Heb. 10:26-39, Application: Admonition!

The encouragements began with “drawing near” to God (10:22).  The emphasis in this warning passage is not to “draw back.” 

ADMONITION

Let’s begin with v39.  The warning is against drawing back to “perdition.”  This word usually means “hell” to English readers.  However, we have been saying that the issue is not hell but is rather death and ruin when the Romans destroy Jerusalem.  The Greek term is used 20 times in the NT.  Perhaps half of those are to eternal destruction (e.g. Mt. 7:13).  But it also applies to death or ruin in temporal ways (e.g. Mt. 26:8, the waste of Mary’s perfume when she anointed Jesus’ feet).  If you believe this is talking about eternal destruction (hell) then I believe your view must be that it refers to losing your salvation.  Again, the author of Hebrews believes he is talking with “brethren” who were once “illuminated” (10:32).

The event described in 10:26-31 is the destruction of Jerusalem Jesus predicted (Luke 19:43-44; 21:20-24; Matt. 24:2).  It is a time when “The LORD will judge His people” (v30).  Heb. 10:30 has two quotes from Deut. 32:35-36, the Song of Moses.  This Song spoke of God’s eventual punishment of the nation for their continued disobedience.  If these Hebrew brethren return to Jerusalem, they will suffer this same fearful judgment.  This would be the “willful sin” referred to in 10:26. It would be an act that would have the effect of trampling underfoot the Son of God, acting as if His blood was just like any other blood (common), and insulting the grace by which the Spirit of God had called them to faith (10:29).

Again, in 10:32-39 the author treats them as fellow-Christians.  They have already endured significant persecution (v32-34).  They had even declared their relationship with the author when he was imprisoned for Christ.  That’s what Paul had told Timothy to do: do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner (2 Tim. 1:8).  These believers had done that very thing. 

They are encouraged to hold on to the faith or “confidence” they had in Christ for several reasons.  First, it has great reward (v35).  After they endure, they will “receive the promise” (v36).  The Lord will come and His reward will be with those who have been “just” or righteous.  Those who draw back will not receive reward, for Jesus will have no pleasure in them (v37-38).  Lastly, if they endure, they will be true to who they are in Christ (v39).  These closing verses lead directly into the great “faith” chapter (Heb. 11), as we will see.

For now, we need encouragement to endure in our own lives and faith as believers in Christ.  If we deny our faith publicly, we need to remember that Christ is coming and His reward is with Him.  What will be the outcome when we are before His judgment seat: His reward or His displeasure?

Heb. 10:19-25, Application: Encouragement!

The Holy Spirit, through the human author, has concluded the argument.  A return to temple worship makes no sense for believers.  We know there is nothing there.  What used to be significant is no longer significant, thanks to the work of our great High Priest, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  The rest of Hebrews can be called a call to “application” of this truth. 

“Application” in Scripture comes in two forms: “warning … and teaching” (Col. 1:28).  There is a need for admonition (don’t do this) and encouragement (but do this).  In the remainder of Heb. 10 we have encouragement (v19-25) and then there is the fifth and final warning passage (v26-39). 

ENCOURAGEMENT

This is often called the “honeymoon salad” passage of the Bible as it consists of “let us alone.”  Okay, perhaps it’s not that often, other than among preachers with a poor sense of humor.  The passage begins (v19-21) with a summary of Hebrews. Given the High Priest we have in Christ, all these things make sense.

The first encouragement is to draw near to God.  We have, in Christ, a “better hope, through which we draw near to God” (Heb. 7:19).  Our basic need is to be able to “approach” God without fear of judgment (10:1).  In light of Christ’s sacrifice and ministry, let us hesitate no longer.  Let us come boldly, or freely, into His presence (Heb. 4:16).

The second encouragement is to hold fast our confession without wavering.  The writer is speaking to people who are facing strong resistance from their community.  To go back to the temple would tell the community there is some value in the temple that they have not found in Christ.  But that has been shown to be a lie.  Previously the Spirit used an “if” when talking about this confession (Heb. 3:6,14).  The application here is to take the “if” out of it and stand without wavering.

The third encouragement is to consider one another.  They needed to be attentive to each other.  The difficult situation required that the “family of God” be just that.  Remember back in Heb. 3, that the writer had reminded his readers that they were the “house” of Christ (3:6).  The churches in Judea were clearly divided.  Thus, he had told them to “exhort one another daily” lest some of them become hardened in unfaithfulness to Christ (3:12-13).  We are “partakers of Christ” (3:14).  Thus, in 10:24-25, he is calling them to live according to their position in Christ.

These encouragements are vital for Christians today, even though we face different trials.  We must draw near, hold fast and consider one another.  When we don’t see a brother or sister for a period of time in our fellowship, that is not the time to write them off or to wait for someone else to look after them.  It is the time for us to seek them out and do what we can in Christ to encourage them.

Psalm 101

Time and again in the Scriptures, God’s people are encouraged to be patient, to wait on the Lord.  In my Bible reading today this theme showed up in the great 40^th chapter of Isaiah.  The point of the chapter is that comfort is coming to Israel.  God’s word is eternal; and God is fully capable of fulfilling what He has promised.  So don’t think that God does not see your way, or that He has passed you by.  God is faithful and will not grow weary.  He will keep His word!

The reason for this repeated theme is that it is a repeated occurrence in the lives of the saints.  We grow weary.  And in our weariness we may have the tendency to mix our impatience with ungodly shortcuts.  What we mean is that we grow tired of the affliction and may choose to try ungodly means so as to avoid the pain or the disappointment. 

These shortcuts are frequently extenuated (i.e. we decide our impatience is excusable or not as serious a sin) because we set our focus on the wicked around us who, we think, are enjoying much easier lives.  Psalm 73, among others, dealt with this problem.  And so does Psalm 101.  Except that in the case of today’s Song the writer is addressing the problem head-on.

Notice that he is in a situation where he desires God to bring an answer (v2).  But notice that he openly confesses his desire and plan to maintain a walk in holiness, to walk within my house with a perfect heart.  There is no place more difficult to walk in holiness than in our own home because we may feel we have the possibility of hiding our unfaithfulness.  We may find it hard to continually keep from setting wickedness before our eyes (v3). 

But notice also that the hymnist also confronts the issue of those in his inner circle, so to speak.  He commits to have none in his focus who will lead him astray.  Rather my eyes shall be on the faithful of the land that they may dwell with me (v6).  This issue of focus is fundamental.  In the New Testament we see it often when we are again and again urged to set our minds on the things of the Spirit (Rom. 8:5), with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:18), to not lose heart as we look on the eternal things which are not seen (2 Cor. 4:16-18), to meditate on the things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report (Phil. 4:8), to seek those things which are above, where Christ is (Col. 3:1-4), to remember that Jesus Christ … was raised from the dead (2 Tim. 2:8), to look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith … to consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls (Heb. 12:2-3), to rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13).

We must choose what we set before our eyes so as to behave wisely in a perfect way and with a perfect heart!

Heb. 10:1-18, Once For All! Never Again!

The idea of the old covenant being weak and ineffective might be confusing and even troubling to some.  Why did God do this, establishing a covenant with Israel that they could not keep and that would not be able to make them perfect?  This closing passage (10:1-18) of the main argument of Hebrews gives us some important insight into the answer to that question.

The old covenant was “a shadow of the good things to come and not the very image of the things.”  The glory of the old covenant was the way it pointed to the new covenant and the Savior who would come.  The Savior was promised as soon as sin entered the world (Gen. 3:15).  But the Savior was not going to come until God’s perfect time.  In the meantime, there needed to be a way that men could come to God, and that way involved the sacrificial system of the old covenant.  While it could not actually take away sins (10:4) it was a way that men could demonstrate their hope in the Savior that God promised. 

Heb. 10:5-10 tell us that the old covenant was not a “mistake” God made, a mistake He cleared up in the new covenant.  This was God’s plan all along.  The passage is built on Psalm 40:6-8.  Psalm 40 is a great Messianic Psalm.  I encourage you to read it now, remembering that the writer of Hebrews was quoting from the Greek translation of the Old Testament. 

What does this tell us?  The old covenant established the sacrificial system.  The blood of animals was shed, all pointing to the coming of the Savior.  The old blood sacrifices were a picture of what the Savior would have to do.  The salvation He would provide would require the shedding of His blood.  As Gen. 3:15 indicates, the Savior was going to be a Man, the seed of the woman.” 

But what else did God know?  God knew that He would have to be the sacrifice.  There would never be anyone else who could satisfy God’s righteous wrath but God Himself.  Thus, when God the Father sent God the Son to be the Savior, it was required that the Son become Man so that He would have a body and blood to offer.  That takes us back to Heb. 1-2, the beginning of this discussion.  The Son came, fully human, with a body, and with the perfect obedience to do the will of His Father.  It is “by that will” that “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (10:10).  Hallelujah!

The Aaronic priests never stopped their work (10:11).  But Christ did His work and then “sat down at the right hand of God” where He awaits the day of His glorious return (10:12-13).  The important truth is, that “by this one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified” (10:14).  He has done what was promised in the new covenant (10:16-17).  And because sins have been forgiven, there never again needs to be an offering for sin.  He is truly a great High Priest.

Heb. 9:11-28, Our Great High Priest

Let us now consider Jesus Christ, our “great High Priest” (4:14), the eternal Priest according to the order of Melchizedek (8:1).

Yes, Jesus has a covenant with God that enables worshipers to know God deeply (8:10-13).  This covenant involves the Holy Spirit living in the worshiper, so that not only is God’s law written in the heart but the worshiper is changed.  This covenant does not involve mere externals like the old; it brings change to the heart so that God can dwell with the one who comes to Him.

Second, Jesus has access to the “heavenly sanctuary” (9:11), the original after which the earthly one was patterned.  This is the point of the references to Jesus “passing through the heavens.”  He has gone to that temple that is greater, more perfect and not made with hands. 

Third, Jesus had performed the service of a High Priest (9:12-15).  Unlike Aaron, who brought the blood of animals, Jesus has entered the “Holy of Holies” (NKJV “Most Holy Place”) with His own blood.  He did it once, and since it was the blood of the perfect Lamb of God, it never needs to be repeated.  Thus, He has obtained, for the worshipers, “eternal redemption.”  His blood cleanses the “conscience,” which means it deals with our guilt at the deepest level. 

Fourth, Jesus is the Mediator of the new covenant that promised a relationship with God (9:15).  Remember that the promises of a relationship with God in the new covenant were based on the fact that God would no longer remember the sins of the worshipers (8:12). 

This concept of the “mediator” needs more explanation and we get it in Heb. 9:16-28.  To understand 9:16-22 (Moses’ role as mediator of the old covenant) we would encourage you to read Exodus 24:3-8.  At Mt. Sinai, after God gave Moses the covenant, Moses explained it to the people who agreed to live by it (24:3).  Then Moses built an altar, and for the last time offered sacrifices performed by young men of various tribes.  Moses took the blood, sprinkled half on the altar, and then half on the people after they again agreed to do their part (24:7).  Then Moses said these words: “This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD made with you according to all these words” (24:8). 

If the “copies of the things in the heavens” were sprinkled with the blood of animals, then the “heavenly things themselves” required a better sacrifice (Hb. 9:23).  That is what Christ did!  He entered the heavenly tabernacle “to appear in the presence of God for us” (9:24).  He did this only once.  There was seemingly an endless supply of animals to kill under the old system.  But under the new covenant there was a perfect Man and He could only die once.  This is so exciting, isn’t it.  How wonderful to know that we, sinful men, can be reconciled to our holy God!

Heb. 9:1-22, The Weak High Priest

We were created by God to have fellowship with Him.  But we are sinners, in rebellion against God.  If we are going to have a relationship with our Creator as He intended, we need a High Priest, an effective High Priest.  This Priest must be acceptable to the Creator and able to do what is necessary to make a way for us.

We need a High Priest who has the following: 1) an agreement with God by which He will agree to meet and dwell with sinners; 2) a temple where God could meet and dwell with sinners; 3) sacrifices to perform that would satisfy God’s righteousness as He was in the presence of sinners; and 4) a mediator or “testator” through whom the covenant could be enacted.

What did Aaron have as High Priest?  First, he worked under an “old covenant” (8:7-9), one where the people repeatedly failed to keep their part of the agreement.  Second, he had a temple, described in 9:1-5.  Initially it was a tent which could be moved with the people before they entered the land.  Then Solomon built a temple, and later a second temple was built.  All were similar, having two rooms, front and back. In front was a lampstand, a table with bread and an altar for burning incense.  In the back was the “ark of the covenant” with the gold covering.

Third, Aaron performed the sacrifices, particularly on the Day of Atonement (9:6-10).  There were daily sacrifices in the morning and evening.  Then on Yom Kippur there was a series of sacrifices, first for the priest and then for the people, by which Aaron made atonement for the nation.  Fourth, Moses was the mediator, the one through whom the “old covenant” was given (9:18-22).

We agree with the writer of Hebrews, that “of these things we cannot now speak in detail” (9:5).  If we could we would show how every aspect of the Tabernacle and the two temples pointed to the Savior who was to come.  For example …

·       Jesus is the “Light of the world” (the menorah or lampstand).

·       Jesus is the “Bread of Life” (the table with the bread).

·       Jesus offered a prayer of intercession for His followers (John 17; the incense symbolizes the priestly intercession rising up before God).

·       Jesus was “God with us” (the ark and mercy seat where God dwelt with Israel).

But this is what is said in 9:9: “it was symbolic for the present time.”  What Aaron did could not “make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience.”  This points out the weakness in Aaron’s ministry.  It had to be performed every day (the morning and evening sacrifices) and every year (the Day of Atonement).  It was wrapped up in external or “fleshly” things, like food and washings (9:10).  The question is, do we now have a High Priest who has a better covenant, temple and ministry and a better Mediator?

Heb. 8, The New Covenant

The High Priest who can bring us into fellowship with God is Jesus, the High Priest we have.  Two things make Jesus an effective High Priest.  First, He is a forever priest.  Second, He has ascended above the heavens. 

In Heaven was the true tabernacle, after which the one Moses built was patterned (8:4-5).  As 8:3 says, a priest must “offer both gifts and sacrifices.”  The Aaronic priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement and sprinkled sacrificial blood to make atonement for himself and the people.  Jesus entered the true Holy of Holies and sprinkled His blood once and for all, to make atonement.  Aaron performed his ministry in order to satisfy the old covenant.  But now He (Jesus) has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises (8:6).

What is this “better covenant”?  First, note that the word “testament” is another word for “covenant.”  When we talk about the Old and New Testaments we are talking about the Old and New Covenants that dominate those sections of the Bible.

There were many prophecies of a “new covenant” given in the OT.  The most complete, from Jeremiah 31:31-34, is quoted by the writer of Hebrews in 8:8-12.  Let us consider this passage verse-by-verse.

v8: Jeremiah prophesied during the time leading up to and including the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians.  Israel had failed to keep the old covenant.  God promised a future new covenant with Israel and Judah.

v9: The old covenant was established at Mt. Sinai in the time of the Exodus.  It was based on law: “obey Me and I will bless you; disobey Me and I will curse you.”  The tablets of the 10 Commandments are emblematic of that covenant.

v10: In the new covenant God promised to write His law in their minds and on their hearts.  Under the old covenant it was incumbent on the worshiper to learn God’s law.  As v9 said, they did not continue in My covenant.  In addition, under the new covenant the people and God would have a personal relationship. 

v11: By “personal relationship” we mean that the person under the new covenant will know God deeply.  He will not have to be taught this.  “All shall know Me.”  Heb. 8:10-11 speak of the ministry of the Holy Spirit who is fundamental to the New Covenant (cf. Ezek. 36:25-27; 39:29).

v12: Here is the rock upon which this new covenant is established.  God says, “their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”  The issue of sin that separated men from God will be truly resolved in the new covenant.

The new covenant would make the old covenant obsolete.  The writer reminds these Hebrew believers, who are about to see the temple destroyed, that the old covenant is ready to vanish away. 

Heb. 7:11-28, The Need for Another Priesthood

Valuable background information on today’s passage can be found in Leviticus 16, the account of Israel’s worship on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.  Heb. 7:11 asks, “why did there need to be another priesthood besides the priesthood according to the order of Aaron?  Why this “order of Melchizedek”?  A new priesthood means there would be a change in the “law” of the priesthood (7:12).  And clearly there was a change, since Jesus was from the tribe of Judah and not the tribe of Levi (7:13-14). 

The answer to this question must revolve around the ability of the priesthood to make the worshipers acceptable to God.  As 7:19 says, “the law (the OT law on which the Aaronic priesthood was established) made nothing perfect.”  But on the other hand, the new priesthood enables the worshipers to “draw near to God.”  So, what made the “Melchizedek” priesthood better?

·       First, the new Priest is the King (7:14).  Jesus was from the kingly tribe of Judah. 

·       Of great importance is this idea that the new priesthood is based on “the power of an endless life” (v15-17).  In other words, the new Priest is “forever.”  That is what God said to His Son: You are a priest forever! 

Therefore, the first priesthood was weak and unprofitable.  It could not bring the worshipers to perfection (v18-19), by which we mean the “goal determined by God.”  God’s goal is to dwell with men in joyful fellowship.  This cannot happen because men are sinful and God is holy.  The role of the priest is to perform such a ministry as to resolve this problem. 

Again, how could the new priesthood do what the Aaronic priesthood could not do?  According to 7:22 the answer is that “Jesus has become a surety (guarantee) of a better covenant.”  Heb. 8 will tell us about this covenant.  The rest of Heb. 7 (v23-28) tells us why Jesus can be trusted to be the surety of this New Covenant.

·       7:23-25: Aaron and his descendants all died.  But “He (Jesus), because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.  Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”  What a marvelous truth!

·       7:26-28: Aaron and his descendants were themselves sinners, and had to continually offer sacrifices for themselves as well as for the people.  They did this on the Day of Atonement.  But what do we know about Jesus?  First, He is “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners.”  Thus He never needed or needs to offer sacrifices for Himself.  Second, “He has become higher than the heavens.”  As the opening words of Hebrews told us, after He made the once-for-all sacrifice for sins He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Another priest was needed.  Another Priest has been provided.  Hope is beginning to rise.

Heb. 7:1-10, The Order of Melchizedek

Now, for several chapters, we will study the basic argument of Hebrews.  It has to do with our High Priest and His better ministry built on a better sacrifice.  Let’s review what we already know about Jesus, our High Priest.

·       Heb. 2:17-18: Though He was God He became Man, made like His brethren.  He did this so He could make “propitiation” for them (satisfy God’s righteous anger) and He could help them, being acquainted with their weaknesses.

·       Heb. 4:14: Jesus is a “great” High Priest because of who He is (Jesus, the Son of God) and because of what He did (passed through the heavens).

·       Heb. 5:1-11: He was appointed by God to be High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. That is where we pick up the theme here in Heb. 7. 

Who was Melchizedek and what was special about him?  He makes one brief appearance in Gen. 14:16-20.  Here’s what was important about Melchizedek.

ü He was King of Salem, the early name of “Jerusalem.”  Salem is shalom (peace) meaning Melchizedek is also “King of Peace.”

ü He was Priest of the Most High God, a name of God used to speak of His superiority to all other gods.

ü He met Abraham returning from rescuing Lot and the people of Sodom who had been taken captive (Gen. 14:1-15).  Abraham gave him a tenth of all the spoil.

ü The name means “King” (Melchi) of Righteousness (Zedek).”

ü The point of Heb. 7:3 is that none of these things (geneology, birth or death) are recorded in Genesis.  Some believe Melchizedek was Jesus in a “pre-incarnate” appearance, which could be.  Heb. 7:3 says he was “made like the Son of God” in that he remains a priest continually.  I see Melchizedek as being a “type” of Christ, a pre-figuring example of what Christ would be.

Thus, the first thing is that Melchizedek is like Christ.  Meditate on this.  Christ is all these things.  Furthermore, Melchizedek is “priest” and “king.”  God is the One who makes a big deal out of this in Psalm 110:4, which was quoted in Heb. 5:6 and 7:17: The LORD has sworn and will not relent, ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek’.  He said this of His Son.  Having made the comparison of Christ and Melchizedek in v1-3, the Spirit now describes the greatness of Melchizedek by contrasting him with Levi in 7:4-10.

ü Melchizedek received tithes from Abraham (v4-6a).  In other words, as priest of the Most High God, Melchizedek accepted Abraham’s worship of God.   

ü Melchizedek blessed Abraham (v6b-8).  The one who blesses another is, obviously, greater than the one being blessed.

ü Melchizedek received tithes from Levi who was in the loins of Abraham (v9-10). 

This was God’s plan from the beginning, that we might have a High Priest who could bring us into a relationship with Him.

Psalm 100

This is one of the more familiar Psalms.  From childhood I remember Psa. 100 in every Thanksgiving service in our church.  We actually met on Thanksgiving Day, at 9:30 AM.  Just enough time to get the turkey in the oven and then off to church to rejoice in the blessing of living in America.  It was a perfect fit being a clear call to the very reason for our gathering: thanksgiving. 

Of course it’s the familiar ones, like Psalm 1 and 23 and 100, etc. that can lose their significance.  We can say them without thinking.  Just like some of our favorite hymns or worship songs.  So slow down today with Psalm 100.

·         It is, in fact, a Psalm for the nations, not just Israel.  Thus it was, and is, appropriate to use in the context of national thanksgiving, wherever we live.

·         It is a call for exuberance.  The items of note in this Psalm, as we will see, call for a joyful shout, gladness and singing.  Contrary to the old saint I remember, singing must be from the heart but by definition it must be audible. 

·         Make a joyful noise about the Creator.  This is the first theme.  The Lord (Heb. YHWH, the God of Israel, as opposed to all other supposed gods) He is God.  You must know this.  Not just knowledge from a book.  Knowledge with perception, knowledge involving a thorough acquaintance with the subject.  God has revealed Himself for this very purpose: that you might know Him!  You see Him in creation.  You see Him in your conscience (in case you didn’t know, a conscience is the Creator’s law written in your heart).  You see Him most clearly in His Son, Jesus Christ, in the pages of the Bible.

·         Once you know He made us, then you also know we are His.  That’s the way it always is: if you made it, it’s yours.  He made us so we are His.  And that’s not all bad because He has provided well for us.  We are the sheep of His pasture.  He made the world and put us in it so we would have what we need.

·         The second theme is also about the Lord.  He is good!  The pasture where we reside (i.e. planet earth) is unique in all the universe.  The temperature range is perfect for humans.  So is the tilt and rotation of the earth.  There’s plenty of water in all its forms.  He is a good Creator and Sustainer of all we enjoy.

·         But actually His goodness is better seen in His mercy and faithfulness.  His goodness in creation is amazing.  But His goodness to us, given our sin and rebellion against Him, is indescribably amazing.  He has been gracious to us by reconciling us to Him.  In other words He has offered to reestablish us in fellowship with Him.  And He offers this without denying the fact that we deserve to be punished, eternally.  Both His mercy and truth have been satisfied by the fact that He has paid the price Himself for our sin.  He took our punishment on the cross of Christ. 

With all of this in mind, do we really need to be told to make a joyful shout to the Lord?  No, I didn’t think so.  If we will not give thanks and glorify God then, well let’s just say, we have no excuse (Rom. 1:18-21).

Heb. 6:11-20, Our Anchor for the Soul

The Hebrew believers needed to show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises (6:11-12).  The first of these faithful people is Abraham; and the “end” is when God fulfills the promise He made to Abraham, the promise to make him into a great nation and to bless all the families of the earth (Gen. 12:1-3).

This promise comes up in Hebrews 6:13-14 in a quote from Gen. 22:15-18.  Abraham had taken Isaac to offer him to the Lord on Mt. Moriah.  Abraham demonstrated his faith to God, willingly offering his son through whom all the descendants were supposed to come.  He knew that if God told him to sacrifice his son, God would raise Isaac from the dead (Heb. 11:17-19).  He trusted God! 

Why was this promise raised at this point in Hebrews?  It is because God was about to pour out His judgment upon Israel.  The nation was about to be destroyed.  The people would be dispersed from the land.  Jerusalem would be destroyed.  And the temple that was to be God’s resting place would be no more. 

Now consider these Hebrew believers.  They were being sorely persecuted as Christians.  Their beloved nation was about to be destroyed.  Do you not think this might have created a sense of hopelessness in their hearts?  Yet, they were being encouraged to be faithful to Christ, with the promise that God would not forget their faithfulness (6:10).  Where was the hope that would give them strength to forge ahead?

God gives them two great assurances of “hope.” 

·       6:16-18: The first has to do with Abraham and God’s covenant with him.  God didn’t need to confirm His word in any way.  Yet, that is what He did for Abraham.  Note the quote: “Surely” I will bless you.  This “oath” is added to the fact that God, who is “immutable” (unchangeable), cannot lie.  God did this as an encouragement.  70AD was not the end.  God would keep His word to Abraham.

·       6:19-20: Here is an even greater assurance.  The coming judgment on Israel was because she rejected her Messiah.  Yet, this rejection resulted in the cross where Christ died for the sins of the world.  Through their rejection there is a Savior who “enters the Presence behind the veil.”  Again, this will be explained in the coming chapters.  What is important is that Jesus is our “forerunner” (6:20).  He was not the “forerunner” like John the Baptist who “ran before” Christ to announce His coming. Jesus is the “forerunner” who has run the race “before us” and finished the race successfully.  Christians are running the same race of life, and must finish that race successfully.  In Heb. 12:1-2, we will be challenged to look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who finished the race successfully.  This is the hope we have, hope that is the anchor of our soul.

This is strong assurance for those who need to “stand fast.”  They can trust God’s word, and set their eyes on the One who has already finished the race.

Heb. 6:1-12, The Danger of “Falling Away”

We believe the “foundation” (6:1) that these believers should not lay again speaks of their roots in OT religion.  The specifics are listed in 6:1-2.  We have also said that the “elementary principles of Christ” (6:1) are the five realities in 6:4-5 that have been experienced by the Hebrew believers.  These are the “first principles” and the “milk” they lived on in the early days of discipleship (5:12). 

The question is, “what does it mean to ‘fall away’” (6:6)?  Some say v4-5 describe “saved” people who have fallen away from their salvation.  Others say it speaks of people who have come close to salvation but have then fallen away and will never again come to repentance.  We believe there is a better answer.

·       There can be no question that 6:4-5 describes the experiences of saved people. 

o   To be “enlightened” is the benefit of receiving the gospel.  The Spirit has “turned on the light” for believers.

o   To “taste the heavenly gift” means to fully experience the New Covenant gift of the Holy Spirit.  Christ tasted death for everyone (2:9).  He did not come close to death; He actually died.  The same can be said for “tasting the good word of God.”  They had actually believed the gospel message.

o   The same can be said of the word “partakers.”  It means to “share in” something, not merely “come close”.  These “holy brethren” are “partakers of the heavenly calling” (3:1).  They are “partakers” in Christ (3:14).  They are “partaking” of persecution (“chastening”), not just “coming close” to it.

·       Furthermore, in 6:7-8, the issue is one of “fruit-bearing.”  The goal of believers in Christ is to bear fruit for His glory (John 15:16).  This is not an issue of “almost Christians.”  Nor is it the issue of someone in danger of losing their salvation.  It is an issue for Christians and how they live their lives day by day.  They are in danger of falling away from a fruit-bearing life.

·       In addition, note the application of all this in 6:9-12.  He expects better things from them, “things that accompany salvation.”  He speaks of their previous works that bore fruit (v10) and wants them to do more in the future (v11).  In this way, they would not be “sluggish” (remember, same term as “dull of hearing” in 5:11), but would be like the OT saints before them who were faithful to the end (these saints will be the subject of Heb. 11).

If they go back to Jerusalem there will be no repentance, no way out.  They will suffer the judgment God is pouring out on the disobedient nation.  Further, it will not reduce the persecution.  It will only reduce their ability to bear fruit.  Their testimony of Christ will be tarnished by returning to the “dead works” of Judaism.

For Christians who may have missed this thought, Jesus holds our role as fruit-bearing “branches” in the Father’s vineyard to be important.  Study this in John 15:1-16 and 1 Cor. 3:11-15.  Failure in this does not forfeit one’s salvation.  It results in chastening (Jn.15:2), but they shall be “saved, so as by fire” (1 Cor. 3:15).

Heb. 5:11-6:6, Christians Who Are Not Growing Up

The recipients of this letter are Christians.  They are “brethren” and “better things” are expected of them, “things that accompany salvation” (Heb. 6:9).  They are also being persecuted by their Jewish kin, and are wondering if they should not go back to the temple worship.  Maybe that would reduce their affliction.

There are two problems with doing that.  First, it would subject them to the wrath of God through the coming Roman destruction of the city and nation.  Jesus had warned “those who are in Judea” about this, that they should flee to the mountains and get out of Jerusalem (Luke 21:20-24).  The second problem is that a return to temple worship would deny the work of our great High Priest.  The offerings for sin had become empty.  There was no longer a need for them.

How wonderful is our High Priest?  Let me draw attention to two words.  In Heb. 4:15 we learn that our Priest can “sympathize” with us in all points of being tested.  “Sym-pathy” means He suffers with us.  He also has “compassion” on us (Heb. 5:2).  “Metrio-pathy” means He has measured suffering.  He knows how much we are suffering and our weaknesses, and He is able to help us (Heb. 2:18) in the best way.  He knows their suffering and He is with them in it. 

Thus, the “Hebrews” are considering a plan that makes no sense and that will get them into greater trouble.  This leads to the third warning passage of Hebrews (5:12-6:20), in which the Spirit has two concerns.  

·       The first is that they had “become dull of hearing” (5:11, literally sluggish, as in 6:12), so that the normal process of spiritual growth was being impeded.  By now they should have been of full age, experienced believers who could “discern both good and evil” (5:14).  Instead, they were spiritual infants in need of “the first principles of the oracles of God” (5:12).  These “first principles” are the “milk and not solid food” (5:12). It is what new Christians need, not an unsaved person or an “adult” believer.  These “principles” are mentioned in 6:4-5.

·       The second concern of the Spirit is that they are “laying again the foundation.”  This foundation refers to the Old Testament religion and is described in 6:1-2.  The “dead works” are the sacrifices and offerings of the temple, rendered meaningless by the sacrifice of Christ (Heb. 9:14).  The “baptisms” refer to Jewish traditions, where the “mikveh” (ceremonial washings) were essential before entering the temple.  The “laying on of hands” refers to what temple worshipers did when they brought animals for sacrifice (Lev. 1:4).  The OT certainly spoke of a future life and God’s judgment, though not with the detail of the NT.  All this OT truth was the foundation for these Jewish believers.  Having come to Christ, they did not need to lay again that foundation.

Have we become content to stay young in Christ?  Are we dull of hearing, happy to be led and fed rather than to lead by example and teach?  As in the physical world, so in the spiritual: to be a 25-year-old bottle-fed infant is never a good thing!

Heb. 4:14-5:11, Our Great Sympathetic High Priest

In Heb. 4:14 we return to the theme of Hebrews. We have a merciful and faithful High Priest (Heb. 2:17).  The Spirit calls us to consider this High Priest (Heb. 3:1).  Now let us acknowledge this High Priest (4:14ff).

·       What makes our High Priest great?  First, as we have noted, He passed through the heavens.  Second, He is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, having been tempted in all points as we are.  Every enticement we experience (1 John 2:16, the lust for things, the lust for pleasure and the lust of pride), He experienced.  He experienced the fullness of these temptations because He never gave in to them.  He was without sin. 

·       What are the duties of a High Priest?  He does “things pertaining to God” (5:1), things that will appease or satisfy God’s righteous demands so the sinful people he represents can have a relationship with God.  These “things” involve giving gifts, such as free-will offerings and non-blood offerings in the Levitical system.  Further, he offers sacrifices, both for himself and for the people.

·       What are the qualifications of a High Priest?  First, he must be taken from men.  He is one of the “group” that he represents.  In that way he can sympathize with the sinners who desire to please God.  Second, he is appointed “on behalf of” men.  He represents them before God.  Third, he is appointed by God.  He must be God-approved.  This is not done by popular vote of the people or appointment by the king or anyone else.

Aaron illustrates this.  His appointment by God is recorded in Ex. 27:20-28:1. But Christ also meets these requirements.  His appointment by God is recorded in Psalm 110:4 (Heb. 5:6): You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.  Furthermore, He was appointed “from” the group He represents before God.  He represents sinful mankind.  As Heb. 2 made clear, our High Priest, the Son of God, was made lower than the angels that He might taste death for everyone.  Thus, not only was He a Man; He was a tested and proven Man.  He “learned obedience by the things which He suffered.”  Think about this.  He never disobeyed.  But His obedience was not just conferred upon Him because of His deity.  He was tested.  The word for this is He was “perfected” (5:9).  Here is a definition of that term, as it is important in the rest of Hebrews.

The fundamental idea is the bringing of a person or thing to the goal fixed by God. The word speaks here of Messiah having reached the end which was contemplated in His divinely appointed discipline for the priesthood. This consummation was reached in His substitutionary death on the Cross. (Kenneth Wuest)

Jesus, our High Priest, has been perfected.  He is fully qualified for the position.  We can come to God through Christ, and be fully assured that we will be received.

Heb. 4:11-16, God’s Sword and Our Great High Priest

The command is, be diligent to enter that rest.  We have two Divine helps in this: the word of God (4:11-13) and a great High Priest (4:14-5:11). 

As Heb. 1:1-3 indicates, God has spoken many times by the prophets and now by His Son.  All these are the “word of God.”  And the word of God will always be living, powerful, incredibly sharp, penetrating and discerning. 

·       Living: It is alive, not just words on a page.  God’s word even enables us to grow spiritually (1 Pt. 2:2).  

·       Powerful: Albert Barnes said, “It’s power is seen in awakening the conscience; alarming the fears; laying bare the secret feelings of the heart; and causing the sinner to tremble with the apprehension of the coming judgment.”  That is a power unseen in any other book!

·       Incredibly sharp: It is a 2-edged sword.  The blade on both sides allows for greater effectiveness.  Christ will judge with that 2-edged sword (Rev. 1:16; 2:12).  The “sword of the Spirit is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17).  Jesus sliced up the devil with that sword (Matt. 4:1-11).  It can keep us from sin (Ps. 119:11).

·       Penetrating: The references to the “soul/spirit” and “joints/marrow” indicate how deeply and precisely it penetrates those who hear it.  No other book or person knows these depths.  Only the Bible truly understands people’s needs.  What else do you expect?  It is the word of their Creator!

·       Discerning: It is able to judge, to make exact distinctions.  Our thoughts and intentions are revealed and evaluated by God’s word.

In Heb. 4:14 the Spirit returns to the theme of our “High Priest” that He set aside after 3:1-6.  He says that we have a “great” High Priest.  What did Jesus do that makes Him so great?  In this context it is that he “passed through the heavens.”  What does this mean? What is so great about it?  And how does it make Him superior to Aaron, Israel’s High Priest?  There are several ways to think about this.

·       Aaron’s spirit is IN heaven; but Christ passed through the heavens.  The Greek indicates this is a past, completed act with present results.  The only reason Aaron is in heaven is because Christ passed through the heavens.

·       Aaron passed from the outer court into the Holy Place and then into the Holy of Holies.  All these are pictures of greater realities (Ex. 26:30).  Christ passed through the clouds and stars into the heaven of heavens.  This is the reality.

·       Aaron passed from the altar, where blood was shed, taking that blood and sprinkling it on the mercy seat.  Christ passed from His altar, the cross, and sprinkled His blood on the mercy seat of heaven (John 20:17; Heb. 9:12).

·       Aaron was unable to pay the actual price for sin. Christ triumphed over the prince of the power of the air and his demons, passing through the kingdom of darkness in great triumph (Eph. 2:2; 6:12; Col. 2:15).

Heb. 4:1-13, Be Diligent to Enter God’s Rest

We have said there is an issue of “rest” in our daily lives.  This is true.  But it is also true that what happened at Kadesh and what was about to happen at Jerusalem were unique.  The people had one opportunity to obey.  If they disobeyed there would be no opportunity to “undo” their predicament.  In Num. 14, on the day following their refusal to enter the land, the people tried to go to war with the inhabitants of the land and God refused to help them.  It was hopeless for that entire generation.  They died in the wilderness and never entered the land.  Likewise, in the days leading up to 70AD, entering Jerusalem would result in experiencing God’s judgment on the nation that had rejected their Messiah.  There was one opportunity to trust God.

Heb. 3 commands, do not become hardened in your heart.  Heb. 4 commands, be diligent to enter that rest.  Heb. 4:2 says “the gospel” was preached to the “Hebrews” and to the Israelites at Kadesh.  What “gospel” is he talking about?

·       The people at Kadesh had heard the good news of salvation in Egypt.  It involved Passover and the placing of the blood on the doorposts.  All who were at Kadesh had believed that message.  But at Kadesh they heard this good news from Caleb and Joshua: the land is good and it is God’s provision for us (Num. 14:6-9).  That good news they did not believe.

·       The “Hebrews” had heard and believed the gospel preached by Christ and His Apostles (Hb. 2:1-4).  But now they were hearing the good news of deliverance from God’s judgment on the nation.  The message was to “flee Jerusalem” (Lk. 21:20-24).  Would they believe that good news and enter God’s rest?  You may wonder how “believers” can be guilty of “unbelief?”  The answer is that we walk by faith; how we begin is how we live each day (Col. 2:6-7). 

The argument in Ch. 4 is fascinating.  God has rested from all His works of creation (v3-4), works that included creation of the “land of milk and honey” that He promised to Abraham.  Israel at Kadesh failed to enter into that rest and thus would never enter that rest (v5).  Yet, in Psalm 95, this rest is still being offered to Israel in the time of David, at a time when they were “in” the land (v6-8).  If just entering the land brought rest then why did David speak of God’s rest for Israel on “another day?”  The answer is that there remains therefore a rest for the people of God (v9).  Those who enter that rest cease from their works as God did (v10).  It is the rest of faith, of believing and obeying God’s word.

Therefore, the command is, be diligent to enter that rest.  We must be diligent in believing because there are many hindrances to faith, especially the pride that causes a person to trust his own good works instead of trusting the word of God.  That is the point of 4:12-13.  God has spoken (Hb. 1:1-3).  His word reveals the heart of those who hear.  It will reveal the presence of unbelief or will prove the genuineness of the one who hears. 

Psalm 99

Again we have a regal Psalm that begins The Lord reigns! 

·         He is the most exalted God because He dwells between the cherubim (v1-3), a reference to the throne room of heaven (Rev. 4) and it’s shadow on earth, the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle/temple of Israel. 

·         He alone is worthy to be exalted and worshiped (v4-5) because He is just (legal) and righteous (moral) in all His doings.  He is to be worshiped at His footstool, the place on earth where He rests His feet (i.e. the temple, His holy hill, the place He designated where He would dwell with men.

·         Moses, Aaron and Samuel called on His name; They called and He answered.  Moses and Aaron were noted for their communication with God in the wilderness, even as Samuel communicated with God at a time when few were communicating with God (1 Sam. 3:1,21).  In these great men God’s justice and righteousness was clearly seen.  He forgave them while at the same time holding them accountable for their sins.  A good illustration of this is Moses who was called of God to lead Israel and yet was not permitted to enter the Promised Land because of his sin in striking the rock.  We know God’s forgiveness in Christ; but we also know that we reap what we sow.  Thus we are called to join these saints and exalt and worship the Lord our God!

This is a great call to worship.  But it is not hard to notice what is exceptional about God in this great Hymn.  Three times there are references to the holiness of God (v3,5,9).  Three times, as in the song of the angels: holy, holy, holy (Isa. 6:3; Rev. 4:8).  His name is holy (v3).  He is holy (v5).  And most wonderfully, the Lord (Yahweh) our God (the God of Israel, yes and of the Church, the only God besides whom there is no other) is holy (v9). 

Verbal definitions are hardly adequate but it is where we start.  The Hebrew qadowsh  means to be free from defilement of crimes, idolatry and other unclean and profane things (Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon).  It refers to God as abhorring every kind of impurity … as being the judge of what is right and true.  God is the Holy One of Israel (Isa. 1:4 and many other places in Isaiah).

The laws in the Old Testament concerning food (Lev. 11) provided a picture of holiness.  We are to be free of anything unclean, physically removed from it and cleansed (forgiven) when we have failed to do so.  And this is critical because there are no more important words in Scripture than these: Be ye holy for I am holy (Lev. 11:45, etc; and repeated for us in 1 Peter 1:16).

And how can we say we are to satisfy this impossible command?  This Psalm tells us.  Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool.  By and in Christ, God must be the exclusive focus of our worship.  Not simply Sunday worship; we are talking about the yearnings, desires, expectations of our lives every day.  Exalt Him!  Worship Him!