The Typical Sacrifice. Heb. 10:1–4 continues. (104)
“But what of the sins of the Christian after he has been “purged” or justified? John 13:10 makes answer: “he that is washed (Greek, “has been bathed”) needeth not save to wash his feet but is clean every wit.” By the blood of Christ the Christian has been completely cleansed once for all, so far as the judicial and eternal consequences of sin are concerned: “By one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified” Heb. 10:14, they need not a fresh sacrifice to be made for them day by day. Those who sin every day may enjoy peace with God all their days, and that is by a daily confession of sins to God (judging themselves for them and truly repenting of them) and a daily appropriation to themselves of the cleansing power of Christ’s precious blood for the defilements of their daily walk.” Pink Arthur W
- “But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again of sins every year” (v. 3). Lev. 16:6–11, 21, 22, 29, 30, 34; 23:27, 28. Had the worshippers been legally perfected they would have had no more conscience of sins. God had not only prescribed the repetition of those sacrifices, by His own institution Lev. 16:21, 22 that there should be an “express remembrance of sin,” or a remembrance expressed by acknowledgement: See Genesis 41:9; 42:21.
- The Lord Himself has taught us to pray every day for the pardon of our sins: Luke 11:3, 4. Our confession respects only the application of the efficacy and virtue of that perfect Atonement which has been made once for all. Confession of sin is as necessary under the new covenant as under the old, but with an entirely different end in view: it is not as a part of the compensation for the guilt of it, nor as a means of pacifying the conscience so that we may still go on in sin; but to fill us with self-abasement, to induce greater watchfulness against sin, to glorify God for the mercy available, and to obtain a sense of His pardon in our own souls. The Levitical sacrifices could not procure what christ has done. Christ’s has—“By one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified” (v. 14).
- “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (v. 4 v. 2). Ps. 50:8–12; 51:16, Is. 1:11–15; 66:3, Jer. 6:20; 7:21, 22, Hos. 6:6, Am. 5:21, 22.The law contained only a “shadow” of real redemption and could not perfect unto perpetuity the worshippers (v. 1), and seeing that “conscience of sins” remained (v. 2) as was evidenced by the very design of the annual and typical propitiation (v. 3), it therefore inevitably followed that it was “impossible” such sacrifices should “take away” or properly expiate sins. There is a necessity of sin being “taken away,” both from before the Governor of the world and from the conscience of His people. But this, the blood of beasts could not effect. Why not? First because God had not instituted animal sacrifices for that purpose. The blood of animals offered in sacrifice was designed of God to represent the way in which sin was to be removed, but not by itself to effect it. God had declared His severity against sin, with the necessity of its punishment to the glory of His righteousness and sovereign rule over His creatures as demonstrated in the giving of the fiery law: Exodus 19:16–24. “The blood of bulls and goats were external, earthly, and carnal things; but to take away sin was an internal, Divine, and spiritual matter” (William Gouge). Though the Levitical sacrifices possessed, by God’s institution, an efficacy to remove an outward and ceremonial defilement, they could not take away an inward and moral pollution. “Now, under the gospel, the atonement is perfect, and not to be repeated; and the sinner, once pardoned, is ever pardoned as to his state, and only needs to renew his repentance and faith, that he may have a comfortable sense of a continued pardon.” M. Henry
- The offerings of Judaism had a Divinely appointed meaning and value, but they could not take away sins. The same holds good of the two ordinances of Christianity. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper have been ordained of God. They have a symbolical significance. They represent blessed realities. But they have no inherent power either to remove sin, regenerate souls, or impart spiritual blessing. It is only as faith looks beyond the symbol to Him who is symbolized that the soul receives blessing.
