CHAPTER ONE
God had spoken in various past times and in different ways
to the ancient Israelites, by the prophets of old. As we read
through the Old Testament, we can clearly see the truth of what
Paul stated in the opening verse of the epistle to the Hebrews.
The many and diverse ways God's spoke to the Israelites gives us
the clear picture that the Almighty does work in different and
wonderful ways His work on this earth, as He carries out His
overall plan of salvation for the world and for the peoples of
Israel.
Then in verse two Paul says God "Hath, in THESE LAST DAYS,
spoken unto US, by His Son....." Did you catch it? "These LAST
DAYS." Jesus had come in "these last days" and spoken the words
of God the Father. Ah, so the phrase "last days" or "end times"
CAN mean the last 2,000 years since the time Jesus walked this
earth in the flesh, and preached the good news of the gospel. In
1 JOHN 2:18, we can also see that John understood "the last time"
to mean the very time he was living in. There is a broader span
of time that can be meant by the phrase "last time" or "end time"
than JUST the last few years of this age before Jesus returns to
earth to set up the Kingdom of God on earth.
With this in mind, we need to be careful about narrowing
down the phrase "last time" or "end time" - people often today
say, "We are living in the end time." Well, true enough, but
"end time" or "last days" can mean the last 2,000 years. Hence we
really do NOT have much idea as to when Jesus will return. It
could still be decades away or even a hundred years or so. All we
can do is watch the signs of the times .... WATCH, as Jesus said
we were to do. Time for God is not anywhere near time for us.
What seems like a long time to us, is but a blink of the eye to
God. How long the Father will allow the events of prophecy to
manifest themselves and come to pass, is entirely up to Him. He
can lengthen them out or shorten them up, as He sees fit.
Certainly there is MUCH in prophecy to yet take place, so we
watch, and we watch. And through it all we must remember that
Christ's coming is as close for us as our death. Will He return
in the life time of you who are reading these studies? Maybe, but
it is a maybe, for it maybe not. I'm sure many of the apostles of
the first century Church of God, thought Jesus' return would
never be at least 2,000 years away.
The "last days" can be way longer than many would like to
think it is. The main thing is to remain faithful to the way of
the Lord, to grow in grace and knowledge, and to endure to the
end of whatever physical life has been, or will be given to us.
God has spoken to us through His Son in these last days, and
the Son was appointed heir of all things, nothing NOT being given
Him,and Paul plainly tells us that it was the Son who MADE THE
WORLDS. He also told us the same truth in his epistle to the
Colossians, chapter 1, verses 15-18. Jesus, was the CREATOR of
all that IS, in this physical world and in the unseen "spirit"
world.
Jesus was also the very brightness of God's glory. No doubt
a double meaning here. He was the brightness of God's character
and nature, and He is in the very literal brightness today in
glory as we can see from the vision the apostle John had, as
recorded in the first chapter of the book of Revelation, where we
are given the picture of what Jesus looks like today in the
heaven of God's throne.
Jesus was the EXPRESS IMAGE of the Father's person. You may
remember that one of the twelve asked Jesus to show them all,
plainly, the Father. Jesus replied that they who had seen Him had
seen the Father also.
Jesus also upholds ALL THINGS by the very power of His word.
He and the Father are indeed ONE! They are two individual
persons, but in ALL respects they are the same. The only
difference is that, after Jesus had purged our sins on the cross,
he went back to heaven and is sitting on the Father's RIGHT HAND.
He is not sitting on top of the Father. He did not push the
Father off the heavenly throne, and take His place. The NT
Scriptures make it very clear that Jesus is AT the Father's RIGHT
HAND. The images of the throne room as given in the book of
revelation, show the Father to be on the heavenly throne, and
Jesus at His RIGHT HAND. The Father is the MAJESTY ON HIGH. The
Father is SUPREME in AUTHORITY. The Father is HEAD of Christ.
That truth is given in 1 Corinthians 11:3. I maintain that a
child reading the NT will come to see very clearly that the
Father is head of Christ. I came to see this when I was
about 9 years old. I came to see, just by reading the NT, that
there is no such doctrine as the "Trinity." God is NOT three in
one, or one in three.
The Trinity doctrine is very complicated by the way some
teach it, so much so that many just throw up their hands and say,
"It's just not possible to understand God." It is a mystery they
will tell you. Nothing could be further from the TRUTH!! God has
over and over again made it clear in His word, concerning Himself
and His Son. I have many in-depth studies on this Website that
make clear to you WHAT God is like, and what the "Godhead" is all
about.
Jesus sits at the RIGHT HAND of the Father, the Majesty on
High (verses 1-3).
Paul now goes on to prove that the Son of God is way, way
more superior than the angels. He has first of all inherited and
obtained a more excellent name than what angels have. Jesus has
the name of SON of God. From Psalm 2:7 we learn that God had
foretold, "You are my SON, this day I have begotten you." No
angel was ever called the begotten son of God. Certainly not in
the way it was fulfilled in Christ Jesus. Jesus was UNIQUE in
birth. It was a MIRACULOUS and mind-numbing event, that no angel
has ever come close to having duplicated on themselves.
Paul then takes a verse from 2 Samuel 7:14, and applies it
to the nature of the birth of Jesus the Christ. "I will be unto
him a Father, and He shall be to me a Son."
Very interesting, in the nature of prophecy, is this
example. The context of it not suggesting at all that this would
be a prophecy of the relationship of the heavenly Father to His
Son Christ Jesus. The context of 2 Samuel 7 is the context of
David, the King of Israel. But as given here in Hebrews it is
applied to God the Father having a Son, in a very special way,
which none of the angels were ever destined to have happen to
them.
And once more, using the Greek Septuagint version, Paul
renders Deut.32:43, as a prophecy of the first begotten of the
Father (Jesus the Christ) coming into the world and for the
angels of God to WORSHIP Him!
Amazing, so it will be to some. Deut.32:43 in the Hebrew and
hence in the KJV is not close to the rendition of the LXX or
Greek Septuagint. The reader is asked to study the study on this
Website called, "Paul's Use of the Old Testament." That study is
a truth that will shock most of you, the truth of how the Greek
translations of the Old Testament were used, especially by the
apostle Paul, the mighty Hebrew scholar, taught at the feet of
the famous Gamaliel of Judea, and then by Christ Himself (as Paul
tells us in the letter to the Galatians).
The angels were to WORSHIP Christ, the Son of God the
Father. Now, angels do not worship each other, and worship is
only towards God. No other creature is worthy or holy enough to
be worshipped, only God is worthy and righteous and holy enough
to be WORSHIPPED.
Jesus was worthy and holy enough, perfect enough, godly
enough, to be worshipped. Only He was of the Godhead, made into
flesh and blood. But yet called Immanuel, by the prophet Isaiah,
which means, God with us. He was part of the Godhead from
eternity past. He did not grasp as being in the Godhead, but
emptied Himself, humbled Himself, put aside being in the very
Godhead, and came to earth as flesh and blood (all this Paul has
taught before in Philippians 2:5-11).
We shall see very shortly that Jesus is called "God" - He
has a name with the title and very name "God" attached to it - He
is Jesus Christ God. He is God the Son. The Father is God the
Father. Both bear the name "God." One is God the Father, the
other is God the Son.
It was written of the angels that they were angel spirits,
and servants who could be like a flame fire (Psalm 104:4). A
flame of fire is nothing compared to the SUN. In Revelation
chapter one, Jesus EYES are like a flame of fire, but His
countenance is like the SUN in its full strength. No angel is
anywhere near being like God in appearance or in anything that
God IS! (verses 4-7).
JESUS IS CALLED "GOD"
Verses 8 and 9, of Hebrews one, makes it as clear as the sun
shining in a cloudless day, that Jesus bears the name "God"! He
is then God the Son, or as stated before, Jesus Christ God.
The word "God" is used in various ways in the NT. It is used
as a "personal name" for God the Father, in some contexts. It is
used as a name of Jesus in some contexts. It is used as a "sur-
name" for all in the Godhead or in the very Family of God. Hence
Jesus can be rightfully called Jesus Christ God. The Father is
God, and the Son is God, both in the Godhead. Both being separate
individual persons, with spirit bodies, so God the Son can sit at
the right hand of God the Father, in the heavenly throne room. It
is quite simple really. The Godhead consists as of today, TWO
BEINGS, both bearing the name "God." The Godhead is NOT a
Trinity, in any way that Trinitarians like to teach. The Godhead
is TWO beings, personal beings, with their own personal spirit
bodies. One is the being we call God the Father, and the other is
the one that sits on His right hand, we call the Son of God, or
Jesus Christ God.
We have Paul proving from the very Scriptures of God the
Father, that Jesus, has the name "God." He quotes from Psalm
46:6,7, "Thy throne, O GOD, is for ever and ever, a sceptre of
righteousness is the sceptre of thy Kingdom. You have loved
righteousness, and hated iniquity, therefore GOD, even thy God
has anointed you with oil of gladness above your fellows."
Jesus is here called "God" and yet we also see that Jesus
has a "God" who has appointed and anointed Him in such a way (for
His love of and loyalty to righteousness) that is ABOVE any other
anywhere in the whole created universe. The rest of the NT proves
beyond any doubt that of all human flesh and blood people, of all
the angels and created beings in the unseen world, Jesus
inherited from physical life a position of glory ABOVE any one,
and is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on High.
The NT declares that Jesus existed from eternity, that he
was God and was WITH God (John chapter one), that He put aside
that position in the very Godhead, to become a physical man, so
He could conquer sin and Satan, be a perfect sacrifice through
His shed blood on the cross, and so redeem mankind, and make
their salvation possible. He was so faithful and righteous (never
having any sin, no not one) to His offering Himself as the
atoning sacrifice for any and all people, that in His
resurrection, He was made again part of the very Godhead, with
the glory of the Father, and with the very name once more of
"God."
Paul's mind now returns to the Scriptures that tell us that
Jesus (before He came to earth as Jesus the Christ) was the very
person who LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH, and the HEAVENS are
the very works of His hands. Jesus was the one who did the
creating of all things. It was the Father, the Majesty on High,
who desired it, and the one who became Jesus, did the actual
creating! (Psalm 102:25).
The next quote is taken from Isaiah 34:4. One day the
physical world will perish, so also the heavens in some way, they
wax old as a garment, they are running down so to speak, they
will need TO BE CHANGED! Other verses in the Scriptures also tell
us that one day there will be a new heaven and earth, and maybe
much of a new universe. BUT, in contrast to all that Jesus is and
remains the SAME, and He will never grow old. He is eternal. His
glory as given in a fashion to us in the first chapter of the
book of Revelation, will NEVER dim, and His divine character of
perfection and holiness and righteousness, will always be the
SAME, forever.
Paul ends his teaching on this matter by once more showing
from the Scriptures that the ANGELS of God, were NEVER to be in
such a high exalted position as sitting on the right hand of the
God the Father, and having their enemies made to be their foot-
stool (Psalm 110:1).
From Psalm 103:20, the angels were created to be "serving
spirits" - and to mainly serve those who would be heirs of
salvation.
In simple terms, the angels were created to have the
important, yes, job of serving human flesh and blood people, whom
would be heirs of God the Father, in the plan of salvation. The
angels do many mighty things in the universe at large, this we
can see from reading the book of Daniel, as well as other parts
of Scripture, that show us what some of the jobs are that angels
do. But here Paul makes it clear that the MAIN function for them
is to serve at various (often unknown and unseen ways) times, US
humans who are heirs of God, through Jesus Christ. We shall see
in Hebrews chapter two, that we humans, were created to RISE
ABOVE the angels and be the actual and literal bothers and
sisters of Jesus. Paul in Romans 8, says we are co-inheritors
with Jesus of the SAME glory He inherited when He was resurrected
from death. Again, many parts of the NT prove that God the Father
is REPRODUCING Himself, that He will have MANY SONS born to Him.
Jesus will always be the greatest in authority, always be at the
Father's right hand, always the greatest next to the Majesty on
High. The Godhead will expand, that is what the Father desires,
but God the Father will always be supreme in authority, with
Jesus His Son next in authority. Who will be on Christ's right
and left hand? You will remember two of the twelve wanted those
positions, Jesus said it was NOT for Him to give or decide, but
the Father would give those high positions to whomsoever He
willed and decided.
WHAT A WONDERFUL CHAPTER OF THE BIBLE!! So much great and
magnificent truths proclaimed in such relatively few verses.
Meditate on them, be inspired, be lifted up, be humbled, and
constantly PRAISE the Father for His LOVE and His wanting to
share what He IS, with us humans who can be His very children
(verses 8- 14).
...................
November 2006
  Chapter One Hundred-one:Epistle to Hebrews #2, #3, #4
CHAPTER TWO
After all that was stated in the first chapter it was indeed
that we should not let anything slip away. The word of angels was
in times past, solid and steadfast, and those who did not heed
even angels received a just recompense for their folly. If that
being so, as it was, then how can we Christians escape a just
punishment, IF we neglect so great a salvation, which was
proclaimed by the Lord, and afterwards by those who heard Him
proclaim it. It was all backed up by God performing miracles,
wonders, signs, and by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as God
willed (verses 1-4).
Paul now once more affirms the GREAT and MIGHTY calling, and
what it all means for those who ARE the children of God, and the
very brothers and sisters of Christ. The "age to come" that Paul
and other apostles spoke about, as part of the Gospel message,
was not going to be ruled by angels, as they being in charge and
being the main beings over that new age, that the prophets of old
have spoken about in so much of their writings.
It is MAN, human kind, that is going to be the chief ones in
the new age of things. God the Father's plan in creating mankind,
was it have them as part of His family, above the angels in
authority and power, and it was human kind that was to be given
the whole universe to rule and help govern under the Father and
His first begotten and first born Son - Christ Jesus.
Paul quotes from Psalm 8, that asks the question of "What is
man that you are mindful of him? You did make mankind lower than
the angels, but you in your plan have crowned him with glory and
honor, and have determined to set him over the works of your
hands."
Paul was then inspired to tell us that when God had
determined to put mankind over His works, it did mean ALL His
works of creation, the entire universe. All things was eventually
to be in subjection to man. And there was NOTHING that was not to
be under the rulership of mankind. But as of yet, the present,
this was not the reality, all things are not yet under the
rulership of human kind (that was created as God tells us in
Genesis, after the God kind, "after OUR image" - God said).
But, there is one fact, we do see Jesus, who was also for a
short while made into flesh and blood, a little lower than the
angels, for the purpose of suffering death (and so making
salvation possible for sinful mankind), NOW crowned with GLORY
and HONOR!!
The Father had pre-determined to have MANY sons born to Him,
in the plan of salvation. Jesus, was the CAPTAIN, or LEADER, the
one to guide the way to the Father, was now made FULLY PERFECT,
in glory, and all that is perfection as God, and it was all done
through Him, Christ, suffering the life of being a human, knowing
all about what it is like to be flesh and blood.
As Jesus had said in the real "Lord's prayer" of John 17,
that the Father, and Him, and all those who would belong to
Christ, were ONE. Jesus prayed to the Father that they would all
be ONE. Paul re-affirms here that it is so, and is the will of
the father that Christ, and humans through salvation in Christ,
would be ALL ONE. Hence Jesus, is NOT ashamed to call His
followers BROTHERS! Here the Greek word does indeed mean
"brothers" - just as we think of brothers that come from the same
parents - very kin, very family. So, as the NT teaches over and
over again, God is a FAMILY, there is God the Father, and God the
Son, and all who are Christ's ARE HIS BROTHERS - they are part of
the VERY FAMILY CALLED GOD!
It is like the Father and Christ working a work whereby they
have between themselves PRODUCED "children" - of THEIR KIND, not
angel kind, or any other kind, but the very KIND that is God
KIND!
So, as children of parents partake of flesh and blood, so
Jesus partook of flesh and blood, in order to redeem and make a
way of salvation possible for the Father to have more children
born of Him. Jesus, through His death on the cross, was able to
destroy the works of Satan, and the power of death that the Devil
held over mankind. Jesus, was by living a perfect human life, not
sinning even once, deliver us from the fear and bondage of
eternal death because of sins we had done.
All that wonderful truth Paul had fully examined the his
epistle to the Romans.
Jesus, did not step down to the angel level, like some
"superman" that was not really quite human, but He came as from
the seed of Abraham, very flesh and blood. He needed to be like
His BROTHERS, Paul states, so He could then be a MERCIFUL and
FAITHFUL High Priest in all things pertaining to God, and to be
able to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. In that
He went through the trials, tests, and faced all the same kinds
of temptations, we humans face, He is able to kindly help and
understand us who are tempted by sin and by the Devil.
The work of Christ TODAY, sitting on the right hand of the
Majesty on High, as our High Priest, is often overlooked by far
too many ministers and people of the Christian religion and
faith. Paul will, in other chapters, amplify in this epistle to
the Hebrews, the OFFICE and function of Jesus as High Priest.
Such a function by Christ in heaven, is absolutely essential for
OUR salvation. Paul made it very clear in writing to the Romans,
that we are SAVED not only by the DEATH of Christ, but also by
His LIFE! Both the death and life, resurrected life, of Jesus are
paramount and vital to our salvation, and entering into the
eternal family of God (verses 5-18).
The great truth of the DESTINY of Christians is given in a
full study of the subject on this Website, called "A Christian's
Destiny."
CHAPTER THREE
Introducing Jesus as our High Priest, Paul says, we indeed
need to consider Him. It is He that is THE High Priest and THE
Apostle, not some human man. He was faithful to God the Father
who appointed Him to the work needed for our salvation, just as
Moses was faithful to his house, family of Israelites, and his
calling.
Jesus, was counted with more glory than Moses, as the
builder of the house has more glory than the house itself. Paul
is showing that Jesus surpasses the man Moses. Showing to the
Hebrews that Moses, while a fine man, was inferior to the one who
became Jesus the Christ.
Jesus has a house-hold, being us Christians, if we hold fast
to the end, rejoicing in the hope of our salvation. We are to
LISTEN to Him, to listen and obey God. We are not to be like the
Israelites of old, who did not listen, and who most of the time,
did NOT obey and follow the way of God. After a while the Lord
said that those rebellious Israelites would not enter into the
promised land of rest.
We are to TAKE HEED, lest their be in us an evil heart of
unbelief, which leads to departing from the living God. Is it
possible then for Christians to "depart from God"? Are Christians
"once saved always saved"? From this verse and many other verses
in the NT, it IS possible to fall from grace and depart from God.
The words of the NT teach no such doctrine as once saved always
saved. Jesus plainly said in the Gospels, "He that endures to the
end, shall be saved."
We are to exhort each other, encourage each other, so there
will NOT be a heart in us that becomes hardened by the
deceitfulness of sin. We are made partakers of Christ, IF we HOLD
the beginning of our Christian confidence STEADFAST TO THE END!!
(verses 1-14).
The example of the Israelites coming out of Egypt is given
to us. The generation of those 20 and older were all disobedient,
except a few. All had a wrong heart, all would die in the
wilderness over a forty year period, and they would not enter
into God's rest. They could not enter because of their unbelief,
which in plain language means, unfaithfulness, a departing from
the Lord heart, a mind-set that would not believe in God, which
translated into an attitude of mind that would NOT OBEY God
(verses 15-19).
CHAPTER FOUR
Paul now ties into TYPOLOGY, with God's salvation rest, the
rest of the promised land to Israelites of old, and the SEVENTH
DAY rest of the fourth commandment of the great Ten Commandments.
We are to take heed and fear lest the promise of eternal
rest for us, many of us should fall short of entering into it.
The goods news was preached to us as it was to the Israelites of
old. They did not profit from it because of their disobedient
heart. We today which have the good news are entering into God's
rest. The Greek is in the present continuous tense. We are God's
children now, hence we are now on the road to eternal rest, as
Paul has said, IF we remain steadfast to the end. The works of
God were finished as we see in the first chapter of Genesis,
which included sanctifying the SEVENTH day of the week. Yet, in
God's plan, not all was fully competed, the rest of eternal life,
was to be entered into by His children, who would obey His will
and who would remain faithful to the end. God did rest on that
seventh day of creation week, but that rest was a type of the
rest of the promised land to the Israelites under Moses, and it
was a type of the eternal rest of salvation to those who are
God's children in the spiritual salvation plan.
God is still calling people to hear His voice, to listen to
Him, to OBEY Him, to enter His rest. The Old and New Testaments
prove that the rest of the promised land of Palestine, the
seventh day rest, and the eternal rest of salvation are ALL tied
together in perfect typology. The child of God will inherit not
only the promised land of Palestine in the future, but the whole
earth, and indeed the whole universe, together with the eternal
rest of perfection and glory, as being a part of the very family
of God.
Joshua, in bringing the Israelites into the Holy Land of
Palestine, did not fully fill up the complete rest of God.
Neither did David exhaust the fullness of this rest in its
completeness when he talked about "Today, if you will hear His
voice, harden not your heart."
There is MORE to this REST than in Joshua's day or David's
day, more than just the promised land or the seventh day of the
week. There is an eternal aspect of God's rest.
Yet, with all that said, Paul goes on to state that "There
REMAINETH (present continuous tense in the Greek) a keeping of a
sabbath (margin KJV) to the people of God. Paul uses here a once
in all the NT word - Sabbatismos - which literally means, a
keeping of the Sabbath. And he who has entered God's rest, now in
the spiritual sense, will cease from his own works, AS God did
from His. Sure there is the spiritual side to all this "works"
talk - believing God, obeying, following His will. But there is
the literal work of God resting on that literal seventh day of
creation week. So also the child of God will do - stop his own
work on the seventh day, keep the Sabbath of the fourth
commandment.
The typology all fits like hand and glove. Seventh day from
creation, God rested, the promised land of Palestine, promised to
the Israelites who would believe (trust) and obey, a rest of
peace for them, and the rest of eternal glory in the family of
God. Palestine still exists today, and will during the 1,000 year
reign of Christ on earth. The Sabbath is still here, the seventh
day of the week still exists, and will exist during the 1,000
year Kingdom of God on earth (Isaiah 66).
So TODAY, we are to NOT follow the unbelieving hearts of the
old Israelites. We are to OBEY God; do His will; His Ten
Commandments still are for today, still need to be obeyed by
God's children, hence the fourth commandment of keeping holy the
seventh day, the Sabbath day, is STILL for the people of God to
obey. As God's children, we will stop our own carnal works of
sin, when we become a child of the Majesty on High, and we shall,
as He did, stop OUR works on the Sabbath day, or seventh day of
the week. We shall labour therefore to enter into the rest, of
all that the typology claims is God's rest, LEST any person FALL
after the same example (of the Israelites) of DIS-obedience
(margin KJV).
Dr.Samuele Bacchiocchi has in his books on the Sabbath,
given full and indepth examination to Hebrews chapter four. The
reader is pointed to his books as well as many other fine books
on the Sabbath keeping topic (verses 1-11).
We next have one of those often quoted and so somewhat
famous verses of the Bible, especially when it was used by the
old powerful speaking Evangelists of the 18th and 19th centuries.
"For the word of God is QUICK, and POWERFUL, and SHARPER
than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing
asunder of the soul and spirit, and of the joints and
marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of
the heart" (verse 12).
The next verses is to be expected after a verse like the
above. There is no creature that is not open in all ways before
His sight, so for us also, we are pretty naked to Him, if He
desires to strip us down and wants to see us for what we really
are. This is the God and our Father that we deal with, so we need
to walk accordingly.
Paul, then returns to the thought that in all of the truth
of the previous two verses, we still have a High Priest in
heaven, Jesus, the Son of God, so we can be encouraged to HOLD
FAST our profession of Christianity. For this High Priest is not
an aloof person, never knowing what it is like to be human, but
was flesh and blood for a while, and knows very well what human
temptations are all about. He was tempted Himself (remember in
the Gospels those famous temptations by the Devil after Jesus had
fasted for forty days), but never gave in to those temptations,
He remained sinless all His days as a human being.
We can, with such a High Priest on our side, come BOLDLY to
the throne of grace, and obtain mercy, and find grace to help us
in the time of need.
What wonderful re-assuring words to end a passage that is a
grave warning for us to not neglect the grace and salvation of
God. Comforting words indeed, that serve to encourage us to keep
walking in the ways of the Majesty on High, to remain faithful
and so inherit the eternal rest of God.
................
Written November 2006
  Chapter One-hundred-two:Epistle to Hebrews - Chapters Five and Six
CHAPTER FIVE
The duty of the High Priest in religion is to offer both
gifts and sacrifices - of course we are speaking in times past
before the New Covenant age of Christianity.
A High Priest being human, can also have compassion on those
who are not perfect, who sin, and who miss the mark of holiness.
The Priest being not perfect either, must also give offerings for
his sins.
Under the Old Covenant in Israel, the High Priest was
appointed by God as Aaron was, the calling not being men's ideas,
but the calling and service was from God. The Hebrews knew all
this truth, hence Paul leads into the same arguments of truth for
Jesus Christ. It was not some fancy vain idea of Christ to become
a High Priest for mankind towards God the Father. It was the
Father's will and plan and desire to have Jesus born through the
Holy Spirit into a human man. Hence the Scriptures can say, "You
art ny Son, this day I have begotten you" (Psalm 2:7).
And also the Scripture says, "You are a Priest after the
order of Melchizedek" (Psalm 110:6).
We shall come back with Paul later, to a more detailed
connection and typology with Christ and Melchizedek, in chapter
7.
Jesus was human as well as divine. Yes fully human and fully
divine. Jesus needed to be close to the Father in prayers and
supplications, with at times strong crying and even tears, unto
Him that was able to save Him from sin and death. And the Father
was indeed well pleased and did hear and did provide Jesus with
the Holy Spirit without measure, we are told in the Gospels.
Jesus needed mighty strength and power to withstand the
temptations and power of the Devil, and the pull of human nature.
Together with those factors and the factor of living in a society
that was sinful in many ways, it is mighty difficult to remain
sinless. Think about it. You may at times be close enough to God
to have no wrong thought, no wrong word, no wrong action. Maybe
you can be like that for an hour, maybe a few hours, maybe a half
day, possibility even a whole day. But think about having to try
and live like that day after day, week after week, month after
month, year after year!
Surely living perfect and holy all your life, would take
MUCH prayer, MUCH supplication, many heart-felt TEARS at times.
It was no easy cake walk for Jesus to remain sinless, why
just one sin from Him, and it would have been all over, and
mankind would or could never be saved to eternal glory in the
family of God.
Jesus had to put forth great personal effort of mind to be
always so close to the Father, that with the help of the power of
the Holy Spirit, He could remain sinless. Yes, he was the Son of
God in a miraculous way, but He learned day after day just what
it meant to be OBEDIENT. Jesus learnt from the daily situations
of life that we encounter and which can effect our thinking and
our words and our actions, what it was like and what was needed
to continually be obedient to the will and way of the Father.
Then when it was all finished for Him in this physical flesh
and blood life, He was glorified to eternal PERFECTION, where sin
could never again even be a temptation. Paul tells us also an
important truth here. Jesus was the AUTHOR - the one to write the
book so to speak - for eternal salvation. It is a truth that
clearly tells us that NO OTHER physical person who has EVER
lived, has EVER gained as yet, eternal salvation in glorious
perfection. No, not Enoch, no not, Moses, no not Elijah - NO ONE
except Christ has been glorified to eternal perfection of
salvation. Elsewhere in the writings of Paul he tells us that
Christ Jesus has PRE-EMINENCE in ALL things. And here in Hebrews,
part of that pre-eminence is being the AUTHOR or salvation. Jesus
has written the book on how physical people can obtain and
inherit eternal salvation. On this Website I have a full in-depth
study showing that Enoch, Moses, and Elijah, are NOT in heaven,
they are STILL dead, in their graves, and await the resurrection
of the dead. Paul also again clearly tells us this is so at the
end of Hebrews chapter 11.
If we OBEY Christ we can also inherit eternal salvation in
glorious perfection.
Christ Jesus was called of God, and He was called to be a
High Priest AFTER THE ORDER of "Melchizedek." Paul said he could
say many things about this truth, but it would be hard to utter
these things to them, because they had dulled their ears to
hearing such wonders and truths. Paul got into some straight
talk, shoot from the hip words, at times, with people who had
closed their ears and mind to wonderful truths of God.
Paul told them that THEY, those Hebrews should by now have
become TEACHERS of these truths, yet they themselves needed to be
taught AGAIN, the FIRST principles of God. They needed the MILK
of the word of truth, and could not digest strong meat.
What a sad state in the life of a Christian to be at the
point of not hearing God's word speak to you, revealing to you
deep and deeper things of the meat of the Father's truths. It is
something we need to be watchful with all of our lives, to never
be dull of hearing, complacent, having a "oh hum, ain't
interested in exploring deeper into God's word" attitude. We are
told by the apostle Peter to "grow in grace and knowledge" - we
can not do that if we are not "thinking" - "reading" - studying"
- "meditating" - "searching" - and always open to let the Holy
Spirit lead us into all truths. It's the attitude of having an
open mind, yet at the same time not so open that our brains fall
out, and then being pushed around with every wind of doctrine,
tossed here and there. It is having a fine balance between the
two. It can be done. It is not easy, and many have not learned
HOW to be balanced, and many have made shipwreck their eternal
salvation. But with God all things are possible. I personally
have experienced the wonder of it all, as God has led me, via His
Holy Spirit into all truths, certainly all truths that are
required for salvation, and many truths that are just great to
know, and open up and bring to life the power, and majesty, and
plan of the Almighty, as He works His work on this earth here
below.
Paul says that STRONG MEAT belongs to those who have MATURED
in spirituality, who have been exercised by God's word, who use
it daily to exercise their spiritual muscles and build up their
strength of correct senses to discern both that which is evil and
that which is good (verses 1-14).
CHAPTER SIX
Paul urges his readers to now leave the basic principles and
truths of God and move on to greater perfection. Yes, the basic
truths we need to clearly know, but after knowing them, we do not
stand still, we do not "tread water" but we SWIM on!
The foundational, tread the water truths of God, are now
listed for us. They are: REPENTANCE from dead works, FAITH
towards God, the teachings of BAPTISMS, the LAYING ON OF HANDS,
the RESURRECTION of the dead, and eternal PUNISHMENT.
All these foundational truths are FULLY explored in the form
of IN-DEPTH studies on my Website.
Paul gives a grave and sober truth here. Those who have been
called and chosen, who have truly been partakers of the heavenly
gift, who have been enlightened, who have had the Holy Spirit,
and who have indeed tasted the good word of God and the very
power of the age to come. IF THEY SHALL FALL AWAY, TO RENEW THEM
AGAIN TO REPENTANCE, as they have crucified the Son of God once
more, and so have put Him to open shame.
What words to meditate upon! What soberness they contain!
What seriousness is in them! They are there in the holy word of
God. How many have lived and died being a part of this company
that cannot be renewed to repentance, only the resurrection will
tell.
The illustration of the physical earth is now given. The
water from God comes on the earth, without partiality in the
general terms of it all, and some lands dressed and cared for by
men, bring forth foods fit for eating, but some parts of the land
bring forth thorns and briers, which are rejected, and even
cursed sometimes, whose end is to be gathered and burned in the
fire.
As we read through the Gospels and the rest of the New
Testament, such illustrations of the good and bad, the wheat and
tares, the sheep and goats, are repeated often times. The bad,
the thorns and the briers, are one day to be gathered together
and cast into the furnace of fire, to be burned up, in the second
death that is spoken about in Revelation 20.
Paul does not want to leave them in utter despair and
downcast, as if he is telling them that THEY are in a hopeless
position, and can only face the fire of destruction. No, he does
NOT believe they are beyond all hope of salvation. In fact he
knows they have done well in the past, have had good works, labor
of love, showing it in the way they have served God and served
the saints, even ARE STILL serving the saints. He wants them to
CONTINUE to show the same DILIGENCE, to the full assurance of the
hope, unto THE END! He wants them to not be SLOTHFUL, lazy,
sleepy, in their spirituality, but to be followers of those who
through FAITH and PATIENCE (living and practicing what is right
in the sight of God) will INHERIT the promises pertaining to
salvation.
He gives them the example of one of their great old fathers
- Abraham. He was faithful, he believed God, he obeyed God, he
served the Almighty. God had promised that his very descendants
in the flesh would be multiplied as the stars of heaven. Abraham
patiently endured, walking with God, serving Him, obeying Him,
and he finally received the son of promise.
The Eternal had first PROMISED to Abraham, then God SWORE by
Himself, to Abraham that this would be so. There is none greater
than God, hence God swore by Himself. Men can make contracts with
each other, swear by this or that, to give some kind of assurance
to other men, that it will be so. But God has no greater to swear
by, so he swore on Himself, and it is written God cannot lie.
The AMPLIFIED BIBLE gives the sense of the last verses of
this chapter.
"Accordingly God also, in His desire to show more
convincingly and beyond doubt to those who were to inherit
the promise, the unchangeableness of His purpose and plan,
intervened (mediated) with an oath. This was so that, by two
changeable things (His promise and His oath) in which it is
impossible for God ever to prove false or deceive us, we who
have fled (to Him) for refuge, might have mighty indwelling
strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the
hope appointed for us and set before (us). (Now) we have
this (hope) as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul (it
cannot slip and it cannot break down under whoever steps
out upon it - a hope) that reaches farther and enters into
(the very certainty of the Presence) within the veil (Lev.
16:2). Where Jesus has entered in for us (in advance), a
Forerunner having become a High Priest forever after the
order (with the rank) of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4)."
(verses 1-20).
Paul again ends his thought by bringing his readers back to
Jesus as being HIGH PRIEST in heaven above. The very High Priest
of the rank of the famous Melchizedek to whom their great father
Abraham gave homage.
Paul will now go on in chapter 7, with the important
connection between Melchizedek and Jesus Christ. The connection
is far greater than any spirituality that could be given to Aaron
and the Levitical Priesthood or any High Priest coming from that
line of Aaron and Levi.
..................
Written December 2006
  Chapter One-hundred-three:Epistle to Hebrews - chap.7 - Melchisedec
CHAPTER SEVEN
The priest Melchisedec is claimed by some to have been an
ordinary human man, just like a priest today in the Roman
Catholic church, only this Melchisedec was a priest of the Most
High God.
This teaching claims that the phrase "without father,
without mother" is just simply stating that his physical pedigree
was lost or unknown, that there is no "record" of it found
anywhere.
This to me seems a little far-out when you consider other
pedigrees recorded and preserved in and among the people of God.
And if this Melchisedec was so famous and so great a priest of
the Most high God, then surely some record of from who he was
would have been preserved, even if only a few generations of his
pedigree before or after.
This famous priest of old also had "neither beginning of
days nor end of life." I guess those who believe this priest was
from no divine Godhead, who probably argue that this phrase is
repeating the previous idea of the previous phrase - physical
pedigree records were lost or not recorded or handed down to
anyone.
Once more I contend that happening would have been VERY
UNLIKELY considering the importance that Paul gives to this man
in connection with Jesus the Christ, and the connection given in
a prophecy of the OT that connects this Melchisedec with Christ
(Psalm 110:4).
Then I maintain that reading the Bible with the mind of a
child (remember Jesus saying that unless you become like a child
you will not enter the Kingdom of God), the phrase "neither
beginning of days nor end of life" is pretty simple to
understand. It does not take a degree in theology, or some fancy
PhD interpretation - the words in English or Greek, are very
clear - no beginning of days nor end of life, is telling you that
this man, this priest of the Most High God, was ETERNAL!!
Now, there were ALL KINDS of words in the Greek language,
the language was not reduced to just a mere few - limited - or
lacking vocabulary. If Paul was wanting us to understand that
this priest Melchisedec was merely like any other human priest of
the past thousands of years, then he could have very easily have
written with words "his pedigree is lost or not recorded" or "the
record of who his mother and father were have not been handed
down to us."
I maintain the very words and phrases used by Paul are a
clear instruction to us that Paul was meaning to inform us that
this Melchisedec was NOT from any human flesh and blood mother
and father, but that this priest of the Most High God was himself
ETERNAL, from the very Godhead of eternity.
The ancient Priest was KING of RIGHTEOUSNESS and KING of
PEACE! Can any mere human priest of human parents, be qualified
to carry such titles. You read about the perfect Job, and all his
righteousness, yet he is never given the title "King of
Righteousness" by God. The Almighty does speak very well indeed
of him, the first few chapters of Job, make this clear, yet no
title of "King of Righteousness" is granted to perfect Job.
Then we need to put together two phrases - one in verse one
and the other in verse three. "For this Melchisedec, king of
peace, priest of the Most High God....made like until the Son of
God, abideth a priest continually."
Notice Daniel 7:13. "I saw in the night vision, and, behold,
one like unto the Son of man came with clouds of heaven, and came
to the Ancient of Days..."
Like unto the Son of man ... Like unto the Son of God. The
next verse in Daniel makes it clear that this "like unto the Son
of man" is none other than the Christ who will rule all nations.
The one who Daniel saw coming to the Ancient of Days was and is
Jesus the Christ. The Melchisedec of old, whom Abraham met and
gave a tithe to, was made like unto the Son of God. In other
words this SAME person LATER became the one whom we call Jesus
Christ.
Paul is telling us that this great priest of Salem - King of
Peace, this King of righteousness - who had no mother or father,
who had no beginning of days nor end of life, this eternal one,
WAS LATER MADE LIKE UNTO THE SON OF GOD, who now lives as High
Priest in heaven above, sitting on the right hand of the Most
High God, the Father.
Abraham, whom the Hebrews looked upon as one of their great
fathers of old, was NOTHING in comparison to this Melchisedec
priest of the Most High God. So there was no need to boast about
or get all vain in mind, towards being some physical person
descended from a physical man called Abraham, when Abraham, was
MUCH less than Melchisedec, and to whom Abraham gave honor and
homage and a tithe. Then this Melchisedec who was eternal, a part
of the very eternal Godhead, later became the very Jesus the
Christ, the Savior of the world, the REALLY great one, whom the
Hebrews needed to give first place in their lives, give their
lives, mind, and heart, to Him, who STILL lives (as he always
did) and is today the Priest above priests, who is the High
Priest of all and any high priest.
If this Melchisedec was only a mere human priest just as
Aaron was, and any priest in Israel since Aaron, and just one
priest of a line of physical human priests that lived before and
after Melchisedec, WHY connect Melchisedec? Why not connect
Aaron? Or some other priest of the Most High God. Why connect
this Melchisedec, unless it is simply to show Abraham giving a
tithe to him, which Paul does connect later with Aaron and a
change in the priesthood and the law.
I contend the very words used by Paul in connecting
Melchisedec with the Son of God, is to show the Hebrews that ONE
much greater than Abraham existed in Abraham's day, and that that
greater one was eternal, and later that one became the very
person of Jesus Christ, who now lives and is a Priest forever for
us humans interceding for us, between us and the Father. I
believe this is Paul's argument to the Hebrews. His thought to
them is - get your minds off any physical high priest and
physical Aaron priesthood, and get it on the ONE who was THE
GREAT Priest of the Most High in Abraham's day and is STILL the
High Priest for us humans today - Jesus the Christ. For
Melchisedec and Christ were and are the ONE SAME PERSON!
The question has arisen, "Why did an eternal being, a member
of the Godhead, come to earth in Abraham's day (who knows
possibly before and after Abraham) and live on earth as Priest to
the Most High God?
The answer is not given in Scripture in any clear precise
way. One thing we can know though is, God can do whatever He
desires to do, for whatever reasons He knows. Some times He tells
us the reasons, sometimes He tells us not. Some things are hidden
from us, some things are revealed to us. There are mysteries of
God hidden from our eyes and understanding, and there are
mysteries of God revealed to us. The apostle Paul makes this
clear in many passages in his epistles. Then he adds in one that
even today in the Gospel age (where so much has been revealed to
us) we often look through a glass darkly. But one day we shall
know even as we are known.
We shall continue with the thoughts and teachings of Paul on
the old Israel priesthood and the commandment to take tithes, as
it was connected to Abraham and Melchisedec, and as it is still
connected to the priesthood of Christ who was made after the
order of Melchisedec. We shall continue with all that in the next
chapter of this New Testament Bible Story.
.................
Written January 2007
  Chapter One-hundred-four:Epistle to Hebrews
Chapter 7 continued
THE LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD
AND TITHING
Paul has spoken about the great man Abraham, yet great as he
was to the Hebrews, he was not as great as the King of
Righteousness - the eternal Priest of the Most High God -
Melchisedec. Abraham gave this Priest a tithe - a tenth of the
spoils he had taken as he freed Lot from captivity.
Then we come to the time of Levi - a tribe of Israel. Two of
the very greatest institutions in ancient Israel was the
LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD and TITHING to that priesthood. Paul is
arguing that there was a GREATER Priest BEFORE Levi - and that
TITHING was also before Levi. He proves his point by showing the
Hebrews the fact of Abraham tithing to Melchisedec, way before
the days of Moses and the tribes of Israel.
As the days were fast approaching when the Temple in
Jerusalem would be destroyed, when the Levitical Priesthood would
come to an end, when all the rituals in the Temple system would
stop, when tithing to that Levi priesthood would stop per se; the
question needed to be asked and answered: "When the Levi
Priesthood and tithing to them would come to a stop, did that
mean there was NO more Priesthood and no more Tithing?"
Paul argues that such being the case of no more Levi
Priesthood and tithing to them, does NOT automatically mean NO
MORE Priesthood and NO MORE tithing.
Tithing Paul argues was way before Levi, in fact Levi
through the loins of Abraham, payed tithes, by tithing to
Melchisedec. And this Priest Paul has demonstrated was ETERNAL -
a member of the eternal GODHEAD, and that individual eventually
became the Jesus Christ of the New Testament, as was foretold in
the prophecy of Psalm 110.
Paul argues that IF perfection should have come about
through Levi and that Priesthood, then why was there a prophecy
that ANOTHER would arise AFTER the order of Melchisedec, and not
after the order of Aaron and Levi? Here he proves that the Levi
Priesthood was INFERIOR to the GREAT Melchisedec Priesthood, and
that it was prophesied that there would come a CHANGE of
Priesthood - from Levi to Melchisedec.
And so BEING A CHANGE in the PRIESTHOOD, there is a change
in the LAW also!
What law is Paul in the context of his argument, talking
about? Why the LAW of TITHING! And also the law of High Priest
and the NT Priesthood.
Whom it was prophesied about, was NOT FROM Levi, but from
JUDAH, which tribe never under the Old Covenant served at the
altar in the Tabernacle or Temple.
The LORD who was to take the order of Melchisedec was from
Judah! And the order that the Lord Jesus would take was not an
order of carnal physical corrupt man, but the order of the power
of an endless life (verse 16).
Yes, the Priest Melchisedec was ETERNAL - an order of no
physical human life. That same individual who was functioning for
a time on this earth as the Priest of the Most High God, was to
become the Godhead being who was to be made flesh and blood, die
for the sins of the world, be the Savior of mankind, be raised
from the dead, and be given the eternal Priesthood of the order
of Melchisedec.
There was to be a disannulling of the WEAK commandment of
the Levi Priesthood, which in reality could save no one to
eternal life through its carnal ordinances and physical
institutions of animal sacrifices. The Old Covenant per se did
not have eternal life promised in its laws. There was always to
be a BETTER WAY, a better HOPE, by which we draw nigh to God, by
which we can be reconciled and justified, be forgiven sins and be
saved.
Throughout the New Testament and the writings of Paul, we
are told over and over again, what that NEW HOPE WAS - it was
justification and salvation through the blood of Jesus the Christ
- the High Priest after the order of Melchisedec.
There was ALWAYS to be a CHANGE of Priesthood and tithing -
it was ALWAYS prophesied - the entire Old Testament FORETOLD IT!
The Old Covenant with the tribe of Levi as Priesthood and tithing
to that system, was NEVER the way to perfection or eternal life.
Jesus the Christ was to take control of the New Testament,
the New Covenant PRIESTHOOD, there was to be a CHANGE IN THE LAW
of priesthood and tithing!
Neither the Priesthood or Tithing was EVER to be "abolished"
or "done away with" - it was to be CHANGED - from Levi to Judah,
and more specific to Jesus Christ - His Priesthood.
As the old Priesthood was instituted by an oath, so God
Himself swore by Himself that Jesus would receive the order of
Priesthood from that of Melchisedec (verse 21).
Jesus was to be made the security of a BETTER TESTAMENT! The
old human Priests DIED, they could not continue because death
would remove them. But Jesus LIVES FOREVER, and hence His
Priesthood does not pass from one human person to another, but
continues forever more.
And so Paul exclaims, because Christ has an eternal
Priesthood He is able to save those who come to God through Him,
for He can INTERCEDE for them, plead their cause, obtain mercy
and forgiveness from the Father, and save them to the uttermost.
That High Priest on High became one of us, came as human flesh
and blood, went through life knowing what it was like to be
human, to be tempted in all points as we are, yet remain sinless.
This GREATEST High Priest does not have to offer up daily
sacrifices as the Priests of Levi did, first for themselves and
then for others. Jesus after the order of the Melchisedec
Priesthood, offered Himself ONCE for sins.
The Old Covenant law made imperfect men as Priests, but the
word of the promise and oath of the Most High God, made the Son
of God, THE High Priest forever (verse 28).
The Priesthood and Tithing to that Priesthood has NOT been
abolished, it has been CHANGED - from Levi to Judah - from the
line of Aaron to the line of Christ, and His Priesthood.
As long as the Temple stood in Jerusalem, as long as the
Levitical Priesthood stood, then tithing to that Priesthood was
in effect, and people then had the right, even NT Christians, to
tithe to that Levi Priesthood. But Paul is arguing that there is
anotherBETTER Priesthood in force - the eternal Melchisedec
Priest - the one Jesus Christ was made after the order of.
Tithing to that Priesthood was also in effect, if Christians
wanted to tithe to that Priesthood.
Paul's argument is that WHEN the Levi Priesthood and the
Temple would come to an end, tithing to the eternal Melchisedec/
Christ Priesthood would NOT END!
.................
Written January 2007
  Chapter One-hundred-five:Epistle to Hebrews
Chapters 8 and 9
CHAPTER 8
The last half of this chapter is the key-note. And this
chapter in a nut=shell is about the TWO COVENANTS - the first,
but more importantly the second or as it is put "a BETTER
covenant."
Paul sums up what he has so far spoken, and that is that we
have a High Priest, who is set down on the right hand of God, by
His throne, the Majesty in the heavens.
It is again worth noting that Jesus sits NOT on top of the
Majesty on High, not inside of Him, not taking His throne for
himself, BUT Christ sits on the RIGHT HAND of the Majesty on
High. This verse alone (without dozens and dozens of others in
the Bible and in the New testament particularly) PROVES that
Jesus Christ and God the Father (the Majesty on high) are TWO
SEPARATE BEING!! Both have their own FORM and SHAPE, both sitting
next to each other, not inside of each other, or being each other
at certain times. The idea of a Trinity of the Godhead, and
specifically a Trinity on ONE being (which such teachers say you
cannot understand, see, or give literal spirit dimensions to)
that manifests itself in the form ofthe Father, at one time, the
Son at another time, and the Holy Spirit, at yet another time, or
I guess they maybe teach, all three beings at a time if the ONE
being so decides.
This teaching is so silly and frankly a stupid mind bending
theological idea, that truly only some psychologically mixed up
minds can come up with such a teaching. A little child reading
the Bible will NEVER come up with such theology as the Trinity
idea above. I know I was there as a child, reading my Bible from
age 6, in a Church of England school, a Sunday school, and in the
quiet nights of my bedroom before falling asleep. NEVER did I get
the picture that God the Father and Jesus are some part of a
mystic vague, not understandable, form of a Trinity idea that
some hold.
This Jesus is the minister of the true sanctuary and
tabernacle, which was not made and pitched by human hands. Paul
will have much more to say about this true tabernacle in the next
chapter.
A high priest does offer gifts and sacrifices, that is part
of his calling and part of his service in a physical tabernacle
such as the Jews had in Jerusalem at the time this epistle was
written. So also, this High Priest of the true tabernacle, made
without human hands, had gifts and service to offer to the Most
High God. It was not that he was High Priest while on earth, as a
flesh and blood human, for there were already high priests in the
physical temple in Jerusalem. And those physical high priests in
a physical temple on a literal physical part of the earth, were
in reality just a SHADOW, of the much more important office of
the real spiritual High Priest that was to come in the heavenly
Temple.
Paul reminds them of the truth that Moses was to build a
tabernacle PATTERNED AFTER the heavenly tabernacle (verses 1-5).
A BETTER NEW COVENANT
This Jesus the Christ has obtained a BETTER AND MORE
EXCELLENT ministry, more excellent than any high priest could
ever imagine or obtain, serving in a physical tabernacle in the
city of Jerusalem. Hence Jesus is the MEDIATOR (the go-between,
the arbitrator, of two entering a covenant relationship) of a
BETTER covenant or TESTAMENT, which is established upon BETTER
promises.
One of the weaknesses of the first covenant was that the
Holy Spirit of power and nature of God, was not promises to the
Israelites as an automatic part of that covenant. This truth can
bee seen by reading Numbers chapter eleven.
And hence together with that covenant fact, the people were
weak, they had the fault, that made that covenant very poor in
comparison with the better covenant, with better promises, that
was to come. If the first covenant had been perfect, then no
place would have been found for a second. There is no need to
re-vamp a perfect covenant. but the first covenant was far from
perfect, so a second could be given and could be promised to
come.
Yes, the basic fault with the first covenant was a fault
with the people. Not having automatic access to the Holy Spirit,
through the first covenant, the people could not have the power
and strength and even the mind-set, to follow and serve all the
laws and commandments of the first covenant given through Moses.
All that was going to be corrected through the better covenant or
testament.
Paul once more uses the Scriptures, the word of God that the
Hebrew Jews were well acquainted with, to prove that it was
promised and written, that a NEW covenant, or Testament, was
going to come to the people. He quotes from Jeremiah 31:31. That
covenant was going to make sure that the LAWS of God could be
written in the hearts of the people entering that covenant
relationship with God.
There could now be, under the new covenant, a PERSONAL
RELATIONSHIP with God the Father. Those under the new covenant
could have their sins forgiven, and have access to the very mind
and nature of God the Father.
All of this truth Paul expounds upon in his other epistles
to other churches and people. All of those other epistles we have
covered already in this New Testament Bible Story. Then I have
also expounded myself the truth of the matter concerning
REPENTANCE, GRACE, SALVATION, FAITH, BAPTISM, LIVING TO SERVE
GOD, in many in-depth studies on this Website.
The apostle Paul here just sums it all up in a few
sentences, as he finishes his thoughts contained in chapter 8.
The promise of a new covenant makes the first covenant old,
and that which has become old and starting to decay, is read to
vanish away.
In Paul's day of writing this epistle, the physical Temple
in Jerusalem, still stood there, and that tabernacle's high
priest still functioned, and all the rites and offerings and
sacrifices of that tabernacle were still being performed. It had
not YET come to and end, not yet vanished away, but the day was
fast approaching when it would all vanish away. But that being
the fact, the NEW TESTAMENT, the new covenant was ALREADY IN
PLACE. Jesus the Messiah had come, had died for the sins of the
people, had been resurrected to glory, had been made High Priest
after the order of Melchisedec, had ascended to heaven to sit on
the right hand of the Majesty on High.
The NEW COVENANT was already in effect, for whomsoever will
may come, may come and enter that new covenant relationship with
God Almighty through Jesus Christ, as Savior and High Priest on
the right hand of the Majesty of heaven, in the Tabernacle above
made without human hands. This NEW covenant was NOW functioning,
the old covenant was soon to come to a full and complete stop, to
indeed vanish away (verses 6-13).
CHAPTER 9
Paul now goes into some details of the physical tabernacle
and service under that first covenant. The service was of divine
origin, yes, it was God who told Moses to build such a physical
tabernacle and institute the Aaronic priesthood and all that such
a line of priests with a body of tabernacle servers from the
tribe of Levi, were to perform.
That tabernacle contained within its first section, the
candlestick, the table, the shewbread. The second section behind
a veil or curtain, called the Holiest of all, or Holy of Holiest,
contained: the golden censer, the ark of the covenant, in which
was the golden pot that had manna. There was Aaron's rod that
budded, and the tables of the covenant. On top was the mercy seat
and the Cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat.
For detailed information on this tabernacle the reader is
pointed to the many pictorial Bible Dictionaries readily
available in some Public Libraries, from Bible Books Stores, or
on the Internet.
The high priest of the first tabernacle covenant went into
the first section of that tabernacle on a daily basis to do the
daily service of worship for the people towards God. But he could
only go in to the Most Holy place ONLY ONCE a year, on the Feast
day of Atonement. He went into this Holy of Holiest with BLOOD,
for himself and the people, he and they were mere human being
with sins.
Paul said, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that
this once a year entry into the Holiest place behind the curtain,
signified that the way to God the father in the Holy place of
heaven was not possible for the vast majority of the people, only
for the select few. The high priest would represent the FEW under
the old covenant that were allowed to have the Holy Spirit and
access to God the Father. These relatively few would include
people like Abraham, Moses, David and others of faith that are
mentioned in Hebrews 11.
All of this past service in the old tabernacle under the old
covenant, was a TYPE, a FIGURE, for a deeper spiritual truth and
meaning. Those gifts offered under the old covenant in the
tabernacle, would not make him that did the service PERFECT. No
real spiritual cleansing and personal connection with God could
come about by offering physical meat and drink offerings, in a
physical tabernacle. Yet this outward physical service was to be
done under the old covenant, it was IMPOSED, ordained, commanded
to be performed by the people of ancient Israel, UNTIL, ONLY
UNTIL, THE TIME OF REFORMATION!
There was to come a time of REFORM, a much deeper SPIRITUAL
REFORM, a time when the physical was to pass away, vanish away,
and a NEW covenant, a NEW TESTAMENT, was to be introduced to the
people, to whomsoever would come. To whomsoever would take Christ
Jesus as God's Son, as Savior, as High Priest of that new
covenant.
It is Christ who has become the High Priest of good things
to come, in a greater and more perfect tabernacle, made not with
human hands, neither by the blood of goats and sheep, BUT through
His OWN BLOOD, death on the cross, He was found worthy to bear
the sins of the world, and enter into the Holy of Holiest, thus
having obtained eternal redemption for US!
There was a type of reconciling ancient Israel to God, under
the old covenant and rites of the tabernacle. There was a
sanctifying of the flesh so to speak, under the old covenant. By
having a tabernacle and all its physical service through physical
animals and grain and bread offerings, there would be at least a
somewhat sanctifying of the flesh - the people of Israel would
continue to live, they would continue to reap blessings from God,
be His people, be used to glorify God to the rest of the world.
As long as their hearts were right in performing this outward and
physical service to God, as long as it gave them a mind somewhat
with God in the centre, it would preserve their physical flesh.
All the rites of the physical did have some good towards their
flesh. Yet in a perfect spiritual way ..... ah, well as Paul went
on to say:
"How MUCH MORE shall the BLOOD of Christ, who through the eternal
Spirit offered Himself without fault (without sin) to God, PURGE
your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (verses
1-13).
Jesus is therefore the MEDIATOR (the High Priest for us
towards God the Father) of the NEW TESTAMENT. Now Paul gets to
the real reality of it all, this is not just a "covenant" (an
agreement between two parties) - it is MORE than that, it is a
TESTAMENT. Like a "last will and testament," that people leave to
be executed or performed AFTER they DIE!
And in verse 15, is the answer to the question about those
under the old testament, called of God, given the Holy Spirit,
and will they be SAVED, and HOW will they be saved. Will they be
saved in a different way from us under the New Testament? NO, NOT
AT ALL! They will be saved, yes indeed, that is seen clearly from
chapter 11 and many other parts of the Bible. They will be saved
as WE ARE SAVED .... by GRACE, through faith, in the sacrifice
and BLOOD of Jesus Christ. Those called under the old testament
LOOKED AHEAD to the blood of Christ, they had faith in what was
promised to come. We today, look back in faith, to what did come
to pass .... Jesus dies to save sinners. God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him,
should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
Salvation is the SAME for all people, young or old, those
who lived thousands of years ago and those who will yet live in
the future. There is name other name under heaven whereby you can
be saved. All must look to God in faith, through the blood of
Christ, for the forgiveness of sins. God is no respecter of
persons. Salvation for all people has always been the same and
will forever be the same. Jesus is Lord and Savior, past,
present, and future.
Verses 16-22, give the proof that this New Covenant is MUCH
MORE than a covenant, it is a TESTAMENT! A Testament is in force
AFTER the death of the testator. Where there is a testament there
needs to be the death of the testator. While the person lives the
last will and testament is not in force. It only comes into
effect AFTER the death of the one who is the testator of the
testament.
Paul, as the great scholar he was of the word of God, nails
it down, shows the proof of all this. He takes his readers, the
Hebrew Jews, Hebrew Israelites, back to the very beginning of the
forming and ratifying, sealing, the first testament. It is found
in Exodus 24:1-11. There it is in CLEAR black and white - the
first testament was ratified WITH BLOOD, with DEATH!
He says that in law of the Lord just about all things are
purged with BLOOD. And WITHOUT THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD THERE IS NO
REMISSION!
It is the way the Lord has decreed it. It is the way He
planned it to be before the world was. I suppose we could argue
that God could have done it this way or that way. It makes no
difference as to what we may think about how the Almighty could
have reconciled the world to Himself, could have forgiven sins,
and could have made it possible for human kind to be saved and
have eternal life. It is the way that God decided to do it, that
is the end of the matter, that is the "Thus says the Lord" on the
subject.
He decided BEFORE the foundation of the world that a member
of the very Godhead would need to come to earth, as a human
person, live a perfect life, and shed His blood, to cleanse all
sins from all people, be resurrected to life and then be seated
on the right hand of the Majesty oh High, as High Priest, for
interceding work between the Father and His children.
The pattern of the heavenly needed a greater sacrifice than
that of earthy things. Jesus needed to offer himself just ONCE in
the heavenly Holy of Holiest. Jesus did not enter the physical
Holy Place in some physical tabernacle in a physical city on a
physical earth. He entered the heavenly place, not made with
human hands, to appear in the presence of God FOR US.
He did not need to offer Himself many times, as the old
covenant high priest had to do, every year going into the Most
Holy place on the Day of Atonement. He needed to die and offer
Himself just ONCE, or otherwise He would needs have to die over
and over again.
He came ONCE in the end of the age (in passing - note the
"end of the age" is used - that was two thousand years ago - so
the phrase "end of the age" can have a broader meaning at times
than just before Christ will return) to put away sin by the
sacrifice of Himself.
As is the basic true saying that it is appointed unto men to
die once, and after that the judgment day, so Christ was ONCE
offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for Him
shall He appear the second time, without sin unto salvation
(verses 23-28).
What glorious truths and salvation we are reading about.
What LOVE both the Father and His Son have for us. You need to
read and re-read and continue to read the New Testament Bible
Story as contained in the Gospels and all the rest of the New
Testament. In it was the words of LIFE, the only way you can be
saved, be glorified, inherit eternal life in the very family
Kingdom of God. Let the words of the New Testament be written in
your heart.
.................
Written January 2007
  Chapter One-hundred-six:Epistle to Hebrews
Chapters 10
For the first half of chapter 10, Paul gives emphasis to the
Old Testament as NOT the means of forgiveness of sins and
salvation through the ritual sacrifices, but that eternal
salvation was always to be through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ,
and that the Old Testament pointed to this truth.
The Old Testament "law" (the five books of Moses - Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) gave a for-shadow in
its rites and images, the true "good things to come" (the perfect
salvation sacrifice by Christ Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior
of mankind).
The yearly animal sacrifices could never make the offerer
perfect or justified or have sins forgiven, as to allow for
salvation. If this had been the way to eternal life, then the
yearly sacrifices would not have had to be repeated, they would
have ceased to be offered, because the worshippers once purged
from sin, would have had no more conscienceness of sin.
The purpose, one of the purposes, of those sacrifices, year
after year, was to REMIND people OF SIN, to remind them they were
STILL sinners, and it would take blood to forgive them their
sins, BUT it was just NOT possible that the blood of bulls and
goats and sheep, should take away sins (verses 1-4).
God had NEVER planned that full and complete spiritual
forgiveness as to attain salvation, was going to be by the blood
of bulls and goats. Animals are nice to have around, are pleasant,
give some joy to have, are useful in many ways for us human kind,
but the animal kind, can never to compared to the human kind. No
amount of animals are worth the life of just one human person. The
purpose and destiny for mankind is so much more greater than for
any animal kind, that it is truly like night and day in
comparison.
When God first brought Israel out of Egypt He DID NOT speak
to them about a strict animal sacrifice system. It was not His
intention at first to introduce to Israel a complicated and
laborious and rigorous, daily, all year round, animal sacrificial
system. This truth can be seen in reading Jeremiah chapter 7.
The many rites of "the law" were as a custodian to us, a
care-taker to us, to bring us to the "schoolmaster" - to Christ
Jesus. This is all fully explained by Paul in Galatians chapter
3. And we have covered in some detail that epistle of Galatians
earlier in this New Testament Bible Story.
The Most High had planned even before the foundation of the
world, that the saving of mankind from sin and death, would ONLY
be accomplished by the LIFE and the DEATH of one of the GODHEAD
kind. The second member of the Godhead was willing to come to
earth as a human being. To be fully human and yet fully divine at
the same time, to be IMMANUEL - or as that name means - God WITH
US, as Isaiah the prophet said it would be.
The forgiveness of sins was only ever going to be through
the blood sacrifice of Jesus the Christ, the Son of God. Only the
life of God could take away the sins of mankind and allow
perfection in salvation.
Hence to was foretold in Psalm 40:6,7 that when the Messiah
came into the world, He would say, "Sacrifices and offerings you
would not, but a body have you prepared for me. In burnt
offerings and sacrifices for sin you have no pleasure. Then said
I, I come (in the volume of a book it is written of me) to do thy
will, O God."
This is just another way of saying that God the Father had
never planned that animal sacrifices should take away sins for
the salvation of mankind. Salvation for the human kind was going
to be done through the life of the Son of God, He doing the
Father's will by coming to earth as a human person, living a
perfect sinless life, and shedding His blood in death on the
cross, for the sins of the whole world.
God was NOT ever going to use the rites and sacrifices of
the Old Testament law, which were offered under the priesthood
laws of the Old Testament Tabernacle or Temple, to bring about
salvation for the human kind. He had no pleasure in that system
of salvation for mankind. It was in a totally other system per se
that the Most High would accomplish salvation with men and women
on this earth. It was not that God hated the ritual animal
sacrifice system in itself, for He Himself had introduced it to
Israel and had made it the law in the nation of Israel, and that
system did accomplish certain good things. It did remind people
all the time, year after year, that they were sinners, and
through the shedding of the animals blood it did teach them and
point them, to the fact that it would be through the shedding of
the blood of the Messiah that forgiveness of sins would be
accomplished. But in the effect of perfect salvation and
forgiveness of sins for salvation, God had no pleasure in it
being through the blood of animals.
So it was that the first system of daily animal sacrifices
was to be taken away, put to one side, made to appear quite
useless, for eternal salvation, and the second one time, and once
for all, sacrifice of the Son of God, would be established as the
means to salvation. We humans would be forgiven our sins,
justified to God the Father, set apart or sanctified for a holy
purpose, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once
for all time (verses 5-10).
The Old Levitical priesthood stood serving on a daily
calendar the offerings, the same type over and over again, that
could never take away sins for salvation. But Jesus came and
offered ONE SACRIFICE of Himself, dying on the cross, shedding
His blood just once in death, and then sat down on the right hand
of the Most High (until His enemies should be His foot-stool, at
His return to earth and setting up on earth the Kingdom of God).
It was through ONE OFFERING, the offering of Himself in death
that He perfected forever those who are set apart for salvation.
This was THE WAY to eternal life and salvation, not through a
Levitical priesthood of animal sacrifices, but through the life
and blood sacrifice of the very Son of God.
Paul was here making sure that the Hebrews did not
misunderstand the nature of the old animal sacrificial system, as
it pertained to eternal salvation. There was just no way that
salvation could be obtained through the shedding of the blood of
bulls and goats and sheep. It was NEVER intended by God to
accomplish such a thing or to lead anyone to eternal life by
following such a laborious physical animal system. All of that
system and all the law pointed to Jesus the Christ, and His
sacrifice of Himself as the way to eternal life.
The Holy Spirit had also given witness in the Old Testament
(Jeremiah 31) that God would forgive sins and put His laws in the
hearts of people. It would all be done not through animal
sacrifices but through the way God had always planned it to be -
through His Son, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the
world. And so now that THE ONE sacrifice had been given, there
was no need to offer animal sacrifices for sin (verses 11-18).
We have seen through the book of Acts that some people of
God did still attend the Temple, some of its functions, and even
partake in some of its rituals, including animal sacrifices. Paul
never taught that the Temple services could not be attended and
partaken of by Christians, including the offering of animal
sacrifices. What Paul clearly taught was that such services and
Temple rituals did NOT function in any way with regards to
salvation. They had no bearing on real spiritual forgiveness of
sins, real justification with God, real sanctification, or the
inheriting of eternal life. It was not sin to do the Temple
services while the Levitical priesthood and the Temple still
functioned (all of that was indeed originally given from God to
Israel), if you desired, but doing so had no bearing on
salvation. Then on the other hand Paul taught that it was not
wrong or sin for a Christian to NOT follow the Temple rituals
including the system of animal sacrifices.
Some Christians, mainly of Hebrew of Jewish background
continued to observe some of the Temple systems of worship. Many
other Christians, of none Jewish background, did not. Paul is
here telling the Hebrew Christians that now the one sacrifice of
Christ has come, there is no need to be concerned with continuing
to offer animal sacrifices. And as the Temple and its priesthood
would soon be destroyed and be no more (as it would be after 70
A.D.) then all Christians needed to clearly know the truth about
the system of animal sacrifices - that it just was never intended
to be the way to salvation.
Now we Christians have a new way of entering the Holy of
Hollies, in the heavenly Temple. The old physical veil was
representive of the flesh of Christ. Jesus has come, He shed His
blood, His flesh was offered, and now we have the way through to
the very presence of God the Father in the holiest place of all
in the heavenly Temple. And further more, as Jesus is also there
on the right hand of the Father as High Priest over the whole
household of God, all the Father's children, then we can draw
near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our
hearts and minds sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our whole
bodies washed with pure water (verses 19-22).
It is all a spiritual truth from the physical types of the
Old Temple. The High priest having to wash himself fully before
entering the holy of hollies, behind the veil, on the Day of
Atonement, where he took blood and sprinkled the mercy seat of
God. All of that was a type of us Christians coming to the Father
in the holy of hollies above, through the flesh and blood of
Christ and obtaining forgiveness of sins, by His blood.
We are to then hold fast the profession of our faith and not
waver, as He that promised this way of salvation is faithful to
that promise. We are to remember each other, to encourage each
other to good works, to Christian love, and to Christian
fellowship. We are to NOT FORGET to assemble with each other, as
apparently in the time this epistle was written, some were
forgetting to assemble with others of like Christian faith. We
are to assemble so we can exhort, encourage, build-up, one
another, and especially as the day approaches towards the end
time (verses 23-25).
The day approaching will be such as was never before or
never will be again (Matthew 24). It will be a time of trouble on
earth that has or will have any equal in earth's history, from
the time of the creation of mankind. As we read the book of
Revelation it is hard to imagine what is yet to take place on
this earth, and the time of trouble for Israel, Judah,
Christians, and all nations. So, indeed it will be important for
Christians to encourage and exhort one another in Christian
fellowship.
Then there is another very important truth behind the
fellowship of Christians exhorting one another, and that is what
we read of in verses 26-31.
Christians exhorting one another will serve to help in the
lives of those Christians NOT to sin wilfully after we receive
the knowledge of the truth. This would be the unpardonable sin. A
wilfully set mind to give up the Christian walk, to go back into
the ways of the old man, to discard the path of righteousness, to
turn away from the light of the Lord, and again to live and walk
as a way of life in darkness of sin. This kind of mindset can
only lead to there being no more sacrifice for sins. It is a mindset
that once more treads under foot the very Son of God and counts
the blood of the covenant, that sanctifies, an unholy thing, and
does despite unto the Spirit of grace.
There was judgment under the Old Testament for those who
despised the laws of Moses. Death came upon those who had
committed serious sins, under the witness of two or three. For
those who despise the blood of Christ and trample Him under foot,
there will be even more severe punishment. God will punish, He
will recompense, He will judge His people. Yes, God is love, yes
He would like to see everyone saved, He is patient and merciful,
slow to anger, and kind. But He has written that He will judge
and reward everyone according to his works, whether good or evil.
For those who sin wilfully after being given the knowledge of the
truth, and deciding to trample on the blood of Christ, to them
God will one day be a punishing judge. For such people, it will
be a terrible and fearful thing to fall into the hands of the
living God.
We need Christian fellowship with others of like minds so we
can encourage each other to remain faithful, to continue to walk
in the ways of the Lord, to endure to the end, and in so doing be
saved into eternal life, and not destroyed in the lake of fire
and be sentenced to eternal death (verses 26-31).
To encourage his readers, Paul reminds them of the former
days, of how, after they had been illuminated to God's truths,
they endured a great fight, even through many afflictions. They
had suffered persecutions and reproaches, and afflictions of
various kinds from people who noticed them walking in the
footsteps of Christ. They had suffered reproaches and afflictions
just because they were named companions of Christians. Yet, they
remained faithful to God.
Paul reminds them of the compassion they had for him, in his
times of hardship, and how they wilfully gave of their physical
goods to help him, knowing that it was all noted by heaven, all
written down for their credit in the book of life, and would
receive an enduring reward one day, for all they went through and
did on earth as a faithful Christian.
They were therefore not to cast away their confidence, they
were to have patience, and to know that after they had done the
will of God, they would receive the promise of eternal life. He
who would come, Jesus who would one day return to earth, would
indeed come, He would no longer tarry or wait, but would come,
and His promise of life eternal they would collect.
We have seen in the past, the glorious truth that the saints
of God will receive the promise of eternal life at the
resurrection, which takes place at the coming of the Lord in
glory and power.
Those who are just or justified must live by faith. Paul
here sends out a strong and sharp message. He says that his life
will have no pleasure in them that draw back. Would Paul pray for
such people, I think so, but would Paul continue to have
Christian fellowship with them per se? I think not. How can light
have fellowship with darkness, and how can light have fellowship
with those who once were in light but have now chosen to draw
back into darkness?
Paul finishes his thought by the encouraging words of
confidence to his readers that they were all not of them that
draw back unto perdition, but to them that believe to the saving
of their life (verses 32-39).
It takes FAITH for the Christian to live, to endure to the
end, to remain faithful through trials, tests, hardship,
persecutions, and all the many things that physical life can
throw at us. So it was fitting that Paul should now go into a
full discourse on the subject of FAITH, and the many examples in
the Bible we have been given to encourage us to be faithful, to
endure to the end, to realize God is faithful to His promises.
All this we shall see in chapter 11.
........................
Written March 2007
Chapter One-hundred-six:Epistle to Hebrews
Chapters 10
For the first half of chapter 10, Paul gives emphasis to the
Old Testament as NOT the means of forgiveness of sins and
salvation through the ritual sacrifices, but that eternal
salvation was always to be through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ,
and that the Old Testament pointed to this truth.
The Old Testament "law" (the five books of Moses - Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) gave a for-shadow in
its rites and images, the true "good things to come" (the perfect
salvation sacrifice by Christ Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior
of mankind).
The yearly animal sacrifices could never make the offerer
perfect or justified or have sins forgiven, as to allow for
salvation. If this had been the way to eternal life, then the
yearly sacrifices would not have had to be repeated, they would
have ceased to be offered, because the worshippers once purged
from sin, would have had no more conscienceness of sin.
The purpose, one of the purposes, of those sacrifices, year
after year, was to REMIND people OF SIN, to remind them they were
STILL sinners, and it would take blood to forgive them their
sins, BUT it was just NOT possible that the blood of bulls and
goats and sheep, should take away sins (verses 1-4).
God had NEVER planned that full and complete spiritual
forgiveness as to attain salvation, was going to be by the blood
of bulls and goats. Animals are nice to have around, are pleasant,
give some joy to have, are useful in many ways for us human kind,
but the animal kind, can never to compared to the human kind. No
amount of animals are worth the life of just one human person. The
purpose and destiny for mankind is so much more greater than for
any animal kind, that it is truly like night and day in
comparison.
When God first brought Israel out of Egypt He DID NOT speak
to them about a strict animal sacrifice system. It was not His
intention at first to introduce to Israel a complicated and
laborious and rigorous, daily, all year round, animal sacrificial
system. This truth can be seen in reading Jeremiah chapter 7.
The many rites of "the law" were as a custodian to us, a
care-taker to us, to bring us to the "schoolmaster" - to Christ
Jesus. This is all fully explained by Paul in Galatians chapter
3. And we have covered in some detail that epistle of Galatians
earlier in this New Testament Bible Story.
The Most High had planned even before the foundation of the
world, that the saving of mankind from sin and death, would ONLY
be accomplished by the LIFE and the DEATH of one of the GODHEAD
kind. The second member of the Godhead was willing to come to
earth as a human being. To be fully human and yet fully divine at
the same time, to be IMMANUEL - or as that name means - God WITH
US, as Isaiah the prophet said it would be.
The forgiveness of sins was only ever going to be through
the blood sacrifice of Jesus the Christ, the Son of God. Only the
life of God could take away the sins of mankind and allow
perfection in salvation.
Hence to was foretold in Psalm 40:6,7 that when the Messiah
came into the world, He would say, "Sacrifices and offerings you
would not, but a body have you prepared for me. In burnt
offerings and sacrifices for sin you have no pleasure. Then said
I, I come (in the volume of a book it is written of me) to do thy
will, O God."
This is just another way of saying that God the Father had
never planned that animal sacrifices should take away sins for
the salvation of mankind. Salvation for the human kind was going
to be done through the life of the Son of God, He doing the
Father's will by coming to earth as a human person, living a
perfect sinless life, and shedding His blood in death on the
cross, for the sins of the whole world.
God was NOT ever going to use the rites and sacrifices of
the Old Testament law, which were offered under the priesthood
laws of the Old Testament Tabernacle or Temple, to bring about
salvation for the human kind. He had no pleasure in that system
of salvation for mankind. It was in a totally other system per se
that the Most High would accomplish salvation with men and women
on this earth. It was not that God hated the ritual animal
sacrifice system in itself, for He Himself had introduced it to
Israel and had made it the law in the nation of Israel, and that
system did accomplish certain good things. It did remind people
all the time, year after year, that they were sinners, and
through the shedding of the animals blood it did teach them and
point them, to the fact that it would be through the shedding of
the blood of the Messiah that forgiveness of sins would be
accomplished. But in the effect of perfect salvation and
forgiveness of sins for salvation, God had no pleasure in it
being through the blood of animals.
So it was that the first system of daily animal sacrifices
was to be taken away, put to one side, made to appear quite
useless, for eternal salvation, and the second one time, and once
for all, sacrifice of the Son of God, would be established as the
means to salvation. We humans would be forgiven our sins,
justified to God the Father, set apart or sanctified for a holy
purpose, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once
for all time (verses 5-10).
The Old Levitical priesthood stood serving on a daily
calendar the offerings, the same type over and over again, that
could never take away sins for salvation. But Jesus came and
offered ONE SACRIFICE of Himself, dying on the cross, shedding
His blood just once in death, and then sat down on the right hand
of the Most High (until His enemies should be His foot-stool, at
His return to earth and setting up on earth the Kingdom of God).
It was through ONE OFFERING, the offering of Himself in death
that He perfected forever those who are set apart for salvation.
This was THE WAY to eternal life and salvation, not through a
Levitical priesthood of animal sacrifices, but through the life
and blood sacrifice of the very Son of God.
Paul was here making sure that the Hebrews did not
misunderstand the nature of the old animal sacrificial system, as
it pertained to eternal salvation. There was just no way that
salvation could be obtained through the shedding of the blood of
bulls and goats and sheep. It was NEVER intended by God to
accomplish such a thing or to lead anyone to eternal life by
following such a laborious physical animal system. All of that
system and all the law pointed to Jesus the Christ, and His
sacrifice of Himself as the way to eternal life.
The Holy Spirit had also given witness in the Old Testament
(Jeremiah 31) that God would forgive sins and put His laws in the
hearts of people. It would all be done not through animal
sacrifices but through the way God had always planned it to be -
through His Son, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the
world. And so now that THE ONE sacrifice had been given, there
was no need to offer animal sacrifices for sin (verses 11-18).
We have seen through the book of Acts that some people of
God did still attend the Temple, some of its functions, and even
partake in some of its rituals, including animal sacrifices. Paul
never taught that the Temple services could not be attended and
partaken of by Christians, including the offering of animal
sacrifices. What Paul clearly taught was that such services and
Temple rituals did NOT function in any way with regards to
salvation. They had no bearing on real spiritual forgiveness of
sins, real justification with God, real sanctification, or the
inheriting of eternal life. It was not sin to do the Temple
services while the Levitical priesthood and the Temple still
functioned (all of that was indeed originally given from God to
Israel), if you desired, but doing so had no bearing on
salvation. Then on the other hand Paul taught that it was not
wrong or sin for a Christian to NOT follow the Temple rituals
including the system of animal sacrifices.
Some Christians, mainly of Hebrew of Jewish background
continued to observe some of the Temple systems of worship. Many
other Christians, of none Jewish background, did not. Paul is
here telling the Hebrew Christians that now the one sacrifice of
Christ has come, there is no need to be concerned with continuing
to offer animal sacrifices. And as the Temple and its priesthood
would soon be destroyed and be no more (as it would be after 70
A.D.) then all Christians needed to clearly know the truth about
the system of animal sacrifices - that it just was never intended
to be the way to salvation.
Now we Christians have a new way of entering the Holy of
Hollies, in the heavenly Temple. The old physical veil was
representive of the flesh of Christ. Jesus has come, He shed His
blood, His flesh was offered, and now we have the way through to
the very presence of God the Father in the holiest place of all
in the heavenly Temple. And further more, as Jesus is also there
on the right hand of the Father as High Priest over the whole
household of God, all the Father's children, then we can draw
near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our
hearts and minds sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our whole
bodies washed with pure water (verses 19-22).
It is all a spiritual truth from the physical types of the
Old Temple. The High priest having to wash himself fully before
entering the holy of hollies, behind the veil, on the Day of
Atonement, where he took blood and sprinkled the mercy seat of
God. All of that was a type of us Christians coming to the Father
in the holy of hollies above, through the flesh and blood of
Christ and obtaining forgiveness of sins, by His blood.
We are to then hold fast the profession of our faith and not
waver, as He that promised this way of salvation is faithful to
that promise. We are to remember each other, to encourage each
other to good works, to Christian love, and to Christian
fellowship. We are to NOT FORGET to assemble with each other, as
apparently in the time this epistle was written, some were
forgetting to assemble with others of like Christian faith. We
are to assemble so we can exhort, encourage, build-up, one
another, and especially as the day approaches towards the end
time (verses 23-25).
The day approaching will be such as was never before or
never will be again (Matthew 24). It will be a time of trouble on
earth that has or will have any equal in earth's history, from
the time of the creation of mankind. As we read the book of
Revelation it is hard to imagine what is yet to take place on
this earth, and the time of trouble for Israel, Judah,
Christians, and all nations. So, indeed it will be important for
Christians to encourage and exhort one another in Christian
fellowship.
Then there is another very important truth behind the
fellowship of Christians exhorting one another, and that is what
we read of in verses 26-31.
Christians exhorting one another will serve to help in the
lives of those Christians NOT to sin wilfully after we receive
the knowledge of the truth. This would be the unpardonable sin. A
wilfully set mind to give up the Christian walk, to go back into
the ways of the old man, to discard the path of righteousness, to
turn away from the light of the Lord, and again to live and walk
as a way of life in darkness of sin. This kind of mindset can
only lead to there being no more sacrifice for sins. It is a mindset
that once more treads under foot the very Son of God and counts
the blood of the covenant, that sanctifies, an unholy thing, and
does despite unto the Spirit of grace.
There was judgment under the Old Testament for those who
despised the laws of Moses. Death came upon those who had
committed serious sins, under the witness of two or three. For
those who despise the blood of Christ and trample Him under foot,
there will be even more severe punishment. God will punish, He
will recompense, He will judge His people. Yes, God is love, yes
He would like to see everyone saved, He is patient and merciful,
slow to anger, and kind. But He has written that He will judge
and reward everyone according to his works, whether good or evil.
For those who sin wilfully after being given the knowledge of the
truth, and deciding to trample on the blood of Christ, to them
God will one day be a punishing judge. For such people, it will
be a terrible and fearful thing to fall into the hands of the
living God.
We need Christian fellowship with others of like minds so we
can encourage each other to remain faithful, to continue to walk
in the ways of the Lord, to endure to the end, and in so doing be
saved into eternal life, and not destroyed in the lake of fire
and be sentenced to eternal death (verses 26-31).
To encourage his readers, Paul reminds them of the former
days, of how, after they had been illuminated to God's truths,
they endured a great fight, even through many afflictions. They
had suffered persecutions and reproaches, and afflictions of
various kinds from people who noticed them walking in the
footsteps of Christ. They had suffered reproaches and afflictions
just because they were named companions of Christians. Yet, they
remained faithful to God.
Paul reminds them of the compassion they had for him, in his
times of hardship, and how they wilfully gave of their physical
goods to help him, knowing that it was all noted by heaven, all
written down for their credit in the book of life, and would
receive an enduring reward one day, for all they went through and
did on earth as a faithful Christian.
They were therefore not to cast away their confidence, they
were to have patience, and to know that after they had done the
will of God, they would receive the promise of eternal life. He
who would come, Jesus who would one day return to earth, would
indeed come, He would no longer tarry or wait, but would come,
and His promise of life eternal they would collect.
We have seen in the past, the glorious truth that the saints
of God will receive the promise of eternal life at the
resurrection, which takes place at the coming of the Lord in
glory and power.
Those who are just or justified must live by faith. Paul
here sends out a strong and sharp message. He says that his life
will have no pleasure in them that draw back. Would Paul pray for
such people, I think so, but would Paul continue to have
Christian fellowship with them per se? I think not. How can light
have fellowship with darkness, and how can light have fellowship
with those who once were in light but have now chosen to draw
back into darkness?
Paul finishes his thought by the encouraging words of
confidence to his readers that they were all not of them that
draw back unto perdition, but to them that believe to the saving
of their life (verses 32-39).
It takes FAITH for the Christian to live, to endure to the
end, to remain faithful through trials, tests, hardship,
persecutions, and all the many things that physical life can
throw at us. So it was fitting that Paul should now go into a
full discourse on the subject of FAITH, and the many examples in
the Bible we have been given to encourage us to be faithful, to
endure to the end, to realize God is faithful to His promises.
All this we shall see in chapter 11.
........................
Written March 2007
  Chapter One-hundred-seven:Epistle to Hebrews
Chapter 11 - part one
THE GREAT FAITH CHAPTER
Someone once said:
* Faith is like muscle which grows stronger and stronger with
use, rather than rubber, which weakens when it is stretched.
J.O.Freaser, missionary to China
* Faith is the Samsonian lock of the Christian; cut it off,
and you may put out his eyes - and he can do nothing. -
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
* Not a great faith we need, but faith in a great God. -
J.Hudson Tayor
* Little faith will bring your soul to heaven, but great faith
will bring heaven to your soul. - Anonymous
Definitions of Faith
* The art of holding on to things your reason has once
accepted, in spite of your changing moods. - C.S.Lewis
* Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this
faith is to see what you believe. - St.Augustine
* Faith is voluntary anticipation. - Clement of Alexandria
Biblical Definition of Faith
* Believing there will be a fulfilment of those things told us
by the Lord - Luke 1:45
* Believing it will be just as we are told - Acts 27:25
* Not wavering at the promise of God, but being fully
convinced that what He has promised He is able to perform -
Romans 4:20-21
* Judging Him faithful who has promised - Hebrews 11:11
* The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things
not seen - Hebrews 11:1
Spurgeon on Faith
Look at the faith of the master mariner! He looses his
cable, he streams away from the land. For days, weeks, even
months, he sees neither sail nor shore, yet on he goes day
and night without fear, till one morning he finds himself
exactly opposite the desired haven towards which he has been
striving.
How has he found his way over the trackless deep? He has
trusted his compass, his nautical almanac, his glasses, and
the heavenly bodies; and obeying their guidance, without
sighting land, he has steered so accurately that he has not
changed a point to enter port.
It is a wonderful thing ... It is glorious to be so far out
on the ocean of Divine love, believing in God, and steering
for Heaven straight away, by the direction of the Word of
God.
Why God Responds to Faith
A pastor describes a time when his daughter, age five, came
to him and asked for a dolls house. The pastor promptly nodded
and promised to build her one, then he went back to reading his
book. Soon he glanced out the study window and saw her arms
filled with dishes, toys, and dolls, making trip after trip until
she had a great pile of playthings in the yard. He asked his wife
what his little girl was doing. "Oh, you promised to build her a
doll house, and she believes you. She's just getting ready for
it." "You would have thought I'd been hit by a bomb," the pastor
later said, "I threw aside that book, raced to the lumber yard
for supplies, and quickly built that little girl a doll house.
Now, why did I respond? Because I wanted to? No. Because she
deserved it? No, Her daddy had given his word, and she believed
it and acted upon it. When I saw her faith, nothing could keep me
from carrying out my word."
FAITHFULNESS
Someone once said:
* Faithfulness to principle is only proved by faithfulness in
detail. - Francis Ridley Havergal
* My dear Senator, I am not called to be successful, but
faithful. - Mother Teresa, to Senator Mark Hatfield who,
while touring her work in Calcutta, asked, "How can you bear
the load without being crushed by it?"
* Dependability: Fulfilling what I agreed to do even though it
requires unexpected sacrifices. (Proverbs 15:4) - Bill
Gothard
* She Hath Done What She Could. - Inscription on the tombstone
of the blind hymnist Fanny J. Crossby
Old Faithful
Old Faithful is not the largest geyser in Yellowstone
National Park, nor does it reach the greatest height. But it is
by far the most popular one. Why? It is regular and dependable,
hence its name, "Old Faithful."
Vance Havner on Faithfulness
God is faithful, and He expects His people to be faithful.
God's Word speaks of faithful servants, faithful in a few
things, faithful in the least, faithful in the Lord,
faithful ministers. And all points up that day when He will
say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." ..... The
only service that counts is faithful service. True faith
shows up in faithfulness. Not everyone can sing or preach,
but all can be faithful.
The Influence of a Very Average Life
In her little book, "Kept for the Master's Use" -
hymn-writer Frances Ridley havergal says:
Of ourselves we may have but little weight, no particular
talents or position or anything else to put into the scale,
but let us remember again and again God has shown that the
influence of a very average life, when once really
consecrated to Him, may outweigh that of almost any number
of merely professing Christians. Such lives are like
Gideon's three hundred, carrying not even the normal weapons
of war, but only trumpets and lamps and empty pitchers, by
whom the Lord wrought great deliverance, while He did not
use the other at all. For He hath chosen the weak things of
the world to confound the things that are mighty.
Keep Kicking
Two frogs fell into a tub of cream. The one looked at the
high sides of the tub which were too difficult to crawl over and
said, "It is hopeless." So he resigned himself to death, relaxed,
and sank to the bottom. The other one determined to keep swimming
as long as he could. "Something might happen," he said. And it
did. He kept kicking and churning, and finally he found himself
on a solid platform of butter and jumped to safety.
MORE QUOTES ON FAITH
Faith like Job's cannot be shaken because it is the result of
having been shaken - Abraham Heschel
What else will do EXCEPT faith in such a cynical, corrupt time?
When the country goes temporarily to the dogs, cats must learn to
be circumspect, walk on fences, sleep in trees, and have faith
that all this woofing is not the last word - Garrison Keillor
A weak faith is weakened by predicaments and catastrophes whereas
a strong faith is strengthened by them - Victor Frankl
Faith means trusting in advance what will only make sense in
reverse - Philip Yancey
That you are sitting before me in this church is a fact. That I
am standing and speaking to you from this pulpit is a fact. But
it is only faith that makes me believe anyone is listening -
Anonymous preacher
True faith goes into operation when there are no answers -
Elisabeth Elliot
Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no
glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins
where man's power ends - George Muller
Hope is hearing the melody of the future. Faith is to dance to it
- Ruben Alves
I prayed for faith, and thought that some day faith would come
down and strike me like lightning. But faith did not seem to
come. One day I read in the tenth chapter of Romans, "Now faith
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." I had closed
my Bible, and prayed for faith. I now opened my Bible, and began
to study, and faith has been growing ever since - D.L. Moody
FROM CHARLES SWINDOLL'S BOOK "ULTIMATE BOOK OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND
QUOTES
Quote:
Your FAITH ought to get you in trouble at times. If everybody
thinks you are nuts, you may be. It's OK if some think you are.
You're probably in trouble if no one thinks you are.
TRADITION is the living faith of those now dead. Traditionalism
is the dead faith of those still living - Jaroslav Pelikan
FAITH is speaking truth in love even at the cost of position of
relationship - Palela Reeve
What you gonna do when the river overflows?
Faith answers,
I'm gonna sit on the porch and watch her go.
What you gonna do when the hogs all drown?
I'm gonna wish I lived on higher ground.
What you gonna do when the cow floats away?
I'm gonna throw in after her a bale of hay.
What you gonna do with the water in the room?
I'm gonna sweep her out with a sedge-straw broom.
What you gonna do when the cabin leaves?
I'm gonna climb on the roof and straddle the eaves.
What you gonna do when your hold gives way?
I'm gonna say, "Howdy, Lord! It's judgment day."
Ben Patterson (Waiting)
I take the above as an illustration of DEAD faith (Keith Hunt)
If I Had Only Known You, Lord,
I crawled across the barrenness to You
with my empty cup, uncertain in asking,
any small drop of refreshment.
If only I had known You better
I'd have come RUNNING with a BUCKET.
Nancy Spiegelberg and Dorothy Purdy (Fanfare:
A Celebration of Belief)
This last poem is an illustration of HOW MUCH God wants to give
us, including a whole bucket full of real living faith (Keith
Hunt)
End quote from Swindoll's book
HEBREWS CHAPTER 11
We have pretty well covered verses 1-2 in the above quotes,
illustrations, examples, and poems.
It is reading the Word of God that we have faith that the
whole universe was created by the Word of God. Other passages in
the epistles of Paul tell us that it was the member of the
Godhead, who became Jesus the Christ, who created all things. All
that is seen and is not seen ( e.g.like angels most of the time)
in heaven and earth was created from NOTHING (see again
Colossians 1:15-17).
Even modern science says there was a beginning to the
universe. Science may have different opinions as to how it all
began, but today's science pretty well admits, the universe did
have a beginning (verse 3).
Abel was a righteous man. God gave witness to Abel being in
right standing with Him. Faith was in the life of Abel. His life
and offerings were acceptable to God. Not so with Cain, his life
and his offerings, did not have the faith of God in them. Hence
he was not accepted, nor were his outward signs of religion
towards God (verse 4).
Enoch had the faith in God and the faith from God. Enoch was
pleasing in God's sight. He was removed (translated - the Greek
word has nothing of itself to do with "going to heaven" per se).
Enoch was removed from the wicked world and taken to safety, so
he would not be killed by evil men.
Enoch was NOT taken to heaven. On this subject of Enoch,
Moses, and Elijah being in heaven, I have covered in a full in-
depth study on this Website. I refer the reader to that study.
Jesus, Paul wrote (Colossians 2:18) that Jesus has PREEMINENCE in
all things. Jesus was the very first human born from the dead
into the eternal glory of the Father. He was the first human to
ever gain IMMORTALITY in glory. It was not Enoch, it was not
Moses, it was not Elijah. It was Christ Jesus that was the FIRST
human to gain eternal life in resurrected glory. Jesus has indeed
preeminence in ALL THINGS.
You will notice that after listing all the people in verses
4 to 12, Paul clearly states, "These ALL DIED in faith, NOT
having received the promises, but having seen them a FAR OFF, and
were persuaded of them...."
FAITH is absolutely required for salvation. Without faith it
is impossible to please God, we are told in verse 6. Yes, we are
saved by grace THROUGH FAITH, as Paul was inspired to say in
Ephesians 2:8. We must have faith that God IS, and that Jesus
Christ is His Son, who came to earth as a human being, God with
us, who lived a perfect sinless life, and who died, shed His
blood on the cross, so our sins could be washed away, and we
could be justified, made righteous, with the Father. We must have
faith that this Jesus rose from the dead, was resurrected in
eternal glory, and ascended back to heaven to sit on the Father's
right hand as our day to day High Priest intercessor.
This faith we have will show itself in diligently seeking
our Eternal Father and His way of life that He wants us to live,
as laid out in His Word and sanctification through the Holy
Spirit (verse 6).
..................
Chapter eleven to be continued
March 2007
  Chapter One-hundred-eight:Epistle to Hebrews
Chapter 11 - Faith - continued
Noah sure had to have faith. God told him there would be 120
years for his society to repent and mend their ways. Sometime
during that time Noah was told to build an Ark for the saving of
his wife, three sons and their wives, and the animals god would
bring to him.
A false misconception is that Noah was building the Ark for
120 years. The account in Genesis does NOT say the Ark took 120
years to build.
The reader can go to my studies on this Website for both
sides of the question as to the flood being LOCAL or UNIVERSAL.
Noah BELIEVED God and acted with faith on the instructions
the Lord gave him. Except for his immediate family, the whole of
his society laughed at him, rejected him, and continued to depart
from the ways of the Eternal God (verse 7).
Abraham is called the "father of the faithful" - he left his
home with faith that God would guide and lead him in the promise
that the Almighty had given him.
When I came to Canada at age 18, not knowing one single
person in the country, the first ones I met and talked to thought
I was very brave to venture out on my own to a new country, where
I was a total stranger. But, not like Abraham, I knew the town I
was to live in, I had the immigration officers meet me at the
train-station, and they had already acquired a house where I
would have board and room. Maybe it took some faith for me to do
this move from Britain to Canada, but it was not near the great
faith that it took for Abraham to obey God and pack his things
and move out to a place chosen by God for him, but which Abraham
did not know.
Abraham lived in a strange land, new to him, and dwelt in
tents or tabernacles. He never really inherited the land, never
really established himself there in a mansion and took control as
some kind of a king over that land. But, in faith, he looked
ahead to the day when that would be the case, when he would
inherit a city from God, inherit the land as a mighty leader over
the land, and in fact over all the earth. That reality will not
come until Abraham is in the resurrection of glory, at the coming
of Jesus, to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. Abraham lived
by faith, that the thing promised, which he could not see in
reality, would be performed by God, as promised to him (verses
8-10).
Then there was Abraham's wife - Sarah. Most immediately
think about Sarah laughing at God when it was told that she would
have a son in her old age. But here Paul floats right over that
happening and focusses in on her basic faith. at first mention of
having a son, she may have smiled, chuckled, and said, "Oh, yes,
tell me another one." But when it was said that NOTHING is
impossible with God, when the reality set in, that the Lord was
indeed giving His word that she would have a son, she BELIEVED
Him, she lived by faith, that what was not yet seen in reality
would come to pass. And it DID! She had a son of promise, who was
in figure, as good as dead, and from that one son, has come so
many as the stars of heaven, as the sand on the sea shore.
Though there have been millions of Jews down through the
centuries, the Jews were only ONE tribe of 13 tribes of
Israelites. The multitude of Israelites from the time of Sarah,
has indeed been as the stars of heaven and the sand on the sea
shore.
NOTICE verse 13. THESE ALL DIED IN FAITH, not having
received the promise. It says ALL DIED .... that includes Enoch!
None mentioned inherited eternal life. None of them are up in
heaven looking at the face of God or whatever people that "go to
heaven on dead" are supposed to be doing in heaven. NONE of them
received the promise of eternal life. They had faith in what was
yet to come, after their death. They did not look back from where
they had come, their mind did not dwell on the country they left,
or they may have decided to return to their old life. No, they
looked ahead, in faith, they looked towards a heavenly country,
they looked towards eternity, living, inheriting, eternal life,
living in a country so to speak that was heavenly. They looked
towards the Kingdom of God on earth, coming at the glorious
appearing of Christ Jesus, who will raise the children of God
from death, glorify them, give them their rewards according to
their works, and who will all then descend from the clouds, the
sea of glass, and establish the rule of God on earth, first from
Jerusalem and then eventually the entire planet.
All of these promises I have covered in great detail in many
studies on this Website.
Back we go to Abraham again in verses 17-19. All Bible
readers are familiar with the wonderful story of Abraham being
told by God to offer up his promised son (Genesis 22). God had
promised Abraham and Sarah a son in their old age (normally an
impossibility), and now God wanted Abraham to sacrifice him. The
faith he had developed by now, stood fast, he knew God could do
anything, nothing was impossible for the Lord to do. If it was to
be so, then Abraham knew the Almighty could raise that promised
son from death.
We know Abraham was about to bring that knife down on his
son when the angel from the Lord stopped him. Remember also
(which is often forgotten) that the son Isaac must also have had
great faith in willingly submitting to being a sacrifice, if it
was God's will.
Isaac himself gave blessings on Jacob and Esau, gave
blessings in faith, that what he blessed would one day come to
pass on both of those sons of his (verse 20 with Genesis 27:27).
It was by faith that Jacob blessed both the sons of Joseph
(verse 21 and Genesis 48).
Most Christians today have no idea of the truth of the
matter concerning Genesis 48. Most Christians in the Western
world are living WITHIN the very fulfilment of the blessings
given and promised to the sons of Joseph. Those two sons of
Joseph have become the peoples of the British Commonwealth of
nations and the great United States of America. Yes, in this
19th, 20th, and 21st centuries - in our so-called modern times,
space age world, the faith of Isaac in giving blessings to
Joseph's sons way way back in human history has come to REALITY.
God is MIGHTY, He is FAITHFUL, He is true to His word and
His promises. One of the greatest proofs that God does exist,
that the Bible is His very inspired word, is the promises given
way back in Genesis 48 by Isaac on the heads of the two sons of
Joseph. Read Genesis 48 and 49. Joseph was to be given the
blessings of the earth, sea, heavens. He was to be like a vine
planted by a well, whose branches would run all over the well,
spread abroad, and be physically blessed like no other peoples
who have ever been on this earth.
History has never seen such a mighty and prosperous BROTHER
peoples as are the brother peoples of the British Commonwealth
and the United States. None of the four world Empires of the past
B.C. times can compare to the might and physical wealth of the
modern Anglo-Saxon peoples. The one time Russian Empire of the
20th century, the one time Chinese Empire of the past ages (and
maybe the one to come), the Japan Empire of the past and its
power-house economy of today, or any other Empire of the past or
present can compare in POWER and PHYSICAL MATERIAL BLESSINGS with
the British Commonwealth of nations and the United States of
America.
You are seeing, before your very eyes, the fulfilment of the
FAITH of Isaac as he manifested that faith in a blessing on the
heads of the two sons of Joseph, way back in history as recorded
in Genesis 48.
There was the faith of Joseph (verse 22 with Genesis
50:24,25) - who had faith that his bones would not be lost or
left behind when Israel came out of Egypt. His faith did become
reality, it was done according to his faith.
Then there is the famous Moses. Moses' parents had faith to
send him as a baby down the river in a basket. Their faith was
answered. What Paul brings out here is that which is not found in
the Exodus account. When Moses was of age (some time before that
he found he was really an Israelite) he refused to be called the
son of Pharaoh's daughter. He had faith in being a part of the
children of God, than serve the pleasures of sin for a season. He
looked with faith to the distance beyond just this life, and was
willing to put away the life of fulfilling the sins of the flesh.
As Pharaoh's daughter, you can only imagine all the lusts of the
flesh he could have lived, "wine, women and song" as the saying
goes.
It is interesting that Paul here says Moses had greater
esteem for CHRIST than the riches of Egypt. Jesus Christ WAS the
GOD of the Old Testament. Did the people of God know that God by
the name of "Christ"? No, not at all, but the fact brought out
by Paul (and the Gospels) is that Jesus the Christ WAS the GOD of
the Old Testament. The member of the Godhead that Israel knew,
that Enoch knew, that Abraham knew, was the one that became the
Jesus Christ of the New Testament. This I have proved and shown
in many studies on this Website. see the studies under "All About
God."
Yes, Moses' faith may have wavered or became weak when he
fled Egypt after striking the Egyptian task-master and killing
him (as the account in Exodus records), he may have wondered why
he found himself working as a shepherd or cattle-man for 40
years. God sometimes allows us to experience things in life that
we wonder about, or question why we are in the situation we are
in. But in the end it is true that all things work together for
good to those who love the Lord. Moses was eventually brought to
a very close contact with the Almighty in the famous "burning
bush" encounter. Moses came to look beyond the present to realize
their would be great reward in serving the true God (verses
23-26).
It was through faith that Moses forsook Egypt and led the
Israelites out of bondage, he looked to THE ONE who is mostly
invisible to us. Moses was one of the few in history who was
given at times the privilege of seeing God in person, one time
seeing the back parts of the SPIRIT GLORY of God, as well as
speaking face to face as friends may do (Exodus 33). It was
through faith that Moses observed the very first Passover and he
obeyed the instructions of the Lord about the sprinkling of blood
so the destroyer of the firstborn sons would not touch the
Israelites (verse 28).
It was by faith that Moses passed through the Red sea as the
waters opened up and God made the sea bed dry. The Egyptians
passing through that dry sea bed were drowned as the waters came
crashing down on them (verse 29).
What people have done through faith down the centuries of
time is truly amazing. You may have stories of miraculous faith
you have encountered in your personal lifetime or know of faith
experiences of others, that you can share with different people
as time and situations permit. Sometimes we may have to give our
lives in faith, as Paul mentions in some of the remaining verses
of this chapter.
There was the fabulous faith it took to walk around the
mighty city of Jericho for seven days, and know that the promise
of God that the walls would come tumbling down would happen as
the Almighty had said it would (verse 30 with Joshua 6).
Paul lists many who exhibited faith in their lives in one
way or another, people like Gideon, Samson, David, Samuel, and
many of the ancient prophets of God. Faith subdued kingdom,
wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouth of
lions (the famous Daniel in the lions den is probably the first
we think about in that regard), quenched or overcame fire
(Daniel's three friends throw into the fire pit comes to mind),
some escaped death (David from Saul comes to mind), from weakness
became strong, were brave in various types of fight, turned
armies away in defeat, women had children brought to life (2
Kings 4).
Then some of God's people had and used faith while being
tortured, even unto death. Others had faith through mockings and
whippings, tied in chains and thrown into prison. Some were
stoned and even cut to death, went through all kinds of trials,
some killed by the sword, others destitute of many of life's
daily needs, some had to be wanderers with no large wardrobe of
clothes, Others afflicted and mentally tormented by others as
they had to wander around in the desert, mountains, caves and
dens of the earth. They all kept FAITH in their hearts, and they
all kept THE faith of God, living according to the will and
commandments of the Lord.
Paul says of such people of God that the world was not
worthy of them. It is not the rich and the famous per se that
count with God. Riches and fame are not wrong in and of
themselves. Indeed some of God's people down through history have
been both rich and famous. But the bottom line, where it truly
counts with God is you as a person being willing to hear what the
Lord says, to walk the pathway that leads to eternal life, to
humble yourself and to love the Lord your God with all your
heart, mind, and life. Living by faith, living by the very faith
of Christ in us (Galatians 2:20) is where it counts with God the
Father,
Notice verses 39,40. Everyone that Paul listed he said did
NOT receive the promise, they did not inherit eternal life, not
yet. They were NOT made or glorified into immortal perfection.
God has planned and designed that THEY of the past, will not be
PERFECT IN GLORY, without US!
We shall ALL, past present, future, be glorified to immortal
PERFECTION at the same time, at the time of the resurrection to
glory at the coming back to this earth of Christ Jesus.
The plain truth on the subject of death and immortal glory,
is all found in many studies on this Website.
The FAITH chapter - Hebrews 11 - what a chapter it is. The
Bible is FULL of life examples of LIVING faith. They are recorded
for our admonition, our edification, our encouragement, our
inspiration.
.....................
Written April 2007
  Chapter One-hundred-nine:Epistle to Hebrews
Chapter Twelve
With so many fine examples recorded for us of what is true
living faith, we are admonished by Paul to lay aside all burdens
and sin that can easily trip us up. We are to run our Christian
race of life with enduring patience. We are to look to Jesus, who
is the author and finisher of our faith. This sentence also
proves that only Jesus of all humans has ever gained immortal life.
Enoch, Moses, Elijah, have not yet gained it, no one but Christ
has moved from human life to glorified eternal life. Jesus looked
to the finish line also, what was at the end of this human life.
In so looking He was able to endure to the end, endure through
persecutions, the shame, the trials of life, the ridicule of
others, the rejection by the masses, and the agony of the cross.
Enduring, He was given the place of sitting on the right hand of
God the Father. We are to consider all that Jesus went through,
and so we shall not be wearied and we will not faint in our minds
(verses 1-3).
For most of us we need to remember that we have not had to
resist evil in our Christian walk, unto blood and death, as we
strive against sin. Yes, many of us have trials, tests, and
hardships at times. Many of us have had the correction and
chastening of the Lord. Paul tells us that such is often part of
being a child of God. Whom the Lord loves, does receive
correction if needed. If we appreciate that correction, then God
works with us as His child. A father will naturally correct his
child if and when the child needs to be corrected. This is the
way of the natural life of the human family, and so it is with
the heavenly Father and his children. If we never get corrected
by the Father, then it is in doubt that we are really a child of
His.
It is the general and natural way of mankind that a son
receiving correction gives honor and respect to his father. So we as
the child of God, must honor and respect our heavenly Father; in
so doing we shall reap life, not only a better life here and now
but even more importantly, eternal life in the future. God
chastens us for our ultimate profit, that we might partake of His
holiness and perfectness.
Chastening is not pleasant during the time of being
corrected and chastened, it is not joyful per se, but it does
hurt and seems somewhat grievous, nevertheless, afterwards
it does bring forth fruits of peace and righteousness, unto those
who are willing to be guided and taught and who will move forward
in the pathway that loving correction gives (verses 4-11).
I cannot give too much emphasis on this passage of
Scripture. In Christina circles, much emphasis is given to grace,
to mercy, to love, even to serving others. All of that is
indeed the bedrock of true Christianity. But a part of that
bedrock is also having a mind-set that is willing to be
corrected, to be guided into all truth, to admit error, to admit
when proven, that you are wrong about this or about that. A part
of Christian bedrock faith is to LOVE THE TRUTH, to hunger and
thirst after righteousness.
I am sorry to say but in all my years in the Christian faith
(I'm nearly 65 as I write this) since I was introduced to it at
age 6 years, I have found few who exhibit this part of the
bedrock foundation of the faith. Most I have found are closed
minded, will not study to show themselves approved to God, a
workman that needs not be ashamed. Most just want to sit in their
comfortable pew, most do not want their boat rocked, they do not
want to be challenged. Most do not want to admit their church
teaching could be wrong, is wrong, or they just want to continue
to have their church as a social club.
It is because most Christians do not have a min-set of being
willing to be corrected, and so then move in the correct way of
righteousness, that Jesus said many would be shocked when they
found themselves on the outside looking in, at His return. Many,
Jesus said would say in that day, "Lord, did we not do this in
your name, did we not do that in your name. Were you not preached
in our streets, in our local congregation." And Jesus will say to
them, "I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work
lawlessness."
Jesus elsewhere said, when asked if many would be saved,
"The pathway is wide and broad to destruction, but narrow and
straight to eternal life, and few there be that will find it."
The first resurrection and eternal life, at the coming of
Christ in power and glory, will be much less in number (children
of God in that resurrection) than the majority of Christians
believe.
The true way of salvation, true repentance, true living
faith, and the true way to live in your mind-set and life and
work and words, to be counted as a very child of the Living
God, is expounded upon in many studies on this Website. Nothing
could be more important than for you to come to know the correct
and true pathway to eternal life, and so be in that first
resurrection and have Jesus say to you, "Well done, thou good and
faithful servant, enter the joy of thy Lord."
With Christ as our leader and guide, with all the great
examples of living faith to read about in the Bible, we should
then lift up out hands that may hang down, and strengthen our
weak knees, walk in the straight and good path, less we become
lame and end up on the broad pathway into the ditch of death.
We are to follow peace with all men, and also holiness, for
without those two ingredients in our Christian foundation, we
shall not see God (verses 12-14).
I have a full in-depth study of being a PEACEMAKER on this
Website. That attribute is also more vital than what most think.
You need to take the time to read and meditate on that topic of
being a peacemaker.
Tied in with peace is "bitterness" - bitterness is not a
part of peace, you cannot have true peace, cannot exhibit true
peace, if your mind and heart is filled with bitterness.
Bitterness will lead you away from the grace of God. Bitterness
can KILL you. Here in verse 15, is proof that you CAN fall from
grace, that you are not "once saved always saved" - that once on
the road to salvation you must continue on that road, you must
walk it to the end, endure to the end as Jesus said in the
Gospels, and then you will be saved.
There are many things that can take you off that straight
and narrow pathway to eternal life. If you are reading the New
Testament from cover to cover, you will read about many of those
things that can lead you away from God, back into spiritual death
- BITTERNESS is certainly one of them. Even for your own peace
of mind in this physical life, bitterness needs to be rooted out.
If you are bitter over anything that mankind has done to you, go
to God and cry out to Him for help to cleanse your mind of hate
and bitterness. When you have put bitterness away from your mind,
you will begin to feel the love and peace of God. You will feel a
pleasant calm and happy and tranquil mind, life will be joyful
and abundant. Jesus said, "My peace I leave with you" and "I am
come that you may have life, and have it more abundantly."
All this needs to be done so we do not end up like Esau -
bitterness eating him away like a cancer, after he was sorry he
sold his birthright. He was not able to find true repentance, so
was cut off from a real and aliving connection with God. He shed
tears over his loss, but it was not tears of genuine godly
repentance, but tears of human sorrow, that when the rubber hits
the road, does not move the car in the right direction towards
God and eternal life. Paul warns us NOT to be an Esau (verse
16-17).
Paul reminds us that we are not coming to a physical
mountain, with physical fire, blackness of smoke, the sound of a
trumpet, and the voice of words, which the Israelites
entreated Moses to have stop. That sight at that mount Sinai was
so terrible that even Moses quaked in his boots. But it is not a
mighty physical sight to come before, but we come to mount Zion
in heaven, unto the heavenly city of the living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels. We come
before the general assembly of the church of the Firstborn from
the dead, those whose names as written in the book of life. We
come before the Judge of all, and to the very spirits of just men
made perfect. We come before Jesus the mediator of the New
Covenant, and the true blood that portends much more than any
blood of animals such as Abel killed, or anyone killed
(verses 18-24).
The last words of verse 23 show the truth that humans do
have a "spirit" that does indeed go back to God in heaven at our
death (see also Ecc.12:7). Mankind is far greater than the animal
kind. Science can look at the human brain, science can discover
what parts of the human brain are used for various functions of
the human body, such as speech. Science can look at the make-up
of the human brain and different animal brains, put them side by
side and compare. Science has discovered that human kind has
about 30,000 genes that make what we are, but science has also
discovered that the small fruit fly has about the same number of
genes we humans have. When it all come to it, the physical
science of humans and none-humans does NOT show why we are so
much superior than none-human life. Nothing in the physical world
can compare to the normal mind of mankind. Not one or a million
animals (any you wish to name) can be given one or a million
Computers and put together the words of the Bible or the
Encyclopedia Britannica.
We do have a "special" something - what the Bible calls
"spirit in man" that united with our physical brains, makes us
human kind next to the angel kind and the God kind. That spirit
in man does not work independent of the physical brain, as we
clearly see when someone damages the brain, and looses the
ability to speak, or think or reason etc. as the "normal" person
does. This spirit in man is NOT some kind of immortal soul that
goes on thinking, reasoning, acting, talking, walking, after
death, in either heaven or hell, as much of popular Christianity
teaches. But the spirit in man does record the inner character
and personality (sin cleansed away through the blood of Christ)
of each person, and does return to God in heaven upon death. The
spirit in man is then perfect, sinless, as it is preserved in
heaven by God. That spirit of man will become united again with
the glorified resurrected person. Paul will still be Paul, David
will still be David, Abraham will still be Abraham, Moses will
still be Moses etc. etc. in the resurrection. Jesus was still
Jesus after His resurrection. Each of us will still be the person
we are in the resurrection, but we shall be perfect and righteous
and holy in mind, as God the Father and Christ Jesus are. We
shall be as they are, not even being able to be tempted with sin.
And indeed what FREEDOM that will be, what GLORY that will be,
what HOLINESS that will be!
Jesus, we have seen is the mediator of the New Covenant. He
is our High Priest, He is interceding for us. He knows what it is
like to be human, He was tempted in all points as we are, but
remained sinless. But He knows the daily fight we have against
sin, the world and Satan. A large part of this epistle has to do
with how much GREATER the High Priest of Jesus is than the
physical human priests of a physical Temple in a physical
city.
We must then NOT REFUSE Him that speaks to us from heaven.
There was a penalty for the Israelites if they refused to listen
to the leaders and judges of Israel, so Paul says, how much more
a punishment if we refuse Him that speaks to us from heaven.
That same person who ordained the judges of Israel and gave the
Ten Commandments in audible form at Mount Sinai, when His voice
shook the earth, will once more not only shake the earth but
heaven also. Things that can be shaken will be shaken, at that
time, but things not shakable (spiritual and divine and holy)
will remain unshakable. The Kingdom of God is one of those
unshakable things. We can inherit it, we shall inherit it,
so Paul says, we need to continue in the grace of God, whereby we
can serve God acceptably and do this all in reverence and godly
fear, for we need to remember God is a consuming fire (verses
24-29).
The Christian child of the Father needs to remember that God
will consume the wicked with fire. There is coming a judgment
day. The Bible talks about it again and again. Jesus in the
Gospels talked about it many times. He warned many of the
religious leaders of His day, "How shall you escape the fire of
hell." The Almighty wants everyone to repent and to saved. He
does not want any to perish. But those who, after being given
a clear opportunity for salvation, who will NOT repent, then the
gracious, loving heavenly Father will be left with no choice but
to destroy the wicked in the fires of gehenna or hell.
You need to remember that, but that said, I want to say that
you can repent, there is NOTHING you have done, thought, or said,
that makes it impossible for God, through Christ, to forgive,
unless it is the sin of you not willing to repent. There is no
need for you to die for eternity, there is no need for the Most
High to be a consuming fire to you. If you have not already done
so, admit you are a sinner, REPENT of those sins, take Jesus
and His shed blood as your personal Savior. Come to the heavenly
Jerusalem, to God the Father, to the church of the Firstborn from
the dead, come to the spirits of just men made perfect, and
ensure your place in the Kingdom of God.
.............................
Written during the Feast of Unleavened Bread 2007
  Chapter One-hundred-ten:Faith - Old and New Covenants
Supplement to Chapters 11 and 12
Father Abraham
Lessons in how faith works
by
Jason Overman
Ever sing the children's chorus "Father Abraham"? While most
songs demand little more of us than to move our lips, "Father
Abraham" requires our minds, mouths, arms, legs, hands, and feet,
all coordinated to the beat of the music.
"Father Abraham" is a parable for our time. It asks, "What
is the nature of this faith that makes Abraham "the father of us
all"(Romans 4:16)? Is faith a song that rises up from deep
within, animating body, soul, and spirit? Or is faith a shallow
song to be sung seated and passive?
While the book of James holds that Abraham's justifying
faith was a working faith (2:20), Christians today are more often
influenced by Paul, who appears to say just the opposite:
Abraham's justifying faith is "to him who does not work but
believes on Him who justifies the ungodly ..." (Romans 4:5). Both
apostles appeal to Abraham; both cite Genesis 15:6. Have they
reached contradictory conclusions?
Due to misreading Paul's writing, many Christians believe
that faith and works are diametrically opposed. If we hear the
word works in conversation at all, it is often as a term of
derision. Much confusion exists regarding the relationship
between faith and works. All of us have probably scratched our
heads, wondering how to make sense of it all. How does faith
work?
OLD TESTAMENT FAITH
Since the New Testament writers delight in appealing to the
faith of Abraham, let's return to his story to see how faith
operates there and elsewhere in the Old Testament.
In "Reverberations of Faith," Walter Brueggemann explains
how faith functions within the larger context of covenant. He
calls covenant "The central theological construct of the Old
Testament ... a passionate, interactive relationship between YHWH
and YHWH's people."1 Because covenant is grounded and sustained
in that love shared by two committed partners, fidelity is
crucial to the covenant.
Brueggemann notes that one of the Hebrew words used to
denote covenant fidelity is 'emeth, or faithfulness, the word
behind the terms believed in Genesis 15:6 and faith in Habakkuk
2:4: "the just shall live by his faith."
Brueggemann also says that, as in any marriage, "'Faith'
concerns attentive engagement in a promissory relationship....
Israel is also expected to know and honor its covenantal
commitments...:"2 With the accent firmly on covenant, "Only
rarely does the Old Testament suggest that 'faith' is a body of
teaching that Israel is to 'believe.'"3 It is more "trust in"
than "assent to." But this "trust is not to be understood
primarily in emotive terms. Trust is a practice that entails
obedience . . . ."4
This description of faith as a trusting obedience within a
divine covenant relationship is in the story of Abraham. It
begins with God's gracious initiative. The first words "Now the
Lord" (Genesis 12:1 a) are simple and suggestive: It is our God
who acts; it is our God who finds. This is God's work through and
through.
That God is primary in creating and sustaining covenant
relations is stressed in the five "I will" promises that follow.
God will do what Abraham cannot dream of asking, much less doing:
He will bestow land, nation, name, and blessing for Abraham and
for others (vv. 1-3). Here, God offers the lost and barren a
future that rises above the limits of life as they know it.
This calling also comes with a command: to make a dangerous
departure and relinquish the status quo (v.1 b). Like promise,
command is an integral aspect of covenant life. Commandment names
that road implied by the covenant commitment. It is a loving
dynamic in relationship that moves and directs Abram as he
journeys from past to promise.
What does Abraham do in response to the gracious initiative,
promise, and command of God? He departs, as God had said (v. 4a).
We can't distinguish the movement between trust and obedience
here. They are simply two stanzas of the same hymn. Faithfulness
exhibits both stanzas: mind and body, belief and work, confidence
and obedience. To separate them is to misunderstand them.
IMPERFECT FAITH
As his relationship with God moves through time, Abraham is
ready to trust and obey the extraordinary claims of his God. When
Abraham contemplates that his servant will end up as his heir,
God counters that he and his wife, Sarah, will have their own
baby. Aged and barren as they are, Abraham says, "OK" (Genesis
15). When God has him offer up this very miracle named Isaac,
again Abraham says, "OK" (Genesis 22). This is faithfulness.
But Abraham's faith is not perfect. He doubts God's way of
working and tries to work it out himself. He lies about Sarah to
the Egyptians (Genesis 12). He has a child with Hagar, hoping to
fulfill the promise (Genesis 16). These defective faith events we
call "Ishmaels," and their presence in an exemplary life reveals
that repentance (our desire to remain in covenant) and
forgiveness (God's desire to preserve covenant) are always
cardinal works of covenant faith.
Because faith is characteristic of both covenant partners,
works and faithfulness are frequently ascribed to God. When
Israel sings about faithfulness, the song is not about her but
about God (Lamentations 3:23) because God's works of faith are
infinitely more true and reliable than hers.
Similarly, the Psalms mention works dozens of times, mostly
in celebration of the "wonderful works" of God (40:5). For people
to live in covenant relation to a faithful and working God is to
humbly anticipate that His mighty works of faithfulness will be
revealed in them (90:16, 17).
NEW TESTAMENT FAITH
This is how faith works in the Old Testament, but what about
the New Testament? Do we find continuity?
When the faith chapter, Hebrews 11, celebrates faith, it
recounts mostly faithfulness. By faith Abel offered, Noah built,
Abraham went, Jacob blessed, Moses refused, and Rahab received.
Plainly, belief and behavior are inseparable. Further, we
are invited to recall how this faith relates to God's
faithfulness: "By faith Sarah herself also received strength to
conceive seed ... because she judged Him faithful who had
promised" (v.11). Hebrews beautifully conveys the rich textures
of biblical faith.
Paul also blends faith with works, even fusing the two in
the same sentence: "work of faith" (1 Thessalonians 1:3; 2
Thessalonians 1:11); "faith working through love" (Galatians
5:6). When Paul warns of those who "profess to know God, but in
works they deny Him" (Titus 1:16), he sounds a lot like James.
These positive references to works indicate that Paul does
not think of them as a theological problem. He regularly calls
his congregations to good works (2 Corinthians 9:8; Ephesians
2:10; Colossians 1:10) and in typical Jewish fashion believes
that in the last judgment, God will render to every man according
to his works" (Romans 2:6, ASV; Psalm 62:12; Proverbs 24:12;
Matthew 16:27; 1 Peter 1:17).
Paul's understanding of faith agrees with the Hebrew concept
of faithfulness. We can see this best in Romans, where Paul
brackets his entire letter with references to "the obedience to
the faith" (1:5; 16:26). Trusting obedience is the very nature of
a genuine faith and remains the defining characteristic of God's
covenant community.
In his book "The Faith of Jesus Christ," Richard B. Hays
explains "....that our strict distinction between 'faith' and
'faithfulness' is not applicable to the Greek word [pistis,
faith], which contains both ideas."5 Paul illustrates this when
he uses both ideas in the very same verse ("they which be of
faith are blessed with faithful Abraham," Galatians 3:9, KJV) or
as he employs active language in commending faith to his readers
("walk in the steps" of Abraham's faith, Romans 4:12) or when
he uses belief and obedience as if they were interchangeable
(Romans 10:16; 11:30; compare Acts 6:7; Hebrews 3:8-19).
But again, faith is part of the larger story of God's
covenant acts. Since no flesh is just in God's sight (Psalm
143:2; Romans 3:20), Paul, like David, looks beyond universal
human failure to the covenant faithfulness of God and finds it
fully revealed in "the faith of Jesus Christ." In Jesus'
faithfulness, human faithlessness is borne and overcome, and
salvation appears for all who believe (Romans 3:326; Galatians
3:22, KJV). Here is our "faithful High Priest" in action (Hebrews
2:17).
In His sacrificial death, Jesus mediates both His Father's
perfect loving faithfulness toward man and the partial love and
faithfulness of man toward God (Romans 5:8,15). In Christ,
covenant fidelity is perfected, and in Him we become faithful
participants (19:6). In short, our faith is contingent on His
(2:17; 10:17).
In Ephesians 2:8-10 and Titus 3:5-8 Paul offers classic
formulas of this covenantal order of faith. God's work of grace
and mercy in Christ is the ground of salvation, not human works.
It is the "gift of God" from which springs the only true
response: faith. But this trusting faith moves naturally as a
working faith. Ephesians 2:10 says we are God's "workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works." we should be careful to
maintain them (Titus 3:8). Faith acknowledges that the God who
worked in Christ is now at work in us "striving according to His
working which works in me mightily" (Colossians 1:29). This is
how new covenant faith works.
We may now understand Paul's occasional objection to "the
works of the law." It is only as this covenant order is distorted
through boasting (Romans 3:27-4:2; Galatians 6:13, 14) that Paul
finds it necessary to attack works. Any belief that would make
God indebted to man; any pride in human efforts as the cause,
rather than the result, of salvation; or any false confidence in
some old work (circumcision, temple) that undermines the
centrality of God's new work (Christ) must be refused in full.
James and Paul both agree that faith works, but Paul would
have us beware of how faith does not work - the dangerous
deviations.
SONG OF FAITH
Like Father Abraham, we cannot forget that our song of faith
is totally dependent on God. We are not the authors of this
melody; the God made known in Christ wrote the tune and sang it
first. It is only by grace that we find - to our own surprise -
that we are learning to sing along. As loving partners in
covenant with Abraham's God, we are determined to TRUST and OBEY,
because in Jesus Christ we have discovered that faith is not just
a song; it's a dance.
.................
Jason Overman serves the congregation in Jasper, AR.
References:
1. Walter Brueggemann, "Reverberations of Faith," p.76
2. Ibid, pp.78,77
3. Ibid, p.78
4. ibid.
5. Richard B. Hays, "The Faith of Jesus Christ," p.157
Taken from The Bible Advocate, March 2007
Please study carefully the article on this Website called:
SAVED BY GRACE
  Chapter One-hundred-eleven:Epistle to Hebrews
Chapter Thirteen
Paul finishes his epistle to Hebrews with many different
admonitions. It is obvious he was aware of certain problems and
questions within their culture and church groups. When there are
problems and questions within any society of people, brotherly
LOVE is of paramount importance. If love flavors all aspects of
living and conversing then questions and problems take a back
seat, a seat where they do not lead to open frictions and party
spirit which end in divisions.
They are not to forget to entertain STRANGERS, people they
have no real knowledge of, or personal contact with on any
regular basis. In be-friending such people as time and
circumstances dictate, some, he says, have entertained ANGELS
unaware that they were angels. As we move about in our society,
as we take holidays in different parts of our country or, as is
so easy today, different parts of the world, we as Christians
need to remember that it is possible that some of the people we
meet may be angels. This should give us a mental outlook on life
and our mingling with strangers that leads to a deep attitude of
friendliness, respect, politeness, and service. When you are
among strangers in your own land or another land, keep in mind,
you may never know when some you meet are really angels -
unaware, unknown by you.
We are to remember those, who for the Christian cause, may
be in prison or suffering great adversity. Yes, even today in
this 21st century, there are some parts of the world that you
suffer mightily and are even physically abused, or put in chains
and cast into prison. It can be very hard for us in the Western
world where religious freedom is an everyday part of our lives,
to imagine and realize that this is not the case in some
countries of the world. Pray that God will encourage and give
enduring strength to those who do not have the religious freedom
that we may have.
It would seem there were question among the Hebrews
concerning marriage and sex. It may have been possible some
thought Christians should not marry, or that being married it was
not sin to have other sexual partners beside your wife or
husband. Paul answers straightforwardly that marriage is
HONORABLE, and sexual relations is good and undefiled, but the
sexual immoral and those practicing sexual relations with others
other than their mates, would face the judgment of God. In other
words sexual relations with others other than your mate is not
Christian, such a sexual practice would be judged as sin by God.
Christians are to learn to be CONTENT people with what God
has given them at any particular stage of life. No matter what
our situation in life may be, in hardships, in trials, in
relative peace, in prosperity, whatever physical things we have
or do not have, we need to be in an attitude of a content mind.
We need to always keep in mind that God is with us under all
situations of our lives. Paul certainly experienced many
different variations in his physical life, sometimes in plenty
and sometimes in want and need. Sometimes he had relative calm
and peace as he worked spreading the Gospel, and sometimes he had
persecutions, beatings, stoning, and imprisonment. We read some
of that in Philippians chapter four. We can see much more of the
ups and downs Paul went through in the book of Acts. Paul learnt
to be content through it all, and so should we. God will be with
us, so then we shall be able to say, "The Lord is my helper, and
I will not fear what man shall do unto me" (verses 1-6).
The Hebrews (and so all of us likewise) are told to remember
those who have the rule over us in our spiritual lives. The
margin of the KJV says "are the guides" - that is the better way
to translate the Greek. The SHEPHERDS of the flock of God - the
ministers of the Church of God - are the GUIDES, they are the
ones who should set the lead, be examples to the flock as Peter
put it (1 Peter 5:1-5). They are to be HUMBLE, with all and to
all, they are to be patient, kind, loving, giving, and just
simply like Jesus Christ, serving and living as He lived and
served others. The true ministers of God are not to have the
attitude of mind and way of life that makes them and everyone
around them know they are some kind of BIG CHEESE, the real CAT'S
MEOW, the KING-PIN. They are not to be VAIN or BOMBASTIC. They
ARE to set THE EXAMPLE of what Jesus lived and acted like, and
with all that Jesus was given from the Father, He was humble, He
was a servant, He was kind and loving and gentle. Yes, now and
again, He had to get tough, and call a spade a spade, but He also
knew WHEN and HOW and to WHOM such straight talk needed to be
given. The vast majority of His life was lived in humbleness,
kindness, and loving service.
When God's true ministers live as they should in being the
guides of the flock of God, then all others in the flock are to
remember, consider, and follow their faith and manner of conduct
of life. For they then emulate Jesus Christ, who in such conduct
and character of life is the SAME, YESTERDAY, AND TO DAY, AND FOR
EVER (verses 7,8).
I have seen this verse 8, MIS-applied so often and in so many
ways, as used by some to say this or that teaching or doctrine of
the Old Testament is still in force today. Verses 7 and 8 have
NOTHING to do per se with "doctrine" - they have all to do with
CHARACTER, HOLINESS, CONDUCT. No matter what age, dispensation,
era, time frame, of this world and mankind on it, God the Father
and Jesus the Christ, are in CHARACTER and HOLINESS and CONDUCT,
the SAME. They are ALWAYS PERFECT IN JUDGMENT, HONEST, FAIR, HOLY,
LOVING, KIND, MERCIFUL, SLOW TO ANGER, RIGHTEOUS IN CONDUCT.
These verses have to do with HOLY CONDUCT OF CHARACTER, and
nothing as such with "doctrine." To prove things about this or
that law of God under the Old Testament and the New Testament,
you must use a whole set of other criterion and Biblical
principles and correct Scriptural reading.
Verses 7 and 8 have to do with HOLY CONDUCT of CHARACTER.
When a minister of God is following that character of Jesus
Christ, then all other Christians should take note, and follow
their same faith and conduct, as they all then follow Jesus, who
in conduct and character is indeed the same, yesterday, today,
and for ever.
Paul warns against being driven about, tossed up and down,
with different and STRANGE doctrines. I give emphasis to the word
"strange" as the main thought is on strange doctrines outside the
Christian faith, and maybe inside it. To be sure there will be some,
even many, outside Christianity who think many of our Christian
doctrines are "strange" - that is to be expected. The Christian
truths of God are not hard to find as such. It will take a little
effort, you will have to read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation,
you will have to put Scripture with Scripture, you will have to be
willing to search the Scriptures as Jesus once told the Pharisees
of His day to do. But the basic doctrines of God can be found.
The simplicity of Christ, as Paul once termed it, can be simple.
Oh, yes, you will have to become like a little child as Jesus
once proclaimed to enter the Kingdom of God, but little children
can read the bible, they can find the basic simple truths of God.
I personally know this to be true, by reading the Bible from age
6. Over a 12 year period, from age 6 to 18, I came to understand
many of the basic doctrines of God.
Once you have those basics then you will not be carried off,
thrown over-board, tossed here and there by many different and
strange doctrines of men, who come to you either from within
Christianity or from without Christianity.
Our hearts and minds can be established, founded, on the
solid rock of the relative simple truths of God as found in His
word. And we then need not waste our time and energy on some of
the complicated ideas and philosophies of the complicated and
mixed-up minds of men and women who come claiming "I have the
light" when in fact they have heavy meat-ball ideas of darkness.
Paul now goes back to the physical Temple and physical human
priesthood of that Temple in Jerusalem (verses 10-14).
Those who still ONLY believe in that Temple, that Old
Testament Covenant shall we say, those who have not had their
minds opened to the true sacrifice of God in Christ Jesus. They
cannot partake of the true heavenly altar.
In the physical, was the type of burning the bodies of the
beasts outside the city wall of Jerusalem. So the type became the
reality - Jesus as the true sacrifice, was killed, had His blood
shed on the cross, outside the city walls. We Christians are to
go outside the physical type, outside the physical city of
Jerusalem and the physical Temple contained therein. We are to
take the reproach of Christ, bear His burden if needs be, take
the mocking, the persecutions, the reproach that was His, and go
forth looking towards another city, the true city of God, the
heavenly Jerusalem, that is yet to come to earth (Revelation
21,22).
It must have been hard for some Hebrews to follow in the
steps of Christ. They no doubt had great opposition from family
members, the Jewish priesthood, and other Hebrew neighbors who
would have ridiculed them, scorned them, laughed at them, and
reproached them just as they had done to Christ Himself.
Christians were to look BEYOND all the physical - look to
the eternal FUTURE and eternal LIFE in the heavenly city of God,
look towards living forever in the Kingdom of God.
So with all this in mind, we are to offer to God the
sacrifice of PRAISE, giving THANKS to him at all times. We can do
this many times a day, as we walk about, work at our jobs, play
our sports. It is just a second or two to praise God in our minds
or with our lips, to praise Him for all we have, for all we can
see, or do. There are hundreds of things each day that we have
been given each day. As we mingle among them all, as we move and
converse within all we have each day, we can often say "Thank you
Lord." It is somewhat of a mind-set we must teach ourselves to
be in, appreciating all the time what God has given us.
I am blessed to have the owner of the Music School I teach
for, as a Christian friend. She calls me at home on a pretty
regular basis just to talk about the blessings we have, how God
has moved and blessed her over the years. We talk about what
happened this day or that day, how the Lord gave this or gave
that, how the door opened here or there to serve in one way or
another. We talk about other parts of the world and the material
things they do not have as we here in the Western world have. We
may look at what we do not have that many other materially richer
people have in our town where we live, but we always come back to
talking about the wonderful blessing God has given us, even just
to have the students we have to teach music to. We talk about the
health we have, the nice food she cooks and often shares with me.
We talk about her two little dogs and her 12 budgie birds. I may
talk about my wonderful Golden Palomino horse and the fun I have
as a working volunteer at the Riding School Ranch. We both are
reminded, we both remind each other, about the blessings and more
blessings we have from God, and we PRAISE His name.
We talk about HOW and WHY we can do good to others,
sometimes in just small ways, but small things can mean a lot. We
will buy things like a pencil with a colorful eraser on the end,
to give to our students. Maybe a green cookie for them at
St.Patrick's day - March 17th. Small things but you should see
the expression of delight on their faces.
Whatever your circle of life you can find ways to do good
and to serve others, and to communicate with others about God and
Christ and their desires for us in using our lives to give back
to others from the many things God has given us (verse 16).
Paul goes back again to the relationship of the shepherds
over the flock - the ministers over the Church of God. A verse
that some today do not want to hear, is verse 17. There is to be
a certain "obey them that have the rule or guide over you." The
ones guiding the flock are to be submitted to at times. Because
this has been abused by some leaders of Christian groups (who
really were leading as to make their group into a cult) many do
not understand this verse. When you put this verse in the context
of the WHOLE New Testament on the subject of Church Government,
it is clear that Paul is not talking about having a BLIND FAITH -
making leaders into little Hollywood Stars - obey their every
whim and fancy - allowing them to become little dictators over
people.
An example I hope will illustrate and give the meaning of
this verse.
I was pastoring a small group in the Toronto area of Canada
in the 80s. I baptized (after some in-depth council) a young man,
about age 20 at the time. It is impossible to know everything
about a person or their lives when you do not live with them on a
daily basis. This young man had kept from everyone a dark secret
we may say. Even his best friend at the time (whom I also baptized)
did not know this secret. It was only after about a year after both
young men were baptized that the one young man (the first I
mentioned) revealed to the other young man, that he was a
homosexual. The young man finally came to me to talk about his
problem with homosexuality. We talked for about 3 hours. He
revealed to me he had some practicing homosexual friends, and had
had them for a few years. He also revealed to me that he was
thinking of moving into the city of Toronto. Now, many of you may
not know that Toronto is second on the list behind San Francisco
in homosexual population in North America. He indicated to me he
was interested in putting away homosexuality in his life. After
all he told me, I said that if he really wanted to overcome and
put away homosexuality from his life, he would have to do TWO
THINGS for sure. I told him he would have to PUT AWAY having any
friends that were homosexuals, and that he should NOT move into
the city of Toronto.
I gave this young man TWO areas of life that he should obey
me on, if he was going to put away homosexuality from his life. I
was giving instructions on a VERY SERIOUS matter - a spiritual
life and death matter. There are times when a minister needs to
be obeyed in what he tells people to do to put away sin. A true
minister of god is watching out, looking out for, the lives of
the people of God. A minister of God will have to give account
one day. He wants to do it with joy not with grief and sorrow,
for giving account with grief and sorrow means it is unprofitable
for you, the one needing help to put away sin.
Sad to say the young man did NOT listen to me. He moved into
Toronto, and we never heard from him again. I can only hope and
pray that in the years from then to now, he has recalled what I
told him to do, if he was going to put away that sin from his
life.
Paul wanted all the Hebrews to pray for him and his helpers
with him, that they would lead an honest life in good conscience.
He wanted to be restored to them the sooner. What this exactly
meant is unknown today. Was he physically apart from them and
wanted to be in their midst? Was he spiritually apart from them
and so wanted this epistle to mend that gap? Probably it was a
combination of both. Whatever the specifics of it, he wanted to
once more be restored to them the sooner (verses 18-19).
He finishes this epistle with these words:
"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our
Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood
of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work
to do His will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his
sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever.
Amen.
And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation:
for i have written a letter unto you in few words. Know you that
our brother Timothy is set at liberty; to whom, if he come
shortly, I will see you.
Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the
saints, They of Italy salute you.
Grace be with you all. Amen"
...................
Written April 2007
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