Daily Scripture Reading Hebrews 9:27 - 10:22
Throughout the history of the church, there has been a lot of conflict and hostility between Gentile Christians and Jews. Sometimes the Jews were hostile to Christians. Other times the church stoked opposition to the Jews.
One of the overall messages communicated in the book of Hebrews is that true Christianity is open to both Gentiles and Jews. Today’s passage contains a plea for Jews to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, since Jesus provides a new and living way to go through the veil of the temple. This means Gentile Christians should welcome Jews who believe in Jesus and vice versa.
Chapter 9 reminds us that just as the wilderness tabernacle was sprinkled with blood in order to sanctify it and inaugurate a covenant, so too the blood of Jesus was shed to cleanse the heavenly tabernacle and institute a better covenant. Furthermore, unlike the Levitical sacrificial system in which sacrifices were repeated year after year, Christ only sacrificed Himself once.
Heb. 9:27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,
Heb. 9:28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
Heb. 10:1 ¶ For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.
Look at the word “shadow”. The Law was a shadow of the real, not the real thing itself.
Heb. 10:2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have consciousness of sins?
The fact that the Levitical sacrifices were repeated year after year proves they were not able to perfect those who offered them.
Heb. 10:3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year.
This verse tells us why the Israelites were required to offer the sacrifices. The sacrifices reminded the Israelites year after year that they were not perfect. They were sinners.
Heb. 10:4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Heb. 10:5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says,
“SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED,
BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME;
Heb. 10:6 IN BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE.
Heb. 10:7 THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME,
IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME,
TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’”
Verses 5-7 are a quote from Psalm 40:6-8. Psalm 40 was written by David, and he was writing about himself, but the statements made by David can also be attributed to Jesus.
Since it is impossible for the blood of animals to take away sins, David wrote that God did not really want sacrifices and offerings. Therefore, David promised to do God’s will because that is what Yahweh truly desires. Since the Old Testament sacrifices did not take away sins, at some point the Jews need to do the true will of God.
Heb. 10:8 After saying above, “SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE in them” (which are offered according to the Law),
Heb. 10:9 then He said, “BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second.
Jesus came to do the will of the Father. He offered Himself in order to take away the Levitical covenant and replace it with a better covenant. This means Christianity is not just for Gentiles, it is also for Jews.
Heb. 10:10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Heb. 10:11 ¶ And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins;
Heb. 10:12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD,
Heb. 10:13 waiting from that time UNTIL HIS ENEMIES ARE PUT AS A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET.
Heb. 10:14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
Heb. 10:15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,
Heb. 10:16 “THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM
AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:
I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART,
AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM,”
He then says,
Heb. 10:17 “AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS
I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.”
Verses 16-17 are a quote from Jeremiah 31:33-34. In the days of Jeremiah, Yahweh promised to make a new covenant with Israel. Under the new covenant, the Israelites will truly serve Yahweh and no one else.
Heb. 10:18 Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.
Heb. 10:19 ¶ Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,
Heb. 10:20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,
The pronoun “us” refers to all humans. The word “veil” refers to the veil in the tabernacle that was a barrier between humans and God. Jesus is a new and living way through the barrier between humans and God.
Heb. 10:21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
Heb. 10:22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
This was a plea given by the author of Hebrews to the 1st century Jews to draw near to God via Jesus since Jesus had inaugurated a new and living way to God.
Many times throughout the church age, Jews and Gentiles have been at odds with each other. Sometimes the church has been guilty of opposition to Jews. Some Gentile Christians do not want Jews to become believers and join the church.
However, Jesus inaugurated a new and living way through the veil to God. This way is open to all humans whether Jew or gentile. Christians should desire and encourage Jews to recognize and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.
What is your attitude towards the Jewish people?
Do you desire to see the Jewish people confess Jesus as their Lord and Savior?
Does your church have a willingness to accept Jews who become believers in Jesus?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”