Hebrews 10 A
{10:1} For the law having a shadow of good things to
come, [and] not the very image of the things, can never with
those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually
make the comers thereunto perfect.
*
It's true. Year after year people had to afflict their souls while their sins were once more cleansed from the Sanctuary they'd been placed upon. Even then, that very night, that very hour, that very minute after the cleansing sin was there again. Some impure thought worthy of being called sin was committed because sin still existed and was not done away with. The sacrifical system was once more in need. The sanctuary service was the law and it was a shadow of the reality. Sin being cleansed forever. Men and God be reconciled forever. People could never be fully reconciled to God as long as the sacrificial sanctuary service- the shadow of things to come was in play. For being reconciled to God completely is perfection.
{10:2} For then would
they not have ceased to be offered? because that the
worshippers once purged should have had no more
conscience of sins. {10:3} But in those [sacrifices there is] a
remembrance again [made] of sins every year. {10:4} For
[it is] not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats
should take away sins.
*The blood of animals could never pay the price for reconciliation with God. The only blood needed was that of the greatest sacrifice of all, Jesus, God's only son. The blood of reconciliation is innocent, is pure, is human not animal. The pure sinless blood of a human. Animals in their innocent state could step in temporarily until the fulness of time, but they were not and would never be able to atone for the people fully.
{10:5} Wherefore when he cometh
into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou
wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: {10:6} In
burnt offerings and [sacrifices] for sin thou hast had no
pleasure. {10:7} Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of
the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. {10:8}
Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt
offerings and [offering] for sin thou wouldest not, neither
hadst pleasure [therein;] which are offered by the law;
{10:9} Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He
taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
*The first covenant was done away with. The sanctuary service offering animal blood and using imperfect man as intercessor was over and done with. The first had to be done away with so the second could be fully in effect. Jesus revealed the corruption of the very men prefiguring the work of God. He lay bare their evil and in doing so He revealed His own goodness, His own perfection. They couldn't have perfection in their midst it only made them appear truly evil. Sometimes when you have something real and something fake side by side there are glaring inconsistencies, there are obvious differences between the real and the fake. Jesus couldn't help but show His true love for mankind which made the false love of the priests obvious. The priests had to silence Him, they had to kill that which would reveal their false natures. Jesus came and by His life and death He did away with the old way of doing things.
{10:10} By the which will we are sanctified through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all. ]{10:11}
And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering
oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away
sins: {10:12} But this man, after he had offered one
sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of
God; {10:13} From henceforth expecting till his enemies be
made his footstool. {10:14} For by one offering he hath
perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
*One offering. The greatest offering and Jesus' role as the greatest and the perfect Sacrifice was complete. Never again would He need to be slain. There is only one Son of God. There is only one sacrifice needed, such a perfect, acceptable Sacrifice and it was made so all men through that Sacrifice could live. The blood of the Sacrifice was for all to use, to claim, to use to cover the multitude of sins in our lives. The blood needed for covering, for cleansing was shed once and sufficent forever.
There are some things that aren't consumed and gone after being used, but are used over and over and only one of them is necessary. A cast iron pan given at a wedding reception can stay in the family indefinitely being passed down from one generation to another and still be as useful as the first day it was given. It's a gift that will never stop giving, a gift that will out live generation after generation and forever be used- given once, used forever, or for as long as it's necessary. Not so many people use cast iron skillets anymore, not when we have non-stick skillets that are much easier, much lighter to use.
Christ's blood was shed once and it will be used until all of God's people are cleansed of sin. As long as there is sin that can be forgiven the blood of Christ will be needed and used.
'For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.'
...for them that are made holy.
To be sinless, to have all our sins taken away is to sanctify us and make us holy and acceptable to God, the reconcilation is complete.
Christ came to reconcile us to God. Christ came to die for mankind so we could be with God again. One amazing, perfect offering is able to perfect those who are being made holy.
By the will and grace, by the mercy of our Lord and Savior may we be sanctified for Him now and forever, may we be made one with our Father, reconciled and no longer estranged by sin. Cling to Jesus, cling to Him and never let Him go.
Amen.
2/3/10
Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Rest G4520 (Greek)
sabbatismos
sab-bat-is-mos'
From a derivative of G4521; a "sabbatism", that is, (figuratively) the repose of Christianity (as a type of heaven): - rest.
Works- G2041 (Greek)
ergon
er'-gon
From ergo? (a primary but obsolete word; to work); toil (as an effort or occupation); by implication an act: - deed, doing, labour, work.
Labour- G4704 (Greek)
spoudazo
spoo-dad'-zo
From G4710; to use speed, that is, to make effort, be prompt or earnest: - do (give) diligence, be diligent (forward), endeavour, labour, study.
***
There is a rest to the people of God. God's people will have a rest and that rest is found in Christ at His return. The rest isn't promised to us now. We aren't told that we will find peace here and now on earth. When we think of resting we think of peacefulness don't we? Can you truly rest without peace around you? Peace and quiet go hand in hand. Peace in our minds free from the stressful things that wear on us. Jesus tells us this-- Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Mat 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Mat 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Yes, there is a rest for those who are God's and it comes by faith in God to do as He said He would do. There is a rest that is promised us when Jesus comes again and there will be no more tears or fears in our lives.
These verses-
Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
We must labor- we must make an effort, we must be earnest, we must be diligent and endeavor to enter into THAT rest. It seems somewhat contradictory doesn't it, that we are to labor to enter into rest. But in truth we have to be earnest about our faith in God, we have to endeavor to know Christ fully, the effort we make is to keep Christ before us always and not ourselves first. Our diligence must be to love God first and foremost and love our fellowman. When we aren't striving, when we aren't labouring, when we aren't making the effort to put God and our fellowman first we are only looking out for ourselves and that selfishness is a dishonor to God's will. Making God's will first is the effort we must make to enter into His rest. We can't save ourselves that is a gift from God by the grace and mercy of Jesus through the ultimate sacrifice He made on the cross. We must repent and accept that sacrifice obtaining the grace of God and it's something we must do daily. Our lives must revolve around God and if they don't then nothing else matters.
Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Pro 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
In all our ways we have to acknowledge Him and if we can't acknowledge Him in the way we are going that tells us something doesn't it? May God bless us and help us through the Holy Spirit here on earth to labor to enter into the rest that will be ours in Christ. By the will of God in Him always now and forever.
Amen.
2/3/11