If you read Leviticus chapter 4, you find different sins committed by error or ignorance by different ones and the sacrifice applicable to these in each case. The sin referred to in Heb. 10:26 could not be of that category because they had received the knowledge of the truth and were thus not ignorant. Under the law, one who willfully transgressed was mercilessly put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses (see Numbers 15:27-36, Heb. 10:28). There were no sacrifices available for these sins and so much the more now that by one sacrifice, that of Christ – all have been made perfect for ever – no more sacrifices required. This is then compared with the just judgment deserved by those who willfully rejected Christ and were going back to Judaic rituals – it was not that they fell into sin, as might happen to any careless Christian, but that they now willfully trod under foot the Son of God and counted His blood an unholy thing etc. – no true believer would do this. Those addressed in this verse had a sanctified position by their profession (lifeless no doubt) of Christ – now they were rejecting Him and going back to the Jewish ordinances where there was no longer any sacrifice available for such a sin as sinning willfully (we can compare this with their sin of crucifying their Messiah which is said to have been done in ignorance – Acts 3:17). The guilty nation did in fact fall under terrible judgments on the earth in the hands of the living God (v. 30–31). In like manner, eternal judgment awaits those who crucify to themselves the Son of God (Heb. 6:6). In contrast the apostle encourages the true believers not to loose confidence because of the trials they were going through but to just keep on with Paul and the other believers – (see verse 39 and Heb. 6:9).
NOTE: All Bible references are from the King James Version unless otherwise specified. All unsigned material is in the spirit of Ecc. 12:11. Send all correspondence, comments, suggestions to: dailysowers@tlb.sympatico.ca
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