Hebrews 10:1-18

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This is the last unit before the main turn to really embed into the hearers the importance of bold faith and unity.

10:1-18 wraps up the teaching that the ministry of the old covenant, as good and important as it was, pointed to a new covenant in Christ that is eternal. The old covenant could deal with sin in a temporary way, but the new covenant deals with sin in a permanent way by making us holy (v. 10).

This is one of the main distinctives of United Methodist (Wesleyan) theology: an essential aspect of the Christian faith is that God's will is that we be holy people and that means toward that is Christ's sacrifice for us and continued work in us.

You and I are not meant just to be forgiven...we are meant to be freed from the power of sin. We are not meant to be only be justified...we are meant to be sanctified. We are not meant just for our past sin to be wiped away, but for our present and future to be lived apart from sin.

So, a new law is at work - a law of holiness and love that springs from a new covenant with God through the ministry of Jesus the sacrifice and priest.

So, I'll leave with a prayer from John Wesley:

O merciful Father,
do not consider what we have done against you;
but what our blessed Savior has done for us.
Don’t consider what we have made of ourselves,
but what He is making of us for you our God.
O that Christ may be “wisdom and righteousness,
sanctification and redemption”
to every one of our souls.
That His precious blood may cleanse us from all our sins,
and that your Holy Spirit may renew and sanctify our souls.
May He crucify our flesh with its passion and lusts,
and cleanse all our brothers and sisters in Christ across the earth.
O let not “sin reign in our mortal bodies,
that we should obey it in its lusts.”
But, “being made free from sin,
let us be the servants of righteousness.”
Let us commend our hearts to you,
and let all our ways be pleasing in your sight.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who live and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

Hebrews 9:11-28

For the NIV reading, click here

These verses are about the New Covenant - something we celebrate everytime we celebrate Communion ('the blood of the new covenant poured out for you and the many for the forgiveness of sins'). In this unit, the author explains what was required for a new covenant (=new promised relationship) and that Christ has provided what was necessary.

In the old covenant, a sanctuary was entered by a high priest who offered sacrifices for himself and the people which accomplished forgiveness and made the people 'outwardly clean' (v. 13). But Christ, ('how much more...') has provided himself as a once-for-all sacrifice that not only forgives, but cleanses the inner person ('conscience' v. 14) and provides 'eternal redemption!' We have been ransomed, our debt has been covered for us! And this is the new covenant that brings a new and eternal inheritance (v. 15).

Now, we wait for Jesus to return, who currently as entered heaven and is in God's presence (v. 24). We wait as those who know He is returning with salvation (v. 28)!

Hebrews 9:1-10

¹ Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. ² A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. ³ Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, ⁴ which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. ⁵ Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.
⁶ When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. ⁷ But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. ⁸ The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. ⁹ This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. ¹⁰ They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order. (NIV, 1984)

These short 10 verses point out two of the main limitations of worship in the old covenant: (1) the limited access to God - the tabernacle was set up to show God wants personal relationship, yet human activity, even ordained human activity is incapable of overcoming the limitation; and (2) the limited impact of the sacrifices - the sacrificial system was accepted as adequate by God, but did not provide for deep cleansing in the heart.

These point to the new covenant in Christ that overcomes these limits which will be explained in 9:11-28.