Hebrews 10:1–4

¹ For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. ² For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. ³ But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. ⁴ For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.

Commentary
Vs. 1 "For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect."

The law then was just a shadow, a faint portrayal (LN 58.65; also see Col. 2:13-17; Heb 8:3-5), and thus was not the very image of all the good things that everyone who believes receives from the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore those sacrifices which God through the law commanded the Israelite's too observe were not the solution for their sins, or anybody else's, they were only in effect until the fulfillment of those offerings came in the Person and Sacrifice of Christ Himself. And so those sacrifices really were insufficient in every sense, since they could neither remove sins, nor undo the damage done by them, they could only provide a temporal covering for the worshipers who observed them, and thus they did not provide the everlasting remission of them. And so unlike Christ and His Sacrifice which has dealt with sin once and for all time, they needed to be repeated year after year, therefore they made no one perfect, that is perfect in the sight of Almighty God, for that is something only the Lord Jesus Christ and His Sacrifice does (see Heb. 10:14). 

Vs. 2 "For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins." 

Now if they could have made anyone perfect the next logical step would have been that they would've stopped being offered. "For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins." However with those sacrifices no one is purified in the sight of God, they're sins are only temporarily covered, not permanently atoned for.

Vs. 3 "But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year."

Therefore those sacrifices not only failed to permanently purify the worshipers in the sight of God, but the worshipers own consciences were never cleared from their own guilt and sins. "For in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year." The power of the Cross, of the Lord Jesus Christ Crucified and Risen from the dead for the permanent remission of sins cannot be overstated, for it's by Jesus and Jesus alone that we have remission of all our sins and everlasting life (Acts 4:12). 

Vs. 4 "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins."

The finial refute then of those who were still holding too the Old Covenant sacrifices is that those sacrifices, that is the blood of bulls and goats etc. could never take away sins. For it simply isn't possible that any animal's shed blood could ever provide permanent atonement for sinful humanity, (whether individually or collectively) for sin entered the world through man, therefore only through the Sinless Son of Man and His sacrifice of Himself on the cross could our sins be taken away. Therefore I urge you to be reconciled to God by faith in the Lord Jesus so that you may have remission/forgiveness of all your sins and everlasting life, which begins the moment you repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ through the Gospel. For then God by His Spirit will give you not only a new heart and a new mind (Heb. 10:16), but also a new life. For having dwelt with your past, (and thus liberated you from it, Rom 6:17-23) He is free to make you into a new and so much better person (2 Cor 5:17)! Therefore don't delay be reconciled to God today! 

Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.

Hebrews 9:23-28

²³ Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴ For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; ²⁵ not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another—²⁶ He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. ²⁷ And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, ²⁸ so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

Commentary

Vs. 23 "Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these."

If the heavenly sanctuary needed to be purified with the Blood of Christ before it could go into service for God on our behalf. So too the copies of it, that is the earthly tabernacle and it's articles of service along with those who ministered there were likewise sanctified with blood, since the earthly tabernacle was a foreshadow of the heavenly Tabernacle and Sanctuary and Service. Thus Blood for our salvation, Blood for the Covenant, and Blood for the Heavenly Sanctuary and Service because of sin having entered the world through man. 

Vs. 24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 

When the Lord Jesus was on earth as a Man He did not enter the holy places made with hands, for those places were only copies of the true, but rather His High Priestly service takes place in heaven itself, in the Presence of God Himself, for us all who believe in Him (Heb 4:14-16). 

Vs. 25-26 ²⁵ not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another—²⁶ He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 

Now unlike the the earthly priesthood that God commanded Aaron and his sons to serve in. The Lord Jesus Christ did not enter the Most Holy Place with the blood of another, that is with sacrificial blood of animals, as they were commanded to offer every year on the Day of Atonement (see Lev. 16). For then He would have had to offer Himself many times to enter the Heavenly Sanctuary on behalf of us. That's the first point the Superiority of Jesus Christ's Sacrifice which once and for all time paved the way for Him and Him alone to enter the Heavenly Sanctuary on our behalf. And so unlike the blood of lambs and bulls and goats whose sacrifice could never completely deal with sin, and thus needed to be repeated over and over again, Jesus Christ has once and for all, at the end of the ages, appeared as the Son of Man/Son of God on earth to deal with sin by the Sacrifice of Himself. The Atonement then that has been brought by the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ exceeds and excels everything and anything that mere mortal sinful mankind could ever do for themselves or anyone else. 

Vs. 27-28 ²⁷ And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, ²⁸ so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

We all are brought into this world by the hand of God (Psalm 139:13-16), and we are all return to Him when we die (Ecc. 12:7). And so how we return to Him is the most critical thing for us all in this life, whether we are reconciled to Himself by faith in His Son Jesus Christ or not. For after our bodies die our spirits go back to God who gave them, and at the appointed time we will all stand before Him and give an accounting of ourselves to Him. Therefore only those who are reconciled to God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ while in this earthly life will go to be with Him for eternal salvation (John 5:24), while those who do not repent and believe in Christ through the Gospel will be judged by the Lord Jesus Christ at the Judgment Seat of Christ before being sent to spend an eternity in the Lake of fire (Rev. 21:11-15; 21:6-8). And so first and foremost in this life is being reconciled to God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 10:42-43; 2 Cor 5:21), who not only saves us from the wrath to come (1 Thess. 1:10), but He by His Spirit brings us to life and transforms our persons and lives, sealing and sanctifying and equipping us not only to spend an eternity with Himself, but also for living abundant and fruitful lives down here while we are sojourners with Him, being His witnesses and workers for His Name and Kingdoms sake so that through us who believe He can manifest the manifold the immeasurable wisdom and mercies of God who has not only reconciled and restored us, but through Christ, God's grace is being extended to every wayward and lost and sinful person who repents and believes in Him. For being reconciled to God not only changes our eternal destinies, but having been reconciled to God by faith In Christ we experience all the fullness of God who transforms our hearts and minds satisfying all the deep desires and longing that we could never satisfy by our own means, bringing us all of God's life, liberty, love, joy, peace and all the fruits of His Spirit that makes for having an abundant and abounding life which no one or nothing in this life could ever do for us, and so now rather than chasing after the false "gods" of this this life that promise much but deliver nothing, we now eagerly wait for His return, for then Jesus will end this present evil and violent and godless age before ushering in His everlasting Kingdom (2 Peter 3:13) where we will fully bear His image forever (1 Cor 15:49), and where He will wipe every tear from our eyes when He sets up His Everlasting Kingdom when He makes all things New! (Rev. 21:1-5). Therefore for everyone who repents and believes in the Lord Christ there is a glorious present and an eternal future without pain, without suffering, without sin and Satan and all of the ravages of it awaiting us all as the beloved children of God (Rom 8:16-17), whose destinies are certain and whose futures are assured. Something which is available to you as well if you seek the Lord Jesus Christ today He will be found by you because He is seeking for you (Luke 15). Therefore open your heart to Him and receive Him today and have God's reconciliation and life by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Isaiah 55:6-7; Rev. 3:20).

Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.

Hebrews 9:16-22

¹⁶ For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. ¹⁷ For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. ¹⁸ Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. ¹⁹ For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, ²⁰ saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” ²¹ Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. ²² And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

Commentary

Vs. 16-17 ¹⁶ For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. ¹⁷ For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives.

Throughout the Book of Hebrews the Word of God has been systematically showing the Superiority of Christ's Person, His Priesthood, His Sacrifice, His Service as well as the Superiority of the New Covenant (Heb. 7:22; 8:6). Now in order for the New Covenant (here being refereed to as a testament) to be enacted there had to be the death of the testator, that is before a will and testament is enforced the testator must have died, thus the analogy is that Christ Himself must also have died (shed His blood unto death) before the New Covenant could be enacted (Matt. 26:28; Heb. 9:15-16). 

Vs. 18-22 ¹⁸ Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. ¹⁹ For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, ²⁰ saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” ²¹ Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. ²² And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

Similarly then the first covenant was also dedicated with blood. Now in order to show the importance of this the Word of God recalls how Moses according to the commandment of God did so, recalling some of the various sacrificial ceremonially rituals that were required and he performed in order to purify both the book of the covenant, as well as the people, and even the tabernacle and all it's vessels of ministry (Exodus 24:1-8, 29:12, 16, 20-21, 36; Lev 4; 14; 17:6 etc.). The point being made then is that according to the law sacrificial blood was not only required to sanctify the people, along with whatever articles of ministry were to be used on their behalf, but without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins, thereby establishing the principal for Lord and Saviors own blood washing away the sins us all who believe in Him (Rev. 1:5). How exceedingly precious then is the shed Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who by doing so on our behalf has not only sanctified our persons and lives; but through His own blood, and His alone, He has provided the everlasting atonement that God required for us all who believe in Him to be reconciled back to Himself (1 Peter 1:18-21). The Blood of Christ then is the only means by which we come into a New and Everlasting Covenant relationship with God (Matt 26:28). Something which I now urge you to do, for by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ's Person's Life, Death, Resurrection from the dead and Ascension back to God the Father in heaven you can have remission of all your sins and new and everlasting life with Christ the moment that you do, for if anyone calls upon the Name of the Lord they shall be saved (Rom 10:11-13). Therefore don't delay call upon the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ today! 

Scripture Quotations

The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.

Word Study Notes 

The Greek word διαθήκη (Str. 1242) translated testament in verse 16 is translated covenant elsewhere in the Book of Hebrews, and throughout the rest of the New Testament (see Matt. 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 1:72; 22:20; Acts 3:25; 7:8; Rom. 9:4; 11:27; 1 Cor 11:25; 2 Cor 3:6, 14; Gal. 3:15, 17; 4:24; Eph 2:12; Heb. 7:22; 8:6, 8-10; 9:4, 9:15-17, 20; 10:16, 29; 12:24; 13:20; Rev. 11:19). 

Hebrews 9:11-15

¹¹ But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. ¹² Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. ¹³ For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, ¹⁴ how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? ¹⁵ And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Commentary

Vs. 11-12 ¹¹ But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. ¹² Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

When the Old Covenant high priests entered the Holiest of All in the earthly Tabernacle once a year on the Day of Atonement to make atonement for his own sins and the sins of the people committed in ignorance this ritual could not make their consciences perfect, that is the blood of the sacrificial animals was not enough to take away their guilt by providing the everlasting atonement for their sins and transgressions that was required, and thus open the way once and for all for them all to enter the Holiest of All. And so that sense of guilt and incompleteness always remained with them no matter how many times they performed the ritual; a principal which runs true today with every religious service and ritual that seeks to draw near to God outside of faith in the Finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross for us all. Therefore God's Presence on that most intimate level was off limits to them, they had to remain outside, even the high priest did not have unrestricted access to God (Lev. 16:1-2). And so the insufficiency of his service and sacrifice is here being contrasted with the all surpassing Sufficiency of Christs who came as High Priest of the good things to come. Some of which is not only providing everlasting atonement and life through His own Finished Work on the Cross for us all who believe in Him but also His making the way for us to have the Personal Presence of God indwelling our persons, through His Holy Spirit indwelling, regenerating, and sanctifying us all who believe in Him making us God's redeemed and holy people, who once were not a people, but now are the people of God (1 Peter 2:10). Therefore when the Lord Jesus Christ came as High Priest He did not come to serve in the earthly sanctuary; which sons of men built and served in as a foreshadow of the good things to come. Rather He came to serve as God's High Priest in the perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, but rather in the Heavenly Sanctuary (Heb 8:1-2, 9:11) where having entered the Holiest of All (not by the blood of calves and bulls) but with His own blood, He has obtained eternal redemption for us all who believe in Him (vs. 12). 

Vs. 13-14 ¹³ For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, ¹⁴ how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Under the Old Covenant the blood of bulls and goats without blemish was a part of the required sin offerings (Lev. 4:1-34), especially on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:14-15). Similarly the blood of a bull was also used to purify Aaron and his sons for their duties in the priesthood (Ex. 29:1-37; Lev. 8:13-17). While the ashes of a heifer was part of the purification ritual that was required to purify anyone who became ceremonially defiled (see Num. 19:1-22). Now these Old Covenant commanded ordinances only purified the flesh in the sight of God, allowing those people who adhered to them to remain in the Covenant community of God (Lev. 7:20; 17:1-7; Num. 19:13 etc.). And so these rituals only purified the flesh (and thus their souls) were not reconciled back to God through their observing these. Nonetheless the point is if observing these then gave the worshipers a sense of being right with God for having observed them, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? For it is the Lord Jesus Christ alone who is sinless (without spot), who through the eternal Spirit, the Holy Spirit, offered Himself up to God on the Cross to pay the penalty for all our sins and transgressions, thereby opening the door of eternal salvation to us all the moment we believe in Him (John 6:47; 10:9); saving us then not only from the wrath to come, but also cleansing our consciences from dead works; that is from all manner of dead "religious works" that sanctify or save no one, but only hold people in bondage of trying to earn and attain for themselves what only Jesus Christ Himself could do (Eph 2:8-9). Therefore having been born again and brought to life by the Spirit of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we can now serve God in the newness of the Spirit, and not in the oldness of letter (Rom. 7:6; also see 2 Cor 3:5-9, 12-17). Something which God commands all people to do, to repent and believe in Gospel, and thus by His Son's finished work on the Cross be reconciled to Himself so that you will have remission of all your sins and everlasting life  the moment you believe and thus having been saved and set free from sin and death you can now freely and faithfully follow Him in discipleship. For the Day of Salvation from sin, Satan, and death is right now, freely available to you no matter what you have done, for God loves you and has provided through His Son all that is needed for you to be reconciled to Himself, to have new and everlasting life, therefore today begin a new and everlasting course of life for yourself, receive the gift of God's salvation and mercies and life for yourself by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ today (Rev. 3:20). 

Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.

Hebrews 9:6-10

⁶ Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. ⁷ But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; ⁸ the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. ⁹ It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience—¹⁰ concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.

Commentary

Vs. 6 "Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services." 

The first part of the Tabernacle was that which the officiating priest went into every day to lay the show bread in order (on the Sabbath), light the golden lamp stand, burn the daily incense (Ex. 30:7) and perform all of the various service that God then required (the origins of which are described in Ex. 40:17-33).

Vs. 7-8 "But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; ⁸ the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.

The second part of the Tabernacle was the Holiest of All (see 9:1-5), it was the place where the high priest alone as a mediator between God and man went into once a year on the day of atonement (the ritual of which is described in Lev. 16). Now before the high priest could even do so, he himself had to offer a sacrificial blood sin offering first for himself (Lev. 16:6), and then for the people's sins committed in ignorance (Lev 16:15). Now through all these rituals the Holy Spirit was indicating that the way into God's Presence by His grace given us through His Son was not yet present for them, and thus the way for us into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest to them while the Tabernacle was still standing. It is most fitting then when the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified for us all, that in the moment that He died on the cross that God Himself tore the veil in temple from top to bottom, indicating that He had now made the way for sinful mankind (that's you and me) to be reconciled to Himself and come into the Holiest of All to be in an everlasting relationship with Himself through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ who is now God's only Mediator between God and mankind (Matt 27:51-56; John 3:16; 1 Tim 2:5-6). 

Vs. 9-10 ⁹ It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience—¹⁰ concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.

The Tabernacle and all of it's sacrifices and rituals then was symbolic, representative then of all that the Lord Jesus Christ has now done and fulfilled in restoring us who believe in Him back to God. And so just as the worshipers who offered their sacrifices for their sins could not have their consciences made perfect by those gifts, so too with the high priests who offered sacrifices, first for themselves and then for those worshipers, for both their service and their adherence too those ordinances were only until the time of reformation, (gr. διόρθωσις, Str. 1357). The inability (and insufficiency) of the Tabernacle and it's service in making anyone perfect in regards to conscience or anything else then is the point being made by these passages. "For the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of la better hope, through which we draw near to God." Heb. 7:19
Therefore let us all draw near to God by the way that He has prescribed for us all and that is through His only begotten Son the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12, 10:43; 1 Tim 2:5-6; Rev. 22:17); whose Sinless Life, Crucifixion Death, Resurrection from the Dead, and Ascension back to God the Father in heaven has made the way for us all to enter the Holiest of All, and thus have remission of all our sins and everlasting life with Himself by faith in His Person. Therefore don't delay, while it is the Day of Salvation be reconciled to God today and begin a New Life with Christ!

Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.

Additional Resources Consulted 
MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 2184). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Note on sins committed in ignorance
Under the Old Covenant there was no atonement for those sins committed "high handed" (Numbers 15:27-29, 30-31) meaning in knowing rebellious defiance towards God, for by doing so those who did so were declaring themselves to have rejected the Lord and His Word given to them (consider Numbers 15:1-15 (vs. 6-9); 16:1-40; Jeremiah 44:1-30, vs. 15-30 as some examples of this). Therefore in light of how seriously God dealt with those who did so, we should all consider such actions of willful defiance towards God as being very serious, whether under the Old Covenant or New, because those who now profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet knowingly and defiantly promote and expound those things that He abhors and hates as either coming from Him, or as now being acceptable to Him, are playing with an Everlasting fire that will not be quenched (Mark 9:42-49; Heb. 12:28-29).