Hebrews 10:1-4

G.

He is a Priest of a better sacrifice. Hebrews 10:1-39.

1.

The impossibility of the Mosaic sacrifice to take away sins. Hebrews 10:1-4.

Text

Hebrews 10:1-4

Hebrews 10:1 For the law having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect them that draw nigh. Hebrews 10:2 Else would they not have ceased to be offered? because the worshippers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins.

Hebrews 10:3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance made of sins year by year. Hebrews 10:4 For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.

Paraphrase

Hebrews 10:1 Wherefore, since the law, in the services of the high priests in the inward tabernacle, contains a shadow only of the blessings which were to come through the services of Christ in the heavenly tabernacle, and not the very substance of these blessings, it never can, with the same kind of sacrifices which the high priests offer yearly forever, make those who come to these sacrifices perfect in respect of pardon.

Hebrews 10:2 Since, if these sacrifices could have made the worshippers perfect in respect of pardon, being once offered, would they not have ceased from being again offered? because the worshippers, being once pardoned, should have had no longer any uneasiness in their conscience on account of the sins for which the atonement was made.

Hebrews 10:3 Nevertheless, in these sacrifices annually repeated, and in the confession of sins made over the scape goat, a remembrance of all the sins of the people is made yearly, as not pardoned. Leviticus 16:21.

Hebrews 10:4 Besides, it is impossible, in the nature of things, that the blood of bulls and of goats should procure the pardon of sins, either in the way of substitution or by example.

Comment

For the law having a shadow of the good things to come

Law shadowed the gospel. Aaron shadowed the Christ. Levitical sacrifices shadowed the Lamb of God.
Purification in the Old Testament pictured complete redemption in Christ.

Earthly Canaan pictured the heavenly rest.
The tabernacle pictured the church.

not the very image of the things

It was a simple representation. The gospel is the image or thing itself. An artist first draws a shadowy picture, then fills in with color. So, the law is a foreshadow of the gospel age.

can never with the same sacrifices year by year

There were yearly sacrifices, Leviticus 23, and these were performed in the same manner by priests who were subject to death and had to be succeeded.

The blood of Christ had been shed, which the old sacrifices pictured, but the Jews did not see that they were done away.

which they offer continually make perfect them that draw nigh

No perfection existed in the old, yet the Jews accept these sacrifices in place of the perfect sacrifice. The Jews must quit drawing nigh unto the old, and must approach the new.

a.

Hebrews 10:22 tells how to draw nigh.

b.

James 4:8 holds a promise to those who draw nigh.

c.

Hebrews 10:38-39 shows danger in not drawing nigh.

else would they not have ceased to be offered? because the worshippers, having been once cleansed would have had no more consciousness of sins

Repetition would not have been necessary if results were obtained, A debt cancelled does not need a repeated payment, Sacrifices made them conscious of sin, not free from it.
A person needs cleansing in order to escape a consciousness of sin.

a.

It can be done. Acts 22:16.

b.

Romans 6:1-6 pictures death to old sins and the sinner.

but in those sacrifices there is a remembrance made of sins year by year

Note the word is remembrancenot remission.

a.

There were special offerings: Numbers 15:27-28; Leviticus 4:3; Leviticus 4:14; Leviticus 4:23; Leviticus 4:28.

b.

There were daily ones: Exodus 29:38-46.

c.

Weekly ones: Numbers 28:9-10.

d.

Monthly: Numbers 28:11-15.

e.

Yearly at three great festivals.

With the Christian there is forgiveness immediately upon repentance because of the one great sacrifice.

for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.

Let this verse answer the question, Were the sacrifices able to cleanse from sin?

a.

They were to make atonement, yes, but only as performed by faith, at last to be made final in the blood offering of Jesus.

b.

See Romans 4:25: delivered up for our trespassesThis shows that Christ's sacrifice is the one great sacrifice. Let the Jew turn from the impossible sacrifices to the possible sacrifice.

Study Questions

1700.

What is the law likened to? Would your explanation please a Seventh Day Adventist?

1701.

Was shadow a general word or a specific one?

1702.

What is meant by shadow?

1703.

It was to foreshadow good things. What were the good things?

1704.

What did the law shadow?

1705.

What did Aaron foreshadow?

1706.

What did purification precede?

1707.

What did the earthly Canaan represent?

1708.

What did the tabernacle picture?

1709.

How can you best define or explain shadow?

1710.

Is it the same idea as image in the next phrase?

1711.

Do you think that a good illustration of shadow would be the artist's first sketch before the actual oil painting?

1712.

What does verse one say about the futility of the old law?

1713.

Why did God have them do it, if year after year it could not remove sin?

1714.

What is meant by which they offer continually?

1715.

Who is referred to as drawing nigh?

1716.

What did they draw nigh to?

1717.

How can we draw nigh to the good things? Cf. Hebrews 10:22; James 4:8; Hebrews 10:38.

1718.

Is this first phrase an affirmation or a question?

1719.

What is the implied answer?

1720.

Would repetition have been necessary if they could have achieved perfection?

1721.

Did their sacrifices free their conscience?

1722.

Does the Lord's Supper also disturb our conscience?

1723.

How do the Lord's Supper and the Jewish sacrifice compare in this respect?

1724.

How does baptism into Christ compare with Jewish sacrifices in regard to conscience? See Acts 22:16; Romans 6:1-6.

1725.

This verse uses the expression once cleansed. If they were cleansed by one sacrifice, why did their conscience trouble them?

1726.

Is it answered in Hebrews 10:3?

1727.

Is the word remembrance synonymous with remission?

1728.

Does year by year refer to the three great yearly sacrifices?

1729.

How often did they have sacrifices?

1730.

What were the daily sacrifices for? See Exodus 29:38-46.

1731.

Were there sacrifices of a less frequent nature? See Numbers 28:9-10.

1732.

Were there sacrifices less frequent than weekly ones? See monthlyNumbers 28:11-15.

1733.

What advantage does the Christian have?

1734.

If we have to observe communion each week for forgiveness, is our condition the same?

1735.

What sins do we remember at communion time?