The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 272

EXPOSITION. pressed in itself the ~dea, not of the putting CHAPTER X. away (a.8',,-_11u1s, eh. ix. 26) or oblivi<m (eh. x. l'.) of sm, but a recalling to mind of it~ Vera. 1-19.-CoNOLUDING SUMMARY OJI' continual presence. In the following verse THIii ARGUMENT WITII RESPEOT TO CHRIST'S the reason of thie is found in the nature of ETERNAL P!IIESTllOOD. the sacrifices the1;11selyes; it bein\!; impossible Ver. 1.-P'or the Law, having a shadow of for the blood of urat1onal animals to cleanse the good things to oome, and not the very moral guilt : it could only o.vo.il for the image of the things, oan never with the "passing over" (wcl.p,u,11, Rom. iii. 25) of ■ame saori1ioes :,ear b:, :,ear, whioh the:, sins, as symbolizing an effectual atonement offer oontinuall:,, make the oomers thereunto to come in the spiritual sphere of things. perfeot. The Law is said here to exhibit a Ver. 4.-P'or it is not poB&i.ble that the shadow (uK1d11) of the good things to come blood of bulls and of goats (specified ea ('riilv µ.•AAowro,11 4-ya.llwv), viz. of the " good being the offerings of the Day of Atonement) things " of which Christ is come as '' High should take awa:, sins. The principle of Priest" (eh. ix. 11), belonging to the,,.,,._,._.,,, the insufficiency of animal sacrifices having a.lC:.11 ( eh. vi. 5), µ.eAAouua. oiKouµ.,1171 ( eh. ii. been thus expressed, confirmation of it ie 5), which is still, in its full realization, now further adduced from the Old Tes- future to us, though already inaugurated by tament itself, together with a prophetic Christ, and though we have already ta8ted anticipation of the great self-oblation which the powef's of it (eh. vi. 5). Similarly (eh. was to take their place. viii. 5) the priests under the Law are said Vere. 5-7.-Wherefore, when he oometh to have served a copy and shadow of the into the world, he saith, Saori1ioe and offer- heavenly things; i.e. of the heavenly reali- ing thou wouldest not, but a bod:, didst thou ties to be revealed in the " coming age." prepare me : In whole burnt offering and To "shadow" is opposed "very image '' offerings for sin thou hadst no pleasure : ( ,lKova.), which means, not a representation Then said I, Lo, I am oome (in the volume a.part from the things (as a statue or portrait (i.e. roll) o:f the book it is written of me) to may be called an image), but (as empha- do th:, will, 0 God. The quotation is from sized by a.in¾w) the actual presentment of Pa. xl. 6, 7, 8. It is entitled "a psalm of the things themselves; which were, in fact, David," nor is there anything in the psalm archetypal and prior to the shadows of the itself incompatible with bis authorship. The Law, though their manifestation was re- question of authorship is, however, unim- served to the future age. Such is the sense portant; all that is required for the purpose of ,l1e@11 in Col. iii. 10, Ka.1'' ,lKova. Toii KTl- of the quotation being that it should have ua.111"os a.b.,.&11 : and Rom. viii. 29, uuµ.µ.&p<f,ous been the utterance of an inspired psalmist. 'l'ijr flKdvor 'l'oii uloii. (Cf. Col. i. 15, where The primary import of the passage quoted Christ is called d1<w11 .,.o;; 0,ov Toii a.opc/..,.ou : is that the psalmist, after deliverance from of. also Col. ii. 17, where u1<1t1 is opposed to great affliction, for which he gives thanks, uwµ.a.-shadow to body.) In the latter pa.rt expresses his desire to act on the lesson of the verse, "they," who " offer," a.re the learnt in his trouble by giving himself priests of the Law;" the comers thereunto" entirely to God's service. And the service (ol wpou•pxoµ.,1101) are the people who resort in which God delights he declares to be, not to the rites. " Make perfect " (.,.,,._,..,ua.,) sacrifices of slain beasts, but the doing of means full accomplishment for them of what his will, the ears being opened to his Word, is aimed at : in this case, remission of sin, and his Law being within the heart. Now, end acceptance after complete atonement. bearing in mind what was so.id under eh. '1'he verb .,.,,._..ovv, though variously applied, i. 5, of the principle on which words need signifies al ways full completion of the pur- in the Old Testament with a primary human pose in view (of. oh. vii, 19, 0J6,11 -yap fre- reference a.re applied in the New Te~tament >..elr,,u,11 6 11&µ.os). (For its application to directly to Christ, we shall have no difficulty Obrist himself, see under eh. ii. 10; v. 9.) in understanding snob application here. Vere. 2, S.-P'or then (i.e. had it been so The psalmist, it may be .sJiow~d, sp?ke in o.ble) would the:, (the sacrifices) not have his own person, and as expr~ssmg his o~ oeased to be offered, beoanse that the wor- feelings and desires; but, wr1tmg under l.D• shipper■, having been onoe purged, should spiration, he aspired to 9.;11 ideal beyond _his have had no more oonsoienoe of Bins t But own attainment, the true ideal for humanity, (on the contrary) in those sacrifices there is to be realized only in Christ. The ideal is a remembranoe made of Bins :,ear b:, :,ear, such perfect self-oblation of the human will The very o.nnual repetition of the same ell:• to God's as to supersede and render need- piatory rites on tho Day of Atonement eii;- less the existing sacrifices, which are a.o-  264 TRE ll:PISTLE TO THE HEl3REWS. toll, ll, 1-39