This week begins with Hebrews 10:16-28

v16: This verse is taken from Jeremiah 31:33. This is speaking about the New Covenant.

After those days: A reference to the end times

• My laws: when Jeremiah speaks of the laws he is talking about the commandments of the Torah. The Torah still has relevance for us (Roms 8:4). 
• Into their hearts: G-d is going to give us a new heart condition. A man thinks with his heart – it is the essence of a person. In the New Covenant we are going to think according to the laws of G-d. 
• In their minds: He is going to write them on our minds – our intellect. We will not think as the world thinks but will think as Torah observant individuals. When we have the laws in our hearts and minds, we will walk in a way that manifests righteousness. 

v17: Sins: The word used here for sins means anti law or against the law. This verse comes from Jeremiah 31:34

v18: Where there is remission: This forgiveness we have in Messiah Yeshua brings about a change in us. His laws are written upon our hearts and our minds that we might reflect His order. 

• No longer an offering for sin: All of our sin has been paid for and G-d does not remember them anymore.  We have been redeemed. This means that a payment was made into our account and the outcome of that is forgiveness. 

v19: Boldness: confidence and assurance because of the sufficiency of Messiah’s work on the cross.

• The Holiest: A reference to the Holy of Holies and, therefore, the Kingdom of G-d.
• By the blood of Yeshua: We enter because of the blood of Messiah – not because of anything we have done. 

v20: New: This is a unique Greek word for ‘new’. It is a different word to “new creation” or “new Covenant” etc. What is unique about this word is that we would not really think it had anything to do with ‘new’. It is two words put together – the first word meaning ‘beforehand’ (pro) and the second word has to do with slain (the Scripture speaks of the lamb of G-d slain before the foundation of the world- this means that G-d had determined that He was going to send His Son into this world, as that sacrificial lamb, and He determined it long ago – previously, before). The newness is brought about by that sacrifice that was spoken of beforehand.

• Living way:  It is only when we take hold of Messiah’s sacrifice that we are able to have life. 
• Through the veil: The imagery is very clear. There is a veil that separates the outward from the inward. That veil was there, separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, and no one could go past it – except the High Priest once a year. In the same way, there is a veil, a barrier, separating man from G-d. 
• His flesh: That barrier, now, is His flesh. It is when we accept Messiah’s flesh that we can have intimacy with the Living G-d. If we reject His flesh/His offering, then we will not. 

v21: House of G-d: This is not referring to the temple in Jerusalem but is literally referring to the house of G-d (His Holy Habitation) in the heavens. 

v22: Full assurance: This means having “wisdom in the full”. It is full assurance, but with total wisdom. All of this imagery is from the Old Testament, but now applied, in a new way, concerning the work of Messiah.  

v23: He has promised that He will never leave or forsake us. He has promised us that we have eternal life, Kingdom life and that we are going to be made new.  All of this is based on what He has done. His Word and promises are true.

v24: Love cannot be separated from the commandments of G-d. Yeshua summarised all 613 commands into two – “Love the L-rd your G-d…and love your neighbour as you love yourself.”(Matth 22:36-40). That love, for G-d, and others, is going to lead us to obedience and to doing good works. Not for our salvation, but as a natural outworking of it – His laws will be written on our hearts and on our minds. 

v25: Assembling: We need to assemble publicly for the purpose of worship, so that others can see the testimony of our faith and commitment to G-d. Worshiping together interrupts and changes our lives. 

• Exhorting one another: We should be encouraging and responding to the call to draw near because we can see the end approaching. 

v26: The writer has not spoken about specific sins but about the work of Messiah, the gospel message.  In the context of this verse, he is talking about those who understand the gospel message but reject it. If the gospel message is rejected there is no other means, no other hope or plan, for salvation. For those who reject Him no other sacrifice can be made. He is the only way (John 14:6) 

v27: Those who reject the gospel make themselves an enemy of G-d. There is only one expectation for those who are enemies of G-d: G-d’s judgement, and His intense fire, which are going to consume all who are opposed to Him. 

v28: The writer is speaking very broadly about the entire law of Moses. If someone knew, and understood, this law but nevertheless rejected it s/he became a law breaker. Then, on the testimony of two or three witnesses, they were put to death.

In the same way the paradigm is this – if we have knowledge and understanding of the gospel and reject it, there is nothing more that can be done for us. This does not mean that the gospel cannot be accepted later on – it just means that there will be no other plan for salvation. Like those who were put to death for rejecting the law of Moses, so too will those who reject the gospel suffer eternal death.