I know I'm more than a few days behind on this. Two reasons. The first is that I was actually doing well keeping up with the reading but had plans to put all of Hebrews down at one time. Then I got busy this weekend and didn't get to the last three chapters so here we are a few days late and heading into the holiday season where time seems to get away from us and routine gets thrown out the window. I was part of a bible study group this fall that worked through the book of Hebrews so I have lots of thoughts and memories of conversations we had as we worked through the book.
Hebrews
1:2 in these last days has spoken to us in His son.
The gospel of John introduces Jesus Christ as the Logos, the word. Colossians 1 introduces Christ as the spoken voice of creation. It's clear that God the father speaks through God the son and it's as if Christ's entire life is the spoken word of God. It's so easy to get caught up in learning about God and about the bible and getting caught up in the Old Testament stories or Pauline theology but clearly it all points to and runs through Jesus Christ.
3:13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called today, so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
This speaks not only of being in community with people that love God but to be in community with those that will encourage you. While those two things should be synonymous they often aren't.
4:9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.
This verse is loaded for someone to enjoy. I hope you do.
5:9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,
The source. The reason for, the power behind. Reject any religion and any faith in which Jesus Christ is not the SOLE foundation. Reject any church or any preacher or teaching where in which Jesus Christ is not the SOLE source of salvation. Anytime you hear Jesus AND---stop listening and run. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. He is the source of eternal salvation. He alone.
6:4-6 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good words of god and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.
7:22 So much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.
9:17 For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for is is never in force while the one who made it lives.
Jesus had to die to make the new covenant, the covenant of grace, valid.
9:26 Otherwise, he would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Jesus died once for all. The work is done. The work is complete. There is nothing left for him to do to redeem our souls. He said it himself "it is finished."
10:22-23 Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
This ties in to the OT method of repentance and forgiveness...
11:2 For by it the men of old gained approval.
What? Faith.
11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God much believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
11:16 they desire a better country.
Do you long for something more? My confession is that I spend a considerable amount of time and emotion and mental energy to make my "country" here better. I can find myself obsessing about it. But the truth is there's something more and greater to long for. So often I don't. I'm not gonna beat myself up over it but I wish I had a little more perspective in that area.
12:1 Great cloud of witnesses
I believe this verse is talking about the Hall of Faith as mentioned in chapter 11 but a question for you to ponder is- who is your hero in the faith? A parent? A teacher growing up? A friend? Just curious.
13:5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money,
13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them.
I preach on this one at least once a month. Not really. It's a loaded verse though, that's for sure. We hate authority so much. I know I do. I was thinking about this the other day- it's hard to trust a leader that won't submit to another's leadership.
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