The Law of Moses was only a shadow of the good things to come. The Law of Moses was not the ultimate reality. Since the Law of Moses was just a shadow of the coming good things, it can never make perfect those who draw near by the sacrifices that are offered annually. It simply was not the purpose of the Law of Moses to perfect the worshipers, 1 Corinthians 13:9-12 / James 1:25.
The law was looking forward to the good things to come, that is, sacrifices that can bring the forgiveness of sins. If the Law of Moses could perfect the worshiper, then the sacrificial system of the Law of Moses would have never stopped.
But the Law of Moses could never make us complete. The Law of Moses could not put us in the right relationship once we sinned. The Law of Moses could not perfectly cleanse.
Hebrews 10:2 tells us that if the Law of Moses had perfected the people, they would no longer have a consciousness of sin. However, that is not what the Law of Moses does.
Rather than remove the guilt, the repeated sacrifices reminded the worshipers of the guilt of their sins. The repetition of sacrifice demonstrates the ongoing grip of sin.
Hebrews 10:3, has often been misunderstood. Many have read it to mean that God kept remembering the sins of the people year after year. I have heard it taught that every year God remembers the sins of the people. That is, the sacrifice of atonement was made, and God forgot their sins until the following year.
But this is not at all what the writer of Hebrews is teaching. The writer is not telling us that God remembered the sins. Rather, the worshipers remembered their sins.
The worshipers understood that the sacrifice of animals did not take away their sins. The sacrifices reminded them of their sins and did not cleanse their consciences. The writer made this point earlier in Hebrews 9:9.
Therefore, according to Hebrews 10:4, the worshipers knew that it was impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. The Law of Moses was a shadow of a coming sacrifice that would take away sins.
If the Law of Moses could take away sins and cleanse the consciences of the worshipers, then the sacrifices would still be offered. But the sacrifices simply reminded the worshipers of the guilt of their sins and did not take away sins.
Milligan, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The sacred services of the great Day of Atonement failed to prevent the same sins from being remembered again, as proved by the ceremony of the scapegoat which bore ‘away’ the sins of the people, a thing that would not have been required if the sins had truly been forgiven or no longer existed.’
The writer now proves the point that sacrifices were insufficient to deal with removing our sins. The illustration comes from Jesus, and the quotation from the Old Testament Scripture.
When Jesus came into the world, he said what is recorded here, and they are a quotation from Psalm 40:6-8. Psalm 40 is a song of salvation and deliverance.
Rather than quoting these words and attributing them to David, the writer of Hebrews attributes the words as spoken by Christ. This is a conversation between Christ and Father.
Westcott, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The words, it will be observed, assume the pre-existence of Christ.’
Notice also that Jesus came to do the will of the Father, Genesis 3:15 / Luke 22:42.
When Christ was to come in the flesh, John 1:1 / John 1:14, these are the words of the conversation. The Father did not want more animal sacrifices and offerings. The answer was in the body prepared for Christ. The sacrifice of Christ would be the answer for sins.
God did not take pleasure in the burnt offerings and sin sacrifices. God took pleasure in the perfect obedience of Jesus. This has always been true concerning God and His desire, 1 Samuel 15:22.
Jesus came to do the will of the Father, something no human had ever accomplished previously and would never accomplish later. Only Jesus was able to completely do the will of the Father. This leads to an important teaching in Hebrews 10:9-10.
Jesus came to do God’s will, Genesis 3:15. What was God’s will? To take away the first covenant and establish a second covenant through which we can have true cleansing. The writer of Hebrews has spent a lengthy amount of time teaching us that Jesus is the High Priest, which means there must be a new law.
1. To be able to communicate with mankind in a personal, unmistakable and uncomplicated manner.
2. To present the ‘signs’ which were to be the authentication and endorsement of His Messiah-ship.
3. To set the human race as the perfect example of obedience to the will of the Father.
4. And above all, by means of that perfect life, to demonstrate His worthiness to become the perfect offering for the sin of the world.
And so the Word must become flesh, John 1:1-3 / John 1:14. This was the divine plan, Hebrews 7:27, and it is why we find the writer of the letter to the Hebrews, in Hebrews 10:5, placing the words of the Psalmist from Psalm 40:6-8, into the Lord’s mouth.
Jesus completes God’s will and sets aside the first covenant and brings the second covenant, Hebrews 10:11, fulfilling Jeremiah’s prophecy, Jeremiah 31:31-34, which the writer of Hebrews quoted in Hebrews 8:8-12.
It is through the second covenant, the sacrifice of Jesus, that we have our sins removed and our consciences cleansed. This second covenant is what makes us holy, Hebrews 10:14. This sacrifice has been made once for all and takes care of sins, Hebrews 10:11.
By contrast, according to Hebrews 10:11, the priests served daily, offering repeatedly the same sacrifice which could never take away sins. Jesus offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins.
Then He sat down at the right hand of God, Hebrews 10:12. A clear contrast is being made. The priests stand daily for service, but Jesus sits at the right hand of God.
When we look into the earthly tabernacle, one would notice that there were no chairs in it. Priests did not sit down; there was work to be accomplished while in the tabernacle. With Jesus, however, the work has been done; there is no more work left to do. Jesus has sat down at the right hand of God.
It is a place of honour and a place of power. What is Jesus doing sitting at the right hand of God? Jesus is waiting; He is waiting from that time until His enemies are put under His feet, Hebrews 10:13. Paul makes a similar point in 1 Corinthians 15:25-28.
There are enemies still against God. Everything has not yet been put into subjection under Him. This is why there is evil in the world, this is why there is suffering.
This is why the world is the way that it is. The enemies of God have not yet been brought into subjection. That day will come when every knee will bow, Philippians 2:9.
But that time is not now and has not arrived yet, but the work of Jesus is complete. So, according to Hebrews 10:14, by His single offering, Jesus has perfected for all time those who are being made holy. Therefore, the words of Jeremiah’s prophecy have been fulfilled, Hebrews 10:15-16 / Jeremiah 31:31.
Thomas, in his commentary, says the following concerning Hebrews 10:15.
‘We have the three-fold revelation of God in this passage, a very definite spiritual and practical exemplification of the Holy Trinity, in the WILL of God, Hebrews 10:9, the work of Christ, Hebrews 10:12, and the WITNESS of the Spirit, Hebrews 10:15.’
Forgiveness of sins has come, and there is no need for any offerings for sins, Hebrews 10:17-18 / Jeremiah 31:34.
Lenski, in his commentary, says the following concerning Hebrews 10:18.
‘The remission of sins means, literally, ‘the sending away’ of sins. (This means) to send away the sins of a sinner as far as the east is from the west. Psalms 103:12, as a cloud is blotted out and vanishes, Isaiah 44:22, to the bottom of the sea, Micah 7:19, thus blotting out the sins even from memory.’
Allow the words of Hebrews 10:19 to sink in. We have the privilege of following Jesus, our trailblazer, into the heavenly tabernacle, into the presence of God. One of the most important things for us to see, the sacrifice of Jesus has opened the way to God, Acts 20:28. Jesus is our High Priest, and He has torn the veil so that we can approach God.
Jesus is the ‘New and living way’, Hebrews 10:20. Jesus is The Way, John 14:6. Isaiah 35:8 speaks about the way of holiness. The word way is the Greek word ‘hodos’, which means the road.
Confidence, boldness in the new and living way. Jesus says He is The Way, John 14:6; He is not showing the way because He is The Way. Jesus is our great high priest, Hebrews 10:21 / 1 Timothy 3:15.
Under the old covenant, the people themselves would sacrifice the animal and then the high priest would take the blood in a small vessel to the Holy of Holies, on the way to the Holy of Holies the blood would be sprinkled or spilt on the way and leave a stain, showing the road the priest had taken.
Three times on the same day, he would make sacrifices for the following.
1. His own sins.
2. Sins for the priesthood.
3. Sins for the people.
Jesus’ blood has created the way.
1. Let us draw near, Hebrews 10:22.
Come to God with a sincere heart, Matthew 5:8. Come to God desiring Him, Proverbs 4:23. As we come into the presence of God, we are called upon to act faithfully.
It took all of that work and foundational teaching by the writer of Hebrews so that we could understand this important teaching. Now we have our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, 1 Peter 3:21.
The Law of Moses could not do this. Our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean. We enter the covenant of Christ and have our consciences cleansed when our bodies are washed in water and baptism.
This fits Peter’s teaching all the more, 1 Peter 3:21. We are getting our guilty consciences cleansed through the sacrifice of Jesus, Acts 22:16 / Ephesians 5:26 / Titus 3:5.
2. Let us hold fast, Hebrews 10:23.
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise. This has been the theme of the sermon. Do not give up. Do not fall back. Do not waver. Do not quit. Do not neglect the salvation that you have received.
3. Let us consider, Hebrews 10:24.
Finally, we need to think about how we can stir up one another to love and good work. We need to think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.
How much time do we spend thinking about ways to motivate each other to do good things? It ought to be something that we actively consider for one another. One of the ways we do this is by taking advantage of every opportunity to meet together so that we can encourage one another, Hebrews 3:6 / Hebrews 3:13.
Note, the Day is not Judgment Day but each Lord’s Day Sunday. When it comes to any passage of Scripture, it’s all too easy to come to it with our minds already made up and make it mean what we want it to mean.
It’s all too easy to read too much into a text and come to a conclusion that the writer didn’t have in mind in the first place. It doesn’t surprise me that so many writers offer the range of explanations that they do, concerning the ‘Day’ mentioned in Hebrews 10:25.
I want to say from the beginning that this study isn’t focusing on whether Christians should meet together for worship on the first day of the week, Sunday, Acts 2:42 / Acts 20:7 / 1 Corinthians 16:2 / Revelation 1:10. It isn’t designed to put Christians on some kind of ‘guilt trip’ either, it isn’t focused on encouraging better attendance during worship.
The Hebrew letter was written about thirty years after the establishment of the church, and the amazing days which followed ‘Pentecost’ were just a memory, and very little had changed religiously.
The old Mosaic religion was still very much alive, the temple and the priesthood were still active, and there had been no mass conversion of Israel. Not surprisingly, Jewish Christians had begun to fear that they had made a terrible mistake and were in danger of apostasy. That is the historic reality, and the letter both encourages them to be faithful and warns them of the fearful consequences of turning back to Judaism.
As mentioned above, the writer tells us to do what five things?
1. Draw near to God, Hebrews 10:22.
2. Hold unswervingly to the hope, Hebrews 10:23.
3. Consider how to spur one another on, Hebrews 10:24.
4. Do not give up meeting together, Hebrews 10:25.
5. Encourage one another daily, Hebrews 10:25.
Let’s go ahead and focus on Hebrews 10:25 for a moment. Needless to say, all manner of explanations have been offered concerning what ‘Day’ is being referred to in this passage.
Because we know that Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed a few years later, in A.D. 70, I’m not surprised that Millennialists of all shades want to see the ‘Second Coming’ and the ‘End of the World’, in this passage.
One of the early English commentators, Matthew Poole, covered himself completely by offering a whole range of ‘possibilities’, ranging from the destruction of the temple to the End of the World, and, of course, it has also been explained as relating to the Roman attack on the city in that year.
But, if you didn’t know about that event, you couldn’t possibly find it in this chapter! It’s a case of finding an event which fits the passage! What ‘Day’ is ‘the Day which is approaching’? I want to share with you three popular ideas and theories concerning this ‘Day’.
Firstly, we’ll look at the Judgment Day theory, secondly, we’ll look at the destruction of Jerusalem theory, and finally, we’ll look at the Lord’s Day theory.
Those who believe that the ‘Day’ is referring to ‘the end of the world’ are basically interpreting this passage as follows.
‘As you see the end of the world getting nearer and nearer, it is even more critical to assemble to exhort, or exhort to assemble.’
There are a couple of problems with this interpretation because the writer is speaking about a certain day that the Jewish Christians in the first century could see coming, but there was another day coming, the end of the world, which they couldn’t see coming.
Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, that the judgment wouldn’t come ‘UNTIL the rebellion occurs’ and ‘the man of lawlessness is revealed’ first. We also know that no one knows WHEN the Lord will return, Matthew 24:43-44 / Mark 13:32 / 1 Thessalonians 5:2 / 2 Peter 3:10.
In other words, because there are no signs given and will be no signs given to indicate the end of the world is approaching, Hebrews 10:25 can’t be speaking about the end of the world. To make the ‘Day’ mean Judgment Day is reading into the text something which isn’t there or implied.
Then there are those who believe that the ‘Day’ is referring to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Romans in A.D. 70. There’s no doubt that hundreds of thousands of Jews lost their lives during the siege, but there were some who listened to Jesus’ earlier warnings concerning this event.
In Matthew 24:1-36, He warned them about the temple and Jerusalem being destroyed, and He told them to watch for the signs, Matthew 24:21. As we noted earlier, the Book of Hebrews was written to Jews and out of all the nations of the earth, they would have been affected by this destruction more than anyone else.
These Jewish Christians were already being persecuted and harassed by unbelieving Jews. As Jerusalem’s destruction got closer and closer, the persecution would have increased, Matthew 24:9-10.
We can only imagine how much pressure these Jewish Christians would have been under, and we can easily imagine them questioning their faith in the Lord. No wonder some wanted to abandon Christ and go back to Judaism.
As these Jewish Christians saw Jerusalem’s destruction getting closer and closer, and the persecution they were receiving was getting worse, the writer is basically telling them this is all the more reason they need to attend the assembly of the church; this is where they will receive encouragement to stay faithful and not fall back into Judaism.
There’s a strong possibility that this interpretation of the ‘Day’ found in Hebrews 10:25 is correct, as it appears to fit in with the overall theme of Hebrews. However, there’s one more theory which I think is worthwhile considering.
The first thing we must understand is that there’s a difference between ‘The Lord’s Day’ and ‘The Day of the Lord’. Just before John received his vision concerning Christ, he writes, ‘On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit,’ Revelation 1:10.
Many people make the mistake of thinking that the words used by John, ‘The Lord’s Day,’ have the same meaning and are a reference to ‘The Day of the Lord.’ In Isaiah 13:6 / Isaiah 13:9 / 2 Thessalonians 2:2, for example, it’s used to speak about an upcoming judgement.
The actual words, ‘Lord’s Day’ is ‘Kyriako hemera’ in Greek is found nowhere else in the New Testament, though similar phrases such as ‘Lord’s Table’, ‘Lord’s Cup’ and ‘Lord’s Supper’ are used, 1 Corinthians 10:21 / 1 Corinthians 11:20.
The adjective form in Revelation 1:10, signifies ‘pertaining to, belonging to’ the Lord. The term ‘Lord’ signifies ‘ownership.’ Again, this confirms that the Hebrews 10:25 passage cannot be referring to the end of the world. As I mentioned earlier, to find the meaning of the verse, we must find an event which fits the passage!
1. The ‘Day’ is mentioned in terms that imply that it was something about which they knew and anticipated, and for which they should be prepared.
Just look at what the verse actually says, because the words are very interesting. I think that if the writer had had the final Judgment in mind, he would have said something about its importance. And, although he says, ‘as you see the Day approaching’, they certainly saw NO signs of the approach of the Return of Christ or the End of the World.
2. The word he uses for ‘assembling’ is very significant.
It is the word ‘episunagoge,’ and you see the word ‘synagogue’ in it. The writer is careful to distinguish between Jewish Worship and Christian Worship by using ‘episunagoge’, alluding to the day set aside for the assembly for worship, which the believers to whom the letter was sent were neglecting because of their depressed state of mind.
We can find the noun form of the word only once more, in 2 Thessalonians 2:1, but the verb form, ‘to assemble’, occurs at least half a dozen times in the Gospels, Matthew 24:31 / Mark 13:27 / Luke 13:34, places where it is translated ‘gathered together’.
Ignatius, one of the so-called ‘early church fathers’, wrote that by the ‘assembling of yourselves together the powers of Satan are overthrown, and his mischief neutralised by your like-mindedness in the Faith!’
I suggest that the bottom line is, regardless of whether the verse relates to the end of the world, the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, or the Lord’s Day, believers should be encouraged, in all circumstances, not to neglect the regular assembling of themselves together for Worship. About the Lord’s return and the end of the world, we can do nothing about it, but we CAN do something about our attendance for worship on the Lord’s Day.
This begins the section of warning, which is similar to what he taught back in Hebrews 6:4-6. The writer of Hebrews is not saying that if you commit one sin, you have fallen from grace, are completely out of God’s favour, and are eternally lost.
So what are we talking about? Most of the translations help us understand by using the word “deliberately.” He is issuing a warning to those who deliberately keep on choosing to sin in their lives. As the NRSV reads, “they choose to persist in sin”. If we make that choice to keep on sinning after receiving the knowledge about what Jesus has done for us, here are the consequences.
We must not think that we have the atoning blood of Jesus operating on our behalf when we stop seeking after God but choose to turn to sin. A sacrifice for sins no longer remains when we wilfully persist in sin. The Book of Hebrews has been all about the good news about Jesus, who has made purification for sins and sat down at the right hand of God.
We have been told about the superior sacrifice for sins that Jesus offered through His body. Rather than expecting the perfect sacrifice for sins, we can expect something else, judgment. But this is not good judgment. This is the fearful expectation of judgment.
The HCSB and NASB read a “terrifying expectation of judgment.” The penalty for our sins is no longer paid by Jesus but is paid by us. In this judgment, we can expect a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. The phrase “fury of fire” is probably the best way to understand this text.
The Greek word translated into English as “fury” is a word that is commonly translated as “zeal” throughout the New Testament. The fury, wrath, and zeal of God are going to be poured out against us. When that happens, the adversaries of God are consumed.
Now the writer of Hebrews knows that we are not fully comprehending how severe this judgment is against us. The writer knows that this information is not enough to sink into our hearts so as to change our ways, so he amplifies this picture.
The writer of Hebrews asks a question. What happens when a person under the Law of Moses set aside the law? What happened to those who rejected the Law of Moses and refused to obey?
The person died without mercy. There was no mercy to be obtained, there was no pardon. There was no forgiveness, there was no sacrifice for sins. The law demanded that the person who rejected the law was to be put to death, Numbers 15:32-36.
Now, notice Hebrews 10:29. There is a worse punishment to be executed now. This is an argument from the lesser to the greater. If a person died without mercy for rejecting the Law of Moses, how much worse do you think it will be if we set aside the law of Christ? Of course, it will be far worse.
I would like us to notice how God perceives our choosing to persist in sin. It is described as trampling the Son of God, or some translations “spurning the Son of God”, regarding the blood of the covenant that makes us holy as common and unholy, and has outraged and insulted the Spirit of grace. We need to see the severity of what we are doing.
Why would we think that there remains any relationship with God? We have rejected God’s law, and God sees this as trampling the Son of God, treating the blood of the covenant as unholy and common, and saying that the words of grace given by the Holy Spirit are nothing.
Therefore, God’s punishment toward someone who makes such a decision to turn away from God is certain. These quotations come from Deuteronomy 32:35-36, and are also recorded by the apostle Paul in Romans 12:19.
Moses said those words in his song just before his death as a reminder to the people concerning their obedience to the law. I think we carry the thought of this text through.
Since “Vengeance is mine; I will repay”, Deuteronomy 32:35, and “The Lord will judge his people”, Deuteronomy 32:35 / Psalm 135:14, are statements about disobedience under the law of Moses, then this is certainly true, and more so, for the law of Christ.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, Hebrews 10:31 / Hebrews 3:12 / Hebrews 9:14 / Hebrews 12:22. We ought to be terrified at the thought of rejecting God by continuing to persist in sin.
The writer of Hebrews wraps up his warning by reminding his readers about how they endured in their past and their need to continue to endure. The writer reminds them of all they endured after they had come to the knowledge of the truth.
They endured a hard struggle with suffering, Hebrews 10:32. Sometimes they were exposed to public mocking and afflictions, Hebrews 10:33. They were even willing to stand side by side with those who endured such hostility, Hebrews 10:33.
They showed compassion for those who were imprisoned, Hebrews 10:34. They accepted the robbery of their property, Hebrews 10:34. In the face of all of these problems and suffering, they were able to endure because they knew they had a better possession and everlasting possession, Hebrews 10:34 / Matthew 5:12.
When we know that we have a better and lasting possession, we are not paralysed by loss. We will not break, and we won’t throw away our faith when we lose something. But notice, it is not that these Christians were not just paralysed, they rejoiced at their loss, Hebrews 10:34.
The possession we have is so much better and so long-lasting that if we have things and lose them, it is okay. Our reward is so great that we can endure anything!
Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward, Hebrews 10:35. Look at what you have already endured! Do not give up now! Don’t throw away the confidence that you have, which got you through previously, now that difficult times have returned.
We need endurance, we need to build our faith and make ourselves spiritually strong in the Lord because we will endure life’s difficulties. Keep doing the will of God during these times of suffering because when you have done God’s will, you will receive the promised reward.
The writer takes two texts and quotes them together, Hebrews 10:36-38. The first part of the quotation comes from Isaiah 26:20, while the majority of the quotation comes from Habakkuk 2:3-4.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following concerning Hebrews 10:37.
‘The blessed Saviour will surely return. If it shall seem to people that Christ’s return is delayed, let them remember that the final day, the consummation of all things, the judgment and overthrow of the wicked, all these are every moment nearer than ever before.’
The righteous live by faith, Hebrews 10:38. We are not putting our trust and confidence in the things of this world. Our faith is not supposed to be found in the physical, material things.
If it is, then when we suffer tragedy and loss, we will shrink back and give up. However, God has no pleasure in those who give up. Notice that Hebrews 10:39 emphasises that very point.
We are not those who shrink back and are destroyed, Hebrews 6:9-10. We will not be those people who make the mistake of giving up on God. We will not be the ones who reject the law of God. We will not be the people who lose heart and lose their faith. We are those who have faith, and we will preserve ourselves through that faith.
There are only two possibilities for us. Either we will shrink back under the weight of life’s difficulties and be destroyed, or we will have endurance, place our faith in God, and preserve ourselves before the fury of fire.
Don’t turn to the things of the world for your comfort. Do not turn away from God. Do not listen to the lies of Satan. Life in God is better than possessions, better than sex, and better than power.
Jesus did not have possessions, did not have sex, and did not use the power of divinity that was within Him. His life fulfilment was in the kingdom of God. We are in a world that thinks that we cannot do without these things. Yet true satisfaction comes from God, not from physical, temporary things.