"For when we intentionally commit chet b'yad ramah (willful sin with a high hand of defiance - Num.15:30) after having received the full daat (knowledge) of ha'Emet (the Truth), there remains no longer a korban (sacrifice) for chattoteinu (sins), but only a terrible expectation of a Din (Sentence) and Mishpat (Divine Judgment) and of a blazing Esh Tsarecha Tokhlem (the fire that consumes the enemies of Yahweh - Is.26:11). Anyone who was doiche (rejecting or setting aside) the Torah (Law) of Rebbe Moshe (Teacher Moses), upon the davar (word) of Shni Edim O Al Pi Shlosha Edim (testimony of two of three witnesses - Num.19:15), dies without rachamim (mercy). By how much worse onesh (penalty) do you think the one will be considered worthy who trampled on the Ben haElohim (Son of God = Yah'shua the Messiah/Jesus Christ) and also treated as mechallel qodesh (profane) the Dahm haB'rit (Blood of the Covenant) which set him apart mekudash (as holy) and also committed Chillul Yahweh gidduf (blasphemy) against the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) of Yahweh's chesed (mercy, grace, loyal loving-kindness)? For we have daat (knowledge) of the One who said, Li Nakam Vshilem (Vengeance is Mine and I will Repay - Num.32:35) and again Yadin Yahweh Ammo (Yahweh will judge His people - Num.32:36). It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Elohim Chayyim (Living God)" (Heb.10:26-31, OJB)

"When he said above, 'Zevach (sacrifice) and Minchah (offering) and Olah (burnt offerings) and Chata'ah (offerings for sin) have You have not desired, nor have You taken pleasure in them' - these are offered according to the Torah - Then he said, 'I have come La'asot Retzonechah (to do Your will) He takes away haRishonah (the way of the zevakhim [sacrificial meals] of the kehunah [priesthood] of Levi) in order to establish haSheniyah (the way of the zevach [sacrifice] of the kehunah [priesthood] of Rebbe, Melech haMashiach (Teacher, King Messiah {Yah'shua/Jesus}). And it is by the ratzon Yahweh (acceptable time of Yahweh, time of favour of Yahweh) that we have been set apart for kedushah (holiness) through the korban Nefesh (sacrifice of the body/soul/being) (Is.53:10; cp. Asham Korban [guilt, tresspass offering]) of Rebbe, Melech haMoshiach Yah'shua (Teacher, King Messiah Yah'shua/Jesus), once and for all" (Heb.10:8-10, OJB).

Let us now return to the passage under study today. The context of this passage, and indeed the whole Book of Hebrews, is Judahites who have converted to Messiah Yah'shua being told not to return to their old system of worship under the Old Covenant (a problem many contemporary Messianic Jews have). As we have seen, the writer is not saying that we should suddenly become Torahless or lawless, but rather we should not return to the old system of animal sacrifices and the Levitical Priesthood that administered it. Apart from a few Orthodox Jews sacrificing chickens at Yom Kippur, there is no system of Levitical animal sacrifices in operation amongst Jews today even though they are getting ready to start them all over again. Needless to say, these sacrifices will incur no blessings for them but simply cement in blood their continued rejection of the Messiah and their reliance on good works, just like the Muslims and other religions, to secure a place for themselves in heaven.

However, the real target of this passage is not unbelieving Jews or Judahites, then or now, but on those who have come to Messiah from Judaism and then return to it, abandoning Yah'shua as their korban Nefesh. How then, does it apply to us today who are not in that situation? Well, for one thing, this passage admonishes us to keep on fearing Yahweh, and more so than the Hebrews of the Old Covenant ever did. Why? Because the consequences of aposatcy are not merely the loss of your physical life but the loss of your soul too. Where this passage is especially useful and important in contemporary discipleship is in its reminder that 'fearing Yahweh' is not just 'reverence'. The passage totally negates all modern evangelical ideas about exalting the love of Yahweh as the highest motivation for right behaviour and proper Torah-obedience without incorporating genuine fear of His judgment. When we indulge in this feminising of the 'fear of Yahweh' by reducing it to mere reverence because of love we simultaneously blunt the intended scriptural impact which the prospect of judgment ought to make on unrepentant sinners. And whilst the love of Yahweh must absolutely be one of the chief reasons for fearing him, that is only one aspect - the 'feminine' side of fear, which we can with some justification call the 'reverence' side. The other aspect - the 'masculine' side of fear (which is all but emasculated in the modern feminised evangelical churches and messianic assemblies of the West) is just as important if not the main aspect:

"By emunah (faith - trusting Yahweh) Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness (Tzedek Yahweh) which is according to faith" (Heb.11:7, NKJV - see Gen.15:6; Hab.2:4).

"The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov 9:10a, NKJV).

"And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (Prov.9:10b, NKJV).

Chapters like Hebrews 10 do not rest well with the feminised churches seeking excuses to be lawless, and understandably so. The passage under study has much to say about those who deliberately sin in the full knowledge of what they are doing, in Hebrew known as chet b'yad ramah which means to 'willfully sin with a high hand of defiance'. Those who have been born again, who know Messiah, who know what the Scriptures say but who excuse themselves by twisting the Scriptures to make them antinomian, are whom this passage is principally for. If under the Old Covenant system of sacrifices there was no covering or atonement for such sins, then - we are being asked to understand - it will be considerably worse under the New Covenant because such behaviour amounts to an outright denial of Christ! Mark that well: refusing to obey the commandments is endangering your salvation - this is the point of the passage. It is not addressing those who are trying and sometimes failing but those who adamantly and defiantly refuse to obey them! They are in effect denying the Messiah's sacrifice and nailing Him back on the cross like the rebellious Judeans whose refused to accept Him as Messiah in the days of Pontius Pilate.

Many sincere believers often wrongly think this passage is directed at them when they fall into sin when they are doing their best to repent and get right with Yahweh. It isn't. This passage is against those who are defiant against the Emet, who refuse to do as they are told by the Creator, such as those who think that the feeling of 'love' in their heart, with all their praise and worship, or humanitarian works, will somehow compensate. This kind of hypocrisy Yahweh exposed in the Old Covenant when the people fully participated in the mandated sacrificial system but sinned in secret afterwards. The parallel in the New Covenant is to continue to claim 'faith in Christ' without the responsibility and accountability to obey the commandments and so properly fear Elohim.

Evangelical Christianity and Messianism are both out of balance. Aside from the false pagan traditions both respectively adhere to, they emphasise one or the other aspect of "holy fear". This is why we call ourselves 'Messianic Evangelicals' because we insist that the Bible teaches both aspects of the Truth, and that a deficiency in one or the other leads to false belief and destruction. That is why the churches are dying in the West and why the Messianics by and large really aren't making a big difference. Both need to repent of their false traditions and recognise that the other has truths which they need.

We invite you to get to know more about our vision and mission. We are at a critical time both for the Messianic Community/Church and the world. Believers don't yet realise that we are undergoing great and stupendous changes in the world and that if they are not built firmly on the Rock of Faith in Messiah and Obedience to the Commandments that they will be swept away. There must therefore be an authentic fear of Yahweh-Elohim which is both fear of judgment for sin as well as an overflowing love for what Messiah has done for us - male and female principles of emet (truth) in proper balance. There must be an end to evangelicals accusing messianics of being 'legalists' (as an excuse to be lawless) and an end to messianics calling evangelicals 'unsaved' (because, for example, they don't necessarily use Divine names). Evangelicals and Messianics are the left leg and arm, and right leg and arm, of the Body of Messiah, respectively. Without each other the Body will be crippled. We are here to fuse them together in the proper, complete order. You are invited to be a part of that exciting vision and work!

Further Reading

[1] The Teeth of the Dragon - The Problem of Feelings and Fear

Comments from Readers

"I think with this, if someone does not have a true revelation of Yahweh's justice (and with this, the godly fear and understanding of what their sin deserves), they cannot truly have a revelation of YHWH's love in giving Yah'shua to save us because it's with the godly fear of YHWH's righteous justice poured out in Judgement, and then understanding the underserved grace He showed in giving Yah'shua to receive that in our place, that there is true revelation of YHWH's love. There cannot be a true revelation of His love without a godly fear and so I think it may be right to say that what should drive, motivate us, is the Love of Elohim, but with knowing that the true revelation of His love can never be disconnected from godly fear. I think the problem with many evangelicals though is where they have a wrong or lawless belief or understanding of what love is" (DP, South Africa, 6 December 2010).