Hebrews 11:13-22

By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph… (v. 21) It’s always been strange to me that of the twelve sons of Jacob, only three rise to any level of prominence – Judah, Levi, and Joseph – Judah as the tribe from which David and Jesus were descended, Levi as the tribe of the priests and Levites, and Joseph in his position as “prime minister” of Egypt and with each of his sons (Ephraim and Manasseh) being allotted a share in the Promised Land. A fourth, Benjamin, also gets further mention, but in a negative sense when the tribe of Benjamin was nearly eliminated (see the full story at Judges, chapters 19-21).

He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead… (v. 19a) I guess maybe I considered this verse lightly in the past, but my Study Bible pointed out that Abraham believed that God would raise Isaac physically from the dead if Abraham had gone through his sacrifice of Isaac. Was that the case? I don’t see that claim in Genesis 22, so I tend to think not. I think that from Abraham’s perspective, Isaac was dead, but that somehow God would continue with His promise to make Abraham the father of many nations. Again, my thoughts…

If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. (v. 15) When I think back to the “land from which I had gone out” (the years before my born-again experience) I have no desire to return!! The Lord has filled me with Himself and His people so completely that my old (happy) life is a distant memory!

Slava Bohu!

Hebrews 11:1-12

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (v. 3) It’s constantly amazing to me that God SPOKE all things into existence. If we were meeting together Carol could tell you all she’s learned from her students’ Senior Projects about sound vibrations as the basis for solids’ existence. Amazing!!

…for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. (v. 6b) To me it’s easy to believe that God exists – looking through a telescope or a microscope is all I need to know that we are not just accidental beings. But the second half – that God is rewarding us just for seeking Him… That’s a wonderful thought, very encouraging!

For he [Abraham] was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. (v. 10) I’m not sure what “city” Abraham was looking forward to, maybe just the thought that soon he would be abandoning his tent living in favor of solid structures. Maybe he had some vision of the Temple and Jerusalem – probably not. But to the present day… We all are looking forward to that heavenly city, which foundation is God and God alone! Again, another really encouraging thought!!

Slava Bohu!

Hebrews 10:32-39

For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property… (v. 34a) My first reading of the day is from the NKJV Chronological Study Bible. Therein this verse reads “on me in my chains” instead of “on those in prison” (ESV) or “on prisoners” (NASB). So right away I wondered if Paul was the author of Hebrews – that he was writing from prison to believing Jews in Jerusalem who were undergoing persecution or to faithful Jews anywhere who were being persecuted (e.g., Galatia, Thessalonica), where he himself had suffered persecution at the hands of the synagogue leaders. We’ll never know this side of eternity!

…since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. (v. 34b) This verse is the second half of the verse quoted above. I see its application today as we work our way through these troubling times. We have endured a challenging presidential election and are still working our way through a serious recession and a continuing pandemic – all of which have created worries and anxiety for many people. Yet those of us who believe in Jesus know that there are better times ahead – and not only that, but also we know that He is not unaware of all that is going on around us. He is allowing these difficulties, just as He allowed suffering for Christians in that 1^st century past. So through our difficulties today we continue to pray, “Your will be done”, confident that His Spirit is working in and among us. Our faith adds a certain measure of peace to our souls, diminishing (if not eliminating) our worries and anxieties. Peace be with you.

Slava Bohu!

Hebrews 10:26-31

A scary section today… For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins … How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? (vv. 26, 29) I daresay that most commentators would look on “…sinning deliberately…” as a full rejection of Jesus’ redemptive works. The triad set of verbs in verse 29 seems to confirm that thought: …trampled underfoot the Son of God…, profaned the blood of the covenant…, and outraged the Spirit… The author of Hebrews even captures all three members of the Trinity in that last verse, since to mention the “Son of God” is to mention both the Father and the Son. So these verses cover each and every member of the Trinity; that is, if someone is saying “I believe in God, but not in Jesus as God”, that person is “trampling” and “profaning”. Not good.

And the scariest line of all: It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (v. 31) This is a verse we need to use on universalists – those folks who believe in universal salvation. I wouldn’t want to take the chance!!

Slava Bohu!

Hebrews 10:19-25

Some really great material today…

The author of Hebrews has argued for Jesus’ high priesthood, so now he tells us that we …have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus (v. 19) and that we …have a great priest over the house of God. (v. 21) He then provides us with three “let us” passages: …let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith… (v. 22a); Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering… (v. 23a); and …let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works (v. 24). My Study Bible added two more items as subsets of the third one that I have listed above: …not neglecting to meet together… (v. 25a) and …encouraging one another… (v. 25b). I daresay we could solve a lot of our personal problems if we were to actively pursue all five of those behaviors on a regular basis.

In addition, my Study Bible highlighted four conditions in verse 22 for drawing near to God: with a true heart; in full assurance of faith; with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience; and our bodies washed with pure water. (v. 22b) While the five items noted in the paragraph above are mostly our human behaviors, these four conditions in this paragraph are more internal – lived out, but not verbally or physically expressed. As above, if we have these internal conditions within ourselves, we could also solve a lot of our personal problems.

Today’s reading is an awesome lesson for life!

Slava Bohu!

Hebrews 10:11-18

But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. (vv. 12-13) I have probably noticed it in times past, but saw it again this time: He sat down at the right hand of God. We only sit down to eat or to rest or to engage in conversation with our friends. Here Jesus is sitting as a rest from His labors and is rewarded by sitting on His Father’s right hand, a place of honor in any culture. We have a phrase in our vernacular – “my right-hand man”. That’s my top foreman, that one person that I can always count on. That’s Jesus alongside His Father. If the Father has any questions, Jesus has the answers. And if Jesus has any requests of the Father, it’s done. What a thought!!

A second item from the verses quoted above – when will Jesus’ enemies be made a footstool for his feet? Through His cross and resurrection Jesus defeated Satan, but there’s no doubt that Satan is still alive and well and active in our world today. So as I read those words above, it seems to me that there will come a day when all of Satan’s power will be obliterated and he will be placed under Jesus’ complete authority. Until then we have the Holy Spirit to fight our battles. Jesus has already told us, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NASB). He’s done it all. Rest in Him.

Hebrews 10:1-10

I’m going to re-write (with some edits) the first four verses, in 1-3-4-2 order: … the Law…, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, can never make perfect those who draw near. But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? So as we look at the re-positioned second verse (bold above), this “no consciousness of sins” intrigues me. Yes, I understand that the blood of bulls and goat serves as a reminder of sin and does not remove “any consciousness of sins”, but does it follow that the blood of Jesus should remove from us “any consciousness of sins”? Unfortunately, I too often and too easily are reminded of my current and past sins. What does it take to have “any consciousness of sins” removed?

Slava Bohu!

Hebrews 9:23-28

Another oft-quoted verse: And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment… (v. 28) The quote typically begins with “…it is…” or some variant thereto.

Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. (v. 23) The verse that I have copied here is from the ESV translation. Two other translations that I read this morning (NASB, NKJV) are missing the word “rites”, having only the pronoun “these” twice in that verse. As I’ve said before, pronouns are often confusing for me – the “these” alone in other translations refers back to verse 22, the shedding and sprinkling of blood in the Jewish purification rites.

In that same verse, the “copies of the heavenly things” refers to the lampstand, the incense, the ark, etc. that were utensils associated with these Jewish purification rites (refer back to Heb 9:2,4 for a full listing of these items). The author makes a second reference to these items two verses later: …holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things… (v. 24a) Since the author has referred to these items as copies of the heavenly things and copies of the true things it must mean that each of these items has a parallel in the heavens. It is left to our imagination what heaven must be like and how these earthly instruments have heavenly connections. It’s a nice thought to dream on.

Slava Bohu!

Hebrews 9:15-22

A timeless, oft-quoted verse: …without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. (v. 22b)

Something new hit me when I read this morning’s passage in my NASB translation: …a death has taken place for the redemption of the violations that were committed under the first covenant… (v. 15b) Jesus is the “death that has taken place”. In doing so, the verse says that He REDEEMED violations that occurred under the first covenant. Does that mean that under the old covenant, sins/violations were not redeemed, never fully forgiven, but only “covered”? Like our parents might have said when meting out justice, “It’s OK for now, I’ll deal with you later.” So those daily sacrifices only “covered” their sins? And even that once-a-year entry by the high priest into the Holy of Holies, the same…? A covering, but not full forgiveness? I commented a few days ago about the contrast between the death of an animal covering sins (animal for man) and Jesus’ death fully redeeming sins (man for man). Wondering…

For where there is a covenant, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. For a covenant is valid only when people are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. (vv. 16-17, NASB) The word “covenant” is translated “will” in the ESV and “testament” in the NKJV. Thinking of this “will” translation and applying it for today, basically beneficiaries have nothing under the will until the death of the one who made the will. And the same was true back then. Unless the father gave something during his lifetime (e.g., the parable of “The Prodigal Son”), the children did not inherit anything until the father died. Only with the death is the will in force. Verse 18 goes on to say, Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. In these three verses (16-18) the writer is drawing a parallel between our physical death and our spiritual death (sin). Only with Jesus’ death could we find full forgiveness of our sins.

Slava Bohu!