CHAPTER 10

VS 1
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" of God was just a "shadow" of things to come.
That law could never make those who brought sacrifices perfect.

It was a prophetic statement to what God would bring later.
((A story I like to tell. A Christian man and wife took a vacation with their son to England.
They obtained a hotel room on the 10th floor, across from the "changing
of the guard."
One morning, the 7 year old son was watching the changing of the guard
through the hotel window.
He said, "Dad! LOOK! They are wearing WHITE uniforms!"
Dad came over and looked above the boy's head.
He said, "Son, those uniforms are RED!"
The boy moved and dad got down on his level.
There was a spot of blood on the window where the boy had been looking.
And, looking through that spot, dad said, "They APPEAR white through this
blood spot!"))

The prophetic statement of the law, was a "shadow" of Christ
shedding His blood for those who surrender to Him.
LOOKING through the BLOOD, God sees those as dressed in Christ's
"robes of righteousness!"

VS 2
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.

The truth of the sacrifices is that they must be REPEATED!

Had those sacrifices been done ONCE only, then the people would have had no
reason to come again!
They were forgiven of sins past, but they still sinned again, and needed to have
sacrifices for new sins.

Now....let's think about that for a moment.

The fact that Jesus provided ONE sacrifice for ALL sin INCLUDES past, present,
and future sins!
But, according to 1John 1:9, EACH time a saved sinner sins, he/she must come
in prayer to CONFESS those sins.
Even though God sees us dressed in robes of righteousness through Christ's
blood, we STAIN those robes EVERY day!
But when we are humble and confess our sins to God, he is FAITHFUL and JUST
(because of Christ's vicarious atonement), and He KEEPS ON CLEANSING us!

VSS 3-7
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.
5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou
wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
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.

Animal sacrifices procured a stay upon the ones making them, but those
sacrifices could never TAKE AWAY the sins!!

God had no "pleasure" in those sacrifices.
The Greek word for pleasure is eudokeo and means to have
willingness to atone.

It was not the blood of the animal, it was the OBEDIENCE of the one bringing it.

BUT GOD! However, when Jesus came and died for ALL men's sins, an ACCEPTABLE
sacrifice was made!
For it was GOD'S blood shed to GOD for man's sake!

EXAMPLE
If you do something to wrong someone and later go to them making apology
WHO pays the COST of the acceptance?
The person who was WRONGED!!

In the same manner, ONLY GOD can pay the price for a genuinely repentant sinner!
So, Jesus (God incarnate) came and paid that price for you and me!!
He TOOK ON the "body" and WILLINGLY did God's WILL!!

VSS 8-9
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.

Ps. 40:6-8 says,
6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened:
burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart!"

When Jesus was being nailed to the cross, He said, "Father forgive them
for they know not what they do!"
It was THEN that Jesus TOOK AWAY the first covenant and BEGAN the second!!

"Good Friday" is not good because man crucified His God!
It is GOOD FRIDAY because God was WILLING to accept their apologies for sin,
and PAID THE PRICE!!

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

Now, the saved do not live by compelled sacrifices of animals.
We live by GRACE through FAITH in Jesus Christ!

HE has made a sacrifice which PLEASED God!

VSS 11-14
11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices,
which can never take away sins:
12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right
hand of God;
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.

DAILY the priests accepted animal sacrifices because the people came again and again.

But Jesus offered Himself, and then was seated in the place of power in God!
(See Matt. 28:18)

By ONE offering of Himself, Jesus PERFECTED all those who come to Him!!

((After about 15 minutes of a witness's testimony, the judge interrupted.
He said, "Young lady, you seem to be distressed. Are you okay?
She answered, "Sir, I am most certainly distressed! I PROMISED to tell the TRUTH,
but EVERY time I do, some lawyer OBJECTS!"))

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

THIS IS THE TRUTH!!!

Verses 16-17 above, are quotes from Jeremiah 31:34.

When a saved sinner appears at the throne for judgment, the ole devil will bring
a book about ALL the sins that person has committed.

I can hear Jesus singing:
"What sins are you talking about,
I don't remember them any more!"

The saved are given a NEW conscience!
It is to realize sin, and humbly request forgiveness.

And, God has ALREADY promised to "REMEMBER" them NO MORE!!

Jesus has completely REMITTED our sins!!
There is no NEED for another offering!!

We, though, DO need to keep our RELATIONSHIP with Him; and we do so
by prayers seeking forgiveness!

VSS 19-22
19 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 having an 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.

THEREFORE, let us have BOLDNESS to enter into the "holiest"
(Holy of Holies) - the mercy seat - because of Christ's sacrifice!

Knowing that Jesus is proclaimed the HIGH PRIEST of God, let us have
ASSURANCE that our sins will be forgiven!

THEN, let us remember to "hold fast the profession of our faith"
WITHOUT wavering!!

Vss 24-25
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is;
but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Let's "provoke" (incite, inspire) one another to do good things!
And, let's NOT "forsake" church attendance; but continue in
EXHORTING (plead with by invitation) one another.

There are MILLIONS, even BILLIONS to be saved!
Let's ENCOURAGE one another to learn, grow and be home and community
EVANGELISTS!!

((A pastor once reminded an often absent member that we are called to be
ambassadors and evangelists for Christ.
The member calmly said, "Ya know, pastor? That reminds me of a joke.
A doctor was being questioned by a young lawyer on the witness stand.
Lawyer asked, "How many autopsies have you conducted on dead people?"
Doctor, "ALL of 'em. The living ones put up too much FIGHT!"))

Yup! We can certainly expect opposition when trying to introduce people
to Jesus.
THAT'S WHY we need to STUDY, LEARN, and GROW so we can be
ABLE MINISTERS of the Gospel!

26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth,
there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall
devour the adversaries.

WHOOOO! There is LOTS of controversy concerning this Scripture!

Let's establish what the statement says: There is ONLY ONE sacrifice for
sins in this age of grace, this present world.
That sacrifice is JESUS CHRIST!

AND, when a genuine Christian sins WILLFULLY, there is only ONE PERSON
to whom we may go seeking forgiveness -- JESUS!

REALIZING we are sinners ALL, EACH DAY we are CONVICTED of our sin!
AND, we have that "fearful looking for of JUDGMENT!"
THAT'S WHY we run to Jesus with broken hearts and plead forgiveness.

One MORE thing the Scripture says, the "fiery indignation" of God will
"devour the ADVERSARIES!"
It did NOT say it would devour the penitent sinner begging forgiveness!!!!!!!

Let us NOT forget, this letter is addressed to the HEBREWS!
Some of them had been ENLGHTENED to the Gospel, but had not yet
SURRENDERED to Jesus as LORD!
They were tempted to go BACK to the Old Testament ways!

But, listen to what GENUINELY SURRENDERED people say,
"we CANNOT help but SPEAK of the things we have seen and heard!"
That statement comes from Peter and John in Acts 4:20.
And they MADE that statement when they were THREATENED and told
NOT to teach in the name of Jesus!!

Once a person has surrendered to Jesus as Lord, that person is SEALED
in the Holy Spirit of God!!
And THAT is the power that raised Jesus from the dead!
THAT is the power that KEEPS Christians "by the power of GOD unto
salvation." (1Pet. 1:5)

It would be IMPOSSIBLE for them to turn back!!

And, that's why I say, REMEMBER, this Scripture was written to people
who had HEARD the Gospel, but had never fully SURRENDERED to Jesus!

VSS 28-30
28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath
trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith
he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith
the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

Those "adversaries" in verse 27 are the ones the Scripture is describing in
verses 28-29.
There were many Hebrews who did NOT believe Jesus was God in flesh.
And, they were always trying to persuade believers to come BACK to Old Testament laws!

Under the Old Testament, those who refused God's love expressed in His laws
were EXECUTED by STONING, provided there were two witnesses to the refusal.

There would be an even WORSE treatment for those who refuse Jesus!
The consequences would be and eternal fiery pit!
But Christians know that the YHWH of the Old Testament is the JESUS of the
New Testament!
And HE has said HE will be the JUDGE!!

Jesus is the One Who will take vengeance upon those who REFUSE Him!

VS 31
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Ps. 50:22 says, "Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in
pieces, and there be none to deliver!"
Ps. 76:7 says, "Thou, even Thou art to be feared: and who may stand in
Thy sight when once Thou are angry?!"

David said, in 1Chron. 21:13, "... I am in a great strait: let me fall now into
the hand of the LORD, for great are His mercies: but let me not fall into the
hand of man."

He is the LIVING GOD!
The God of LOVE, yes; but also of TRUTH and JUDGMENT!

When we have truly surrendered to Christ in repentance for sin, He is GRACIOUS
to impute forgiveness through His vicarious sacrifice.
Yet those who REFUSE God's LOVE and TRUTH and JUDGMENT, will have
FEAR all their lives; because they KNOW there is a time coming when PAYMENT,
will be received for refusing Christ! (Rom. 6:23)

VSS 32-34
32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye
endured a great fight of afflictions;
33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and
partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.

Here, the Hebrews who had been "illuminated" with the Gospel of Jesus,
were asked to RECALL what happened when they received that news with gladness.

They were AFFLICTED by unbelievers.
They were also called PARTNERS with others who believed!

Some had even been used as SPORT...contending with animals in an arena!

We KNOW that they had heard and been glad for the news of Jesus.
But we DON'T know that they had all BELEIVED and SURRENDERED.
((That may help in better understanding of verses 26-27 above.))

VSS 35-36
35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive
the promise.

Obviously they were alive.
God had miraculously saved them.

The Scripture is now admonishing them to remain STEADFAST!!

This brings to mind another thought concerning EXPERIENCES of FAITH.
TESTING brings PATIENCE!

Rom. 5:3 says, "tribulations worketh patience!"
When we ENDURE a trial, we gain EXPERIENCE.
That experience gives us ASSURANCE!

As I sit here, at 82 years of age, I remember being in typing class my sophomore year
in high school.
My ENDURANCE of that class ASSURES me of my ability to type!
(((HEHE...though I still make many mistakes, I know how to correct!)))

In the next chapter, we'll see how Faith is both SUBSTANCE and EVIDENCE!
The SUBSTANCE of faith allows us to give EVIDENCE of it!!

VS 37
37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

Jesus WILL come AGAIN!!
When He does, it will be QUICK!!

What if it were today?
Are YOU ready?

VSS 38-39
38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure
in him.
39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the
saving of the soul.

The JUST (those who have truly surrendered to Jesus) shall LIVE by FAITH!
THAT is an IMPERATIVE statement!!

Those who are truly saved, cannot HELP but live expressing faith in Jesus Christ!!

***THOSE -- who are truly saved -- will CERTAINLY NOT be the ones who would
TURN BACK from Christ!! ***

THAT is the IMPETUS of this chapter!!

Prei