Heb. 1:1 In the past God spoke √to our forefathers √through the prophets at √many times and in √various ways, 2 but in these last days √he has spoken to us by his Son,
God Has Spoken
I To our forefathers
A. In the past
B. Through the prophets
C. At many times
D. In various ways
II. To us
A. In these last days
B. Through a Son
1. Whom he appointed heir of all things
2. Through whom he made the universe
How God Speaks to man
1. In the Past vs In These Last Days
2. To Our Fathers vs To Us
3. Through the Prophets vs Through Jesus
4. Many Times vs One Time
5. In Various Ways vs In One Way
whom he √appointed heir of all things, and through whom he √made the universe. 3 The Son is √the radiance of God’s glory and the √exact representation of his being, √sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had √provided purification for sins, he √sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
JESUS CHRIST
1. Appointed heir of all things
2. Made the universe
3. The radiance of God’s glory
4. Exact representation of God’s being
5. Sustains all things by his word
6. Provided purification for sins
7. Sat down on the right hand of
God in heaven
4 So he became as much SUPERIOR TO THE ANGELS as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
Heb. 1:5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, √“You are my Son; today I have become your Father”? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”? 6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, √“Let all God’s angels worship him.” 7 In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, √his servants flames of fire.” 8 But about the Son he says, √“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the √scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your √God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” 10 He also says, “In the beginning, O Lord, you √laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 11 They will perish, but √you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. 12 You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But √you remain the same, and your years will never end.” 13 To which of the angels did God ever say, √“Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? 14 Are not all √angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
Christ Superior to Angels
1:3-14
1. Superior Name—Son of God (4-5)
2. Angels to Worship Him (6)
3. Angels – Servants (7)
4. Called Jesus God.
5. As God has a Throne and Kingdom (8)
6. Set above His Companions (9)
7. Laid Foundations of Earth (10)
8. Eternal – Creation will Perish (11-12)
9. Sits on the right hand of God (13)
10. Angels Serve His Heirs (14)
Heb. 2:1 We must √pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not √drift away. 2 For if the √message spoken by angels was binding, and √every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore such a √great salvation? This salvation, which was √first announced by the Lord, was √confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 √God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
WHY WE MUST PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO CHRIST
1. Christ is greater than the angels.
2. To keep from drifting away
3. Those who neglect it cannot escape punishment.
4. It is such a great salvation.
5. It was first spoken by the Lord.
6. It was confirmed to us by those who heard Him.
7. God bore witness to it with signs, wonders, and various miracles.
God Speaks through Jesus
1. First spoken by Jesus.
2. Confirmed by those who heard him.
3. God bearing witness through signs, wonders and miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit.
See 1 Cor. 2:6-13; Acts 2:1-4; 2 Tim. 3:14-17
The Word has been confirmed by God through signs and miracles.
Heb. 2:1-4
I. When Jesus went back to the Father, his revelation was not complete, but the Holy Spirit will complete it (Jn. 16:5, 12-15)
II. The Holy Spirit will perform four works (Jn. 16:13; 14:25-26).
A. Teach them all things
B. Remind them of all Jesus had said
C. Guide them into ALL truth
D. Tell them what was yet to come
III. Three primary activities of the Holy Spirit in Guiding them into all truth
A. Revelation (1 Cor. 2:6-16)
B. Bear witness to the message with miraculous activity (Heb. 2:2-4)
C. Gift of inspiration (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
IV. Example of this activity in Acts
A. Revelation (1:4-5, 9, 22; 1:26-2:8, 42)
B. Miraculous witness (2:43; 3:1-8; 5:12; 6:5-8; 8:6, 13, 14-19)
V. Duration of these miracles
A. Only Apostles could convey these gifts to anyone else (8:14-19)
B. To cease when “that which was perfect had come” (1 Cor. 13:8-12)
1. “know in part” and “prophesy in part” (9)
2. “But”
3. ‘when that which is perfect is come”
4. “that which is in part will be done away” (10)
a. “prophecies . . . will cease” (8; cf. 12:7-11))
b. “tongues . . . will be stilled” (8)
c. “knowledge . . . will pass away” (8)
Heb. 2:5 It is not to angels that he √has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6 But there is a place where someone has testified: “WHAT IS MAN THAT YOU ARE MINDFUL OF HIM, THE SON OF MAN THAT YOU CARE FOR HIM? 7 You √made him a little lower than the angels; you √crowned him with glory and honor 8 and √put everything under his feet.” In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. √Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. 9 √But we see Jesus, who was √made a little lower than the angels, now √crowned with glory and honor because √he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
Heb. 2:10 In √bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should √make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of √the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to √call them brothers. 12 He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises.” 13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again he says, “Here am I, and √the children God has given me.”
Lower than the Angels, but still Greater than the Angels
1. God did not subject the “world to come to angels” (5).
2. God did subject the world to man (6).
3. God made man a little lower than the angels (7).
4. He crowned him with glory and honor (7).
5. He put everything under his feet, and left nothing not subject to him (7-8).
6. At present we do not see all things subject to him (7).
7. BUT, we see Jesus . . . (9).
a. He is crowned with glory and honor.
b. He suffered death – to taste death for every man.
8. God brought many sons to glory through the suffering of Christ (10).
9. God made the pioneer of our salvation perfect through suffering (10).
10. We are one with Him.
11. He calls us brother (11).
12. We are the “children God has given” to Him (13).
Heb. 2:14 Since the children have flesh and blood, √he too shared in their humanity so that √by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death — that is, the devil — 15 and √free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason √he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a √merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he √might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 √Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Heb. 2:14 ¶ Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity (1) so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death — that is, the devil —[cf. Rom. 7:14ff; 8:7-8; Eph. 1:7; 2:14-18; Rom. 8:1-2, 9] 15 and (2) free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. [1 Cor. 15:54-57; Phil. 1:21-23] 16 (3) For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. [Phil. 1:6; Eph. 3:20; 1 Tim. 1:12; 1 Pet. 5:6-7] 17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, (4) in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, [cf. 4:15; 5:1-2] and (5) that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. [cf. v. 9; Rom. 6:23; 3:23-26; Gal. 2:20] 18 (6) Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Why Jesus Became Flesh
1. So that by his death he could destroy the devil (14).
a. The devil’s power is in sin and death.
b. Christ died to destroy sin and give life.
c. The death of Christ led to his resurrection from death.
2. So that he might free man from slavery to the fear of death (15).
a. Christ assured us of the resurrection.
b. Christ assured us of heaven after death.
3. To help Abraham’s descendants (16).
a. Jesus offers us help.
b. He cares for us.
c. He works in us.
f. He is able to do more than we wan ask or think.
4. To become a merciful and faithful high priest (17).
a. Having suffered as we do, he is able to help us (2:18).
b. He feels for us (4:15).
c. He deals gently with us when we are misled (5:1-2).
5. To make atonement for the sins of his people (17).
a. The wage of sin is death (Rm. 1:32; 6:23).
b. He tasted death for all of us (v. 9).
c. He paid our sin debt (Rm. 3:23-26; Gal. 2:20).
6. To suffer and be able to help those who are tempted (18).
We must focus on Jesus and what He says above what anyone else, even angels, have to say.
Heb. 3:1 Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the √heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the √apostle and √high priest whom we confess.
Ministry of Jesus
1. Apostle
2. High Priest
Christ is greater than Moses and the other prophets, so Christianity is greater than Judaism.
2 He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as √Moses was faithful in all God’s house. Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as √the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4 For √√EVERY HOUSE IS BUILT BY SOMEONE, BUT GOD IS THE BUILDER OF EVERYTHING. 5 √Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future. 6 But √Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And √we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.
Note: When we see a house, we know someone designed it, and someone built it. Therefore, when we behold this vast universe and how all parts of it work together, we know it has a mighty designer and builder!
Christ and Moses
1. Moses was a servant in the house.
2. Christ is a son over the house.
Be careful that you don’t fail to enter the rest God has for His faithful.
Heb. 3:7 So, as √the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, 8 √do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, 9 where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did. 10 That is why √I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ 11 So I declared on oath in my anger, √‘They shall never enter my rest.’”
Heb. 3:12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has √a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But √encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be √hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ √if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. 15 As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not √harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”
Heb. 3:16 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17 √And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? 18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who √disobeyed? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their √unbelief.
1. The Holy Spirit warns against failure to enter (7).
2. Hardness of heart kept Israel from the rest (7).
3. God was angry over their straying hearts (10).
4. God said Israel would never enter his rest (11).
5. We must be careful not to allow an evil heart to turn us from God (12),
6. We must encourage one another daily to prevent being hardened by sin’s deceitfulness (13).
7. Our entering the rest is conditioned on our holding firmly our first confidence (14).
8. The ones Moses led out of Egypt rebelled and made God angry for forty years (16-17).
9. Those who disobeyed did not enter the rest because of their unbelief (18-19).
Heb. 4:1 Therefore, since √the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but √the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. 3 √Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: √√“And on the seventh day God rested from all his work.” 5 And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”
Heb. 4:6 √It still remains that some will enter that rest, and √those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience. (cf. v. 2). 7 Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before: √“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” 8 For √if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11 √Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.
Be careful that none of us fall short of the rest.
4:1-11
1. Therefore – This caution is raised because of the fact that masses under Moses did not enter their rest because of their disobedience, which is unbelief (3:12-19).
2. A rest still remains, and we could fall short of it as those under Moses fell short of their promised rest (v. 1).
3. The gospel could keep us from falling short of our rest (v. 2).
a. We have had it preached to us–as they did.
b. The gospel is of no value to us if not combined with faith.
c. Those who believe will enter that rest (v. 3).
4. God wants his people to have a rest.
a. Moses and Joshua offered a rest.
1) Some entered that rest.
2) Some did not enter because of unbelief (vv. 2-3).
b. Even God ceased his labor on the seventh day—rested (v. 4).
c. God promises his people that we will rest or cease from labor as he did (vv. 6, 10).
5. The rest offered by Joshua was not the final rest (vv. 6, 8-9).
a. God offered his people a rest in the days of Joshua.
b. He later offered a rest through David to those in the “Promised Land” (v. 7).
c. If the rest offered in Joshua’s day had been the final rest, there would have been no place for a rest to be offered by David.
1) The rest offered by David was to those already in the rest promised by Moses and Joshua.
2) The rest promised by David is the rest to which we look —heaven.
6. We must make every effort to enter our rest, so that no one will fall because of disobedience (v. 11).
Heb. 4:12 For the √word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 √Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight √Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Make every effort to enter the rest and not to fall through disobedience: Don’t disobey! (4:12-13)
Reasons to obey God’s Word
1. The nature of the word of God (v. 12)
2. God knows everything (v. 13).
3. We must give account to God (v. 13).
Heb. 4:14 Therefore, since √we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 √For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with √confidence, so that we may √receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hold Firmly to the Faith
4:14-16
1. We have a high priest who has gone through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God (v. 14).
2. We have a high priest that can sympathize with our weaknesses (v. 15).
3. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with confidence (v. 16).
a. Thus, we receive mercy.
b. Thus, we receive grace to help in our time of need.
Heb. 5:1 Every √HIGH PRIEST is √selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is √able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since √he himself is subject to weakness. 3 This is why he √has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.
High Priesthood
(Heb. 5:1-4)
1. Appointed from among men (1)
2. Represents men in matters related to God (1).
3. Offers gifts and sacrifices (1)
4. Able to deal gently with the ignorant and misled (2)
5. Subject to weakness (2)
6. Had to offer sacrifice for his own sins (3; cf. 7:26-28)
7. Appointed by God, not self (4)
Heb. 5:4 No one takes this honor upon himself; he √must be called by God, just as Aaron was.
5 So √Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” 6 And he says in another place, √“You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”
Heb. 5:7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he √offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and √he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a son, √he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he √became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be √high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Christ as Priest
5:5-10
1. God appointed him (5-6).
2. He prayed not to die, and God heard him (7).
3. As a son, he learned obedience through suffering (8).
4. Was made perfect by his obedience (9).
5. Became the source of eternal salvation (9).
6. Saves those who obey him (9).
7. God designated him a priest just like Melchizedek (10).
Heb. 5:11 We have much to say about this, but it is √hard to explain √√because you are slow to learn. 12 In fact, though √by this time you ought to be teachers, √you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for √the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Falling Away
5:11-6:20
1. Begins by being slow to learn (5:11- 14)
– Hard to explain things about the priesthood because slow to learn (11)
– Have had time to become teachers (12)
– Need to be taught the elementary truths of God’s word (12)
– After having time to become teachers (maybe 30 years), were still nursing babies spiritually—not mature (13).
– Had not trained themselves by constant use of the word (14)
– Had not trained themselves to distinguish good from evil (14)
2. Prevent by leaving the elementary teachings (6:1-3).
– Elementary teachings are just the foundation (1).
– Don’t lay again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death (1).
– Don’t lay again the foundation of faith in God (1).
– Don’t lay again the foundation of instruction about baptisms [baptismwn] (2; cf.9:10; Mk. 7:4).
– Don’t lay again the foundation of instruction about the laying on of hands (2; cf. Acts 6:6; 8:17; 19:5-6).
– Don’t lay again the foundation of instruction about the resurrection of the dead (2).
– Don’t lay again the foundation of instruction about eternal judgment (2).
3. It is impossible to bring back to repentance some that fall away (6:4-6).
– Those who have once been enlightened (4).
– Those who have tasted the heavenly gift (4)
-Those who have shared in the holy Spirit (4)
-Those who have tasted the goodness of the word of God (5)
-Those who have tasted the powers of the coming age (5)
– They are crucifying the Son of God all over again (6)
– Because they are subjecting the Son of God to public disgrace (6)
Note: If the gospel fails, God has no other plan!
4. The danger the Hebrews face is illustrated (6:7-8)
– Land that drinks in the rain and produces a useful crop receives the blessing of God (7).
– Land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed (8).
– In the end the land that produces thorns and thistles will be burned (8).
5. Reasons why the writer was confident of better things from them–things that accompany salvation (6:9-12)
– God is not unjust (10).
– God will not forget their work and love shown toward him by helping his people (10).
– Each showing this help until the very end (11).
– Faithful service to God makes your hope sure (11).
– Do not become lazy (12).
– Imitate the faithful and patient who inherit the promise of God (12)
6. God’s oath should make our faith (confidence) firm (6:13-15)
– He promised a blessing to Abraham (13).
– God backed his promise with an oath (13-14
– Abraham waited patiently and received the promise (15).
7. God’s oath and Christ’s priesthood should encourage us (6:16-20).
– Swearing by someone greater than self confirmed a promise and removed all questions 16).
– God made his unchanging purpose sure with an oath (17).
– God swore so that two unchangeable things would greatly encourage us (18).
– This hope is a firm and sure anchor for our souls (19).
– This hope is rooted in the sanctuary where Christ has gone to atone for our sins (19-20).
– Christ is our high priest forever, just like Melchizedek (20).
Why the Hebrews are not Ready for Deeper Study
1. Slow to learn (11).
– Priesthood hard to explain
– Much more needed explained
– Had not exercised the use of knowledge to know good from evil (14)
– Too immature to understand (14)
2. Need taught the elementary truths (12).
– Ought to be teachers
– Need elementary truths AGAIN
3. Need milk, not solid food (12).
– Live on milk
– Still an infant
4. Not acquainted with teachings about righteousness (13).
5. Solid food is for the mature (14)
– Trained themselves by constant use of
the word.
– Could distinguish good from evil.
Heb. 6:1 Therefore √let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and √go on to maturity, not laying again the √foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so.
Maturity
1. Not slow to learn
2. Have gone beyond the elementary truths
3. Ready to be teachers
4. Can take solid food
5. Grown up, not infant
6. Acquainted with teachings about righteousness
7. Trained themselves by constant use of the word
8. Can distinguish good from evil
Heb. 6:4 √It is impossible for those who have √√once been enlightened, who √have tasted the heavenly gift, √who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 √who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6 √IF THEY FALL AWAY, √to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are √crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
Heb. 6:7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.
Heb. 6:9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case — things that accompany salvation. 10 √God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence √to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. 12 √We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
Heb. 6:13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, √he swore by himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
Heb. 6:16 √Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by √two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this √hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. √He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
Heb. 7:1 This MELCHIZEDEK was √king of Salem and √priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and √blessed him, 2 and √Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, √his name means “king of righteousness”; then also, √“king of Salem” means “king of peace.” 3 √Without father or mother, √without genealogy, √without beginning of days or √end of life, like the Son of God √he remains a priest forever.
Melchizedek
1. King of Salem
2. Priest of God Most High
3. When he met Abraham at the defeat of the kings, Abraham paid him a tenth of the spoils.
4. Name means king of righteousness.
5. King of Salem means king of peace.
6. He is without father or mother.
7. He is without genealogy.
8. He is without beginning.
9. He is without end of life.
10. He remains a priest forever.
Heb. 7:4 √Just think how great he was: √Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 5 Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people — that is, their brothers — even though their brothers are descended from Abraham. 6 This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet √he collected a tenth from Abraham and √blessed him who had the promises. 7 And without doubt the √lesser person is blessed by the greater. 8 In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by √him who is declared to be living. 9 One might even say that √Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10 because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.
How Great Melchizedek Was
1. Even Abraham, the patriarch, gave him a tenth.
2. By requirement of the law, the Levites collected a tenth from their brothers, descendants of Abraham.
Notes:
1. As a priest, Christ has the following qualities:
a. Holy
b. Blalmeless
c. Undefiled
d. Separatred from sinners (does not take part in their sins)
e. Exalted above the heavens.
2. Unlike other priests, Jesus did not need to offer a sacrifice for his own sins–he had no sin (4:15).
3. He only had to offer his sacrifice once–not daily.
4. One sacrifice was adequate for all and forever.
5. Christ offered himself–a completely adequate (once-for- all) sacrifice.
6. Priests under the law were subject to weaknesses, but Christ has been made perfect forever.
Christ is a priest that is superior to Levitical priests.
1. Provides perfection for men: Levites did not (7:11-14).
2. Priest by indestructible life: Levites by physical descent (7:15-17).
3. Grants access to God: Levites did not (7:18-20).
4. Assumed office by an oath of God: Levites w/o an oath (7:20-22).
5. One priest because of endless life: Levites were many because of death (7:23-25).
6. Sinless: Levites were sinners (7:26-27).
7. Offered only one sacrifice: Levites offered many (7:27).
8. Perfect: Levites had weaknesses (7
Questions:
1. What does it mean to be holy?
2. Explain the holiness of Jesus.
3. To what degree is Jesus blameless?
4. What is the meaning of “undefiled”?
5. How is Jesus separated from sinners?
7. What does it mean for Jesus to be exalted above theheavens?
8. In what two ways is Jesus unlike other priests?
9. What is the scope of the sacrifice of Jesus?
10. How many sacrifices was it necessary for Jesus to make?
11. What did other priests have that Jesus did not have?
Heb. 7:11 If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come — one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? 12 For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law. 13 He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15 And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16 one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”
Perfection in Hebrews
Heb. 2:10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.
Heb. 5:9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him
Heb. 7:19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.
Heb. 7:28 For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
Heb. 9:9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper.
Heb. 9:11 When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation.
Heb. 10:1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming — not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.
Heb. 10:14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
Heb. 11:40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Heb. 12:23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect,
Jesus Excluded from Levitical Priesthood by the “Law of Exclusion”
1. The law specified that the priests must come from the descendants of Levi.
2. The law said nothing about priests coming from the tribe of Judah.
3. This specific language excluded anyone from the Tribe of Judah or any other than the tribe of Levi.
4. Therefore, under the law, Jesus could not have been a priest.
5. On the basis of Jesus and his atoning death, God changed the law and made a way for Jesus to become our high priest.
6. This shows that specific language is exclusive language, when the Scripture says what/who/when/where/how and says nothing about anything but that which is specified.
Heb. 7:18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.
Heb. 7:20 And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21 but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’” 22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.
Heb. 7:23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
Heb. 7:26 Such a high priest meets our need — one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
Christ is a priest that is superior to Levitical priests.
1. Provides perfection for men: Levites did not (7:11-14).
2. Priest by indestructible life: Levites by physical descent (7:15-17).
3. Grants access to God: Levites did not (7:18-20).
4. Assumed office by an oath of God: Levites w/o an oath (7:20-22).
5. One priest because of endless life: Levites were many because of death (7:23-25).
6. Sinless: Levites were sinners (7:26-27).
7. Offered only one sacrifice: Levites offered many (7:27).
8. Perfect: Levites had weaknesses (7
Heb. 8:1 THE POINT of what we are saying is this: WE DO HAVE SUCH A HIGH PRIEST, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.
Heb. 8:3 Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. 4 If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already men who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. 5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” 6 But THE MINISTRY JESUS HAS RECEIVED IS AS SUPERIOR to theirs as THE COVENANT OF WHICH HE IS MEDIATOR IS SUPERIOR to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.
Heb. 8:7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. 8 But God found fault with the people and said: “The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 9 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. 10 This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY WILL BE MY PEOPLE. 11 No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Heb. 8:13 By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.
THE OLD vs THE NEW
THE FURNITURE OF THE TABERNACLE (VV. 1-5)
Heb. 9:1 ¶ Now the first covenant had REGULATIONS for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2 A TABERNACLE was set up. In its first room were the √lampstand, √the table and the consecrated bread; this was called THE HOLY PLACE. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called THE MOST HOLY PLACE, 4 which had the √golden altar of incense and √the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained √the gold jar of manna, √Aaron’s staff that had budded, and √the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the ark were the √cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.
1. The Golden Candlestick
– Made of one talent of gold (Ex. 25:31-40)
– Five to six feet tall and burned on pure olive oil continually (Ex. 27:20-21; Lev. 24:1-4).
– A type of the church dispensing the light of the gospel perpetually (Zech. 4:1-14; Rev. 1:20; 1 Tim. 3:15).
– The candlestick was only the support; the olive oil was the source of the light. In the Bible, oil is representative of the Holy Spirit, the source of the light of God’s word (cf. Isa. 61:1; Acts 10:38; Heb. 1:9; 1 Jn. 2:20, 27)
– Seven lamps, thus, seem to represent the perfect light of the gospel.
2. The Table of Shewbread (Ex. 25:23-30; Lev. 24:5-9)
– Eaten by the priests, and symbolic of the spiritual food for God’s priests–all Christians (1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Rev. 5:6; 5;10).
– Frankincense symbolized the prayers and thanksgiving (Rev. 5:8).
3. The Altar of Incense (Ex. 30:1-10, 34-38)
– Symbolized the prayers of the saints (cf. Psa. 41:2; Lk. 1:9-10; Rev. 5:8; 8:3-4).
– Placed just before the mercy seat, symbolizing God’s throne (Jer. 3:15-17; Hev. 4:16).
4. The Golden Censer, for offering sacrifices for sins. Note: From what follows it seems that this referred to the Golden Censor (where the High Priest offered a sacrifice once a year) rather than the Golden Altar (on which they offered incense severy morning and evening). It might represent both.
5. The Ark of the Covenant
– Cherubim, representing the angels who minister to God’s people (Heb. 1:14).
– The contents (the jar of manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the table of the covenant) representing God’s providence and his guidance.
THE MEANING OF THE RITUAL (VV. 6-10)
Heb. 9:6 ¶ When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 8 THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS SHOWING BY THIS (3:7; 2 Pet. 1:21)THAT THE WAY INTO THE MOST HOLY PLACE HAD NOT YET BEEN DISCLOSED AS LONG AS THE FIRST TABERNACLE WAS STILL STANDING. 9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings — external regulations applying until the time of the new order.
1. Common priests served in the “outer room,” i.e., the holy place.
2. High priests served in the “inner room,” i.e., the most holy place.
3. The high priest offered blood for themselves and for the people.
4. They offered blood for sins “committed in ignorance,” not for sins of rebellion against God. Thus, the people had to be faithful to have this forgiveness.
5. The message conveyed was from the “Holy Spirit.” For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit (2Pet. 1:21).
6. As long as the tabernacle was standing, the message was that the true offering for sin had not yet been offered.
7. The offerings of the old system could not clear the conscience of the worshipers.
9. Those sacrifices were external and temporary–anticipating the new order.
THE APPLICATION TO CHRISTIANS (VV. 11-14)
Heb. 9:11 ¶ When CHRIST CAME AS HIGH PRIEST OF THE GOOD THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY HERE, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; BUT HE ENTERED THE MOST HOLY PLACE ONCE FOR ALL BY HIS OWN BLOOD, HAVING OBTAINED ETERNAL REDEMPTION. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
1. Christ as our high priest entered into the true tabernacle.
2. He entered once for all.
3. He entered by His own blood.
4. He obtained eternal redemption.
5. The sacrifices of goats and cattle made them outwardly ceremonially clean.
6. The blood of Christ cleanses our consciences, the inward man.
7. This enables us to serve the living God.
JESUS’ LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
(VV. 15-28)
Heb. 9:15 ¶ For this REASON CHRIST IS THE MEDIATOR OF A NEW COVENANT, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance — NOW THAT HE HAS DIED AS A RANSOM TO SET THEM FREE FROM THE SINS COMMITTED UNDER THE FIRST COVENANT.
Heb. 9:16 ¶ In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 19 When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20 He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” 21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
1. Christ is the mediator of a new covenant that makes the promise of an eternal inheritance possible.
2. Christ’s death sets men free from sins committed under the first covenant.
3. The new covenant, the last will and testament of Christ, went into effect only after He died.
4. Even the old covenant was established by blood.
5. The law requires that things be cleansed by blood.
6. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness, i.e., without the shedding of the blood of Christ there could be no forgiveness or cleansing of the conscience, the inner man.
CHRIST OFFERED HIMSELF IN HEAVEN ONCE FOR THE SINS OF THE PEOPLE
Heb. 9:23 ¶ It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
1. Christ entered heaven with a better sacrifice.
2. He offered Himself in the presence of God.
3. His blood was adequate as a once-for-all sacrifice.
4. Christ’s sacrifice does away with sin.
5. Man must die once, so Christ had to die only once.
6. Christ will appear a second time, not to sacrifice for sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him, people of faith.
A Final Word on the Better Way
Hebrews 10
I. The Shadow and the Reality
A. Animal sacrifices failed to take away sins (1-4).
[1.The law was about a shadow of good things to come.] Heb. 10:1 For the law having a shadow (Cf. Col. 2:17) of the good things to come, not the very image (Col. 2:15; 2 Cor. 3:18; 4:4) of the things, [2. The law could never make perfect those who came to God.] can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect them that draw nigh. [3. If the law had made people perfect, the priests would not have continued to offer sacrifices, because the people would not have had any sin.] 2 Else would they not have ceased to be offered? because the worshippers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins. [4. The repeating of sacrifices showed them that they had not been forgiven.] 3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance made of sins year by year. [5. The blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins.]
4 For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.
B. Christ provided the perfect sacrifice that takes away sins (5-10).
[1. Therefore, God prepared Christ a body to offer for our sins.] 5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, But a body didst thou prepare for me; 6 In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hadst no pleasure: [2. Christ came to do God’s will and offer his body for our sins.] 7 Then said I, Lo, I am come In the roll of the book it is written of me To do thy will, O God. 8 Saying above, Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein the which are offered according to the law, [3. God took away the first system, the shadow, so that he could establish the second system.] 9 then hath he said, Lo, I am come to do thy will. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. [4. We are sanctified by the offering of Christ, once for all.] 10 By which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
C. Christ is now exalted to rule over God’s people (11-18).
[1. The sacrifice of Christ opened the way for Christ to reign in the kingdom.] 11 And every priest indeed standeth day by day ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, the which can never take away sins: 12 but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 henceforth expecting till his enemies be made the footstool of his feet. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. [2. This is the plan the Holy Spirit spoke of through Jeremiah.] 15 And the Holy Spirit also beareth witness to us; for after he hath said, 16 This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, saith the Lord: I will put my laws on their heart, And upon their mind also will I write them; then saith he, [3. Through the offering of Christ, God forgives our sins, so we need no more sacrifices.] 17 And their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. 18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
II. Exhortation not to Turn Away from Christ
A. Christians should now draw near to God through Christ.
[1. We can now have boldness to draw near to God ourselves, not through priests and their sacrifices, but through the new and living way.] 19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; [2. We do not fear to draw near because we have our consciences cleaned.] 21 and having a great priest over the house of God; 22 let us draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience: and having our body washed with pure water, [3. Now we can maintain our hope because God is faithful.] 23 let us hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not; for he is faithful that promised: [4. Now we must provoke one another to love and good works.] 24 and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works; [5. We must not neglect assembling, but come together and exhort one another to prepare for the coming of the Lord.] 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh.
B. Christians are warned against turning away from Christ.
[1. If we willfully make a practice of sinning, we loose the benefits of Christ’s sacrifice and are in danger of judgment.] 26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. [2. Just as those who rejected Moses’ law were punished, so we who reject Christ will have a greater punishment.] 28 A man that hath set at nought Moses law dieth without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses: 29 of how much sorer punishment, think ye, shall he be judged worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. [3. Christians should remember the price we have paid to follow Jesus and not squander what we sought at such cost to Christ and to us.] 32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were enlightened, ye endured a great conflict of sufferings; 33 partly, being made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, becoming partakers with them that were so used. 34 For ye both had compassion on them that were in bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your possessions, knowing that ye have for yourselves a better possession and an abiding one. 35 Cast not away therefore your boldness, which hath great recompense of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, having done the will of God, ye may receive the promise. [4. Christ is coming again, but we can face his coming with faith and look forward to the saving of our souls.] 37 For yet a very little while, He that cometh shall come, and shall not tarry. 38 But my righteous one shall live by faith: And if he shrink back, my soul hath no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not of them that shrink back unto perdition; but of them that have faith unto the saving of the soul.
Faith that Pleases God
Hebrews 11
• Is being sure and certain.
Heb. 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
• Is exercised with understanding (3)
Heb. 11:3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
• Does what God prefers, not what we prefer (4)
Heb. 11:4 By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
• Acts to please God (5)
Heb. 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.
• Is necessary (6)
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
• Is being obedient (7)
Heb. 11:7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
• Causes us to put ourselves completely in the care and guidance of God (8-10)
Heb. 11:8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
• Trusts God even when His word contradicts nature (11-12)
Heb. 11:11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age — and Sarah herself was barren — was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
• Is confident in the unseen (13-16)
Heb. 11:13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country — a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
• Will sacrifice what we love the most, and Trusts God even when it appears that there is a contradiction (17-19).
Heb. 11:17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.
• Trusts the future (20-22)
Heb. 11:20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
Heb. 11:21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
Heb. 11:22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.
• Overcomes fear (23)
Heb. 11:23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
• Puts obedience to God above wealth and even personal comfort (24-28)
Heb. 11:24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
• Accepts and acts on that which seems ridiculous from a human standpoint (29-30)
Heb. 11:29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
Heb. 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.
• Changes very sinful people into servants of God (31)
Heb. 11:31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
• Trusts God for victory after extreme suffering and sacrifice (32-38)
Heb. 11:32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37 They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated — 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
• Is patient enough to think not only of today, but of that which is eternal (39-40)
Heb. 11:39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Faith and the Believer’s Total Being
Heb. 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
1. Run the race of the Christian life with perseverance (1-3).
– Throw off hindrances.
– Run with perseverance the race as it is marked off.
– Fix our eyes on Jesus.
– The Pioneer of our faith
– The Perfecter of our faith
– Endured the cross with joy
– Scorned the shame of the cross
– At the right hand of God
– Endured opposition from sinful men
– Do not grow weary and lose heart.
Heb. 12:4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”
Heb. 12:7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Heb. 12:12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
2. Look at hardship through eyes of faith (4-11).
– Have not shed blood.
– It is discipline.
– It is a sign of love.
– It provides training.
– Shows we are God’s children.
– God disciplines us for our good.
– Does not seem good, but produces righteousness and peace.
3. Take charge of your destiny (12-13).
Heb. 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17 Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.
Exhortations to Right Living (14-17)
1. Live in peace with all (14).
2. Be holy (14).
3. Spread the grace of God (15).
4. Avoid bitterness that discourages (15).
5. Avoid and discourage sexual immorality (16).
6. Do not be godless or treat holy things lightly (16).
7. Be careful not to go too far to repent (17; cf. 6:4-6; 10:26-31).
Heb. 12:18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.” 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”
Heb. 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Heb. 12:25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken — that is, created things — so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
Heb. 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Warnings Against Rejecting Christ
(18-29)
1. We have come to Christ, not Moses–to the Church, not Sinai (18-24).
– Not to condemnation for not keeping laws we cannot keep.
– Not to fear, but to faith and joy.
– The New Covenant of Life, not the Old Covenant of Death.
2. See to it that you do not refuse Jesus (25-29).
– Those who refuse Him will be destroyed.
– The kingdom of Christ cannot be shaken.
– We should worship acceptably with reverence and awe.
– There is a consuming fire for those who reject Christ.
Hebrews 13
Practical Expressions of Faith
1. Continue brotherly love (1).
Heb. 13:1 Keep on loving each other as brothers.
2. Practice hospitality [be a lover of strangers (2).
2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
3. Empathetically remember those in prison and those being mistreated (3).
3 Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
4. Honor marriage and keep the marriage bed pure (4).
Heb. 13:4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
5. Keep free from the love of money and trust God to take care of you (5-6).
5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” 6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
6. Imitate the lives of your spiritual leaders, because the Lord will reward your faith as He did theirs (7-8).
Heb. 13:7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
7. Do not be carried away by strange teachings that focus on ceremonial foods rather than on the grace of God (9-10).
Heb. 13:9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. 10 We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.
8. Follow the example of Jesus and be willing to endure disgrace—Don’t give up (11-14).
Heb. 13:11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.
9. Continue to serve God through Christ (15).
Heb. 13:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that confess his name.
10. Do good and share with others sacrificially (16).
16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
11. Obey those who are given authority over you (17).
Heb. 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Salutations
Heb. 13:18 Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. 19 I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.
Heb. 13:20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Heb. 13:22 Brothers, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written you only a short letter.
Heb. 13:23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.
Heb. 13:24 Greet all your leaders and all God’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings.
Heb. 13:25 Grace be with you all.
William Tullis (Bill) Lambert, Sr., EdD