Introduction

LESSONS FROM HEBREWS-

Thoughts come from a wide variety of sources. Some of the lessons I have learned come from individuals, some from assemblies and Bible studies, some from my home life, and some from books I have read. The Holy Spirit is the Teacher who makes them real to me.

INTRODUCTION. The times were tough for the new believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, especially for those who were Jews. Christianity, which seemed like just another sect of Judaism, added to the religion and was not simply another group following traditional Jewish beliefs with a focus on specific doctrines like the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots. The teachings of Christianity were changing people's minds intellectually, encouraging them to think more deeply and profoundly about God.

Emotionally, people's hearts were moved, leading to spontaneous and genuine praise and worship. Spiritually, their wills were transformed, and those who followed Christ began living changed lives that reflected Jesus' example. Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ were fundamentally different from those who continued in traditional Judaism. Judaism held on to ancient customs and traditions, originally created by God to help them express worship and devotion in meaningful ways that pleased Him. Although the rituals made sense, over the years, they accumulated many details that made it hard for the average Jew to understand. A religious hierarchy developed, including scribes and lawyers, who were added to the God-ordained priesthood.

The commandments God had given were interpreted to fit the culture that had developed among the Jews, and in their minds, large volumes of writings gained authority almost equal to God’s laws. Now, "the commandments of men" held a special place in Jewish thinking. The forgiveness and salvation God promised to those who feared and obeyed Him had, for the Jews, become a religious work of their own, rather than resting on God's wonderful plan.

Judaism was neither easy nor lacking true meaning. The rich heritage of the Jews and the sacred scriptures read on the Sabbath were authentic. The writings of Moses, the law, the prophets, and the poetic books from Job to the Song of Solomon were all inspired by the Holy Spirit. "Holy men of old spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." The problem was that they had reverted to merely following traditions and rituals rather than doing what was right, as they should have, "coming to God by faith." "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." The ancient people of faith were described in the book of Hebrews as examples to both them and us of people of faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."

It was into this religious scene that the brightness of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ entered, transforming lives and giving shape to a vibrant, active faith based on the fulfillment of the law by our Lord Jesus Christ, who "was sacrificed for us." The types and shadows of the Old Testament were fulfilled, and the current reality of an active faith was demonstrated in those who had "believed in Jesus," who had "died for our sins according to the scriptures, was buried, and rose again the third day according to the scriptures." The Living Savior has been introduced to the nation of Israel as "The Lamb of God which beareth away the sin of the world." However, as a nation, "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not."

Since the resurrection of Christ, Christianity—which Jews initially thought of as a new, unusual sect of Judaism—had spread across the world to both Gentiles and Jews, demonstrating the reality of "faith in Christ" apart from deeds of the law. Along with Christianity's growing universal reach, there were harsh realities of persecution and severe opposition, causing a lot of suffering for those who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. As a result, some Jewish believers felt their "hands were hanging down," and their "knees were feeble." They began to revert to Jewish rituals and a more compromising form of faith to make things easier. The problem was, it wasn't working, and for some reason, they couldn't figure out why.

The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews was addressing discouraged Christians, aiming to fill their minds with the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ and His greatness. Instead of losing everything, they had gained far more than they could have imagined because Christianity is far superior to Judaism. Moreover, they haven’t endured as much as many others before them. In my view, the key verse of the book is Hebrews 12:3: “For consider Him who endured such contradiction (opposition) of sinners against Himself, lest you be weary and faint (lose heart) in your minds.”

The purpose of the book is to demonstrate the superiority of Christianity by showing that the New Covenant fulfills the Old without diminishing its value. Better things in the new covenant have replaced the good things of the old covenant. In Hebrews, we see history and life from God’s perspective, and it speaks to us of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is currently in heaven on our behalf.

The writer of the book of Hebrews crafted this remarkable, masterful epistle mainly to fill readers' minds with thoughts of the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ, His glory, and the greatness of all He accomplished—things that have satisfied God and brought blessings to us. Additionally, the writer highlights what they had gained rather than what they had lost. In doing so, he explains how and why Christianity has done much more for them than Judaism and why it is superior in every way. Furthermore, he makes it clear that others have suffered even more than they have, including having their lives taken from them. He was not disparaging the value of the old covenant in its original purpose but instead emphasizing how much better, in a superior way, the new covenant is compared to the old covenant of types and shadows. The new covenant is superior because it fulfills the old. It is the real thing—the essence of which the old was only a picture.

Believers today need to recognize the value and privilege of being closely connected to His Majesty, the Son of God. When our lives focus on Him, we find purpose and meaning in all our activities. Living daily with our Lord Jesus allows us to see the past, present, and future through God's perspective. A life lived from God's viewpoint makes sense of everything that happens, whether it seems good or bad to us. The practical experience of following Christ clarifies our faith and explains why we are here at this time and in this place.

There is no doubt about Christ's superiority over angels, government leaders, religious leaders, or organized religion that views a sanctuary merely as a room in a building. The absolute superiority of the "one sacrifice for sins forever" that is enough to meet the needs of everyone who comes to Christ by faith is clear. Even the fact that we can please God by believing in Him and trusting Him alone, instead of relying on our own works, surpasses anything humans have devised to please Him.

Hebrews compares Israel in the wilderness and the church, along with the covenant God made with Israel at Mt. Sinai, and the new covenant established by Christ with His people. The new covenant is better because we have free access to God at all times, whereas in the old covenant, sin was still a barrier that kept people from approaching God.

The Mediator of the new covenant is our Lord Jesus Christ. Angels mediated the Old Covenant, particularly through Moses, the greatest prophet. Discouraged Jewish believers were encouraged to “Consider Him…” The book of Hebrews, when read properly in context and taken at face value, does "lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees." When we "Look off unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith," we can endure any obstacles and pressures that oppose us, and we can live by faith in the One who is His Majesty—the Son.

Important subjects in Hebrews are “perfect,” “heavenly,” “eternal,” “sat down,” “once,” and “better.” The Lord Jesus is greater than the prophets [1:1-3], angels [1:4-2], Moses [3], Joshua [4:1- 13], and greater than Aaron [4:14-10:18]. From 10:19 to the end of the book, the focus is on us who are believers. Because “we live and move and have our being” in our Lord Jesus, we should live as representatives of Him because of His life and work.

The words “Let us” are repeated many times as the writer applies the doctrine and theme he is discussing. Twelve different times, the phrase “Let us” appears, covering our attitudes and actions toward believers and our Lord. The focus is on the glory of our Lord, His deity, His humanity, His priesthood, His sacrifice, His life of faith, His resurrection, His ascension, and His return.

Every doctrine and illustration in Hebrews strikes at the core of the heart and conscience, appealing to how we live our lives, and it directs its message to faith. The wisdom given to the writer to teach the fundamentals of the new covenant shows that he was a Jew who understood that historic Judaism and Christianity were in conflict. His readers needed to grasp the fulfillment of the law by Christ and how it becomes personal for every believer, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.

This book also provides warnings that encourage us to seriously consider and understand how we handle circumstances. The way we conduct our lives is crucial to our testimony. We can learn to manage discouragement, despondency, and potential defeat by studying the lives of these first- century Christians as they lived through the beginning of a new era of grace.