Hebrews, James, Peter, John,
Jude
Southern Christian
University
Lesson Hebrews
#1
James A. Turner
Read all of the references and
they will help you “to grow
in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.”
The epistle to the Hebrews in my judgment, it and the
book of Romans, are two of the hardest epistles of the New Testament. Other
than the Revelation, they are the hardest books of the New Testament to
understand. But both are great books! The primary purpose of this book was to try
to prevent a massive falling away on the part of these Hebrew Christians. . In order to carry out the primary purpose
the writer does two things. In the first twelve chapters he continues to show
the superiority of Christ and the New Testament religion over Moses and the Old
Testament religion, and as he does this he continues to give one exhortation
after another to encourage them to be faithful to Christ.
It is generally thought by
Bible students that these were third generation Christians, and it looks like
it is somewhat the pattern for third generation Christians to not be as
faithful as first or second generation Christians. There is danger of that
third generation of having somewhat of an inherited religion, not studying
enough for themselves, and therefore not having the depth of faith and
commitment that they should have; and the writer continues to emphasis in this
book what a lack of faith will do. A
lack of faith was their primary problem.
The Jewish religion, was a
God‑given religion, and it had many things in regard to outward attractions that the New Testament
religion, does not have. The Old
Testament religion had much more to offer from the standpoint of outward
attraction. Consider some of the
denominational churches today, and how they thrive on those things that have to
do with outward attraction. The Old Testament religion surely had many things.
Think about the three annual feasts, and all the people going from the southern
extreme of Beersheba or at Dan, the northern
extreme and journeying to Jerusalem to worship. They would have
been walking, and on those three occasions as they journeyed toward Jerusalem, the crowds would get
larger and larger. Just image how those journeys provided for a lot of good
fellowship, and a spirit of unity for all age groups, and then when they had
those feasts, they were to be all together joyful in keeping those feasts.
Consider also the fact that something was going on at the temple all the time.
The fire on the altar of burnt offering was not to go out at the first
tabernacle and then at the temple. From the first five chapters of Leviticus we
learn that when a person learned that they had sinned, he or she, was to carry
the kind of animal that was specified by the law to the altar at the
tabernacle. The sinner was to lay his
hand on the head of the animal and kill the animal. The priest then sprinkled
the blood and the other things that the law provided to make atonement for the
person that had sinned. Would not this mean that the altar of burnt offerings
would be in use nearly all the time? The garments of the priests were gorgeous
and attractive. On the tenth day of the seventh month was the day of animal
atonement (Lev. 16:1-34), and that day also had many attractive
things about it.
The New Testament religion
does not have much in the way of outward attraction. Paul was afraid for the
Corinthians. He says, “as the serpent beguiled Eve with his
craftiness, I am afraid that your minds may be corrupted by the purity and
the simplicity that is toward Christ (II Corinthians 11:3).” The New
Testament religion is just too simple for many people today. In respect to
outward attractions, I guess baptism and the Lord’s Supper' would be the two
main things from the standpoint of outward attractions, but the Old Testament religion
had many things.
In regard to the study of
this book, if you will think of hearing one side of a telephone conversation,
as you read this book, it will make for a better understanding. Have you ever
listened to one side of a telephone conversation long enough that you could
almost tell who the person is talking to and what they were talking about. Read
the epistle to the Hebrews with that in mind. These Hebrew Christians were
reasoning that we know that the Old Testament religion is a God-given religion,
it is a great religion, and it was given by the prophets and the angels. And so
Paul in chapter one deals with that. Yes, the Old Testament religion was
a great religion, but today he has spoken to us through his Son. “God,
having of old times spoken unto the fathers and the prophets, by divers’
portions and in divers’ manners, hath at the end of these days spoken unto us
in his Son.”
The fact that Christ is God's Son ought to be enough for us to know that the
New Testament religion is a greater religion than the Old Testament religion.
Do you remember how Moses
prophesied that “a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up
from among your brethren likened unto me and unto him shall ye hearken in all
things and whosoever shall not hearken to the voice of the prophet shall be cut
off from among the people (Deuteron0my 18:15-19).” This passage is quoted in Acts 3:22-23 in that second
gospel sermon. So Christ is not just a prophet, but as Peter said in that
second sermon, all the prophets from Samuel on had continued to speak of
Christ. So he is that great prophet that was to come. "whom
he hath appointed him heir of all
things, through whom also he made the worlds; who being the effulgence of his
glory, and the very image of his substance and upholding all things by the word
of his power, when he had made
purification for sin, sat down on the right hand of the majesty
on high.”
It was only through that process of offering up animal blood that the
priest back there under the law could help to make atonement for the people,
and it was not complete atonement; but Christ made purification by his death on
the cross and sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high. Verse 4, "having
become so much better than the angels, as he hath inherited a more excellent
name than they." Then he quotes -- And again think of these verses here beginning with
verse five and compare this with the third chapter of the book of Romans where
Paul put together a number of passages from the book of Psalms to prove that
the Jews were sinners like the Gentiles. Here he puts together a number of
passages primarily from the Psalms about Christ to show that he is much greater
than the prophets and the angels. We will not read all of them, but that is the
purpose of them, and he does a good job of it.
For centuries there has been
much discussion as to who wrote Hebrews. Early writers, sometimes referred to
as church fathers, balance on the side of Paul being the author. In my judgment
the internal evidence of the book itself is strongly in favor of Paul. If he
did not write it then who is the writer? Who would be better qualified to write
such a book? He wrote Galatians and Romans, the other two books which deal with
the relationship of the Old and New Testaments. I will try to remember to call
attention to a lot of little things in the book which strongly indicate that
Paul is the author.
I would like to call
attention to the passage that is quoted in verse five, "Thou
art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?" I can remember when I thought that reference
had reference to the virgin birth of Christ. But in Acts 13:33 Paul was teaching the
people in the Jewish synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia about the primary facts of
the gospel: The death, burial, and
resurrection of Christ (I Corinthians. 15:1-4), and he applies it to
the resurrection of Christ. "Thou art my Son, this
day have I begotten thee?" Let us move to verse thirteen,
" But of which of the angels hath he said at any
time, sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies the footstool of
thy feet?” Christ had made
purification for sin when he died on the cross. After that period of forty days
(Acts 1:4), he ascended (Acts 1:9-11), and sat down on the
right hand of the majesty on high. How long will he be sitting there? The
quotation is from Psalms 110:1. "Sit
thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet." Couple this statement
with I Corinthians 15:20-26. It does not leave any time for an
earthly reign. The last enemy that he is going to conquer is death, and then he
will deliver up the kingdom to God the Father. Christ is now reigning on
David's throne, and he will reign until this is fulfilled, “until
I make thine enemies thy footstool of thy feet.” Have you read my short outline entitled, “Christ
Is Now Reigning On David’s Throne?
Chapter Two
"Therefore
we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that were heard, lest at
any time we drift away from them. For if the word spoken through angels (the law) proved
steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense
of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation?”
Verse three is a rhetorical question carrying
its own answer. No man can escape it, if he neglects so great a salvation. No
man has to become a very immoral and wicked person in order to neglect his
salvation. In fact, the only thing he has to do is just refuse to believe on
Christ. John 3:18 reads, "he
that believeth on him is not judged, but he that believeth not on him is judged
already because he has not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God.” All that a child of God has got to do to be in a
lost condition again is just to neglect his salvation, just do nothing in the
way of doing those things that the Lord has instructed us to do (Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 2:12-16), and he will loose
his salvation. " How shall we
escape, if we neglect so great a salvation.”
I would
like for you to think about John 3:16 in connection with that
statement, “God
so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” When we think of the salvation in Christ, that
salvation has to do with every man who has ever lived. Note that verse nine of
this chapter says that, “by the grace of God he should taste of
death for every man” Hebrews 9:15 reads, "that
a death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions of those
that were under the first”. So
going even back to Adam, those who
stayed in covenant relationship with God by the offering up of animal
sacrifices, when Christ died on the
cross, his blood made complete atonement for them. It is hard for us to
understand how that in one sense, they were forgiven and another sense not
completely, but that is what this book teaches. “ how
shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation; which having at first been
spoken through the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard. God also
bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers,
and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will?”
Let us be reminded that the
primary purpose of the apostles being baptized with the Holy Spirit and
receiving all of those miraculous abilities, and then by the laying on of their
hands, giving miraculous gifts to others, was for the purpose of aiding in the
giving and confirming of the New Testament.
I Corinthians 13: 8, plainly teaches that when that time came,
then those miraculous things would be done away with, and we do not have people
with miraculous ability today. God in
his great wisdom saw the need for the miraculous period, which is described as
the childhood period of the church (I Corinthians. 13:9-12; Ephesians 4:8-16). It was through that
miraculous ability that the will of Christ was revealed to the apostles (John 14:26,16:7-16), and to some of those
that they laid their hands on.
Verse five, "
For not unto angels did he subject the world to come, whereof
we speak. But one has somewhere testified, saying.”
Then he quotes
from the eight Psalm. If you will read Psalm eight along with Genesis 1:28, 1 think you will surely
be convinced that that passage is not talking about Christ, but about man. Some
have been ready to apply this reference to Christ, but it is talking about man,
that God put everything under the feet of man, that he made him a little lower
than angels, “and didst set him over the works of thy hands:
thou hath put all things in subjection under his feet.” That is what Genesis 1:28 says that God did.
Then he says, "For
that he subjected all things unto him. (to man) he
left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we see not yet all things
subjected to him. But we behold him, who hath been made a little lower than
the angels, even Jesus, because of the suffering of death, crowned with
glory and honor, that by the grace of God he shall taste of death for every
man.”
So that goes all the way
back to Adam. Christ died to give all men a way of eternal salvation. He died
as the sin offering to make it possible that all who submit to the will of God
can be saved. And just as long as man is upon the face of the earth, and he
turns in obedience to Christ, then His
redeeming blood will save him. He tasted of death for every man. “For
it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things in
bringing many sons unto glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect
through suffering.” He further talks about what Christ did in verse fourteen, " Since the
children were sharers in flesh and blood, he also in himself in like manner
partook of the same (for two purposes; one that) “he
might bring to nought him that hath power of death, that is the devil.” That is one of the primary
purposes for which Christ came was to bring to naught the power of the devil.
And when Christ entered the grave, he entered the strong man's house, but he
came forth victorious by his resurrection from the dead. John 12:31 reads, "Now
shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the
world, will draw all men unto myself.” Christ was talking about his being lifted up on the
cross, and by that he had cast out the devil, the prince of this world. And so
Christ by his death has brought to naught him that hath the power of death,
that is the devil. “and might deliver all of them who through
fear of death were all their lifetime subjected to bondage. For verily not to
angels doth he give help; but he giveth help to the seed of Abraham.” I John 3:8 says that Christ was
manifested, “that he might destroy the works of the devil”
All of those who have obeyed
Christ today are the seed of Abraham. They make up that new Israel of God.. " Wherefore
it behooved him in all things (the second reason) To
be made like unto his brethren that he might become a merciful and faithful
high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of
the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to
succor them that are tempted now.” So in order for Christ to
come a merciful and faithful high priest, he took upon himself the form of man.
And then when Paul refers to it again, or when this writer refers to it again
in chapter four, he says that he was “tempted in all points
like as we are yet without sin.” But he took on himself the nature of man. He dreaded the cross just
like you and I would dread the cross, as the gospel books show very
plainly.
Chapter Three,
Evidently, these Hebrew
Christians were reasoning that the law was given by Moses, and we know that he
was a great man and a great law giver, and surely he was a great man; but the
law was God’s given through Moses. The last chapter of Deuteronomy talks about what a great man
Moses was. He surely was a great man, but Christ is greater. Moses was just
great as a servant over God's house, but Christ built the house. Verse three, For
he hath been counted worthy of more glory than Moses by so much as he that
built the house has much more honor than the house.” Christ built the house, the
church (I Timothy 3:14-15; I Corinthians 3:16), and so he is greater than
Moses. “For every house is built by some one; but he
that built all things is God Verse five, Moses indeed was faithful in all of
his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterwards
to be spoken, but Christ as a son over his house; whose house we are, if we
hold fast our boldness and the glorying of our hope firm unto the end." The two primary things that
the writer does to try to prevent this great falling away is, first, to show
one detail after another how that Christ and the New Testament religion is a
far superior religion to the Old Testament religion, and two, to give
exhortations for them to have greater faith. And notice here the emphasis that
Christ as a son over his house and that house, of course, is the church, (I
Timothy 3:14-15).
“Whose house are we?" Referring to those Hebrew Christians. On what condition? "If
we hold fast our boldness and the glorying of our hope firm unto the end?”
Then he quotes from Psalms
95: 7 about how the Psalmist
said that we ought not to harden our hearts like the people of Israel did in the wilderness, when
their fathers tried God and saw his work for forty years. The Psalmists is
referring to that occasion when they sent spies to spy out the land of Canaan as recorded in Numbers
chapter thirteen. All of the twelve spies came back first with an
accurate report, and then ten of them came up with a wrong and sinful report.
And the people were ready to rebel and go back to Egypt, and God said that they
would not enter into his rest. God had intended for that generation to receive
the land of Canaan, but because of their unfaithfulness, those
soldiers above twenty years of age would not see the land of Canaan. Reading from Numbers 14:22, “because of all those
men that have seen my glory, and my signs, which I wrought in Egypt and in the
wildness, yet have tempted me these ten times, and have not hearkened to my
voice; surely they shall not see the land which I swear unto their fathers,
neither shall any of them that despise me see it:
But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed
me fully, him will I bring into the land whereunto he went; and his seed shall
possess it.” Numbers 14:29, "Your
dead bodies shall fall in the wildness; and all that were numbered of you,
according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, that have
murmured against me." Verse
32, "But as for you, your dead bodies, shall fall in
the wildness.” Then in Deuteronomy 2:14, we read where that it
already had taken place, "And the days in which
we came from Kadesh-barnea (they went from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land)
until we came over the brook Zered, were thirty and eight years; until all the
generation of the men of war were consumed from the mist of the camp, as
Jehovah swear unto them.”. Verse 16, "So
it came to pass. When all the men of war
were consumed.” All
of those that had seen God's great signs and had rebelled against him, they did
not enter in, they had already fallen in the wilderness before Joshua led them
across the Jordan into the land of Canaan. So that is what this is
talking about.
Now let us go back to verse
6, They needed to hold fast their
boldness and the glorying of their hope firm unto the end. If they turned loose
from their boldness and glory of hope, then they would not make it to that land
of rest, or to heaven, as set forth here in chapters three and four. Verse twelve, “Take
heed, brethren, lest there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief,
in falling away from the living God.”
Unbelief
is pretty well the theme of the book, Paul is emphasizing that they are
in the condition that they are in because of a lack of faith, and have turned
from the way of faithfulness in Christ.
How can anyone read this book without seeing that a child of God can
fall away and be in a lost condition again? And in chapter six makes it very
plain that already some of them had fallen away and were in such a lost
condition that they would not come back to repentance. In other words they were
in that lost state of no return, and chapter ten, also shows that. Verse
thirteen, “But exhort one another day-by-day, as long as it
is called today; lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” This is a responsibility on
the part of each one of us as children of God to exhort and encourage one
another day-by-day. Surely that needs to be done in each Christian family, and
it needs to be done as we meet and talk to one another as brethren from time to
time. "To exhort and encourage one another to be
faithful to the Lord.”
Verse 14, “For we are become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the
beginning of our confession firm unto the end. While it is said, today if you
will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation, (referring back to Psalms 95). For who, when
they heard, did provoke: Howbeit did not
all they that came out of Egypt.” We
have already read -about that from chapters thirteen and fourteen of Numbers.
The men twenty years and old and upward, they rebelled against the Lord
until the Lord said you are going to fall in the wilderness. Verse nineteen, we
see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief. Please remember
that unbelief is disobedience (John 3:18, 3:36, 6: 28-29, 8:45-47). God had intended that Moses would lead them out of Egypt to inherit the land of Canaan as recorded in Genesis 15:14. God said unto Abraham that the fourth
generation would inherit the land of Canaan, but their unbelief caused them to be disobedient,
and it was the next generation that crossed thee Jordan under the leadership of
Joshua. They could have entered in about two years after their deliverance from
bondage if they had been faithful (Numbers 14:1-2,14:28-34; Deuteronomy 2:14-15; Joshua 1:1-7).
Well, that generation did not receive the land because of their
rebellion. The last word in 3:19 in the ASV is unbelief, in KJV disobedience. We need to be reminded
that nearly all of God's promises are conditional. We have our part in respect
to the promises being fulfilled.
Chapter Four
“Let us fear therefore.” Here is another exhortation to keep them from
falling. “Let
us fear therefore (an
exhortation to us as well) Lest, a promise being left of entering into his
rest, any one of you should seem to come short of it.” That should speak to each one of us today. We
can come short of it, just like they did. And the land of Canaan was in a sense a type of heaven as set forth
here in this chapter. "For indeed we have had good tidings
preached unto us, even as also unto them, but the word of hearing did not
profit them, because it was not united with faith by them that
heard.” The good tidings preached to us must be united with real faith if we
want to enter heaven at last. We come down to verse six, "Seeing therefore
it remaineth that some should enter there into, and they to whom the good
tidings were before preached failed to enter in because of disobedience." Again 4:6 in the King James Version reads instead of
disobedience, unbelief. Unbelief is disobedience! Any time that we do not trust
the promises that God has given us, we are going the way of disobedience.
Verse seven, "He again defineth a certain day, today, saying in
David (Again referring back to
Psalms 95).
Today if you will hear his voice, harden
not your hearts.” The King James, I believe, has Jesus instead of Joshua. It is Jesus,
but Joshua was the one that led them across the Jordan into the Promised Land (Joshua 1:1-7). "There remaineth
therefore a Sabbath rest for the people
of God. For he that has entered into his rest, hath himself also rested from
his works, as God did from his.” Again, the King James unbelief. So how do
we continue to keep our faith strong enough to enter into heaven at last? Verse
tells us, “Let us therefore Give
diligence to enter into that rest that no man fall after the same
example of disobedience” You remember how Paul told the Philippians, "do all things without murmurings or
questionings.(Philippians 2:10-12)”
All of those things that God has instructed us to do, we are to do. We
are to give diligence to do them. Verse 12, “For
the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than a two edged sword, and
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and
marrow, and is quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. For
there is no creature that is not manifest in his sight ( in God's sight, in Christ's
sight) But
all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him with whom we have to
do.” This
is wonderful passage here about the priesthood of Christ. “Having then a great high priest, who hath
passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our
confession.” The emphasis again, let us hold fast our confession. “For we have not a great high priest that
cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but one that in all
points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
Meaning that through all of those
three avenues of sin as set forth in I John 2:15-16,
the devil tempted Christ in all three of those avenues. So here the writer says
that Christ is touched with the feelings of our infirmities! We have a high priest that is touched with
the feelings of our infinities, one that has been at all points tempted like we
are, yet he was without sin. Because Christ is our high priest he is
able to succor them that are being tempted, going back to chapter two and verse
eighteen. Here, "Let us draw
near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and find
grace to help in time of need.” We need to be thankful to
God that we have a great high priest who has made the way for us (Hebrews 6:18-19), and
that he intercedes for us (Romans 8:34).
And because we have such a great high priest, we ought to have that boldness to
make known our prayers unto God through Christ..
Chapter
Five
In this chapter there is more
emphasis on the priesthood of Christ, and the writer continues to emphasize the
priesthood of Christ. He goes into great detail in chapter seven, and he
mentions it again in chapter ten. “For every high priest being taken from men is
appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer gifts and
sacrifices for sins.” The priest
back there, of course, were just men, and they were compassed with infirmities,
like this verse says. “Who can bear gently with the ignorant, and the erring; for
that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. And by reason thereof is
bound, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.” The high priests, on the day of annual
atonement (Leviticus 16:1-34)
first went in not without blood into the holy of holies to make atonement for
himself and his family and then a second time it looks like for the people. "
No man taketh the honor unto
himself, but when he is called of God, even as was Aaron.”
Numbers chapter sixteen, shows what happened when Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and
two hundred and fifty princes tried to usurp the office of the priesthood,
(Numbers 16:28-35) and I hope you remember what happened
to them. "So Christ also glorified not himself to be made high priest;
but he that spake unto him, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee."
Again, the statement from Psalm 2:7 is
about the resurrection of Christ from the dead (Acts 13:33). And verse six, “And he saith also in another place, Thou
art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” The inspired
Psalmist said that Christ was to be a priest forever after the order of
Melchisedec, Psalms 110:4. “Who in the days of his flesh, having
offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that
was able to save him from death, and having been heard for his godly fear.” He
was not heard in the sense of God taking away the cup of suffering. God let
Jesus die as a sinner in the sense separated because of sin. Luke 22:41-44 shows the great agony that Christ faced
when he was facing the cross, his sweat became as it were great drops of blood.
Verse 8, “Though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things
which he suffered. (his death
upon the cross) "and
having been made perfect, he came unto all that obey him the author of eternal
salvation." This
idea of a person being saved on the basis of just an intellectual faith by just
believing on Christ, that he is the Christ, the one that God sent to be the
savior of the world, will not do! Christ is the author of eternal salvation “unto all them that obey him,” and
not one more. If a man is not willing to obey Christ, then there is no
salvation for him. Then he states how that he has many things to say about
Christ being a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. It says they are “hard of interpretation,” but why?
Because these third generation Christians were
dull of hearing. And he rebukes them for they had been Christians long
enough that they should have been good teachers, but they still needed to be
taught the first principles, of the oracles of God, and had need of milk,
rather than solid food. Verse 14, "But solid food is for full grown men even
those who by reason of use have exercised their senses to discern
good and evil.” This reference is very similar to I
Corinthians 3:1-4 which is one of many little things in
Hebrews which indicates that Paul is the writer. To become full grown in
Christ, it is necessary to be involved in doing according to the Lord's
instruction. Full grown men in Christ can take solid food because they have
exercised by reason of use. They have exercised their senses to discern between
good and evil.
Chapter Six
In chapter six, he urges them to leave the doctrine of the first
principles and press on unto perfection. Now, this surely does not mean that
those first principles are not necessary. Those are foundation things, but
those first principles, we are to learn and then we are to go on unto perfection. How much do you know about these
first principles listed in verses one and two? Do you know the details about
what the Bible teaches on these first principles? Notice how he speaks with
confidence to them in verse three, “And this
will we do if God permit.” Then
he talks about those who had reached that point of being full grown in Christ
and then had turned away. In verse six, he says, “it is impossible
to renew them again unto repentance.” Do you see how wrong is the kind of preaching that many are doing
that regardless of what the child of God does he continues in a saved
condition. They say, “once saved always saved.” The
Bible teaches that men can fall away in such a way that they cannot find a
place of repentance. When they rebel and rebel, their hearts are sometimes
hardened against God, and they reach a point that God will send them a working
of error as stated in II Thessalonians 2:10-12, that they might believe a lie and be
damned. Now this reference is not talking about a child of God who is very
weak, but gets up and tries again, but it refers to those who had reached a
point of maturity in Christ, and then they turned away; and he says, “it is
impossible to renew them again unto repentance.” That means that they will be eternally lost if
they could not be renewed to repentance.
But then in verse nine, he expresses confidence in these Jewish Christians, “But, beloved, we are persuaded better
things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.” You need to be reminded that a person can
turn away from the Lord and be
in such a lost condition that he cannot be renewed unto repentance, but we are
persuaded of better things in regard to you. You are not going to go this way
of unbelief and turning away from the living God. “For God is not unrighteous to forget your
work and the love, which ye showed toward his name, in that ye ministered unto
the saints, and still do minister.” I believe it is chapter twelve that
he shows that they in days past they had done a lot more than they were doing at the present. Again, Paul frequently expressed confidence
in his brethren in Christ (Philemon 21; Romans 8:38-39,
15:14-15;
I Thessalonians 2:19-20,
Philippians 2:12),
“and
we are we are persuaded better things of you.” Though we need to remind you that
people can turn away from the Lord and be in such a lost condition that they
cannot be regained. Verse eleven, “And
we desire that each one of you may show diligence unto the fullness of hope
even unto the end: That ye be not sluggish, but imitators of
them who through faith and patience
inherit the promises.” Then he talks about how that God
swore to Abraham saying, “Surely blessing, I will bless thee; and
multiplying, I will multiply thee.” And since he could swear by none
greater, he swore by himself that he would do that, and that is a quotation
from Genesis 22: 16. It was after Abraham had
met that great test of carrying his son Isaac on that three day journey, to Mount
Moriah and there ready to offer him
as a sacrifice to God. Abraham built that altar and laid Isaac upon the altar,
drew his knife, ready to take the life of his son. And it was after that that
God said, “Surely blessing, I will
bless thee; and multiply, I will multiply thee.” And so God swore – that by two immutable things in which
it is impossible for God to lie.
Verse eighteen, “That by two immutable things, in which it
is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have
fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.” There
the writer is using Old Testament language. Remember that they had. six cities
of refuge, three on the east side of the Jordan,
and three an the west of the Jordan.
The roads to those cities of refuge were to be kept properly, so if a person
killed another person accidentally he could flee to the city of refuge and
there he would be tried. And if he was found innocent, then he was not put to
death, but he was to stay in that city of refuge until the death of the high
priest. And so back there, of course, when a person killed a person
accidentally, he was fleeing for physical refuge, but we have fled to Christ
for spiritual refuge. “Who have fled
to refuge to lay hold of the hopes set before us: Which we have an anchor of the soul.” Without
real hope, we do not have a steadfast anchor. And we need that steadfast anchor.
“A
hope both sure and steadfast, and entereth into that which is within the veil.”
In verses nineteen and twenty he is talking
about the veil that separated between the holy place and the most holy place,
first in the tabernacle and then in the temple. That veil represented Christ's
flesh. (Hebrews 10:19-20), and when he died on the cross, then the way into heaven was made
manifest (Matthew 27:50-54;
Mark 15:37-39; Like 23:44-47; Hebrews 9:8). “Whether as a forerunner Jesus entered for
us, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”
Chapter Seven
All of chapter seven is devoted to a discussion of Christ being a high
priest after the order of Melchizedek. We read about Melchizedek in Genesis
chapter 14. The kings of the land had gone to war and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah were defeated and their people were carried
into captivity, and Abraham's nephew, Lot, and
his family were carried into captivity. When Abraham heard about Lot and his
family he took the three hundred and eighteen soldiers that were born in his
house and confederated with, Mamre the Amorite and Aner and Eshcol, he and went
and made war against those enemy kings, and delivered the people of Sodom and
Gomorrah. And when Abraham came back from that war, Melchizedek king of Salem and priest of God Most High came out to meet
him and blessed Abraham. Abraham recognized Melchizedek as his superior and
gave him a tenth, as stated here, of the chief spoils.
That passage, along with Genesis 28:22, strongly indicates that under the
patriarchal dispensation, the people were required to give a tenth. But notice
how Melchizedek is described in verse three, “Without father, without mother, without
genealogy, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like
unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.” Some have reasoned on the basis of verse
three that evidently Melchizedek was a person of the Godhead, but that is not
the case. He is represented in Genesis 14:18 as king of Salem, and priest of God Most High. But,
evidently, God saw that no record was kept of his birth or his death and that
made him then, as the Jews counted it, without genealogy. This made Melchizedek
a type of Christ as our high priest. Abraham gave him a tenth of the chief
spoils, recognizing that he was priest of God Most High and his superior.
Melchizedek had brought bread and wine and blessed Abraham.
Note that verse seven reads, "But without any dispute the less is
blessed of the better.” So again, Melchizedek is greater than Abraham
because he had that ability to bless him, and when Abraham paid tithes to
Melchizedek the writer says it was like the tribe of Levi paying tithes. And of
course, under the law, the Levites were to receive the tithes of the people. .
In verse eleven, he says, “Now if there is perfection through the Levitical
priesthood.
(for under it they received the law) what further need was there that another
priest should arise after the order of Melchizedek, and not reckoned
after the order of Aaron.” So if perfection had come by that Levitical
system, the Old Testament law, then there would not have been any need for
another priest to be reckoned after the order of Melchizedek, but perfection
did not come by that priesthood, and so the priesthood of Christ was necessary.
Verse 12, “And
the priesthood being changed, it is made of necessity a change also of the law.
For he of whom these things are said belongeth to another tribe, from which no
man hath given attendance at the altar. ” Do you remember that all the priests and assistants to the priest came
from the tribe of Levi, and the priests came from the descendants of the family
of Aaron of that tribe. Verse fourteen, “For it is evident that our Lord has
sprung out of Judah; as to which
tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priests.” It
was necessary for the priesthood to be changed. According to the law Jesus
could not have served as a priest, or as an assistant to the priest, for he was
from the tribe of Judah, which was the ruling tribe (Genesis 49:10).
Verse nineteen,. "For the law made nothing perfect, and the
bringing in there upon of a better hope through which we draw near to God.” That better hope is through Christ, and Christ
is our great high priest. Please note that in verses seventeen and twenty-one
he quotes from Psalm 110:4 about how God swore
through David that Christ would be a priest forever after the order of
Melchizedek. Do you see that God saw to it that there was no record of
Melchizedek’s birth or death so that he would be a type of the priesthood of
Christ?
Verse twenty-two, “By
so much also hath Jesus become the surety of a better covenant.” Those
Hebrew brethren were reasoning that the Old Testament covenant is a great
covenant, but the New Testament covenant is a better covenant. “And they indeed have been made many
priests, in number, because that by death they are hindered from continuing.” Think about how that a person
could have had a priest back there for fifty years, and in his, or her, old age
their priest died, and they had to become accustomed to a different priest, but
not so with the children of God under the law of Christ. “But he because he abideth forever, hath
his priesthood unchangeable. Wherefore he is able to save unto the uttermost
them that draw near unto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to
make intercession for them.” I think every child of God should try
to memorize verse twenty-five, that Christ is able to save to the greatest
degree that one can be saved. “Wherefore
he is able to save to the uttermost.”(That is the very strongest degree
that a man can be saved) them that
draw near unto God through him.”
Why? “Seeing
he ever liveth to make intercession for us.
For such a high priest became us, holy, guileless, undefiled, separated
from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. Who needeth not daily, like
those high priest.” This
book shows that the temple was still standing when this book was written.
Again, you see there would be that great attraction of the Old Testament
religion, and I guess by that time, nearly all of the Jewish people were not
believers in Christ. Well, in other words it would be a very small minority of
all the Jewish people that would have been Christians at this time. "Who needeth not daily, like those high
priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for their own sins, and then for the
sins of the people: For this he did once, for all when he
offered up himself.” Christ's death on the cross was the atoning
sacrifice for all who will receive and obey him. ““For the law appointed men high priests having infirmity; but
word of the oath. (referring to Christ’s priesthood) “which was after the law, appointed a Son,
perfected for evermore.”
Chapter
Eight
In the first part of chapter
eight the writer shows that Christ is a minister of the sanctuary,. and of
the true tabernacle. Verse two, “He
sat down on the right hand of the throne on high of the majesty in the heaven,
a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord
pitched, not man.” Exodus twenty-five and the following chapters
tells us how God had given Moses, when he was up on the mountain, a pattern for
the building of the tabernacle, and the holy vessels, and the priestly
garments, and all those things that pertain to that system of worship. That
tabernacle had two compartments, the first compartment representing the church,
and the second compartment representing heaven. So Christ is a minister of the
sanctuary, and that sanctuary, is the church, the true tabernacle. And back there
when God gave Moses the pattern, he told him to be careful, to do
everything according to the pattern, and this passage shows us why. Verse
four says, “Now
if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all seeing that there are
those who offer the gifts according to the law.” So the temple had not been destroyed in 63 A.D. It was destroyed in
70 A.D, and we think this book was written about 63 A.D. “Who serve that
which is the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, even as Moses is
warned of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: For, See, saith
he, that thou make all things according to the pattern that was shewed thee in
the mountain.”
Our God is a pattern giving God, and he warned Moses, you make
everything according to the pattern. This pattern is important, it represents
that which is to come. The people back there under the leadership of Moses made
everything according to the pattern. God has given us a pattern in regard to
Christian worship. He has given a pattern for the organization of the church.
God has never asked men to worship Him, and left them to grope in darkness
as to how they were to worship Him. He has always given detailed instruction as
to the how, and we today are to do in worship only that which he has instructed
us to do. He is a pattern giving God, and he is not pleased unless we go
according to his pattern
Verse six, "But now he hath obtained a ministry, the
more excellent by so much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant,
which hath been enacted upon better promises.” I hope you are impressed with
how many times, the writer uses the word better like here in verse six, a better covenant, founded upon better
promises. And then he begins and quotes from Jeremiah 31:31 where the prophet said that the days were
coming when he would make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It would not be according to the covenant
that he made with their fathers, for they continued not in that covenant, but
God said through the prophet Jeremiah that he would give his people another
covenant. Verse ten, “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those
days, saith the Lord.” The house
of Israel today is composed of Jews and Gentiles who
obey the gospel (Luke 1:31-33;
Romans 2:28-29; Philippians 3:2-5). “I will put my laws into their mind, and
on their hearts also will I write them. And I will be to them a God, and they
shall be to me a people.”
In verse eleven and twelve two of the primary differences between the Old
Testament religion and the New Testament religion are given. Under the Old
Testament religion, when a child was born into a Jewish family, it was
automatically counted as a part of the commonwealth of Israel. Today one must be born again John 3:1-8, 6: 45-46. There must be a spiritual birth in order to enter into that
commonwealth of the new Israel, which is the church, and this passage shows that very clearly. Verse eleven, “They shall not
teach every man his fellow citizen.” Fellow citizen in the kingdom
of God. Philippians 3:20 reads, “For our citizenship is from heaven from
whence we also look for our savior.” So verse eleven is talking about a
fellow citizen in the kingdom, a fellow brother in Christ, and every man his
brother, brother in Christ. “Saying,
Know the Lord: For all shall know me, from the least
to the greatest of them.”
Unless you already have full
understanding of this passage, please give careful attention. There are many
that quote this passage and conclude that there is going to come a time when
all people will know the Lord. Well, there never has been such a day as that,
and I do not expect such a day. It is
talking about that before a person becomes a part of the New Testament
religion, there must be a new birth. And please write down in the margin Isaiah
54:13 and John 6:45-46.
If you will read the context, there in Isaiah it is talking about the new
Israel of God, how the family was going to be so greatly increased by the
bringing in the Gentiles. Please read Isaiah 42:1,
42:6-7, 49:1-2,
49:5-6, 49:19-22,
54:1-3, 54:13
and write these references in the margin of your Bible. Please write down by
Isaiah 54:13, John 6:43-46
and Hebrews 8:11.
Please, please listen to me and
write references in your Bible. In process of time they will be the most
valuable of all of your notes.
Isaiah 54:13
speaks of how all of Christ’s children would be taught of God. And Jesus was
referring to Isaiah 54:13 when he said in John
6:45-46, "It
is written in the prophets, they all shall be taught of God. And whosoever
therefore hath heard and hath learned cometh unto me.” If you have a good Bible, look at the reference
that is given on John 6-:45,
it will refer you back to Isaiah 54:13. So it is talking about all of those in
Christ, from the least to the greatest of them, they know the Lord. They have
to know the Lord before they can be a part of that new Israel of God. So that
is one, of the. primary differences between the Old Testament religion and the
New Testament religion. The Old Testament religion left them in the flesh
(Romans 8:1-5), the New Testament religion is by a
spiritual birth (John 5:24-25, 6:45-60). The old man of sin is done away when a person obeys the gospel
(Romans 6:3-7).
Verse twelve, “For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and their sins
will I remember no more.” That
is the second primary difference, under the law, there was no complete
forgiveness of sin. On the tenth day of the seventh month, was the day of
annual atonement, when the high priest had to go into the most holy place of
the tabernacle and make atonement for himself and for his family and then for
the people (Leviticus 16:1-34).
When sins are forgiven under the New Testament law, they are forgiven
completely and forever! Those sins are never called against a person again.
And, of course, when a child of
God knows that he has sinned, he is to confess his sins and pray to God that he
may be forgiven, and John says that he is “just and righteous to forgive us of our sins and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”, I John I and I believe verse nine.
Verse thirteen, "In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath
made the first old. But that which is becoming old and waxeth aged is nigh unto
vanishing away.” On the basis of verse thirteen, some have concluded that the Old
Testament law was not completely fulfilled until 70 A.D., when the temple was
destroyed. That is not the case! Colossians 2:14 shows that when Christ died on the cross, that the law was completely
fulfilled. But the temple was still standing, and the way the Old Testament
religion was still being observed by the Jewish people. When Jerusalem was, destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D, r
the temple was completely destroyed (Matthew 24:1-4) and the temple system was destroyed. The
Jewish people have not had a temple since then. And that Old Testament system
then in a sense
“vanished
away.”