The Old Has Gone, Jesus Has Come

Today’s passage is Hebrews 10:1-10.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 10:1-4 (NIV)
¹  The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming–not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.
²  If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.
³  But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins,
⁴  because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
 
On verses 1-4:  Here we find the clearest explanation from the writer of Hebrews as to the reason why the old covenant (established by the law of Moses) needed to be replaced by a new covenant (established by the grace of Jesus):  the old covenant “can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship” (v1).  That’s because the law was just “a shadow of the good things that are coming – not the realities themselves” (v1).  In other words, the law of Moses, which required the ongoing sacrifice of bulls and goats, was only foreshadowing (pointing forward to) the day that the real lamb of God – Jesus – would come and be sacrificed for our sins.  In the meantime, the sacrifice of bulls and goats under the law of Moses did not do anything to truly cleanse people of their sins or alleviate their consciences (v2). Asverse 4 says, “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” Rather the old covenant as contained in the law of Moses simply served as “an annual reminder of sins” (v3), a reminder to the people that they are sinners in need of a Saviour.  (See also Romans 7:7.)

Hebrews 10:5-10 (NIV)
⁵  Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;
⁶  with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.
⁷  Then I said, ‘Here I am–it is written about me in the scroll– I have come to do your will, O God.'”
⁸  First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them” (although the law required them to be made).
⁹  Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second.
¹⁰  And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

On verses 5-10:  In verses 5-7, the writer of Hebrews quotes Psalm 40:6-8.  He quotes Psalm 40:6-8 to show that God, in particular Jesus the Son of God, was setting aside the old covenant to establish a new covenant.  When it says, “sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them” (v5-6), it means that even though the law of Moses required that these sacrifices and offerings be made, these sacrifices and offerings did nothing to truly appease the wrath of God against sin.  Then when it says, “Here I am, I have come to do your will” (v9), this is a reference to Jesus Christ and how, as the lamb of God, He prayed “not my will but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42) and gave His life as a sacrifice for our sins.  Thus, the writer of Hebrews interprets Psalm 40:6-8 as God setting aside the old covenant (which could not cleanse people of their sins despite the endless sacrifice of bulls and goats according to the law) in favour of a new covenant (which effectively made sinners holy through the one time sacrifice of Jesus’ blood).  As verse 10 says, “And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Also notice that even though Psalm 40 was written by David, the writer of Hebrews attributes these words to Jesus (v5).  What can we learn from this?  This gives us a clue into how the Bible is on one hand written by human beings and on the other hand divinely inspired.  David wrote Psalm 40 while being inspired by the Holy Spirit.  As 2 Peter 1:21 says, “For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Lord Jesus, thank You that when the endless offering of bull blood and goat blood could not cleanse human beings of sin, You came, set aside Your own will for Your Father’s will, and shed Your own blood to cleanse us of our sins.  With gratitude I proclaim today that my sins are forgiven and my conscience is cleansed because of the blood of Jesus.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!