A Reminder
not a removal
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 10:3-4
But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Accidents happen. Sometimes they leave a mark. Sometimes a person will put something over the mark created by the mistake to cover it. The mark doesn’t go away. It is simply covered up. And every time the person who covered it up sees the object, they used to hide their error, they will be reminded of what happened. They will know that there is a problem behind that veil of perfection.
In the same sense, the Old Testament sacrifices covered the sins of God’s people, but they never removed them. As the writer of Hebrews says, the sacrifices were actually a reminder of sin, not a removal of sin. It was impossible for sin to be taken away by the blood of bulls.
It is only by the sacrifice of Christ that sin is forever removed.
A few verses later it says:
When Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God…for by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
