Hebrews 10:1-3 "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. (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. (3) But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year."
Again I say, I love the convenience of having chapter and verse numbers in the
Bible. But sometimes, if we stop at the end of a chapter, the flow of
thought can be interrupted. Chapter 9 concluded with the thought of Jesus
having entered once into the Holy of holies and He was "once offered to
bear the sins of many." If that thought is not fresh in my mind, I might
think chapter 10 begins a new idea; rather, the writer is going into further
explanation as to why Jesus only entered once.
Until the time of Jesus, the Hebrews tried to observe the law to the best of
their ability. They were very determined in observing Passover and bringing
their offerings for atonement. They were diligent in bringing peace offerings
and sin offerings before the Lord. They offered oftentimes on a daily basis
some of those sacrifices. The offering of atonement was made annually. The high
priest in office would take those sacrifices and offer them unto the Lord. In
the beginning of chapter 10, the writer goes into explanation as to what those
offerings were to accomplish. The people, and even the priests of the
day, thought those offerings actually gave them forgiveness of sins. In
reality, those things of the law were never intended to remove sin; rather they
served as a constant reminder of their sinfulness.
Verse 2 tells us if those sacrifices had been able to make the people perfect,
"... then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the
worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins"
Let us look back at Chapter 9 for a moment. "For if the blood
of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean,
sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: (14) How much more shall
the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without
spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living
God?" (Hebrews 9:13-14) The thought being laid down by the writer is
this: if the blood of an animal could cause the people to seek to do what
is right in the sight of God, how much more should the blood of the very Son of
God move us to seek honor and serve Him?
I end with part of the words of the wonderful hymn, "What Wondrous Love is
This" written by an unknown author:
What wondrous love is this, O my soul! O my soul!
What wondrous love is this! O my soul!
What wondrous love is this! That caused the Lord of bliss!
To send His precious peace To my soul, to my soul!
To send His precious peace To my soul!
When I was sinking down, Sinking down, sinking down;
When I was sinking down, Sinking down,
When I was sinking down Beneath God's righteous frown,
Christ laid aside his crown For my soul, for my soul!
Christ laid aside his crown For my soul!
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb, Who is the great I Am,
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing!
while millions join the theme, I will sing!