The law and the Jewish system gave a general outline of the coming good things, but not the exact image of the things. Continuity of sacrifice, which could not perfect the conscience, distinguished it. The argument is quite simple, namely, if these sacrifices could give a perfect conscience, they would have ceased to be offered, because the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. It is not here a question of sin, or of the evil nature which the believer has, and which he will have right on to the end of his journey, but of the fact that his conscience is purged from sins by the blood of Christ. So effectually purged indeed that it would be impossible that these sins could be brought up against him, Christ having atoned for all perfectly by His sacrifice on the cross. If, then, these sacrifices of old could not take away sins, of what use were they? They served as types and shadows of what was coming, but the reality being come, the one great sacrifice having been offered, the types and the shadows necessarily disappear. On one particular day in each year, the great day of atonement, there was a yearly repetition of certain offerings, and the work of this day stood out prominently from all the rest, as embodying the great principle of approach to God on the ground of sacrifice. Like all other offerings of old, the calling to mind of sins and constant repetition distinguished that day. But, solemn as the day was, and divinely ordered for the time being, yet it was "not possible" that those sacrifices could take away sins. What then could meet the case in a permanent way, as well as one worthy of God Himself?
In order to answer this question we are carried back by the inspired writer to Psalm 40, where we are admitted to hear the counsels of the divine Persons of the Godhead in those bygone ages before the world was, and before sin entered at all. What wonderful and infinite grace! The four main kinds of offering are then mentioned—"sacrifice and offering...burnt-offering and sin-offering"—and these God "would not" and took "no pleasure" in. Then we find that God's will was that we should be blessed and saved; but how was that will to be made good to us? how reach and bless us in our lost and ruined condition? The answer is that the blessed Son of God, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, undertook to do the will of God, in the body prepared for Him. Christ, by taking the place of the willing victim, and offering a sacrifice adequate to meet every just and holy demand of God, has opened up the way whereby the will of God can reach and bless us in the ruined and sinful condition in which we lay. And so, if it was God's will that we should be saved, it was none the less Christ's will to take the place of the victim. Now when we consider the glory and dignity of the Person who undertook to do the work, the adequacy and sufficiency of the work itself follows as a necessary consequence.
The result for the believer is in keeping with a work so glorious and so complete. By the will of God, and through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all, he is set apart to God. It is not, in this epistle, as already remarked, any question of progress in sanctification, of being more sanctified today than, say, a year ago (a principle which is true in its place), but of the fact that the Christian is looked on as absolutely set apart to God once for all in virtue of the sacrifice of Christ.
We have then the most complete contrast between the Jewish priests, who "stood daily" offering; and Christ, who "sat down" forever. In order to make this passage plain it should be remarked that there are two phrases which are translated "forever" in this Epistle. One of these signifies unlimited duration; the other uninterrupted continuity. This latter being used in verse 12 we may translate it, "but this Man ... sat down [continuously (or uninterruptedly)] at the right hand of God." The comma should come after the word "sins"—having offered one sacrifice for sins ... He sat down continuously. The work of the High Priest of old was never done; the work of Christ was so completely finished that nothing more can be added to it: when He rises from His throne it will not be to add anything to His "one sacrifice," but to judge His enemies. This is a blessed and peace-giving fact for our souls! Then follows the application of this to the believer; for "by one offering"—not repeated offerings—He has perfected continuously (same phrase again) them that are sanctified. All believers are included in this class—the sanctified. In the gospels of Matthew and Mark, we shall find that the rending of the veil is recorded in the very next verse after the death of Christ. God, if we may say it reverently, lost no time in rending the veil the moment the blood of atonement which met His holy and just demands had been shed. God can now righteously come out in blessing, and the believer in Jesus can enter in, within the rent veil. There are then two things—the heart sprinkled from an evil conscience, and the body washed with pure water. This is an allusion to the Jewish priests, who were anointed with blood and washed with water. The application of the blood clears the conscience before God from sin, and the water is symbolical of that purification by the application of the Word of God, which we need to cleanse from daily defilements in going through this world.
We have here three important exhortations:
(1) Let us draw near.
(2) Let us hold fast.
(3) Let us consider one another.
The first depends on the fact that God has removed every barrier that once stood in the way, so that we might enjoy the most perfect and unclouded access into His presence. The second would encourage us to hold fast the confession of the hope without wavering, knowing that God is faithful who has promised. The third would encourage us to think of others—so that we might stir up one another to love and to good works. These practical exhortations—following upon the unfolding of the doctrine of the epistle, where the value of the sacrifice and the place the believer has in virtue of it, are so fully set forth—are of great importance for us all: may we be enabled truly to take them to heart!
Another exhortation here given is, not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together as some were doing. No doubt, with the Hebrews, the danger was lest they should do so in order to avoid the difficulties connected with the confession of Christ. But surely we need this exhortation also, and so much the more as we see the "day" approaching; not because the present are days of outward persecution in these countries at least, but because of our tendency to self-ease and slothfulness.
We have then a warning to those who had the privileges connected with Christianity—who had received the knowledge of the truth—all the more solemn because of the divine efficacy and perfection of the sacrifice of Christ, which our Epistle had already unfolded so blessedly. It is right to remark here that the question of the possession of eternal life (a life which never can be lost—see John 10) is not raised in these verses any more than in chapter 6. Persons may receive "the knowledge of the truth," in an intellectual way, and be "sanctified by the blood" outwardly—or, as in the case of Israel, nationally— without being born again or having received divine life at all. The "sinning wilfully" here is really apostasy from Christ. It consists of two things (1) Turning away from the sacrifice of Christ, counting the blood of the covenant common; and (2) doing despite to the Spirit of grace. It was in the power of the eternal Spirit that Christ offered Himself to God, and it was the Spirit who bore witness to the complete remission of sins through the blood. After having known these truths, to deliberately turn away from them and prefer sin; to give up the profession of Christianity altogether, left no further sacrifice, and nothing but judgment remained. But we may remark here, as in chapter 6, that the Apostle encourages them by referring to the signs of divine life and reality which he had seen in them. They had endured much affliction, had compassion on prisoners for Christ's sake, and took joyfully the spoiling of their goods— no easy thing to do, as we know. Endurance, confidence in God, and persevering faith are needed in the Christian course. Then there is the power of hope to sustain the soul, for it is but a very little while and He who shall come will come and will not tarry. What an encouragement this is to persevere in the path of faith, knowing that very soon the coming One will come and will not tarry. Then all will be rest and peace in His presence forever.