Hebrews 10:19-22 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Having therefore The apostle, having finished the doctrinal part of his epistle, now proceeds to exhortation, deduced from what has been treated of from Hebrews 5:4. For though there are some occasional intermixtures of doctrines, consonant to those before insisted on, yet his professed design henceforward is to propose to, and press on, the believing Hebrews, such duties as the truths he had insisted on laid a foundation for, and showed to be necessary to be practised. Having therefore boldness The word παρρησια, thus rendered, properly means liberty of speech; and by an easy figure, boldness, or confidence, as it is rendered chap. Hebrews 3:6. Here it signifies that boldness which arises from a firm persuasion of our title to appear before God as pardoned persons, through the blood of Christ. To enter into the holiest That is, the true sanctuary, the holy place not made with hands, the immediate gracious presence of God himself in Christ Jesus. Whatever was typically represented in the most holy place of old, we have access to, especially into the favour and friendship of God, and a state of fellowship with him. Of this privilege the blood of Christ, or his sacrifice, is the procuring cause. By this, all causes of distance between God and believers are removed. For on the one hand, it made atonement for our sins, and procured our free justification; and on the other gives peace to our consciences, and removes every discouraging fear of approaching him, whether in his ordinances here, or in his kingdom and glory hereafter. By a new and living way He calls it a new way, because it was but newly made and prepared; belongs to the new covenant, and admits of no decays, but is always new, as to its efficacy and use, as in the day of its first preparation; whereas that of the tabernacle waxed old, and so was prepared for a removal. And he terms it a living way, because all that use it are alive to God, and in the way to life everlasting. And this is no other than the way of faith, or confidence in the mercy and promises of God, through the sacrifice of Christ, according to the revelation made thereof in the gospel; which he hath consecrated Prepared, dedicated, and established; through the veil, that is, his flesh He refers to the veil that was interposed between the holy and the most holy place of the Jewish tabernacle and temple: see Hebrews 9:3. This veil, on our Lord's death, was rent from the top to the bottom, by which the most holy place became visible and accessible to all that were in the outward tabernacle; by which fact was signified, that by virtue of Christ's sacrifice, whereby his flesh was torn and rent, the God of heaven was manifested, and the way to heaven laid open to all true believers. And having a High-Priest over the house Or family; of God Who continually appears in the presence of God, and ever lives to make intercession for us; let us draw near To God; with a true heart In godly sincerity, and with fervent desire after such blessings of the gospel as we have not yet received; in full assurance of faith That we shall find acceptance with God through the mediation of our High-Priest, and the answer of our petitions; having our hearts sprinkled That is, cleansed, by the application of Christ's blood; from an evil conscience Namely, a conscience defiled with the guilt of past sin. See on Hebrews 9:14. When the Israelites were ceremonially polluted, they were to be cleansed by sprinkling them with the water of separation, described Numbers 19:2-10; but the sprinkling or cleansing here recommended is not of the body from ceremonial pollution, but of the soul from the guilt and distress of an accusing conscience. This cleansing is effected neither by water nor by the blood of beasts, but by faith in Christ's blood, shed as a sin-offering, whereby the repenting sinner hath a full assurance of pardon. And our bodies washed with pure water All our conversation unblameable and holy, through the influence of God's sanctifying Spirit. This seems to be spoken with an allusion to the high-priest's washing his body with water before he entered the inward tabernacle, Leviticus 16:4. In that manner also the Levites were purified, (Numbers 8:7,) to prepare them for the service of the sanctuary.