Hebrews was written to believers whose enthusiasm for the gospel was being worn down (10:32-34). Following Jesus was costly, and the idea of giving it all up and returning to their former life of Judaism was starting to look appealing. ...
This section concludes the author’s discussion of Jesus as our high priest (7:1-10:18). In closing, he again emphatically contrasts the New and Old Covenants. ...
Under the Old Covenant, God’s people stood to gain an earthly inheritance. If they obeyed the laws given to them at Sinai, God would give them a peaceful life in Canaan with more than enough to live on (Leviticus 26:1-13). ...
In Hebrews 8, the author showed that Jesus is the High Priest of a new and superior covenant God made with his people. His superiority to the Levitical priests is demonstrated by the fact that he serves in “the true tent” (8:1) that the Old Testament tabernacle was merely “a copy and shadow of” (8:5). ...
Some commentators consider Hebrews to be more like a sermon than a letter. If we think of it that way, Hebrews 8:1-2 is where the preacher says something like, “Here’s the main point I want you to get, so listen…” ...
The author has discussed his readers’ immaturity (5:11-14) and offered a prescription for growing out of it (6:1-3). In the verses that follow, he paints a sobering picture of what happens when that medicine isn’t taken....
In Hebrews 5:1-10, the author briefly introduced Melchizedek (5:6, 10). He still has “much to say” (v 11) about Melchizedek and Jesus’ high priesthood which he’ll get to in chapters 7-10. But first he shifts gears to address his readers’ immaturity (5:11-6:3), to warn them against falling away (6:4-8), and to call them to endure in their faith (6:9-20)....
In the Old Testament, there were two primary qualifications for a high priest. First, he needed to be from among the people he represented (v 1). As one of them, he could represent them. And by sharing the nature and weaknesses of his people (and by having his own sins to atone for) the high priest could deal gently with the people’s sins (vv 2-3). In other words, while taking sin seriously, he could show patience, not indignation, toward sinners....
In Hebrews 4:12-13, the author said that we are completely laid bare before our Father in heaven and known for exactly who we are ...
Psalm 95 is the basis for Hebrews 4:1-11, and this gives the thrust for what the author asserts in Hebrews 4:12-13. As pointed out in 4:7, the focus is on “Today”. If you hear the Word of the Lord, do not be indifferent to it and fail to enter God’s rest. Using the Israelites’ disobedience as an example, the author says, “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” (4:11) This warning and encouragement to persevere has been a recurring theme in Hebrews....
In between God’s initial promise to Abraham of offspring and Isaac’s actual birth were years of waiting as well as numerous trials. But the greatest test to Abraham’s faith in God’s promise wouldn’t come until after Isaac came on the scene. ...
Keep ReadingIn Genesis 20, Abraham again tried the “Sarah is my sister” ruse out of fear for his life (see Genesis 12:10-20). This time, he tried it with Abimelech, king of Gerar. God intervened to assure that Abimelech didn’t touch Sarah, and for the entire time she was in his palace, the women of Gerar couldn’t get pregnant. After the truth came out, Abimelech returned Sarah...
Keep ReadingIn Genesis 12, God promised Abraham that he would give him offspring and make him into a great nation. Since then, many obstacles have threatened to stand in the way of that promise. Some were circumstantial, such as Sarah’s barrenness (11:30) and eventually her age (18:11). Others were moral, like the incidents in Egypt (12:10-20) and the one with Hagar (16:1-16). On th...
Keep ReadingIn Genesis 18:1-15, Abraham was met by three visitors: God himself and two angels. After being treated to Abraham’s remarkable hospitality, God told him that his promise to give him and Sarah a son would be fulfilled in a year. In response to Sarah’s skeptical laughter, God reminds her that because he is God, nothing is impossible for him....
Keep ReadingIn Genesis 17, God gave Abram several new details regarding the covenant he had made with him in chapter 15. First, Abram was to be the father of not just one nation but many, so God changed his name to “Abraham” which means “father of a multitude”. Additionally, kings would come from him, this covenant would be an everlasting one that included his descendants, and...
Keep ReadingGod’s plan for Abram has been slowly revealed in stages. First, Abram was promised that he would become a great nation and that his descendants would occupy the land of Canaan (12:1-9). Later, God clarified that this nation would come from Abram’s biological son, not an adopted heir, and he made a covenant with Abram to fulfill his promise (15:1-21). In Genesis 17, God...
Keep ReadingINTRODUCTION In Genesis 15, Abram believed that God would fulfill the promise of offspring (12:2) through his servant Eliezer (15:2-3), probably assuming he was too old to physically have a child. But God made it explicitly clear that Abram himself would have a son. But the passage of time continued to put a strain on him and Sarai, and chapter 16 presents us with an ex...
Keep ReadingAfter his military victory against Chedorlaomer’s armies, Abram was met by two kings: Melchizedek, the king of Salem, and the unnamed king of Sodom. While Melchizedek celebrated Abram’s victory and blessed him, the king of Sodom offered him a business transaction: “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” (Genesis 14:21) Not wanting to be indebted to ...
Keep ReadingINTRODUCTION After a "trial of abundance" in which the land was not big enough to accommodate both Abram and Lot's possessions, Abram graciously offered to let Lot choose whatever portion of the land of Canaan he wished to dwell in. Instead, Lot chose to leave the land of promise and dwell near the beautiful (but ungodly) city of Sodom. MAIN POINT Love inconvenien...
Keep ReadingAfter failing to trust God to provide for him in famine and a disastrous trip to Egypt, Abraham returns to the land of promise and worships God again. Back in Canaan, he now faces a new test....
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