How does Hebrews 10:18 connect with the Old Testament sacrificial system? Verse to Focus On “And where these have been forgiven, an offering for sin is no longer necessary.” – Hebrews 10:18 Setting the Scene: Old Testament Sacrifices • Daily and yearly sacrifices were commanded (Exodus 29:38-42; Leviticus 16). • Blood of bulls and goats temporarily “covered” sin, pointing ahead to something better (Leviticus 4:20; Leviticus 17:11). • Repetition was built in: sunrise and sunset, Sabbath after Sabbath, Yom Kippur after Yom Kippur. The Limits of Animal Sacrifices • Hebrews 10:1-4 says the law had “only a shadow of the good things to come.” • “It can never, by the same sacrifices offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near.” (10:1) • Constant shedding of blood served as a vivid reminder that sin still remained. Christ Brings the System to Its Goal • Psalm 40:6-8 foretold a willing, obedient body; Hebrews 10:5-10 applies this to Jesus: “By that will, we have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” • His sacrifice is “once for all time” (10:10,14). No lapse, no repeat, no expiration date. • When sins are truly forgiven—completely carried away—nothing else is needed. That’s the exact point of 10:18. Old Covenant Shadows, New Covenant Substance • Day of Atonement: one goat slain, one goat sent away (Leviticus 16:15-22). Jesus fulfills both pictures—He dies and He removes sin “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12). • Passover lamb (Exodus 12) anticipated “Christ, our Passover lamb, [who] has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). • Continual burnt offering (Numbers 28:3-4) foreshadowed a perpetual standing in grace (Romans 5:1-2). What “No Longer Necessary” Means • Legally: The debt is paid; the record is cleared (Colossians 2:14). • Practically: We approach God with confidence, not fear (Hebrews 10:19-22). • Theologically: Any attempt to add sacrifices—or works—to Christ’s finished work diminishes His cross (Galatians 2:21). Living in the Light of Hebrews 10:18 • Rest in the finality of Christ’s work; guilt no longer drives our approach to God. • Worship flows from gratitude, not obligation to “make up” for sin. • Boldly share the gospel: what was once pictured in endless ritual is now a completed reality in Jesus. |
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