews 9:8–10). To support this idea, the writer has shown how God, in His word, has promised this new covenant, which is fulfilled completely in Jesus Christ.
The point of this new covenant is not a repetitive, temporary sacrifice. It is not about delaying judgment or dealing with ceremony. Instead, the new covenant is meant to be a permanent, personal cleansing from sin (Hebrews 8:7–13). In verses 5, 6, and 7 the author quotes from Psalm 40:6–8, once again appealing to the Old Testament to prove this was, in fact, God's plan all along. |
Note: This quote made from Psalm 40:6-8 is interesting because the writer of Hebrews quotes from the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures. For this reason, Hebrews 10:5 and Psalm 40:6 are often phrased differently, in English, in the same translation. The ESV, for instance, translates Psalm 40:6 as "you have given me an open ear." The KJV makes a similar choice.
This particular Old Testament quotation supports the idea that God's plan for our redemption was never meant to lie in burnt offerings or animal sacrifices. God did not delight in sacrifices; He had no interest in them except as they taught something. God's intent revolved around the creation of a body—a veiled reference to the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Just as God made the ears (and body) of the Psalmist in order for him to do the will of God, so did God intend to fulfill His plan through the body of the Messiah, not through offerings. |
Application (Stedman); What these sacrifices pointed to: a human body in which there was a human will which continually chose to depend upon an indwelling God to obey a written Word! That was what He was after, that was what God wanted. When Christ came He paused on the threshold of heaven and said, "A body hast thou prepared for me." Within that body was a human soul with the capacity to reason, to feel and to choose - a will, in other words. That will, in that human body, never once acted on its own, never once took any step apart from dependence upon the Father who dwelt within. There was a will which continually chose to rely upon the Father to guide that life step by step in every experience, and to meet everything that came with the strength of an indwelling life. Now that is the principle that God has been after all along; that is what He wants.
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"The things that I do, I do not do of myself, but the Father who dwells in me, He does them. The words that I speak are not my words, it is the Father who is speaking through me, He is saying them to you." John 14:10
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God has no interest in ritual, in candles, in prayer books, in beads, in chanting, in any ceremony. What He wants is a heart that is His, a life that is His and a body that is available to Him.
When Jesus acted on that principle He allowed the direction of His life to come from the Word of God. (verse 7 "as it is written of me in the scroll".) This took Him to the cross and called on Him to lay His life down. And by that sacrifice, we are free now to join Him. This is God's original intention for man (verse 10 "And by that will we [believers] have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.] According to Stedman, the word "sanctified" simply means, "to put to the proper, intended use." When we adopt the same outlook as Jesus, when in dependence on Him, we are ready to obey the Word of God and thus fulfill the will of Good. We are being used in the way God intended us to be used. |
Knowing that Christ laid His will and his life down, Paul beseeches us to follow His example.
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship." Romans 12:1 This is our expected task (work, #2041, ergon), what we were designed to do. God wants lives, bodies, hearts that are His, available to Him to work in the shop and the office and the street and the schools and everywhere man is, that His life may be made visible in terms of that person, in that place. |
Been Made Holy [Sanctified]
Instead of being offered over and over, Jesus was sacrificed "once for all." If animal sacrifices could have obtained that salvation, there would have been no need to repeat them (Hebrews 10:1–2). The very fact that priests offered the same sacrifices over and over was proof that God never intended them to fully pay for sin. Our "sanctification" comes only by the blood of Christ, not the sacrifice of animals. The Greek word hēgiasmenoi, can be translated as "have been sanctified" or "made holy." The context here is important. While the Bible often speaks of a lifelong, progressive growth in holiness—often referred to as "sanctification"—the topic at hand here is salvation. The writer of Hebrews is currently speaking of the difference between temporary, repeated animal sacrifices, and the single, perfect sacrifice of Jesus. The context, then, indicates that this reference to "sanctification" is a reference to our salvation from eternal judgment, not our progressive growth in Christ. |
"And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross." Philippians 2:8
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Hebrews 10:11-12 “Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God. "
This continues the same theme begun several verses earlier: the very nature of the Old Testament sacrifices proves they were not meant to be our ultimate salvation. The priests of the old covenant had to constantly offer sacrifices. They had to pass the priesthood along when they died (Hebrews 7:23), and to repeatedly bring the same atonement to God, both for their own sin and for those of the people (Hebrews 7:27). If it was possible for those sacrifices to permanently cleanse us from sin, there would have been no need to offer them over and over (Hebrews 10:1–2). They simply could not "take away sins." All they could do was temporarily cover them.
Verses 12 and 13 repeat images applied to Christ in earlier verses. Christ was previously described as "seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven" (Hebrews 8:1). This phrase symbolizes two important aspects of Christ and His ministry. First is the idea of Christ "sitting down," implying that His work is finished. The prior verse specifically referred to the old covenant priests as "standing," a contrast which shows their work was never done. The second image is that of Christ's position at the right hand of God. Symbolically, this was the seat of ultimate honor and power. |
Hebrews 10:13-18 “Since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool, because by one sacrifice He has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First He says: 'This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says teh Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." Then He adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin."
The writer of Hebrews has been very careful to support all of his claims using the Old Testament. The original audience of this letter was persecuted Jewish Christians. These believers needed to be reminded that accepting Christ did not mean rejecting their faith; it meant fulfilling it. One of the highlight Scriptures used earlier in this letter was Psalm 110:1, which not only mentions the "right hand," but also the idea of making Messiah's enemies His footstool.
This is not a picture of a lazy-boy recliner Our author has made a point of the fact that our Lord sat down once He had finished His work of atoning for our sins once for all at Calvary. His saving work was finished. But the word “until” underscores another important truth. [NASB says "until His enemies be made a footstool."] Our Lord Jesus is “sitting” so far as His saving work is concerned, but He has yet another work to be done at the time of His Second Coming – that of judging those rebels who rejected Him and His atoning work at Calvary. While He came as the “Suffering Servant,” He will return as the triumphant king, who will tread under foot those who oppose Him. The One who is our Great High Priest is also the same One who is our Triumphant King. The Perfect Sacrifice The use of the term "perfected" here should be taken in the usual biblical context: as a reference to maturity and completion. This is not a reference to sinlessness, since even Jesus—who had no sin (Hebrews 4:15)—is said to be "perfected" in a sense by God as He performed the Father's will (Hebrews 2:10). Instead, this echoes the idea presented in Hebrews 7:25: that Christ's sacrifice can do, completely, what the animal sacrifices of the old covenant could only do partially. And where there is forgiveness, there is no more offering for sins needed. Man has drawn near to God. The relationship is complete. |
The Witness of the Spirit
It is interesting to observe that the Book of Hebrews does not put a great deal of emphasis on the person and work of the Holy Spirit. This could also be said of the work of the Father. This may be explained by the fact that the author of Hebrews is intent upon exalting the person and work of the Son. But in verse 15, is so bold as to say that the Holy Spirit witnesses to us in the words of Jeremiah 31. We should also recall that it the ministry of the Spirit is to exalt and glorify the Son. “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you what is to come. He will glorify me, because he will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you” (John 16:13-14). You might say that the Holy Spirit is at work through the words of Hebrews, for in these words the Son is exalted and glorified. Referring to the words of Jeremiah 31 once again the author calls attention to the fact that by means of the New Covenant God will write His laws on the hearts of men. And not only this, He will also deal finally and fully with sin, so that He can say, “Their sins I will remember no more” (Hebrews 10:17, citing Jeremiah 31:34). The “no more” is emphasized once again in verse 18, where the author comments that there is no longer the need for any further offering for sin once complete forgiveness of sins has been achieved. As the writer points out here, when sin is truly forgiven, there "is no longer any offering." This means that once a truly saving sacrifice has been offered, there is no reason to offer any further sacrifices for sin. |
From Ann Spangler:
If you had to choose between two substances - stone or flesh - which would you describe as "impervious" or "impenetrable"? The simple answer, of course, would be stone. But it seems that God found stone a far more malleable substance when it came to inscribing His law. To write His law on steely human hearts would take more than the display of divine power Moses witnessed on Mount Sinai. It would take the display of divine love witnessed on Mount Calvary - the death of Jesus. Two thousand years later, God is still keeping His promise to put His law in our minds and to write it on our hearts. Because of Christ's perfect sacrifice, we not only know God's law but have the power to live by it. "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their ;minds and write it on their hearts I will be their God, and they will be my people....For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Jeremiah 31:33,34 "I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart." Psalm 40:8 (don't miss that Psalm 40:8 immediately follows the verse indicating that Christ is the fulfillment of the law) |
Hebrews 10:19-23 “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere [TRUE] heart (click for blog notes) in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Transitional Theme
This is an encouraging bridge between two major sections of the book of Hebrews. Earlier verses completed a long, detailed explanation of why the new covenant is superior to the old covenant. This section is meant to inspire Christians to be confident, courageous, and uplifted in living out their faith. We have a great confidence (significance of the torn curtain) Christians have every reason to be confident and courageous in living out their faith. The reference here to "brothers" emphasizes the fact that all of these words are written to saved Christians. Those who are saved have every reason to be confident in approaching God with their prayers (Hebrews 6:19–20), since Jesus fully understands what it means to be human (Hebrews 4:15–16). One of the most striking features of the old covenant was the curtain separating certain holy places from entry by the people. Behind this curtain was the holiest of all rooms in the temple, where only the high priest could enter, once per year, bringing a sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 9:6–7). The very existence of this curtain implied a separation between God and man (Hebrews 9:8). Christ's sacrifice on our behalf, however, removes this barrier (Hebrews 9:11–14). This was most dramatically symbolized at Jesus' crucifixion, when this very temple curtain was torn from top to bottom (Matthew 27:50–51). Also, just as passing through the curtain/veil was the only way to the Most Holy Place, the reference to Christ's body signifies that Christ is the only way to God, the Father (John 14;6). |
What is the "house of God"?
If we call a building the house of God we miss the true message of the New Testament, which is that the house of God is actually the bodies of men and women. That is where God dwells today. It is into the inner man, into the realm of the spirit, where we meet face to face with God. "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?....You together are that temple." 1 Corinthians 3:16,17b "But Christ is faithful as the Son over God's house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory." Hebrews 3:6 First 15 Excerpt: What would it be like to live your life entirely in the presence of God? What would change if you were to experience his goodness with every moment, waking or sleeping? How would the reality of his presence change the way you live your life for the better? The remarkable thing is that we have no reason to live our lives apart from God. When Jesus died, God tore the veil from top to bottom that separated us from him. His tearing of the veil symbolizes the entire reason for the death of Jesus: that God can once again dwell among his people. And furthermore, when you became a Christian you were filled with God himself. He’s closer to you than the very breath that fills your lungs.
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Drawing Near with Full Assurance
The old covenant placed great emphasis on ceremonial cleanliness. Priests and other worshipers had to follow certain washing rituals in order to communicate with God (Exodus 30:18–21). See Purpose of Bronze Basin A "better hope" has indeed been "introduced, by which we draw near to God" (Hebrews 7:19). Because we have been cleansed and purified by the blood of Jesus, we should "hold fast" - be unswerving - to the hope that we confess to have in Jesus knowing that He is faithful! to all His promises. A cleansed conscience greatly enhances one’s worship, since the blood-cleansed believer can now boldly draw near to God (links back to Hebrews 9:14). Israel succumbed to fear and doubt, and did not "hold fast" to their trusting faith in God. Christians are called not to make this mistake. Instead, we should embrace the confidence we have in Christ, and His salvation, and act accordingly. |
Application for Today
Here, the writer of Hebrews implies that even though we are forgiven, we ought to make our own effort to be "washed" when we "draw near" to God. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24 "Examine me, O LORD, and try me; Test my mind and my heart." Psalm 26:2 "The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests hearts." Proverbs 17:3 |
God is faithful....so we can be unswerving in our faith!
God's faithfulness to keeping His promises should steady the parts of our lives that feel unsure. God promises that His faithfulness will outlast anything here on earth. May we respond to His faithfulness with our own by "holding fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." See Devotional: The Faithfulness of God/ First15 |
“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” Numbers 23:19
“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 “‘For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” Isaiah 54:10 Faithfulness is foundational to the very character of God. God’s steadfast love for you is more sure than the very ground you walk on. |
Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Spur One Another On
Christianity is not a faith which God intended to be lived out alone. Encouraging others and being encouraged by others are both central to the life of an obedient believer. When persecution and fear put pressure on believers, our response should be to "hold fast" to the truth. This is not blind faith—on the contrary, most of the content of this letter is evidence supporting the fact that Jesus Christ is, in fact, God's ultimate plan for our salvation. Our own personal faith is crucial to that endurance, which is why the writer has so often warned readers not to be lazy or careless about their spiritual growth (Hebrews 2:1–4; 6:1–8). At the same time, the influence of others is extremely important to our spiritual maturity (Hebrews 3:13). Instead of reacting to difficult times with fear or doubt, we should embrace a confident faith and look to encourage fellow believers to do the same. This means calling other Christians to not just "believe," but to act out in love and good deeds. |
This is SoulCare in action. We are to spur one another on so that no matter the difficulty experienced, we will hold to this compelling vision to become more like Christ and serve Him and others that are part of the body in love and truth.
Ephesians 3:15-16 "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him, the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." Let us consider how we can help each other mature in the faith and grow and build itself up in love. We need to do more than just show up! |
Hebrews 10:26-31“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay;" and again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
Deliberately keep on sinning
This was framed in the context of those who have received the truth, but have persisted in some level of sin. Depending on how this passage is understood, this is either a reference to saved Christians mired in doubt and faithlessness, or those who never fully accepted the truth and instead rejected the gospel. The Greek phrasing here is sometimes interpreted as to "go on sinning," or as "willfully sinning." In the case of those who "go on sinning," it implies those who come to some level of knowledge of the gospel, but ultimately reject it in favor of their sin. Such persons would be those never legitimately saved in the first place. If this reference is understood as those who are "willfully sinning," it would seem to suggest those who have legitimately accepted Christ, but who purposefully fail to fully submit to His will. It's true that the Bible sets forth a certain expectation for those who are saved; namely, they are generally expected to live as if they believe. However, this very letter of Hebrews pointed out the dangers of falling into faithlessness and disbelief (Hebrews 3:12–19; Hebrews 6:1–8). That prior warning was given very explicitly to saved believers, and included similar language to what follows. Either way, if we are so contemptuous of the sacrifice made on our behalf by Jesus Christ, there will not be another sacrifice that will offer so great a salvation (Hebrews 2:3). Earlier in this chapter, the writer of Hebrews pointed out that the sacrifice of Christ was a single, once for all event (Hebrews 10:12). For this reason, there are no longer additional sacrifices being made, in heaven, for the forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 10:18). When sin is truly forgiven, there is no longer a sacrifice to remove it. The other side of that truth, however, is revealed here. Those who reject Christ reject the one and only sacrifice which can save them. There is not, and will never be, any other means to remove sin. |
If this is referring to believers...implying those who are saved....what is the judgment? Is this a loss of salvation? Some believe that this is not a reference to eternal judgment. If not, it certainly will be a severe accounting of what we did with the gift of His Son. As pointed out, those who have the most knowledge of the truth—in this case, Christians—deserve all the more punishment for violating that truth.
To support this idea, the writer quotes from Deuteronomy 32:35–36, which is part of the song of Moses. That verse refers to God taking "vengeance" on the enemies of Israel for their aggression against His people. However, the context of that aggression, according to Deuteronomy, is the sin of Israel herself! So, while the quote specifically targets the enemies of Israel, it comes from a passage describing God's punishment of His own disobedient children. So this is not a loss of salvation; rather, it's a consequence for sin similar to what Israel suffered in the wilderness (Hebrews 3:12–19). Since believers know, better than anyone, what the sacrifice of Christ is worth, God will respond to those who "profane" His covenant through willful sin all the more harshly. If this passage is talking about unbelievers, than it would be interesting to hear how those who follow Calvenism would explain the meaning behind those "who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him". Calvenism expresses limited atonement in that this theology states that Jesus only died for the elect. Those who hold to a Calvenistic theology would, I assume, treat this verse in context of believers and that it is referring to a judgement but not of an eternal judgment as, according to this theology, a believer cannot lose their salvation. |
Hebrews 10:31-34 “Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution, at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions."
How to stay encouraged
The original audience of this work was the large number of persecuted Jewish Christians of the early church. Most of them, if not all of them, had already experienced some level of hardship for the sake of their faith. The writer is encouraging them to look back on their prior victories, where they were able to "hold fast," as motivation that they can continue to do so. This follows in the same sense as the writer's earlier words of support and praise (Hebrews 6:9–12). The Jewish Christians to whom he is writing have already suffered a certain degree of persecution. In response, they have persevered (Hebrews 10:32). Here, it is mentioned that they even accepted that abuse with a certain level of joy, knowing that what awaited them in heaven was far more valuable. |
Persecution for faith
in these words the author recognizes that most of these to whom he writes had already given proof of true faith and genuine birth. As a result of that conversion, many suffered ridicule, abuse, or mistreatment. Those various forms of persecution tempted Jewish Christians to return to an easier, more socially acceptable religion. The writer of Hebrews goes to great lengths to explain why faith in Christ, despite persecution, is God's ultimate plan for our salvation. For Christians, earthly persecution is only a temporary problem. In fact, when we are persecuted for the sake of our faith in Christ, it's a sign that we are, in fact, siding with God instead of with the world (John 15:18–20). |
Hebrews 10:35-39 “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised. For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved."
What a great confidence!
Knowing all of this, then, Christians ought to be extremely confident in our faith. This reason for confidence should give us encouragement and boldness, even in the face of persecution. At the same time, the profound assurance God offers us leaves no excuse when we choose to sin (Hebrews 10:26–29). In order to obtain all of the blessings God intends for us, spiritually, we need to be willing to do His will. The reference to "the coming one" and the fact that He "will not delay" is part of the writer's encouragement. Past persecutions are over, and the current persecution cannot last forever. Christ will return, at some point in the future, and make all things right. |
How to live a life pleasing to God
If we shrink back from our faith, God will not be pleased For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." Romans 1:17 Those who "hold fast" to their faith don't have to worry about the fiery judgment God has in store for those who willingly rebel against His will. [note: context matters, and the example given earlier of Israel in the wilderness is key to understanding the judgment discussed in these verses. What I am struggling with is that the Israellites that didn't believe didn't enter into His rest and didn't inherit the promised land.] |