Hebrews Study

 HEBREWS

“The author of the letter to the Hebrews remains shrouded in mystery. Even early in the church’s history, a Christian as learned as Origen had to admit his ignorance of the true author of Hebrews. Several theories regarding the author’s identity have been proposed over the years, but all of them contain significant problems. The unknown authorship of this book should not shake our confidence in its authority…The strongly Jewish character of the letter to the Hebrews helps to narrow down its date to about AD 64–69.” (https://www.insight.org/resources/bible/)

Many have proposed Paul as the author but there is no proof of who wrote the letter and the wording, syntax and general character of Hebrews are not consistent with Paul’s other writings. There is no disharmony between the teaching of Hebrews and that of Paul's letters, but the specific emphases and writing styles are markedly different. Contrary to Paul's usual practice, the author of Hebrews nowhere identifies himself in the letter.

The audience for Hebrews appears to primarily be Jewish Christians. In the first century after the resurrection of Christ, most Christians were Jews. This included those born Jewish and Gentiles who had converted to Judaism and then believed in Christ. These believers were persecuted by both the Jewish and Gentile authorities. They were under constant pressure to renounce Christ and return to Jewish law and ritual. Because the Jewish authorities renounced Christ and believers in Christ the Roman authorities did not give them the protection they afforded Jews.

The theme of Hebrews is the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ as revealer and as mediator of God's grace.  Hebrews makes the very strong point that Jesus’ ministry and priesthood are far above and beyond that of the Hebraic priesthood of Aaron. The sacrifice Jesus made of Himself is far greater than any earthly sacrifice of an animal or even human. The sinless sacrifice of Himself Jesus made is permanent and does not need to be repeated on a periodic basis. He is our permanent and perfect High Priest. The recipients of Hebrews were clearly discouraged and disheartened in their faith and Hebrews provided the message of encouragement they needed.

There are a number of ideas and words that appear throughout Hebrews that need to be remembered. The word “better” appears 13 times and is a central theme. Christ is better than the angels, prophets, sages, and patriarchs. Jesus’ ministry is better than any other ministry. Jesus’ priesthood is better than the  Aaronic priesthood. Jesus’ sacrifice is better than any other sacrifice. Hebrews, more than any other writing, develops Jesus’ High Priestly ministry. Another theme that is addressed in Hebrews more than in any other gospel or letter is the dangers of apostasy and its results. Faith is al a central part of Hebrews, especially in chapter 11.

We must remember the letter was written to Hebrews, by a Hebrew about a Hebrew. Jesus was a Jewish sage and rabbi in addition to being the Son of God. He was born at a specific time, in a specific point in space, and to a specific people. His coming was prophesied about by that people. Jesus lived in that specific culture and in accordance with their religion. To understand what Jesus was saying we must approach Him from the Hebrew culture, thought, and certainly their extremely strong belief in one true God, YHWH. We cannot hope to truly understand if we approach Him from any culture other than Jewish culture. Pagan culture such as Greek, Roman, Islamic, etc, cannot hope to fully understand the Messiah since they do not fullyacceptYHWH as the one true God and Jesus as the son of God, a very part of God. An example is Greek logic which likes to argue there is no proof of God so YHWH must not exist. To the Jews, God’s existence is a given, no proof is needed.

We must be careful not to project into the past the culture we are familiar with today. We must read the Scriptures for what they say, not what we have been taught they say or perhaps whish they say. We must also ask the Holy Spirit to help us understand how Jesus’ words apply to our day and time.

Hebrews is a very theologically oriented book and takes work and especially faith in the Holy Spirit’s guidance when reading. Throughout Hebrews, we are given difficult passages but then there is often the word “therefore” and an explanation and/or example follows to help us. Hebrews does not seek to prove the existence of God, it takes God’s existence for granted and helps us with living for God. Hebrews is not so much theological as it is theonomy. Theology is thinking about God and the reasons for a belief. The Greeks sought to prove or disprove God exists. (Since God is a spirit neither can be done.) Theonomy (theos = God, nomos = law) is the state of an individual or society that regards its own nature and norms as being in accord with God’s requirements..

For the next meeting please choose one thing from each chapter you feel is important and/or summarizes the chapter. No more than 1-3 verses each.

{As a side note please notice how the Hebraic Scriptures (O.T.) and the Apostolic Scriptures (N.T.) tie together and are mutually supportive. “The writings of the apostles maintained continuity with the prior words of an unchanging God.” There is nothing in the Apostolic Scriptures that is not first in the Hebraic Scriptures. The covenant with God by Moses, what many Christians call ‘the law’, does not abrogate the original covenant made with Abraham, a covenant validated by God’s promise. Galatians 3:17-18, Hebrews 13:8. No other book in the Bible explains so clearly the meaning and purpose of the ceremonial law that is recorded in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers than The Epistle to the Hebrews. The author does not downplay or reject the ceremonial law but he shows that the law merely foreshadows the salvation God has prepared for us.}

 

Hebrews 1

God’s Final Word: His Son

¹In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ²but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom also He made the universe. ³The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. ⁴So He became as much superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is superior to theirs.

{This opening sets the stage for the rest of the letter. The opening leads us to think the author was writing to a largely Hebrew audience. The author knows the the Hebraic scriptures very well. As the letter continues his knowledge of the sacrifice,  prophets, and writings helps prove Christ is the Son of God, the object of the prophesies and sages, and the true sacrifice for our sins.

The author (I will use “he” in defference to the culture) starts referring to the past of the Hebrews, the Torah and Tenach. (The Torah is the first five books of Moses and the Tenach is the Torah, and the prophets [Nevi’im] and the writings [ketuvim].) God spoke to the prophets through dreams, visions and narrative and they passed the Words of God to the people. God speaking through the prophets was not a one time occurrence but happened many times in many places in many ways.

The author moves from the prophets bringing God’s Word to Jesus being God’s Word. He makes a point in saying “these last days.” For us, we are looking for the last day or days when Christ returns. The early church realized the last days started when Jesus was resurrected. Verse 2 takes us to Genesis 1:1; Neh. 9:6; and John 1:1. The opening verses of The Epistle to the Hebrews (vs 1:3) indicate that the sin question has been dealt with completely. Hebrews make the superiority of Christ clear from these opening verses. Christ is the Son of God, creator of the universe, and heir of everything, everywhere and at any time.

Being the Son of God, Jesus looks exactly like the Father. His actions are exactly what the Father wants. His thinking is exactly what the Father wants. His priorities are exactly what the Father wants. His love absolutely mimics the Father’s love. His sacrifice for our sins is exactly what the Father knew had to happen. After living a sinless life and being the innocent sacrifice Jesus ascended bodily to sit at the right hand of the Father. All of this shows He is much superior to the angels.

 

The Son Superior to Angels

⁵For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father”? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”? ⁶And again, when God brings His firstborn into the world, He says, “Let all God’s angels worship Him.” ⁷In speaking of the angels He says, “He makes His angels spirits, and His servants flames of fire.”

⁸But about the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. ⁹You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” (Psalm 45:7,8) ¹⁰He also says, “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. ¹¹They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. ¹²You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.” (Psalm 102:26-28 ) ¹³To which of the angels did God ever say, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? ¹⁴Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

{The author continues his argument that Jesus is superior to the angels and the creator and heir of all things. 2 Samuel 7:14; Psalm 2:7-8 says the same thing. “I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father. ⁸Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.” This Psalm and Psalm 45:1-8 both talk about the Son of God and Him being heir of everything. In Psalm 110:1 we are told God will make the world Christ’s footstool and Psalm 102:27 show Christ is forever. The Angels are ministering spirits to those who will inherit salvation, born again Christians.

{Note the author says nothing about rites, institutions, dispensations, and laws. The reason is to be found, not in sacrifices or rituals, but in the words of promise, but in holy men, who were sent, time after time, to quicken the institutions into new life or to preach new truths.}

 

 

Hebrews 2

Warning to Pay Attention,

¹We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. (Isa. 51:13; Jer. 3:21; Acts 5:32; Galatians; Galatians 5:4, 6; James 4:17) ²For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, ³how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? (Exodus 32:1; Exodus 32:8; Nehemiah 5:9; John 5:39; Hebrews 6:6; Revelation 2:4; ) This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. (Isaiah 55:1, 3, 6; John 15:27 ) ⁴God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.  (Proverb 8:34; Ecc. 5:1; 1 Corinthians 12)

{The author now admonishes us to pay very careful attention to what we have hear re. Jesus the Messiah and the ‘good news’. He also tells us why we must pay attention, so we do not drift away from our belief. The church in Galatia provides an example of this happening. The author now refers to the practices, rituals and instructions given to the Jews by God through Moses. The Jews considered much of the “law” to be given by God through angels to Moses. The legislative parts of the instructions prescribed a punishment for violation of a law. In the case of blasphemy of God the punishment was death by stoning. If punishment was the result for violation under the previous covenant transmitted by words how much greater is the punishment under the covenant of the Spirit validated by the blood of the Son of YHWH.}

 

Jesus Made Fully Human

⁵It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. ⁶But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? ⁷You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor (Psalm 97:7; Psalm 138:1) ⁸and put everything under their feet.” (Psalm 8:4; Psalm 144:3) In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. (Genesis 1:28-30) Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. ⁹But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. (1 Corinthians 15:45)

¹⁰In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what He suffered. ¹¹Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. (John 17:9-10) ¹²He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.” (Psalm 22:22) ¹³And again, “I will put my trust in Him.” (Isaiah 8:16-17) And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.” (Isaiah 8:18)

¹⁴Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might break the power of Him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— ¹⁵and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Isaiah 61:1) ¹⁶For surely it is not angels He helps, but Abraham’s descendants. ¹⁷For this reason He had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people. ¹⁸Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.

{This section is critical to why Christ came as a man, what was His mission and purpose, why did He have to suffer, die and resurrect. The author starts with the position of man. Who YHWH created man to be. Man’s job and glory on the earth. Man was created a little lower than angels. An important word here is created, made by YHWH. The author now describes Christ in the heavenlies and also on Earth and the reason Jesus had to be made temporariy lower than the angels. Jesus had to taste death for all mankind. He had to be the perfect sacrifice. He had to be sinless through all the temptations man can possibly go through. Jesus had to do what Adam did not. He had to die as a sinless sacrifice for man.

It is important to recognize after His death and resurrection Jesus ascended bodily, as a living flesh and blood person, to the right hand of God. (1 Peter 3:22) Jesus did not ascend as just a spirit but as a complete, body, soul, and spirit, person. This gives us who believe in Jesus as the Savior great hope. When Jesus was sacrificed sinless He broke the power of death over mankind. This is an amazing and wornderful event. It is a beyond amazing proof of God’s love for us. Why did YHWH do this, in a word, it is because He loves us.

QUESTIONS: These will be questions to think about each week.

How do we apply these Scriptures (Old and New Testament Scriptures) to our lives? Both Peter (2 Peter 1:21), Paul (2 Timothy 3:16), and Christ said all the Scriptures are good for instruction.}

 

Hebrews 3

Jesus Greater Than Moses

¹Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. ²He was faithful to the one who appointed Him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. ³Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. ⁴For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. ⁵“Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. ⁶But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are His house if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.

{This section is directed toward the Jews. They understood Moses as the greatest prophet, the premier servant of God, and the final word on things spiritual. They worshipped YHWH but did not understand the purpose of the Messiah. They were looking for a warrior king, a type of military Messiah. A messiah who would save them from the physical oppressors. The people did not recognize the true oppressor, the oppressor behind all the physical oppressors, Satan. YHWH, in His infinite wisdom, knew Satan is the true oppressor and sent Christ to conquer him. The Jews, and the world, did have a warrior king who defeated sin, the Jews, and many others even to the present, do not recognize the breadth and depth of what Christ has done for us.,

  The author shows Jesus is greater than Moses, an idea that was/is very difficult for the Jews to understand or accept. The Jews accept God is greater than Moses and that God is the beginning, builder, of all things, but just do not accept Jesus is God. Islam accepts Jesus as a prophet but nothing more. Many Jews see Jesus in a similar manner.

Now the author addresses a difficult and perhaps controversial subject (at least in our time). “And we are His house if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory” This statement or statements similar to it, are repeated throughout Hebrews and also in Paul’s writings. The implication is people can turn back from their belief in Christ. This is not something we like to consider, but it goes with God allowing us freedom of choice. If we did not have choice, then our love for God would be commanded, not something we want to give.

 

 

Warning Against Unbelief

⁷So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice, ⁸do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, (Exodus 17:2-7)  ⁹where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. ¹⁰That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ ¹¹So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ (Psalm 95:7-9) ” ¹²See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. ¹³But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (1 Corinthians 10:11) ¹⁴We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. ¹⁵As has just been said: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” ⁶Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? ¹⁷And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? ¹⁸And to whom did God swear that they would never enter His rest if not to those who disobeyed? ¹⁹So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief. (Psalm 95:1-11)

{This continues the thought in verse 6, keeping with our belief in Christ and not leaving that belief before our life ends. The first warning is to “not harden our hearts as they did in the rebellion” This refers to Exodus 17:2-7 where the Hebrews were at Rephidim, there was no water and they complained against Moses and God. The same happened in Exodus 20:6-13 when they were at Meribah and again had no water and complained against Moses and God. Their hearts were in a state of unbelief. Despite God showing (at Rephidim) He would provide, the Hebrews (not all of them but the majority) chose not to trust God The author uses the Jew’s history to make the point that as believers in Jesus the Messiah we must not turn away from God. By bringing what happened during the Exodus into their present the author warns the same actions will bring the same results, the one who turns away will not enter into God’s rest. (Deut. 7:9; Isaiah 54:10; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8; Revelation 19:11)                                                                                                                                                                          

We would do well to read Hosea along with Hebrews. “The theme of Hosea's prophecy is apostasy. Most of his utterances are variations on the same theme. It is remarkable in his treatment that the subject of preoccupation is not the apostate, the backslider, but God the abandoned One.” [The Prophets, Abraham Heschel] Heschel makes an excellent point that Hosea’s preoccupation is God, not the person who turns from God. Any person who turns from God grieves him, YHWH does not want to see anyone go to eternal damnation and this is especially true with an apostate. (Galatians 4:9; Hebrews 6:6; 1 John 2:19)

Perhaps this section can best be summed up by the following: “It is not enough to begin the Christian race; we must hold fast our confidence and hope to the end.” I like the quote from Dr. Wilson “Religious activity does not add up to true worship.” (Dr. Marvin Wilson) Many time the Jews thought sacrifices and keeping ritual was enough. It was not. Many people professing Christ think the same about attending church and being involved in church activities. I is a matter of the state of a person’s heart. What is the motivation for their actions? Is it because they have accepted Christ as their savior or is it a habit, it was the way they were raised, or it is appearances. (I Sam. 15:22, Micah 6:6-8 ) Works can never come before or take the place of faith but works always follow faith.}

QUESTIONS:.

How do we apply these Scriptures (Old and New Testament Scriptures) to our lives? Both Peter (2 Peter 1:21), Paul (2 Timothy 3:16), and Christ said all the Scriptures are good for instruction.}

 

Hebrews 4

A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God

¹Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. ²For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. (Habakkuk 2:4) ³Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” And yet His works have been finished since the creation of the world. ⁴For somewhere He has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all His works.” (Genesis 2:1-3) (What does God mean by this verse? Does YHWH truly need rest or is He using the words to communicate He was done with the work of creation?)  ⁵And again in the passage above He says, “They shall never enter my rest.” (Psalm 95:11) (This certainly seems to imply physical rest is not what is referred to here. Can we enter God’s rest while we are in this physical world? How do we define rest? What is involved in true rest?) ⁶Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, ⁷God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” (Psalm 95:7-8) (This takes us back to the Hebrews’ 40 years wandering in the wilderness due to their lack of faith and disobedience. An important point the author makes is we are not to harden our hearts. Notice, WE harden our hearts, not YHWH. Another very important word is TODAY. Not tomorrow, not a week from now, not just before we die, but imperatively TODAY! NOW! There is no time to lose.)

⁸For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. ⁹There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; ¹⁰for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from His. (We will rest from the work God has for us here. We will rest physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. That does not necessarily mean we will not have anything to do but it {whatever the activities are} will be done in worshipping our Lord.) ¹¹Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience. ¹²For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Ephesians 6:17; Revelation 1:16) ¹³Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Jesus the Great High Priest

¹⁴Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet He did not sin. ¹⁶Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (We start this section by discussing who Christ is and His place in the Trinity. Jesus the Messiah is the Son of God, the eternal high priest, and our savior. He was tempted in every way a person can be tempted but, through faith, did not sin. Being without sin He is the only one able to be both high priest and our Savior.)

QUESTIONS:

How do we apply these Scriptures (Old and New Testament Scriptures) to our lives? Both Peter (2 Peter 1:21), Paul (2 Timothy 3:16), and Christ said all the Scriptures are good for instruction.}

 

Hebrews 5

¹Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. ²He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray since he himself is subject to weakness. ³This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. ⁴And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was. ⁵In the same way, Christ did not take on Himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to Him, “You are my Son; today I have become Your Father.” (Psalm 2:7)  ⁶And He says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (Genesis 14:17-20; Psalm 110:4) ⁷During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, (Luke 22:42) and He was heard because of His reverent submission. ⁸Son though He was, He learned obedience (Luke 2:40) from what He suffered ⁹and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him ¹⁰and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. (Psalm 110; Isaiah 53)

The author begins this section by introducing to the important theme of Jesus’ present ministry in heaven in behalf of us. While Jesus was on earth He lived the life of a complete and healthy human being, faced with the same challenges of life that face us all and dealing with them in a perfect and sinless way. He starts by showing the connection between Jesus and the High Priest. The high priest was selected from among the people, he was one of the people, he was no different than them. Because the high priest was no different than the people he could truly understand their problems and concerns, could sympathize and emphasize with them, and therefore could go to God on their behalf. The high priest, being taken from the people, and having the same concerns and weaknesses, needed to offer sacrifices for himself as well as the people. Since the sacrifice was not a perfect sacrifice it had to be sacrificed on a periodic basis. Finally, the high priest is chosen by God, they are not self-chosen.

This is a wonderful portrayal of Jesus and His work. Jesus was chosen by YHWH. He was a true human who encountered, faced, and overcame all of the trials and temptations we face. God said Jesus was a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. (Psalm 110:4) When we look into Melchizedek (Genesis 14:17-20) we see he was the king of Salem (peace) as well as a priest. As King of Salem Melchizedek brought food and dink to Abraham. As a priest he blessed Abraham. We see two important thoughts here. Melchizedek took care of Abraham’s physical needs and his spiritual needs. Christ, as the Son of God and King of peace takes care of our physical needs and as the perfect sacrifice and high priest takes care of our spiritual needs. This tie to the Hebraic Scriptures would be immediately apparent to the author’s audience. The proof of Jesus as the Messiah would also be apparent if people wanted to open their eyes.

 

Warning Against Falling Away

¹¹We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. ¹²In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! ¹³Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. ¹⁴But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Now we come to an urgent warning.  “¹¹We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand.” (emphasis mine, jas) The writer plainly states that his readers are in no condition to receive the teaching he feels obligated to give them. He calls them immature, backward, untaught, and dull of hearing. It is difficult for the author and others to make what they are trying to teach clear because the listeners decided to not even try to understand. It was the listener’s choice not to put any work into understanding what they were being taught. It was not important enough to them. It does not get any better. Given what they have been taught they should be teachers but, due to their choices, they still need the very basics. They are like babies who can only handle milk, not solid food. If we see an adult who still acts like a baby and can only eat baby food we know there is something seriously wrong. The same is true spiritually. Believers must grow beyond the basic and start partaking of the solid food of the Gospel. Start partaking in the deeper teachings of Christ. This is not always comfortable but, in order to grow and help others, it must be done.

 

QUESTIONS:.

How do we apply these Scriptures (Old and New Testament Scriptures) to our lives? Both Peter (2 Peter 1:21), Paul (2 Timothy 3:16), and Christ said all the Scriptures are good for instruction.}

 

Hebrews 6 

¹Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, ²instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. ³And God permitting, we will do so. (Here is a listing of several basic doctrines of the Christian faith.  Not an exhaustive list.  There are more.  Salvation:  repentance and faith.  Post salvation:  baptisms (Hebrew and Christian or water and Spirit) and laying on of hands.Eschatological: resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. Gary Tregaskis))

⁴It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, ⁵who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age ⁶and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. ( v. 4-6  The interpretation is widely disputed.  It is important to keep in mind the verses must be taken in context of the entire chapter.  God makes promises (covenants) and keeps them.  One "covenant" is salvation by grace.  v. 7-8 continues the theme -- "the professing (emphasis added) Christian who is unfruitful is in grave danger". Liberty Commentary  p. 656.  v. 13-17 reinforce the fact that God keeps His promises but in His timing. Gary Tregaskis) ⁷Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. ⁸But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

⁹Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. ¹⁰God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them. ¹¹We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. ¹²We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

(Hebrews 6 is a continuation of Hebrews 5. Try reading Hebrews 5:11 through 6:8 as a unit without the chapter break. It makes more sense when read as a unit. These final verses of chapter five and all of chapter six are a reproach to the readers for their lack of spiritual maturity.

The author makes it clear we, as believers in Jesus as the Messiah, must move beyond the basics of salvation, such as the initial repentance of sins committed before we became believers, cleansing rituals (mikvahs), etc. Once a person has become a believer and repented of their previous life the is no need to repent of these again, nor to ask God to save us again. That does not mean we do not need to repent of sins committed after we become believers.

Now we come to a section that is difficult to understand. Vs. 4-6: “⁴It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, ⁵who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age ⁶and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.”

The author here is speaking to Hebrews who were going back to the laws of sacrifice, rituals, cleansings, etc. They were going back to the ritual they left and were in effect saying the sacrifice of Christ was not good enough or was no sacrifice at all. These actions would put Christ to an open shame in the eyes of any observer. The example of two fields is used, one with rain that is fruitful for growing and therefore a harvest and a field that is burned and barren and not useful for any crops. The first field is the person who believes and grows the second is the person who returned to the law.

A problem here is the meaning of the verb translated “fall away.” The Greek word is parapipto which is rendered “to fall aside,” or ‘to apostatize.” The King James Version and the New American Standard Bible translates it “fall away.” The Revised Standard Version reads: “commit apostasy,” The Living Bible: “have turned against God.” Apostasy is not a question of moral shortcomings but of a fundamental shift in doctrine, in thinking. Remember that the epistle is addressed to Jews who were observers of the Old Testament ceremonial law. They possessed the truth of God’s revelation in the form of symbols and images. In the Gospel, they were confronted with the reality that was at the core of the Old Testament ceremonies, symbols, and images. They changed their thinking and personal doctrine from believing Christ is the Messiah and was crucified, dead, and bodily resurrected to abandoning that belief and going back to saying Jesus was not the Messiah. Their “falling away” consisted in choosing the picture over the reality it represented. Once this choice is made it is very, very, very difficult for the apostate to return to belief in Jesus as the Messiah. The issue is not that Jesus stands in their way but rather their pride and stubbornness stop them from seeing the truth and admitting they were wrong. This seems to be specific to the Jewish believer who return to their previous beliefs.

This problem appears hard for us to understand if we have not come to the Gospel from a Judaic background but we see the same problem in many Christian denominations today. Present rituals may be icons, statuary, buildings, doctrines, habits, and even people. We can put the “rituals” between us and Christ, making them effectively more important to us than Christ and therefore worshipping the ritual.

Now we are provided the hope we have in Christ. God does know and remember the work we do for Him. God remembers the love and helps we give to each other. God will help us maintain our beliefs, faith, and works until the end, if we let Him. A final encouragement is given ^“12We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.“ Hope that is not founded on YHWH is false hope. It is hope based on a wish, a figment of the mind. Hope based on YHWH is hope based on His promise and oath which has been proven true time after time.

 

The Certainty of God’s Promise

¹³When God made His promise to Abraham since there was no one greater for Him to swear by, He swore by Himself, ¹⁴saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” ¹⁵And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. ¹⁶People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. ¹⁷Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath. ¹⁸God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. ¹⁹We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, ²⁰where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

We now see God keeps His promises. Abraham is a shining example. God promised Abraham He would bless Abraham and his many descendants. This was well before Abraham had descendants and he and his wife were too old to have children God promised and, as we certainly see now, Abraham had many, many descendants and, as long as they followed God, they were blessed. God made sure His promise would be fulfilled by swearing an oath.

The descendants of Abraham are the physical descendants and the spiritual descendants. As believers in Jesus, the promised Messiah, Christians are the spiritual descendants of Abraham. Because God promised to bless us has proven faithful to that promise throughout history we have hope and certainty God does and will honor His promise. When Jesus was crucified He became the only sacrifice needed for mankind. When Jesus was resurrected He became our High Priest with God.

 

QUESTIONS:

How do we apply these Scriptures (Old and New Testament Scriptures) to our lives? Both Peter (2 Peter 1:21), Paul (2 Timothy 3:16), and Christ said all the Scriptures are good for instruction.}

 

Hebrews 7

Melchizedek the Priest

¹This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, ²and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” ³Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. ⁴Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! ⁵Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. ⁶This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. ⁷And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. ⁸In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. ⁹One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, ¹⁰because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.

Melchizedek was mentioned earlier in Hebrews 6:29 where we are told Jesus is a priest after the order of Melchizedek. What does that mean? We are now given a more detailed picture of him that helps clarify what the author is saying. The author seems to have Psalm 110:5 in mind here. Psalm 110:4 says the Messiah will be a priest after the order of Melchizedek. The meaning of his name is important to who he is, both king of righteousness and king of peace. Melech (מלך) is a Hebrew word that means king. Psalm 85:10 and Isaiah 32:17 both show righteousness and peace walk together. Without righteousness, there can be no peace.

Vs. 3, although a bit difficult to understand, provides even more information. Melchizedek had neither father nor mother, neither beginning nor end of days, Melchizedek is much like the Messiah. Some scholars think Melchizedek was a Canaanite king, who reigned in Salem, and kept up religion and the worship of the true God; that he was raised to be a type of Christ, and was honored by Abraham as such. Reading the Scriptures we must say Melchizedek was both a king and a priest. He existed from before time and will continue to exist without end. Seeing him as a Canaanite king and priest to a pagan god just does not make sense to the scriptures. It also does not make sense that the Messiah, Jesus, would be a king and priest after the order of Melchizedek if Melchizedek was a Canaanite king and priest to a pagan god.

Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek and through Abraham, his descendants paid tithes to Melchizedek. Melchizedek fed and also blessed Abraham and therefore his descendants. Verse 7 makes clear the lesser is blessed by the greater. Since Abraham was blessed by Melchizedek it is very clear Melchizedek was the greater. Verse 9 shows us that Levi, who came from Abraham, was therefore blessed by Melchizedek making Melchizedek greater than Levi and the priesthood of Melchizedek greater than the Levitical priesthood.

What does all this really mean? Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph, was from the tribe of Judah, the tribe of kingship. Jesus’ earthly mother, Mary, was from the tribe of Levi, the tribe of the priesthood. While the father’s line determined the tribe Jesus’ actual father, YHWH transcends all customs or ancestry. Jesus as king of righteousness and king of peace is our high priest throughout eternity. It would seem the purpose of stating Jesus  “has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” is to prove through Hebrew history Jesus was prophesied from the very beginning.

 

Jesus Like Melchizedek

¹¹If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? ¹²For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. ¹³He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. ¹⁴For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. ¹⁵And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, ¹⁶one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. ¹⁷For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

{We now enter into a discussion that can be a bit difficult to fully understand. Many Christians think of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) as something that is dead and gone. Even the term Old Testament is pejorative and leads a person to think that what is no longer in place is the Old Testament, The Levitical priests were the priests that sacrificed animals so the people’s sins could be forgiven because of the blood of the sacrificed animals. There is one very good reason the Levitical priesthood and animal sacrifice were done away with forever, they were temporary until God provided His perfect sacrifice, Jesus.

Jesus, Himself said He did not come “to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. ¹⁸For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17-18) Do Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:17-18 disagree with Hebrews 7:11-12; not at all. It is a matter of recognizing the consistency of God’s actions throughout history. Ever since Adam and Eve did not believe God and sinned. God put a plan in place for the salvation of mankind. Initially, YHWH instituted, through Moses and Levi, the sacrifice of animals. Their blood was used by God for the forgiveness of sins. (Lev. 17:11; Heb. 9:22) These sacrifices were overseen by the Levitical priesthood. This sacrifice of animals was a temporary measure until God provided His perfect sacrifice once and for all, never to need repeating. What needs to be understood here is YHWH instituted the need for a sacrifice, that did not and has not changed. Christ is that perfect sacrifice and since His death and resurrection, there is no more need for animal sacrifice and therefore no need for the Levitical priesthood to perform the sacrifice. The law of sacrifice was not abolished, it was perfected through Jesus the Messiah.

 

¹⁸The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless ¹⁹(for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God. ²⁰And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, ²¹but He became a priest with an oath when God said to Him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’” ²²Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant. ²³Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; ²⁴but because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. (Psalm 90:2) ²⁵Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.

²⁶Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. ²⁷Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when He offered Himself. ²⁸For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

Hebrews continues with the imperfection of the Levitical law and the perfection of Jesus. That the law could make nothing perfect is confirmed by the fact the Levites were required to make sacrifices for sin on an ongoing basis. It is further confirmed by the High Priest needing to make a sacrifice for his sins before he could sacrifice and intercede for the people. Remember, the Levitical law of sacrifice was intended to be temporary until that which is perfect, Jesus the Messiah, came and provided Himself as the perfect sacrifice. A very important point is vs. 23-25, Jesus, unlike the Levitical priests, lives forever and therefore can intercede for those who come to God through Him.

Verses 26 through 28 provide even more clarification on why Jesus the Messiah is so much greater than the Levitical priesthood. Before we go into detail remember that God’s Covenant with Abraham came before circumcision. It also came well before the law given through Moses, the law of sacrifice. Paul makes this point in Galatians 3:17. We also need to keep in mind God, through His prophets, said on numerous occasions He wanted mercy not sacrifice (Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8; Zec. 7:9-10; Matthew 9:13, 12:7). Christ came bringing mercy for all who would believe in Him. (Isaiah 61:2a; Luke 4:19)

Christ meets all of our needs, spiritually and physically.

QUESTIONS:

How do we apply these Scriptures (Old and New Testament Scriptures) to our lives? Both Peter (2 Peter 1:21), Paul (2 Timothy 3:16), and Christ said all the Scriptures are good for instruction.}

 

Hebrews 8

The High Priest of a New Covenant

¹Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, ²and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being. (Exodus 25:8)  ³Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts (Ephesians 4:8) and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. (Psalm 68:18) ⁴If He were on earth, He would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. ⁵They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” (Exodus 25:8)   ⁶But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

⁷For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. ⁸But God found fault with the people {Note the problem was with the people, not the covenant.} and said: “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. ⁹It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. {Verse 9 refers back to verse 7. The covenant that has become obsolete is the covenant God made with Israel at Mount Sinai, the covenant of sacrifice. It does not refer back to the original covenant with Abraham.} ¹⁰This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. ¹¹No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. ¹²For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” ¹³By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.

(Chapter 8 continues where chapter 7 ended. Again it is good to read the section as it was originally written, without chapter or verse breaks. We have a High Priest who now sits at the right hand of YHWH and intercedes for us. We must remember Jesus resurrected bodily and went back to the Father with a human body. He did not go back to the Father as a spirit only but as a body, soul, and spirit and will return that way.

Something that can be overlooked is Moses was told to make the candlestick and tabernacle exactly like what God revealed in heaven. Thre is a reason for every symbol in the tabernacle as wee as the tabernacle itself. There is much we can learn from what YHWH told Moses to make. It is not passe’ but is very relevant to all peoples throughout history, including our time.

In verse 5 the author makes the point that the sanctuary where earthly priests serve is a copy of the real sanctuary in heaven with God. It looks like the real sanctuary, and served its purpose, but is not the real thing. In the same way, earthly priests serve their purpose but are not the eternal heavenly High Priest, Jesus. “In other words, the sacrifices, the furniture, and the high priest of the tabernacle were all on notice that they were working with what would be obsolete when the real, of which they were only shadows and patterns, came on the scene.” (The Messiah in the Old Testament, Walter C Kaiser Jr., Zondervan Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI, 1995, page 34)

There is also a difference in covenants. The former covenant given through Moses is inferior to the Covenant the Messiah brought and validated with His blood. The covenant given through Moses was validated by the blood of animals and, because it was temporary had to be validated every year. The covenant that came through Christ is based on faith, not works,  and because Jesus validated it once by His blood, death, and resurrection it does not need to, nor can be performed again.

For many years, people have mistakenly believed grace is a New Testament—or New Covenant—concept.  I have heard people say with Christ we are under grace and before Christ the people were instead under the law. It was almost as if Jesus’ death and resurrection unleashed God’s grace on mankind for the very first time. What is often overlooked is that grace was fundamental in the Hebraic Scriptures (Old Testament) Everything that happened between Adam’s first breath and Jesus’ death and resurrection is part of God’s grace and plan to redeem mankind..https://livingbydesign.org/gods-grace-in-the-old-testament/

When we look at grace in the Old Testament (Hebraic Scriptures) we find examples abound. God forgave Adam and Eve. God chose Noah to survive the flood. God showed His grace by choosing Abram from a pagan society and culture to serve Him. God promised that Abraham and Sarah would have children and delivered on that promise. God forgave David. Mary, a young virgin was chosen by grace to bear the Messiah. None of these people earned God’s grace, they, like us, were all unworthy. God’s grace—His unmerited favor shown to unworthy men and women—is woven throughout the entirety of the Old Testament,

The first covenant and promise was made with Abraham and was validated by physical circumcision, blood. The second covenant was made through Moses and was validated by animal sacrifice. The third and final covenant was made by Jesus and was validated by His blood. Each covenant had its place. Christ at least partly fulfilled the first covenant made with Abraham. Christ fulfilled the second sacrifice by offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice. The third covenant is being fulfilled through Christ and His blood as the payment for mankind’s sins and total unworthiness.

The Israelites were not capable of living by the law given to Moses. This is clearly seen throughout their history. The blood of bulls and goats was just not enough, a perfect sacrifice had to be made, Jesus the Messiah. Jesus did not come to abrogate the law but to fulfill it. The purpose of the law was to provide a way of salvation based on grace and faith before that ]perfect sacrifice was made. We have seen how grace is throughout the Hebraic Scriptures. The same is true of faith. Abraham followed YHWH because he had faith. Circumcision was given as a sign, symbol, of that faith. Circumcision was given after the faith of Abraham, not before. (Romans 4:11) Many places in the Hebraic Scriptures tell us it is the circumcision of the hear that matters. (Deuteronomy 10:16; Deuteronomy 30:6; Psalm 51:10; Jeremiah 4:4; Jeremiah 31:33)

Hebrews 8 ends with a promise for the future. God will be with all of His people. Jew or Gentile makes no difference in believers in Christ. All people will know God and God’s law will be written in their hearts.

QUESTIONS:

How do we apply these Scriptures (Old and New Testament Scriptures) to our lives? Both Peter (2 Peter 1:21), Paul (2 Timothy 3:16), and Christ said all the Scriptures are good for instruction.}

 

Hebrews 9

Worship in the Earthly Tabernacle

¹Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. ²A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. ³Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, ⁴which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. ⁵Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now. {This was in the covenant made at Mount Sinai.}

⁶When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. ⁷But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. ⁸The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. ⁹This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. ¹⁰They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.

The author of Hebrews now goes into detail about the Tabernacle. Hebrews is written primarily to Jews, not Gentiles. That being the case we (Gentiles) may not understand the emphasis on the tabernacle but to the Jews, it was very important. It was also important to Jesus is the Son of God and fulfilled prophesy as well as fulfilled the reason for the tabernacles and what was in it. Each item in the tabernacle as well as the tabernacle itself was there for a reason. When we look at the tabernacle and its furnishings we are looking at what YHWH wanted there. Remember that Moses was told to make everything in accordance with what God had shown him on the mountain. The tabernacle and furnishing were a copy, a pattern, of what God showed Moses. It was temporary until Jesus establishes the true tabernacle and its furnishings. (2 Corinthians 3:4-11) “… the sacrifices, the furniture, and the high priest of the tabernacle were all on notice that they were working with what would become obsolete when the real tabernacle, of which they were only shadows and patterns, came on the scene.” (The Messiah in the Old Testament, Walter C Kaiser Jr., Zondervan Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI, 1995, page 34)

I will use the candlestick as an example of God using material objects and symbols to tell us His plans. The candlestick’s foundation is made up of twelve stones. This reminds us of the new Jerusalem whose 12 gates bear the names of the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 foundation stones of the 12 apostles. (Revelation 21:12-14) The seventy-two knobs and flowers symbolize the 70 elders plus two called by Moses (Numbers 11:24-30) and the 70 men sent out by Christ (Luke 10:1) The seven lamps symbolize God’s seven spirits.( Genesis 2:2; Revelation 1:4-3:22; 8:2)

 

Lampstand	Old  Testament	New  Testament	Comments
Foundation	Not Specified	Eph 2:20	On the Arch of Trajan, the candlestick is shown as having12 foundation stones indicating the 12 tribes of Israel and 12 Apostles
72 knobs and flowers	Exodus 25:31-40	Luke 10:1-12  Hebrews 8:1-6	72 prophets in Exodus and that Jesus sent out.
12 knobs and flowers on each candle shaft	Exodus 25:31-40	Hebrews 8:1-6	12 princes if the 12 tribes of Israel and 12 apostles.
7 candle shafts	Exodus 25:31-40	Hebrews 8:1-6  Rev. 1:12-16  Rev. 2:1-3:22	Seven Spirits from/of God.
7 flames	Exodus 25:31-40	Hebrews 8:1-6 Rev. 1:12-16  Rev. 2:1-3:22	Seven Spirits from/of God.

 

Isaiah enumerated the seven spirits as 1) the Spirit of the Lord, 2) the Spirit of wisdom, 3) the Spirit of understanding, 4) the Spirit of counsel, 5) the Spirit of power, 6) the spirit of Knowledge, 7) the spirit of the fear of God. (Isaiah 11:2-3) Revelation 2:1-3 & 22 also gives a list, different specifics but same thinking. In the order of the churches in Revelation, 1) Love/Spirit of the Lord {Ephesus}, 2) Power/Strength to preserve us. {Smyrna}, 3) Marking/Knowledge {Pergamum}, 4) Teaching/Understanding {Thyatira}, 5) Perfection/Counsel {Sardis}, 6) Making known/Wisdom {Philadelphia}, 7) Evangelism/Fear of God {Laodicea} 

The candlestick was in the tabernacle to provide light by the fire in the lamps. The same is true of God’s Word, it gives light to people and fire for Him in people. The fire of God’s Word gives light to people, at least those who choose to not shut their eyes (spiritual and physical). It is a lamp to our feet showing us the way to God and perfect peace. 

The Blood of Christ

¹¹But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. ¹²He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. ¹³The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. ¹⁴How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

¹⁵For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. ¹⁶In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, ¹⁷because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. ¹⁸This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. ¹⁹When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. ²⁰He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” ²¹In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. ²²In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood (Exodus 29:16-21; Exodus 30:10; Matthew 26:28) and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.

(The life of a person is in the blood. Without blood, a person [or creature] cannot live. That is why there must be the shedding of blood. Christ being willing to shed His blood and physically die was absolutely necessary for our sins to be forgiven. This is a continuation of the animal sacrifice, but a perfect sacrifice that needed to be done only once, unlike the annual sacrifice of animals. Genesis 9:4-5 JAS

΅Christ is the mediator of a new covenant΅ this new covenant is validated by the death of Jesus on the cross, the shedding of His blood validates this covenant. The validation by blood is similar to the validation of the previous covenant. The difference, and it is a huge difference, is the previous covenant was sealed, validated by the blood of animals, and this new covenant is sealed, validated by the blood of Christ, the perfect sacrifice. [Matthew 26:28])

²³It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. ²⁵Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not His own. ²⁶Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But He has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. ²⁷Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, ²⁸so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

(It is important to note neither Christ nor the author of Hebrews ever said the previous covenant was wrong but did say the symbols were just a copy of what is in heaven. Being a copy they will be replaced when the real things appear. The previous covenant gives way to the new covenant through Christ. A foundation of the previous covenant is forgiveness of sins through blood. In the previous covenant, the copy was the blood of bulls, goats, etc. This was replaced by the real thing, the blood of Christ shed once and for all. That did not make the previous covenant wrong or invalid for its time and place but it was replaced by the reality of the Messiah. Finally, we are told Christ will return to bring salvation to those who believe and because of their belief, and faith, are waiting for His return.

QUESTIONS:

How do we apply these Scriptures (Old and New Testament Scriptures) to our lives? Both Peter (2 Peter 1:21), Paul (2 Timothy 3:16), and Christ said all the Scriptures are good for instruction.})

 

Hebrews 10

Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All

¹The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason, it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. ²Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. ³But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. ⁴It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. ⁵Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire (Deuteronomy 10:16, 30:6: Jeremiah 4:4), but a body you prepared for me; ⁶with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. ⁷Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, my God.’”

(The discussion about a copy and reality continue. The author now gives more detail. The law is only a shadow, an incomplete image, of what is coming. It is not wrong, just incomplete. It gives a person the general idea of the original but can lack definition, detail, and, to some extent, purpose. Animal sacrifice, the blood of animals, can never make people complete, therefore they had to be repeated over and over and over.

⁸First He said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law.

Why was God not pleased with burnt offerings and sin offerings? These could not bring people to completeness in Him. The offerings were physical but did not necessarily change the heart of the person offering. “The acceptable sacrifice is one that comes from a willing heart. Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.” Psalm 19:14 [Joel 2:13; Ephesians 3:17-19] )

 ⁹Then He said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. ¹⁰And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.¹¹Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again, he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. ¹²But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³and since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool. (Psalm 110:1) ¹⁴For by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. ¹⁵The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First He says: ¹⁶“This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts (Jeremiah 31:33), and I will write them on their minds.” ¹⁷Then He adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”  ^{(Micah 7:19)18}And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.

(Jesus volunteered to be the perfect sacrifice to accomplish salvation for all who would believe. Being without spot or blemish, Jesus, as the perfect sacrifice, only had to be sacrificed once for all eternity. The periodic animal sacrifice was only a shadow of the reality that would take place with the Messiah. This new covenant is superior to the previous covenant in that God’s law will be in people’s hearts, not just on tablets of stone. People will earnestly desire to follow God’s commands because they want to, not because they have no choice.

Verse 14 is very important here. “By one sacrifice He made perfect…” Looking at this in context  The author is describing the animal and grain sacrifices made for the remission of the people’s sins. He makes a point of saying they had to be repeated often because they could not take away sin. Then he describes the sacrifice Jesus made of Himself once. His one sacrifice did not abrogate what God had required of the Hebrews, Jesus, being the perfect sacrifice, took the sacrifice to what YHWH was showing through the sacrifice system, there would be a final, perfect, once and all for eternity Jesus {Ecc. 3_14-15; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8}. Jesus fulfilled this part of the law,” sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary” because Jesus fulfilled this command. )

A Call to Persevere in Faith

¹⁹Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, ²¹and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²²let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. ²³Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

(We are again taken to the Tabernacle for explanation and detail. The Holy Place was the part of the Tabernacle where only the High Priest could enter and that was only once a year. If anyone other than the high priest tried to enter they would be killed. When Jesus was crucified the curtain to the Holy Place was ripped in half indicating all believers now have direct access to God through Jesus. {Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38) There are two comments here “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another” that show the importance of community, to the family of God. This emphasis on the importance of community amd supporting each other would have been very familiar to the primary audience of the letter, Hebrews. Community was integral to Jewish beliefs and life. It is also very important to Christian belief and life. God does not change, He is very consistent and what He required in the past He still requires. {Ecc. 3:14-15; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8 )

  

²⁶If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, ²⁷but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. ²⁸Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²⁹How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” (Deut. 32:35) and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” (Deut, 32:36) ³¹It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

(Here is another difficult passage that has generated much discussion and disagreement. What is meant by  ^“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,”? Does this mean after we accept Christ as our Savior and we sin we are going to hell when we die and cannot repent or be redeemed? The short answer is no, it cannot mean this because it would be inconsistent with YHWH’s character and Word (Hebrews 6:10) which, as we have seen, God does not change. ^“Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear” (Hebrews 6:17) How do we look at this passage? The answer can be found in the next verse. The author makes the point that under Mosaic law a person who rejected the law died, was killed, usually by stoning. If this is what happened under the law of Moses how much worse is the punishment when knowingly tramples the Son of God underfoot.

Those who rejected the law of Moses did so as a conscious decision knowing God gave Moses the law. They were knowingly and with premeditation deciding to reject the law and then carrying out their actions showing their rejection of God. I cannot stress enough that these are people who knowingly and with premeditation sinned and chose to continue in that sin. They knew what they were doing and figuratively slapped God in the face. They would not seek or perhaps even want forgiveness. Much the same can be said of those who trample the Son of God and His mercy. “This is not talking about those who due to weakness and habit sin, everybody does that. It is a deliberate, on purpose, intentional affront to God. It keeps on, you are persistent and you knowingly do not stop. It is something you do with full awareness of God’s truth. It is an intentional rejection of the sacrifice of Christ on your behalf.” (Paraphrased from a sermon by Rev. Ethan Magness Senior Minister First Christian Church, Johnson City, TN  March 27, 2022, https://live.fcc-jc.org/)

³²Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. ³³Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. ³⁴You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. ³⁵So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. ³⁶You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. ³⁷For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.” ³⁸And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” (Habakkuk 3:17-19)  ³⁹But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.

(The audience is taken back to the early days of their belief in Christ when they were persecuted, ridiculed, ostracized, and had their property confiscated. Their sense of community came to the fore as they stood with those in prison, those being treated badly and suffering for their belief in Christ. Why did they do these things, because they KNEW their reward was with the Lord Jesus. (Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 12:34)

These things they did for others they did for the Lord and were signposts they could go back to and see how the Lord worked in their lives. When their confidence was getting low and the pressure from the world was getting high what the Lord and Holy Spirit did with them could restore their confidence and work for the Lord. They and we must persevere to do God’s work. We must keep our eyes on what is waiting when our life on earth is done. Belief in Christ and living our lives for Him is not a sprint but a marathon.

At this point in time, many Christians believed Christ would return in their lifetimes. This did not invalidate the comment that He would come and not delay. He will not delay but God’s time is not our time. What seems a long time to us is short to God and He will bring His plans to fruition according to His timetable, not ours.

QUESTIONS:

How do we apply these Scriptures (Old and New Testament Scriptures) to our lives? Both Peter (2 Peter 1:21), Paul (2 Timothy 3:16), and Christ said all the Scriptures are good for instruction.}

 

Hebrews 11

Faith in Action

¹Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. {Instead of confidence the Greek interlinear says hypostasis (which means an underlying reality or substance.)} ²This is what the ancients were commended for. ³By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. ⁴By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. ⁵By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. ⁶And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

{The KJV translates this verse as “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Substance is something that can be heard, seen, and felt. Something real and not imaginary. I find the KJV translation much more definitive. We have confidence because faith has substance. Perhaps a word of explanation is in order here. All humans live in the physical world that we observe and analyze using our five senses. For many (perhaps most) that is all there is, the physical world. But there is also a spiritual world that goes beyond the five senses. This spiritual world is very real, it is also not temporal, temporary. It is a world many, not having the spiritual eyes of faith, cannot see and therefore deny its existence. We can see two faiths operating here. One faith believes the spirit world does not exist. One faith believes, knows, the spiritual world does exist and is real. Non-believers live only in the physical world. Believers live in both the physical world and the spiritual world.

The author provides some brief examples of the working of faith. By faith, we understand the world was made by God out of nothing. By faith, Abel brought a better sacrifice than Cain. Lack of faith on Cain’s part is what made his sacrifice less acceptable. Without faith, we cannot be acceptable to God since without faith we cannot believe God exists.}

⁷By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness th at is in keeping with faith. ⁸By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. ⁹By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. ¹¹And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. ¹²And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

¹³All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. ¹⁴People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. ¹⁵If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. ¹⁷By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, ¹⁸even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” ¹⁹Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

²⁰By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. ²¹By faith Jacob, when

he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. ²²By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones. ²³By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. ²⁴By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. ²⁵He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. ²⁷By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. ²⁸By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. ²⁹By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. ³⁰By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days. ³¹By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.

³²And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, ³³who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, ³⁴quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. ³⁵Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. ³⁶Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. ³⁷They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— ³⁸the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. ³⁹These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, ⁴⁰since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

{Now we come to what is known as the roll call of faith. This section is quite clear in its detail about how these people, men and women, lived their faith. Given the clarity of what is written, I will not cover them in detail. What I do want to discuss is why these people were willing to live by faith. What made them so different than the majority of the people in their world? You have probably guessed it was faith. Not just the garden variety of faith but faith that is totally committed to YHWH.

Being totally committed to YHWH means believing Christ Jesus is the Messiah and our Savior. Faith that all believers should have. Faith that causes a person to serve the Lord regardless of what the outcome may be. Faith like Noah’s that was willing to put God first and the jeers and comments far down his priority list. Faith that believes God can and will do what He promised, like destroying the walls of Jerico. Faith, like that of the Samarian woman at the well, that believes through Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit our lives can be turned around and we become new people in Him.

Faith made and makes the difference. Faith that believes regardless of what seems to be. Faith that is willing to allow the body to be killed rather than deny our God.

QUESTIONS:

How do we apply these Scriptures (Old and New Testament Scriptures) to our lives? Both Peter (2 Peter 1:21), Paul (2 Timothy 3:16), and Christ said all the Scriptures are good for instruction.}

 

 

Hebrews 12

¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ²fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

{What do we do with Chapter 11? The author is about to explain. In Hebrews there is theology followed by an explanation the explanation usually starts with “therefore” to signal what follows is an explanation of the previous comments.

 First is the reminder that throughout history there have been multitudes who had faith in God and lived that faith. YHWH is the God of the living, not the dead. Those who went before us are alive with God. (Matthew 22:32; Luke 20:38)  The believers the author is writing to (and we) make the point we are part of a long line of believers who God loved and who lived their faith. We and they are not different. Culture and technology change but people do not. We have people we can look back to and see their trials, problems, temptations, and answers of faith. We can draw hope from their lives and have greater hope in ours. We can see how God has answered prayers of faith and have confidence God will answer our prayers.

The author compares our lives in Christ to a race. As an athlete must get rid of hindrances that could keep them from winning the race so must the believer, Some of the things that hinder us may include old associations, lingering prejudices, ties to the world, habits, and customs which might prove detours and barriers. What is a hindrance to one person may not be to another person. It is all important that we keep our eyes on Jesus. He is the foundation of our faith and our example. As Christ Jesus set His focus on the Father to do His will so we must focus on Christ to follow Him. As Christ endured severe opposition and was victorious so we can be victorious through Him.}

God Disciplines His Children

⁴In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. ⁵And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, ⁶because the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son.” ⁷Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as His children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? ⁸If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. ⁹Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! ¹⁰They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in His holiness. ¹¹No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. ¹²Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. ¹³“Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

{I do not know anyone, child or adult, who likes to be disciplined. The first part of this passage discusses discipline and a few of the things that can happen. The second part tells us why discipline happens. Deuteronomy 8:5 brings the same message: God disciplines us because He loves us. As with many things in the Bible, there is a purpose to discipline we may not always recognize while the discipline is happening. Verse 11 tells us why the discipline; “Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” We must always keep our eye on the prize and not deviate. (1 Corinthians 9:24; Phillipians 3:14) Many things and circumstances will vie for our attention and strive to take our attention from the goal. We must not let that happen.}

Warning and Encouragement

¹⁴Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. ¹⁵See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. ¹⁶See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. ¹⁷Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.

{It is the duty of all Christians, even while in a suffering state, to follow peace with all men, even with those who may be instrumental in their sufferings. Peace and holiness are connected; there can be no true peace without holiness. There may be forbearance, a show of friendship, and goodwill to all; but true Christian peaceableness is never found separate from holiness.

Esau is mentioned here as an example of apoastacy and godlessness. While we often hear and are taught Jacob stole Esau’s birthright and inheritance, we must remember Esau chose to give them up for food. He thought so little of his birthright, inheritance, and had such little faith in God to help him, he sold his inheritance and therefore birthright for a meal of stew.    As Esau despised and sold the birthright, and all the advantages attending it so do apostates, who, though they bore the character of the children of God, and had a visible right to the blessing and inheritance, give up all claims and rights thereto. Much like Esau apostasy from Christ is the fruit of preferring the gratification of the flesh to the blessing of God and the heavenly inheritance.}

The Mountain of Fear and the Mountain of Joy

¹⁸You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; ¹⁹to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, ²⁰because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” {Exodus 19:12-24} ²¹The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” ²²But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, ²³to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, ²⁴to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

²⁵See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven? ²⁶At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” ²⁷The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.  ²⁸Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, ²⁹for our “God is a consuming fire.”

{The reference to the holy mountain of God reminds believers, and especially Jewish believers, of the difference between the Mosaic covenant and the covenant with Christ. In the Mosaic covenant, the people were instructed not to come on the mountain. In the covenant of Christ, we can go directly to God with Christ as our mediator. We must not refuse the call of Christ to believe in Him as our savior. Through the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus we have and should take advantage of direct access to God. To refuse Christ is to be like Esau and disregard our birthright and inheritance for the very temporary pleasures of the world. When we accept Christ Jesus as our savior we become part of God’s kingdom that will last forever regardless of what Satan throws at it.

QUESTIONS:

How do we apply these Scriptures (Old and New Testament Scriptures) to our lives? Both Peter (2 Peter 1:21), Paul (2 Timothy 3:16), and Christ said all the Scriptures are good for instruction.}

 

Hebrews 13

Concluding Exhortations

¹Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. ²Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. ³Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. ⁴Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. ⁵Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” ⁶So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” ⁷Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. ⁸Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

{The conclusion starts with a call to community and a reminder that God’s kingdom is not just in the future but is here with us now. The author gives some specific actions to either do or avoid doing. These actions seem to be common to humans, male and female, and need to be remembered. Showing hospitality is a very middle-eastern practice and provides a sense of community, even with strangers. We see this with Abraham welcoming the men (angels) to his home when they told him Sarai would have a son (Genesis 18:1-8). We also see Lot providing hospitality and safety to the men (angels) who visited him (Genesis 19:1-11). In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus is very clear that providing for and helping others is critical for people in general and specifically for believers, (Matthew 25:14)

We are told to remember those in prison. This may well be referring to other believers in prison but it is good to remember everyone in prison. We should not only sympathize with those being mistreated but emphasize with them and pray for them and help them where possible. Adultery must be avoided at all costs. Adultery is breaking the covenant with your spouse as well as the spouse of the other person. It is so severe in God’s eyes that he instructs both parties to be put to death, (Leviticus 20:10) While all sin can be forgiven the effects of adultery and sexual immorality continue on after the end of the actions and can greatly harm the community of believers.

Finally, we are told to not love money and be content with what we have. To love money often leads to other sins such as lying, theft, and putting God as a much lower priority than money. Money is not the problem, loving money is. We must remember, especially in times of financial stress or temptation that we are children of God, and God will never leave us or forsake us, God will always provide. What God promised in the past has not changed. He does not withdraw what He has said. Christ Jesus never changes. He is always the same throughout all of time, yesterday, today, and forever.}

⁹Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so. ¹⁰We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat. ¹¹The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. ¹²And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through His own blood. ¹³Let us, then, go to Him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace He bore. ¹⁴For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. ¹⁵Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. ¹⁶And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. ¹⁷Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you. ¹⁸Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. ¹⁹I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.

{Hebrews continues to address what is truly important to us as believers in Christ Jesus. Keeping our focus on Jesus and not allowing strange teaching, those not in accord with God’s Word, to lead us astray is critical. We must remember we are saved by grace not by eating certain foods, abstaining from others, or by rituals.

Hebrews continues to use the Sinaic covenant to show how Christ Jesus replaced the temporary with the permanent. The altar here is Christ who was sacrificed for our sins. The reference to those who serve tabernacle are still sacrificing animals. Since Christ’s sacrifice, the sacrifice of animals not only does no good it works against God’s will. Once an animal was sacrificed it was disposed of outside the city. In the case of Christ, He also had to suffer and be crucified outside the city. This was to fulfill what God said through the prophets.

Now we come to a very important verse. “…, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise…” The sacrifice that God wants is praise regardless of circumstances. In all circumstances and situations, God stands with us. We must recognize this and always praise God for His blessings, even if they are not immediately apparent to us. The sacrifice includes actions, helping others, and sharing the good news with them. (James 1:22; James 2:14-18)}

Benediction and Final Greetings

²⁰Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, ²¹equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. ²²Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact, I have written to you quite briefly. ²³I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you. ²⁴Greet all your leaders and all the Lord’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings. ²⁵Grace be with you all.

{This final benediction and greeting start with a foundational belief of believers in Christ. “…may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus…” God continued His original covenant of blood by accepting the blood of Christ and raising Him from death. God equips us to do His will and lead a successful life through Christ }

QUESTIONS:

How do we apply these Scriptures (Old and New Testament Scriptures) to our lives? Both Peter (2 Peter 1:21), Paul (2 Timothy 3:16), and Christ said all the Scriptures are good for instruction.}

 

 

References:

New Revised Standard Bible

New International Bible

King James Version.

https://www.bible-commentaries.com/source/johnschultz/BC_Hebrews.pdf

Col. G. Tregaskis (Ret.)

John D. Garr Ph.D.

Rev.Ethan MagnessSenior Minister First Christian Church, Johnson City, TN