Apostates’ Doom Heb. 10:28-31. (126)
The verses before us is to complete the section begun at v. 26, the sum of which is the apostates’ doom. The description of their sin and the declaration of their punishment. In v. 26 the sin itself is mentioned in v. 26 and in v. 27 the punishment of it is affirmed. In vv. 28, 29 confirms the equity of the fore-named judgment by an argument drawn from the Mosaic law, under which he shows the terrible character of the sin which is here in view. In vv. 30, 31 the certainty of the punishment. This section (vv. 26–31) was introduced for enforcing the exhortation found in vv. 22–24, a call unto Christians to persevere in a state and practice of godliness. What we have in this passage is, “For if we sin willingly,” i.e. deliberately, fully, and finally abandon the profession of Christianity—not that the Holy Spirit here says any of the regenerate Hebrews had or would do so.
- The end unto which God has predestined His people is their eternal bliss in Heaven, and one of how that end is reached, is through their taking heed to the solemn warning He has given against that which would prevent their reaching Heaven. It is not wisdom, but madness, to scoff at those warnings. As well might Joseph have objected that there was no need for him and his family to flee into Egypt (Matt. 2), seeing that it was impossible for the Christ-Child to be slain by Herod! John Owen says, “We ought to take heed of every neglect of the person of Christ and of His authority, lest we enter into some degree or other of the guilt of this great offense.” Or, still better, we may earnestly cry unto God, “Keep back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression” Ps. 19:13. Spurgeon say on this verse, “Secret sin is a stepping-stone to presumptuous sin, and that is the vestibule of ‘the sin which is unto death’ ”-Treasury of David. To sin “presumptuously” is to knowingly and deliberately ignore God’s commandments, defying His authority and recklessly going on in a course of self-pleasing regardless of consequences. When one has reached that terrible stage, he is but a short step indeed from committing the sin for which there is no forgiveness, and then to be abandoned by God both in this world and in that which is to come.”
- He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment… who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith He was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” (vv. 28, 29). Having named the principal means for the Christian’s maintenance of constancy in the faith (vv. 22–25). The terrible character of the sin of apostasy: it is a sinning willingly after a knowledge of the Truth has been received and assented to v. 26. The dreadful state of such: no sacrifice avails for them, naught but judgment awaits them, vv. 26, 27. God’s severity in the past vv. 28, 29. God’s vindicative justice, vv. 30, 31.
- “He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses.” The sentence passed upon the apostate Christian in vv. 26, 27, by an appeal to God’s awful but righteous justice in the past. If the despiser of the Mosaic law was dealt with so unsparingly, how much more severe must be the punishment meted out to those who scorn the authority of the Gospel! The Greek word for “despise” means to utterly reject a thing, to set aside or cast it off, to treat it with contempt. The one who thus flouted the Divine legislation through Moses, was he who renounced its authority, and determinately and obstinately refused to comply with its requirements. Such a one suffered the capital punishment. Nu. 15:30, 31, 36, Deut. 13:6–10; 17:2–13; 19:13, 15.
- “Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God?” There is nothing in God’s dealings with Israel during O. T. times which can begin to compare with the awful severity of His “wrath” as depicted in the book of Revelation! Every despiser of the Lordship of Christ shall yet discover that a far hotter place has been reserved for him in Hell, than what will be the portion of lawless rebels who lived under the old covenant.
