Hebrews 10:1-5 Redemption Can Make Me Bored

10:1 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.

The Law that was given was perfect, but could not make the doers perfect. The Law was the "shadow." It was preparatory. The Law was a promissory note, and a fleeting and temporary model of the Old Testament. But it took the "real" to accomplish God's purpose. This is the major topic under discussion in chapter ten.

What the law could not do in continuous sacrifices, the Lord Jesus did, when He died at Calvary. The law was a shadow, and, like all shadows, it gave an imperfect illustration of the good things to come. The good things to come involve the complete and perfect work of Christ, which embrace the one time and efficacious sacrifice of Christ and His present ministry as High Priest.

In fact, it took the real, not the shadow, to accomplish the final work of redemption and the continuing spiritual growth of the believer.

The law was the shadow, but not the very image. For this reason the shadow (Old Testament sacrificial system) could never make the sinner perfect and righteous, and the burden to the sinner was continuous and relentless.

Every year the Jew would come to the high priest, who would then offer sacrifice for their sin. This yearly sacrifice could not bring righteousness to the repentant sinner, but revealed the sinners imperfections and inadequacies. If the sacrifices could have removed the sin and provided the necessary righteousness, it would not have been necessary to continue to sacrifice every year.

The Old Testament Levitical sacrifices were repetitious, and maintained a consciousness of sins, not a cleansing. The author of Hebrews indicates that if the sacrifices could have made the sinner righteous, the sinner would no longer have awareness (conscience) of sins. If the Jew was really cleansed there would be no need to repeat the sacrifices yearly.

However, each year the Jew allowed the high priest to sacrifice for his sin. It was a constant reminder of his failure and sinful nature.

An example of this continuation of "shadow" sacrifices is the Roman Catholic mass. The priest offers up the same sacrifices daily, which can never take away sins (10:10-14). An adequate payment was necessary for the Lord to be satisfied. The Old Testament sacrifice was not adequate. The animal could not taste death - it just died (only one with a moral conscience can taste the awfulness of death). How could an animal know the wrath of Almighty God?

In opposition to this, Christ's sacrifice was not a ritual sacrifice, for He said, "A body thou hast prepared for me." His physical death at Calvary as the sovereign Son of God proves that He alone could understand the real necessity of a perfect sacrifice.

What is real? That which makes the believer perfect in standing with God and welcomed into His presence. Christ fully dealt with sin with His unrepeatable sacrifice.

The repeatable sacrifice could not make them perfect: teleiwsai - fulfilled, accomplished, complete. Verse 2 describes what it means to be perfect: purged from sin and clear conscience with God.

10:2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

If the law could have perfected the people, the yearly sacrifice would have continued, and the people would have no more awareness of sins and their conscience would be clean. However, this did not happen. But the clear conscience and freedom from guilt can be removed through the blood of Christ!

"Once purged" - kekaqarmenouV - Pf Pass Ptc - cleansed one time completely of filth, sin, impurity and guilt by an outside power, continuously. The law could not accomplish this specific task in this manner!

This contrast is shown dramatically in Hebrews 10:10, where the writer shows the same concept, but showing Christ’s one time perfect sacrifice that cleanses once and for all, continuously.

By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Heb. 10:10 - sanctified is also a Pf Pass Ptc.

10:3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. - The Old Testament sacrifice reminded them of their sinful corrupt nature. They must now realize that complete salvation will only come from Christ Himself.

Ex. 30:10 "And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD."

"no Jew pretended to believe that even the annual atonement canceled his sin before God; yet he continued to make his offerings...because these sacrifices pointed out that which was to come. They were offered, therefore, not in consideration of their own power," but referred to the merits of Christ." MHC

10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. - No animal (Heb.10:8) or daily sacrifice could take away sins. It was only the Messiah who met the full requirements of God the Father. The Old Testament sacrifice could not taste death for every man, the animal just died! **Only someone with a moral consciousness could really taste death. Anything less than an infinite Christ could not be the Savior. Only true holiness knows the real wrath of God (DEM).

Common sense must have taught them that shedding the blood of bulls and goats could never satisfy Divine justice, nor take away guilt from the conscience; and God intended that they should understand. The quotation from the Psalm 40 sufficiently proves this.

10:5 Quote from Psalm 40:6-9 - Christ had a physical body to be sacrificed willingly. The plan of redemption had been unfolding before the creation of world. Redemption was not just a ritual sacrifice - "A body thou hast prepared for me" -

***In the Hebrew text the literal translation is "mine ear thou hast bored" - *You have prepared Me as an obedient Servant to do Your will. - The pierced ear was an Old Testament symbol of a bond slave: Exodus 21.

To Be set free by Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, is to be brought into a place of personal choice of being a slave; A slave, not to sin, but to love.

Remember the door post in Exodus, during the last of the 10 plagues. The blood was placed on the door posts to protect the lives of those inside from the death angel. The only true place of protection, enjoyment, and freedom is found at the doorpost.

O God, I lean against this door post. Bore my ear with the awl of your perfect ownership and I will love and serve thee forever. DEM

This Old Testament representation of Romans 12:1-2 strikes the apex of the heart. In order to find all that the Lord has to offer we must die to ourselves, let the Lord strike our ear on the door post, be fully persuaded in our mind, and then we will find the freedom that we actually are seeking.

It is only through death that we find life. The death of Christ provides life to the sinner. The life of Christ brings the sinner to death in himself. Once the sinner is dead to self, the life of Christ is manifest in the believer’s life. Once we mortify the flesh, we live unto God. The seed must die for the plant to live. This is the spiritual law of juxaposition. By dying to self we have life; by not against the Lord, we find victory, Etc.