Hebrews 9:10 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Hebrews 9:10

Comments

This summary of the regulations of the law shows that they all had one thing in common: they were carnal ordinances; they did not in themselves touch the soul. A person could go through all these rituals and their heart could be completely unaffected. It was not necessary in order to comply with them that the worshipper had any understanding or trust in God, felt any love for him, or had any reverence towards him. The regulations demanded no more than an outward act which a completely ignorant and unbelieving person could perform to the letter. Many of the Israelites must have felt at least something as they went through the motions, but for those who lacked faith, there was no accompanying movement in the heart of a spiritual nature. These things were imposed on Israel until the time of reformation, that it, the time when Christ, the one who was depicted in all these things, would come. We note that the meats and drinks, were to teach them the difference between holy and unclean. They too were all done away with at the coming of Christ. There were the food laws, which required them to eat only foods which were called clean, and avoid foods which were called unclean. These were given to teach the people to distinguish between the worship of God and holy things, and other earthly, sinful and worldly things. But the symbols went out of use at the time of reformation. Why? Because the New Testament church no longer dealt with such symbols, but with the reality itself. While Israel was a mixed multitude consisting of many who were unconverted, there was no common understanding among them of spiritual distinctions. They had to be taught in simple, concrete terms. But the church of Jesus Christ is not like that. It consists of born again believers, who must deal with the realities not the types and shadows, and they must truly learn in truth to abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good. Why do we not stick to the Old Testament foodstuffs? Why are we not bound by the food laws? Well, this is one of the verses that tells us that these things were done away with in Christ. They were just visual aids, teaching measures, and they done away with, with Christ.

Application

There are those religions today still which perform many outward washings and rituals cleaning ceremonies, which teach their people to distinguish between food they may eat and foods they may not eat, as if the kingdom of God consisted in eating and drinking (Romans 14:17). Islam has gone back to the Old Testament restrictions of the law without understanding that these things can make no real difference to the soul. Water removes dirt from the body, but it cannot wash sins from the soul and the conscience. The eating or not eating certain foods makes no difference when it comes to holiness before God. Righteousness is about motive and goal and adherence to God’s standards, not about what food enters the stomach. Christ released his disciples from all such powerless regulations when he said, ‘That whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man ((Mark 7:18-23).

Questions

Why does the Scripture teach that these regulations were to be followed by Israel for ever (Exodus 12:14; 27:21; etc.)? These passages speak of the regulations of the law being imposed on the generations of Israel without end. How then could they cease with the coming of Christ? What ceased was only the outward observance of these regulations. Their real significance lay in the spiritual lesson which they were designed to teach. Every one of these ordinances had a spiritual lesson behind it, and this lesson will indeed never cease; it continues to be observed and practiced by the church today which is the true Israel of God.

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Hebrews 9:10 Commentary and Bible Study