Hebrews 10 ~ I Will Put My Laws in Their Hearts!

>    Cruising Chapter 10  In Hebrews  ...Jesus, is our High Priest! > 15The Holy Spirit also testifies to us... 16“This is the covenant I will make with them...I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.”   ~ Hebrews 10

NIV  ~ Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All 1The 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 repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins.  4It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.’ ”a 8First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. 15The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: 16“This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.”b 17Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”c 18And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary. A Call to Persevere in Faith 19Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,25not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. 26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”d and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”e 31It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 32Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering.33Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. 35So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.”f 38And, “But my righteousg one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.”h 39But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. Footnotes: a 7 Psalm 40:6-8 (see Septuagint) b 16 Jer. 31:33 c 17 Jer. 31:34 d 30 Deut. 32:35 e 30 Deut. 32:36; Psalm 135:14 f 37 Isaiah 26:20; Hab. 2:3 g 38 Some manuscripts But the righteous h 38 Hab. 2:4 (see Septuagint)

You could say that the Law was just a shadow of the cross that was coming! Stay in the Race! Faced with seemingly eternal years of schoolwork and a multitude of rules to obey, children get discouraged. When that happens, parents say, "Look at your great opportunities. Take advantage of what you have now. Don't throw it away." The writer of Hebrews, in chapter 10, reaches the heights of Mt. Everest with a picture of Jesus that offers his readers encouragement. From those lofty heights he tells them to ... ·          warm up to God, ·           hold their faith in him, and ·          stir up one another in Christian faith and practice. Recall an opportunity you missed because it sounded too good. What did you miss by not believing the evidence? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The writer continues to discuss Jesus and the Old Testament offerings. How do verses 1-4 prove that the Old Testament system was a shadow, not the real thing? Contrast Jesus' sacrifice (the reality) with the shadow (vv. 5-10). Why is his sacrifice better? As you meditate on verses 11-18 and the awesome love and power of Jesus to take away your sins, what are the responses in your heart and mind? In light of what God has done for us in Christ (vv. 19-21), what three commands does the writer feel compelled to issue (vv. 22-24)? If we fail to draw near to God, hold fast our faith and stir up one another, what is likely to happen (vv. 25-26, 38-39)? How can you help hold someone you know "unswervingly" to faith? What purposes could be achieved in your life by both this strong encouragement and this stern warning? ·         ...stir up one another in Christian faith and practice! ·        ...not giving up meeting together (v.25)

The Five Offerings in the Old Testament

(or think of it this way ...."This was the Penalty of the Law")

Burnt Offerings (Leviticus 1; 6:8-13; 8:18-21; 16:24) The burnt offering was always to be a male animal: a ram, a goat, a bullock or a pigeon; and it had to be without blemish. The worshiper placed his hands on the animal to show that it was a sacrifice for his own shortcomings. The burnt offering symbolized the entire surrender to God, therefore the whole animal, except for the skin, which went to the priests, was offered to God. It was left to smoulder all night into ashes, and the ashes were removed in the morning. The blood of the animal was thrown on the corners of the altar as a further sign that the life of the animal given in death had been dedicated to God. The burnt offering formed the daily morning and evening service in the Tabernacle, while on sabbaths, new moons, and festivals additional burnt offerings followed the ordinary worship.

Grain Offerings (Leviticus 2; 6:14-23) This was an offering of flour, baked cakes, or raw grain, together with oil and frankincense. It was a good-will offering to God. Part of it - 'a memorial portion' - was burnt on the altar. So it was a way of asking God to 'remember' the worshiper for good. The priests ate the remainder. Again, it was a sacrifice of the best the worshiper could give. The grain offerings may have been offered separately from the burnt offerings, or along with them. Besides flour or raw grain, a worshipper could offer dough from flour baked in an oven; cooked on a griddle; fried in a pan; or roasted to make bread. All grain offerings were prepared with oil and salt, but no honey or leaven could be used

Peace Offerings (Leviticus 3; 7:11-34) This sacrifice was similar to that for the burnt offering, except that here only the fatty portions were burnt on the altar. The animal's blood was collected and poured around the edges of the altar. Then the fatty portions (fat and entrails) were burnt on the altar, and the meat was shared by the worshiper and his family. Since God also shared in the sacrifice, it was thought of as a friendship meal with God too, and therefore was also referred to as the 'fellowship offering'. This sacrifice expressed the worshipper's desire to give thanks or praise to God. The peace offerings involved any animal without defect from herd or flock - usually oxen, sheep or goats. Along with the animal sacrifice, both unleavened cakes and leavened bread were offered. The use of leavened bread in an offering was unusual, since leaven represents something that is false, impure, sinful. Here it signifies the offering of sinners to God so that they can also make peace with God (Romans 15:16)

Trespass Offerings (Leviticus 5:14-19; 6:1-7; 7:1-6) The trespass offering was to atone for specific transgressions where restitution was possible,   such as sins of ignorance, usually connected with fraud. For example, if a man had unwittingly cheated another, a ransom that was equal to the same value of the amount taken plus one-fifth would be repaid to the former property owner. If the offence is related to holy things, such as tithes and first-fruits, then the worshipper will repay the amount owed plus one-fifth to the priest. The trespass offering was also prescribed in the cases of healed lepers in Leviticus 14:12, since leprosy was considered as a wrong to the congregation as a whole. In this offering, the sacrifice was always a male (generally a ram, which was never used as a sin offering). The blood was thrown on the corners of the altars, like that of the burnt offering.

Sin Offerings (Leviticus 4; 5:1-13; 6:24-30; 8:14-17; 16:3-22)

The sin offering was the most important of all sacrifices. It symbolized general redemption. It made atonement for the whole person of the offender, whereas the trespass offering only atoned for one special offense. The blood of the sacrifice of sin offering was sprinkled. Every spot of blood from a sin offering on a garment conveyed defilement, as being loaded with sin, and all vessels used for such sacrifices had either to be broken or scoured.

The highest kind of sin offering was to sacrifice a bullock, when the High Priest had sinned, or if the whole congregation had sinned unintentionally. The next kind would be a male goat for the ruler. The third kind consisted of a female goat for individual Israelites. The lowest grade was turtle-doves or young pigeons as a subsitute for other sacrifices in case of poverty.