Hebrews, chapters 8 - 10

• The symbol {XV #.} after a word/phrase means that word/phrase is given in Greek on page XV (Hebr)-- on that page, scroll down (if necessary) to C.#;
• the symbol  means the Greek is the same as for the same word recently covered;
• the symbol  means the word does not exist in Greek.

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Chapter 9 unknown writer(s)

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Now the 1st covenant{XV 46.} had unique regulations necessary both for worship & also an earthly sanctuary{XV 3.}. A tabernacle{XV 46.} was set up. In the 1st room{XV 3.} (i.e., after the 1st curtain) were the lampstand, the table & the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place{XV 3.}. Brief timeline:

• 1440 B.C.- approx. time of Moses; 
• 1050 B.C.- Saul becomes king;
• 1010 B.C.- David becomes king;
• 970 B.C.- Solomon becomes king;
• 950 B.C.- Temple(#1) completed during Solomon's reign
  • Temple mentioned often in Exo through 2ndCh (especially Exo 26 - 30; Lev 10 - 16; 1stKi 6 - 8; 2ndCh 3 - 8) ;
• 930 B.C.- Kingdom divides;
• 586 B.C.- beginning of Babylonian captivity of the house of Judah
  • followed "shortly" by Temple(#1)'s destruction (mentioned in 2ndCh 36:19; Ezra 5:12-- Ezra covers the events from 538-516 & 458-450 B.C.)
• 516 B.C.- new Temple(#2) completed;
• 70(?) A.D. Temple (#2) "compromised" by Roman Empire (but note that the brand new Temple(#3) is spoken of in Eze 41 -43; that Eze 43:7 has (after the beginning of the description of the new "Glory of the GOD of Israel"), "Son of man, this is the place of MY Throne & the place for the soles of MY Feet. This is where I will live among the Israelites forever (much in agreement with the descriptions in Reve)."

But back to the description of the 2nd Holy Place: Behind the 2nd curtain{XV 33.} was a room{XV 46.} called the [Most Holy Holy Place]{XV 1.} (Holy of Holies), which had the golden altar of incense{XV 25.} & the gold-covered ark of the covenant{XV 15.}. This ark contained the gold jar of the manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, & the stone tablets of the covenant{XV 15.}. Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But We cannot discuss these things in detail-- as it would be too much of a diversion. When everything had been arranged like this, the simple Priests{XV 28.} entered regularly into the outer room{XV 46.} through the 1st curtain to carry on Their ministry. But only the High Priest{XV 13.} entered the inner room, & that only 1x a year, & never without blood, which He offered for himself & for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit{XV 43.} was showing by this that the way{XV 6.} into the [Most Holy Holy Place]{XV 1.} (Holy of Holies) had not yet been disclosed as long as the 1st tabernacle{XV 46.} was still standing. This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts{XV 17.} & sacrifices{XV 26.} being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. They are only a matter of food & drink & various ceremonial washings-- external regulations applying until the time of the new order. In olden times the earthly kingdom of Priests & High Priests were composed of: 1st, Israelites in general (see Exo 19:6); then, Levites (see Deu 17:8)-- both of whom were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper, as we just saw . Today the earthly kingdom of Priests is the Christians (see Reve 1:6; 5:10); the heavenly High Priest is the ascended Jesus-- by whom alone we obtain clear consciences.

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When Christ came as High Priest{XV 13.} of the good things that are already here, He went through the greater & more perfect tabernacle{XV 46.} that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by the blood of goats & calves; but He entered the [Most Holy Holy Place]{XV 1.} (Holy of Holies) once for all{XV 22.} by His own blood, having obtained eternal{XV 9.} redemption. The blood of goats & bulls & the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on Those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify{XV 2.} Them so that They are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal{XV 9.} Spirit offered himself unblemished to GOD, cleanse Our consciences from acts that lead (the Greek word hear is in the future-- shall purify; which speaks of the matter of confessing present sin) to death, so that We may serve the Living GOD! For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant{XV 15.}, that Those who are called may receive [i.e., if-so-be they answer the call] the promised{XV 20.} eternal{XV 9.} inheritance-- now that He has died as a ransom to set Them free from the sins committed under the 1st covenant{XV 15.}.

In the case of a will{XV 15.}, it is necessary to prove the death of the 1 who made it, because a will{XV 15.} is in force only when someone has died; it never takes effect while the 1 who made it is living. This is why even the 1st covenantwas not put into effect without blood of animals. When Moses had proclaimed{XV 35.} every commandment of the Law, He took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool & branches of hyssop, & sprinkled the scroll & all the people. He said, 'This is the blood of the covenant{XV 15.}, which GOD has commanded You to keep (Exo 24:8).' Moses said this just prior to his going up to receive the tablets-- but note that even before this, Moses took the Book of the Covenant & read it to the people (v. 7a). And note also later when Moses to ascend, God said, 'Come up to ME on the mountain...I will give you the tablets of stone, with the Law & Commands I have already written (v. 12).'

• Now it was over 2 years from Egypt to the Desert of Sinai (Num 1:1);
• After a census was taken (etc.), 20 days later the Israelites left the Desert of Sinai-- i.e., after Mt. Sinai (see Num 10:11);
• Num 13 has the explorers going into Canaan;
• Num 17ff has Aaron's rod budding & the Levites in particular becoming priests;
• Beginning in ch. 19, we have Moses speaking to Aaron: Tell the Israelites to bring You a red heifer without defect or blemish & that has never been under a yoke. Give it to Eleazor the Priest; it is to be slaughtered... the heifer is to be burned... the Priest is to take some cedar wood, hyssop & scarlet wool & throw them onto the burning heifer;
• This is the only time (& the closest) we have to blood of calves, scarlet wool & branches of hyssop being mentioned together in scripture.

In the same way, He sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle{XV 46.} & everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the Law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, & without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices{XV 26.}, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary{XV 3.} that was only a copy of the true 1; He entered Heaven itself, now to appear for Us in GOD's Presence. Nor did He enter Heaven to offer himself again & again, the way the High Priest{XV 13.} enters the [Most Holy Holy Place]{XV 1.} (Holy of Holies) every year with blood that is not His own{XV 10.}. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation{XV 30.} of the world. But now HE has appeared once for all at the end of the ages{XV 8.} to do away with sin by the sacrifice{XV 26.} of himself. Just as man is destined to die 1x, & after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed 1x to take away the sins of many people; & HE will appear a 2nd time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to Those who are waiting for HIM.

Chapter 10 unknown writer(s)

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The value of obeying 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{XV 26.} repeated endlessly year after year, suffice to make perfect Those who draw near to worship. If it could enable perfection, would they sacrifices not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, & would no longer have felt guilty for Their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls & goats to take away sin. Now we all observe the Spirit of the Law:

• the Jews were told in Eze 36:27, I will put MY Spirit in You & move You to follow MY Decrees & be careful to keep MY Laws-- i.e., they too would follow the Spirit of the Law;
• Roma 7:6 says, But now, by dying to what once bound Us, in particular here the strict observance of blood sacrifices, We are released from the Law so that We serve in the new way of the Spirit, not in the old way of the written code-- however, it's important to realize all born again Gentiles & Jews alike are to sacrifice;
• Roma 12:1 says, in view of GOD's Mercy, offer Your own bodies as living sacrifices, holy & pleasing to GOD;
• we shall soon see Hebr 10:18,26 saying, There is no longer any sacrifice for sin. If We deliberately keep on sinning after We have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sin is left;
• Hebr 13:15-16 refers to the sacrifice of praise, doing good & sharing with others; &,
• 1stPet 2:2 speaks of spiritual sacrifice acceptable to GOD through Jesus Christ.

Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said, Sacrifice{XV 26.} & offering YOU did not desire, but a body YOU prepared for Me; with burnt offerings & sin offerings YOU were not pleased. Then I said, 'Here I am-- just as it is written about Me in the scroll-- I have come to do YOUR Will{XV 24.}, O GOD (Psa 40:6-8a). In Jer 36:2 Jeremiah refers to a scroll that God had him to write; in Psa 40:2 when David was speaking as for the Lord, the scroll was mentioned-- & the desire to do YOUR Will. First He said, Sacrifices{XV 26.} & offerings, burnt offerings & sin offerings YOU did not desire, nor were YOU pleased with them (although the Law required them to be made-- remember much of the shadows of the Law were given on Mt. Sinai over 2 yrs. after leaving Egypt, after much disobedience, to signify the value of the blood sacrifice Jesus would make upon being crucified). And don't neglect to consider the difference between the old altar of Hebr 7:13 & our new altar of Hebr 13:10. Then He said, Here I am, I have come to do YOUR Will{XV 24.}. He sets aside the 1st will to establish the 2nd will. And by that will{XV 24.}, We have been made holy{XV 2.} through the bloody sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all{XV 22.}. Day after day{XV 23.} every simple Priest{XV 28.} stands & performs His religious duties; again & again He offers  the same sacrifices{XV 26.}, which can never take away sins. But when this simple Priest had offered for all time 1 sacrifice{XV 26.} for sins, HE sat down at the Right Hand of GOD. Since that time HE waits for HIS enemies to be made HIS Footstool, because by 1 sacrifice HE has made perfect Those who are being made holy{XV 2.}. The Holy Spirit{XV 43.} also testifies to Us about this. 1st HE says: This is the covenant{XV 15.} I will make with Them after that time{XV 23.}, says the LORD. I will put MY laws in Their hearts, & I will write Them on Their minds. Then HE adds: Their sins & lawless acts I will remember no more (Jer 31:33abc,34ef). And where these things have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

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Therefore, brothers{XV 7.} since We have confidence{XV 39.} to enter the [Most Holy Holy Place]{XV 1.} (Holy of Holies) by the blood of Jesus, by a new & living way opened fo Us by the curtain{XV 33.}, that is, His body, & since We have a great simple Priest{XV 28.} over the earthly House of GOD as well as the High Priest in Heaven (recall we saw in ch. 5:1-10 that He/HE was declared to be both simple Priest & High Priest forever in the order of Melchicedek), let Us always draw near to GOD in full assurance of faith{XV 41.}having Our hearts sprinkled to cleanse Us from a guilty conscience & having Our bodies washed with pure water. Let Us hold unswervingly to the hope{XV 19.} We profess, for HE who promised{XV 21.} is faithful{XV 42.}. And let Us consider how We may spur 1 another on toward love & good deeds. Let Us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let Us encourage 1 another-- & all the more as You see the Day{XV 23.} approaching. If We deliberately choose to keep on sinning (rejecting Jesus) after We have received the knowledge of the truth & do not repent (ABC) everytime the Gospel is presented (& chances are that might be 1x in life), no sacrifice{XV 26.} for sin is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment & of raging fire that will consume the Enemies of GOD. Anyone who rejected the Law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of 2 or 3 witnesses. How much more severely do You think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son{XV 47.} of GOD under foot, who has treated as an unnecessary & unholy thing the blood of the covenant{XV 15.} that had sanctified{XV 2.} Him, & who has in potential newness of life insulted the Spirit of grace. He has not completely ABC'd (admitted, believed, confessed); he has SB'd (shrunk back) & has not committed! For We know HIM Who said, It is MINE to avenge; I will repay (Deu 32:35a,41cd), & again, The LORD will judge HIS People (Deu 32:36a; Psa 135:14a). It is a dreadful thing to fall into the Hands of the Living GOD. Now note the very last sentence of this chapter-- i.e., it is evident who are saved by their desire & willingness to assemble & fellowship. Those who do not persevere & shrink back define themselves-- that they were not saved in the 1st place.

Remember those early days{XV 23.} after You had received the Light, when You stood Your ground in the midst of suffering. Sometimes You yourself were publicly exposed to insult & persecution; at other times You stood side by side with Those who were so treated. You sympathized with Those in prison & joyfully accepted the confiscation of Your property, because You knew that You yourselves had better & lasting possessions. So do not throw away Your confidence{XV 39.}; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when You have done the Will{XV 24.} of GOD, You will receive what HE has promised{XV 20.} . For in just a very little while, HE who is coming will come & will not delay. But MY Righteous 1 will live by faith{XV 41.} (Hab 2:3e,4c). And if He shrinks back, I will not be pleased with Him (see XV A.). But We are not of Those who shrink back & are destroyed, but are of Those who fully believe{XV 41.} & are completely saved. Now the Gr. word rendered "saved" here is a highly unusual word; the word means "being saved", but do not interpret this to mean that salvation is being earned (or pursued), as some "understand"-- rather it is used to describe Our ongoing character as we live through the time period (starting when we were fully saved). This idea is continued in the next chapter (what's called The Faith Chapter).