Hebrews 10:26-31
26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
Hebrews 10:27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.
Hebrews 10:28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.
Hebrews 10:29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?
Hebrews 10:30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”
Hebrews 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Last we visited on this passage, I had provided some background to the passage and my current understanding that this passage was intended for those who had entered into following after the Messiah. The author himself, most assuredly a believer, includes himself in the warning.
For the next three posts on this passage, I hope to consider each of the phrases the author provides in expanding his understanding of “sinning willfully”.
A very serious condition that has dire consequences!
trampled underfoot the Son of God
To be trampled underfoot. It seems obvious the intended meaning, that the object being trampled underfoot is that which is spurned, treated with with rudeness, disrespect and neglect.
This term is used elsewhere in the New Testament and is helpful in considering the impact of our authors intent.
Matthew 5:13 You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
Jesus Himself used this term in His teaching, and this first verse provided indicates the worth associated with anything that is trampled underfoot. It is “good for nothing” other than to be thrown out and trampled under foot.
To be trampled underfoot is an expression of worth. Specifically, it is the estimated worth of an object in the minds of those considering it.
Matthew 7:6 Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
The true value and the estimated value of an object can be radically different amongst those considering it. In this verse, the true value of the object is precious, holy and likened to pearls. The estimated value is worthlessness in the way it is used, or distributed. The holy was distributed to the unholy.
And what was the reaction? The holy object was trampled underfoot by the unholy. The unholy also estimated the value to be of no value. But with the unholy, they not only trampled underfoot the holy, they turned on the one who did not estimate the object as holy, and protect it from abuse. They cast the holy to the unholy. And because of this error in estimating the value of the object, the unholy turned on them.
Consider this in relation to our passage in Hebrews.
The verse speaks of a judgement, even by the unholy, on the one who initially did not estimate the true value of a holy object.
Our author asks..
How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God.
In our earlier verse, it was the unholy performing the judgement. In the passage of Hebrews, we face the Holy One in the punishment.
The trampling underfoot is a severe estimation of worthlessness of the object, and this estimation of worthlessness brings consequences.
But the object in our verse in not some precious commodity, or some costly truth, or a valuable piece of wisdom, but the very Person of the Christ. Not an object with holiness assigned to it, but the very Holy One, the Person who embodies and provides the standard of holiness.
He is the One who has given everything to rescue us. What a complete and utter failure to estimate the true worth of Him, which will take an eternity to understand.
May we trample underfoot every effort, thought or action in our lives that would diminish our estimation of Him who is Holy.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
Considering the Bible 