Only a Shadow of What's Coming
The yearly sacrifices were a yearly reminder of sins, never a removal of them. One offering ended that, and the curtain is now a way in. So the appeal: draw near, hold on, keep meeting together, do not throw away confidence. Deliberate sin is sternly warned against.
10 1The law is only a shadow of the good things to come, not the true form of those realities, and so, by the same sacrifices offered year after year without end, can never perfect those who draw near. 2Otherwise, wouldn't they have stopped being offered, since worshipers, cleansed once, would no longer be conscious of sins? 3But in these sacrifices there is a yearly reminder of sins. 4For it 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; a a v5 These words from Psalm 40 are placed on the lips of Jesus as he came into the world — the Son entering a prepared body to do our Father's will.
6"in burnt offerings and sin offerings you took no pleasure. 7Then I said, 'Look, I have come—in the scroll of the book it is written of me—to do your will, my Father.'" b b v7 When Jesus quotes Psalm 40 to describe his coming into the world, he is addressing the Father — these are the Son's own words to the One who sent him.
8Above he said, "Sacrifices, offerings, burnt offerings, and sin offerings you did not desire or delight in"—though the law requires them, 9then he said, "Look, I have come to do your will." He removes the first to establish the second.
10By this will, we have been made holy through the offering of Jesus Christ's body, once for all.
11Every priest stands daily, serving and repeatedly offering the same sacrifices that can never remove sins. 12But he offered one sacrifice for sins forever, then sat down at the right hand of our Father, 13waiting from that time until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. 14For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are being made holy. 15And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying,
16"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says our Father: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds."
17He then adds, "And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."
18Now where these are forgiven, there is no longer any offering for sin.
Confidence to Come Home
19So, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by Jesus' blood, 20a new, living way he opened for us through the curtain—his flesh, c c v20 The curtain sealed off the Temple's most holy room; Jesus' flesh is the new curtain, torn open so we walk straight in. 21and since we have a great priest over the house of our Father, 22let us draw near with a genuine heart, fully assured by faith, hearts sprinkled clean from a guilty conscience, and bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold tightly to the hope we declare, unshaken, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good works, 25not giving up meeting together, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other—even more as you see the Day approaching.
26For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins remains, 27but only a terrible expectation of judgment and a raging fire that will consume the adversaries. 28Anyone who rejects Moses' law dies without mercy on two or three witnesses' testimony. 29How much worse punishment, do you think, does the one deserve who trampled the Son of our Father underfoot, treated as unholy the blood of the covenant that made him holy, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
30For we know the one who said, "Justice is mine; I will repay," and again, "Our Father will judge his people."
31It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living Father. d d v31 Our Father is the living God whose hands hold both fierce love and inescapable justice — fearful indeed to fall into them after rejecting his Son and outraging his Spirit.
32Remember the earlier days, when after being enlightened you endured a hard struggle with suffering, 33at times publicly shamed by insults and suffering, at times standing with those treated that way. 34For you suffered with prisoners and joyfully accepted your possessions being seized, knowing you yourselves had a better, lasting possession. 35So do not throw away your confidence; it holds a great reward. 36You need endurance, so that having done our Father's will, you may receive the promise.
37For yet "in a very little while, the coming one will come and will not delay; 38but my righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul takes no pleasure in him."
39But we don't belong to those who shrink back into destruction, but to those who have faith and preserve their souls.
