Daily Meditations

Hebrews 10:20 A new and living way There are suggestions that the three entrances into the Tabernacle had Hebrew names linked to the Way, the Truth and the Life. (John 14:6) So, for a priest to enter the outer Court which housed the altar of sacrifice and the bronze Laver of cleansing, he must pass through the Way. To enter into the tent, the Holy Place, where the Menorah, Table of Shewbread and altar of incense were housed, He must go through the entrance of Truth. However, for the solitary High Priest to enter into the Most Holy Place on his annual visit, the curtain was the entrance of Life. Hence it follows that when Jesus opened this sacred access into God’s glory, for us all, He opened a new and living way through the curtain, the way of Life.  The High Priests of Israel were never perfect men, part of the ritual for them, on the Day of Atonement, was to offer blood sacrifices for their own sins let alone the sins of the people. Jesus is our High Priest, He entered the Most H...

Hebrews 10:19 Confidence to enter the Most Holy Place This verse has been, and always will be, an outrage so far as orthodox Judaism is concerned! The Most Holy Place was, of course, the innermost chamber of the Tabernacle / Temple. This was holy ground like no other, it was the place where the glory of God was contained, it was so holy and sacred that it was “off limits” for all ordinary people, even the priesthood. The highest honour amongst the ancient Jews was the role of High Priest and this man alone could enter the Most Holy Place but only once per year. His role, on what was called the Day of Atonement, was to make reparation, with blood, for the sins of the people and, as we know, only their unintentional sins. This ceremony was watched by the gathered crowds and the entire priesthood; they waited with bated breath to see if the anointed Priest would emerge unscathed from his meeting with the Lord God. Once the day and its ceremonies were completed, no one was allowed access t...

Hebrews 10:18 Sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary. It seems that the author of this amazing Epistle has already made his point, we understand that the sacrificial system with its laws and rituals is now ended, there is no further requirement for a Temple or a priesthood.  But, just in case this truth has not yet sunk in, it must be repeated one more time! Firstly, because when God repeats His Word over and over again, we can be sure that it is of the utmost importance. Secondly, because human beings, and the Jews are a case in point, are stubborn, unwilling creatures who take a long time to embrace change! Why, even now most of the Jewish race rejects the idea of one of their own being Messiah, they are still awaiting Him, furthermore, there are plans afoot to restore the Temple and the sacred rituals in preparation for His coming! Even some Christians get excited by this possibility and are blinded to the fact that such plans are an abomination to the Lord God who has al...

Hebrews 10:17 Remembered no more! In ancient times it was not uncommon for men to join the schools of the prophets, as with King Saul, or to devote oneself to holy service at the feet of a priest, as with Samuel and Eli. Indeed, to be considered as a man or woman of God, as with Deborah, we would have to show exceptional devotion and live lives that were separate from the common people. We would be studious in our attention to the Law and learn from it that we might begin to discern the mind and heart of God. This way of life has overflowed into the journey of the various holy orders, and it is also adopted by Judaism where young men devote their lives to studying the Torah and Mishnah etc. We might even include the various Bible Schools and Theological Colleges which provide the means for men and women to enter church ministries today. In other words, we can be forgiven for thinking that to be used by the Lord in modern ministries we have to be special, to live lives of a higher order...

Hebrews 10:16 The role of prophets In Old Testament times, when the Lord God spoke and wished to make His purposes clear, He chose individuals and gave them His words. Prophets, seers, priests and national leaders all heard that voice and carefully recorded the words they were given so that these precious truths could be passed on. Such men and women were highly venerated and were elevated amongst the people as those who had become God’s mouthpieces. In this way we have the Scriptures, or what we call the Old Testament, and we too respect and admire the men and women who had such a close affinity with the Lord. But, in this verse, quoted from Jeremiah 31:33, the Lord gives prior warning that a day will come when the roles of individual prophets etc will come to an end, instead He will “ put His laws in men’s hearts and write them on their minds.”  This is talking, of course, about the coming of the Holy Spirit when it will not be necessary for individuals to hear and then carefully...

Hebrews 10:15 The Holy Spirit testifies Let us be absolutely clear here, whilst the Holy Spirit was not given to the church until Pentecost, in ancient times He was still a massive influence on God’s people and on individuals, especially those who were called to lead or to speak with the voice of the Lord. The truth is, we either follow the Spirit of truth and righteousness, or we obey the spirit of lies and deceit. It has ever been so. For instance, Peter writes,  “You must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”  2 Peter 1:20-21. Paul’s famous quote to Timothy encompasses the Old Testament, for the New had still not been written, when he writes , “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant ...

Hebrews 10:14 Perfect but being made holy Let’s emphasize straight away the difference between the fact that Christ has made us perfect through His sacrifice, but conversely, we are still being made holy! The first act is completed and stands forever, the second is an ongoing process. The first is what Christ has done for us, the second requires our co-operation with Him and is a journey of faith. Let’s examine each one in more detail. We all know that the death of Jesus Christ was a “once for all” moment in human history. He cannot and will not be crucified a second time, that is not necessary, the offering has been made, the blood that secures our salvation has been shed, the righteous demands of the Law have been met. This incredible event will never be repeated, that is why there is no second chance for men and women, we either believe in Him while we have the opportunity, or we die in our sins and face God’s righteous judgements. His salvation is eternal because its effects are un...

Hebrews 10:13 The footstool of Jesus Christ It could be argued that the author of Hebrews is a bit guilty of repetition, and yes, he certainly makes an attempt to drive his points home. That suggests that they are of considerable significance; if we simply skim over the words and think, “Well, I’ve heard all this before,” we miss the point. When the Lord repeats Himself, it is of the utmost importance. He wants us to understand, this is the Gospel, this is the spiritual significance of all that Christ has done, and it reverberates throughout the heavens and throughout the ages. These are the roots of our faith, they can never be undone, the enemy cannot counterfeit the work of Christ Jesus in the way in which He counterfeits so much through human religions. These vital transactions between the spirit world and the earthly one are established for all time, suddenly the reason and purpose for Israel becomes clear, suddenly the Old Testament of our Bibles becomes completely relevant, sudd...

Hebrews 10:12 It's all done! This verse succinctly summarises all that we have recently learned. Look at the various phrases that are used; - ·        Offered for all time ·        One sacrifice for sins ·        He sat down This is written so that we might put the final seal on all that has been discussed. The sacrifice at Calvary will never be repeated; it covers all time. There will never again be the need for repetitive sacrifices for all sins have been atoned for. The job has been done, the act of salvation is complete, just as God our Father rested from His creative works on 7 th  day, so Yeshua rests from His work of salvation. He now sits at the right hand of God. Unlike all priests who preceded Him, He need no longer stands before the Lord for His work is completed.  We encountered this status of Jesus Christ as early as Chapter 1:13 when God spoke to His son and commanded Him to...

Hebrews 10:11 Standing to perform This verse goes on to expand on what we have already been told. Notice that our attention is deliberately drawn to the fact that the ancient Jewish priests always stood as they performed their duties. The act of sitting down symbolised the fact that a task had been completed, the job had been done, it need not be repeated. As we shall see, this is the case with Yeshua! However, for the priesthood, the same old routines had to be performed day after day, there was never an end to it, it was generally understood that these relentless religious duties could not be terminated until Messiah came. And come He did and the Temple was destroyed and the pointless sacrificial system was ended.  How tragic that some Jews today still long and plan for the revival of the sacrifices, the priesthood and the Temple, for those who think this way show that they still do not accept the status and purpose of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice! Even though He is one of them...

Hebrews 10:10 Made Holy - once for all! There are two phrases in this verse that have mind-blowing consequences for all who believe.    Firstly, “ we have been made holy.”   Secondly, Jesus was sacrificed,   “Once for all.”     Both of these outcomes were impossible under the old sacrificial rituals of the Law but now, through the body of Christ and His willing submission to the Father’s will, our salvation has been made possible. Let’s just think about the implications for a minute. We all know, that when we take a good, hard look at ourselves we are anything but holy because we define it as being pure and righteous and God-like. However, the word correctly means that we are set apart, we now belong to God. God Himself is holy, He is separate from Creation, His holiness does, of course, mean that He is absolutely pure, and is not stained by any evil whatsoever. What Christ has done for us, through His sacrifice, is to fully wash away our sins, to carry the...

Hebrews 10:9 "Here I am, I have come to do Your will." As the heavenly review of mankind’s miserable, fallen state became clear so the ineffectiveness of the animal sacrifices was put into perspective. They could never solve the problem of sin; they could offer temporary absolution but only for unintentional sins. They could not save men from death or offer eternal salvation and hope. The entire system was riddled with inadequacies but put in place by God to show the world that we can do nothing to save ourselves. Therefore, Jesus Christ steps up to the plate and says to His Father, “This arrangement is not working, as we know, it is time to set aside the sacrificial system once and for all.  “Here I am, I have come to do Your will.”  In other words, “Let’s put a stop to this endless procession of pointless rituals, it has served its purpose. Now is the time, the time for me to fulfil the task that we always knew must come to pass. It will cause us both incredible pain and an...

Hebrews 10:8 Animal sacrifices were never enough. Psalm 40 is still being quoted at us, before Yeshua offered Himself to God as was written in the scroll, He announced that He was fully aware that  “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire.” Jesus knew the heart and mind of God His Father, He had observed the endless rituals that took place daily in the Tabernacle / Temple and He knew that this was not the Father’s greatest desire. It may be that the growing frustration in His Father’s heart was the catalyst for Jesus to offer Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for men. God had anguished over the state of His world, the increasing attempts by His enemy to destroy and manipulate mankind. God saw the centuries of arrogance and blatant sin and that even His chosen people, Israel, had failed to carry out His will. The Law was good; the offerings were often well-meant and given in good faith, but they could never fully breach the chasm between God and men. Maybe the long years of pointl...

Hebrews 10:7 "Here I am!" Notice that these verses are a direct quote from Psalm 40 and are attributed to Jesus Christ Himself, as if it were He who wrote the Psalm! It was in fact, King David who wrote Psalm 40 but the beauty of God’s Word is that it is timeless, David could never have understood the full implications of his writings, but as the Holy Spirit guided His pen, so a detailed and unbreakable link was being made with Yeshua and events that would take place 1,000 years later!  One of the inarguable facts of history is that Jesus was born a Jew. His family tree was Jewish, on both parents’ sides. His coming was promised in the Torah, prophesied by the seers, anticipated by the priesthood and lauded in the Psalms. All the history of ancient Israel was a preparation for His coming. The Scriptures, given to men, set the scene and described the events, the entire nation of Israel was on tenterhooks for centuries as the people awaited their Messiah. Jesus had to be born a...

Hebrews 10:6 "Here I am, I have come to do Your will, my God." It is painful to be made aware that all those centuries of burnt offerings and sin offerings that were resolutely presented to the Lord had little effect. They did not completely cleanse those who made the offerings and neither did they bring pleasure to the God who reigns over His people in heaven. This must have been devastating news for young Jewish believers who were effectively being told that the religious devotion of their ancestors had been completely meaningless! All those animals, all the effort and time, the decorative trappings of the Tabernacle and Temple, the fastidious attempts by the priesthood to honour the Law’s demands, it all had little value or purpose. So why did they do it? Was it not the Lord God who initiated all of this and chose the nation who would be responsible for these endeavours? What was the point? The point was to show the world the weaknesses and sinfulness of the human race, th...

Hebrews 10:5 The old has gone, the new has come! Before we look at the next verses in detail, it is worth pointing out that the Greek words used in verse 5-8 actually describe four of the five main offerings made at the Tabernacle / Temple. These are fellowship, grain, burnt and sin offerings. The only one missing is the guilt offering. These are all described in detail in Leviticus 1-7.  The suggestion here is that when Christ came to our world and became fully cognizant of the roles that He must fulfil and His duties as High Priest for all mankind, He recognised the futility of the endless animal sacrifices and He saw that these were not the final solution for men’s sins. He fully understood the purpose of His Father in sending Him to the world and that He would be the ultimate sacrifice made, not by men, but by God. Not only that, but He also had the prophetic words of King David ringing in His ears which is why these words from Psalm 40 are quoted here. It will pay us to read t...

Hebrews 10:4 Animals cannot do it! It’s a strange thing that no one ever seemed to question the futility of animal sacrifices. God gave the Law; in it He designed a system of rituals and regulations that would appease His anger against sin and deliver men and women from the consequences of their iniquities. It was God who described what sin was, He was the One who clearly laid out the details of the way humans should behave towards Him and to one another. These are His standards, the ones by which He has decided we may live peaceful and fulfilled lives as human beings. He is our Creator; He alone knows what is best for us. He has also clearly set out the effects and costs of breaking His rules. That is the Law!  However, within all those rules and regulations God was merciful, He provided ways for sins to be atoned for, for wrongs to be righted. Instead of men paying for their disobedience and rebellion, the penalties could be transferred to other living beings, namely animals. Wha...

Hebrews 10:3 An annual reminder of sins At first sight it seems unlikely that we can add anything to the simple pronouncement contained in this verse. Those endless, daily processions of men queuing to bring their sacrifices before the Lord, the lines of bleating, bellowing animals awaiting their fate, were all pointless and frankly, quite useless. Why? Because no sooner had the sacrifices been made than they needed to be made again, they did not bring an end to sin, and they could never erase future transgressions either. The same could be said of the great Feast Days, particularly the Day of Atonement, no sooner had the High Priest emerged from the Most Holy Place as an end to a year of unintentional sinning, then someone in the camp started to break the Law and the penalty score was renewed! It was all so pointless, such a waste of time, endless in its inability to really make a difference and to solve the chasm between men and God.  The writer here in Hebrews sees another probl...

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 carr...