God Speaks
The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. 2 If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.
3 But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. 4 For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God,
“You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings.
But you have given me a body to offer.
6 You were not pleased with burnt offerings
or other offerings for sin.
7 Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God—
as is written about me in the Scriptures.’”
8 First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). 9 Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. 10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.
11 Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. 12 But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 13 There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. 14 For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.
15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says,
16 “This is the new covenant I will make
with my people on that day, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”
17 Then he says,
“I will never again remember
their sins and lawless deeds.”
18 And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.
19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
26 Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. 27 There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. 28 For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. 30 For we know the one who said,
“I will take revenge.
I will pay them back.”
He also said,
“The Lord will judge his own people.”
31 It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32 Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. 33 Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. 34 You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.
35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.
37 “For in just a little while,
the Coming One will come and not delay.
38 And my righteous ones will live by faith.
But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”
39 But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection
Hebrews chapter ten focuses on Jesus being a better, more lasting, sacrifice than those of bulls and goats. Although the blood of bulls and goats was required by the law of Moses to be offered annually, it did (could) not provide a permanent cleansing for the guilt of sin. Only the blood of the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus the Messiah, could do that. All the priests could do in their continual, daily sacrifices and in the annual special ceremony (the Day of Atonement) was to remind the people of the seriousness of their sin and point them to the future Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the whole world. This was John the Baptist’s message (See John 1:29). The point of Hebrews 10 was that if the tabernacle (or temple) sacrifices had been truly effective, they wouldn’t have been offered year after year. Jesus was the perfect Lamb of God. His suffering and death were the permanent substitute for all who choose to believe and receive this precious gift. Once Jesus had willingly offered Himself and died in our place, God the Father raised Him from the dead and seated Him in the place of highest honor at His right hand. Now, any believer with a sincere heart can go right into God’s presence and ask for anything that honors Him. Let’s hold fast to our faith because the LORD God can be trusted to keep His promises. If we insist on sinning, once we know the truth of what Christ has done for us, we can expect terrible judgment. We have trampled on the Son of God. [It would be like spitting in Jesus’ face while He was dying for us.] Instead, we should pause and remember how enthralled and full of joy and thankfulness we were when we first came to faith in Him. With that in mind, let’s not neglect getting together with other believers to worship with and encourage one another. In the end we will receive a great reward for our patient endurance==the saving of our souls.
Prayer
Dear LORD God, You are the ultimate Lawgiver, Way-maker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper. Jesus, You knew that we weak and sinful people could not keep the laws the Father gave at Mount Sinai; nor could the blood of bulls and goats really take away sin. So, in due time, You, the perfect Lamb of God, came and fulfilled it in our place. The priests of Israel had to offer sacrifices daily, but You did it once for all–all times and all people (whoever chooses to believe and continues in the faith). Once we come to You in faith, You begin the process of putting Your principles into our hearts and writing them on our minds. Please help us to strive to meet together with other believers so that we can draw near to You (by singing, preaching, prayer and praise). May we stir each other up to love and good deeds. Help us also to heed the warnings You give in Your word, through other believers and by Your Holy Spirit. Help us to endure and not shrink back or throw away our confidence in You and thus suffer judgment. May we continue to have faith and preserve our souls. AMEN
Action
(Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
I will spend some time each day thanking Jesus for being the Lamb of God who has permanently taken away all my sins.
I will daily interact with at least two people (in addition to my family) with the goal of talking about Jesus and all He is and has done for us.
I will look for ways to stir other believers to love and good deeds and then carry them out.
I will come out of hiding and not shrink back [because of fear of COVID-19, persecution, cancelation or being misunderstood] from expressing my faith in public.
Share
I plan to share what I’ve learned with ______.