THEMES
Overarching Theme: Standing firm in the realities of a better covenant
Chapter Three Theme: Recognising the completeness of Christ’s sacrifice and the need for a consistent response
BACKGROUND
This chapter picks up on the challenge presented to the early Jewish believers of the new covenant appearing to still be running side-by-side with the old covenant. Gentile believers reading the Hebrews letter would have seen the problem differently. They (like us) had entered straight into God’s new covenant but would have welcomed the privilege of seeing the heart of God in using the old to prepare the way for the new. In this chapter the completeness of Christ’s sacrifice is presented together with the need for a consistent response.The chapter ends on a positive note about faith, ready for Chapter 11’s presentation of those in the past who were referred to as examples in Hebrews 6:12.
___________________________________________________________________
Make sure you watch the video covering Hebrews 10 and have a Bible ready in front of you.
___________________________________________________________________
Verses 1-10
The centre piece of these verses is the quotation from the Septuagint version of Psalm 40:6-8 in verses 5-7. Before quoting this the writer reemphasises the inability of the old covenant sacrifices to make people perfect, in that they left the people still feeling ‘guilty for their sins.' The psalm records (in anticipation) the intentions of Christ (the Messiah) when taking up our humanity and coming into the world. The writer explains that, in being set to do his Father’s will, Jesus came to provide something better than ineffectual sacrifices. Verse 10 sums up the fulfilment of that intention by saying ‘we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.’
Question
Why is it important to know that our consciences are cleansed so that we are no longer left with an overburdening sense of guilt for our sins?
___________________________________________________________________
Verses 11-18
Although these verses quote from the new covenant promises given in Jeremiah 31:33-34, there is in verses 12-13 a reference to Psalm 110:1 showing Jesus seated at his Father’s right hand and waiting. For the writer this brings home the reality of Jeremiah 31:34 leading to the confirmation in verse 18 ‘and where these (sins and lawless acts) have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.’
Question
How does the picture of Jesus being seated and waiting in heaven confirm for you the effectiveness of his once for all sacrifice?
___________________________________________________________________
Verses 19-25
There are three exhortations in these verses. In verses 19-22 we are encouraged to draw near to God boldly as Christ on the cross has opened the way into God’s presence. The writer describes this opening up as ‘going through the curtain’ and also speaks of the sprinkling of our hearts and the washing of our bodies. These statements highlight the new covenant realities anticipated in the old covenant rituals. The second exhortation is to ‘hold firmly to the hope we possess’ (verse 23), and the third is to spur each other on by meeting together and encouraging each other (verses 24-26).
Questions
How does the spiritual sprinkling of our hearts and the washing of our bodies relate to the purity needed for us to come boldly into the presence of God?
What can we do to increase the encouragement we bring to one another?
__________________________________________________________________
Verses 26-31
When reading verses 26-35 it is good to have in mind 1John 1:8-10. These warnings in Hebrews are particularly strong (as we saw in Hebrews 6:4-8). This is because they relate to a determined, unrepentant attitude. The three condemning factors in verse 29 underscore this point. All three border on the unthinkable: trampling the Son of God underfoot, treating as unholy the sanctifying blood of the covenant, and insulting the Spirit of grace.
Question
Why do you think the writer is so forceful on the topic of determined unrepentance?
___________________________________________________________________
Verses 32-35
These verses contain the amazing testimony of these early Jewish believers. It is an incredible list. No one the writer says ‘So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.’
Question
How does the list in verses 32-34 compare with the list in Hebrews 6:4-5, and could the Hebrews 10 list be a practical outworking of the list in Hebrews 6?
___________________________________________________________________
Verses 36-39
Here a plea to persevere is linked with the hope of the second coming, referenced by Isaiah 26:20. It is then followed by Habakkuk 2:4, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.' It is good to emphasise that we are not ‘those who shrink back’ but ‘those who have faith and are saved.’
Question
‘The just shall live by faith’ is often quoted. What does it mean in practice?
___________________________________________________________________
KEY TAKEAWAYS
This chapter has many takeaways, both in terms of what it exhorts us to do and what it encourages us to avoid. The final verse about living by faith sets us up well for the next chapter.
PRAYER & REFLECTION
Verses 19-22 are written as one long sentence – a sentence which is so rich in meaning that it is well-worth taking time to reflect on. As you do so, perhaps you could use it as a prayer of gratitude.
Lord Jesus,
since we, as brothers and sisters, have confidence to enter
the Most Holy Place by your blood,
by a new and living way
opened for us through the curtain, that is, your body,
and since you are our great priest over the house of God,
let us draw near to you with a sincere heart
and with the full assurance that faith brings,
having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience
and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Amen