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Hebrews 10:1-18 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Good morning, church.
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If you will join me in your copy of God's Word, we'll be in Hebrews chapter 10.
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!
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Hebrews chapter 10, verses 1 through 18.
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So far in Hebrews, especially the last couple of chapters, we've seen the superiority of
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Christ's priesthood over the Levitical order, the Levitical priesthood, the superiority of
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the new covenant He ushered in, and of the heavenly permanent tabernacle, or dwelling
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place with God, over the man-made tent and temple.
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And today, we'll continue to see the superiority of Christ's sacrifice over those offered in
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the Old Testament.
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So let's read our text.
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Hebrews 10, 1 through 18.
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And this is the Word of God.
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And it reads,
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For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come, instead of the true form of
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these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered,
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every year, make perfect those who draw near.
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Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once
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been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sin.
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But in these sacrifices, there is a reminder of sins every year, for it is impossible for
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the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
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Consequently, when Christ came into the world, He said,
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Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me.
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In burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.
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Then I said, Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the
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scroll of the book.
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When He said above, You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings
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and burnt offerings and sin offerings.
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These are offered according to the law.
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Then He added, Behold, I have come to do your will.
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He abolishes the first in order to establish the second.
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And by that will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ
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once for all.
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And every priest stands daily at His service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which
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can never take away sin.
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But when Christ had offered for a single time, a single, sorry, for all time, a single sacrifice
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for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until His enemies
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should be made a footstool for His feet.
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For by a single offering, He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
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And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us.
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For after saying, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares
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the Lord, I will put my law on their hearts and write them on their minds.
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Then He adds, I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.
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Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
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Amen.
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So, to understand this text this morning, we're actually going to do it by answering a series
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of questions.
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The first two questions, the text explicitly answers.
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It's really obvious and straightforward.
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And then there are four questions I believe the text begs for us to understand the old and
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new sacrifices under the old and new covenants.
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So, normally I try to have points of very practical applications as I prepare for teaching.
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But in many ways, the next chunk of text after our text this morning provides the application
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for our passage.
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That doesn't mean that there's not application.
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It just means that you may have to wait a little bit to really answer the question, what
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do I do about that today?
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So, the application of a text like ours, which focuses on the superiority of Christ, specifically
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in His sacrificial work, demands a generic but often overlooked response of awe, of worship,
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and of obedience.
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So, our first question that we'll be answering this morning, in what ways were the old sacrifices
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inadequate?
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In what ways were the old sacrifices inadequate?
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Two reasons that appear obvious in the text this morning.
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First reason, and I'll repeat them as I go, they could not bring access to God.
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And second reason, they could not remove sin or guilt.
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So, first sub point, they could not bring access to God.
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This is in verses 1 through 2.
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And it reads,
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So, this morning, as I was, not this morning, but as I was deciding what book we would read
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in the Aletheia way, today was actually the day for the church history moment.
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But I decided that we'd read a book that actually demonstrates a point that I wanted to make in the sermon,
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that the entirety of Scripture, you could argue, is themed by and is characterized by this idea of dwelling
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or communing with God.
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Man dwelt with God in the garden.
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And as Tim Mackey from the Bible Project puts it, God's space and man's space over here were totally overlapping.
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So, if you think about God's space and man's space like a Venn diagram, it would be two perfectly overlapping circles in the garden.
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And then as man fell in sin, those spaces were separated.
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Man could no longer be in the presence of God.
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And thank God this is not the end of the story.
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And in fact, we actually have a picture or viewpoint of the end of the story in Revelation.
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So, listen to these words from chapter 21.
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It says,
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It says,
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So, from the beginning, from God immediately sacrificing an animal to clothe Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 after the fall,
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until this beautiful snapshot into the future from Revelation,
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God has been working out His plan to create a place for God and man to dwell together once more.
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And throughout history, especially in the Old Testament history,
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there were these pockets of space where this Venn diagram,
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where God's space and man's space could overlap.
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God and man could draw near to the presence of God.
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Namely, those spaces were the tabernacle and the temple.
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This Old Testament access was there,
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but it was extremely limited.
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One man, once a year, could access to God.
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All others had to stay outside of God and man's overlapping space.
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And so it remained until the right sacrifice would appear.
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So, reason number two,
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why the Old Testament sacrifices were not adequate.
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They could not remove sin or guilt.
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And this is found throughout a couple of different places in our text,
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verses 2 through 4 and verse 11.
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Let's read those.
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Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered sacrifices,
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since the worshippers, having once been cleansed,
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would no longer have any consciousness of sin.
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But in these sacrifices, there is a reminder of sin every year.
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For it is impossible for the blood of goats and bulls to take away sin.
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And then he repeats it in verse 11,
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offering repeatedly the same sacrifices,
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which can never take away sin.
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So in order to access God, to draw near to Him,
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one must be completely sinless.
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We know that all have sinned,
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choosing to define right and wrong for ourselves,
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and all have rebelled against God.
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We know that God, being just,
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cannot simply look past sin,
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or even forgive sin just willy-nilly.
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But to be just, He must punish sin,
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so our sin must be paid for.
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Animals were not adequate for this task.
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A person who did not have a debt to pay himself
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had to take our place,
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to pay our debt,
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to take our sin,
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and to give us His righteousness.
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The Old Testament sacrifices were a mere shadow
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of the true sacrifice, Christ.
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And the shadow of something is meaningless
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without the substance itself.
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So if you remember who this book is being written to,
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it's this church of primarily Hebrews
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who are being tempted to practice
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the culturally acceptable version of Christianity,
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which at that time basically meant practice Judaism,
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and tag Christ on to the end of it.
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And so the author is writing a response to that,
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saying,
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no, the old has passed away,
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the new has been ushered in.
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And so again,
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the shadow of something is meaningless
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without the substance of that shadow.
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So these sacrifices had to be offered continually,
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which meant that they were unable to cleanse
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the worshiper from their sins.
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And these continual sacrifices
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were a constant reminder of sin
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and lacked real atonement.
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They were unable to perfect the conscience
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of the worshiper,
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so they were left feeling guilty.
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They were wondering,
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they would have been left wondering
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how it was that they could actually
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enter into the presence of God.
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And I think looking back
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into the Old Testament,
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you might assume,
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if you aren't paying attention to this idea,
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that the people are continually
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offering sacrifices
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as if they were atoning for sin.
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But God sent prophets over and over
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to tell them that this was not the case.
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So in Psalm 51,
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David talks about this.
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Let's go ahead and turn there this morning.
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Psalm 51.
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Starting in verse 16.
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He writes,
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For you will not delight in sacrifice,
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or I would give it.
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You will not be pleased with the burnt offering.
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The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
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a broken and contrite heart.
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O God, you will not despise.
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Then skipping down.
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He says,
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Then you will delight in right sacrifices,
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and burnt offerings,
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and in whole burnt offerings,
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and then bulls will be offered on your altar.
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So, how is it that these Old Testament sacrifices
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were pleasing to God?
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David clearly understood that the animal itself
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did nothing to take away the sin.
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Why else would he be running to God,
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begging for mercy in verses 1-2,
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if you look back.
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He says,
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Have mercy on me, O God,
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according to your steadfast love,
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according to your abundant mercy.
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Blot out my transgressions.
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Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
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and cleanse me from my sin.
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So, David is saying
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that these Old Testament sacrifices,
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he knows that they don't atone for sin,
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because if he did,
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he would just offer the animal,
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and that would be the end of the story.
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But he's going to God,
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begging him for mercy.
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He's doing the action,
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but he knows that he has to go to God,
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for he's the one who grants mercy.
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And so, this was the point.
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God had made promises to his people
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that a redeemer had come.
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Israel was meant to be waiting for this Messiah,
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but instead settled for the shadow over the substance,
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for empty ritual rather than repentant hearts.
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They took what was supposed to be
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an outward symbol of faith,
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and made it into a substitute for faith.
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So again,
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they took what was supposed to be
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this outward symbol of inward faith,
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and made it into a substitute for faith itself.
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So back to our text today,
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our second question.
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And I have to admit,
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this is the one that,
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if I was going to regret framing
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the sermon around questions,
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this question is probably the worst worded one.
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It says,
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Jesus' sacrifice was effective in what ways?
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So Jesus' sacrifice was effective in what ways?
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Some of these are going to be brief.
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There are six of them found in our text this morning.
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So firstly,
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the six ways.
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It reflects God's eternal will.
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It reflects God's eternal will.
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This is found in verses 5 through 7.
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Before I read it,
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I want to emphasize the importance
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of what's going on in this text.
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So this is from Psalm 40,
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which Doug read this morning.
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And note that the author is saying
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that Christ said these words
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when he came into the world of himself.
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So what David wrote in first person
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a thousand years ago,
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Christ is saying,
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I am the fulfillment of these words.
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And this is not the only example
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of this happening in the scriptures.
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Psalm 16 and Psalm 22
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are some other examples
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of this type of phenomenon taking place.
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So let's read verses 5 through 7.
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It says,
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Consequently,
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when Christ came into the world,
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he said,
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Sacrifices and offerings
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you have not desired,
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but a body you have prepared for me.
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In burnt offerings,
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in sin offerings,
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you have taken no pleasure.
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Then I said,
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Behold,
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I have come to do your will,
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O God,
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as it is written to me
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in the scroll of the book.
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Now,
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if you're an astute listener
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and you are listening to
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Pastor Doug
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read from Psalm 40
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this morning,
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you'll notice that there's actually
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a slight difference
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in what's in this text
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as the Hebrew author
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records it
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in what is in
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Psalm 40
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in the Old Testament.
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Namely,
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in verse 5,
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our translator
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or our writer says,
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A body you have prepared for me.
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In Psalm 40,
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it says,
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Ears you have given me.
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And so that's kind of,
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it seems like it's a different thing,
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but in Hebrew,
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there was an idiom
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of this idea.
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Literally,
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he's saying,
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Ears you have dug for me.
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So it's this idea
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that God prepared a body.
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It was a Hebrew idiom again
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for the entire body.
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So he's saying the same thing.
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So as the author of Hebrews
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is writing now in Greek
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to these people,
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he's saying what
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the Old Testament author meant
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as he's recording it
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in this passage.
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Just want to point that out.
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So again,
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Christ's sacrifice
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reflects God's eternal will.
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Paul speaks of this idea
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in Ephesians chapter 3
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verses 8 through 12.
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So if you'll turn with me there,
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we'll note a couple of things.
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He writes,
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To me,
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though in the very least
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of all the saints,
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this grace was given
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to preach to the Gentiles
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the unsearchable riches of Christ
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and to bring to light
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for everyone
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what is the plan
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of the mystery
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hidden for ages in God
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who created all things
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so that through the church
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the manifold wisdom of God
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might now be made known
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to the rulers and authorities
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in the heavenly places.
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This was according
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to the eternal purpose
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that he has realized
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in Christ Jesus our Lord
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in whom we have boldness
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and access with confidence
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through our faith in him.
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So it says here
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that the eternal purpose of God
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has been realized
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in the sacrifice
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and then in the resurrection
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of Christ.
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The eternal purpose.
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So everything else
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in all of time and creation
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centers around Christ
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as a supreme priest,
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king, servant,
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and sacrifice
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for his people.
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Why?
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So that the manifold wisdom
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of God might be on display
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for all to see
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as we bow down
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in worship
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and in awe.
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So the second reason
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why Christ's sacrifice
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or what Christ's sacrifice
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accomplishes
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it replaces
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the inadequate system
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before it.
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And this is really simple
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and straightforward.
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Verses 8 through 9
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back in our text.
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The author is expositing
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this quote from Psalm 40.
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He said,
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When he said above,
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You have neither desired
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nor taken pleasure
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in sacrifices
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and offerings
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and burnt offerings
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and sin offerings,
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these offered according
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to the law.
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Then he added,
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Behold, I have come
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to do your will.
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He abolishes the first
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in order to establish
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the second.
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And by that will
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we have been sanctified
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through the offering
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of the body
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of Jesus Christ
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once for all.
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So he explains
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that Christ came
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to do away
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with the shadow,
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the old sacrificial system
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to now reveal
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the substance
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of God's purpose
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for his people.
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So Christ replaces,
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his sacrifice
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replaces
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the old inadequate system.
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Thirdly,
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Christ's sacrifice
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removes sin
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and does so permanently.
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His sacrifice
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removes sin
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and does so permanently.
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This is in verses
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11 through 12.
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There's a comparing
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and contrasting
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going on
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between the old system
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and the new.
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And it reads,
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Every priest
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stands daily
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at his service
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offering repeatedly
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the same sacrifices
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which can never
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take away sins.
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But when Christ
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had offered
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for a single time,
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I said that last time,
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for all time,
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a single sacrifice
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for sins,
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he sat down
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at the right hand
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of God.
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So we have
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repeated sacrifices
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offered by
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continually standing
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priests
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for there was
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no place to sit
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since there was
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always more sin
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to sacrifice for
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given over time
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which couldn't
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take away sin
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compared to
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one sacrifice
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for all time
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which perfectly
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removed sin
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from God's people.
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This had been
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completed as Christ
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wrested from his work
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at the right hand
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of God.
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And so,
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the Old Testament,
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some Old Testament
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Jews had this idea
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that there was
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something mystical
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about the sacrifice
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that the animal,
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as it was given
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to be sacrificed,
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that somehow
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our sin
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was imputed,
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literally imputed
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to that animal.
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And this was the picture
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of what was supposed
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to be going on
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but wasn't actually
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what was happening
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as David expresses.
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And so,
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we need to then
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be able to answer
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the question,
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how then does
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man's death
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on a cross
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or a man's death
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on a cross
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appease the wrath
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of God?
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And in a word,
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the way that this works
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is through substitution.
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So,
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let's turn to
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Romans 3
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verses 21
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through 28.
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we'll see this idea
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of Christ's
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substitution
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on our behalf.
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And I know
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most of us
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know this to be true,
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but what a beautiful thing
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to glory in
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and to revel in
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this morning.
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Romans 3
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21 through 28
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reads,
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But now the righteousness
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of God
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has been manifested
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apart from the law,
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although the law
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and the prophets
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bear witness to it.
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The righteousness
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of God
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through faith
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in Jesus Christ
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for all who believe.
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For there is no distinction
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for all have sinned
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and fall short
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of the glory of God
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and are justified
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by His grace
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as a gift
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through the redemption
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that is in Christ Jesus,
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whom God put forward
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as a propitiation
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by His blood
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to be received
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by faith.
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This was to show
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God's righteousness
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because in His
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divine forbearance
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He had passed over
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former sins.
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It was to show
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His righteousness
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at the present time
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so that He might be
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just and the justifier
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of the one
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who has faith
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in Jesus.
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Then what becomes
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of our boasting?
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It is excluded.
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By what kind of law?
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By a law of works?
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No,
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but by a law of faith.
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For we hold
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that the one
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is justified
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by faith
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apart from
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the works
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of the law.
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So Paul says here
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that Christ
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was a propitiation,
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which means
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that His death
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was not merely physical
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but was spiritual
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as His perfect communion
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with God
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from eternity past
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was cut off
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and the Father
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poured out
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His white-hot
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eternal wrath
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on His only Son.
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Christ bore the weight
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for every sin
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committed by His people
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past,
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present,
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and future.
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And our text
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this morning
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says that by a single
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offering,
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He perfected
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for all time.
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And Paul writes
22:52
here in Romans
22:52
that God passed over
22:54
or looked beyond
22:56
the former sins,
22:58
delaying His judgment
22:59
to be poured out
23:00
either on Christ
23:01
or on us.
23:03
He took our place
23:04
under the crushing
23:05
weight of sin
23:06
so that we could be
23:07
justified
23:08
before God.
23:10
Christ died,
23:11
but the grave
23:12
could not hold Him.
23:13
The greatest act
23:14
of evil ever committed,
23:15
the murder
23:15
of the only innocent man
23:17
ever to walk this earth,
23:18
was the death blow
23:20
to Satan.
23:21
The only power
23:22
He had over humanity
23:23
had just been swallowed up
23:25
as a man was killed
23:27
and the Father
23:28
poured out His wrath
23:29
on His only Son.
23:32
So this leads to
23:33
the fourth way
23:34
that Christ's sacrifice
23:36
is effective.
23:37
It destroyed
23:38
His enemies.
23:39
It destroyed
23:40
His enemies.
23:41
So this is in
23:42
verse 13
23:44
of our text
23:44
this morning.
23:49
Verse 13,
23:50
it says,
23:50
Waiting from that time
23:51
until His enemies
23:52
should be made
23:53
a footstool
23:54
for His feet.
23:56
So this is actually
23:57
quoted or referencing
23:58
back to a psalm
24:00
that we've talked about
24:00
in Hebrews,
24:01
Psalm 110,
24:03
where it talks about
24:03
how Christ would be
24:06
after the order
24:06
of Melchizedek.
24:08
This is from
24:09
that same psalm.
24:11
So Paul reflects
24:12
on the fulfillment
24:13
of this prophecy
24:14
in Psalm 110
24:15
in Philippians 2
24:16
verses 9 through 11.
24:18
He says,
24:19
Therefore God
24:19
has exalted Him,
24:21
Christ,
24:22
and bestowed upon Him
24:23
the name that is
24:24
above every name,
24:25
so that at the name
24:26
of Jesus
24:26
every knee should bow
24:27
in heaven and on earth
24:28
and under the earth,
24:29
and every tongue confess
24:31
that Jesus Christ is Lord
24:32
to the glory
24:33
of God the Father.
24:35
So the question
24:36
then becomes
24:36
not if we will
24:38
submit to God,
24:39
but rather
24:40
when we will
24:41
submit to God.
24:43
Will it be voluntary
24:43
and will we rule
24:45
in the new heaven
24:45
alongside Him,
24:47
or will we be forced
24:48
to bow as His opposition
24:49
and footstool
24:51
for His feet?
24:53
So Christ's sacrifice
24:54
destroys and disables
24:56
His enemies.
24:58
Fifthly,
24:59
His sacrifice
24:59
sanctifies
25:00
and perfects
25:01
the saints
25:02
forever.
25:04
This is found
25:05
in verses 10
25:06
and verse 14.
25:10
Verse 10,
25:12
And by that will
25:14
we have been sanctified
25:15
through the offering
25:15
of the body
25:16
of Jesus Christ
25:17
once for all.
25:18
And skipping to verse 14,
25:20
By a single offering
25:21
He has perfected
25:22
for all time
25:23
those who are being
25:25
sanctified.
25:26
So our status
25:27
before God
25:28
has been set
25:28
through Christ's sacrifice.
25:30
He not only took
25:31
on our guilt
25:32
and shame,
25:33
but He also
25:34
imputed to us
25:35
His righteousness
25:36
so that we
25:37
could have
25:37
His status
25:38
as a perfect
25:39
child
25:39
before God.
25:41
As His beloved
25:42
children,
25:43
we've been set
25:43
apart or
25:44
sanctified
25:45
for holiness.
25:47
And the last
25:48
way that Christ's
25:49
sacrifice
25:50
is effective,
25:54
sixthly,
25:55
it fulfills
25:55
the promise
25:56
of a new covenant.
25:58
It fulfills
25:59
the promise
25:59
of a new covenant.
26:01
So, again,
26:02
the Old Testament
26:02
believers,
26:03
the Old Testament
26:04
saints,
26:04
were to be
26:05
looking forward
26:05
to the day
26:06
when a new covenant
26:07
would come.
26:09
This covenant
26:09
is talked about
26:10
in several places,
26:11
Jeremiah 31,
26:12
the prophet Ezekiel,
26:14
and so forth.
26:16
So the author
26:16
of Hebrews
26:17
is actually
26:17
re-quoting
26:18
or recycling
26:19
a quote
26:20
that he's already
26:21
talked about,
26:21
Jeremiah 31.
26:23
He's making
26:24
a specific point
26:25
with it.
26:26
The point is
26:27
that the new
26:27
sacrifice
26:28
had to be made
26:29
and had to be
26:29
effective
26:30
because God
26:31
promised
26:32
that it would
26:33
be.
26:34
And this is
26:34
really simple,
26:35
but let's
26:36
read our text
26:37
and see
26:37
how the new
26:38
covenant
26:38
is fulfilled
26:39
through Christ.
26:42
Verses 15
26:43
through 18.
26:45
It says,
26:46
And the Holy Spirit
26:46
also bears witness
26:47
to us,
26:48
for after saying,
26:49
This is the covenant
26:50
that I will make
26:50
with them
26:51
after those days,
26:52
declares the Lord.
26:53
I will put my laws
26:54
on their hearts
26:55
and write them
26:56
on their minds.
26:58
Then he adds,
26:59
I will remember
26:59
their sins
27:00
and their lawless deeds
27:01
no more.
27:03
Where there is
27:03
any forgiveness
27:04
of these,
27:05
there is no longer
27:05
any offering
27:06
for sin.
27:08
So it is as if
27:08
the author is saying
27:09
to these Hebrews
27:10
who are tempted
27:10
to go back
27:11
to the ways
27:12
of Jerusalem,
27:14
God promised
27:15
long ago
27:15
that he would
27:16
make a new
27:17
and a better covenant
27:17
and here it is.
27:20
Under the old covenant
27:21
there was a constant
27:21
reminder of sin,
27:23
as we saw in verse 3,
27:24
but under the new covenant
27:25
because of the effective
27:26
sacrifice that has
27:27
been made,
27:29
God remembers
27:29
our sin
27:30
no more.
27:32
So the next question,
27:35
I believe this text
27:35
begs,
27:36
we've kind of,
27:37
if you're paying attention,
27:38
we've made our way
27:38
all the way through
27:39
the text
27:39
in its straightforward
27:41
fashion,
27:41
but I believe it begs
27:42
a few more questions
27:43
that will help us
27:44
to understand
27:45
the greatness
27:46
and the magnitude
27:46
of Christ's sacrifice.
27:49
So the next question,
27:50
question 3,
27:51
what was the role
27:52
of Levitical sacrifice?
27:54
If it didn't take away sins,
27:56
then what were they doing?
27:58
Why all the death
27:59
of animals?
28:02
To answer this question,
28:04
let's turn to Galatians
28:05
chapter 3,
28:06
as Paul writes
28:07
about this subject.
28:20
Galatians 3,
28:21
21 through 25,
28:23
and it reads,
28:28
is the law then contrary
28:29
to the promises of God?
28:32
Certainly not.
28:33
For if a law had been given
28:35
that could give life,
28:36
then righteousness
28:36
would indeed be by the law.
28:39
But the scripture
28:40
imprisoned everything
28:41
under sin,
28:42
so that the promise
28:43
by faith in Jesus Christ
28:45
might be given
28:46
to those who believe.
28:47
Now before faith came,
28:49
we were held captive
28:50
under the law,
28:51
imprisoned until the coming faith
28:53
would be revealed.
28:55
So then,
28:55
the law was our guardian
28:56
until Christ came,
28:58
in order that we might
28:59
be justified by faith.
29:01
But now that faith has come,
29:03
we are no longer
29:04
under a guardian.
29:06
So John MacArthur
29:07
comments on this text,
29:08
and I'll try to read
29:09
this quote well.
29:11
The Greek word for guardian
29:13
denotes a slave
29:14
whose duty it was
29:16
to take care of a child
29:17
until adulthood.
29:18
The guardian escorted
29:20
the children
29:20
to and from school
29:21
and watched over
29:22
their behavior at home.
29:24
Guardians were often
29:25
strict disciplinarians,
29:26
causing those
29:27
under their care
29:28
to yearn for the day
29:29
when they would be free
29:30
from their guardian's custody.
29:32
The law was our tutor,
29:34
which by showing us
29:35
our sins
29:36
was escorting us
29:37
to Christ.
29:40
The law was never meant
29:41
to give us access to God.
29:43
And over and over
29:43
in the Old Testament,
29:44
God says to His people,
29:46
if you keep my covenant
29:47
and obey my commands,
29:48
I will be your God
29:49
and I will have mercy
29:50
on you.
29:51
Yet over and over
29:52
we see Israel
29:53
and we see ourselves
29:54
breaking this covenant.
29:57
These sacrifices
29:58
were inadequate
29:58
to rectify the relationship
30:00
between God
30:01
and His people.
30:02
And this was the very role
30:03
of Levitical sacrifice.
30:05
Firstly,
30:05
to paint a picture
30:07
of the holiness of God,
30:08
who He is,
30:10
and what is required
30:11
to be in His presence.
30:12
So to paint a picture
30:13
of the holiness of God
30:14
and what is required
30:15
to be in His presence.
30:16
And to show us
30:18
that we could not
30:19
keep the law
30:20
or to undo sin
30:22
through good action.
30:23
So to show us
30:24
that we could not
30:25
keep the law.
30:27
So in a sad case
30:28
of sinful irony,
30:29
those Hebrews
30:29
who were clinging
30:30
to the sacrificial system
30:32
as a means
30:33
of inward cleansing
30:34
were missing
30:35
the primary lessons
30:36
they were meant
30:37
to learn through it.
30:40
So I want to reflect
30:41
on how animal sacrifice
30:43
was misunderstood
30:44
and misused
30:45
in the Old Testament
30:46
because I think
30:47
we have something
30:48
to learn about
30:49
their sinful tendencies
30:51
and how we might
30:52
see the same type
30:53
of sinful tendencies
30:55
in us.
30:56
So our next question,
30:58
number four,
30:58
if you're counting,
30:59
how was animal sacrifice
31:01
misunderstood
31:02
and misused?
31:06
So Old Testament Hebrews
31:08
were constantly
31:08
being corrected
31:09
for treating sacrifice
31:10
like many pagan religions
31:12
would,
31:13
a ritual method
31:14
to appease God.
31:16
So the idea was
31:17
that the gods
31:18
and the pagan religions
31:20
around them
31:21
were angry with them
31:22
and in order to please them
31:24
they would sacrifice
31:25
things.
31:26
Sometimes they would
31:27
sacrifice animals,
31:29
sometimes they would
31:29
sacrifice their own children
31:31
to try to appease
31:33
these gods.
31:34
And this is not the way
31:35
that God desired
31:36
Old Testament Jews
31:38
to sacrifice to him.
31:39
It wasn't that he was angry
31:40
and this made him happy
31:42
but it was something else
31:43
going on, right?
31:46
So our author firmly
31:48
asserts to that proposition
31:50
that the blood of animals
31:51
cannot take away sin.
31:53
This is not a new idea
31:54
but many Israelites
31:55
seem to believe
31:56
they could act
31:57
how they wanted
31:57
and simply go through
31:59
the religious ritual
32:01
to undo the wrong
32:02
that they had committed.
32:04
Many today
32:04
view the Old Testament
32:05
in this light
32:06
and sadly
32:07
many today
32:08
view Christianity
32:09
in a similar manner.
32:10
So let's take a look
32:11
at a couple of texts together
32:12
to establish this point.
32:14
Only one to turn to.
32:16
Isaiah,
32:17
the first one,
32:17
Isaiah 1.
32:25
And after reading this text
32:27
it would be hard
32:29
to come away
32:29
with the idea
32:31
that God
32:31
desires
32:33
animal sacrifice
32:34
as a means
32:35
in and of itself
32:36
to make one pure.
32:39
So Isaiah 1.
32:41
Verses 11-18.
32:44
This is pretty strong language.
32:46
God's speaking through Isaiah.
32:48
He says,
32:49
I have had enough
32:50
of burnt offerings
32:51
of rams
32:52
and of the fat
32:53
of well-fed beasts.
32:54
I do not delight
32:55
in the blood
32:56
of bulls
32:57
or of lambs
32:58
or of goats.
32:59
When you come
33:00
to appear before me,
33:02
who is required of you
33:03
this trampling
33:04
of my courts,
33:05
bring no more
33:06
vain offerings.
33:08
Incense is an abomination
33:09
to me.
33:10
When you spread out
33:11
your hands,
33:12
I will hide my eyes
33:13
from you.
33:14
Even though you make
33:14
many prayers,
33:15
I will not listen.
33:17
Your hands are full
33:18
of blood.
33:19
Wash yourselves.
33:21
Make yourselves clean.
33:22
Remove the evil
33:23
of your deeds
33:24
from before my eyes.
33:26
Cease to do evil.
33:27
Learn to do good.
33:28
Seek justice.
33:30
Correct oppression.
33:30
Bring justice
33:32
to the fatherless.
33:34
Plead the widow's cause.
33:36
Then this beautiful
33:37
change.
33:40
Come now,
33:40
let us reason together,
33:41
says the Lord.
33:43
Though your sins
33:43
are like scarlet,
33:44
they shall be white
33:45
as snow.
33:46
Though they are red
33:47
like crimson,
33:48
they shall become
33:49
like wool.
33:51
So again,
33:52
Israel was seeking
33:53
to undo
33:54
the sin that they
33:55
had committed
33:56
by going through
33:57
a religious ritual.
33:58
As David already
34:00
reminded us
34:00
in Psalm 51,
34:01
that the sacrifices
34:02
of God
34:03
are a broken spirit
34:04
and a contrite heart.
34:06
Hosea adds to this
34:07
in Hosea 6,
34:08
verses 6-7.
34:10
He says,
34:10
I desire steadfast love
34:12
and not sacrifice,
34:14
the knowledge of God
34:15
rather than burnt offerings.
34:17
But like Adam,
34:18
they transgressed
34:19
the covenant.
34:20
There they dealt
34:20
faithlessly with me.
34:22
Similar sentiments
34:23
are expressed
34:24
in 1 Samuel,
34:25
other places
34:26
in Isaiah,
34:27
Jeremiah,
34:28
Amos,
34:29
Micah,
34:29
and several
34:30
of the Psalms
34:31
and so on.
34:33
Religious actions
34:33
that they may be
34:34
commanded by God
34:35
cannot appease
34:37
righteous vengeance
34:38
against sin.
34:39
So,
34:40
the actions
34:41
that we do
34:41
are not to undo
34:43
sin that we've committed.
34:45
The obedience
34:45
that we have
34:46
doesn't cover
34:48
over our sins.
34:50
This is an important point
34:51
because we can have
34:53
this type of
34:53
debtor's ethic
34:54
towards God
34:55
where we do something wrong,
34:56
we have a bad day,
34:58
we make a poor decision
35:00
and we seek to
35:01
somehow balance out
35:02
the scales
35:03
through good works
35:05
and through action.
35:06
Even things
35:06
just like Israel,
35:08
doing things
35:08
that God had commanded
35:09
but doing them
35:10
with the attitude
35:11
that it somehow
35:12
puffs up
35:13
our position
35:14
before God
35:16
and God despises
35:17
this type
35:18
of attitude
35:19
and I think
35:19
we would do well
35:20
to consider
35:21
how we may be
35:22
doing this
35:22
in some regard today.
35:25
So,
35:26
our fifth question
35:27
that I believe
35:28
our text begs
35:29
this morning,
35:31
what made sacrifice
35:32
in the Old Testament
35:33
acceptable to God?
35:35
So,
35:35
what does
35:36
good sacrifice
35:38
look like
35:38
in the Old Testament?
35:40
In short,
35:41
what makes it acceptable
35:42
is the heart
35:44
and the attitude
35:44
of the worshiper.
35:46
Now,
35:47
Isaiah,
35:47
the text we just read above,
35:49
entreats us
35:49
to cast away sin,
35:51
to do good,
35:52
to seek justice,
35:53
to stand up
35:53
for those who are oppressed.
35:55
Hosea stated
35:56
that steadfast love
35:57
and knowledge
35:58
were what God desired
35:59
and David said again
36:01
that the sacrifice
36:02
is of the Lord
36:02
or a broken spirit
36:03
and a contrite heart.
36:05
So,
36:05
without this attitude,
36:06
the sacrifice
36:07
was just an empty ritual.
36:09
Religious activity
36:10
with no change of heart,
36:11
going through the motions
36:12
because that's what
36:13
we're supposed to do.
36:15
But this is not
36:16
the attitude
36:16
that God desired
36:17
of His people then,
36:18
nor is it the attitude
36:19
He desires now.
36:20
Instead of seeking repentance,
36:22
forsaking sin,
36:24
and walking in the righteousness
36:25
God has called us to,
36:26
we try to undo sin
36:27
by going to church
36:28
or Bible study,
36:29
praying,
36:30
or reading the Bible.
36:33
And,
36:33
to kind of shift gears,
36:37
many parents
36:38
across the Southeast
36:40
and other pockets
36:41
of cultural Christianity
36:42
have the attitude
36:43
that getting their family
36:45
to church
36:46
or to youth group
36:47
is pretty much
36:49
what their role
36:50
as spiritual leaders
36:51
sums up to be.
36:53
And there's a common trend
36:54
over the last several decades
36:55
of teens
36:56
leaving the church
36:57
once they go off to college.
36:59
Many never return,
37:00
but a high percentage
37:01
of the ones
37:02
who do come back
37:03
once they have kids
37:04
and realize
37:05
that someone has to teach
37:06
them morality,
37:07
so they enlist the church.
37:09
And while it would be easy
37:11
to assume
37:11
that families
37:12
bring their kids
37:12
to church in this way,
37:13
they're not ideal,
37:15
isn't that positive,
37:16
and while certainly
37:18
God can
37:19
and has worked
37:20
through ill-intended worship,
37:22
I want to push back
37:23
on this idea
37:24
that God
37:26
wants worship
37:28
or wants the activity
37:29
without the heart
37:30
behind it.
37:31
So,
37:32
as I was studying this,
37:34
I just have this
37:35
like burning question,
37:37
which is our next question,
37:38
last one.
37:39
Why does God
37:41
despise
37:41
Israel's empty sacrifice
37:43
so much?
37:44
question six.
37:46
Why does God
37:47
despise Israel's
37:48
empty sacrifice
37:48
so much?
37:50
It would seem
37:50
based off of the text
37:51
that we've read
37:52
that worshiping God
37:54
in the wrong way
37:54
or with the wrong attitude
37:55
is actually worse
37:56
than not attempting
37:58
to worship Him
37:59
at all.
38:00
Right?
38:01
These Israelites
38:02
were trampling
38:03
God's courts
38:04
according to Him.
38:07
In Isaiah 1,
38:08
again,
38:09
He said He had
38:09
enough burnt offerings
38:10
to no longer
38:12
bring vain offerings.
38:14
The incense
38:14
is an abomination
38:15
that He says
38:17
I cannot endure
38:18
iniquity
38:19
and solemn assembly
38:20
together,
38:21
that my soul
38:22
hates them
38:22
and they are
38:24
a burden.
38:25
So,
38:25
Israel
38:26
attempting to do
38:27
the right thing
38:27
but doing it
38:29
seeking to gain
38:30
favor before God
38:32
was absolutely
38:33
unacceptable
38:34
to Him.
38:35
So,
38:35
however this idea
38:36
relates to our worship
38:37
today,
38:38
I'm not totally sure
38:39
100% what that
38:40
connection is
38:41
but however it
38:42
relates to us today,
38:43
we want to make sure
38:44
that we're not making
38:45
the same error
38:45
that these Israelites
38:46
were.
38:47
Keep in mind
38:48
that they thought
38:48
they were in the right
38:49
in some regard.
38:51
They thought that
38:51
their worship
38:52
was acceptable
38:53
because they were
38:53
doing the right things
38:55
but their understanding
38:57
was deeply flawed.
38:59
And as I explored
39:01
this question,
39:02
I was under a great deal
39:03
of conviction
39:03
in my own attitude
39:04
which if I'm honest
39:06
sometimes reflects
39:07
empty ritual
39:08
more than
39:08
a broken
39:09
and contrite heart.
39:11
It's really easy
39:11
to go through the motions
39:12
and it's really easy
39:13
to get stuck
39:14
in a rut
39:15
to come
39:15
and to attend
39:16
to be doing
39:17
the right things
39:18
but to do so
39:19
with the wrong
39:21
attitude.
39:23
So,
39:24
I think we can answer
39:24
this question
39:25
of why does God
39:28
despise it so much
39:29
in a couple
39:31
of right ways.
39:33
Certainly,
39:33
Israel's sacrifice
39:34
as an excuse
39:35
to continue
39:36
and known sin
39:37
was presumptuous,
39:39
dismissing
39:39
of God's holiness
39:40
and flippant
39:41
towards sin.
39:42
But I think
39:42
the answer
39:43
cuts even more
39:44
deeply
39:45
than apathy
39:46
and a lack
39:47
of zeal.
39:47
And I think
39:48
if we look
39:48
into Hebrews
39:49
more closely,
39:50
we'll see
39:50
the depth
39:51
of the corruption
39:52
both in the heart
39:53
of Israel
39:53
and if we're willing
39:54
in our heart
39:55
as well.
39:56
So,
39:57
I believe this concept
39:57
circles back
39:58
to the idea
39:59
of drawing near
40:00
to God.
40:01
In our text,
40:03
circling back
40:03
to chapter 1,
40:04
it says,
40:05
For since the law
40:06
has but a shadow
40:07
of the good things
40:07
to come
40:08
instead of the true
40:08
form of these realities,
40:10
it can never
40:11
by the same sacrifices
40:12
that are continually
40:13
offered every year
40:14
make perfect
40:15
those who
40:16
draw near.
40:18
So,
40:18
the purpose
40:19
of sacrifice,
40:20
again,
40:20
is to be able
40:21
to draw near
40:22
to God.
40:23
The author of Hebrews
40:24
has been dealing
40:25
with a great deal
40:26
of heavy doctrine.
40:27
While he has paused
40:28
to give us a few exhortations
40:30
along the way,
40:31
he's mostly been building
40:32
a case of Christ's superiority.
40:33
But if you look
40:35
after verse 18
40:36
in our text today,
40:37
the author turns
40:38
that focus
40:39
on the application
40:40
of this doctrine
40:41
that he's been teaching.
40:43
He sums up
40:43
what he has taught
40:44
so far
40:45
in Hebrews 10,
40:46
19 through 21.
40:49
He says,
40:50
Therefore,
40:50
brothers,
40:51
since we have confidence
40:52
to enter the holy places
40:53
by the blood of Jesus,
40:55
by the new and living way
40:56
that he's opened for us
40:57
through the curtain
40:58
that is through his flesh,
41:00
and since we have
41:00
a great high priest
41:01
over the house of God,
41:03
so again,
41:03
summing up
41:04
where we are so far.
41:06
He concludes,
41:07
based off of everything
41:08
we've studied,
41:10
let us draw near
41:11
with a true heart
41:12
and a full assurance
41:14
of faith.
41:15
So we've already talked
41:16
about access to God,
41:17
but this phrase,
41:18
drawing near,
41:18
is a favorite
41:19
of the author of Hebrews.
41:20
He uses it seven times
41:22
in his epistle.
41:23
Chapter 4,
41:24
verse 16,
41:25
he says,
41:25
Let us draw near
41:26
with confidence
41:27
through the throne of grace
41:28
that we may receive mercy
41:29
and find grace
41:30
to help in time of need.
41:31
Chapter 7,
41:33
verse 25,
41:34
he says,
41:34
He's able to save forever
41:35
those who draw near
41:37
to God through him
41:38
since he always lives
41:39
to make intercession
41:40
for them.
41:41
In chapter 11,
41:41
verse 6,
41:42
Without faith,
41:43
it is impossible
41:44
to please God,
41:45
for he who draws near
41:46
to God
41:47
must believe that he is
41:48
and that he is a rewarder
41:50
of those who seek him.
41:52
And again,
41:53
circling back to this idea
41:54
of access to God,
41:55
one of Christ's names,
41:57
Emmanuel,
41:58
God with us.
42:00
Christ drew near to us,
42:01
as John says in his gospel.
42:02
He literally,
42:03
it says,
42:03
he tabernacled with us
42:05
and made a dwelling place
42:06
with us
42:07
so that through
42:07
his perfect righteousness
42:08
imputed to us
42:09
and our sin imputed to him,
42:12
we might now draw near
42:13
to God.
42:15
And we can do this
42:15
to some degree now,
42:16
but Revelation,
42:17
as we read,
42:18
shows us that one day
42:19
we will dwell with God
42:20
perfectly
42:20
as our space
42:22
and God's space
42:22
can once again overlap
42:23
because Christ's sacrifice
42:25
was perfect
42:26
and actually took away sin.
42:28
So the point is this,
42:30
drawing near to God
42:31
is the essence
42:31
of the gospel itself
42:33
and the purpose
42:34
for which we were created.
42:36
So let's answer this question,
42:37
why was Israel's vain sacrifice
42:39
such an abomination to God?
42:41
They were attempting
42:42
to draw near to God
42:43
flippantly,
42:44
under their own merit
42:45
and for selfish gain
42:47
instead of for humble submission
42:49
and worship
42:49
for his great mercy.
42:51
So again,
42:52
they were attempting
42:52
to draw near to God
42:54
flippantly.
42:55
They weren't considering
42:56
what it took
42:57
for us to be
42:59
in the presence of God.
43:00
They weren't considering
43:00
who God was
43:02
and his holiness
43:02
and they were believing
43:04
that they could undo sin
43:05
through enough
43:06
good action
43:07
thus appeasing God.
43:10
And beloved,
43:11
I think sometimes
43:12
we have the same tendencies.
43:14
We walk into
43:15
the blood-bought presence
43:17
of God
43:18
as if we are owed something.
43:19
We go through
43:20
the empty routine
43:21
of church
43:22
glazing through scripture,
43:23
not taking the time
43:24
to get our mind right
43:25
before a holy God.
43:27
If we've had a good week
43:28
spiritually
43:29
by whatever measuring stick
43:30
we're using
43:30
and we feel like
43:32
we deserve God's love
43:33
and if we struggle
43:34
with sin
43:35
we feel ashamed
43:36
to approach God
43:37
as if we ever deserve
43:38
to be in his presence
43:39
in the first place.
43:41
And this is the exact opposite
43:43
of the message
43:43
of the gospel
43:44
and ignores
43:45
our great need of God
43:47
to show us
43:48
mercy.
43:49
Under the old covenant
43:51
they knew that God
43:52
was merciful
43:52
but they did not know
43:53
how it was
43:54
that he would deal
43:55
with sin
43:55
but on this side
43:56
of grace
43:57
we get to see it
43:58
and celebrate it
43:59
in all its glory.
44:01
Through Christ's sacrifice
44:02
we have a glorious
44:03
access to God
44:04
so let us draw near.
44:07
Piper writes
44:07
of this text
44:08
The great aim
44:10
of this writer
44:11
of Hebrews
44:12
is that we get near
44:13
to God
44:14
that we have fellowship
44:14
with him
44:15
that we not settle
44:16
for a Christian life
44:17
at a distance from God.
44:19
This drawing near
44:20
is not a physical act
44:21
it's not a building
44:23
the tower of Babel
44:24
by your achievements
44:25
to get to heaven
44:26
it's not necessarily
44:28
going to a church building
44:29
or walking to an altar
44:31
at the front
44:31
but it's an invisible
44:33
act of the heart
44:34
it's a directing
44:35
of the heart
44:35
into the presence
44:36
of God
44:37
who is as distant
44:38
as the Holy of Holies
44:39
in heaven
44:40
and yet as near
44:41
as the door of faith.
44:43
He is commanding us
44:44
to come
44:44
to approach him
44:46
and to draw near
44:47
to God.
44:48
Let us not worship
44:49
God vainly
44:50
as Old Testament Israel did
44:51
going through the right
44:53
actions
44:53
without forsaking sin
44:54
seeking to undo
44:55
that sin
44:56
by going to church
44:57
reading the word
44:58
and fellowshipping
44:58
with believers.
45:00
And this morning
45:00
if you're dealing
45:01
with guilt
45:01
and the weight
45:02
of your own sin
45:03
let us remember
45:04
that Christ's sacrifice
45:05
has removed our sin
45:07
cleansed this
45:07
from its effects
45:08
and absorbed
45:09
the wrath
45:11
of God.
45:13
It is finished
45:13
Christ has accomplished
45:15
this
45:15
so let's praise
45:16
the Lord together.
45:18
Let's pray.