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"Lo I come to do Thy Will, O God."
The four kinds of sacrifice which were ordained by the law, and which were shadows
of the one offering of Christ, are divided into two groups--burnt offerings and sacrifices
for sin. The former are a sweet savour to God, the latter for the sins of His people. Both
aspects combine in the one offering of Christ.
By the which will.
It is important to the Scriptural meaning of sacrifice that we bear in mind the teaching
of this passage. "Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God" is equivalent to "Lo, I come to do all
that burnt offering and sacrifice for sins typified". By so doing the first covenant was
taken away and the second established (10: 9):--
"For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been found for
the second" (8: 7).
The first covenant was faulty because it was a shadow, it was weak because of the
flesh, it was impossible because its sacrifices were bulls and goats, it was a failure
because it did not touch the conscience. All this has found rectification in Christ. His
blood has ratified the new covenant, His offering touches the conscience and makes a
way into the true holiest of all:--
"By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ
once for all" (Heb. 10: 10).
It will help us if we carefully analyse the statements of this verse:--
1.
What is the will of God intended by--"The which will"?
2.
What is the purpose of God by this will?--"We are sanctified."
3.
What means were used to accomplish this will?--"The offering of the body."
4.
What constitutes its eternal efficacy?--"Once for all."
The strange expression "by the which will" must mean the "done will" accomplished
by Christ. This will done by Christ cannot be confined to the earthly life and perfect
obedience of those sinless years, for the very accomplishment of that will is found in "the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ" and that as a sacrifice which involved:--
1.
Suffering (Heb. 9: 26; 13: 12).
2.
Crucifixion (Heb. 6: 6; 12: 2)
3.
Shedding of blood (Heb. 9: 14; 10: 19).
4.
Death (Heb. 2: 9; 9: 15).
5.
An Altar (Heb. 13: 10).
6.
A Priest (Heb. 8: 1; 9: 11).
7.
A Sanctuary (Heb. 9: 24; 10: 19).
It is utterly impossible to avoid the sacrificial character of the work of Christ when
thinking of His accomplishment of the Divine will. That was the will of God in its