Hebrews 10:2

Hebrews 10:2

The plight of man

The author makes a simple and valid point, if the endless rituals and offerings set out in the Law could make men perfect, if the rules and regulations could be obeyed to the letter, then there would be no need for the endless repetition of the daily sacrifices, and the procession of priests and Levites who served at the Tabernacle / Temple. One offering should do it, just once, after that the people could go free and get on with their lives. However, here we read one of the primary reasons for the Law, it awakens guilt and exposes sins. If there was no standard, no measuring stick, if there was no means of judging between right and wrong then none of us would feel guilty! The Law reveals God’s standards and then asks us to measure ourselves and immediately, we see that we fall far short. That is why the Law is so despised and why men prefer to make up their own system of rights and wrongs that waters down God’s original commandments. 

All of us carry an internal safety mechanism whereby we seek to justify our actions and to somehow relieve the burden of guilt, even when we know we are wrong. So many Christians think that the Law is outdated, obsolete and of no relevance anymore. To some extent that is true for those who have faith in Christ, we do not come under the Law, we have been saved from its penalties, but the rest of the world will be judged one day and the Law is the standard that they must attain to be right with God. The verse before us encapsulates the plight of humanity, the example of the Jewish people and the futility of seeking to be right with God through good works. God is God, He created us and made the rules for how we should live and we have failed miserably to attain His standards. This is the plight of all mankind as seen from the viewpoint held by God and He has purposed to do something about it. We praise Him that He has made the one sacrifice that need never be repeated and that covers us for all time. We praise Him too, that our guilt has been taken away. Hallelujah! 

 

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