This section on the superior high priestly ministry of Christ (7:1-10:18) concludes with this pericope in which the writer emphasized the perfecting effect of Jesus Christ's sacrifice on New Covenant believers. He wrote this to impress his readers further with the superiority of their condition compared with that of Old Covenant believers.
As pointed out previously, 7:1-10:18 constitutes an exposition of distinctive features of the high priestly office of the Son. These are its similarity to the priesthood of Melchizedek (ch. 7), the fact that it involved a single, personal sacrifice for sins (chs. 8-9), and its achievement of eternal salvation (10:1-18).
". . . in 10:1-18 the writer elaborates the subjective' effects of Christ's offering for the community that enjoys the blessings of the new covenant. Christ's death is considered from the perspective of its efficacy for Christians."290
The argument is again chiastic.
AThe inadequacy of the Old Covenant: repeated sacrifices were necessary (vv. 1-4)
BThe one sacrifice of Christ: supersedes the repeated sacrifices (vv. 5-10)
B'The priesthood of Christ: supersedes the Levitical priesthood (vv. 11-14)
A'The adequacy of the New Covenant: no more sacrifice for sins is necessary (vv. 15-18)
10:1 The very nature of the Mosaic Law made it impossible to bring believers into intimate relationship with God since it dealt with externals.
"Both Paul and our author speak of the law as a shadow'; but whereas Paul in Col. 2:17 has in mind the legal restrictions of Old Testament times (food-laws and regulations about special days), our author is thinking more especially of the law prescribing matters of priesthood and sacrifice in relation to the wilderness tabernacle and the Jerusalem temple."291
"The shadow' [Gr. skia] then is the preliminary outline that an artist may make before he gets to his colors, and the eikon[lit. image, "form"] is the finished portrait. The author is saying that the law is no more than a preliminary sketch. It shows the shape of things to come, but the solid reality is not there."292
"Make perfect"does not mean to make sinless but to make perfect in our access to God. Jesus Christ provided perfect cleansing for us by His death, as the following verses show.
"This verse (and in fact the whole chapter) continues our writer's argument regarding the superiority of the sacrifice of Christ over the Mosaic rites."293
10:2-4 The Israelites never enjoyed the extent of freedom from sin's guilt that we do. The Day of Atonement reminded them yearly that their sins needed covering so they could continue to have fellowship with God. We do not have a yearly reminder since Jesus Christ's sacrifice made us acceptable to God (cf. John 13:10; Acts 15:9).
"Take away' (aphaireo) is used of a literal taking off, as of Peter's cutting off the ear of the high priest's slave (Luke 22:50), or metaphorically as of the removal of reproach (Luke 1:25). It signifies the complete removal of sin so that it is no longer a factor in the situation. That is what is needed and that is what the sacrifices could not provide."294
"Some one has well said: The blood of animals cannot cleanse from sin because it is non-moral. The blood of sinning man cannot cleanse because it is immoral. The blood of Christ alone can cleanse because it is moral.'"295
10:5-7 This writer liked to clinch his argument by appealing to Scripture.
"His argument up till now has been the negative one that the animal sacrifices of the old covenant were unavailing. Now he says positively that Christ's sacrifice, which established the new covenant, was effectual. It really put away sin. And it was foreshadowed in the same passage from Jeremiah."296
The passage he quoted first (Ps. 40:6-8) expresses Messiah's commitment to offer His body as a sacrifice to God (at His first advent) because animal sacrifices were inadequate. God's will was the perfection (i.e., thorough cleansing) of believers. Jesus was not some dumb animal that offered its life unthinkingly. He consciously and deliberately offered His life in obedience to God's will.
"The psalmist's words, Lo, I am come to do thy will, O God,' sum up the whole tenor of our Lord's life and ministry, and express the essence of that true sacrifice which God desires."297
The "role of the book"is the written law (torah) of God.
10:8-10 God took no delight in sacrifices as such if they were not the product of a proper attitude. He took away the first Mosaic Covenant and its sacrifices to establish the second New Covenant. Psalm 40 announced the abolition of the old sacrificial system. This was God's will, and it satisfied Him. The writer's view of sanctification here, as elsewhere in this epistle, is positional rather than progressive. God sets aside all believers to Himself at conversion. That is what is in view here.
"Indeed it can be said that sanctification in Hebrews is almost equivalent to justification in Romans, both referring to our position, not to our condition. But there is this vital difference of standpoint: that justification deals with position in relation to God as Judge, while sanctification deals with position in relation to our fellowship with God and our approach to Him in fellowship."298
". . . we must be on our guard lest we read this epistle with Pauline terminology in mind."299
10:11-14 The writer stressed the finality of Jesus Christ's offering further with the contrast in these verses.300The Levitical priests never sat down because they never finished their work, but Jesus Christ sat down beside His Father because He finished His work.
"A seated priest is the guarantee of a finished work and an accepted sacrifice."301
He now awaits the final destruction of His enemies. Those who "are sanctified"(v. 14) are those whom Jesus Christ has perfected and are consequently fully acceptable to God (i.e., all believers).302
Jesus Christ's sacrifice has accomplished three things for us. It has cleansed our consciences from guilt, it has fitted us to approach God as worshippers, and it has fulfilled what the Old Testament promised.
10:15-18 The Holy Spirit testified through Jeremiah (Jer. 31:33-34; cf. Heb. 8:8-12), and continues to testify, the writer said, that final forgiveness meant the end of sacrifices for sin. God promised this forgiveness in the New Covenant. Consequently no more sacrifices for sin are necessary.
"In Ch. 8 the oracle of Jer. 31:31-34 was quoted in order to prove the obsolescence of the old economy; now it is quoted again in order to establish the permanence of the era of perfection' inaugurated under the new covenant. God has spoken in His Son'; and He has no word to speak beyond Him."303
The statement that God will remember sins no more (v. 17) means that He will no longer call them back to memory with a view to condemning the sinner (cf. Rom. 8:1). Since God is omniscient He remembers everything, but He does not hold the forgiven sinners sins against him or her. This verse has been a great help to many sinners who have found it hard to believe that God has really forgiven them.
The long section on the high priestly ministry of Jesus ends here (7:1-10:18). The writer showed that Jesus is a superior priest compared with the Levitical priests and that His priesthood supersedes the Levitical priesthood. He also pointed out that Jesus serves under the New Covenant that is superior to the Old Covenant. Furthermore His sacrifice is superior to the animal sacrifices of the Old Covenant. Finally Jesus' priesthood brings the believer into full acceptance with God, something the former priesthood could not do. Therefore the readers would be foolish to abandon Christianity to return to Judaism.
