
(All Scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated)
In Hebrews 10:21 through 25, there are three more helpings being served up of Hebrew ‘Let Us’!
...having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil con- science and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wa- vering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day ap- proaching.
The first two servings of ‘Let Us’ in verses 22 and 23 are pretty much a reiteration of what we studied in Serving Up Hebrew ‘Let Us’ – II from Hebrews 4:14 through 16:
- Verse 14 – “…let us hold fast our confession.” And we discussed just what confession we were to hold fast.
- Verse 16 – “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace…” because Jesus has made the way for us!
Now, in chapter 10, there is an expansion of the first ‘Let Us’, and a reminder in the second!
- Hebrews 10:21, 22 – “…having a High Priest over the house of God, 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.”
✞ Yes, we have a High Priest over the house of God! Jesus Christ has gone into the Holy of Holies, not the earthly model, but the original made by God Himself in heaven! (See Hebrews 8:1-5). ✞ Jesus tore “...the veil, that is, His flesh...” (Hebrews 10:20), making the way for us to “... come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16 – see Serving Up Hebrew ‘Let Us’ – II). ✞ As the high priest of the Old Testament had to be cleansed by sacrifice before he could enter the Holy of holies on the Day of Atonement (see Leviticus 16:11-14), so are we now cleansed even more thoroughly by the blood of the Lord shed for us! As it says in our featured Scripture: ★ Hebrews 10:22 – “...having our hearts sprin- kled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” We are so clean by the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God that the Father sees us as if we have no sin at all! (See Isaiah 1:18; Ephesians 5:25-27; Hebrews 10:17). ★ Hebrews 10:21 – In Christ, we can then enter into God’s presence “...with a true heart in full assurance of faith....”
So, “…let us draw near…”!
- Hebrews 10:23 – The second ‘Let Us’ is as reminder of what has already been said in Hebrews 4:14! (See above). Here is verse 23: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Notice, two more things are here added to the statement of Hebrews 4:14 concerning holding “…fast our confession…”:
✞ “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without
wavering....”
★ “...the confession of our hope....” Paul says
in I Timothy 1:1, “...the Lord Jesus Christ,
our hope....” What is hope? It is much akin
to faith! But faith adds to hope! For it says
in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance
of things hoped for, the evidence of things
not seen.” Hope can be kind of vague. Faith
in what you hope for makes it real and solid!
For instance, our view of heaven from our per-
spective upon this earth can be rather hazy.
But faith in what the Word of God says about
it makes it very real! I can hope I go to
heaven someday, but by faith in the promises
of God, I know I will be there! For, “...ab-
sent from the body [is] to be present with
the Lord.” (II Corinthians 5:8).
★ “...without wavering....” How can we be with-
out wavering in the confession of our hope?
By building up our faith! And how do we do
that? The answer is in Romans 10:17: “So
then faith comes...by the word of God.” Get
in your Bible – often, regularly, and intense-
ly! Your faith will be built up, and you will
not be wavering in your confession of hope!
- Hebrews 10:24, 25 – The third ‘Let Us’ of chapter 10 adds a horizontal dimension to our Christian walk!
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. ✞ There are a number of Scriptures that remind us that we are not in this Christian life by ourselves! Here are four: ★ Romans 12:4, 5 – “...as we have many members in one body...so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another....” ★ I Corinthians 10:17 – “...we, being many, are ...one body....” ★ I Corinthians 12:12 – “...as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many are one body, so also is Christ.” ★ Ephesians 4:25 – “...for we are members of one another.” ✞ According to Ephesians 4:15, we, together, are to “...grow up in all things unto Him who is the head — Christ....” So... ★ “...let us consider one another....” We are not to pry unnecessarily into another Chris- tian’s affairs, but we are to keep an eye on one another concerning the living out of our profession of faith! ➔ “I have missed you in church for the last two weeks. Is everything ok?” ➔ “How is your Bible reading coming along?” ➔ “Is there anything I can pray about with you?”
You get the idea!
★ “...let us...stir up love and good works....” That can be quite a testimony in this sin dark- ened world! (See John 34, 35). And that’s the goal of keeping a helpful eye on one another! ★ “...let us...not [be] forsaking the assembling of ourselves together....” Gathering together for worship, instruction, fellowship, mission, etc. is important! That’s the purpose of the Church, and it cost the Lord His life’s blood to build the Church! ★ “...let us...[be] exhorting one another....” “C’mon! Let’s go! Let’s do it together!” (See Paul’s example of exhor-tation in Colos- sians 1:10). ✞ Finally, in light of the Lord Jesus’ return, which is approaching nearer and nearer with each passing day, we are to continue to do these four things (stared ★ above) “...and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
“Blessed is that servant whom his Master will find so doing when He comes.” (Luke 12:43).