The American Wisdom Series

Presents

Pamphlet 1971 Hebrews kc 17-2

Did you notice that Paul left out "mine ears hast thou opened" in his quote of Ps. 40:6 in Hebrews 10:5-6?

Hebrews 10:1For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

[2] For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the
[3] But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
[4] For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
The shadows, all those sacrifices, could not bring us to perfection (teleioo, i.e. completion, fulfilled.) because first of all, the blood and spirit of animals simply cannot purge sin from our conscience. For that reason, they had to be offered year after year continually. It is only through the blood and sacrifice of the One whose spirit is eternal and can return unto us to dwell with us, that our sins can be forgiven and our minds purged.
So the question is: If all those sacrifices and shadowy doings could not do the job, i.e. if they could not bring His sons to completion, then what possible pleasure could our Father have in them? The answer is as simple as it should be obvious... none at all (Heb. 10:5)! Then why did He ordained them? That answer is also obvious... if one has eyes to see and ears to hear (Ps. 40:6). It was to teach us by using types and models (shadows) about the true tabernacle and the true sacrifice, the "real thing" which is Jesus Christ. In other words, it was to "Bring us to Christ"! Galatians 3:24 "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." You see, there is no other way to receive forgiveness for sins and receive eternal life for there is no "earthly sacrifice" that can atone for us in the spirit.
Hebrews 10:5
Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: [6] In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Paul is quoting directly from the 40th Psalm... yes... in the Old Testament which is as much a part of the complete Word of God as the New Testament. So if our Father has no pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices, what does pleasure Him? Our Father's desire, that which He most wants, is for His children to love Him, to come to Him and love and obey His Word, that He may be able to pour out His blessings upon them... which gives Him great joy. Let's look a little closer at the verses in the 40th Psalm from which Paul quoted.
Psalm 40:6
Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
Did you notice that Paul left out"mine ears hast thou opened" in his quote of Ps. 40:6 in Hebrews 10:5-6? The irony in this is that only those who dig deeper into His Word, who sincerely seek to gain a fuller understanding and come to know Him, would even notice the missing phrase.You see, they are the ones whose ears He opens! To wit, they are not the "milk drinkers" Paul spoke of in Hebrews 5:11-14.

Nevertheless, in Heb. 10:5 Paul is referring to any sacrifice (zebach in Hebrew) of which four are specifically referred to in Ps. 40:6, the verse he quoted. Perhaps it would be worthwhile to take a look at what was involved in making those sacrifices and what they were for (definitions below are taken from appendix 43, pg. 37, in the Companion Bible).

Any sacrifice = Zebach = any offering slain (from No. II. iv, above). The proper word for a victim, slain and offered. The Hebrew name for altar (mizbeah) is derived from the same root, and denotes the place of slaughter. Compare Genesis 22.

The meal offering = Minchah = the Meal offering = a present, assuch. Hence a gift-offering, not necessarily to secure admittance, but to secure favour. It might be sacrifice by blood, or more generally and later, without blood. It is used of the offerings of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:3, 4, 5), of Jacob's present to Esau (Genesis 32:13-21), etc. In Exodus and Leviticus it acquires a special limitation, and is the only word rendered "meat", or better (with Revised Version), "meal-offering" (though it has a wider signification than literal "meal").

The burnt offering = 'Olah = the burnt offering: so called from the Hiphil of the verb 'alah, to cause to ascend [as the flame and smoke ascend by burning]. In Greek holocausta, which conveys its meaning as being wholly burnt.

Sin offering (Ps. 22) = Chattath = the Sin offering from chatt'a to sin coming short of, by missing the mark in sins of commission. In the Piel it means to purge from such sin (Psalm 51:7). In the 'Olah (II. ii) the blood went upward, in the chattath it went downward and outward "without the camp". The former was burnt up on the altar, the latter went down on the ground.

Trespass offering (Ps. 69) = 'Asam = the Trespass offering. Relates to sins of omission, while chattath relates to sins of commission = sin in general; 'Asham sin in relation to Mosaic Law; sins of error arising from ignorance or negligence.

The point is that none of those sacrifices could make us whole or redeem us. Only the One of whom it was promised by the sworn oath of God, the One who became all those things, could cleanse us and make us white. It was the promise of the New Covenant!

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.


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