Hebrews

Friday, 25 January 2019

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), Hebrews 10:8

The words, “Previously saying,” are referring to what was quoted from the psalm. The author is introducing select portions of the quote in order to analyze what is said more fully and to form a logical thought to consider. From there, he cites the quote with, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them.” He has taken words from verses 5 & 6 of this chapter, and combined them to make his point understandable. There are three things which are highlighted – 1) sacrifice and offering, 2) burnt offerings, and 3) offerings for sin. These were all mandated in the Law of Moses, and yet the author, through the words of David in the psalm, shows that the Lord 1) did not desire them, nor 2) have pleasure in them. And yet, as he notes in a parenthetical thought, “which are offered according to the law.”

The repetition in this manner is usually done to solidify what has been said or to set up a contrast. In the case now presented, it is for both purposes. First, the author is ensuring that the reader understands that the sacrifices and offerings mandated under the law could not produce felicity between God and man, even though the law required them. The repetition is also used to bring about the contrast between what was then and what is now in Christ. This will be looked at more in the coming verses. The fact that these were mandated and carried out for about fifteen hundred years doesn’t mean Israel was merely “spinning her wheels.” Instead, as Paul says in Galatians 3 –

“Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. ²² But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. ²³ But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. ²⁴ Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.” Galatians 3:21-25

These sacrifices, which were based on the law, were meant to teach that the law could only point us to our need for Christ. The mandates of the law were actually unobtainable by us because of sin, and thus He needed to fulfill them in our place. Additionally, the sacrifices were ineffective (verse 10:4), and thus He needed to die to provide atonement for us. In other words – He shoots; He scores. All points to Jesus!

Life application: The subject of most life applications in this study of Hebrews has been devoted to the admonition to not return to the law, but to remain in the New Covenant grace given by Christ. This is because it is exactly what the author of Hebrews (and thus the Holy Spirit who inspired the author) intends for us to understand. The Law of Moses served its purpose, and then it was set aside because of the work of Christ. To return to the law is to reject the work of Christ and essentially say, “I can do better than He did.” What a slap in the face of God. He is being meticulous in teaching us to not do this vile thing. Come to Christ, trust in Christ, and rest in Christ. Put away the deeds of the law, and be pleasing to God by having faith in Christ.

Thank you, O God! When we were ever-missing the target, whether through failing to meet the demands of the law, or providing an insufficient sacrifice for having failed to meet that law, You came in and saved the day. The goal is now obtainable – faith in Jesus and His work. Now we too can shoot and score … the goal is Jesus! Amen.

Thursday, 24 January 2019

Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—
In the volume of the book it is written of Me—
To do Your will, O God.’” Hebrews 10:7

The quote from Psalm 40 continues in this verse. It cites verses 7 & 8, but it isn’t a direct quote. Rather, it is a combination of two separate parts of these verses. The words reflect the Greek translation of the Old Testament. First, it says, “Then I said, ‘Behold I have come.”

Verse 5 spoke of God not desiring sacrifice and offering, but instead, He prepared a body for someone. In verse 6, it repeated the thought that God had no pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin. Now, to show what is pleasing to God instead of those sacrifices and offerings, the declaration is made, “Behold, I have come.”

It would make no sense for David to claim that he has come in place of sacrifices and offerings. He lived under the Law of Moses, and he was required, like all others under that law, to be obedient to it – presenting the necessary sacrifices and offerings according to the law. Therefore, because this is obviously not David speaking about himself, it must then be a prophecy of the coming Messiah. To say otherwise would be to damage the intent of the words, tearing them from their intended meaning. This is surely so because the quote continues with, “In the volume of the book, it is written of Me.”

Here, the Greek word translated as, “volume of the book,” is kephalis. It is a noun used only here in the Bible, and it indicates “a small head,” and thus a knob. By implication, it is the end of the stick on which a manuscript is rolled. That corresponds directly to the Hebrew word of Psalm 40:7, megillah, meaning “a scroll.” That comes from the word galal, meaning, “to roll.” Thus, this is speaking of a rolled up scroll that David says is already written, and which refers to Someone in a prophetic sense. As noted, David is not claiming that a prophecy of his own coming was made in a scroll. Rather, he is writing the prophecy, under inspiration of the Spirit, to indicate that a scroll exists which speaks of someone who has come. The words David writes are as if it is accomplished, even though it is a future prophecy.

But what “volume of the book” is David referring to? The answer must be the books of Moses, meaning the Torah, or Pentateuch. It is the law which prescribed the sacrifices and offerings; and it is also the Law which prophesied of the coming Messiah, in numerous ways, and both explicitly and implicitly. The accomplished nature of David’s words concerning the coming Messiah in the psalm correspond to the guaranteed nature of the promise of Messiah to come in the books of Moses. When God speaks, the matter is already done in His mind. The prophetic word is simply waiting for time to catch up with it. With this understanding, the final part of the quote is given with the words, “To do Your will, O God.”

The “will” of God is speaking of something which stands in contrast to the “sacrifices and offerings” of the previous verses. Again, this cannot be speaking of David. To force him into what is being said completely destroys any valid meaning which could be drawn from his words. Therefore, and without any possible doubt at all, this is a prophecy of the Messiah to come.

Verse 5 – “He came into the world,” meaning Christ.
Verse 6 – “In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.”
Verse 7 – “Behold, I have come.”

The author is saying that this verse is speaking of Jesus Christ and His greater work. For a moment, however, let it be assumed that someone hasn’t made the connection to Christ Jesus. It still does not negate the fact that the psalm points to a HUMAN BEING who would come and replace the sacrificial system found in the law. This is the necessary understanding of the words. The author will continue to explain this through verse 10, but it logically follows that this HUMAN BEING must die in order to 1) fulfill the Law of Moses, and then to also 2) initiate a New Covenant through His shed blood (Jeremiah 31:31).

The incredible part of what is stated here is that the Jews, who supposedly hold to the law and the prophets, fail to see this. David saw it in the law, and he prophesied of it in the psalms. Whether he actually understood what he was writing or not, the words are recorded in the inspired Scriptures, and thus they must be true, or this is not the word of God. And so why have they rejected what is claimed to have occurred in Christ Jesus? And more, why are they, once again, preparing to return to the sacrificial system in Israel based on the Law of Moses? And even more tragically, why do people, who supposedly believe that Jesus Christ is truly the Messiah, support rebuilding of the temple, or participate in various aspects of the Law of Moses, claiming that they are binding on Christians today? The answer lies in a lack of knowledge.

The whole counsel of the word of God is not taken into consideration, and teachers who are not properly competent to teach, or who purposely desire to place others back under the bondage of the law, do so anyway.

Life application: Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. As this is true – 1) No follower of Christ is bound to any precept of the Law of Moses. They are under the New Covenant. 2) Israel rejected their Messiah, who was clearly presented to them in their own writings (John 5:39), and thus their rejection of Him was a self-inflicted wound. 3) The efforts of Israel to reestablish the sacrificial system, though prophesied in the book of Daniel, is not a thing to be celebrated, but mourned over. It is a continuing rejection of Christ Jesus, and it will lead them into the tribulation period where two-thirds of Israel will be exterminated (Zechariah 13:8). 4) Pray for Israel now, that many will come to a saving knowledge of Christ before the terrible time of their judgment comes.

Lord God, Your word clearly and definitively states that a Person would come to offer Himself in fulfillment of the sacrificial system of Israel, and that in the shedding of His blood, a New Covenant would be introduced. It is not a hidden thing which occurred, but it was prophesied in advance, and then when it came about, it was meticulously documented for any who wish to verify the truth of His coming. Thank You that we don’t have a dubious, unverifiable faith in Christ Jesus, but a sure hope because of the word which foretold of Him, and which confirms that He came! Thank You for our sure and grounded hope in eternal glory because of the work of Christ our Lord. Amen.

Wednesday, 23 January 2019

In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure. Hebrews 10:6

Burnt offerings (actually, the word holokautóma signifies not just a burnt offering, but a whole burnt offering) and sin offerings were prescribed by the law. In fact, detailed meticulous instructions were given in the law in order to properly conduct the entire rite, from selection of the animal though to its final disposal. And yet this verse says they weren’t pleasing to God. There are two reasons for this. First, they only anticipated Christ’s sacrifice. They were found pleasing only in the sense that they looked forward to Him, but of themselves, they brought no pleasure to the Lord.

And secondly, fault rested with the people because of how they presented them. This is seen, for example, in the words of the prophet Micah –

“With what shall I come before the Lord,
And bow myself before the High God?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,
With calves a year old?
⁷ Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” Micah 6:6, 7

There, the prophet asks the people a set of rhetorical questions. The questions included those things prescribed in the law to be given as offerings – in massive quantities. Then he adds in his firstborn as a potential offering. This doesn’t necessarily mean human sacrifice. He might be speaking of the dedication of a child to the Lord, like Samuel’s mother did – giving him to the service of the Lord all the days of his life. But all of these offerings, even a firstborn, were insufficient. Micah then answers –

“He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8

And so Jesus came, showing us how to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God. The giving of these sacrifices, without an accompanying heart for the Lord and a proper understanding of what the sacrifices signified, defeated the purpose of giving them. One does not simply buy off God with such an offering, but he is to demonstrate true remorse for sin and a desire to act properly before Him in the future.

Life application: The Bible gives outward commands to be followed in the Law of Moses, but it expected the people to have an inward change which accompanied the outward rites, rituals, and commands. However, the law was such a burdensome yoke, that the people were weighed down with meeting its strict demands, and they failed to take to heart the lessons it was intended to show them. Only in the coming of Christ do the things of the law finally make sense. And at the same time, they only make sense in relation to His fulfillment of them. Who on earth would want to go back under the mandates of the law, which Christ fulfilled and set aside through His more perfect work and sacrifice? Think! And then rest in Christ alone for your justification before God.

Lord God, surely You are worthy of our full devotion. Help us to follow in Jesus’ steps and to not stray from acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly in Your glorious presence all the days of our lives. Keep us from being haughty or proud as we pursue You! In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, 22 January 2019

Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:
“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me. Hebrews 10:5

The word, “Therefore,” is given to introduce an evaluation of what Christ’s coming means based on what has been presented. The author has said that the law was a mere shadow of what was coming in Christ, and that the sacrifices of the law could never make those who approach perfect (10:1). He then asked a rhetorical question based on that. If those sacrifices could have perfected those who approached, wouldn’t they have ceased being offered? (10:2). He then noted that in the sacrifices themselves, there was actually a yearly reminder of sin (10:3). And then he explicitly stated that it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins (10:4).

With these things stated, he shows that all of these points demonstrated the necessity of Christ to come, and that the Old Covenant was only given as a stepping stone on the way to the giving of the New Covenant. This will be revealed over the next few verses. For now, he goes directly to the coming of Christ by saying, “when He came into the world, He said.” This takes us back to Chapter 9 where it said that “Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands” (9:24).

He was the subject of that verse, and everything said after that, until the end of the chapter. The author now returns to the coming of Christ by quoting what is said of Him in Scripture. In other words, Christ, as anticipated in the Old Testament, is the fulfillment of the prophetic word of God. The author cites Psalm 40:6-8, a psalm written by David, and he attributes the words there to Christ. It is as if He was speaking out those words, even before His incarnation.

As this is so, then Christ is, in fact, the fulfillment of what is stated in that prophetic word. This is certain because there is no other record in the New Testament where Christ actually said this. The author takes it as an axiom that what is stated there in the Psalm is referring to Christ Jesus. Further, it cannot be said that this was David merely referring to himself. This will be seen as the citation of the verses continue. For now, and with this understanding, he then begins the citation with, “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire.”

The words here are quoted in relation to Christ, and thus “You” is God. In other words, “Sacrifice and offering You (God) did not desire.” This begins to explain the purpose of the “Therefore.” The author showed (as noted above) that the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant was incapable of removing sin in man. But removing sin in man is the only way for man to be restored to God. As this is so, then it cannot be that God desired sacrifice and offering, meaning of those things mandated under the Old Covenant. And yet, He mandated them in the covenant. This again shows us that those things were only given as types and shadows of what God Himself would do in Christ Jesus. Understanding this, the author continues the citation of the psalm with, “But a body You have prepared for Me.”

The author of Hebrews uses the Greek translation of the psalm, but the Hebrew reads, “My ears you have opened.” Though that is a remarkable change from the Hebrew to the Greek, the difference is explained in the fact that hearing the command leads to obedience. In obedience, the person then submits his body to the will of God. Having ears implies having a body to which the ears are attached. In preparing a body, ears are likewise prepared. Hence, “a body You have prepared for Me,” is not a large difference from the original, and it carries the sense of the Hebrew.

It is the incarnate body of Christ Jesus which is spoken of here. Again, think of it! The author of the psalms is writing, under the covenant in which he existed, that God did not desire the very sacrifices and offerings that he participated in year after year. If this psalm were not understood to be a prophecy of Christ, the psalmist (David) would have been taken out and stoned for blasphemy! But David (meaning God speaking through him) completely dismisses the effectual nature of the Old Covenant sacrificial system, and he cites words that could only be speaking of a human – “But a body You have prepared for Me.”

The psalmist is showing, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that a HUMAN BEING would replace the Old Covenant system of sacrifices and offerings. If Israel today just stopped and considered this, as the author did two thousand years ago, then they would never reintroduce the sacrifices of the Old Covenant. They would say, “According to our own Scriptures, these have no merit.”

Life application: The statement, “He came into the world,” is one of the most profound statements that we could ever contemplate. God united with human flesh. No other event in the stream of time will ever compare to what happened at that moment. As the world turns, as the earth moves through the hugely vast solar system, and that in turn moves through an even more vast galaxy – in the midst of billions of galaxies – and all of them moving through the continuum of time and space, no other thing which has ever occurred compares to the coming Christ. Christ Jesus came – perfectly pure and holy – to redeem man. And man is the one part of creation that is said to bear God’s image. But despite this, man can also deny the very Creator whose image he bears. Imagine the immensity of that thought. And yet, even more, it is not just a few of us, but every one of us since creation, who has denied or shunned Him at one time or another. We have all put our desires above the obligation to glorify Him. Instead of releasing His sustaining hand and returning us to nothing, God sent Christ into the world to reconcile us to the Father, showing us His immense love for us in the process. But it also reveals the truth that no sacrifice, no offering, and no payment from us is acceptable to God apart from Jesus. Instead, a body was prepared, a Man came, and a life was given. Don’t be so utterly foolish as to accept less than God’s offer of Jesus Christ.

Lord Jesus, if it were up to us… if it were up to us, we would lose our salvation ten seconds after we received it by faith in Christ. But how wonderful it is to know that it’s not up to us at all! Your power to save is far greater than our inadequacy to obey. All glory, honor, majesty, and praise belongs to You alone! Amen.

Monday, 21 January 2019

For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Hebrews 10:4

This verse finishes summing up the need for Christ and His perfect work described in chapter 9. The statement is simple, but it carries huge significance for the ancient worshipers, and also for those around the world today – animal sacrifices are insufficient to take away sin. But this is exactly what was mandated in the Old Covenant sacrificial system, of which the Day of Atonement rituals were an integral and mandatory part. As the author says, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.”

The “blood of goats and bulls” was explicitly referred to in verse 9:13, and these sacrifices are that which was discussed in detail, both before and after that verse. Were these sacrifices effectual in accomplishing what they were given to do? The answer is an explicit, “No!” One might then question why they were done at all. The answer is that they were anticipatory in nature. God accepted them in anticipation of their fulfillment in Christ. Other than that, they were ineffectual and they had no ability to take away sin.

Why is this so important to understand? It is because such sacrifices went on continually even before the time of the law. They went from the time of Adam, through the time of Noah, Job, and Abraham. And then they continued under the Law of Moses right up to the time of Christ Jesus. And yes, they continue on today in parts of the world.

In various cultures or religions – Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Pagan, etc. – there are sects of individuals who perform blood sacrifices in an attempt to appease God or cleanse themselves of sin. But the Bible is perfectly clear – animal sacrifices can never take away the feelings of guilt because they cannot remove sin. They can only remind people of their sin and guilt.

The very rituals which are conducted in an attempt to cleanse nagging feelings of wrongdoing only make things worse. We know this intuitively because many cultures of the past went so far as to perform human sacrifices instead of animal sacrifices. Such rituals are recorded in the Bible and in the history of many societies.

Modern cultures have forbidden this, but the fact that they were conducted shows an understanding that animals were insufficient to purge sin. However, even these human sacrifices couldn’t cleanse. Why? Because the humans that were sacrificed were stained with their own sin. It is impossible to transfer sin-guilt to an already sin-tarnished person.

Even infant sacrifices (such as mentioned in Jeremiah 32:35) were insufficient. King David records in Psalm 51:5 that we are sinful from birth, even from conception. There is no sacrifice apart from Christ Jesus that can take away sin. But the cross of Christ can cleanse from all sin. Only the sinless God/Man could truly atone for the sins of the world. Thanks be to God for Christ Jesus!

Life application: A temple is going to be rebuilt in Jerusalem, and the blood sacrifices of the Old Covenant are going to be reinstated. This is what the Bible says is coming. However exciting it is to see this prophecy coming true, Christians should not rejoice for the Jews that it is coming. Instead, they should mourn. They have already rejected what these animal sacrifices only pointed to, the Messiah Jesus. Christians should continue to get the word out to Israel that they have missed the mark, and that what they are doing, though prophesied in advance, is only a mournful last step on their way to finally calling on Christ.

Heavenly Father, though it is exciting to see prophecy being fulfilled in Israel concerning a coming temple and the sacrifices which will be conducted there, it is also mournful. They have missed what these things were intended to point to; they have missed the final and true Sacrifice of Christ. Lord God, open their eyes to the Messiah who has come and who has provided the full, final, and forever cleansing from sin. Open their eyes to Christ Jesus. Amen.