What's Going on in Hebrews 10:11-39?

Book of Hebrew Audience

The book of Hebrews was written to a congregation of Christians. One author says the following: "One would expect it to go without saying that Hebrews was written to Christians: people for whom Jesus was God’s Son (1:2) and 'the Lord' (2:3) without qualification" (Ellingworth, P., 1993). Another states, "Were the recipients Christians at large, similar to the readers of 1 and 2 Peter, or were they a definite congregation or a group within a specific congregation of Christians? The latter seems the better option based on the internal evidence of the epistle" (Allen, D., L., 2010).

Old Testament (OT) Priests vs. Christ

In the OT, every priest would stand daily at his service which involved offering the same sacrifices repeatedly. 

For example, in Leviticus, God states the following to Moses: 

"If his gift for a burnt offering is from the flock, from the sheep or goats, he shall bring a male without blemish, and he shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the LORD, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar. And he shall cut it into pieces, with its head and its fat, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood that is on the fire on the altar, but the entrails and the legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer all of it and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD" (Leviticus 1:10-13).

The author of Hebrews (which is unknown) contrasts that with what Christ did. Christ offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins. The author is referring to when Jesus died on the cross while taking the punishment for our sins along with experiencing God's wrath then rising again to defeat sin and death. 

Jesus then sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until His enemies would be made a footstool for His feet. In other words, Jesus' enemies would be subject to Him in a sense that Jesus would put His feet on His enemies' necks. Jesus would defeat His enemies once and for all. 

Jesus' Single Offering

The author of Hebrews goes on to state that by this single offering, Jesus perfected (made perfect and consecrated) for all time those who are being sanctified, which in this case means saved and rescued.

Holy Spirit Bearing Witness

The Holy Spirit bears witness to the Christians who are being sanctified, and the author goes on to quote from the OT. He states, "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds," referring to Jeremiah. 

 

In Jeremiah, God states, "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people" (Jeremiah 31:33).

Then the author references the OT again. He states, "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more" quoting Jeremiah again.

God states in Jeremiah, "And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more" (Jeremiah 31:34).

Hebrews's author states that where there is forgiveness of these there is no longer any offering for sin.

Confidence to Enter Holy Places

The author goes on to write that these Christians have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that Jesus opened for them through the curtain (veil) which he states is through His flesh.

The author is talking about the veil that tore from top to bottom when Jesus was crucified. Mark's gospel states, "And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom" (Mark 15:37-38).

He also states that they have confidence because they have a great priest over the house of God (Jesus).

Result of Confidence

He instructs them as a result of this confidence to draw near with a true heart in full assurance (which is a state of complete certainty) of faith with their hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and their bodies washed with pure water.

The Christians should also hold fast the confession of their hope without wavering (or becoming unsteady), for He who promised is faithful.

He mentions that Christians should consider how to encourage one another in love and good works. The author says they should not neglect to meet together, which was the habit of some, but to encourage one another and all the more as they saw the day (referring to the end days) drawing near.

Sinning Deliberately

The author then says that if they would go on to sin deliberately (intentionally) after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that would consume the adversaries.

The truth the author is talking about deals with the knowledge and recognition of the content of Christianity and Christ. Adversaries are considered to be hostile to God.

Set Aside Law/Worse Punishment Son of God

He mentions that anyone who had set aside the law of Moses would die without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.

He then contrasts that to an even worse punishment that would be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified and has outraged the Spirit of grace.

Trampling underfoot means that one would look at the Son of God with scorn and treat Him with a lack of respect despising Him. The blood has to do with an expiatory sacrifice as the means of freeing from guilt and atoning for it. The blood was shed by Jesus so the Christians could enter the holy places as stated before. Profaning the blood of the covenant means that one would consider the blood of the covenant to be ordinary and of little value since they say it's common. Outraging the Spirit of grace means to insult the Holy Spirit.

Then the author refers to the OT again saying, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay" where God states, "Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly" (Deuteronomy 32:35).

He also states, "The Lord will judge His people" which is where the psalmist states, "He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that He may judge His people: Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!" (Psalm 50:4-5).

Hebrews's author then states that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Recall Former Days

He tells the Christians to recall the former days when, after they were enlightened, they endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction and sometimes being partners with those so treated.

The Christians had compassion on those in prison, and they joyfully accepted the plundering of their property since they knew they had a better possession and an abiding one. They should therefore not throw away their confidence which has a great reward.

Need for Endurance

The Christians needed endurance so that when they have done the will of God they would receive what is promised.

He goes on to quote Isaiah where it says, "Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by" (Isaiah 26:20).

The author quotes Habakkuk where it states, "Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith" (Habakkuk 2:4).

Not Shrink Back

The Christians were not of those who shrink back and were destroyed but were of those who have faith and preserve their souls.