Hebrews Chapter 10 Continued

Verses 8-9

The writer quotes from (Psalm 40:6-8) again, but in a condensed form.

Hebrews 10:8 "Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and [offering] for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure [therein]; which are offered by the law;"

We discussed in the previous lesson that this was just a formality that the people had felt obligated to perform.

This type of worship, then and now, is unacceptable unto God.

They were going through the motions of worship, but they did not have their heart in it. “Neither hadst pleasure therein”:

The law seemed to be a set of rules to follow, rather than following God.

Hebrews 10:9 "Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second."

“First … second”:

The old, repetitious sacrificial system was removed to make way for the new, once-for-all sacrifice of Christ, who had obediently done God’s will (5:8; Phil. 2:8).

The law, which was first, was impossible for these people to keep, because to them it was just rules of conduct.

These sacrifices did not open the way to God.

They needed a personal relationship with God.

The second, that Jesus provided (the grace of God), opened the access to the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now this was not just rules to keep, but a relationship with God.

The will of God, from the beginning, was to fellowship with man.

That is why He made man.

In the Garden of Eden, God walked with Adam in the cool of the evening.

We find that several men of God pleased Him by walking with Him.

Genesis 6:9 " These [are] the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man [and] perfect in his generations, [and] Noah walked with God."

The very best example of man walking with God is when Enoch was walking with God and God took Enoch home with Him.

Genesis 5:24 "And Enoch walked with God: and he [was] not; for God took him."

Enoch never died, he was walking with God one day and God just took him with Him as we just said above.

I have said this before, but it is true.

If you do not enjoy going to church, and being with God, you possibly should take another look at your relationship with God.

Hebrews 10:10 "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all]."

“Sanctified”:

“Sanctify” means to “make holy,” to be set apart from sin for God (1 Thess. 4:3).

When Christ fulfilled the will of God, He provided for the believer a continuing, permanent condition of holiness (Eph. 4:24; 1 Thess. 3:13).

This is the believer’s positional sanctification as opposed to the progressive sanctification that results from daily walking by the will of God (Rom. 6:19; 12:1-2; 2 Cor. 7:1).

“Body”:

Refers to His atoning death, as the term “blood” has been used to do (9:7, 12, 14, 18, 22).

Mention of the body of Christ in such a statement is unusual in the New Testament, but it is logically derived from the (quotation from Psalm 40:6).

God will not overrule the will of man and save him against his will.

The will of man can decide to follow the spirit and live for God, or it can decide to follow the flesh of man and be lost.

1 John 5:6 "This is he that came by water and blood, [even] Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth."

We will see in the next Scripture that the flesh of Jesus is the Bread of life.

John 6:51 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he

shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

Notice in the Scripture that there are actually 3 that bear witness in the verse above and in the following verse.

1 John 5:8 "And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one."

Not just blood came forth from Jesus' side, but water and blood.

John 19:34 "But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water."

Verses 11-12

The old and new are contrasted: thousands of priests versus one Priest; the old priests continually standing versus the sitting down of the new; repeated offerings versus a once-for-all offering; and the ineffective sacrifices that only covered sin versus the effective sacrifice that completely removes sin.

Hebrews 10:11 "And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:"

“Standeth”:

In (2 Chron. 6:10, 12), Solomon sat on his throne as king, but stood at the altar when acting in a priestly role (Deut. 17:12; 18:7).

I will put just one of the Scriptures pertaining to daily sacrifices here.

There are far too many to list them all.

This just shows the futility of sacrificing animals' blood that can only cover sin, and not do away with sin.

Exodus 29:38 "Now this [is that] which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually."

Hebrews 10:12 "But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;"

Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Father, because His work was finished.

It was finished when He said It is finished, while He was hanging on the cross.

I mentioned in an earlier lesson that the very reason God allowed the Temple in Jerusalem to be destroyed, is because they would not stop sacrificing animals.

Jesus paid the penalty for sin, for all time, for everyone who will believe and receive Him as their Savior.

To sacrifice, after His perfect sacrifice, would be to say that we did not believe His sacrifice was sufficient to do away with sin.

Hebrews 10:13 "From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool."

“Footstool”:

See note on 1:13.

This is yet another reference to (Psalm 110:1).

This prediction will be fulfilled when Christ returns and all creation acknowledges His lordship by bowing at His feet (Phil. 2:10).

Matthew 22:44 "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?"

Both of these Scriptures show that at some time Christianity shall reign supreme through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Jesus Christ shall then be Lord of lords and King of kings and the Christians shall reign with Him as His subordinates.

Jesus has reconciled God to all who will believe, through His shed blood.

Hebrews 10:14 "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."

“Perfected”:

See note on verse 1.

This involves a perfect standing before God in the righteousness of Christ (see Romans 3:22; Philippians 3:8-9).

“Sanctified”:

See the notes on verse 10.

Sanctified means that we have been made holy in God's sight through the sacrifice of Jesus.

Jesus washed us in His blood and made us righteous in God's sight.

Another meaning for sanctified is, set apart for God's purpose.

We are far from perfect, until we accept Jesus as the perfect Lamb sacrifice for our sins.

It is His shed blood that makes us perfect.

Acts 20:32 "And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified."

Notice one more time that this is not the world; this is the family of God.

Verses 10:15-17

The writer confirms his interpretation of (Psalm 40:6-8), by repeating from (Jer. 31:31-34), what he had already quoted (in 8:8-12).

Hebrews 10:15-17 "[Whereof] the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before," "This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;" "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."

This is speaking of the 2 houses of Israel.

The natural Hebrew and the believers in Christ who were Gentiles.

They are adopted into the family of God, because they believed in Jesus.

Jeremiah 31:33-34 "But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." "And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

Those who have faith in Jesus Christ are the spiritual descendants of Abraham.

Just as Abraham found favor in the sight of God because he had faith, these believed and it was counted unto them as righteousness.

Galatians 3:29 "And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

He does not remember the sins anymore because they have been wiped out and so that they no longer exist.

They were washed away in the blood of Jesus.

Hebrews Chapter 10 Continued Questions

1.What were these sacrifices that the people felt obligated to do?

2.The law seemed to be what, rather than following God?

3.Who is the He of Hebrews chapter 10:9?

4.He says, I came to do ___ ____.

5.He taketh away the first that He may __________ the second.

6.Why was the law, and the sacrifices with it, not able to satisfy the people?

7.What does mankind have to have, to have peace in his soul?

8.Who was the first man in the Bible who walked with God?

9.Name 2 other Old Testament men who walked with God?

10.Who was the man who walked with God and never died?

11.We are sanctified through what?

12.What decides whether we follow God or the flesh?

13.What does Jesus call Himself in John 6:51?

14.What are the 3 that bear witness in earth?

15.When the soldier pierced Jesus side, what 2 things came forth?

16.How often were 2 lambs to be offered as sacrifice by the high priest?

17.After Jesus finished His work on earth where did He go?

18.At what moment was Jesus' work finished on the earth?

19.Why did God allow the temple in Jerusalem to be destroyed?

20.To sacrifice after Jesus had been crucified for the sin of the world would be to say what?

21.What are Jesus' enemies to be made?

22.Christianity shall rule supreme sometime through what?

23.Who has Jesus reconciled God the Father to?

24.What are the Christians called in Hebrews 10:14?

25.What does sanctified mean?

26.What makes us perfect in God's sight?

27.What covenant has God made with His followers?

28.Who's seed are the believers in Christ?