The headings for chapter 10 speak loud and clear that within, we find an in depth explanation of why and how this New Covenant of Grace is so much Better than the old. So without delay we shall dig right in. And by the way our writer makes use of Psalm 40, Jeremiah 31 and Habakkuk again. Keep in mind that David when he wrote Psalm 40, he did it as an eye witness over hearing a private conversation between the Father and his Son, who was soon to be clothed with our humanity in order to fulfill the promise of Genesis 3:15 and 12:1-3.
Hebrews 10:1-10 "For the (Levitical) Law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? Because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith (in Psalm 40:6-8), "Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God." Above when he said (Psalm 40:6), "Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the (Levitical) Law;" Then said he (Psalm 40:7-8), "Lo, I come to do thy will, O God." He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (KJV)
Hebrews 10:1-10 "For since the (Levitical) Law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said (in Psalm 40:6-8), "'Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.' Then I said (in Psalm 40:7-8), 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.'" When he said above (in Psalm 40:6), "'You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings'" (these are offered according to the (Levitical) Law), then he added (Psalm 40:7-8), "'Behold, I have come to do your will.'" He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (ESV)
Hebrews 10:1-10 "For the Levitical Law presented to us a faint shadow, outlining the promise of the blessings anticipated in the coming of Messiah-Christ, even detailing its future significance. The mere sketch however, could never be confused with the actual object that it represented. The animal sacrificial rites as shadow of the eventual object would always leave the worshipper feeling inadequate and be a reminder year after year of the sinfulness of humanity. (Barnes Notes on Hebrews 10:1, "For the law having a shadow: That is, the whole Mosaic economy was a shadow; for so the "Law" is often used. The word, "shadow" here refers to a rough outline of anything, a mere sketch, such as a carpenters draws with a piece of chalk, or such as an arist delineates when he is about to make a picture.
He sketches an outline of the object which he desires to draw, which has "some" resemblance to it, but is not the "very image;" for it is not yet complete. The words rendered "the very image" refer to a painting or statue that is finished, where every part is an exact representation of the original. The "good things to come" here refer to the future blessings which would be conferred on humanity by the Gospel. The idea is, that under the ancient sacrifices there was an imperfect representation; a dim outline of the true blessing which the Gospel would impart to people. They were a typical representation; they were not such that it could be pretended that they would answer the purpose of the things themselves which they were to represent, and would make these who offered them perfect.
Such a rude outline; such a mere sketch, or imperfect delineation, could no more answer the purpose of saving the soul than the rough sketch which an architect makes would answer the purpose of a house, or than the first outline which a painter draws would answer the purpose of a perfect and finished portrait. All that could be done by either would be to convey some distant and obscure idea of what the house or picture might be, and this was all that was done by the Law of Moses."
The Gospel is no longer a future prediction; it is now a relevant revelation. We are talking good news, and not just good predictions! News already happened! Every definition of distance or delay was cancelled in Christ!)
Had it been possible to present the prefect offering that had the power to successfully remove any trace of a sin-consciousness, then the sacrificial system would surely have ceased to be relevant. But in the very repetition of these ritual sacrifices the awareness of guilt is reinforced rather than its removal. The conclusion is made clear: animal sacrifices failed to remove anyone's sinfulness or their sin-consciousness. So when Jesus, the Messiah, arrived as the fulfillment of all the types and shadows, he quoted Psalm 40:6-8, and said, "'In sacrifices and offerings GOD took no pleasure; but in me he has ordained my incarnation!'" (Adam Clarke writes the following commentary: A body hast thou prepared me - The quotation of this and the two following verses by the apostle, are taken from the Septuagint, with scarcely any variety of reading: they are widely different in verbal expression in the Hebrew. In the Hebrew text David's words are, oznayim carithat li, which we translate, My ears hast thou opened; but the writer of this Epistle quotes soma [body] de katertiso moi. How is it possible that the Septuagint and the apostle should take a very ingenious conjecture here: he supposes that the Septuagint and apostle express the meaning of the words as they stood in the copy from the Greek translation [Septuagint] was made; and that the present Hebrew text is corrupted in the word aznayim, ears, which has been written through carelessness for az gevah, then, a body....The first syllable, az, then is the same in both; and the latter, nyim, which is joined to, az making oznayim, might have been easily mistaken for gevah, body; the letter nun being very like the letter gimel; yod like van; and he like final mem; especially if the line on which the letters were written in the MS. happened to be blacker than ordinary, which has often been a cause of mistakes, it might then have been easily taken for the under-stroke of the mem, and thus given rise to a corrupt reading; add to this, the root carah signifies as well to prepare, as to open, bore,,,,ect. On this supposition the ancient copy translated by the Septuagint, and followed by the apostle, must have read the text thus az gevah charitha li. Then a body thou hast prepared me: thus the Hebrew text, the version of the Septuagint, and the apostle, will agree in what is known to be indisputable fact in Christianity, namely, that Christ was incarnated for the sin of the world.
The Ethiopic has nearly the same reading: the Arabic has both, "A body hast thou prepared me, and mine ears thou hast opened." But the Syriac, the Chaldee, and the Vulgate, agree with the present Hebrew text; and none of the MSS. collated by Kennicott and De Rossi have any various reading on the disputed words.
It is remarkable, that all the offerings and sacrifices which were considered to be of an atoning or cleansing nature, offered under the Law, are here enumerated by the psalmist and the apostle, to show that none of them, nor all of them, could take away sin; and that the grand sacrifice of Christ was a lone that which did it.
Four kinds are here specified, both by the psalmist and the apostle: viz. Sacrifice, zebach Ovoia; Offering, minchah. It was impossible that the blood of bulls and goats,,,etc. should take away sin.)
None of the prescribed offerings and sacrifices, including burnt offerings and sin offerings were your request. (For the use of the word 'request' here, and pleasure in verse 6, see the Hebrew words used in Psalm 40:6, Chapetz - pleasure, delight and Shawal, request, demand.) "Then I said, I read in your book what you wrote about me; so here I am, I have come to fulfill my destiny." (Psalm 40:7, Luke 4:17, 24:27, 44.) having said what he did in the above quote, that the prescribed offering and sacrifices were neither his desire nor delight, he condemned the entire sacrificial system upheld by the Law. (These only served to sustain a sin-consciousness and were of no redemptive benefit to anyone.) Also by saying, "I am commissioned to fulfill your will," he announced the final closure of the first order to introduce the second. (Grace replaced the Law; innocence supersedes sin-consciousness.) So, by this fulfilled will, in the mind of GOD and by his resolution he declared and decreed humanity immediately sanctified through one sacrifice; the presentation of the body of Jesus Christ." (The Mirror, with editing)
Until our next visit, the LORD willing, when we shall continue with chapter 10. May he show us all the value of our salvation in him, in his name.
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