Christ's Law

[Odë:hgöd]

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● Heb 10:21-22 . . Since we have a high priest over the house of God, let us draw
near to God with a sincere heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with
pure water.

Sprinkling and washing were employed during Yom Kippur as a means of ritually
sanitizing just about everything and everybody associated with worship that day.
(16th of Leviticus)

In a similar manner; the stage is all set for the people to approach God on a much
better basis, and on a much higher level, than that of Yom Kippur. In that scenario,
the closest they ever got to God was the earthly priesthood and the earthly
tabernacle. In this scenario they are encouraged to be confident they can approach
God via a Heavenly arrangement consisting of a superior high priest, a superior
sprinkling, and a superior washing.

NOTE: Mankind was created in the image and likeness of God. (Gen 1:26-27)

But then came the forbidden fruit incident whereby mankind lost its God-given
conscience and fell prey to a humanistic conscience. (Gen 3:22)

Yom Kippur by the book addresses the people's conduct but does not address their
humanistic conscience, whereas Christ's atonement does.

● Heb 9:13-14 . . .The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled
on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly
clean. 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 lead to
death, so that we may serve the living God.

● Heb 10:21-22 . . Since we have a high priest over the house of God, let us draw
near to God with a sincere heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with
pure water.

People's conscience is their guiding light. But the actions of man's humanistic
conscience can, and often do, lead people into disagreement with their maker
because due to the forbidden fruit incident, man became a tin God.

In addition; man's conscience is capable of convincing folks they are innocent
when at times they are not.

● Jer 17:9-10 . .The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked:
who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every
man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

NOTE: Even if Yom Kippur were to address the people's conscience, it would have
to be done over and over again on an annual basis due to the limited value of the
ritual's atonement, whereas Christ's atonement does it but once and never has to
do it again. (Heb 10:1-14)
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[Odë:hgöd]

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● Heb 10:23 . . Let us cling to the acknowledgment of our faith without wavering;
(for He is faithful that promised)

"He is faithful" could also be said "He is unwavering"

One can scarcely blame the author's Hebrew audience for wondering if perchance
they're making a really big mistake dumping the covenant that Moses' people made
with God as per Deut 29:9-15. A lot is at stake.

For one thing, the covenant is their sacred heritage and their cultural identity; and
for another, the covenant is a contract that obligates God to lower the boom on His
people with some pretty severe penalties for breaching it: they're all on file at Lev
26:3-38, Deut 27:15-26, and Deut 28:1-69. When Hebrews convert to Christianity,
they have to wonder if maybe they're stepping off into an abyss from whence there
is no return.

But the reality is: they have nothing to lose by taking that step because the original
covenant provides neither forgiveness nor atonement for willful sins; which can be
defined as deeds committed by someone knowing beforehand that what they were
about to do is wrong.

"The priest shall atone for the erring soul which sinned inadvertently before The
Lord, so as to atone on his behalf, and it shall be forgiven him. One law shall apply
to anyone who sins inadvertently from the native born of the children of Israel and
the proselyte who resides among them.

. . But if a person should act highhandedly, whether he is a native born or a
proselyte, he is blaspheming The Lord, and that soul shall be cut off from among its
people. For he has scorned the word of The Lord and violated His commandment;
that soul shall be utterly cut off; for its iniquity is upon it." (Num 12:28-31, cf. Heb
10:26)

I'm pretty sure it was Num 12:28-31 that Paul had in mind when he informed his
Jewish countrymen "through Jesus everyone who believes is freed from all things,
from which you could not be freed through the law of Moses" (Acts 13:39)

One of the more common willful sins is dishonesty. Everybody knows it's wrong but
go about it anyway. Well; dishonesty is forbidden by the original covenant.

"You shall not lie, one man to his fellow." (Lev 19:11)

So then, when a Torah-trained Jew tells a lie; they act highhandedly; viz: they
commit a willful sin for which the original covenant provides neither forgiveness nor
atonement. That Jew is a scofflaw and in desperate need of a safety net.

"Cursed be he who does not uphold the words of this Torah, to fulfill them." (Deut
27:26)
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