Hebrews 10:11-25 devotional.
Section: 11 And every priest stands daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies are made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. 15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 18 Now where remission of these is there no more offering for sin? 19 Having therefore, brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh 21 And having a high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering ; (for he is faithful that promised) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works: 25 Not forsaking our own assembling together, as some are accustomed; but exhorting one another: and so much more as ye see the day approaching .
Hebrews 10 Devotional
1. The New Covenant
The old covenant was a temporary arrangement, but the new covenant is permanent.
- The old covenant was based on the blood of animals, but Jesus’ blood was shed for us and our sins (1 Pet. 1:18-19).
- The old covenant required sacrifices to be offered repeatedly because they could not take away sin (Heb. 9:11-14). When Jesus died on the cross, He made an eternal sacrifice that covered all our sins (1 Cor. 15:3-4).
- The old covenant included many rules and rituals that were impossible for humans to follow perfectly (Galatians 3:24), but when we enter into a relationship with God through faith in Christ, His grace covers our failures and brings us into right standing with Him (Romans 5:1–2).
2. Verse 19: Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have the confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,
This is a momentous verse. The author is saying that through Jesus, we have access to God. This is because he has made an opening for us in the curtain that separates us from God’s presence. You see, before the cross, this was impossible for sinful people like you and me; but now it’s possible! We can enter God’s presence by faith in Christ without fear of condemnation (Hebrews 10:19).
- What does it mean to have confidence?
- What does it mean to enter through the blood?
- How do these verses relate to each other and what do they say about our relationship with God?
3. Verse 20: and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
The priest, who represents Jesus, is the Son of God. He is “the mediator of a new covenant (Hebrews 9:15).”
The high priest and his work represent a hidden message that the author wants us to understand. The high priest had to offer sacrifices for himself first, then for all Israelites in general, and lastly for strangers and Gentiles (Leviticus 16:16). The word translated as “strangers” refers to Gentiles who did not belong to Israel’s community but were also allowed into it because they worshipped Yahweh as they did. This shows that even though these people were not of Israelite descent or race, they could still be part of God’s chosen people if they worshipped him rightly.
4. Verse 21: let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
- Draw near to God with a sincere heart: “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings.” The author of Hebrews teaches that we can draw near to God by having our hearts sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ.
- Full assurance of faith: The author explains that when you come before the Lord, “full assurance” comes when your sins are washed away through His blood and you have been cleansed by His Spirit (Hebrews 10:22).
- Sprinkled with blood of Jesus Christ: When you are sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ, it is like getting into a pool or bathtub filled with pure water—your whole body gets clean! That’s what happens when you come into the presence of God through faith in Him—you are cleansed from all sin!
- Sprinkling is symbolic–it represents cleansing from our sins by God’s grace through faith in Christ alone without works (Ephesians 2:8-9)
5. Verse 22: Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
- Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
- The words of this text are beautiful and they can be summarized in two points:
- Faith is not a feeling, but a choice (Romans 14:23)
- Faith is a decision to believe in God (Hebrews 11:6)
6. Verse 23: And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,
Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
This is an incredible verse. It encourages us to keep in mind the goal of our faith: unity with our fellow believers, as well as with God himself. There are many times when this unity can be threatened, especially if you’re a new Christian and have just started meeting people at your church or study group who seem to know more about their religion than you do. But Hebrews 10:24–25 reminds us that we should encourage each other, love one another, help each other out with any questions or doubts (see “Hebrews 10:23”), and be sure to go out of our way to help those who are struggling with their faith.
7. The infilling power of the Holy Spirit allows us to live not in fear but in boldness. He enables us to hold fast to our confession in Christ and persevere in the walk of faith.
Hebrews 10:19-25 says, “Therefore, brothers and sisters since we have the confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain (that is, his body), that is, his flesh…we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God.”
Hallelujah! We can find boldness in Christ because he has given us boldness through his Spirit. He empowers us with confidence to walk boldly without fear into His presence.
Therefore I say: Do not be afraid! Stand firm in the faith!
Closing
Hebrews 10:19-23 is a beautiful passage that reminds us of our hope in Christ and the infinite power of God’s Holy Spirit. This passage is an encouragement to draw near to God with confidence in his grace (verse 18), because we have been made right with him through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross (verse 22). We can also see how important it is not only to know our faith but also to hold fast to it, as well as encourage other believers so they will persevere in their walk of faith as well.”
