CHAPTER 10

(A.D. 64)

THE OLD COVENANT

¹For the Law (the Law of Moses) having a shadow of good things to come (the Law of Moses was only meant to be temporary; it portrayed Christ Who was to come), and not the very image of the things (it was quite impossible for the Law to present a proper image of Who and what Christ would be; it suggested such, but was only a suggestion), can never with those Sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. (The animal Sacrifices could only cover sins, they couldnt take away sins. That remained for Christ to do [Jn. 1:29].)

²For then would they not have ceased to be offered? (Paul asked this question simply because the fact that the animal Sacrifices had to be offered over and over proclaimed their insufficiency. They were, in reality, only a stopgap measure.) because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. (This proclaims what the Proper Sacrifice of Christ could do, and, in fact, did do, but which the Sacrifice of bulls and goats could not do. The phrase, No more conscience of sin, should not be misunderstood as no more consciousness of sin.)

³But in those Sacrifices(animal Sacrifices)there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. (That the High Priest of Israel had to go into the Holy of Holies once a year with animal blood proclaimed the fact that this system was basically flawed, and was meant only to point to Christ Who was to come.)

⁴For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. (The word impossible is a strong one. It means there is no way forward through the blood of animals. As well, it applies to all other efforts made by man to address the problem of sin, other than the Cross.)

⁵Wherefore when He (the Lord Jesus) comes into the world (presents Christ coming as the Saviour, Who undertakes in Grace to meet every claim the Throne of God has against penitent sinners), He said, (Ps. 40:6) Sacrifice and Offering You would not (refers to the fact that He would pay for sin, but not with animal sacrifices), but a Body have You prepared Me (God became man with the full intention that His Perfect Physical Body was to be offered up in Sacrifice on the Cross, which it was; the Cross was ever His Destination):

⁶In Burnt Offerings and sacrifices for sin (proclaims the root of the problem which besets mankind it is sin; the idea is, that the sacrifices were not sufficient as it regards sin; therefore, God took no pleasure in them in that capacity) You have had no pleasure.

⁷Then said I, Lo, I come (in the Volume of the Book it is written of Me,) (the entirety of the Old Testament points exclusively to Christ, and in every capacity) to do Your Will, O God. (The Cross was the Will of God because it had to be if man was to be Redeemed.)

⁸Above when He said, Sacrifice and Offering and Burnt Offerings and Offering for sin You would not (refers to the fact that animal sacrifices could not cleanse from sin), neither had pleasure therein(concerns the insufficiency of the sacrifices); which are offered by the Law (refers to the fact that all these Offerings were included in the Mosaic Law; even though instigated by God, they were meant to point to Christ);

⁹Then said He, Lo, I come to do Your Will, O God. (The doing of the Will of God, as it regards Christ, pertained totally and completely to His Sacrifice of Himself on the Cross.) He takes away the First (the Old Covenant, which He did by the Sacrifice of Himself), that He may establish the Second (the New Covenant which He did by going to the Cross, the only way it could be established).

¹⁰By the which will (the Sacrifice of Christ took away the First Covenant, satisfying its demands, and established the New Covenant) we are Sanctified through the Offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.(This proclaims unequivocally that the only way the Believer can live a victorious life is by the Cross ever being the Object of his Faith.)

¹¹And every Priest stands daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins (proclaiming the insufficiency of this method):

¹²But this Man (this Priest, Christ Jesus), after He had offered One Sacrifice for sins forever (speaks of the Cross), sat down on the Right Hand of God (refers to the great contrast with the Priests under the Levitical system, who never sat down because their work was never completed; the Work of Christ was a Finished Work, and needed no repetition);

¹³From henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool. (These enemies are Satan and all the fallen Angels and demon spirits, plus all who follow Satan.)

¹⁴For by one Offering He has perfected forever them who are Sanctified. (Everything one needs is found in the Cross [Gal. 6:14].)

¹⁵Whereof the Holy Spirit also is a witness to us (a witness to the Cross): for after that He had said before (refers to the fact that the Holy Spirit has always witnessed to the veracity of the Finished Work of Christ),

¹⁶This is the Covenant that I will make with them after those days (proclaims its distinctive feature as being the Sanctifying Work of the Holy Spirit Who would be caused to take up His permanent abode in the Believer, all made possible by the Cross), says the Lord, I will put My Laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them (the work of the New Covenant, which accompanies the Born-Again experience);

¹⁷And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (He has taken them all away, and did so by the Cross.)

¹⁸Now where remission of these is(with all sins atoned, the argument is settled), there is no more offering for sin. (No more offering is necessary, for Christ paid it all.)

FAITH

¹⁹Having therefore, Brethren, boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus (the Cross has made it possible for any and every Believer to come into the presence of the very Throne of God, and at any time so desired),

²⁰By a new and living way (presents the New Covenant), which He has consecrated for us (by the Cross), through the Veil (contains an allusion to the Veil which separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place in the Tabernacle), that is to say, His flesh (refers to giving Himself on the Cross, which opened up the way to God);

²¹And having an High Priest over the House of God (the actual Greek says, a Priest, a Great One; He is the Head [Col. 1:18]);

²²Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith (Faith in the Finished Work of Christ), having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. (This portrays Paul using Old Testament Types to represent the reality we now have in Christ [Lev., Chpts. 8-9].)

²³Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering (Faith in Christ and the Cross); (for He is faithful Who Promised;) (This refers to the fact that everything the New Covenant promises, which is Salvation and total victory over all sin, will be realized in totally.)

²⁴And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works (that which will naturally follow true Faith in the Cross):

²⁵Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is(it is important that Believers assemble together, however the meeting might be conducted); but exhorting one another(encouraging one another in the Faith): and so much the more, as you see the day approaching (especially during these last days).

CONSEQUENCES

²⁶For if we sin wilfully (the willful sin is the transference of Faith from Christ and Him Crucified to other things) after that we have received the knowledge of the Truth (speaks of the Bible way of Salvation and Victory, which is Jesus Christ and Him Crucified [I Cor. 2:2]), there remains no more Sacrifice for sins (if the Cross of Christ is rejected, there is no other Sacrifice or way God will accept),

²⁷But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation (refers to Gods Anger because of men rejecting Jesus Christ and the Cross), which shall devour the adversaries. (It is hellfire, which will ultimately come to all who reject Christ and the Cross.)

²⁸He who despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses (there had to be these many witnesses to a capital crime before the death sentence could be carried out, according to the Old Testament Law of Moses [Deut. 17:2-7]):

²⁹Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who has trodden under foot the Son of God (proclaims the reason for the sorer punishment), and has counted the Blood of the Covenant, where with he was Sanctified, an unholy thing (refers to a person who has been saved, but is now expressing unbelief toward that which originally saved him), and has done despite unto the Spirit of Grace? (When the Cross is rejected, the Holy Spirit is insulted.)

³⁰For we know Him Who has said, Ven geance belongs unto Me, I will recompense, says the Lord (is meant to imply that every single thing is going to be judged by the Lord, Who Alone is the righteous Judge). And again, The Lord shall Judge His people (chastise His People [Deut. 32:35-36]).

³¹It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. (This refers to those who have once known the Lord, but now express no Faith in the Cross.)

REWARD

³²But call to remembrance the former days (the earlier proofs of faithfulness and love), in which, after you were illuminated (refers to the enlightenment the Gospel brings to the mind of the Believer), you endured a great fight of afflictions (refers to the persecutions that came their way after conversion);

³³Partly, while you were made a gazing-stock both by reproaches and afflictions (refers, as well, to public ridicule); and partly, while you became companions of them who were so used. (This refers to Christian Jews, who tried to be of help to newly converted Jews, coming under severe persecution.)

³⁴For you had compassion of me in my bonds (evidently refers to the time Paul was in prison in Rome, as recorded in Acts 8:28; as well, another proof that Paul wrote the Book of Hebrews), and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods (many Jews suffered great financial loss upon acceptance of Christ), knowing in yourselves that you have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance. (The loss of earthly treasure did not hinder their Heavenly treasure.)

³⁵Cast not away therefore your confidence (confession of Faith in Christ and the Cross), which has great recompence of reward (eternal reward, while earthly persecution is temporary).

³⁶For you have need of patience (proper Faith will always have proper patience), that, after you have done the Will of God, you might receive the Promise. (If we carry out the Will of God in our lives, we dont have to worry about the Promise being fulfilled.)

³⁷For yet a little while, and He Who shall come will come, and will not tarry. (This refers to the Rapture of the Church. If the Holy Spirit deemed the time frame short some 2,000 years ago, then how much closer are we presently?)

³⁸Now the just shall live by Faith (Faith in Christ and the Cross [Hab. 2:4]): but if any man draw back (proclaims the fact that such can be done, and refers to Believers transferring their Faith from Christ and the Cross to other things), My soul shall have no pleasure in him. (As should be obvious, God is grieved over the conduct of any person who would do such.)

³⁹But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition (Paul is saying that he is not going to draw back, and that those who do will lose their souls); but of them who believe to the saving of the soul. (Believe in Christ and Him Crucified.)