THE “GOOD THINGS.” Hebrews 10:1-4 The Old Testament Day of Atonement was an annual reminder of the nation's sins and a shadow of the reality of good things to come. It was a shadow of the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ and the enduring cleansing from sin that would be available to every person who put their faith in Him. Abraham saw this Person by faith; Moses, David, and every person of faith who saw beyond the animal sacrifice to the reality that would be fulfilled in Christ.
Israelites would come every year on the Day of Atonement, watching to see whether God would accept the “shadow” offering, and anxiously waiting for the high priest to appear at the door of the tabernacle after taking the blood of atonement into the Holy of Holies, where God dwelt with His people.
We wait also, but not to see if we have been accepted. Our Lord Jesus Christ has entered the Holy Place through the veil with His own blood, and we have confidence to enter that Holy Place through the blood He shed for us. Now, we wait for our Lord to come and receive us “unto Himself,” and then our bodies of sinful flesh will be made like His body of glory. By faith we can draw near to God with hearts that are cleansed, consciences that are free from guilt, and “bodies washed with pure water” – the word of God applied to each situation that arises in our lives. In chapter seven, our Lord is the Priest forever who saves us completely. He is superior to the Aaronic priesthood. Chapter eight tells us that He is the superior sanctuary where He ministers for us. Chapter nine teaches us the superior way into the Holiest of All, the presence of God through the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. This chapter describes the way into the Holiest by which Christ entered – the superior sacrifice. What gave the sacrifice its worth?
The law was just a shadow, not the reality needed to enter into God's presence in a new relationship. The Gospel reveals the true image of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the spiritual reality. As the image of the Father, He shows and shares the life and glory of the Father. He is the very image of heavenly things that we know and have. We can “taste and see that the Lord is good,” and enjoy the blessings of the “good things.” By faith, we can experience these divine realities with a clear conscience.
Those who brought sacrifices in Israel would have a recurring sense of guilt that they had to deal with over and over. They would need another sacrifice to reassure themselves that they were safe. A guilty conscience would be awakened when they sinned, and they would never be assured of acceptance by God unless they looked beyond the sacrifice to what it foreshadowed.
We who have been saved by grace look to heavenly places and can live there in spirit as we walk with the Lord. We have been given access to the Holiest of All through Christ, and there is no remembrance of sin there. Bulls and goats couldn’t take away sins; they could only cover them temporarily. What the law and sacrifices could not do, Christ has done. He has removed our guilt and sins!
In the power of the eternal life, He has given us, those who come near to Him and accept what His grace provides, have been made perfect in Christ. That doesn’t mean our consciences will no longer bother us, but our sins have been forgiven, and the fellowship that can be broken because of sin and failure can be restored when we confess our sins to Him. There is “no more remembrance of sins” that keeps us separate from God. Our Great High Priest makes intercession for us.
The Holy Spirit within us reveals to us that we have access into the Holiest, and we are empowered to live for God, make no provision for the flesh, and live without the burden of a guilty conscience. Instead, we can come by faith into His presence, walk with Him, learn from His word, and lead a life pleasing to Him through the new and living way, our Lord Jesus Christ, the superior Sacrifice!