In what reveals some thought about the dating of this letter being when the Temple was still in operation (pre AD 70) the author reminds the community that, “Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” (Hebrews 10 v 11)
Day after day, again and again, the same performance and yet it never satisfies completely.
Look around today and though you won’t see the Temple sacrifices you will see the hamster wheels of life, scurrying to be and to achieve, to please and perform to perhaps a god they do not know or friends who are following them on socials.
Yesterday I had a beautiful moment of leading someone to Christ and I was able to say to that person that there is nothing they could do to make themselves a better person. They had come from a false religious background which knew much of duty. I told them of Jesus who gave the once and all sacrifice and who now by His Spirit will come and live within and alongside their life and as they simply let Him by submission then He will do the work of keeping them as a new creation in Christ. That is our gospel.
So let’s look at that verse again but differently:-
Day after day we stand ourselves, we don’t need a priest to do it for us and we worship our God. Again and again we dwell with complete assurance of the once and for all sacrifice of Jesus Christ that our sins are washed away. We are clean before God. We are free.
Missions Paul 