My Daily Pause

The Lists of Hebrews
A Study of the book of Hebrews
Lesson 4 Part 1
Lesson Text: Hebrews 2:1-4, Hebrews 3:7 – 4:16

Introduction

As I have mentioned many times through the course of this lesson, the Christians the Hebrews writer was addressing were backsliding.

Persecutions were discouraging them and the Judaizers were doing their best to pollute the New Covenant with aspects from the old law. Combine those things with basic human weaknesses and they had the perfect conditions for slacking off from their pursuit of the prize.

Do you believe Christians are still slipping away in today’s world?

Is the situation better or worse than it was when the Hebrews letter was written?

Five times in the text of Hebrews, the writer digresses from the main text to give some specific warnings to the Christians he is addressing. There are other warnings in the text where the transition isn’t as abrupt, but they address issues that are just as important as the “traditional” five warnings. In this lesson we will take a look at these warnings.

If we believe Christians are really slipping away…

If we want to prevent ourselves from slipping away…

…it is our duty to fix it!

We skipped over the text related to the warnings in the earlier lessons so we can draw them out all at once. In our discussion, we will see how they applied to the Christians addressed in the letter.

Most importantly we will see how they apply to us. I suggest through this lesson that these warnings are where we should start looking to complete our duty.

Key Warnings For Christians

As much as they are warnings, what follows are the building blocks of faith. Faith is much, much more than an acknowledgment (or a “worldview” as many in society want to say.) We cannot simply ask Christ into our hearts and continue on about our business as if nothing is different.

As we cover each of these items in more detail, consider whether we are testing them in the way we go about our day to day activities. As we will soon find out in the text, God will have a lot to say about how we tested him at the judgment.

1. Pay closer attention (Hebrews 2:1-4) We should be more diligent in our Bible study. Anything that is neglected becomes old and useless faster than the things we use and protect. Neglect of our Bible study causes us to drift away
2. Care for your beliefs (Hebrews 3:7-4:7) The lure of innovative worship and doctrine, or refusing to leave something old and familiar when the truth is before us will cause us to fall.
3. Enter the rest (Hebrews 4:7-13) Following the word of God takes a lot of work and focus. Whether or not we take it on, we will be exposed by it.
4. Work toward maturity (Hebrews 5:11-6:20) It is just as fatal to our salvation to do nothing as it is to commit outright sins. You see, doing nothing is an active decision and is therefore a sinful act
5. There are no more sacrifices (Hebrews 10:26-29) The last and greatest sacrifice has been made for us. If we refuse to honor that through obedience, there is nothing more that can be done
6. Listen to the voice of heaven (Hebrews 12:25-29) God always acted as promised based on the words of his prophets, how much more sure is it that he will act upon the words delivered by his own Son?
7. Avoid strange doctrine (Hebrews 13:9-15) Any doctrine that does not come from Christ is strange or foreign. It doesn’t matter if we grew up with it or our best friend taught it to us. Stick to the Bible.

These building blocks are required for strong churches, families and individuals. When properly applied, they make the rest of God’s word easy to follow and a joy to be a part of.

Pay Attention

Imagine a sailor pilots his boat neatly and safely along side a pier.

That sailor feels great to be home. He is finally safe from the storms that came over him during his voyage. He certainly feels entitled to relax and rest from the challenges of getting that boat to his destination.

What if our sailor went to bed that night without doing anything else, because he was sure he would be enjoying the comforts of being in port in the morning? Where would he actually find himself when he awakened? Guess what…

Our sailor never tied his boat to the pier!

He allowed his boat to drift back to sea while he slept. Worse, if he got too far out, it could take a long time to find his way back to a point where he could get his bearing.

We are very much like our sailor when it comes to being prone to drift around (Hebrews 2:1-4) When we neglect the very things that give us salvation, we quickly run out of things that can help us.

If we make our way to Christ, but fail to anchor ourselves to him through neglect, we will drift away. Our soul is subject to the tide and currents of life and a strong bond to Christ is required to maintain salvation.

When our great naval vessels are in port and tied to the pier, a primary responsibility of the watchmen is to go check the mooring lines. Typically every four hours!

That is the same kind of diligence that the Hebrews writer warned his readers to have. As we continue to look at the warnings in Hebrews, this will be the common theme.

Be diligent and do not neglect your salvation!

Care For Your Beliefs and Get into Heaven

Do you test God?

If you know he wants you to do something, and you do not do it, You are testing God!

Worse – It is an indication of disbelief!

What jumps out at you as you read these verses?

7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,

“Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
on the day of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your fathers put me to the test
and saw my works for forty years.
10 Therefore I was provoked with that generation,
and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart;
they have not known my ways.’
11 As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter my rest.'” (Hebrews 3:7-11 ESV)

These verses remind us what happened to the children of Israel:

1. God spoke to his children
2. They hardened their hearts and were not moved by God’s demonstrations
3. God gave them forty years to get right
4. God felt tested by disobedience and discontentment
5. God was provoked and gave up on them
6. They never got to the promised land

The Hebrews writer wanted his audience to know their backsliding was leading them down the same path that Israel took. When we fail to obey God, when we demonstrate unbelief in this way, we are allowing evil to creep into our hearts.

Hebrews 3:12 says the opposite of what too many people teach. Unlike what many claiming to follow Christ try to tell us…

We can fall away!

Read it for yourself:

12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.

The evil that lurks within disbelief will chip away at our salvation. Just like the children of Israel, our entry into the rest will be blocked if we are provoking God.

So how do we care for our beliefs?

First, we have to get ourselves in the presence of other believers. (Hebrews 3:13-19)

Here are the writer’s exact words:

Do not harden your hearts

What is going to harden your heart – A group of fellow believers or a group of doubters?

What we hear has a powerful influence on us.

• If we spend a lot of time with negative people, our own words will become negative as we listen to theirs.
• When we hear ourselves say loving things to our spouses, our marriage bonds become stronger.
• When we repeat things others say enough times, we tend to start treating those things as fact, even if we never did the research.

Being united with other Christians works just like being in an army. If that army is cohesive and following the same plan, the many individuals become a powerful unit able to accomplish much more than the simple sum of what each one has to offer.

Second, we need to remain fearful. (Hebrews 4:1-5)

Fear is not a bad thing to have!

• Fear makes sure we look both ways before we cross the street.
• Fear keeps us from walking too close to the edge
• Fear causes our senses to remain sharp and on the lookout

A healthy dose of the fear of God will keep us faithful! And the writer wanted his readers to know that kind of fear will get you into heaven. The sharp senses that the fear of God gives us will keep our ears open and cause us to us to take the actions of belief when we hear him speak.

Third, we have to strive to enter heaven (Hebrews 4:6-13)

There is no occasion for coasting on our journey to heaven. Like the children of Israel who fell into the sands of the desert, we will fall away if we quit working for it. The lack of effort and urgency will cause the unbelief to slip in.

Maybe without us even noticing it!

When we stay on top of our beliefs, when we feed them and care for them, we will notice when we are are in danger of provoking God. God’s word is very powerful in this regard. We use Hebrews 4:12-13 so much that it is almost cliche’, but make no mistake – When we study and study and study and become really familiar with it, God’s word will expose our every weakness.

Fixing those weaknesses is the work we are responsible for.

Continue to part 2

The Lists of Hebrews
A Study of the book of Hebrews
Lesson 3
Hebrews 7-8

In the Lesson 2, 6 Ways Christ is Better, we briefly noted that Christ was better than the Levites. This was a direct hit on the reader’s thinking since they were either actively returning to Judaism or at least strongly considering it.

The writer confronts them in Hebrews 7 with a full discussion comparing Christ, Melchizedek, a great high priest and the Levites, the Jewish priests. After he makes his arguments, any reader that wanted to be a true son of Abraham had to stop and think seriously about what they were really doing.

Priest of the most High God

In Genesis 14:18-20, we have only a precious few lines of information about Melchizedek. He comes on the scene after Abram has had to gather his men and go rescue Lot and his family from some kings out of the north.

The geography of Genesis 14

Genesis 14 is fascinating reading about the battle. Take some time to read it during this study for the excellent context it provides.

What the Hebrews writer wants his readers to see is that seemingly out of nowhere, Melchizedek appears and does three things:

1. He brings bread and wine (an image of the Lord’s Supper?)
   
2. He blesses Abram
   
3. He accepts a tenth of the spoils from Abram
   

That’s it. Melchizedek fades into the background as Abram and the King of Sodom sort out the disposition of the rest of the people and property.

Psalm 110: 4

Melchizedek is mentioned once more in the Old Testament. If you remember from Lesson 2, Psalm 110:1-2 was quoted during the writer’s comparison of Christ to the angels. We established there that this was God talking to Christ (“The LORD says to my Lord…” Psalm 110:1) God’s promise to Christ in verse 4 (Psalm 110:4) is to make him a priest after the order of Melchizedek. According to Adam Clark, in his commentary on this verse, there is a lot of responsibility attached to the priest (or the head) of the family during the patriarchal times.

1. He was an instructor of the family or tribe over which he presided.
2. He offered sacrifices for the sins of the people, to reconcile them to God, and give them access to his presence.
3. He was their mediator, and interceded for them.

Until the Hebrews writer brought it up in the letter, the full meaning of this Psalm may not have been fully understood!

“The Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek,” an oil by Dieric Bouts the Elder – 1464-1467

Hebrews 7

Using the Old Testament information and Hebrews 7, we can know some interesting and relevant things about Melchizedek. The whole argument for Christ’s priesthood rests on their understanding of what he says in these verses. From all of our references we have about him, here are the eight things we know about Melchizedek:

1. Melchizedek means king of righteousness (v2)
2. King of Salem means king of peace (v2)
3. Melchizedek was both a king and priest (v1, 3)
4. Melchizedek received tithes from Abraham (v4)
5. Melchizedek brought forth bread and wine (Genesis 14:18)
6. He blessed Abraham (v2, Genesis 14:19)
7. Melchizedek’s service included the Gentiles
8. Melchizedek’s birth, death, ancestry and descendants has no Scriptural record.

Through these reminders, the writer has built a case for the greatness of Melchizedek. So great that in Hebrews 7:6-7 he is bold enough to declare him even greater than Abraham – The one with the promise and the seed of Israel!

The Big Question

If you will allow me to paraphrase Hebrews 7:11, the writer hits them where it hurts. He is basically asking them, “If where you are returning is so great – if it is so perfect, why did there need to be another priest to come along that is an awful lot like this Melchizedek?

“Since there is a change in the priesthood, there then must be a change in the law! (v12) Not only that, Christ was not even a descendant of that flawed priesthood. (V13-14) Christ was appointed from the highest of powers. A power who always was and always will be. Sort of like Melchizedek.”

The writer then goes on to list the other problems with the Levitical priesthood. Imagine how this must have felt to have the thing they always knew picked apart. The priesthood:

1. …was useless. (v18-19) Nothing was made perfect by the law. Remember the writer has already argued that Christ brought us to a perfect salvation. (Hebrews 2)
   
2. …was without an oath. (v20-22) The priest were born into their job – whether they wanted it or not, whether they were really qualified. God swore that Christ would be a priest forever
   
3. … did not live forever. (v23-25) There was a whole tribe of priests because they eventually died and had to be replaced. Christ provides a permanent and perfect salvation for us.
   
4. …had to make daily sacrifices. (v26-27) Christ sacrificed himself as the once and for all offering for us.
   

The Law appointed members to the Levitical priesthood despite their weaknesses as people, but the oath of God appointed perfection that lasts forever (v28)

The Point of All This

So how do all of these arguments add up?

When chapter 8 opens, the writer seems to be saying, “Look, we have the best of the best already…”

1. He sits at the right hand of God (v1)
   
2. He is a minister of the true tent set up by God (v2)
   
3. The priests on earth are only a shadow of the heavenly things (v 3-5)
   

Christianity is a better covenant mediated by a better ministry…

…and better promises…

…and it was something they were supposed to be looking for the whole time.

Finally, he quotes some Scripture from Jeremiah 31:31-34. God had been telling his people that a new covenant was coming. I wonder if they had heard this for so long they quit really paying attention to it?

As you read through Hebrew 8:8-12, think about how wonderful God’s plan was from the very beginning and how privileged we are to be a part of it! God gave us a way to become one of his people and to be rid of our sins to the point that he forgets them completely. This covenant is so good that the old will vanish away. (v13)

The Lists of Hebrews
A Study of the book of Hebrews
Lesson 2, Part 2
Hebrews 4:14-5:10, Hebrews 9:1-10:39

Intro

Last week, in part 1 of this lesson, we discussed the Hebrews writer’s comparison of Christ to angels and the way those things contributed to the foundation of our salvation. From there we compared and contrasted Moses with Christ, and explored how the writer gave his audience a better understanding of Christ through their knowledge of Moses. If you haven’t read it yet, take a few minutes and get caught up.

In part 2, we continue to explore the devices of the Old Law and haw they foreshadowed things to come. Of course, we also see how Hebrews proves the Christian era implementation of those things were the fulfillment of the prophesies the Jews were waiting for through their generations.

The Greatest High Priest

The office of high priest held a lot of power under the Old Law. Man’s intrinsic desire to be important probably amplified that power beyond what God intended. With all of Christ’s credentials previously studied, the Hebrews writer intended to show that Jesus was an even better high priest. (Hebrews 4:14-5:10) Christians in essence were going to be making a trade down to the priesthood of Aaron if they left the church.

The High Priests of the tabernacle merely passed through the veils in the execution of their duties. Christ is introduced as a better high priest because be passed “through the heavens” – another well-known idea for the Hebrews audience that rings true. (Hebrews 4:14) This was similar language to what Paul had been using in reference to Christ (cf. Ephesians 4:10) He went into the ultimate Holy of Holies to get forgiveness of our sins – and he is still there performing that duty through grace!

What a great reason for them to “hold fast” to their confession of Christ! (v14b) We have a high priest that understands us and our temptations. We have a high priest that conquered death and can liberally extend grace to those of us who could not. (v15-16)

The writer reminds the audience what the standard for becoming high priest was:

• He was taken from among men (Hebrews 5:1)
• He was appointed by God to act on behalf of men (v2)
• He was compassionate of those he represented (v2)
• He needed possession of adequate sacrifice (v3, Leviticus 4:3-12)
• He avoid personal honor from the office (4)

But!

The high priest ultimately became highly visible and took on some not so spiritual qualities:

• The personal enrichment so they could afford finer things
• The influence they held – even over the Romans
• The judge and ruler over the Jews since there was no king

No wonder the priesthood of Aaron was so enticing!

Christ was so much better in so many ways. He even had to go back to the time before Abraham knew of the promise to draw a suitable earthly comparison.

In order to reconcile the qualifications to the priesthood with his argument that Christ is a better high priest, the writer returns to Psalm 110. He used Psalm 110:1-2 to argue Christ’s universal kingship and then quotes Psalm 110:4 to compare his priesthood to Melchizedek’s. (Hebrews 5:6) This might have been the first time the Psalm 110 prophesy was fully understood!

Melchizedek is covered in an upcoming lesson when we will look closely at the Hebrews writer’s treatment of him. For now, the writer concludes the argument with stating that Christ is the “source of eternal salvation.” (Hebrews 5:9)

Better than the Levites

The audience of the Hebrews letter was thinking about returning to Judaism. The writer confronts them in Hebrews 7 with a full discussion of Melchizedek. Any reader that wanted to be a true son of Abraham had to stop and give this a second look.

With just three verses in Genesis 14:18-20 and another sentence in Psalm 110:4, the Jews might not have given this a lot of attention. Once the writer reveals Melchizedek as the highest of priests, a priest that is also a king, the Jews could now accept Christ as a high priest. In fact his priesthood was even better than the Levitical priesthood.

A Better Sacrifice

Having established that Christ is the better high priest, the Hebrews writer needed to show that his offering was better as well. Hebrews chapters 9 and 10 explain the transition from the imperfect sacrifices to the perfect “once and for all” sacrifice offered by Christ’s blood.

When you take a few minutes to read Hebrews 9, you get an excellent summary of the rituals of the Jewish priests.

Under the Old Law, the high priest needed to enter the Holy of Holies or the most holy place to sprinkle the blood sacrifice. This was the sacrifice for all of the unintentional sins of the priests and the people. (Hebrews 9:7) To make it more difficult, they could only go once a year and they had to do it every year.

The offerings did nothing for the worshipper’s conscience. It also didn’t totally grant forgiveness for their sins. Had they been guilty of skipping the annual sacrifice, they would have been held accountable for all of those previous sins! Christ as our better high priest and mediator of a better covenant, (Hebrews 9:15) is essentially in the eternal holy place with the once and for all sacrifice of his own blood shed of behalf of us for our sins.

Through the sacrifice of Christ’s blood, we have the privilege of permanent forgiveness of sins. Once forgiven, we have no more need for any offering for the sin. In fact God goes a step further than people will normally go… He remembers our sin no more! (Hebrews 10:17)

A Better Covenant

I think I’ve heard the phrase “forgive and forget” all my life. I have heard it a number of times in church as if it is a Biblical principle we are supposed to be following. The Bible never really says we are supposed to forgive and forget in so many words, but it does talk about forgiveness a number of times. We are to:

• forgive so the Father will forgive us (Matthew 6:14)
• be kind tenderhearted and forgiving to one another just like we were through Christ (Ephesians 4:32)
• forgive unrepentant enemies (Matthew 5:44)

Jesus even used the parable of the unforgiving servant to teach us the lengths we are to go through to be forgiving. (Matthew 18:21-35)

The forgetting part just isn’t in our human nature though, is it? Remembering what someone did to us might be a way of gauging the amount of trust we can offer them. Even though we can carry on as if the sin against us never happened, the hurt it caused can often take a lifetime to heal.

Maybe the term “forgive and forget” came into use by people who were working hard to be like Christ. When Christ died on the cross, he sealed a new and better covenant for us. (Hebrews 7:24) This is a covenant that does not remember our sins once we repent. (Hebrews 8:12 quoting Jerimiah 31:34) Think for a moment how huge that is. God will forget a forgiven sin ever happened!

The marvelous thing about this covenant is that it was not given only to the Jews. It was given to all that get into Christ. (Galatians 3:29) Through our becoming a Christian, we are added to the rolls of Abraham’s children and become beneficiaries of God’s promise.

Summary

The Hebrews writer compares Christ to several key points of the Old Law, dismantling them one by one to demonstrate why they are not only no longer needed, but why they have been superseded. As we continue our study of Hebrews, continuing to familiarize ourselves with the traditions and laws of the Jews will not only help us understand where the writer was coming from, but help us understand the New Testament a lot better.

The Lists of Hebrews
A Study of the book of Hebrews
Lesson 2, Part 1
Lesson Texts: Hebrews 1:4-16, Hebrews 2:5-18, Hebrews 3:1-6

Intro

In Lesson 1, we learned how the Hebrews author wanted to make sure the Christians that came from Judaism were aware of Christ’s qualifications. They were falling away and returning to the old ways because they either were not comfortable, or they were subject to the increasing persecutions of Christians. He described Christ with seven credentials that would have carried a lot of weight within the context of the Jewish culture.

If you haven’t yet. Read the full Lesson 1 text.

To summarize, the credentials of Christ can be found in Hebrews 1:1-3. In order of appearance:

• He is the heir of all things
• He is the creator of all things
• He radiates excellence
• He is the image of God
• He is the sustaining force
• He purchased our sins
• He sits at God’s right hand

The Jews of the day would have understood these legal and logical arguments. Even traditional laws then and now can be used to prove Christ’s authority. As if these reasons are not enough, the writer continues by showing how Christ is better than the things the Jews held sacred. He walks the reader through all of the devices that God gave to the children of Israel and shows how they were just shadows of the real things to come (Hebrews 8:5) – That is to say Christ, his church, and our reward.

Better

One of the keywords of Hebrews is “Better.” The writer draws a number of parallels throughout Hebrews between Old and New Testament doctrine. In fact, Hebrews shows us why we need to study the Old Testament even though we are no longer subject to its laws. Many of the commands, events, and explanations of the New Testament make no sense without a full understanding of the old Law.

For the Hebrews reader contemplating lapsing back into Judaism, a list of reasons why Christianity is better is presented as an overarching theme. In order of how they are presented in the text, Christ is:

• … better than angels (Hebrews 1:4-14, Hebrews 2:5-18)
• … greater than Moses (Hebrews 3:1-6)
• … the greatest high priest (Hebrews 4:14-5:10) – Covered in part 2
• … a better sacrifice (Hebrews 9:1-10:39) – Covered in part 2
• … a priest like Melchizedek (better than the Levites) – Lesson 3
• … a better testator and delivered a better covenant – Lesson 4

It is difficult to tell someone that something they have studied and believed all of their life is flawed. The Hebrews writer was quite bold to have made a statement about the flaws of the first covenant and the better promises of Christ. (Hebrews 8:6-7) People are no different now. Pointing out what is flawed in the doctrines they grew up with is sensitive business. When we take on the task, we should be as prepared as the Hebrew writer was when he laid out these arguments.

Better Than Angels

Hebrews 1:4-16 introduces the argument that the angels where intended to be servants. Since angels were considered by the Jews as beings to be worshiped, this is a great place to start. The writer compares what Scripture says about angels vs. the Son of God and his deity:

• He is the Son of God (Hebrews 1:5) – Attributes Psalm 2:7 as referring to Christ and is backed up by Peter in Acts 4:25 and Paul in Acts 13:33 applying Psalm 2 to Christ.
• The angels were to worship him (Hebrews 1:6) – This was a reference to Psalm 97:7
• The angels are servants (Hebrews 1:7) – Not only were the angels not sons, they are referred to as servants. (Psalm 104:4) The angels were once thought by the Jews to be the managers of the wind and fire.
• Christ is God (Hebrews 1:8-9) – The writer quotes Psalm 45:6-7 and attributes it to God calling the Son God. Other passages that do the same: John 1:1, Act 20:28, Philippians 2:6, 2 Peter 1:1 and so on.
• Christ is God and Creator (Hebrews 1:10-12) – and he will outlast all he created. Quoted from Psalm 102:25-27.
• Christ was assigned to defeat our enemies (Hebrews 1:13) – Quoted from Psalm 110:1. Christ told us he sits at the right hand of power (Mark 14:62) and Paul said he is reigning until he hands the kingdom over to God (1 Corinthians 15:25)

While we do not hear much about angel worshiping today, it is good to see the arguments of just how heavenly and glorious Jesus’ presence was on earth. As glorious as angels are made out to be, Hebrews 1:14 reminds us that they serve those who are eligible to inherit salvation.

For the sake of continuing the discussion of angels, we will skim Hebrews 2:1-4 for now and come back to it in a later lesson. It is considered by some writers to be a deviation from the main topic. I prefer to refer to it as a warning. In the context of angels, the warning reminded the Jews to be careful about focusing on the angels at the expense of understanding the salvation Christ offers.

Hebrews 2:5-9 begins bringing the discussion of the angels to a head by quoting Psalm 8:4-6. At first glance, it feels a little like a contradiction. The writer has just contrasted Christ’s superiority to angels and then quotes these verses from Psalm 8:4-5 that appear to say he was a little lower than angels.

There is no contradiction. The verse is about man. “Man” refers to Adam and “Son of Man” refers to people after the fall⁽¹⁾. Our first inclination is to read that as referring Christ, but it is simply a poetic way to refer to man. Man, originally perfect in God’s image, was to be in control of all of creation. Sadly, with Adam’s sin, man lost that position and we cannot see creation in subjection to man. (v8)

Likewise, Hebrews 2:9, the writer says that Christ was brought a little lower than the angels for a little while. Even if this is considered an exception or even a little contradictory, it was for a sacrificial purpose so important that it “crowned the Lord with honor and glory.”

Jesus came in the form of a man who can exercise dominion over creation and then lowered himself to point that he could experience death for all man’s sake. This completed the perfection intended for man before his fall and laid the foundation for his salvation.

Prefect Salvation

And the foundation he laid was perfection!

Through Christ’s suffering, he perfected salvation to the point that he can call us brothers. (v10-14) That suffering made Jesus real and proved he was of the same flesh and blood as we are. He not only suffered for us, but a lot like us. (v14ff) (Remember that the Christians were backsliding partially because of persecution)

Imagine that! If we are in a saved state, we are so closely related to Christ that he will speak of us as his family.

And he did it for us, not the angels. (v16) The angels have no concept of the suffering, the challenges and the temptations that people have to go through. Christ went through his suffering and humiliation so he would know. Now that he knows, he knows how to help us through all of the challenges of life.

Footnotes

1. Coffman, Clark, Lightfoot and others.

Greater than Moses

Moses brought the Law down from God, so it makes sense that the Hebrews writer would take some time to cover him. Moses and Jesus compare and contrast so well, the writer is able to use common knowledge about Moses to help his audience have a better understanding of who Jesus was.

Speaking of using the Old Testament to study the Gospel, this is a good place to remind ourselves that the Hebrews writer (and for that matter, all the New Testament writers and apostles) possessed only the Old Testament in written form at the time this letter was written. They might have had access to some of the other letters in circulation, but I doubt they were given the same weight by the Jews as the church began to give them. Since every chapter of Hebrews has a reference to the Old Testament, we get a great sense of how Christ and the Gospel can be taught from within its pages.

Take a few minutes to consider these comparisons of Moses and Christ:

• Both were Israelites – The prophesies of the Messiah said he was coming from their countrymen. (Deuteronomy 18:15)
• Both were rejected (Exodus 2:14)
• Both left better circumstances to serve: Moses from Pharaoh’s palace and Jesus from heaven
• Both performed signs and wonders (Their first: water to blood/water to wine)

And then contrast them:

• Moses a servant, Christ the Son
• Moses was sinful, Christ is sinless (Deuteronomy 32:51,52; Hebrews 4:15)
• Moses delivered God’s people from physical bondage, Christ delivered us from the spiritual bondage of sin
• Moses’ mission pertained only to Israel, Christ’s, ultimately, to the “whole creation” (Mark 16:15)

In looking at our text, (Hebrews 3:1-6) we see the writer appeal to the Jew’s heritage and reasoning to prove that Christ was the one appointed from God and was faithful to God’s house, just like Moses. (v2)

Notice also how the writer refers back to Hebrews 1:2 and compares Christ the creator to Moses the creation:

• The Carpenter deserves greater glory than the house he builds (v3-4)
• Christ was the Son of God, his faithfulness is better and better qualified since he is the creator.
• Christians are a part of God’s house as long as they persevere. (Hebrews 3:6)

The significance of these two statements is that we are no longer subject to a servant, but to the creator himself!

Since there are no more first century Christians struggling with falling back to Judaism, we might want to take a bit to consider how this applies to us. Our struggle is not in trying to hold onto the teachings of Moses, but in trying to hold on to the teachings of the world.

It seems like every year, worldly people are shaming Christians into going along with a new version of what is “good.”

Every year, what was once rightly considered shameful is celebrated.

I would even say that we have forgotten a lot of what we are supposed to be ashamed of! (Jeremiah 6:15) To prove what I am talking about, ask someone that was a young adult in the 1950’s what people thought about those who were divorced. I promise you they carried a stigma and even more so for women.

Again, we can look at the warning of Hebrews 2:1-4 to pay attention. We are at risk of letting the world pull us back into its sinful ways rather than remembering and practicing what we have been taught in God’s word.

Summary

Lesson two is broken into multiple parts so we can give proper attention to the some of the more challenging points it covers. Just like the Hebrews writer had to be ready to completely argue his point, so should we be ready. Not completely understanding the Scriptures and not putting in the time to understand them is another one of the themes of Hebrews.

The Lists of Hebrews
A Study of the book of Hebrews
Lesson 1
Lesson Text: Hebrews 1

Intro

We just do not know the author of Hebrews – There are plenty of great guesses and reasons to favor who the author might be, but instead of self-credit, he jumped right into the text with urgency. So we will too.

Hebrews opens with the writer explaining the superiority of Christ over all of the devices of the Jews – the law, the prophets – Judaism in general. Some of the Jews worked hard to discredit Christ as the one they were expecting as was written in the prophets, but many came to realize the truth.

Hebrews was written to encourage new Christians, mostly those converted from Judaism, during a difficult time. (Old Testament Scripture and History are repeated in every chapter) It also deals rather sharply with those who know Christ but are falling back to the old way despite what they have learned.

Discouragement

The converts were discouraged and therefore drifting away, disobeying, and disengaging.  We get the feeling from Hebrews 10:26-29 they were getting downright disrespectful.

Discouragement is an emotion that can take on its own life and can dominate us. Anyone that has been discouraged with anything about the church can probably relate. The momentum of discouragement looks something like:

• Things are not going like they should, so why should I keep ______ (Studying, Participating, Praying)?
• Discouragement grows larger as we slip farther
• It becomes easier to forget just why Christ is in our lives
• We do more and more outside of his authority

The Hebrews writer seems to recognize this and jumps right into a review of why Christ is our Lord and has all authority of his church (cf. Matthew 28:18). We will introduce Hebrews the same way that the inspired writer did – by reviewing Christ’s qualifications as the King of kings.

The Credentials of Christ

Hebrews 1:1-3 is a quick list of seven reasons Christ is the church’s sole authority.

It is reasonable to require some credentials before submitting to someone that claims to be authoritative in anything.

• Who do you let work on the electricity in your house? A certified electrician or the guy you met in Home Depot picking out light switch covers?
• Who would you pull over for in a traffic stop? The car with a trooper logo and a blue light or the beat up Chevy flashing its headlights.
• Who would you allow to perform surgery on you?
• Or give you investment advice?

Following Christ is no different, and even he did not expect you to follow him blindly. In fact, he told us to count the cost while we were are thinking about it. (Luke 14:26-33) But…

He does expect us to follow him totally!

The Hebrews writer spent a large portion of the letter reminding Christians who Christ is, and for the Jewish converts, why he is better than the old ways. These are the seven listed credentials of Christ’s authority:

• He is the heir of all things
• He is the Creator of all things
• He radiates excellence
• He is the Image of God
• He is the sustaining force
• He purchased our sins
• He sits at God’s right hand

As we think about these points in a little more detail, consider how much the writer’s case would be weakened if one of these were not true. It might explain why those outside of the church have a hard time accepting him as the Lord.

He is the heir of all things

The Hebrews writer begins the letter by establishing Christ as the King of kings. He also makes it clear this is not just about earthly things, but of heaven, the universe –

…all things.

These are listed from lowest to highest, starting with the idea of his being a son and appointed as the heir.

Family fortunes have always passed through the bloodlines just like legal authority in the world’s kingdoms. By this logic, the only begotten son of God is therefore his rightful heir. The writer no doubt had these verses in mind as he labeled Christ the heir of all things:

• Psalm 2:8 – … I will make the nations your heritage …
• Zechariah 9:9-10 – … And His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.
• Hebrews 1:5 – You are my Son, today I have begotten you (Points back to Psalm 2:7. Paul quotes it in Acts 13:33)
• Hebrews 1:5 – I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son (2 Samuel 7:14 – The seed that was promised to David was not Solomon but Jesus Christ)

Since the Jews have denied Christ’s Sonship from the beginning, these strong proofs from the old Law were meant to show them (even remind them) that the idea of a Son of God is not a new idea.

The Creator of All Things

Through Christ, God created the world. (Hebrews 1:2) This credential of Christ is a human right that has never been challenged in the history of man. Whatever one creates is his, by law, by courtesy, and common sense. That said, we can prove Christ as the creator very easily.

• In Colossians 1:16-17 we see that Paul fully understood Christ to be God. In these verses he says that Christ is the Creator of the universe, he was the sole end of his own work, he was prior to all creation, and he is the preserver of all things.
• John 1:3 credits Christ with creation. Nothing is possible except through him.
• Genesis 1:26 says that man was made in “our” image. The understanding of the existence of the Godhead has been there from the beginning.
• John 17:5 records Jesus remembering the glory he felt with God before the beginning.

As Creator, his authority is absolute. Those who turn away from him, like those Hebrews the letter is written to, are turning away from the only one who offers salvation.

His Excellence of Character

The dignity of our Lord doesn’t depend on the fact that he created the world or even inherited it. He is the reflection of God. There was once time when there was no creation, but there has never been a time when God had no glory. It is that intangible essence of God that would have been hard to grasp if there had never been a Christ.

The Hebrews writer attempts to capture that essence through the words we have translated as radiance or effulgence. (Hebrews 1:3) The idea is that Christ shines forth like a brilliant light – certainly this is the inspiration of the many painters through time that rendered Jesus in the middle of light. The audience of the letter was sure to remember how Moses’ face shone after being in the presence of God. Those present at the transfiguration of Christ must have witnessed something similar.

The Image of God

The Son of God bore the exact image of his father. How much extra credit do we give the sons of famous men when they strongly favor their fathers? Something about the genetic similarities causes us to expect so much more from them. How much more then would that apply to image of God?

When the writer said that Christ was the “imprint of His nature,” he was communicating something along the lines of the die that strikes a coin or a branding iron making its owner’s exact mark. Christ said in John 14:9, “he that has seen me has seen the Father.” Paul said we were redeemed by the blood of the very image and first born of God. (Colossians 1:14-15)

Imagine God being available to look at. His hand is held out to hold ours. What if we could look into his eyes and see the love he has for us?

How would God feel if, after all that before us, we rejected him?

That is the emotion that the Hebrews writer was appealing to.

The Sustaining Force

Anyone who has a complete working knowledge of something, who can sustain its operation, and make it respond to his every command has a right to be named ruler over it. Since Christ “Upholds all things by his word and power,” (Hebrews 1:3b) his kingship is authenticated by his ability to control all things.

Paul stated in Colossians 1:17 “in him all things hold together.” When we compare and contrast Hebrews 1:3 with Colossians 1:17 when have the two writers giving us a complete picture. Paul says continue because of him and the Hebrews writer says the universe responds to his pervasive word.

Jesus repeated over and over what is possible when he is involved. Let’s remember to think of him first no matter what we are planning.

(Matthew 19:26) But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

(Mark 9:23) And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”

(Mark 10:27) Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

(Luke 1:37) For nothing will be impossible with God.”

(Luke 18:27) But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

He Purchased Our Sins

In 1803 the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon for $15 million. Alaska was purchased from Russian in 1867 for $7 million. Those purchases gave the U.S. government full administrative and legal authority over the land and people. They were now subject to the laws and tax requirements of a possession.

As Paul told the church at Corinth, (1 Corinthians 6:20) we were purchased for a price. What Christ bought was our obligation to follow him, honor him, and glorify him. The elders at Ephesus were charged with shepherding the church which was purchased with Christ’s blood. (Acts 20:28)

When we consider that the defection of Christians back to Judaism was the occasion for the Hebrews letter to have been written, the author is appealing to sense of ownership that God feels over his people. How similarly do you think God reacts when his purchase of us fails as we do when something we buy does not perform to our expectations?

He Sits at God’s Right Hand

With a quick look at history, we see rulers that maintain rule simply because they are able. Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great, William the Conqueror, The Roman Empire, The British Empire, The United States – The list is exhaustive.

Jesus slew Satan by his death taking away his power of death. (Hebrews 2:14) Being allowed to “sit at the right hand” of God is a picture of dignity, power and gracefulness. Christ is in charge of his kingdom right now. He will reign until “he has put his enemies under his feet.” (1 Corinthians 15:25)

Until Christ hands the kingdom back over to God, (1 Corinthians 15:24) we are subjects of his kingdom. We are to respect and honor his Lordship until that day.

Summary

Through every conceivable right of lordship, Christ is in authority. The Bible is brimming with proof that should encourage the faithful student to continue to follow him. This is the primary reason that reading your Bible is so important – it causes your faith to grow. (Romans 10:17) In fact, Hebrews 2 opens with a warning to that effect!

The seven credentials of Christ listed in Hebrews 1 are points that are continuously proven throughout the Bible – Old and New Testaments. Having these proven time and time again is what gives us solid hope. (Hebrews 11:1)

On the surface, the sea is sometimes in chaos and angry when deep down it is actually calm.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:7

The greatest reward we can enjoy while on this earth is God’s peace. This is a mindset that is often difficult to achieve. It is probably safe to say that it is difficult to even understand for most people.

We worry.

We make the wrong decisions.

We suffer alone without taking advantage of prayer and fellowship.

Isn’t this is the opposite of what God wants for us?

It is a little like the ocean. On the surface there can be chaos.
And wind.
And rain.
And waves 20 feet high.
But when we dive down deep – when we get to the heart – there is serenity and calm.

What he tries to teach us throughout the Bible is that no matter what is happening on the surface, we can turn to that inner peace that God provides.

When we adopt The Single Mind by making Christ first, The Submissive Mind by living a life of service, and The Spiritual Mind by turning away from the flesh, we have all the tools to make us secure – to give us peace.

All we have to do from here is take the necessary steps to put it all together!

Paul summarized what it takes to enjoy a peaceful lifestyle in Philippians 4:

• Rejoice! – Philippians 4:4 – Joy or rejoice is a word that is used extensively in Philippians and is key for a Christian
• Moderation – Philippians 4:5 – The way the word is used here is similar to love and kindness
• Just Ask – Philippians 4:6 – Quit worrying and talk to God about what you need.
• Mind your Thoughts – Philippians 4:8 – The things you think about set your mood
• Be around godly people – Philippians 4:9 – Being around example setters helps build you up
• Forget possession – Philippians 4:11-12 – How little or much you have contribute nothing to security in God
• Christ first – Philippians 4:13 – all of the Philippian mindsets lead us to Christ.

It is no wonder that Paul was able to tell us over and over to rejoice despite the things he had to endure. When our soul is secure and we have God’s peace, the importance of whatever happens to us in the world is minimized.

I have previously written a series on these verses as a recipe for stress-free living – check it out if you are ready to start living like you possess the peace that passes understanding.