Hebrews 9
v.9
This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper.
v.14
How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that leads to death, so that we may serve the living God!
Our conscience is a wonderful tool from God. But it isn’t perfect. Our conscience can be seared (1 Timothy 4:2. Our conscience can be defiled (Titus 1:15. Our conscience can be evil (Hebrews 10:22.
The sacrifice which he made for sin was so pure and of such value, that God can consistently pardon the offender and restore him to his favor. That blood too can give peace - for Christ poured it out in behalf of the guilty. It is not that he took part with the sinner against God; it is not that he endeavors to convince him who has a troubled conscience that he is needlessly alarmed, or that sin is not as bad as it is represented to be, or that it does not expose the soul to danger. Christ never took the part of the sinner against God; he never taught that sin was a small matter, or that it did not expose to danger. He admitted all that is said of its evil. But he provides for giving peace to the guilty conscience by shedding his blood that it may be forgiven, and by revealing a God of mercy who is willing to receive the offender into favor, and to treat him as though he had never sinned. Thus, the troubled conscience may find peace; and thus, though guilty, man may be delivered from the dread of the wrath to come.
Beloved, if our consciences were more fully developed than they are, we should have as great a sense of the frequency of our uncleanness as ever the thoughtful Israelite had of his danger of ceremonial uncleanness. I tell you solemnly that the talk which we have heard lately about perfection in the flesh comes of ignorance of the law and of self. When I have read expressions which seem to claim that the utterers were free from sin in thought and word and deed, I have been sorry for the deluded victims of self-conceit and shuddered at their spirit. The sooner this boasting is purged out of the Church of God the better. God’s true people have the spirit of truth within them, convincing them of sin and not the proud and lying spirit which leads men to say they have no sin. True saints abide in the place of penitence and constant faith in the atoning blood and dare not exalt themselves as the Pharisee who cried, “God, I thank You that I am not as other men are.” “There is not a just man upon earth that does good and sins not” (Ecc 7:20).
CharlesSpurgeon similar to v 10
v.15-16
The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: 16”This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.”
The writer consistently regards God as the author of Scripture and, as we have seen, ascribes to God words uttered by Moses and others.
v.22
In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
v.27-28
Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement, 28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
See Titus 2:11-13.
The first time [Christ] came to slay sin in men. The second time He will come to slay men in sin.
This writer follows the frequent Jewish and unanimous New Testament consensus (among those sources that comment on the question) that death ended one’s opportunity for reconciliation with God.
To despise the law of Moses was a serious matter, but this is more serious still. The law of Moses was held by Jews to be divinely given: anyone who rejected it rejected God’s direction. When this happened, no discretion was allowed: the person had to be executed. In a serious matter, the charge had to be proved beyond doubt. Thus the testimony of one witness was not sufficient: there had to be two or three. But when there were the required witnesses to say what the person had done, justice took over. There was no place for mercy. He had to be executed (Dt 17:6; 19:15). The writer invites the readers to work out for themselves how much more serious is the punishment of the one who apostatizes from Christ. It must be more severe than under the old way because Jesus is greater than Moses (3:11ff.), and the new covenant is better than the old, founded on better promises (8:6) and established by a better sacrifice (9:23).
v.31
It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
v.32
Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering.
The verb translated “received the light” (GK 5894) means the enlightenment the Gospel brought. This had resulted in some form of persecution that the reader had endured in the right spirit.
It’s okay to remember your time in college when you were serving God in various ways. No need to guilty in remembering them.
v.33
Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.
v.34
You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.
v.35-36
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
Remembering our endurance in previous seasons grows our confidence to persevere until the great Day of the Lord.