Hebrews, James, Peter, John,
Jude
Southern Christian University
Lesson
on Hebrews #2
James A. Turner
Read all the references and they will help you grow in the grace and knowledge of the
Lord.
Chapter Nine
In this chapter Paul goes back to the days of the tabernacle, and shows
the meaning of the two divisions of the tabernacle. I hope that the outline on
The Tabernacle will help you. Please feel free to make copies of it for Bible
Classes. The tabernacle had two divisions, and note the holy vessels that were
in each division. Now, the regular priests could go into the first tabernacle
accomplishing the things that they needed to do there. The first compartment
was a type of the church and the second was a type of heaven. All Christians
are priest (I Peter 2:9),
and Christ is our great high priest. Only the high priest could go into the
most holy place and he could go in only on the day of annual atonement.
Verse six, "Now these things
having been thus prepared, the priest go in continually in to the first
tabernacle, accomplishing the services. But the second the high priest alone
once in the year (that day of annual atonement) Not without blood which he
offered for himself and for the errors of the people. Notice verse eight, The Holy Spirit
signified that the way into the Holy place had not been made manifest while
the first tabernacle is yet standing. The veil that separated between the holy place and the most
holy place represented the veil of Christ's flesh (Hebrews 10:19-20) and when Christ died on the cross of Calvary the veil of the temple was miraculous rent.
Please read Matthew 27:50-54,
and Mark 15:37-39, and Luke 23:44-46
about this. You surely need to read with the understanding that the veil was miraculously rent when Christ was
crucified, showing that the way into heaven had been made manifest. Christ
entered into heaven itself having made complete atonement for sin. Students,
you also need to write those references by verse eight in your Bible
Verse eleven, "But Christ having come a
high priest of the good things to come , through the greater and more
perfect tabernacle not made
with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, or yet through the blood of
goats and calves, but through his own blood he entered in once for all into
the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption."
So there is no
question about how that a person who obeys Christ can be saved and, if he is
faithful he will be saved eternally, because Christ has made that eternal
sacrifice that gives the way of eternal redemption, having obtained eternal
redemption. Verse fifteen says,
that Christ is the
mediator of a new covenant, that a death having taken place (the
death of Christ) For the redemption of the transgressions that were under the
first covenant. When the people back there died in covenant
relationship with God, by the offering up of animal blood, when Christ died,
his blood reached back and made complete atonement for them. It took the death
of Christ for the New Testament law to go into operation (Matthew 26:28).
Verse sixteen, "For where a testament is there must of
necessity be the death of him that made it. In regard to the thief on the cross, whether or not the thief was saved
and had been baptized by John, we do not definitely know, but there is strong
possibility that he had (Matthew 3:5-6), but while Christ was on earth, he had
the power, to forgive sin (Matthew 9:5-7), but now his law has gone into effect.
And if a man is saved today, he must be saved by the law of Christ, and his law
requires baptism for salvation (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; I Peter 3:21). The Old Testament law was dedicated with animal blood and
animal blood made temporary forgiveness for sin. In verse twenty-two, he says,
I
may almost say all things are cleansed with blood, and that apart from the
shedding of blood, there is no remission.
John Brown, an abolitionist in late 1850s quoted Hebrews 9:22 in his anti-slavery efforts, and said that
the only way to make atonement for blood shed by proslavery men in Kansas was to kill some of the proslavery men.
Verse twenty-three, It was necessary therefore that the copies of
things in heaven should be cleansed with these; but the heavenly things
with better sacrifices than these. (the sacrifice of Christ) For Christ entered not into a holy place made
with hands, like in the pattern to the true; but into heaven itself, nor yet
that he should offer himself, now to appear before the face of God for us: nor yet that he
should offer himself often, as the high priest entered year by year (annual
atonement day) with
blood not his own; else must he often have suffered since the foundation of the
world: but now once at the end of the ages hath
he been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Do you
see how verses twenty-three through twenty-six show the superiority of Christ
as high priest to that of the law? Christ as our high priest offered himself to
make complete atonement for our sin, and that atonement is forever. His
sacrifice made eternal atonement!
Verse twenty-seven, And in as much as it is appointed unto men once
to die, and after this cometh judgment. When
a mans soul leaves his body, his destiny is sealed. There is no doctrine of a
second chance in this verse or any passage in all the Bible. Verse
twenty-eight, So
Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many (countless millions) shall appear a second
time, apart from sin, to them that wait for him unto salvation. Our
brethren who give a figurative meaning for Matthew 24:30 and Mark 13:26 and Luke 21:27, and apply them to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., need to give careful attention
to Hebrews 9:28 that Christ will appear a second time. If
Christ came in the destruction of Jerusalem, how then can he come in his second advent
that this verse tells us that he will. Their interpretation is out of harmony
with a number of plain passages! God is not a God of confusion (I Corinthians 14:33).
Chapter Ten
The law was a shadow of good things to come, and not
the very image or substance of those things. And he reasons that if the
worshipers had once been cleansed, they would
have had no more consciousness of sin. But in those sacrifices year by
year, again talking about that day of annual atonement, that there was
remembrance made of sin. And then verse 4, For it is impossible
that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin. Some are ready to reason
that God is God, and he can do anything. Well, the writer here says it is
impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin. Now, that was the
medium for their temporary forgiveness, but God did not intend that animal
blood would be sufficient to take away sin. Animal blood did not meet the
standard of Gods justice for atonement from sin (Isaiah 53: 7-10; Romans 3:24-26). It took a perfect
sacrifice, the sacrifice of our Lord and savior to make that atonement.
How much regard would we have for
the enormity of sin today if animal blood could make atonement for our sins? I cannot speak for
you, but I think I would say, now, the primary thing then is to keep
our flocks and herds multiplying so we will have plenty of animals to offer
up. You remember back there, that when they learned that they had sinned that
they were to carry the animal that the law required to the tabernacle, and
place their hand on the head of the
animal at the altar of burnt offerings and then the sinner was to kill the
animal. Surely, they understood that I am the one who deserves to die, but this animal. is
taking my place (Leviticus 4:22-31, 17:10-15), but it was impossible for that blood to make, complete atonement.
It was necessary for Christ to come and die as a sin offering for all men
(Hebrews 2:9).
Then he quotes from the Psalms 40:6 ff about Christ, "Sacrificing
offering thou wouldest not, but a body didst thou prepare for me: In whole burnt
offerings for sin thou hast no pleasure." But that
was the God given way for temporary forgiveness. "Then said I, lo,
I am come (Christ) In the roll of the book it is written of
me, to do thy will, O God. Saying above sacrifices and offerings and whole
burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst
pleasure therein; which are offered according to the law; then hath he said,
lo, I am come to do thy will. He taketh away the first, that he
may establish the second, and every priest indeed standeth day by day
ministering and offering the sacrifices, the which can never take away sins. Do
you see that it is definite that the temple was still standing, and the priests
were offering sacrifices daily for the people, but those sacrifices then did
not give them any temporary forgiveness for the law had been completely
fulfilled. Christ fulfilled the law (Matthew 5:17-18) took it out of the way nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:14).Verse ten, By
which will, we have been sanctified through the offering up of the body of
Jesus Christ once for all. Verse twelve, but when he, had offered one sacrifice
for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; henceforth expecting his
enemies to be made the footstool of his feet. For by one offering he perfected
for ever more them that are sanctified. Then he emphasizes again the fact that sins are completely forgiven
under the law of Christ, and that he will be at the right hand of God till his
enemies be made the footstool of his feet. For by one offering he hath
perfected for ever them that are sanctified. That includes every person
who has applied the blood of Christ (Ephesians 1:7; Romans 5:8 and continues to apply it (I John 1:7-9). Verse sixteen, "This is the
covenant that I will make with them after those days. (quoted in chapter
eight), I will put my laws on their hearts and upon their mind also will I
write them. Then he says, their sins and their iniquities will I
remember no more, for where remission of sin is, there is no more offering for
sin.
Verse nineteen, Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter
into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by the way which he dedicated for
us, a new and living way through the veil that is to say, his
flesh;
We have already emphasized this, and the significance of the miraculous
renting of the veil of the temple when Christ died. Verse twenty-one, And having a great high priest over the house of
God, let us draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled from an evil conscience; and having our bodies washed with pure water. By
faith, repentance and baptism, one enters into Christ and into the body of
Christ, the church (Ephesians 1:22-23) which is the new and living way that Christ has made for us.
Verse twenty-two, let us hold fast the confession of our hope that it waiver
not; for he is faithful that promised,
Beginning with verse twenty-four, there is emphasis on how that they
needed to consider one another, and it is also emphasis to us that we need to
consider one another to provoke unto love and good works. "Let us consider
one another to provoke unto love and good works: not forsaking
our own assembling together, as the custom of some is; but exhorting one
another: and so much the more as ye see the day
drawing nigh. I am not sure if any of us can know very definitely about the
day, the specific day that he is talking about, of drawing nigh. But he has
told us that -- going back to chapter three, that we need to exhort one another
daily, and further we know that we are to meet together on the first day of the
week, and we are to exhort and encourage one another to be present on the first
day of the week to worship the Lord. Do you not think that that is one of the
primary ways that we are to look at this passage, that we have responsibility.
We are to exhort and encourage one another, and provoke one another to love and
good works by attending the services of the church regularly ourselves and by
exhorting and encouraging others to do the same.
Verse twenty-five indicates that some of them had just quit assembling
with the saints to worship God. It had become their custom not to. We read in
Luke the fourth chapter that when Jesus went back to Nazareth and went into the synagogue. "As his custom
was, he went into the synagogue and stood up for to read. It was
the custom of Christ to meet on the Sabbath Day for that synagogue worship. It
was his custom to participate in the synagogue worship, but it had become the
custom of some of these brethren not to
assemble; and it may be that they had reached that point very much like those
referred to in chapter six. "For if we sin willfully after we have received
the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sin.
Some have reasoned on the basis of the reading in the King James
Version, and the American Standard Version, that if a man sins willfully, there
is no hope for him. Well, if that is the case, there is no hope for the most of
us. Most of us it not all of us, have been guilty of some willful sinning along
the way. If you will read from some of the better modern versions, they give a
better understanding of verse twenty-six. Reading from the New Revised Standard Version, For if we
willfully persist in sin (willfully
persist)
after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a
sacrifice for sin. That is the reading of the New Revised Standard Version. Now, I will
read from the New American Standard Version, verse twenty-six, "For if we go
on sinning willfully, after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no
longer remains a sacrifice for sin. The only sacrifice for sin is Christ, and when a person stops attending
the assemblies of the saints, and especially that assembly on the first day of
the week he or she is rejecting Christ who is the only sacrifice for
sin.
The New Testament plainly teaches that we are to assemble on the first
day of week and engage in five items of worship, teaching, praying, singing,
giving, and partaking of the Lords supper (Acts 2:42; I Corinthians 16:1-2, 11: 33; Acts 20:7). If we do not meet regularly on the first
day of the week and reason, I want to go to the lake, or I just want a
complete day of rest, and we willfully do not attend. Does not this passage tells us very plainly,
if we continue that course, the only sacrifice for sin has already been made;
and we are rejecting that sacrifice and that atonement, and if we continue that
way, then what? Verse twenty-seven, "But a certain fearful expectation of
judgment and a fierceness of fire shall devour the adversary. That is talking about eternal judgment, when
Christ will come with his mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on
them that know not God (II Thessalonians 2:6-10). A man that hath set at naught Moses law
died without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. If a man had committed murder, and two
or three witnesses, said that they were witnesses, the murderer was to be stoned
to death.
The same thing was the case for a number of crimes under the law. There
were a number of crimes that carried the death penalty under the law (Exodus 21:12-14, 15, 16, 17; 22:18, 19, 20; Leviticus 20:1, 9, 10-11, 13, 15, 17, 18) "And of how much
sorer punishment, think ye, shall be judged worthy, who hath trodden under
foot the Son of God; and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith
he was sanctified, and unholy thing, and having done despite unto
the Spirit of grace? Do you see
how that just willfully neglecting the assembling of the saints, and especially
the assembly on the first day of the week, that a child of God is trampling
under foot the Son of God and counting the blood of the covenant in an unholy
thing?
One of the most dangerous things
that a child of God can do on the basis of the reading of this passage is to
just count lightly the assembling of the saints on the first day of the week.
And if you are one of those who with any light cause is ready to forsake the assembly
on the first day of the week, I surely hope that you will give careful
attention to the reading here. Verse twenty-nine, the writer says, how much sorer punishment, think ye
(back there they were stoned to death) how
much sorer punishment, shall be judged worthy, who hath trodden under foot the
Son of God. This is referring to a member who gets to
the point that he is not concerned about the way of the Lord to the point that
he just, for any light cause, stays away from the assembly on the first day of
the week. This passage is saying he is trodding under foot the Son of God, and
counting the blood of the covenant an unholy thing and doing despite unto the
spirit of grace. Just missing for one light cause after another
gradually chokes out the word. As stated in Luke 8:14,
and as they go on their way they are choked with cares and riches and
pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. "For ye know him that said, vengeance
belongeth unto me, I will recompense. It is talking about that person who
just stubbornly turns against what he knows he should do in respect to
assembling with the saints on the first day of the week. "And again the Lord shall judge his people.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. ." It is not a fearful thing
for a faithful child of God to fall into the hands of the living God. Paul
said, I have come to the end of the way in victory, and I am going to receive
that crown of life (II Timothy 4:6-8). And
Peter said, an abundant entrance will be given to the faithful into that
heavenly kingdom(II Peter 1:10-11)
but it is a fearful thing for a Christian who has just ceased to assemble with
the saints on the first day of the week to worship. It is a fearful thing for
them to fall into the hands of the living God.
Verse thirty two, "But call to remembrance the former days,
in which, after ye were enlightened, ye endured a great conflict of suffering;
partly being partakers with them that were so used. For ye both had compassion
on them that were in bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your possessions,
knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an abiding
one. This book shows that in days past these people had been more faithful
than they were at the time of the writing of this Epistle, that after they
first were enlightened, after they first became Christians, they had endured a
conflict of suffering. They were made a gazing stock by reproaches and
afflictions, and partly by being partakers with them that were so treated, and
they had compassion on them that were in bonds. People were being put in prison
because they were faithful to the Lord. "and took
joyfully the spoiling of their possessions. They had lost their possessions because they
were Christians. So in former days, they had been very faithful, knowing that
they had a better possession and an abiding one.
Now look at the admonition in verse thirty-five, "Cast not away
therefore your boldness, which hath great recompense of reward for ye have need
of patience, that, having done the will of God, ye may receive the promise. That is an exhortation that all of us need to hear and abide by. You
have need of that perseverance, that steadfastness of faith, to hold on to the
Lord firmly, that having
done the will of God ye may receive the promise. For yet a little while, he
that cometh shall come, and shall not tarry. But my righteous one shall live by
faith. That
passage is from Habakkuk 2:3. My righteous one shall live by faith.
(but notice) and if he shrank back, my
soul hath no pleasure in him. Does not what the inspired writer is saying
still holds true today? If a man shrinks back from having that proper faith,
then God does not have any pleasure in him, but then another expression of
confidence. Verse thirty-nine, Please remember that when we have room to speak
with confidence about what people are going to do, and how they are going to
make Christian growth, we need to speak with confidence. We are appealing to the very best in a person, when
we appeal with that spirit of confidence.. "But we are not of them that shrink back
unto perdition. (eternal destruction) but of them that have
faith unto the saving of the soul.
Chapter Eleven
Then that great chapter, that hall mark of faith chapter. "Faith is assurance
of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen. For therein the elders had witness born to
them. By faith we understand that the worlds have been formed by the word of
God, so that what is seen hath not been made out of things which appear.
Faith is not blind. It is based on evidence. All of Gods creation
speaks to us and tells us that there is a wise and eternal God who created the
heavens and the earth and all things there in
(Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1:20) Man cannot create anything, all that he can do is take that which God
hath put here and make new ways of using it, but God created the heavens and
the earth and all things. Are you amazed at all of the animals, cattle, wild
beast, fowls of the air, fish of the sea, or insects, bees, ants, creeping
things, and the list goes on that God has made. The instincts of some of the
animals, fish, fowls, sea turtles, and even some of the butter flies are indeed
amazing. . Is it not a shame that there are many of those involved in the space
program who want us to believe that God did not create all of these wonderful
and amazing things. It looks like that one of the primary goals of the Space
Program at the present is to find out how the big bang took place, and how the
world came into existence. Well, this passage tells us. Verse three reads, "By faith we
understand that the worlds have been
framed by the word of God so that
what is seen hath not been made out of things which appear. In
the beginning God created things that did not exist.
Then he talks about a great number of great people, first of the
patriarchs and then people under the law. "By faith Abel offered unto God a more
excellent sacrifice than did Cain. This, surely
shows, that God had instructed them what to offer. Faith comes by
hearing and hearing by the word of God.
(Romans 10: 17).
So God had instructed them. Abel offered an animal sacrifice as God
required. Cane offered a sacrifice of his own thinking. He offered up a
sacrifice of the fruits of the field. Which sacrifice in mans eyes
looked the best? I am confident Cane's looked the best, but it
was not what God required! And God rejected his and accepted Abel's, and he being dead
yet speaketh. He
tells us that we are to worship in Gods appointed way, and that when we do this
God will be pleased with our worship! "By faith Enoch was translated that he
should not see death. Two
persons in the Old Testament did not see
death, Enoch and Elijah, and do you
remember that Elijah was taken up by a whirlwind into heaven (II Kings 2:9-12). But before he was translated he had
witness born to him, that he was well pleasing to God.
Verse six, is a very important passage And without faith it is impossible to be
well pleasing unto him: For he that
cometh to God must believe that he is, and
a rewarder of them that seek after him. Notice the two things, not only that
intellectual faith that he is, but that he is a kind, and benevolent God, that
he has not said anything but what is good for our well being. He is a rewarder
of them that seek after him. In other words when we obey the Lord, we are going
the way of having that eternal salvation at the end of the way. He is a
rewarder of them that diligently seek after him. Then he talks about Noah, how
that Noah
being warned of things not seen as yet. The book of Genesis very strongly indicates that it never had even
rained, much less a world wide flood. Genesis 2:6 reads, but there went up a mist from the earth,
and watered the whole face of the ground. There
is no mention of rain before the flood, but Noah prepared the ark according to
God's instruction, and he accomplished three things. He moved with godly fear,
prepared an ark, one, to the saving of his house, two, by that he condemned the
world, his faithfulness condemned the millions of that day, and three, by his
obedience he became the heir of righteousness. Faithfulness always condemns the
disobedient (Matthew 11:20-24, 12:41-42; I Corinthians 6:1-9). By faith Abraham, when he was called obeyed
to go out unto a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and
he went out, not knowing whether he went. God called him when he was in the Ur of the Chaldees (Genesis 12:1-3, 11:28; Acts 7:2-5), and he did not know where God was going
to carry him; but he obeyed to go out unto a place, which he was to receive for
an inheritance. Please look on a map and see how far it was from the Ur of the
Chaldees to Haran, and then after his father died he went into the land of
Canaan (Genesis 11:31-32, 12:4; Acts 7:2-5). And he went out not knowing wither he
went. My, what faith that took!
And then he became a sojourner in the land of Canaan, and just dwelling in tents with Isaac and
Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. Why? Verse ten, For he looked
for the city which hath the foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Verse eleven, By
faith. even Sara, when she was
past age to bear children (Genesis 18:11-14), received power to conceive and gave birth to Isaac. And this
shows that it was not because of a lack of faith when she laughed as recorded
in Genesis 18:13-15, 21:1-7, but she laughed with joy when the Lord
told Abraham outside the tent that she was going to have a son. Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. And we also are strangers and pilgrims on
the earth (I Peter 2:11). They
confessed that they desired a better country, that is, an heavenly: Because of that,
God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a
city. By faith Abraham, being tried, offered up Isaac. (thinking that God would
raise him from the dead) from
whence he did also in a figure received him back.
Verse twenty, Think
of the great example of these others that did things by faith and how Moses,
when he was forty years of age, made a definite choice. And Steven tells us
that he was already mighty in words and in deed, He had been educated and trained to become the next governor of Egypt. But he chose rather to suffer or to share
ill treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for
a season. He knew that there was pleasure in sin, and as a Pharaoh could
have participated in all kinds of sin that he wanted to, but he
accounted the approach of Christ greater than the treasures of Egypt for he looked unto the recompense of his reward. A wise man looks to the end of the way. Seeing
Afar Verses Seeing What Is Near is still a good subject.
Then the writer continues to talk about how time will not permit him to
go into detail about those people back there that did by faith a lot of things
because of their faith, and they endured. But verse forty, "But God having
provided some better things concerning us, that a part from us they should not
be made perfect. So the people, of the patriarchal dispensation, and the Jewish
dispensation, that are in God's hallmark of fame chapter, are there because of
their faith, but God has provided some better thing concerning us,
that apart from
us they should not be made perfect.
They were made perfect by the blood of Christ when he died on the cross
(Hebrews 9:15) and we are made perfect by the
blood of Christ. They will enter heaven at last because of what Christ has
done., and the faithful of the Christian age will enter heaven at last because
of their faithfulness to Christ because of what he has done for us..
Chapter Twelve
Therefore let us also seeing that we are
compassed about with so great a cloud of witness. Do you not think he is including those
faithful as looking on in that great cloud of witnesses? "Lay aside every
weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, let us run with
patience the race that is set before us. Some would say that the sin which doth so
easily beset us with one person
it is one thing and it may be entirely a different thing with another, but it
is talking about a specific thing, the sin which is a lack of faith. He has emphasized throughout this great
book the importance of faith and the sin, which doth so easily beset us, is a
lack of faith. It is at times, common to every child of God, and every weight
would be all of those other things that may hinder us; but the sin,
which doth so easily beset us is that lack of faith. So let us have that great
faith that continues to keep us making progress in becoming more like Christ
and closer to him as the days go by. Let us run with patience the race that is
set before us. Looking unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Verse four, Ye have not resisted unto blood, striving
against sin. Ye have forgotten the exhortation. As given in Proverbs 3: 11 beginning, that God disciplines every son that he receives. And verse
eight, if you are without chastening, or if you are without disciplining, this
means that you are bastards and not
sons. The difference between the Lord's discipline and parental discipline is
stated in verse ten. Parental discipline is never perfect discipline. For indeed for
a few days chastened us as seemed good to them. Even those who have been faithfully studying and living by the law of
Christ, and observing, their discipline is in many areas going to be much less
than perfect. But with God his discipline is perfect. "But he for our
profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness.
Verse twelve, Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down, and the palsied knees ; and make
straight paths for your feet, that that which is lame be not turned out of the
way, but rather be healed. These
two verses are a call to courageous and active leadership so that the lame
in the church will be healed! Hands that hang down are
inactive hands, and palsied knees represent a person with trembling knees
because of fear. We surely need bold and active leadership in the church today.
If we have bold and faithful leadership in the church then others will become
stronger, and the lame will be
healed.
You may wonder how I know so much about the meaning of hands that hang
down . Some of my happiest days as a teenager were
days when I worked with my dad. He liked to work, and some times he would be
very busy doing something; and he would say to me, Well, just stand there with
your hands in your pockets. What do you suppose he meant by that statement? I
soon learned that I needed to be more alert and give him the help that he
needed immediately when he needed it. We spent a lot of happy days sawing wood
with a cross cut saw for the cook stove and our fireplaces which was our
only source of heat in the winter. Sometimes when we were sawing wood he would
say to me, If you are going to ride pick up your feet! You see I was doing a
good job of bearing down on the handles of the saw, and pulling it back to me,
but I was not doing very well in pushing it back to him.
Verse fourteen, Follow after peace with all men, and the
sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord. We are to, follow after the things which make for
peace and the things whereby we may edify one another, (Romans 14:19). This passage is emphasizing that too. Sanctification is living
holy, and consecrated lives unto the Lord.
Verse fifteen, Looking carefully lest there be any man that
falleth short of the grace of God. This is another of many passages
that a man can fall short of the grace of god? God's love and mercy and
grace all have boundaries. And we need to be careful that we do not fall short
of the grace of God. We need to keep in the boundaries of God's love, mercy,
and grace. "lest any root of bitterness spring up, trouble
you, and thereby the many be defiled, lest there be any fornicator, or profane
person, as Esau, who for one mess of meat sold his own birthright. Do you
remember the story as given in Genesis 25:27-34 how Essau came in from hunting tired
and hungry, and he wanted some of Jacobs pottage, and Jacob drove a hard deal
on his lustful brother. Jacob bought his birthright for a mess of pottage! When
it came time for him to inherit as the older son, even though they were twins,
Esau came first, and you remember how that Jacob and his mother cheated him out
of that birthright, and then after Jacob had pronounced the blessing, Esau came
in and he wanted to know if his father did not have another blessing, but his
father did not have another blessing.
Verse eighteen. With this verse
the writer begins talking about how God demonstrated on Mount Sinai
or Mount Horeb
before the giving of the law to Moses, and how that we have come under the
Christian dispensation to something much better. In verse twenty-two, he says
that ye have come unto Mount Zion, (the church.) and unto the city of the
living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, (the church), and to innumerable host of angels. And the general assembly and church of the
firstborn, (Christ) who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the
judge of all, and to the spirit of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the
mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh
better than that of Able. The blood of Abel still speaks, and it
tells us that all the faithful will be rewarded by the Lord. The blood of
Christ is the power of cleansing for every man who will obey him (Zechariah 13:1,
Ephesians 1:7; Romans 5:8-9).
See that ye refuse not him that
speaketh. How shall we escape if we
neglect so great a salvation? This
passage emphasizes that we will not escape if we refuse to hear. For if they
escaped not when they refused him that warned them on earth, much more shall
not we escape, who turn away from him that warneth from heaven: Whose voice
then shook the earth; but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more will I
make to tremble not the earth only, but also the heavens. That will occur when Christ comes in the
second advent as taught plainly in the gospel accounts and also by Peter. "And this word,
Yet once more, signifieth the removing of these things that are shaken, as of
things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain.
Wherefore receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace whereby
we may offer service well pleasing to God with reverence and awe: For our God is
a consuming fire. There are those who, as I have stated several
times, want to over emphasize the love of God to the point of not emphasizing
the severity of God. But remember Romans 11: 22, behold then the goodness and the severity
of God. We need to try to
present things properly. When people stubbornly rebel, and rebel over a long
period of time, God is a consuming fire as stated in verse twenty nine. See
also Ezekiel 5:1-17.
Chapter Thirteen
Have you noticed how the writer
carries with that continuous theme of the superiority of Christ and the New
Testament religion over the Jewish religion? This book has many things in
common with Galatians and Romans which were written by Paul. In this last
chapter the writer gives instruction and exhortations about every day Christian
living. Let us give attention to some of these. The first one reads, Let love of the brethren continue.
This is a short but very meaningful statement. There is real hope for spiritual
growth and progress in any church where genuine love prevails. In that last
discourse that Jesus gave his apostles he said, A
new commandment I give unto you, that ye also love one another. By this shall
all men know that ye are my disciples,
if ye have love one to another (John 13:34-35).
The second admonition is, Forget not to show love unto strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels
unawares. Abraham (Genesis
18:1-23) and Lot
(Genesis 19:1-11) are two of those who
entertained angels unaware. We will not be entertaining angels today but the
command holds that we are to show love unto strangers. Do
you remember how the apostle John commended Gaius
the beloved for showing his
love to brethren and strangers
who had gone forth to preach the gospel (III John 5-8). John also said to Gauis
and to us, We therefore ought to welcome such, that we may be fellow-workers
for the truth, verse eight. All of us need to keep Johns words in
mind. Any time we as individuals, or as a church, help in any good work for
God; that we become Fellow-workers
in that good cause.
Verse three reads, Remember them that are in bonds, as bound
with them; them that are ill treated, as being yourselves also in the body.
If we follow Jesus we will surely show compassion to such people. Many
Christians were put in jail and ill treated for the cause of Christ. Some of
these Hebrew Christians had known some of these persons and some of them had
taken joyfully the spoiling of
their goods (Hebrews 10:32-35).
The fourth admonition is, Let marriage be had in honor among all,
and let the bed be undefiled: for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Marriage is the first holy and divine institution
established by God in His great wisdom in the very beginning (Genesis 2:18-24),
and it should be held in honor and kept holy like God gave it in the beginning
(Matthew 19:3-12). In the last book of the Old
Testament we read that God was not receiving the offerings of the people and
they were asking why with tears ,
with weeping and God said, Because
Jehovah hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom
thou hast dealt treacherously -------- For I hate putting away, saith Jehovah,
the God of Israel (Malachi 2:13-16).
Divorce has now become quite common in some churches today, but God still hates
putting away!
Verses five and six read, Be ye free from the love of money; content
with such things as ye have:
for himself hath said, I will in no wise forsake thee. So that with good
courage we say; The Lord is my helper; I will not fear: What man shall do unto me. The latter part of verse five is from Joshua 1:5
where God was encouraging Joshua to put his trust in Him and courageously led
his people into Canaan. The first part of verse five is
very much like I Timothy 6:6-10 which may be
another one of those small things which indicate that Paul is the author of
Hebrews. Verse six is a quotation from Psalms CXVIII:6,
and we are not fear what men may do unto us (Matthew 10:28).
Verse seven, Remember them that
had the rule over you, that spake unto you the word of God; and considering the
issue of their life, imitate their faith. These Christians had some
faithful preachers and teachers who were great leaders, and they are asked to
remember their good examples before them and to imitate
their faith Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday, and today, yea and for ever. We need to be reminded that our
God is an unchanging God, and our Savior Jesus Christ is the same yesterday,
today and forever, and that we need to put all our trust in them. Neither of
them will fail us or forsake us, and because we can depend on them we ought not
to be carried away by divers and
strange teachings. We need
to study our Bibles and learn what it teaches so we will always recognize all
forms of false teaching.
Verse eleven says that the bodies
of those beasts whose blood was brought by the high priest into the holy place
to make atonement (Leviticus 16:1-34), were
burned without the camp. Then in verse twelve, thirteen, and fourteen he tells
us that Jesus gave His blood for us and suffered for us without the gate, and that we are
to go forth unto him without the
camp, bearing his reproach. For we have not here an abiding city, but we seek
after the city which is to come.
Through him then let us offer up a sacrifice
of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips which make
confession to his name.
Would not this include our prayers, and singing, and all faithful teaching in
which we give thanks and praise to God? Verse sixteen says, But to do good and communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well
pleased. So this verse reminds us of our responsibility of doing good
things for other people and sharing what we have with those in need. The NASV
uses the word sharing instead of communicate. Verse sixteen is
like the words of Paul in Galatians 6:6, 6:9-10
and I Timothy 6:17-19.
The admonition in verse seventeen
is, Obey them that have the rule
over you, and submit to them:
for they watch in behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account; that
they may do this with joy, and not with grief; for this were unprofitable for
you. This verse is primarily speaking of how
members of the church are to be in subjection to the elders of the church.
Qualified elders are bishops or overseers of the church, and they are to feed
or give Bible teaching to the church (Acts 20:28).
They are to watch for the welfare of all the members like a good shepherd
watches after the sheep. Peter said to the elders of those churches that he
wrote to, Tend the flock of God
which is among you --- but they were not to lord it over them; but as
ensamples to the flock. So good leadership always includes holy living
as an example for others to follow. Elders are not to bind anything that Christ
has not bound or try to loose anything that he has bound (I Peter 4:1-4),
and they lead primarily by being good examples of every day Christian living,
and by being actively involved in the work of the Lord.
Verses eighteen and nineteen show
that the recipients of the letter knew who it was from although he does not
mention himself by name. They also knew Timothy for verse twenty three reads, Know ye that our brother Timothy hath been set at liberty; with whom, if he come
shortly, I will see you. This strongly indicates that Paul is the
author of Hebrews. In verse twenty four he says, They of Italy
salute you. Please remember that Paul went to Rome the capital city of
Italy to be tried by the highest court without any formal charges against him
(Acts 23:26-30, 25:7-12,
26:30-32), and during this first Roman imprisonment
he was permitted to live in his own hired dwelling; and that imprisonment was
over when Luke completed the book of Acts for he says, And he abode two whole years in his own hired dwelling, and
received all they that went in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and
teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus with all boldness, none
forbidding him. This is
another indication that Paul is the author and also the closing words, Grace be with you all. Amen. Please compare the closing with I
Thessalonians 5:28
and II Thessalonians 3:17,
and I Corinthians 16:23 and II Corinthians 13:14, and
Romans 16:20
and Galatians 6:18,
and Ephesians 6: 23-24 and Philippians 4:23, and
Colossians 4:18 and II Timothy 4:22,
and Titus 3:15 and Philemon 25.