Hebrews, Chapter 11

I love writing about what God has accomplished simply through acts of faith, and there is no better chapter in the Bible for covering that except for chapter 11 of Hebrews. The author wastes little time in stating the importance of faith by showing us right in the beginning exactly what faith means.

"1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for." – Hebrews 11:1-2

Over the next several verses we see the role that faith has played from creation up through almost all of the Old Testament. The illustration here shows that ordinary people accomplished extraordinary feats without even knowing at times what was going to happen. It took an incredible amount of faith for Noah to obey God and build an ark when some believe it had never rained on the face of the earth. The faith of Abraham could be written on thousands of pages, as he is the perfect example of someone who lived by faith. Three things in his life stand out as tests that most normal people would struggle with, as he was asked to move to an unknown land despite his prosperity, have a son despite the barren nature of his wife, then sacrifice that son based on what God asked of him. Personally, if God asked of me these things I would initally be like, "uh… excuse me?"

"13All 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. 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16Instead, 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." – Hebrews 11:13-16

Sometimes that is the way we must live in faith. We see what is promised for us and though it is well off in the distance we must welcome them and look forward to them. Our heavenly reward in Christ is like this, because it is a mystery we will not know until we leave this earth. Other things may be promised during our time here, but we see them as far off and still must live in faith until they are realized. Sometimes it is the test of faith that proves us worthy of the reward. Personally, I have been tested more times than I care to recount over the past two and a half years, as it has been that long since I have had a permanent full-time job. I have worked dozens of places but nothing has ever panned out to be permanent. Naturally, it has been very frustrating but at the same time it has been a trial that has allowed God to teach me so much about myself. Through each trial I have never once doubted God's love for me and He has shown me that I can rely on Him and only Him because each trial is an example of His love. He does not want me to be stagnant because life is easy. He wants to promote growth through trials and faith because He has big plans for me.

This is what living in faith truly means, because we have to learn from it by living in it. I don't know what God has planned for me and my family, but I do know that I must faithfully wait for those plans to be revealed and for God to work in me if I am going to live the life He has planned for me. Living in faith is not going to be easy. It wasn't easy for any of the people we see mentioned in this chapter of Hebrews. We do know the rewards are well worth it though.

"36Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37They 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— 38the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. 39These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." – Hebrews 11:36-40

By faith we are made perfect because it is by faith that we believe in Christ's sacrifice for us. Without faith there is no hope for this world, so we must trust in faith.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. How are you commended in this day and age for your faith?
   
2. What do you feel is promised to you by faith?
   
3. Why did God choose to make his message faith based instead of through an awesome display of "God power"?

Hebrews, Chapter 10

Today we will see more of how the law was laid down only to set the stage for Christ and his sacrifice. If we didn't know we needed salvation, then how would we know what it was when we found it? This is the question that the law answers, as it tells us the need we have for Christ's sacrifice. As we see in the beginning of Chapter 10 the sacrifices made in Old Testament times were not enough to truly absolve one of sins because they needed to be constant. Only the blood of Christ was good enough to end the system of sacrifices.

"11Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." – Hebrews 10:11-14

It is enough, but what happens if we continue to sin once we accept this precious gift? Here in Hebrews 10 we begin to see the divergence of the word as we get an explanation of what happens when we turn our backs and continue to willfully sin once we accept the gift of Salvation. This is like intentionally turning your back on God. There are consequences to these actions and they will not go ignored. That is not to say we are perfect once we do accept Christ. Even a true believer in Christ can become lost and lose their way. Because of a relationship with Christ we can come back in repentance and get back on track. No one is perfect. God has promised to not turn his back on us as long as our faith is genuine.

"26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?" – Hebrews 10:26-29

Does this mean there is no salvation and that we can fall away from God's love once we have accepted it? I am not the person to answer that, as there are differing schools of thought on this. Personally, I believe you can actively rebel against God and still commit sin knowingly, but I also believe that it is impossible to fall away from His love. To me His love is so deep and so pure that He will pursue you even through your own sin. He will fight to bring you back into the fold of His love if You have already once called upon His name. From my personal experience I know that I have often knowingly fallen short of Chrsit's glory even after I have accepted Him into my life. Each time though he has never given up on me and though there have been consequences, some of them dire, He has still been there and brought me back to the correct path.

"35So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." – Hebrews 10:35-36

To me this tells me why we must persevere even in the face of our own sin. When we first receive Christ there is a boost of confidence, but being human it quickly fades as we learn to walk in His light instead of our own. God eventually teaches us that we can stand in His confidence even after our own early confidence fades away. There is a certain peace and joy that comes from this, but it takes a long time to go. That is where perseverance comes in.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. Is it possible to fall away and lose your salvation?
   
2. What does it mean to have confidence in the Lord?
   
3. Even after you receive Christ what do you still need to work on?

Hebrews, Chapter 9

Until now we have seen vague details as to the difference between the old covenant and the new covenant as we have worked our way through the book of Hebrews. In chapter 9 we see everything explained in explicit detail from the setting up of the actual old covenant through Moses to the setting up of the new one through Christ. We also see why each was done and what exactly each covenant accomplished. The first part of chapter 9 explains what the old covenant was. Notice the language that the author uses and the fact that it was set up in an earthly tabernacle. This is a key factor here, since everything had God's blessing, but they were still based on earthly rules.

"6When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7But 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." – Hebrews 9:6-7

How restricting is this? Of all the Israelites only one of them could enter the temple one day a year to atone for the sins of an entire people. It is no wonder the Israelites continued to lose their way because this had to be a very impersonal relationship. There is also the fact that everything was still based on ritual, and one small mistake made by a fallable man could ruin the whole process. This only points out the needs for Christ even more.

Beginning with verse 11 we see the need for the blood of Christ as a sacrifice, and how it washed away the old covenant by making things so much more personal. Now EVERYONE can get involved with their own salvation through Christ as a mediator.

"12He 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. 13The 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. 14How 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!" – Hebrews 9:12-14

We see that now Christ is the mediator for us. We are free of our sins only if we accept this gift, as the old covenant is now made irrelevant except for the fact we have still sinned under it. The sin has not changed, but the method of atonement for it has.

"24For 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. 25Nor 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. 26Then 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. 27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28so 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." – Hebrews 9:24-28

That is a big chunk of text to look at closely here, but it needed to be placed there entirely to show the depth of not only Christ's sacrifice, but His power. The Sacrifice was so changing, so pure, and so powerful that it needed to be done once and only once for all mankind. Let's look at some perspective here. The old covenant called for the sacrifice to be repeated over and over again just for the sins committed in ignorance over the course of one year for a group of several thousand. This does not account for the other sin sacrifices that needed to be done daily, weekly, and monthly as outlined in the Old Testament. Right now there are more than 6.5 billion people on the planet, not counting everyone who has ever lived and died before now. The blood of Christ's one time sacrifice is good enough for all of them. It has been a redundant message throughout my writings on the book of Hebrews, but it is only the most important message in the history of mankind.

One thing I can add though is how this difference and personal relationship stands up against many other religions. Jewish traditions still call for acts of sacrifice in order to reach God. Islam requires a strict series of daily prayers and rituals in order to reach God. Christ's sacrifice is unique because it is God's attempt to reach mankind through Himself. This stands out because it is personalized and unique.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. How unique is Christ's sacrifice when compared to other religions?
   
2. How does other Scripture back up the fact that Christ's blood is enough?
   
3. Why was there an old covenant if it wasn't enough?

Hebrews, Chapter 8

Today's chapter focuses on Jesus' role as the high priest and the breaking down of the old covenant. Where it can be confusing, however, is in thinking about the role that the old covenant served. If it was imperfect and was going to be torn down anyway, why was it set up in the first place? Why did God give mankind something He knew was going to fail only to break it down and throw it away when Christ replaced it?

There are two major reasons for this, and it takes looking at the old covenant to understand them. First, the old covenant, temple, and priesthood were given to Moses and set up between only the Israelites and God. Second, God gave us this example to show how short man's attempt to reach Him would fall even under explicit instruction. Read the book of Leviticus some time. It outlines the system of sacrifices and rules to live by according to the old covenant. If you take into account everything that is there it sets up an impossible standard that no one can hope to match. This only shows our needs for Christ and the new covenant. The new covenant is also opened to all mankind as we see in this chapter, and not just the Jews and we see that in Hebrews 8.

"1The 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, 2and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man." – Hebrews 8:1-2

I have been repeating this over and over this week since it is a common theme in the book of Hebrews, but it is the most important truth we can learn. A tabernacle set up by man is merely a shadow of the one in heaven as it is mentioned in a later verse. Christ serves in this tabernacle and He is sinless. As we learned earlier in Hebrews the high priests of old, being men, had to cleanse themselves of sin before they could serve. Even then they could only enter the Holy of Holies one day out of the year. Jesus can do this at any time in the heavenly tabernacle for us because He is sinless.

"6But 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. 7For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another." – Hebrews 8:6-7

Having Jesus mediate for us is like have God Himself as a lawyer for our case. We are all short of the Glory of God, yet all he asks is that we accept Him as our Savior. At that point He then takes on our case no questions asked and fights for us. The victory is then won regardless of the evidence against us. This is such a freeing and liberating promise and is so much better than the old covenant because it is a commitment that only needs to be done once instead of a system of sacrifices for the rest of your life.

I've done some terrible things in my life even after I came to know Christ, but the beauty of His Majesty is that I am forgiven for them. This does not mean all sin is free of consequence once we know Christ, because even forgiven sin has consequences, but it is liberating to know that I am free and loved.

At the end of the chapter we are reminded once again that the old covenant is gone. Think of this from a practical standpoint for a moment. Can you imagine trying to find a pair of perfect turtle doves as a sin offering? Now imagine trying to find these doves while everyone else is looking for them. You can't exactly find these at Wal-Mart. Next try to imagine the mess created from all of these animal sacrifices. Aren't you glad we have the new covenant through the sinless blood of Christ?

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. Read a small portion of Leviticus for a moment. How difficult are those standards?
   
2. Why is it a good thing that Jesus can intervene on our behalf at any time compared to the old covenant?
   
3. Why was God so exclusive with the old covenant, but so inclusive with the new one?
   

Hebrews, Chapter 7

Yesterday was one of the most powerful experiences I have ever had when it comes to writing about Scripture, and it is my hope and prayer that today is just as enlightening and that the Spirit will work through me again. Today we move on to the seventh chapter of Hebrews and more into the comparison between Jesus and Melchizedek. Melchizedek became a priest of God back in Abraham's time, which was long before Moses and the High priesthood was established. When looking at his history in the beginning of chapter 7 we must remember that Abraham was one of the most faithful men who ever lived. This is why God made His promise to Abraham and his descendents. If Melchizedek was blessed by Abraham then I would say he was pretty important at the time!

There isn't a ton that we know about Melchizedek. Pretty much all we know is what is listed here in the beginning of chapter seven, but he was clearly someone special that was called by God to perform a very special role in Abraham's time. We also see that he did not come from the traditional order of priests in Jewish culture because that order was still long from being established in the future.

"2and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means "king of righteousness"; then also, "king of Salem" means "king of peace." 3Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever." – Hebrews 7:2-3

This is very vague, but we can see the parallels that Melchizedek's life and Christ's life draw here. Both are called to be the high priest forever and both served as a mediator between man and God. Melchizedek served by blessing and serving Abraham, to whom the promise was given. It is eluded here that Melchizedek was the perfect priest because we see later in the chapter that perfection could not be attained through Levi and the current priesthood, but it could be attained through Jesus who was in the order of Melchizedek.

"11If 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? 12For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law. 13He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar." – Hebrews 7:11-13

Is there a better description of the sweeping changes that Christ enacted than right here? Jesus was not from the tribe of Levi, but he is still a high priest. He therefore was not from the line of Aaron and served from a tribe that had never served before (one of His names is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah). Jesus certainly changed the law through His sacrifice and because of His sacrifice we perfection is attained.

"18The 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." – Hebrews 7:18-19

Jesus is certainly a better hope because he attains what we cannot. As it says later though, because He lives forever He can continue to mediate on our behalf even now, millennia after He walked the earth. Jesus even broke down the law by taking the oath before God as we see at the end of the chapter. Also keep in mind that this is all part of a promise made centuries before Christ between God and Abraham. This proves that God keeps His promises throughout time and he never forgets His people. The promise ranges from Melchizedek in Abraham's day to the present day through Jesus. I don't know if Melchizedek was divinely appointed or not, but he was clearly set apart from other high priests if he is compared to Christ. Both He and Christ are special and we can thank them for breaking down the law and setting up a new one that benefits us instead of condemning us, since the old law was not perfect but Christ's law is.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. Go back and read Genesis. What was the promise that God made to Abraham?
   
2. How does that promise carry over to today?
   
3. Does the old law still have any meaning today?

Hebrews, Chapter 6

What does it mean to grow spiritually? Yesterday we ended our discussion with the author of Hebrews instructing us about being weaned from the milk of the Word to the real meat of the Word. Part of that process is getting into the Word daily and discovering what it says to you personally. It is my prayer that those who read this blog will be encouraged to do that and read the entire chapter to draw their own conclusions about the Word and not be satisfied with just the verses I use and the elaboration I provide. This is what it means to get into the meat of the Word, but how do we know if we have progressed in our walk far enough to be ready?

The beginning of Hebrews 6 provides a guide to that, as the author mentions what he thinks are the basics, or "milk" of the Word. When we have passed these basics we are ready to move on to something deeper and more meaningful.

"1Therefore 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, 2instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment." – Hebrews 6:1-2

To me that sounds like a course in Christianity 101 as it references the foundation of our entire faith in Christ. Once we have laid this foundation we are called to build on it through service to the one that saved us. This is where spiritual discipline comes in from my previous writings, and in that our own walks take divergent paths. Think of each person's walk with Christ like it is a natural birth. We are built the same basic way with the same basic foundation, but once we reach a certain point in our development we begin to take on characteristics that differentiate us from everyone else. In the same vein each person's walk and calling are different, but they are based on the same foundation. We learn what our calling is by getting into the word and practicing these spiritual disciplines. It is amazing then when you think about it because God tailors each person's walk individually in that way. My experience with the Word is different from everyone else's, but it is based on the same principles of faith, repentance, and forgiveness.

We also must get into the meat of the Word and nourish ourselves so that we don't fall away. What happens to an animal that is never weaned off of milk? It eventually begins to not get the nourishment it needs and will wither and die. This can happen to us spiritually and cause us to fall away if we don't actively pursue God and dedicate time to Him each day. He wants us to walk with Him and learn from Him each day because it is essential to our souls.

"7Land 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. 8But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned." – Hebrews 6:7-8

The Word, prayer, and worship are all the rain that nourishes the crop of our soul. Without them we cannot hope to survive on our own. I challenge you to study the Word daily for two weeks, and then try and go a week without it. I guarantee you will feel as if something is absent from your life and that you will feel choked off from growing. Remember this in his promise in the following:

"10God 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. 11We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. 12We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." Hebrews 6:10-12

This is what God wants for us! He wants us to grow and work in Him so that we can become something more. He wants us to become what we were born to become, and the only way to find out what that mission is comes from walking and growing in Him. The chapter ends with His blessing and promise to Abraham in this regard, and as believers we inherit this blessing and promise as well. If we grow in Him we will receive His promise.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. What is the nature of God's promise to Abraham and how does it apply to you?
   
2. What do you need to do in order to add some meat to your spiritual nourishment?
   
3. How can we fall away if we do not grow?

Hebrews, Chapter 5

Today's lesson involves a bit of history as the author of Hebrews works to tie in the tradition of the high priest in Jewish cultures with the work that Christ did while on earth. As we read through the first few verses on this topic we can see how flawed the old system of having one high priest that can atone for the sins of a people was. Here was a guy (the high priest) that no matter how hard he worked and how pure he tried to make himself, he was still human. He still needed to account for his own sins and make sacrifices on his own behalf. Even though he was chosen by God for the role that he served he still fell short of the glory needed to truly atone for sins.

"1Every 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. 2He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. 4No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was." – Hebrews 5:1-4

Even today those among the respective clergy are imperfect and prone to weakness. The pastor at my own church has a weakness for NASCAR, but I'll forgive him for it (sorry, it was too easy). What we see in the next few verses though is that even though Christ was perfect, the only perfect man that ever lived, He still had to be called by God to fill His role. He was made perfect in his willingness to sacrifice Himself and even though He washed away the old system, it still existed in a new form because he was now the high priest and mediator for us before God.

"8Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek." – Hebrews 5:8-10

His suffering served a purpose because it explained to us in our own terms what it meant to obey. This guy is the son of God. He easily could have walked down off the cross feeling no worse for wear but He instead took his mantle of suffered and obeyed the Father. Because of this he can now enter the Most Holy Place at any time for any of us on our behalf. He sets forth and example of obedience that we must learn to follow, as He submitted to the will of the Father in the face of an enormous amount of pain and torture.

The final part of this brief chapter deals a warning against falling away from God and how we can prepare our hearts against this. When we are new to the faith we can get by with being taught the elementary truths of the Word; that is the milk referred to here at the end of the chapter. As we grow in our faith however we must get deeper into the word. We have matured beyond the point of needing mere milk to needing the meat of the word in order to survive spiritually. Until we get into the word and receive the spiritual nourishment that it provides our growth is stunted, because we can only be hand-fed the truth for so long. It is our responsibility then as mature being to seek out the truth on our own and learn from it. This is why I encourage you to read beyond the verses I post here and find the rest for yourselves.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. What role did the high priest play for the Israelites?
   
2. Why is it that even Christ, who was greater than all men, still needed to learn obedience?
   
3. How can not growing spiritually by studying the Word of God cause us to fall away?