(1) for the Law Having a Shadow of Good Things to Come, and Not the Very Image of the Things

Hebrews 10, Page 1

Hebrews 10

Hebrews 10:1-39

(1) For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

1. A shadow of good things to come: It is important that we know that the law was only a shadow of good things to come. There are those in Christendom who see no value in studying the Old Testament, in particular, the Book of Leviticus. However, this is totally wrong. There is great value in studying the Book of Leviticus and the law, for it is the law that foreshadows the work of Jesus Christ, it foreshadows the offering of Jesus Christ, and the high, priestly nature of Jesus Christ. Notice here in verse 1 that it is only a shadow and not the substance. The Apostle Paul points this out very clearly in Colossians 2.

Colossians 2:13-17

(13) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

(14) Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

(15) And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

(16) Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

(17) Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

1. The long shadow of Christ: I want you to picture in your mind when Jesus was on that cross that it was His shadow that was being cast over the law, over all the past history. The shadow of Jesus is there in the law and in the sacrifices; thus, they foreshadow Him, but they were only the shadow.

Jesus is the substance that actually casts the shadow. So, there is real substance in Jesus. They were a foreshadowing of His coming. Once He came, they were no longer necessary because we now have the substance in Jesus.

(2) For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

1. Total cleansing: If the sacrifices under the law could have taken away sin, there would have been no need for their continued offering. Because of their inefficiency, which were only a shadow of Jesus’ sacrifice, they had to be offered continually. Thus, every year, there would be a remembrance made of our sins. Therefore, our guilt would remain. Under the new covenant through Jesus Christ, we are told that once being purged we should have no more conscience of sins. Therein lies the victory. Once being purged, our conscience is clean, and thus, our guilt should be removed. It is complete—a total cleansing in the blood of Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. The word, “cleanse” in the Greek is in the perfect, present tense. What it means is “to continually cleanse us from all sins.” Thus, those of us who live the victorious life of Christ—the vicarious life of Christ—bask in the continual cleansing by Jesus.

(3) But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

(4) For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

1. Not possible: It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away our sin. As I told you before, they could only “kophar” our sins. In the Hebrew, the word “kophar” is translated “atonement.” It also means “covered.” Thus, it only covered our sins but could not take away our sins. Only the blood of Jesus does that.

(5) Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

1. The perfect sacrifice: Jesus’ sacrifice was perfect because the blood that He offered was perfect, not tainted with the sin of mankind because His Father was not Adam—but God. Therefore, His blood was absolutely pure. Even the blood of animals that was offered was tainted with the sin of Adam. Because of Adam’s sin, death and contamination came upon all of God’s creation, but Jesus was perfect.

(6) In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

(7) Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

1. In the volume of the book: Jesus declared, “. . . I have come (in the volume of the book it is written of me). . . .” As I told you before, the entire Old Testament is all about Jesus Christ. No matter where you would cut it, it would bleed with the blood of Christ. It is one continuous love letter sent unto man in preparing the hearts of men for the coming of the Messiah.

There were various offerings in the Old Testament which were necessary to bring man into fellowship with God. It is actually God’s purpose that man should be in fellowship with Him. God wants us to know Him and that we should have fellowship with Him. He wants us to be in cooperation with Him in accomplishing His purposes on earth.

1. The problem with sin: Sin creates a breach between God and man. Sinful man can never be at one with a Holy God.

In his writing to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paulactually lived in the absolutely corrupt city of Corinth.

The word, “Corinth” or “Corinthian” had become synonymous with people who were given to debauchery. We know from history that in this very city every night 1,000 priestesses would come into the city of Corinth, descending into the city from the Acropolis, which was where the temple of Aphrodite was located. These priestesses were actually prostitutes of Aphrodite, and 1,000 would come into the city of Corinth every night. Thus, Paul warned the Corinthian believers about having physical relations with a harlot. He told them, “Don’t you realize that he who has relationship with a harlot becomes one with that harlot, and if you are a child of God, then you are making Christ a partaker and making Him one with a harlot. Do not do that, for what fellowship has light with darkness, or Christ with Belial?” (I Corinthian 6). So, he warned them against these things.

1. One with God: You are to be one with God. If you go out and sin, you are making God a partner in your sin. This shouldn’t be. Sinful man cannot have fellowship with a Holy God. Therefore, before fellowship can even be experienced, sin has to be put away.

Under the old covenant, there were two offerings that dealt with sin. The first one was the “sin offering,” which was just for sins in general. The second was the “trespass offering.” This offering was for the things that I deliberately did in trespassing deliberately against the law of God. These types of sins had to be dealt with before I could have fellowship with God, but once that sin and trespass offering had been made and fellowship was restored, then I could bring the burnt offering. There was a difference between the burnt offering and the sacrifices.

The burnt offerings were offerings of consecration in order that I might consecrate my life to God. Then there was the meal offering, which was also an offering of consecration, but it consecrated my service to God. You would bring the grain which you had cultivated and grown. It would then be baked into bread and offered unto God.

Finally, there was the peace offering, which was an offering of communion. I could now be made one with God. My sins were then put away; my trespasses had been put away; I had consecrated my life and my service to God; and now I could come unto oneness with God and offer the peace offering. I would then sit down and eat the peace offering with God, offering Him His portion, which was the best part. Then, I would partake of the rest, and we would symbolically eat together. As we both were nourished by the same lamb, then I became a part of God, and God became a part of me in this symbolic fellowship. Paul makes it clear in the verses we just read that God was never pleased with all of this, that He would no more accept any of these sacrifices, for he goes on to say in verses 8 and 9:

(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;

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

1. End of the old covenant: The first covenant that God established with man is over. You cannot come to God by the first covenant. Even though there are always going to be some who want to come to God on their own terms, you cannot.

You cannot say, “God, I will do this for You if You do this for me,” trying to have a relationship with God on the barter system. There is only one way to come to God today: You must come to God as a guilty sinner and cast yourself upon His mercy and grace. You have to come on His terms, and God’s terms are that you come through Jesus Christ. Even Jesus said in the gospel, “If any man tries to come by any other way, the same is a thief and a robber” (John 10:1).

Since the cross of Jesus Christ, the old covenant is disannulled, passed away. It is no longer in effect. In establishing the new covenant, He has put away the first. Thus, we are told, “He taketh away the first, that He might establish the second.”

(10) By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

1. All through Jesus: We have been sanctified through the body of Jesus Christ. We are made righteous through Jesus Christ. We are accepted in Jesus Christ. In fact, all that we have in our relationship with God must come through Jesus Christ. He is my peace; He is my righteousness; He is my sin offering; He is my sin offeror; He is my mediator. Jesus is everything to me. Without Him, we have nothing. Without Him, we have no access to God. Without Him, we are alienated from God. Without Him, we are helpless and hopelessly lost, apart from Jesus Christ.

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

1. Busy bees: The priests of that day were busy little bees, offering one sin offering after another, offering one meal offering after another, as all kinds of people would come. As busy as they would have been, their offerings could never take away sin.

(12) But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

1. Paid in full: The last words of Jesus on the cross were, “tetelestai,” or “It is finished,” or more accurately, “It is paid in full.” One sacrifice made for the sins of many that would forever take away sin and remove the barrier between God and man. After He had done this, He sat down at the right hand of God, which is the position of all power and authority.

(13) From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

(14) For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

1. Glorious proclamation: By Jesus’ one offering, He has perfected forever all those who come to Him in faith. There is no more wondering where I stand with God, no more wondering if I’m good enough, if I’m clean enough, or if I’m just enough. The continual cleansing of the blood of Jesus Christ continually cleanses me from sin. By this one offering, we are perfected forever.

1. Christian perfection: John Wesley almost had it right. His only problem was that he couldn’t distinguish between the work of man and the Work of God. He believed that it would be possible for a Christian to achieve a level of sanctification whereby he would never sin in his flesh. This is a misunderstanding of a work that is only done by and through Jesus Christ.

(15) Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,

(16) 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;

(17) And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

1. Remembering no more: David would write in the Psalms, How happy is the man whose transgressions are forgiven. Oh, how happy is the man whose sins are covered. How happy is the man is the man who the Lord does not impute iniquity. To this sentiment, we should all give a hearty, “Amen.” How happy are those whose sins and iniquities God said he would remember no more.

(18) Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

1. No more offering: Once you have had remission—once the blood of Jesus Christ has perfected you forever—there is no need for further offerings for sin. This is the point that Paul is trying to drive home to these Hebrew Christians, who had believed on Jesus Christ, but who had never moved on to maturity. They still wanted to think that there was something that they should do, not realizing that such an attitude, should they carry it out in offering another sacrifice, was actually doing to spite and to count the blood of the covenant by which they were sanctified an unholy thing.

(19) Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

1. Boldness in the Lord: Because of what Jesus has done on our behalf, we can now come boldly into the Holy of Holies to stand before the presence of the Father. Because I come not by my works but by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, I can stand in His presence, regardless of my present situation or my past because His blood has cleansed me from all sin. His offering has perfected me forever, and because of Jesus, the door to the Father is always open. Jesus has made the way, whereby we can come into the presence of God and fellowship with Him. Thus, Paul says, “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.”

(20) By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

(21) And havingan high priest over the house of God;

(22) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

(23) Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

1. God is faithful: Under the new covenant, Paul says to hold fast to your profession of faith because God is faithful who made the promise. The beautiful thing about the new covenant that we have in Jesus Christ is that it is predicated upon the promises of God, and God is faithful who has made the promises to you. So, hold fast to this profession of faith. The danger that these believing Jews were in was in returning to Judaism by taking a lamb to the high priest and making an offering for their sin. That was their danger. Their tradition was so deeply rooted, it was hard for them to shake, even in the light of the truth of Jesus Christ. Even to this present time, many non-believing Jews keep the Sabbath and eat nothing but kosher. Their tradition is so embedded that they guard it with great fierceness.

I have talked to Jews who would readily become Christians, but they are afraid that they would no longer be Jews, not realizing that to become a Christian to them would be to become a completed Jew.

1. Washed with pure water: What these unbelieving Jews lack is a washing with pure water. I know that some of you are thinking, “Isn’t he talking about baptism in verse 22?” Well, to answer that, let’s turn to Ephesians 5.

Now, the context of Ephesians 5 is the relationship of husbands and wives, which is the model of the church. Paul gives a very clear explanation here as to how the church is cleansed.

Ephesians 5:22-27

(22) Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

(23) For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

(24) Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

(25) Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;