Themes of Hebrews 10

CHAPTER 10 THEMES

Note:about formatting:
 - bold is for Christ’s work 
 - red is for negations (i.e. “could not make perfect”).
 - sorry about the borders.  Blogger didn't handle the import from Word that well.

Vs.

Finality

Cleansing

Offering

God’s Will

First Covenant

Christ

Cultic Language

Sins

First covenant

Christ

Satisfaction

1

Continually offered year by year

make perfect

same sacrifices

2

ceased to be offered

once been cleansed

conscious-ness of sins

“they” [sacrifices]

3

every year

4

take away sins

Blood of bulls and goats

5

Sacrifices and offerings

Desired, Prepared

6

burnt offerings and sin offerings

Pleasure

7

Your will

8

Desired, Pleasure

9

Your will

10

once for all

been sanctified

Offering of the body of Jesus

that will

11

Daily offering repeatedly

take away sins

Same sacrifices

stands daily

12

Offered for all time

for sins

Single sacrifice

sat down @ right hand

13

perfected, sanctified

Single offering

14

for all time

15-18, while connected thematically, they are mainly just an inclusio with the quote in chapter 8.

What really stood out to me after doing this exercise was the central role that "satisfaction" had in this whole thing.  The flow is kind of chiastic

A, Levitical sacrifice was every year

  B Levitical sacrifice couldn't make perfect

    C Levitical sacrifice  couldn't satisfy

    C' Jesus' sacrifice did satisfy

  B Jesus' sacrifice did make perfect

A Jesus' sacrifice was once for all

The theme of satisfaction lies right at the heart of the passage.  Many exegetes have just taken this Psalm quote as a way the author is trying to emphasize Jesus' obedience.  I don't think Jesus' obedience is the main point of this quotation.  I think the main theme of 1:1-14 is the pleasure and desire of God being satisfied.