Hebrews 13:15-25

Hebrews 13:15-25

By means of and through Christ, who outside of the city was our sacrifice, we also offer three types of sacrifices. First is the sacrifice of praise. This term has of late generally been limited to the singing of sacred music. But there is more to it than music. Aside from the fact that many religious songs are so flawed that they should never have been written and certainly not sung, our praise needs to include our personal expression of thanks and praise to God for his mercy to us. This needs to happen at both the macro and micro levels. A second sacrifice is the grace of doing “good” by sharing our resources. Talk and even singing are cheap. The sharing of our resources with others is a sacrifice that pleases God. Many of those who call themselves disciples are woefully short on the practice of sharing. This practice of sharing isn't limited to giving to the church but includes direct sharing with those in need whom the Lord places in our lives. People in need ought to be part of our sphere of relationships. We often take pains to make sure that the needy are not part of our daily life. While not directly identified as a sacrifice, we should include submission to the godly leaders the Lord has placed over us. The leaders will give a strict account of their ministry and should, therefore, take seriously their charge and responsibility. There will also be an account of our followership. “This one was a stubborn and rebellious member of the flock” isn't what we want our leaders to say about us come judgment day.

We come to the beautiful benediction of the book in verses 20-21. God, who raised Jesus from the dead, did so for a purpose. That purpose is to equip us in every good thing to do His will. He pours into us grace, power, and love to fill us up with those traits so that we can do those things that please Him. As disciples, we are called to so much more than we often realize or even imagine. Unlike these Hebrew Christians, we are not tempted to return to religious Judaism. But we are often tempted to return to the pointless life of the world. Or perhaps worse, settle back into a dull, shallow, and lukewarm faith. We can go through the motions of a Christian life without fully living what God has for us. It would be a sadness of eternal regret to live any life that is not focused on that which is pleasing in His sight.

“Lord, help me live my life as an act of sacrifice to You. AMEN”

Hebrews 13:1-14

Hebrews 13:1-14

A community that is harassed, oppressed, or persecuted will not survive if it is divided. Throughout history, despots and dictators have worked hard at dividing the people they hoped to dominate. So as this faith community faces hardship, the author stresses the importance of the unity of the church.

Foundational for that unity is the “love of the Brethren.” The ability to endure hardship while supporting and being supported is irrefutably essential. Whether in the extremes of combat or in the lightheartedness of sports, the conviction that we are “in this together” that comes from mutual love enables the members to endure much more than any individual. Show me a church where love has failed, and I will show you a failing church.

This principle extends beyond those well known to us. The hospitality of strangers is the logical next outward extension of love. In a persecution situation, it may be necessary for believers to care for believers they do not know, both as refugees and by remembering (supporting) those who are in prison or in some way oppressed. The blood of Christ makes us closer to a fellow believer we have never before met than to a biological brother who is outside of Christ.

The author addresses two additional threats to the unity of the church: first, sex, and second, money. Sexual misconduct is not only devastating to the parties directly involved; it has a ripple effect throughout the church. Those who are aware of the circumstances, always more people than we imagine, will feel the urge to take sides. Those who remain unaware will perceive that something is wrong. No one in the church will be exempt from the effects. As for money, materialism is completely inconsistent with life in faith. There is nothing wrong with having money so long as we remember that we have it as a steward, that is holding what belongs to someone else. As such, we use it as the true owner wishes. When we attempt to possess it for our own, we set the community and ourselves up for conflict. Two final safeguards for unity are mentioned. In verses 7 and later in 17, the relationship with leadership is addressed. We will address this issue as we look at verse 17. Second is having grace about matters of opinion. In verse 9 the author brings up dietary laws, and the following passage deals with a wide variety of issues on this subject. The strength of the Christian life is grace, not keeping rituals, as was the case in the Old Testament. We have the ability to get bent out of shape over lesser things that are personally important to us. Food would have been a serious point in a Jewish community with the potential to create graceless divisions. But we also have our opinions we would like to make into laws for others to obey. 

“Lord, help me to take seriously the ‘the love of the brethren’ and all that means. AMEN

Hebrews 12:14-29

Hebrews 12:14-29

The writer of Hebrews gives us some very practical but demanding advice as to how to live faithfully as a disciple. Certainly the forces of darkness would attempt to draw believing Jews back from Christianity into Judaism. There would also be a second internal attack pushing them to leave their faith. If the first is the magnetic force of attraction, then the second is the magnetic force of repulsion. In verses 14-16 we see the countermeasure for the forces that would push a person out of the church.

A right relationship with man and with God are specifically linked. How can we love God, whom we have never seen, if we hate our fellow man, whom we have seen? We may have difficulty being at peace, but we must make the effort. Within the church, peace is possible unless, as in verse 15, someone is living short of God's grace. The result of which is a root of bitterness. We generally associate this phrase with a personal emotion, but that is too narrow an understanding. Deuteronomy 29:18 is most likely the passage to which this verse refers. The lack of peace and the lack of holiness indicate a person is short on God's grace. Such a person will become a “root of bitterness,” a Hebrewism for a toxic plant within the community. The example of Esau is given. He traded the eternal for the temporal, and later he found that he could not be restored. That character flaw must not appear in the church. This passage is directly about church discipline.

The balance of this chapter is a contrast between the old and the new covenants. There is much that can be said about this contrast presented. But the space available will allow only one note. There are two kinds of awesome. One is the awesomeness of fear, destruction, and terror, not unlike earthquakes, plagues, or tornadoes. Then there is the awesomeness of beauty, creation, newborn infants, and love. This is the sort of contrast the author uses here. The events of Mount Sinai were awesome, but they were more terrifying than attractive. The appeal of the New Covenant is awesome in the beautiful, loving, and gracious way. Certainly Calvary was dark and gruesome, but it was motivated by love and brought us to the awesome new relationship with God. Why turn back from the awesome beauty to the awesome terror?

“Thank you for the grace that can only be described as awesome. AMEN”

Hebrews 12:1-13

Hebrews 12:1-13

The heroes of the past reach the finish line by faith, not by ritual nor by law, but by faith. It is now our turn. The passage is filled with practical help for the disciple, both Jew and Gentile, who struggles when they find that it is hard to follow the Lord. Nowhere, except among corrupt and false teachers, do we find that being a disciple will be easy. The word used in verse 1 for race is the Greek word agona, from which we get the English word agony. The promises of an easy life as a disciple are the lies that are given to set us up for disappointment. These lies originate in the heart of the father of all lies.

There are two things that make it easy for us to get sidetracked or hobbled in our race. First is “every encumbrance,” those things that are not evil, but we'll slowly consume more and more of our lives and will replace the running of our race as a priority of our lives. There is nothing wrong with hobbies, sports, and recreation; in fact, they can be helpful and healthy. But given the opportunity, they can become the reason for our living. The second danger is the “sin that easily entangles us.” The word “easily entangles” is a compound word that means “well established around us.” The sin that is everywhere around us, the sin that is an easy habit of life, the sin that is convenient and close at hand, this sin we can slip into without even thinking about it is what the author has in mind here. The solution is interesting. The way forward is not to fight the sin but to focus on Jesus. Obsession with stopping a specific sin will only take us so far. Rather, the answer is to fix our attention on Jesus. In the original language, this “looking to Jesus” means to look in such a way that we don't notice anything else.

Finally In this passage we see that the life of a disciple is marked by the external discipline of God. Certainly we must be self-disciplined, but there is an external discipline or hardship that we need. We would rather not see or think of God as one who disciplines us, but as the author of Hebrews puts it so directly, He does. Sometimes God does so by allowing things to happen, sometimes by actually causing them. In either case, He disciplines us. In verse 6 he is described as “scourging” or “whipping” us. That is not the picture of God that is currently popular. But sometimes we can only learn our lessons the hard way. In fact, if you want your best life now, the Christian faith is certainly not for you.

“Grant me the wisdom to accept with strength the discipline of God.  AMEN”

Hebrews 11:32-40

Hebrews 11:32-40

Having followed the fateful up to the conquest of the promised land, the author moves on to a quick overview of the time of the judges through the prophets. Certainly there is not enough time for us to cover in detail all the heroes of the faith. But we can offer a summary that helps us put this in perspective for both ourselves and the original readers.

We see here the story of great men and women who did great things, experienced great power, and suffered great hardship because of their great faith in anticipation of the great promise. The heroes of the history of Israel were not heroes because they kept the rituals of the temple worship or the codes of the law. Their ritual and moral faithfulness came out of what made them heroes, namely their faith. Indeed, we can see that at times they violated both the ritual and the law, but it was their faith that brought them through and brought them back.

Special note should be given to the suffering and hardship that they endured. So much of our faith today is based, falsely, on the promise of ever-growing prosperity, wealth, health, and success. In this Hall of Fame of faith, we do see success, but to a greater degree, we see suffering. The last three descriptive words in verse 37 will suffice for a description of what they suffered. Those words are “destitute, afflicted, and ill-treated.” The word destitute literally means “depleted, having nothing, having used up everything, and that was not enough. Afflicted means pressed or crushed; it is related to the word for a crowd or thick mob pressing in. Ill-treated is a compound word from “ill” and “bad,” meaning to be held in someone's power in which you are treated badly. The description is no small inconvenience. Faith, both then and now, has often required suffering. But it is by faith that the promise is received.

For these Hebrew Christians, who were tempted to leave Christ for Judaism, it is shown that all the heroes of the Old Testament were living in faith for the coming of Christ. These Jewish Christians are invited to join in this throng of heroes, indeed to complete this hero band in Christ. Nothing could be greater for a Jew than to be numbered among the likes of Abraham, David, the Judges, and the Prophets, and this is done by faith in Christ, who is both the promise and the promise giver. 

“Lord, grant me a faith that I will be numbered among the heroes of the faith.  AMEN”

Hebrews 11:17-31

Hebrews 11:17-31

In the incredible and wonderful description of the Hall of Fame of Faith, we must be careful not to miss the forest for the trees. Each description of great faith is worthy of study, but their uniting theme, as with the whole book of Hebrews, is a superiority of Christ to all else. In the verses before us, we see a summation of the beginning of the nation of Israel from the great Abraham to the entry into the Promised Land. Covering hundreds of years of history and only barely touching on the lives mentioned, the author points out the real source of the life of Israel. The real source of the life of Israel, as God's chosen people, wasn't the rituals of the temple, the work of angels, the life of Moses, or the giving of the law, but it was faith.

The appeal of Judaism to draw Hebrew Christians back was a mistaken appeal because the foundation of the ancients was faith, and that faith is now expressed in Christ. A Jew was never less Jewish than when they failed to have faith in Jesus as the Messiah. A Jew was most consistent with the heroes and the patriarchs of old when they placed their faith in Jesus. In the novel In His Steps, we often hear the question, “What would Jesus do?” The writer of Hebrews is almost subliminally asking that question and another form of “What would Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and the patriarchs do?" The question is answered: they would have faith in God in the person of Jesus.

We need for a moment to take a glance at one specific incident. All those magnificent moments of faith deserve detailed study; however, the most we can do now is take a quick glance at the greatest act of faith in the Old Testament: the near sacrifice of Isaac. The original Jewish readers would have studied this event and would have had a depth of knowledge far beyond what we typically have. What they would have seen in this event was a vivid picture of the death of Jesus on the cross. The most important and defining moment in the life of the father of the Jewish nation was a picture, an acted prophecy, of the sacrifice of Jesus. What would it mean to be a true descendant of Abraham was bound up in the death and the resurrection of Jesus!

“Grant me Lord a faith so deep and committed that I will never fear man nor circumstances. AMEN”

Hebrews 11:1-16

Hebrews 11:1-16

We come to what has been called the Hall of Fame of Faith. In the context of this letter to Christian Jews being persecuted and leaving the faith, the author presents some of the history on which they would have grown up. The readers were not given a new history or new information but were invited to join in the long heritage of the faithful. At the close of chapter 10, the author quotes Habakkuk 2:3-4, in which there is the promise of a coming, a call to live by faith, and an exhortation to not give up. Chapter 11 is a description of people who did just that.

Each character in this history is worthy of individual contemplation and study, but for our purposes we are going to look at a couple of general principles. Principles that would have been important to the first readers and can apply to our lives as well.

First, faith is not always, if ever, the perfect, whole, complete expression or conviction we might want it to be. Abraham was not always fully convinced about his heir; at one point he lamented that Eliezer of Damascus was going to inherit all that he had. Sarah was also a faith struggler. When God told her she would have a child, she laughed at God, not a particularly strong expression of faith. Sometimes faith lives in the same heart as doubt or questioning.

Second faith never exists apart from behavior or actions. We have often incorrectly understood the relationship of faith and works. But clearly when a person has faith, it always produces actions. Abel offered, Enoch walked, Noah built, and Abram left. We never see the presence of faith without an action or behavior to go with it. So much so that that behavior is a good indicator or evidence of what the faith is like, if it is there at all. If there is no action, then whatever is there is not real faith.

Third faith will cost you. Ultimately it will be worth the cost, but in the meantime faith will require giving up some short-term advantage for the long-term benefits. It is the confidence in the long term that makes the short-term decision so reasonable. Abram’s pursuit of the eternal city was at the cost of a secure life in Ur and spending a lifetime of being a wandering pilgrim. Faith is not easy, but it is absolutely worth the cost. 

“Help me, Lord, to live out my faith every day. AMEN”

Hebrews 10:19-39

Hebrews 10:19-39

We come to, at this point, a transition in the letter to the Hebrews. We also come to what is certainly one of the direst warnings of the New Testament. The shift at this point is from doctrine or theology to practical Christian living. In the context of the Jewish Christians leaving the faith because of hardship and persecution and the superiority of Christ over the law, in which we see He is the only way to God, the author turns to an exhortation to remain faithful. 

In verses 19-22 he describes the process of conversion. Then in verses 23-25 he outlines how we remain faithful in three key points. First, “hold fast to the confession of Our Hope,” in other words, keep the truth of what it means to be a disciple. This requires us to know and believe certain doctrines. We must not only feel certain things but also know what is true. We hear a great deal about practical or relevant teaching these days. The most practical thing we can possibly know is the truth. Second, we are required to be engaged in the lives of other believers. In verse 24 we must think of ways to stimulate one another to faithfulness. The word here is “provoke” in the King James Version or “stimulate” in a New American Standard Bible. Literally it means ‘beside to cut.’ It means we are close enough to a person to cut them. The anonymous nature of the seeker-driven church is the damnable opposite of what we see here. Like it or not, we get up in our fellow believers' business to help them love and do good deeds. The third part brings these first two together. The commitment to truth and motivation to love and good deeds will not last long without the gathering of the saints together. The doctrines of the faith will be undermined by our world. The motivation for holy living will not last long without support. The pride of our own thinking will lead us off, and the appetites of the body will compromise us, unless we have the ongoing connection with fellow disciples.

Most terrifying is the real possibility that without the constant influence of the truth in our lives and the ongoing positive motivation of fellow disciples, we can leave the faith. This is more than individual sins or even a pattern of sin. It is a change of loyalty in which we willfully reject Christ. When that happens, there is no future for the person except the anticipation of hell.

“Lord, help me connect deeply with other disciples. AMEN”

Hebrews 10:1-18

Hebrews 10:1-18

This passage is a sort of conclusion and climax of the argument of the superiority of Christ. He is greater than all the Old Testament characters, symbols, and rituals. The rest of this book is about the living out of the faith, the implications, and the applications of who Christ is and what He has done and is doing. These 18 verses are so full of grace, beauty, and hope they can be studied and studied again for a lifetime. But for the moment we can note a few key points.

The old sacrificial system could never effectively deal with the collections of our sins nor could it effectively deal with our fallen and broken nature. All of us must admit two things. 1) I am a sinner, and 2) I have committed many sins. The sacrificial system of the law could neither cure the sin nature nor remove the record of sin. Sins were remembered in the daily sacrifices, then in the weekly, monthly, and annual sacrifices as well. The best the sacrifices could do was to make a person deeply aware of their guilt and the enormity of their record of sin. A cure would require the blood of a holy, infinite, innocent, and perfect volunteer to pay the debt for the infinite punishment of all sin and all sinners. If the old sacrifices were effective, they would not have been repeated. The repetition was proof of their ultimate ineffectiveness. But the sacrifice of Christ is once and for all proof that it was effective in accomplishing the removal from the memory of God Himself of the record of our sin. Easy to say, but mind-boggling in its reality. God forgets our sin. While the ancients entered the divine service to remember their sin and guilt, we enter to remember Christ, who has set all things right.

The law had served its purpose, but it was never more than a shadow of what was to come in Christ. As great and marvelous as the law is, it was to be a shadow that tells us how marvelous the new covenant is. A shadow is an accurate but limited description of the real thing, and that is the law.

One final beautiful picture from this passage: we see the Trinity named and described, a sort of very basic Trinitarian theology. In verse nine we see the description of God the Father‘s will. In verses 10 through 13 we see the work of God the Son. Then in verse 15 we see God the Holy Spirit bearing witness. How beautiful that even the simple can grasp it.

“Lord, thank You that You forgive my sins and make me right. AMEN”

Hebrews 9:11-28

Hebrews 9:11-28

Line by line, brick by brick the author of Hebrews argues and proves the superiority of the new covenant in Christ over the old covenant. It is not just a slightly improved covenant but a vastly superior and in every way superior covenant, superiority so great that no analogy can adequately express the truth. But the central statement is so clear and understandable that an analogy is unnecessary. Where the priest enters the tabernacle on earth, which is a copy of the one in Heaven, Christ entered the real and heavenly tabernacle. The priest offers the blood of livestock as a dumb and unwilling sacrifice. Christ offers his own blood freely, lovingly, and willingly. The sacrifices of the priests offer surface cleansing on an annual basis. The blood of Christ cleanses us down to the conscience and is once and for all effective. He, that is Christ, has effectively put away sin once and for all. For Jewish Christians suffering for their faith, the appeal to return to their old way would have had a surface appeal. It would have seemed comfortable and an effective way to avoid notice or persecution. But they would have given up the real for what was at best an out-of-date copy.

The author also tells us that the blood of Christ “cleanses your conscience from dead works.” The conscience is a powerful part of our makeup. The conscience is like a wristwatch or a wall clock, and it’s very useful if two things are true. 1) It must be operating properly, and 2) it must be set to the correct time. A wristwatch that is running haywire is useless. One that keeps time but is 40 minutes late is only a little better. Having our conscience be our guide can be dangerous. Psychotics and sociopaths have a conscience that is running amok. Without their conscience bothering them, they can torture, kill, or even cannibalize their victims. The conscience can be highly trained and scrupulously functioning but wrong. Nazi SS soldiers were highly conscientious to do what they believed was right, and they did so with a clear conscience. Thankfully the blood of Christ can heal, cure, repair, and reset our conscience. The cleansed conscience is still not foolproof, but it is moving in the right direction. Never trust a conscience that has not been touched by the blood of Christ.

“Lord, keep my conscience attuned to You and Your holiness. AMEN” 

Hebrews 9:1-10

Hebrews 9:1-10

There is nothing casual about worship. This is not to say that when we worship, we must wear formal clothing. A person can have a casual attitude regardless of his clothes. What this is to say is that when we worship, it is not common, it is not flippant, it is not unpremeditated, and it must not be driven by our predilections or our whims. The author of Hebrews is showing the vast superiority of the high priestly function of Christ over the functions of the Levitical high priest by showing the superiority of the place of service where Christ served as supreme as compared to where the Levitical high priest served. To do this, the author recalls the place of the Divine service, the Tabernacle. It is well worth the time to study in detail the symbolism of the Tabernacle and its furniture.

Even a cursory reading of this passage and any review of the Old Testament worship services will reveal that the worship of God and approaching Him was thoughtful, planned carefully, and taken very seriously. How different is that from our approach to our time with God? Sometimes we make the decision together with other believers as if it were an optional recreational event for the weekend. Without much planning or thought, we anticipate going and being with other believers, but if any little thing comes up, we will nix our plans. We often take the same lackadaisical attitude toward our own personal devotions and prayers. It is a priority, but it is not a high priority. It is important, but it's not “that important.” Our faith is stagnant and shallow, not vibrant or growing, and we never stopped and asked if it is because our faith is not a priority in our lives. There will be undulation in our faith walk. There will be hard times to be endured and hard times through which we mature. But if we allow how we feel to set the standard of our earnestness, then we will experience a downward cooling of our passion for God. At first the decline will be slight and negligible, but it will accelerate into lukewarmness.

Passion for worship does not earn our salvation. But it ought to be the natural outflow of the grace we have received, and it is a means for us to appreciate that grace. The marvel and the grandeur of our position in grace cannot be comprehended by a casual glance. It must be the object of intentional focus. And the more attention we pay, the grander we see that it is.

“Keep me passionate in my worship of You. AMEN”

Now What?

 Now What?

It has been almost a week since the murder of Charlie Kirk.  We have heard plenty, both left and right, about what happened and what prompted the shooting.  Now what?

The following in my opinion and that is all but to sum it up: “We will not see a move toward greater unity in our nation”.   Those on the left will praise the attack on someone they see as a threat.  The assassin may be venerated as a heroic character who demonstrates that the ‘injustices’ of the right will no longer be tolerated.  Those on the right will be even more convinced that the left is a culture of death and evil, people with whom reason is useless and  must be dealt with by means of power.  

Historically this might be more akin to the “Raid on Harper’s Ferry” than anything else in our history.  The bloody war from 1861 to 1865 was the cruelest moment in our history.  We killed ourselves in unprecedented numbers and created wounds that still fester today.  That war is popularly dated from the bombardment of Fort Sumter, April 12, 1861.  It might be more accurate to say the war began at Harpers Ferry Oct 16, 1859.  A mad man, to liberate the oppressed, took up arms with the intent to kill.  Sound familiar?  As a result the national division grew deeper and wider, and the opportunity for dialogue diminished.   

In our day neither side will see this as an occasion for restraint or dialing back of the rhetoric.  Instead we will see it as proof that every evil conception we have of the other side is true and actually worse than expected.  Whether it is booing in congress during a moment of silence for the family of Charlie Kirk or one pastor’s quote from Ecclesiastes, "’A time for love and a time for hate; a time for war and a time for peace’. This is not the time for peace but a time for war”.  We are drawn to the dynamic personalities on our side. These personalities are usually on the extreme.  I know a lady who claims faith in Christ, but never refers to the other party as democrats, but always as ‘demon-crats’.  If we can dehumanize the other side we can move from loving them while disagreeing with them, to simply disagreeing with them and avoiding them, to hating them because of the things with which we disagree with them, to ultimately pulling the trigger. 

I think we can expect that both sides will see this as a cash cow that needs to be milked before she goes dry when the news cycle moves on to the next world shaking event.  From the right, “The liberal evil left has taken up arms to oppress us.  We need to act now, subscribe to my podcast, buy my book, support my advertisers, help fund me as I take up the bloody microphone and go to carry on Charlie’s work.”  From the left, “They will make this racial into a martyr and try to ramrod his agenda on you.  Send us money so we can resist, support our candidates with donation volunteering and sharing our feed on your social media page.”  There is an opportunity for expanding your  brand, making big money and becoming a celebrity on one side or the other at this moment, if we can turn it into a crisis.  Even non-political peppers can get on the band wagon, “Chaos is coming so buy my solar panels and 25 years shelf life food.”

While Jesus was on the cross He prayed, “Father, forgive them; they don’t know what they are doing”.  If I am to be a follower of Christ I MUST BEGIN BY LOVING.  How can I love Christ whom I have never seen if I hate the republicans or democrats, the LGBTQ+ or NRA members, the slain or the slayer, whom I have seen.  My gut instinct is that it is more like the “Raid at Harper’s Ferry” than any force for good.  It may be the dress rehearsal for a Balkanization kind of war where the battle lines are not clearly defined.

What shall we do?  Let me offer a couple of strategies that ought to be a daily practice.  On the negative side. Don’t believe everything you hear in your echo chamber about the evil of the other side.  Don’t imagine that any political solution could ever solve our problem.  Don’t disconnect with people with whom you disagree, no matter how disagreeable they (or you)  might be.

On the positive side.  Believe everything you see in the Word of God and in the life of Christ, this problem is not too big for Jesus. Spend a moment and look and see how God has changed nations.  Many scholars believe England would have followed the past of the French Revolution had it not been for the influence of the revivals associated with the Wesley brothers.  Engage with people and work to draw them to Christ, not your political position.  Julian the Apostate emperor of Rome left the Christian faith to return to paganism as a hope for reviving Rome’s greatness.  His attacks on the church were brutal, but he could not defeat Christ and His church.  It was reported his last words were, “Thou hast conquered, Galilean”.  

Never forget Jesus wins, let’s make sure we are on His side.

Hebrews 8:7-13

Hebrews 8:7-13

There are occasions in which we have known something but have not realized its full meaning, implications, and impact. Verses 8-12 in this chapter are a quote from Jeremiah 31 and were not unknown to the original readers of this letter. But this may have been the first time they began to realize the full impact of this Old Testament passage. Putting together the superiority of Christ over angels, Moses, and the Levitical priesthood may have dawned on them as never before. By God's design and plan, the covenant with Israel in the law had a termination date. The old system was weak; it was a flawed system. Not because there was anything wrong with God's plan, but because men failed to be able to keep their part of the covenant. Hardly had the dust settled in the giving of the Ten Commandments when they were already broken. It was possible for a man to be a part of the Covenant people, to keep the ceremonial law perfectly, and still not know God and to be a moral reprobate. Such a covenant could not do much, but it could do enough.

It was always God's intent to bring a new and superior covenant with men. In this new covenant, everyone participating would personally know God and would have the love of God in their own hearts and minds. It would be impossible to “teach one of God's people to know God” because knowing Him would be a prerequisite to being part of the covenant. In this new covenant, God's mercy would extend to all His people because all His people would know Him.

Verse 13 offers a prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem with the words “ready to disappear.” The temple in Jerusalem was the last holdout of the old covenant, and in 70 AD that last vestige of the old covenant was removed; it had served its purpose and prepared the people for the coming of the Messiah. The job was done, and the old system was removed.

“”Thank You, Lord, for Your provision of the new and better way. AMEN”

Hebrews 8:1-6

Hebrews 8:1-6

The writer gives a summation of all that has been said. As Christians, we have a high priest who sits down at God's right hand, and from there He ministers. The idea of “seated” is an important point. In the Tabernacle and later in the temple, the Ark of the Covenant was in the Holy of Holies. It was also called the Mercy Seat. It was the very presence of God on Earth. Also, it was the only seat in the temple. The priest never sat down in the temple to do their ministry. Here the author presents Jesus as sitting in the temple, the real ultimate temple, the one after which the earthly temple and tabernacle were patterned. What was the only seat in the temple? It was “The Mercy Seat.” The implication of this description is colossal. Our Lord occupies this seat next to God, the only seat, and from it He ministers.

The author is battling for the faith of these Jewish Christians, and he points to the grandeur of Christ’s high priesthood. Christians have no priests on Earth, but we do have one in heaven. We do not have a priest who enters the temple yearly but one who remains in the real temple. We do not have a priest who approaches God, but is God the Son seated with God the Father? We do not have a priest that came to the holy of holies with the blood of an animal annually, but once and for all with his own blood. The summation of the discussion of the priesthood of Jesus is “Where is He at and what has He done and continues to do?”

“Lord, thank You that You are seated with the Father and ministering on our behalf. AMEN”

Hebrews 7:11-28

 Hebrews 7:11-28

This passage serves as a sort of summation of the superiority of the priesthood of Jesus to that of the Levitical priesthood. By so doing, the author emphasizes the superiority of the new covenant over the old.

It was impossible for perfection to be achieved under the Levitical priesthood, and that was why a new order of priesthood was needed, and that new order under a new covenant and law. Under the Old Law, the priesthood was determined based on inheritance. A man might become a priest who was absolutely a cad. He might fulfill the inheritance but still not be a holy individual. But Jesus was a priest based on the power of His indestructible life (v. 16). Jesus is a new priest from a new priesthood out of a new covenant because of the supreme qualification of the nature of his life. For Jews tempted to return to Judaism, this begs the question, “What do the Levitical priesthood, the old Covenant, and Judaism as a whole offer compared to what we have in Christ?”

The author then says something the importance of which can hardly be fathomed. The words of verse 18 must have sounded like thunder from a nearby lightning strike to the original Jewish readers. Setting aside the former command, specifically referencing the Levitical priesthood and the law in general is one thing, but to call it “weak and useless” is something entirely different. It was very likely the most shocking thing the Jewish reader had ever heard. The law was not useless in the absolute sense, but in terms of its ability to bring men to perfection, it failed, but it was never intended to be the salvation solution. The law could tell us we were wrong and deserving of punishment; it even defined that punishment. The Law could point away from itself, by types and prophecy, to the Salvation to come, but it was never the destination.

The temporary nature of the Levitical priesthood is in contrast to the new priesthood and covenant by the fact that God never bound Himself to the Levitical priesthood the way He did to the one who would be a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. This new priest, to whom God binds Himself by oath, is perfect, sinless, and eternal and bound to God by God's own oath. Nothing in Judaism could compare with the new priesthood and priest. 

“Thank You God that we have a perfect Priest in Jesus. AMEN”

Hebrews 7:1-10

Hebrews 7:1-10

The author began talking about Melchizedek in chapter 5, but because the audience was stuck on some specific basics, he digressed onto the importance of maturing in their faith. He now returns to the mysterious subject of Melchizedek. Of all the characters in the Bible, few have generated more speculation, some of which is outlandish, than Melchizedek. Rather than chase speculations, we will be better able to understand this passage by remembering the point and purpose of the letter to the Hebrews. Jewish disciples were being tempted to return to Judaism. One of the appeals comes from the history, heritage, and grandeur of the priestly worship in Judaism.

The author argues, essentially, why settle for an inferior priestly worship when in Christ you have a superior priestly order and worship? Jesus is a priest not in the order of Aaron but of the superior order of Melchizedek. The author begins to explain how the order of Melchizedek is superior; under the law a priest could not be a king. The tribe of Levi provided priests, and the tribe of Judah provided kings. But Melchizedek was both a priest and a king. The order of family succession was critical for the priesthood of Aaron. Not every member of the tribe of Levi could be a priest, but only those from specific families. Tracing one's family tree was an essential part of the qualifications of being a priest. Melchizedek has no family record on which his priesthood depends. He is a priest in his own right. Verse 3 has led to a great deal of speculation. This is not the time to chase down all those rabbit trails; however, what is said of Melchizedek in verse 3 could never be said of any Aaronic priest. Finally, the author points out that Abraham, who was the father of Israel and of the Levitical priesthood, offered ties of plunder to this priest from a different order. Consider this succession: greater than the Levites were the priests, greater still were the high priests, even greater was Aaron, and beyond Aaron's greatness was the greatness of Abraham. This Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek. In the Priestly Order of Melchizedek, we find Christ. It is really quite simple: “Why leave the greater priestly order to return to the inferior order?”

“Thank You Lord for Your absolute superiority. AMEN”

Hebrews 6:9-20

Hebrews 6:9-20

No disciple who takes seriously the danger of sin and the reality of a lost eternity will be nonchalant while reading Hebrews 5:11–6:8. The fear of God makes us look on our own lives, in view of this passage, with fear and trembling. But the spiritual life of the disciple is not a fragile thing but a vigorous one. It is not easily swept away. To comfort the disciples’ sensitivity of conscience, the author speaks words of encouragement. While it is possible for believers, for the love of sin, to walk away from the Savior, but the author is convinced of better things for these disciples. While they may have been immature in their faith, resulting in a lack of discernment, they have done well in the care for the saints. God ties us to Himself by many cords. While spiritual maturity and discernment may be the strongest, the acts of practical love and tangible mercy are by no means inconsequential. Some have argued that Christian benevolence ought to be our primary responsibility. That is a mistake. But God will use that and everything else He can to draw us to or back to Himself if we wander off.

The journey of the disciple is no easy trip, and our author uses the life of Abraham as an example of such a journey. He uses Abraham as our example for three reasons. First, Abraham would lead the conversation back to Melchizedek, who was the subject before the exhortation began. Second, Abraham received the promise from God. God’s oath-bound promise and His inability to lie are compelling reasons to believe what He says is true. And third, Abraham is an example of a person who exhibited two characteristics these disciples needed to remain faithful. These are characteristics we need as well. In verse 12 the author draws a contrast between sluggish, which can mean dull, blunt, or lazy, and those who inherit the promise. The contrast lies in two keywords, the characteristics Abraham displayed: faith and patience. Without faith and absolute confidence in God and the promise He has made, our patients will expire and we will give up. Without patience, the questions and struggles that challenge our faith will beat us down till we quit. Life as a disciple can be hard; without faith and patience, it is impossible.

“By Your grace, Lord, grant me faith and patience. AMEN”

Hebrews 6:1-8

Hebrews 6:1-8

The failure to develop the discernment of good and evil is an invitation to disaster. The author says it is time to move beyond the foundational issues of Christianity to a faith of discernment. He does not discount the importance of the foundations; indeed, he lists them, but the readers' lack of maturity will have disastrous results if they do not develop a deeper faith. The foundation or elementary teaching listed in this passage ought to be known and understood by every believer. But they are not the end destination. The author specifically listed six foundational points for us in verses 1 and 2. 

Then the author moves on to warn about the dangers of the shallow faith that never learns discernment. Verses 4-6 warned about the danger of falling from grace into apostasy. There are those who would doubt this possibility. However, the simple, straightforward reading of scripture is clear. We must avoid contorting scripture to suit our wants or preconceptions and instead conform our thinking to scripture. This falling away is not the result of a singular sin, nor of a specific type of sin. Rather, the grammar indicates a pattern or habit of sin that comes to identify or mark the person's life. In this ongoing habit or practice of sin, they are crucifying the Savior all over again. While actively sinning, there is no repentance in their lives. Any, indeed every, sin has the potential to move from an isolated incident to a pattern that causes us to desire that evil so completely that we would crucify Jesus for it. In such a state or condition, repentance is impossible. The lack of discernment between good and evil discussed at the end of chapter 5 makes us susceptible to sin that might mean our ruin. The importance of holiness and discernment in our lives cannot be overstated.

“Lord, help me grow in holiness and in sensitivity to any and every sin. AMEN”

Hebrews 5:11-14

Hebrews 5:11-14

Having begun teaching about Christ as a great high priest, the author moves into his third digression or exhortation about not leaving the faith to return to Judaism. The warning covers the last part of Hebrews 5 and all of Hebrews 6, then returns to the priestly role of Christ in chapter 7. This warning has three parts. First, the problem of spiritual immaturity; second, the result and danger of this immaturity; and third, the better hope the author has for these believers.

There are difficult teachings in Hebrews, specifically, who was Melchizedek? And what was his role in the bigger picture of the Christian faith? Those deeper questions were important for believers but are unattainable as long as the believer is content to stop learning of the basics of the faith. There are some things too difficult for new believers. Too often we are content with a lifelong spiritual diet of new believer kind of teaching. As a result, we will never develop the spiritual maturity to learn how to discern good and evil. Basics are critical, and in the next chapter the author will list the fundamental teachings of the faith. But endless rehearsal of these will not be adequate to develop holiness in our lives and the discernment that comes with being holy.

Too many believers are content to, once having become disciples, remain at the entry-level spiritual maturity. But notice there is an essential link between maturity and discernment of good and evil. Many issues we face today were not faced by our first-century brethren. In the same way, we don't face the same day-to-day issues they faced. The scriptures did not provide for us a detailed list of dos and don'ts for every possible issue. It gives us something better: maturity that knows how to tell right from wrong and thereby live a holy life.

“Lord, draw me into the deeper things of faith and holiness. AMEN”

Hebrews 4:14-5:10

Hebrews 4:14-5:10

Verse 14 begins one of the great and unique descriptions of Christ in the New Testament. Chapter and verse divisions were not part of the Bible till the 6th and 16th centuries, respectively. The passage before us, 4:14-5:10, is best studied as a whole. This is a case where the chapter break was poorly placed.

For Jewish Christians, the temptation to return to Judaism would have been closely linked to the role of the high priest with its pomp, beauty, tradition, succession, and iconic role. Since the time of Aaron, Israel's high priest was a source of national solidarity. But just as Jesus is superior to angels and to Moses, He is superior to the high priest of Aaron’s line. There is a Jewish expectation of a priestly Messiah, but because the Messiah was to come from the line of David, this created a problem for Jewish scholars. Priests had to come from the tribe of Levi, and David was from the tribe of Judah. Some scholars reconciled this by expecting two Messiahs, one priestly and one kingly. It has apparently never dawned on them that a different priestly order would be involved.

In these verses the author briefly but powerfully outlines the priestly ministry and qualifications of Jesus Christ and does so in such a way as to show the vast superiority of Christ the priest in contrast to those in the temple in Jerusalem. Christ passes through the heavens rather than the temple courts. Christ was able to identify with all our weaknesses but was without sin. While the temple priests had to begin with sacrifices for their own sin, Christ was sinless. In verse four, the author may have been a bit ironic; “no one takes this honor” may have been a reference to Annas coming to the high priestly office by killing a rival. Even Christ did not take this honor but was appointed. While Christ was humble and compassionate, the high priests of the time were brutal and cutthroat, seeing the people as pawns for their own advancement. And in every aspect of the role of priests, Christ is far superior to the Jewish high priest. In fact, the high priest of the line of Aaron ended in the year 70 AD. But Jesus is still functioning in some of the specific roles as our high priest.

One final note: it is said Jesus was made perfect. That in no way implies any moral failure or imperfection. Rather, it was he who completed the task given Him. Because of His perfect life and obedience He can give us a salvation from Himself.

“Thank you, Lord, that You are my High Priest. AMEN”

Hebrews 4:1-13

Hebrews 4:1-13

God is almighty and all-powerful. He created the universe out of nothing, without effort or strain. So why did He rest? Why was Israel commanded to keep the Sabbath day as a day of rest to commemorate God's resting after creation? Clearly there is something more to this that just rest and recovering from fatigue after effort. Israel failed at the border of the Promised Land because of their lack of faith to enter, and instead they spent forty years in the wilderness. Joshua later led Israel into the Promised Land. But even then they didn't completely enter into rest. About 500 years later the psalmist wrote in Psalm 95 about Israel still having not entered their rest. So what is “rest”? God resting on the Sabbath, the keeping of the Sabbath by the Jews, and the entry into the Promised Land are all pictures or symbols of what God has in store.

We are all restless, wanting rest. We work long and hard so we can retire. We began work on Monday morning looking forward to a restful weekend. We often start the day with eager anticipation of going home at the end of the day. But few, if any, of us can ever say that we are truly at rest. Even while we are off and at “rest,” there is a looming specter of work. We frequently find rest unfulfilling. There is a longing for rest we can never satisfy, an itch that can never be scratched, or if scratched is only inflamed. Rest is more than cessation of labor but the wholeness of spirit and being that is truly content and at peace. It is possible only in relationship to and in the company of the Father. This rest is the relationship we have with God through Jesus Christ. We enter it when we become disciples and have the down payment now, and we will fully enter it at the culmination of all things.

But the author of Hebrews offers a grave and serious warning. As Sabbath is a picture for us to understand entering God's rest, so Israel’s failure to enter the Promised Land is a warning for us. This is so important that the author warns us that we ought to be afraid of not entering that rest (v1). What are we to be afraid of? That having heard the good news that it would be unprofitable or unfulfilled because the information is not united with faith. Faith is not merely intellectual assent, but the mind and the action joined together. The failure to pursue the life of discipleship gives opportunity for our hearts to harden till we refuse to hear what the Lord commands and enter His rest.

“Lord, keep me tender toward You always seeking the rest that is in You. AMEN”

Hebrews 3:7-19

Hebrews 3:7-19

In every national consciousness there seems to be a defining tragedy, an event that is universally understood by the people as a defining moment. For Jewish people, that moment came as they were about to enter the Promised Land. Twelve spies went out to explore the land, and when they returned, the majority opinion was that the conquest of the Promised Land was too hard, even for God. These events are recorded in Numbers 13-14 and sung about in Psalm 95. The problem was not the difficulty of the conquest but unbelief and hardness of heart on the part of the Israelites. Had it not been for the intervention of Moses, God would have destroyed the Israelites and started over. This event at Meribah and Massah (which means provocation and temptation) meant that two generations of Israel would never enter the rest God had planned. Instead they had to endure forty years of wandering a miserable desert just waiting to die. They lost Paradise because at a critical moment they refused to remain faithful.

The author of Hebrews uses this historic event to remind Jewish Christians of the danger of turning back. In Chapter 2:1-4 we saw the first occasion where the author directly addresses this key topic apart from the general narrative. He does so again here. The Jewish Christians have begun to follow Christ. The pressure they faced to revert back to Judaism was for them a critical crossroads. Hardship and difficult times lie ahead. Christ can lead them through, but in the moment they are tempted to turn back from facing these hardships. We must not lose sight of the real problem. The real problem was not the persecution and suffering that would be imposed on them from the outside. The real problem was on their inside, in their will and their hearts, as they moved toward unbelief and hardness of heart. Unbelief is not a simple “I do not understand” or “How is this possible?” as was the case for the Virgin Mary. Unbelief is a firm resolve and conviction against God. A determination that God can't or God simply isn't. Unbelief says, This is impossible; leave me alone. " Doubt is different; it says, “How is this possible? Show me.” As disciples, we will come to hardship and suffering. We will have moments of doubt, so we ask “Show me how to endure.” The temptation is to turn back because that appears to be the easy way out. But if we refuse to believe that God can bring us to his rest, if for whatever reason we turn back, we will miss the rest God intends for His people, His intended purpose for our lives. Everyone who is disobedient to the call to follow Him will miss His rest. 

“God, grant me the strength to endure and to trust. AMEN".

Hebrews 3:1-6

Hebrews 3:1-6

The author of Hebrews begins by showing that Jesus Christ was greater than angels. Now he takes his argument to the next level: Jesus is greater than Moses. For the Jews, Moses is one of the ultra-great people in all of history. Jews as a family trace their family tree to Abraham, but as a nation, they date back to Moses. For Jewish Christians, who were being pressured to leave the Christian faith, part of that pressure would have been the return to Moses and the law. The author of Hebrews does not denigrate Moses but gives him his due, a practice we should follow. However, the author places Moses in his proper context as he relates to Jesus.

Moses is a type, a foreshadowing of Jesus. He was a picture that would make the Messiah more understandable when he arrived. The similarities between Moses and the Messiah are fascinating but too numerous to study at this moment. The contrasts are also interesting, and the author touches on a couple to demonstrate the grandeur of Christ.

The author begins in the first verse. Jesus is described as a high priest. Aaron, Moses’ brother, was a high priest, but that was an honor and office to which Moses was never admitted. A second is that Moses is described as a faithful servant in the house. There is no doubt he was a long-suffering, faithful, even if imperfect, servant. But that role is in contrast to Jesus, who is described as both the builder of the house and the Son. Jesus’ glory is greater than Moses’ in the same way the builder and owner and eternal Son is greater than the house servant.

We must not miss a critical point from verse six. The church, the collection of the saved Jews and Gentiles, is the house over which Jesus is faithful. We are that house if we remain faithful. In the original context of this letter, this is a warning for Jewish Christians not to leave the faith and to return to Judaism. For us there is a call to remain faithful to our calling as disciples. Few of us are apt to become Jews if we leave the faith. We are more likely to return to unbelief and the world. Instead, we must remain firm to “the end.” The end is not specified; that may be so we can apply it in several ways.

“Thank You Lord, for Moses and all Your servants to point to Jesus. AMEN”