The Minnesota Church of God General Conference has campgrounds located on a peninsula. It’s the setting for various church events throughout the year including baptisms and conferences. One of those has been a summer camp. I have fond memories of that camp, and since it’s on a lake there’s always some swimming involved. If you end up touching the bottom of the lake while swimming, you’ll find it’s very muddy. Once it grabs on it doesn’t want to let go.
When reading Psalm 69, this is what came to my mind regarding the first few verses. David is talking about muck and deep waters. In this case, David is relating the waters and the muck where there is no foothold to his enemies and those who hate him, how he is surrounded by them. He goes on throughout the passage to illustrate this over and over again. There is powerful imagery used, like in verse 21, “They also gave me gall for my food And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” He’s talking about how he feels surrounded and just how bad it is for him, tribulation after tribulation.
Yet in the midst of this, the last part of the Psalm is about praising God. Verse 29 marks the change, “But I am afflicted and in pain; May Your salvation, O God, set me securely on high.” He even thanks God. He sets a great example here of being thankful in the bad times, not just the good, as it’s so easy to do. And to bring it back to the mud and water, it can be easy to drown in this sludge. To be overwhelmed. That moment when it all hits and you almost feel lost. But let’s take a page from David here and turn to God in those situations. God should be the rock upon which you build your life so when the water is all around, you have a foundation.
So, to wrap this up: when you’re in a spot like David, and that could be right now, you may be be afflicted, hurting and overwhelmed, but God will secure you.
-Philip Kirkpatrick
Reflection Questions
When have you felt the most stuck? Did you turn to God for salvation? If so, how – and how did God respond?
What can we learn from David in this psalm?
What will you do next time you are feeling overwhelmed or stuck in the muck?
Mark Introduction
The gospel of Mark is thought to have been written by John Mark, a companion of Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey (Acts 12:25), and a close associate of Peter (1 Peter 5:13). Mark’s testimony about Peter is especially vivid, supporting the belief that Mark wrote Peter’s account of Jesus’ ministry.
Mark is the shortest gospel. It contains less of Jesus’ teachings than do either Matthew or Luke, focusing on what Jesus did rather than what He said. It is speculated that Mark wrote his gospel while in Rome to encourage Christians persecuted in Rome under Nero.
Mark starts his gospel by saying this is the beginning of the gospel (good news) about Jesus the Messiah, the son of GOD. But several times in Mark’s gospel, Jesus tells his disciples to not tell who he is (or tell about some of the miracles he did). Also, Mark repeatedly pointed out that the disciples didn’t understand many of Jesus’ teachings – which helps us relate to the disciples.
Chapter 13 closes out the book of Hebrews. Here Herb (my name for the author of Hebrews, for simplicity) states concerns for his audience, along with a blessing. Without this last section it would be difficult to see Hebrews as a letter, rather than a sermon. But he comments about the needs of the people he is writing to, and gives a benediction, as is the normal pattern for New Testament letters. Herb’s comments show that false teachings were affecting the people the letter went to, “varied and strange teachings” that must not be allowed to carry them away (v. 9). The specifics are not made very clear for us.
Before Herb raised the issue of false teaching he advised: “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.” (v. 7). We aren’t told the roles of these leaders, they could be everyone these people ever encountered who guided them and have died, whether apostles, traveling missionaries, disciples in their own congregations, etc. (The term “led” here is a different form of the Greek word translated “leaders” in 13:17 and 24.) They spoke the word of God to them. They told them the truth. So now the idea is to consider the outcome of these people’s conduct – the end of each one’s life – and based on that imitate their faith. In a way Herb is asking for his audience to work out Hebrews 11 on a small scale, thinking about the faithful of the recent past who they have known. We can do the same with people we have known, evaluating if they held true to the end, which was a big concern expressed by Herb in his book, and if they did hold true we should imitate their faith.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (v. 8). Jesus Christ doesn’t change. The truth about him doesn’t change. Those who were trustworthy about him before would be trustworthy now, were they alive to still be saying the same things. The faith they held in Jesus before was well founded before, and it would continue to be well founded if they were still alive to continue advocating it. So, you can take up that belief and take up that faith for yourself and hold firm in it. Jesus Christ doesn’t change. And, to the extent that we have obtained to the Christian maturity we ought to hold, neither should we change.
Lord, let me have proper firmness. Let me care deeply. Let me be willing to give the sacrifices of praise and of doing good. Please help me to be who I ought to be, with faith like that of the loving leaders I have known. Please guide me with your Spirit, and work what is pleasing in your sight. And may your blessings also go to the readers of these words who seek your guidance. In the name of your blessed son Jesus, I pray these things, Amen.
-Daniel Smead
Reflection Questions
1. What do you figure happens if a whole congregation of people take up the faithful attitudes of their leaders (or former leaders)?
2. Perhaps most of us had some familiarity with Hebrews before we read it these last weeks, and anyway we were able to back up and re-read sections if we wished to. Most of Herb’s audience was first exposed to his letter when it was read aloud. Probably it was then repeated so they could go over it again. Perhaps a group of leaders read it first to understand it better so they could address questions for the group. They may have wanted to look at related Old Testament texts, as well. Thinking about these scenarios, how many times through do you think it would take before they “got” the message of Hebrews?
3. Do you expect that Hebrews succeeded with encouraging its first audience and bringing them to a new commitment? Has it succeeded in encouraging you?
On a personal note, I wanted to ask for prayer because I have been suffering from migraine issues for just over 48 months. Basically, a constant migraine began in August 2019. I had suffered from migraines before then, just not so badly. Yes, I’ve been seeing a neurologist. Yes, I’m on drugs for this (several drugs). I’ve made lifestyle changes, including ones to reduce stress and relieve eye strain (like hardly reading from paper books anymore). The pain is not as bad now as it was three years ago, though it fluctuates, but I would appreciate it if the headache stopped at some point. Thank you.
When I read Hebrews 12 I tend to think about how I’d like to see a painting of the Hebrew people gathered in front of Mount Sinai. Something that captures the atmosphere, with the darkness and smoke, the fire and the quaking ground. Maybe someday I will run across a painting like that hanging in a museum and I can marvel at the artist’s impression of the moment. I realize there is no point in my having such an artwork myself. First, I can’t imagine where my wife would let me hang it. Second, I’m not at all sure I would want to look at it for very long. If the painting was done well, I don’t think I would find it that pleasant to see. Impressive, yes. Happy-making, no.
The scene with Mount Zion and the heavenly Jerusalem is quite a different story. You might first think this was meant to illustrate the future kingdom, but recall the phrasing “You have come to” (v. 22), not ‘You will come to.’ The contrast we are being offered is between the tabernacle where it sat at Mount Sinai and the heavenly tabernacle set up by God. Notice that the description includes the heavenly Jerusalem, which we would not expect to be relevant to Jesus’ second coming (there is a thousand-year gap to consider before it comes to earth). We are also told about “the spirits of the righteous made perfect” – that they are perfected implies this is in the future, at the second coming (or after). But the mention of “spirits” helps bring to mind Revelation 6:9-11. There, in a vision, John hears those who had been slain speak from below the altar. This is a description of worship, contrasted with the worship at Mount Sinai. It is not literal, but a presentation of what is involved with the heavenly tabernacle as opposed to the earthly tabernacle.
When my mind has tried to visualize this scene it tends not to work well. For one thing the scale is off, too many millions of angels are present. And my mind balks at a painting showing God, despite the number of painters who have tried to produce just that. I won’t bother telling you more about what my brain came up with, I don’t want to mess up your imaginations if you have a better grasp on this.
Herb (my name for the author of Hebrews, for simplicity) is making another of his arguments for staying firm in the faith. He isn’t trying to get people to say how much nicer the Mount Zion scene is than the Mount Sinai scene, but how much firmer and authoritative the message of the Mount Zion scene is. It represents covenant 2.0, for which Jesus shed his blood. This is another ‘that was good but this is better’ argument. I’m not sure if Herb thought about it quite this way, but while people might have been warned against touching the old mountain, sinners looking at the new mountain would know better than to come anywhere near it. It had myriads of angels, for one thing (don’t forget the Bible reports of how even the presence of a single angel kept making people fall to the ground). And God is right there. When verse 29 says “our God is a consuming fire” the main reference may be Deuteronomy 4:24 or 9:3, etc., but we shouldn’t forget about what first set the tone: “The glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it . . . and to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the mountain top.” (Exodus 24:16-17). The people saw God as a consuming fire while God was concealed within a cloud, away on a mountain top. With God less concealed God is brighter, and this is the God who will replace the sun for the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:23). Yes, potentially very scary to anyone who isn’t certain they are on the Lord’s side.
Herb wanted the people to be fully committed in their decisions for Jesus. He wanted them to endure, not growing weary and losing heart (12:3). He wanted them to strive against sin (v. 4). He wanted them to continue in discipline so that they would be able to share in God’s holiness (v. 10). He wanted them to pursue peace with all men, to pursue sanctification, and one day see the Lord (v. 14). They were to be part of a kingdom that could not be shaken (which may pull in Daniel 2:44, drawing on another mountain reference), but the implication was that everything else would fall away.
I wonder if Herb’s comparison of two mountains in chapter 12 may be behind his pattern of writing about the tabernacle and avoiding references to the temple in this book. It helped him tie the first covenant to Mount Sinai, and the second covenant to Mount Zion. The tabernacle later moved along with the people, and eventually Solomon built the temple at Mount Zion. But mentioning those facts could have complicated the analogy. If that is the case, well played, Herb. And I like your illustration.
Lord, your worthiness for praise is obvious to the angels. Please help us Christians to understand you better. Help us show you an acceptable service with reverence and awe. You have allowed your son to die so that our hearts can be purified, and we could be closer to you. Help us not to lose track of the value and importance of your choice. Please let me serve you, and those you love. Amen.
-Daniel Smead
Reflection Questions
1. Going through difficult experiences can increase our understanding – Hebrews 12:7 refers to having the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Are you prepared to accept support from fellow believers when you struggle in times of endurance? Are you prepared to support fellow believers when it is appropriate?
2. Has a piece of art (painting, sculpture, music, etc.) helped you understand God better? Has a piece of art helped you grow as a person? Do you think God works through artistic beauty?
3. How does it make you feel about God, knowing that He is preparing to set up a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and has invited you to be part of it?
Hebrews chapter 11 is very well known and a powerful and beautiful piece of writing, maybe on a level with 1 Corinthians 13. What Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13 about love is more often quoted in wedding services, out of context, than used to discuss the situation at Corinth. Something similar may be true with what Hebrews 11 says regarding faith. Good use is made of the passage to discuss faith, but perhaps comparatively not much of the time in the context of what Hebrews is about. It is extremely easy to break this passage away from the rest of what was written by Herb (my name for the author of Hebrews, for simplicity).
New Testament Greek had no chapter breaks, or even paragraph breaks. When authors of that time wanted to establish a change in topic they needed to do so with their words. Herb does a lot with inclusio, also called bracketing, which used repeated words to emphasize a section of text. The presence of these repetitions helped people who were following along with a work while hearing it out loud – and those attempting to memorize it. For hundreds of years very few people had access to written copies of these works and often they depended on listening to them spoken aloud, perhaps even from memory. (In seminary I had a teacher who assigned students to memorize a Psalm and recite it. Part of the point was to gain some sense of what it was like to hold scripture in your mind and speak it aloud. He was pleased and surprised when a student took up the challenge of learning Psalm 119 and succeeded.) There is an inclusio in Hebrews 11:2 and 39 created with the Greek for “to witness” which sets apart that chapter and shows our chapter break to be reasonable.
But Herb did not discuss “faith” only in chapter 11. The Greek word for “faith” appears in Hebrews a total of 32 times: in 4:2; 6:1, 12; 10:32, 38, 39; then in chapter 11 (24 times); 12:2; and 13:7. Outside chapter 11 the references to faith almost all involve Herb expressing concern about believers having proper faith in Christ. You can also see a cluster of four references around chapter 11 which show how Herb set up that chapter and then picked up from it to move into the next part of the letter.
For these devotions we generally read a single chapter but if you wish after reading this devotion you could reread the text, backing up a few verses to include part of chapter 10 as a lead-in to chapter 11. First, I want to highlight a few more words to pay attention to that appear in both Hebrews 10 and 11.
In Hebrews 10:34 a Greek word for “better” appears which Herb uses 13 times in Hebrews. That is far more than elsewhere in the New Testament, but It obviously fits with the tone of the book, which keeps saying that Jesus is better than one thing or another. The word then gets used in 11:16, 35, and 40.
In Hebrews 10:36 a Greek word for “receive” appears for the first time in Hebrews. It will be used twice more, in 11:19 and 39.
Also in Hebrews 10:36, a Greek word for “promise” appears, the eighth of 14 uses. The remaining six times are in 11:9 (twice), 13, 17, 33, 39.
Breaking down the list, “faith” is mentioned in the end of chapter 10, all through chapter 11, and at the start of chapter 12. Three other words connect the end of chapter 10 to chapter 11, suggesting that Herb set up points he was going to make in the faith chapter: “receive,” “better,” “promise.” You could back up to Hebrews 10:32 and read on through 12:2 to see how these words are emphasized together.
If you choose to, you could also do a second exercise, for a different way of looking at things, considering these facts:
In Hebrews 10:32 a Greek word for “endured” / “endure” appears. It is used four times in Hebrews, here and in 12:2, 3, and 7.
In Hebrews 10:36 a Greek word for “patient endurance” or “perseverance” appears. It is used only here and 12:1.
So two words about ‘endurance’ bridge the end of chapter 10 to the start of chapter 12, for a total of six appearances. This suggests that while Herb didn’t choose to emphasize endurance on the part of the Old Testament figures chapter 11 discusses he wanted to emphasize endurance on the part of the Christians he wrote to. This will become very clear if you try another read through starting at Hebrews 10:32 perhaps, but this time skip over chapter 11 entirely and read to 12:7.
Hebrews 11 has a remarkable message about many great examples of faithfulness from the past who trusted God to be reliable and now serve as examples to us. Many people speak of the great acts of faith that these people engaged in, but that is not how the chapter describes them. It says that they “gained approval” from God for their faithfulness (v. 2, 39). In terms of Herb’s actual message these figures from the past are case studies in endurance, people who did not shrink back. Herb finally emphasizes not what they received through faith but what they did not receive, because none of them got what they were waiting for, which is interesting as it shows their common understanding of what to expect and that they did not allow thousands of years of waiting to throw off their patience (v. 39). We also see that the list of named figures stops with David and Samuel, in the time of the tabernacle. Some of the other figures are identifiable as from later times, such as the reference in verse 33 to “shut the mouths of lions,” which is plainly Daniel, but they remain unnamed.
Verse 40 is the kicker for this chapter, of course. “God provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.” This is now the twelfth of fourteen uses of this language about perfection in Hebrews (the next will be in 12:2, the last in 12:23). It is remarkable the lengths that have been gone to in some interpretations to have this language make sense, without having the return of Christ and the resurrection hope be significant for the Old Testament saints and the church, together. But the repeated (and, in my Bible, underlined) words of the chapter prompt us and we can’t ignore them – receive better promises – there is no reasonable explanation where some part of the Church has already inherited what God planned to give us. We are a body, undivided, faithful, and patient. “Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at his coming.” (1 Corinthians 15:23).
Lord, you have made lovely poetry, and remarkable prose. Yours are the greatest inventions, incredible art, the purest flavors, colors and lightning. I praise your creativity, and I await the wonders of the more perfect world that awaits when your son returns to earth. All I know now is the damaged version of what you intended. Some of what you first made still shines through, and it is amazing to me. Let me grow in faith in you always, for you are almighty and perfectly trustworthy. Amen.
-Daniel Smead
Reflection Questions
1. Imagine if chapter 11 really were not in Hebrews. What would we be missing?
3. Have you ever tried to memorize part of Hebrews 11? With its repeated pattern about “faith” it seems set up for that purpose, but modern Americans don’t tend to try memorizing much. What advantages do you see to memorizing scripture? How do you decide what scripture to memorize?
3. Do you expect that faith is easier to hold to if you have people encouraging you to be faithful? How have you tried to be encouraging today? What things do you find encouraging?
“You showed sympathy to the prisoners” (Hebrews 10:34). I don’t know what that phrase brings to your mind. Maybe you see something from a television program or a movie, someone behind a sheet of glass holding a telephone receiver. Perhaps you have visited a prisoner at some point, for a prison ministry, or a relative or friend. You may think of sending letters, or helping prisoners readjust after their release. The issues under discussion in Hebrews were rather different. With the Roman empire it was expected that the relatives and friends of a prisoner would provide their food and other physical needs, though there might be some small rations. Christians became known for taking care of fellow believers who had been arrested for their faith, as well as other prisoners in need. But that meant people helping Christians ran the risk of getting accused of being Christians themselves. That’s probably where the next part of the verse came in, that they “accepted joyfully the seizure” of their property – they continued with their behavior even though it risked them being identified and targeted. They didn’t shy away from risk to guard themselves. It isn’t mentioned here but Christians during the Roman empire also became known for caring for plague victims when others would not, taking in orphans, collecting clothes to give to the poor, and generally being good to others.
In the fourth century the Emperor Julian would become very frustrated about the contrast between the Christians and the pagans. In a letter he wrote: “Why then do we think that this is sufficient and do not observe how the kindness of Christians to strangers, their care for the burial of their dead, and the sobriety of their lifestyle has done the most to advance their cause? Each of these things, I think, ought really to be practiced by us.”
In Hebrews 10 we find that Herb (my choice of a simple name for the book’s author) returned to issues he addressed in chapter six about a person surrendering their faith in Jesus (6:4-8; 10:26-31). These comments are directly paired in both chapters with the statement that Herb’s audience is not like that, which is shown by the fact that they have been ministering to believers (6:9‑12; 10:32-39). For Herb to defend his audience this way should be an obvious route to take. What are Christians told to do? “I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34‑35). Yes, that isn’t the only thing for Christians to do, but it is a huge example: “This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. The one who keeps His commandments remains in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He remains in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” (1 John 3:23-24). And the call to love isn’t necessarily simple or easy, either. The very fact that Jesus said “just as I have loved you” should put this at a high level, for Jesus loves at a high level.
Hebrews 10 began by comparing the priests who stood in the tabernacle day after day offering sacrifices to Jesus and the single sacrifice he offered before he sat at God’s right hand. Herb wants us to understand that what Jesus did is much more powerful than all those earlier sacrifices. And because it is so much more powerful it calls more powerfully for our response. Herb says: “let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds” (v. 22-24). Those verses give a complicated image. The idea of being “sprinkled clean” plays off the sprinkling of the blood by the high priest once a year over everything that needed to be cleansed in the Holy of Holies – but Herb says that our hearts are part of what Jesus cleansed. There are no more evil consciences for us, we can have pure consciences and serve wholeheartedly, having been washed with pure water, referring to our baptisms. This is very similar to 1 Peter 3:21-22, “baptism now saves you – not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience – through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God”. We are to hold to the confession of our hope that came with that baptism – because the fact of being baptized, to Herb, doesn’t mean what is so often called baptism today (the sprinkling of a baby, with no knowledge of what it means) but the choice made by a believer to state their understanding in front of at least one other person, confessing hope in the promises of God involving Jesus and the future. He who promised is faithful, so we should not waver in our commitment. By having made that choice each one of us becomes part of the body of Christ, which is a collective group. Recognizing that we are part of that group should remind us that we have support with each other, and also that we have responsibility and commitment for each other, so we need to think about how we can stimulate each other to love and good deeds.
One of my seminary teachers noted that there are two possible interpretations of Hebrews 10:25. It is often used to advocate for attendance at worship services using the phrase “assembling together” to refer to ‘not meeting on a regular basis,’ as a matter of habit. But the Greek word for the assembling or gathering here is the one used in 2 Thessalonians 2:1, and it has been suggested that it could be saying not to forsake our being gathered together with Jesus at his return – so not, by your choices, giving up on being a part of the resurrection with him. More like “Don’t forsake being part of the resurrection gathering, as some are in the manner of, but encourage each other to be there at that day, all the more as you see it drawing near.” Either meaning could work. (The term translated as “habit” also gets translated “manner.”)
Hebrews 10:31, which says “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God,” should be read along with verse 27 that refers to “a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.” We are still speaking of the adversaries of God being consumed, not simply tortured in some ongoing way (as some versions of theology would have it). I see no conflict in this. Notably Hebrews 10:26 references Numbers 15:30, showing that Herb had that part of the book in his mind when he was writing this section about fire and judgment. And Numbers 16 may well be the section he was pointing his readers to for a consideration of how terrifying God could be when passing judgment. God doesn’t need to be a demented torturer to be scary. I don’t think that Korah was complacent when he faced the results of his revolt. Endless suffering is not required for God’s wrath to be respected. If all we were concerned about was what came after this life we would have no concerns about anything in this one. But we have proven ourselves well capable of being concerned about what happens now.
In the last part of the chapter Herb wants his audience to proclaim that they are not giving up on Jesus. He doesn’t want any doubt on that point. He says “do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward” (v. 35). He quotes God saying:
“My righteous one shall live by faith;
And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”
But Herb tells his audience “we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.” (v. 39).
Lord, it really is a terrible thing to think of anyone giving up on their confidence in your son. I read the book of Hebrews and I think I understand the concern it expresses, the passion which Herb felt about his readers. He didn’t want to say that any of them might turn away, but he didn’t want to stop urging them to remain vigilant. He just really wanted them all to be safe in the end. He wanted to tell them about how dangerous it would be to turn away from the sacrifice that Jesus made, because there is only one sacrifice in the new covenant, but he also wanted to say that it is up to you to judge – because if they thought they might have stepped too far then they might despair and not turn back to Jesus. Everything was a balancing act and the focus was always on getting as many as possible to devote themselves to the Lord. I am glad for your mercy, Lord, because I know so many people who I know need it, including me. Please help us to serve you better. Please help us to grow. Help us to love. Thank you again. Amen.
-Daniel Smead
Reflection Questions
1. Do you value being at church services with other believers? Do you feel that you are a part of the worship? Are you growing? Are you open to others? If not, how could that change?
2. Herb wants his audience to be revived in their faith, to be passionate about Jesus against the risk of persecution. What if they weren’t warned about the risk of persecution when they first became Christians, and meeting opposition took them off guard, how might that affect their attitudes?
3. Are you open to challenging yourself to a Love Like Jesus Day? Of course we are always supposed to do that. But how about consciously checking your actions for one day, all your thoughts, words, deeds, measuring yourself against Jesus and trying to amp your love to Jesus-levels? What do you think it will look like?
I worked at a nuclear power plant a few years ago, in its documents department. I rarely had to enter the main part of the plant, which involved passing through radiation detectors on the way out, but I learned about safety procedures, shielding, radiation levels, etc. Different parts of the plant had increased levels of risk and protection connected to them. There was also a limit on individuals’ total allowed lifetime exposure to radiation at the plant, which needed to be tracked. Each day meetings were held to discuss mistakes which had been reported at plants around the country, to gather what could be learned from them. Safety was considered highly important; workers have sometimes died in nuclear plants after what would be viewed as simple errors in other settings.
My experiences at that nuclear plant may affect how I now think about the tabernacle. I recall the fact that people were only scheduled to enter the central reactor chamber for refueling every 18 months, and after long and careful planning. I compare that with the high priest only entering the Holy of Holies one day of the year after carefully preparing his purity for that event. I also remember the account of how Moses’ face would glow after he spent time speaking with God. Moses covered that glow with a veil, trying to put people’s minds at ease. Even before that, when the people said they did not want to hear from God directly anymore, God agreed that was for the best (Exodus 34:29-35; Deuteronomy 5:25-29). No analogy is perfect of course, but I don’t think that God could help being dangerous to humans under the first covenant. God protected the Hebrews by limiting their exposure to direct contact with such pure holiness. They were not fit for returning to a Garden of Eden-type relationship with their creator. They needed separation, division, mediation.
In the first covenant people were to be kept safe by many rules. The Levites and priests were to guide them, teaching them what they needed to know. Everything was wrapped in warnings. But the teachers did not always teach, and the students did not learn well enough. Nations fell. Happily, joyously, a new covenant with better promises came and we now have a mediator who can do more than purify from things done in ignorance (Hebrews 9:7). We have Jesus, who can cleanse the conscience from dead works so that we can serve the living God (v. 9, 14). Our perfecting is not yet complete in this age, but while we look forward to its fulfillment we have reason to eagerly await our Lord Jesus (v. 28). We have been offered something quite different from what was offered to the Hebrews in Moses’ time.
Lord, please let us have a joy that matches the wonder of what you have done for us. Please allow our lives to demonstrate an appreciation for you that is suitable to what you have done. I don’t know what you have in store for tomorrow, but I know that you are a God of wonderful surprises. Even if I will only see the kinds of miracles from you that I have seen before, they justify my praise and exaltation to you. Let me always eagerly await your son, who has done so much in my life. I want to be eager and ready to speak about how wonderful he is. Amen, my Lord!
-Daniel Smead
Reflection Questions
What does this text tell us about how God values His son? What does it tell us about how God values His creation?
You may have read or heard the idea that high priests entered the Holy of Holies with a rope tied to their ankle in case they died while inside, so they could be pulled out. This seems to be one of the ‘holy myths’ that develops around the edges of the Bible. The first we find of the story was many hundreds of years after the Temple had been destroyed, with no strong reason to think it was true. The Law specifies what a high priest was to wear, and the story as told would violate those standards. Perhaps it results from someone wanting to build up the dangers of the role, or having asked “what if” questions. Do you think such stories are problems of themselves?
Do you feel that you eagerly await Jesus? If you do not, what holds you back from feeling that way?
I believe that many readers of these devotions are currently students, while for some of you your school days are long in the past. Well, please adjust your memory as necessary and imagine the following situation: you’ve written a research paper with a required word count, and you run out of things to say (at least in the amount of time you gave yourself to write it). Your imagination is tapped. The letter of the law tells you the requirement, but you just can’t get your brain to produce any more useful ideas on the subject. What might you do? Perhaps you make one of your quotations longer to get the paper to reach the limit. If you were being a bit more cautious you might find spots to put in two or three shorter quotations so that your teacher won’t think that was what you did, instead of having one long quotation.
Well Hebrews is the New Testament book which depends the most on quotations, it has the most quotations and draws on them steadily to make its points about God’s intentions. Much of its argument about high priests uses Psalm 110 (which is itself the most quoted text in the New Testament, with Psalm 110:1 the most quoted individual verse in the Bible). And starting in Hebrews 8:8 we have the longest quotation in the New Testament, but I guarantee that it isn’t there for padding. For one thing the average length of a Greek letter at the time was only 90 words – more philosophical letters ran to 250 words. But even the short book of Philemon is 355 words. The book of Hebrews is nearly 5,000 words. Padding was not required. This information may be treated only as trivia, or we may think about why Hebrews depended so much on the Old Testament, as foundation for what it tells us. Consider the possibility that for some Christians this was one of the first “New Testament” works they had contact with – they may have known stories of Jesus by word of mouth, but their Bible may have been almost entirely the Old Testament, and this letter was attempting to guide how they viewed it by careful argument. On the off chance that you have been skipping over the quotations all this time because you assume they don’t add anything to the main story, do please read today’s text in full (and you probably should go back over the earlier ones too).
Hebrews 8:1 begins by restating some facts about Jesus: that he became our high priest and is at God’s right hand. Hebrews seven had discussed these facts, but alongside many other issues, now the author (who you may recall I choose to call Herb, for simplicity) refocuses our attention on these core points from Psalm 110:1, 4. Going from that foundation verse two makes the additional point that in heaven Jesus ministers in “the sanctuary,” that is “the true tabernacle” or sacred tent, pitched by God rather than man. Moses was given very specific instructions about what the tabernacle on earth should be like, and he was told that the tabernacle reflected the greater reality which exists in heaven. Several of the Psalms also refer to the heavens as a tent set up by God. The comparison might not seem as smooth if it were drawn between the heavens and the Temple which Solomon spent years building in Jerusalem, but the book of Hebrews doesn’t discuss the Temple worship, it emphasizes the worship that took place in the wilderness.
Having brought his audience back to first principles, Herb says in the next few verses some things that will be expanded on in chapters nine and ten. That doesn’t mean he is saying things that his audience wasn’t aware of. For example, in 8:3 he says that it is necessary for Jesus to have “something to offer” as a high priest. Herb says this only a few verses after having stated in 7:27 that Jesus “offered himself.” I think this fact was familiar to everyone involved in Christianity. But Herb is walking his readers through his argument, making the case he set out to make.
The quote beginning in Hebrews 8:8, from Jeremiah 31:31-34, will also be part of the discussion in the next two chapters of the book. It shows that during the time of the first covenant a need was stated – by God – for an improvement in the relationship of God and the people. All along the way God recognized needs and took steps to fill them. The same God brought about the first covenant and the second covenant. It was not some error in the first that resulted in the second, God planned for the developments that took place. While Jeremiah 31:31-34 says that the time is coming when no one would need to teach anyone the Laws (v. 10) it does not say that the content provided in the Law would be changing. Jeremiah simply said a new way was coming for God’s law to be given to God’s people, and that a way will come for sins to be forgiven. But we know that these changes involved more, and that the content of what people are meant to take in has changed between the first and second covenants. The law of love is a simpler message than the hundreds of laws contained in Leviticus, and through the Holy Spirit what God desires will be written “on our hearts” (v. 10). There is a different kind of relationship possible with God now than before.
Jesus said, in the Sermon on the Mount, that he did not come “to abolish the Law” but to “fulfill” the Law (Matthew 5:17). Perhaps some scholar of the Law could have anticipated that for the Law, which no one had ever successfully kept, to be fulfilled might be just what was required to bring change. Maybe Jesus’ words would have disturbed that scholar. Then again, a scholar of the Law who could anticipate such matters may also have foreseen that this was in God’s plan. Ultimately it was the ministry of Jesus at the true tabernacle, in heaven, which allowed the first covenant to be obsolete and disappear.
Lord, thank you for writing your will on my heart to let me understand you better. I don’t understand you as well now as I someday will be able to, but I am glad to know you more than I once did. It is good to love you, and to feel your love. Merciful Lord, help us to offer your mercy in your great strength. Amen.
Reflection Questions
We might sometimes think of the second covenant as very different from the first, but both covenants come from the God who took the people “by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt” (v. 9) – God loved and cared for the people of the first covenant, it is God who was rejected. What does the history of Israel show us about how God handles human rejection?
It seems likely that the first audience of the book of Hebrews knew the Old Testament better than most of us do, which may have helped them to understand the book of Hebrews better than we do. When you run into an Old Testament quotation you do not understand well, do you try to follow up on its context in the Old Testament?
How do you see the “law of love,” for God and neighbor, as differing from the law expressed in the first covenant? Is the issue that people are being freed from ceremonial issues? Are Christians being given more trust and leeway?
In Hebrews 7 the author of Hebrews (who for simplicity I’ll call “Herb”) describes Jesus’ greatness, particularly as a high priest. Herb is following a pattern we recognize, he has compared Jesus to angels, Moses, Joshua, and now Levitical high priests and says ‘that was good, but he is greater.’ The style of argument he is using was one employed by rabbis, it emphasized moving from a lesser thing (never a thing without value) to a greater thing. In the case of the priesthood connected to the Levites Herb compares it with a priesthood connected to Melchizedek, who has almost no known history (see Genesis 14:18-20, Psalm 110), and ties that to Jesus’ High Priesthood.
When Melchizedek and Abraham met it was several hundred years before the Levitical priesthood began with Aaron’s family, and before the Law which records instructions for those priests. There was no Ark of the Covenant then, and no Tabernacle to house it. It is difficult to imagine what form Melchizedek’s service toward God took, and for whose benefit it was provided. Should we suppose that Melchizedek and Abraham met often, and that the first frequently ministered to the second? We are told that Melchizedek was not only a priest but also the king of Salem (that city seems to have been at or near the site of Jerusalem, Psalm 76:2). Might Salem, under Melchizedek’s leadership, have been faithful to God?
We may find Melchizedek mysterious, rather like Balaam who operated as a prophet separately from the Hebrew people in Moses’ day (and ended up turning away from God). But Herb’s description in Hebrews 7:3 makes Melchizedek’s life sound even less clear, getting into whether we know who this priest-king’s parents were, or when he was born or died, as though Melchizedek had no birth or death. Herb’s point really is that Melchizedek was never stated to have become a priest based on inheriting the position, and that it is never mentioned that anyone took up his role as a priest after him. This is following a second style of reasoning accepted among rabbis, one in which you didn’t need to assume the reality of things which scripture left unstated. This allowed Herb to draw connections to Jesus, as one who did not inherit a priestly role from a parent, and who would never stop serving in his role as high priest. That was in contrast with the carefully kept genealogies of the Levitical system – there were tens of thousands of priests living in the New Testament period, each of whom gained their title through their father, and each of whom was to retire at age 50 (Numbers 8:25) – the order of Melchizedek was not joined based on birth records and was not temporary, but was through the permanent oath of God declaring membership (v. 21, 28; Psalm 110:4). So Herb’s statement “made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually” (3b), paired with him saying that Melchizedek “lives on,” (8) may not just involve the rabbinical argument about an unstated death being assumed not to have occurred – it may refer to Melchizedek retaining his status as priest when he is resurrected. Melchizedek will continue to serve alongside the high priest of his order.
Hebrews repeatedly points to Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s plans and calls believers to follow Jesus to gain perfection / maturity / completion (the Greek term doesn’t translate simply). We are told in 7:19 that “the Law made nothing perfect,” but 7:28 says that “the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.” Now of course when Herb tells us to join with Jesus he doesn’t mean that believers will stop sinning in this life, after all in 7:25 he describes Jesus as “able also to save forever [completely] those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (you see the point, people don’t need intercession unless they are still doing wrong; by the way, where 7:25 says “forever” and I note the Greek was more like “completely” that wasn’t the same Greek term as I was mentioning Herb used related to “perfection” and “completion.” I am sort of in the habit by now of noting with translations that say things like “forever” or “eternal” what word they should have said, though, because – say it with me – there was no New Testament word for eternal). As chapter six reminded us, a high priest never took the task on for himself, God made the choice, and when God provided us with Jesus we got the best (and only) high priest possible for the purpose of bringing us fully into contact with God.
I’m not sure if people in the church today think very often about how salvation works, but Herb felt it needed clarification and provided some in his book. We have read about Jews who were concerned over the idea of the Law continuing to be followed in the Church, a meeting was held at Jerusalem with apostles and other leaders to discuss that. At one point Paul addressed the issue by pointing to how God interacted with faithful Abraham, centuries before the Law. Paul showed that obedience to the Law was not required to please God, God was more interested in faith. Herb describes something similar with the priesthood, showing that it existed in Abraham’s time well before Aaron or Levi’s line and so the Levitical priesthood was not required for making connections to God. Herb also showed that Levi effectively tithed to Melchizedek when Abraham gave him a tenth of the spoils of battle, which Herb said meant that the earlier line of priesthood was greater than the later one.
Such interpretations as Paul and Herb wrote, or the many statements interpreting prophecies in the Bible, do not result from authors ‘putting together the pieces’ for what they wanted to support. I don’t think they could have been so fortunate in locating such details anyway. Rather we are talking about a God who shaped event, prophecy, and interpretation. Just as God chose Abram, by His own will, from whom to make a great nation, God also determined that He would use Abram as the starting point to reach the world. God’s choice involved setting up a whole imperfect system to put the Hebrew people on their path, creating a nation and a history and a culture that prepared the way for Jesus. Jesus then opened the way for people from the world; Jesus also provided for better things than the Hebrew people had been experiencing. It can be mindboggling to think about all the steps of the plan God put in place. I tend to wonder if some of those steps along the way were interchangeable, based upon whether certain people would follow through or fail in what they were called upon to do. What I am certain about is that God’s plan was never going to fail.
Thank you, Lord, for your plan, which you have been preparing for so very long. Thank you that we do not have to depend upon who gave us birth in this world to determine if we may enter your kingdom, but that you allow us to become inheritors of your kingdom through a relationship with your son Jesus. I may come into the relationship fallen, but he can lift me up. However dirty I seemed to myself, he was able to wash me clean. However useless I have felt, he can make me useful. As inheritors with him please help us each to joyfully work in your plan, caring and serving as he does for the will of his Father. And please help me be eager to serve him, let me help in ways I have not yet even been of help. Thank you, Amen.
~ Daniel Smead
Reflection Questions
Do you find it encouraging to think that your future is not based on your past, but on your connection to Jesus?
Hebrews 7:25 says that Jesus is able to save completely “those who draw near to God through” Jesus – do you see this more as part of the cautionary language in the book, saying salvation calls for drawing near to God, or as part of the promissory language of the book, pledging that we are able to draw near to God? How might a difference in outlook on that point affect someone’s life? How have you drawn nearer to God in the last few months?
Perhaps it will seem to be a side issue, but we are told we will be priests in the coming age (Revelation 5:10). If the offer had existed through the Levitical order almost no Christians would be eligible – they are not Levites, they are not male, they are the wrong age, etc. But as members of the Melchizedite order alongside Jesus we are not subject to those restrictions, and we can serve with our High Priest Jesus for centuries. How can you honor God today?
Is it possible to lose your salvation? The author of Hebrews thinks that this is a real possibility. It can happen. In Hebrews 3:12, he wrote, “Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.” In Hebrews 6:5, he writes about those who “…. have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance…” Truly, these are very troubling words to read and to contemplate. We might wonder to ourselves, “I have gone too far? Have I sinned too much? Have I ruined my chances with God?” For each one of us are sinners. We are imperfect. We are prone to sin. We get distracted. We get discouraged. We get apathetic. Each of us can think of people who, at one time, sincerely followed Christ. They attended church. They lived good lives. Their faith seemed genuine. However, now things are different. They live as though they had never known the Lord. In some cases, they have openly embraced evil. The way of Christ has been rejected by them. Has their salvation been lost?
What is it to be saved? It may be helpful to think of salvation in terms of past, present and future. In the past tense, you have been saved. Christ died on the cross for your sins some 2000 years ago. The work is done. His blood covers all who come to Him in faith. Each one of you fondly remembers the day when you came to Christ. On that day, whether decades ago or only days ago, you were justified before God by the blood of Christ. So, you have been saved. In the future tense, you will be saved. Salvation, life eternal, is not yet in your possession. You are saved now only in hope and in promise. The resurrection at the return of Jesus Christ is when salvation will become yours. You will be saved. That is the past and future of salvation. What about the present? You are now being saved. You have been saved in the past. You are being saved in the present. You will be saved in the future. So, you are being saved. The present work of salvation in us has been called “sanctification.” It is a process. It is to grow into the image of Christ. God, by His Spirit, is working in you to change you and transform you. However, the Apostle Paul recognized that there is an ongoing struggle within each Christian. While we hope in the age to come, we still live in this present evil age. Paul in Romans 12:2 urged Christians “…do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” Another common theme in the writings of Paul is the encouragement to live by the “Spirit” and not by the “flesh.” It is no wonder that Paul looked at the Christian life as a contest that must be won, a race that must be completed, a journey that must be finished, and a battle that must be waged. To be a Christian is to be actively engaged against sin and evil in your life. The book of Hebrews draws from the rich history of Israel to make the point. The people of Israel were saved from slavery in Egypt by God’s mighty works. The people of Israel left Egypt with the goal of entering the Promised Land. However, between the past and the future, between Egypt and the Promised Land was the wilderness. The wilderness wanderings are what tested the people of Israel for 40 years. The wilderness tried their faith and challenged their hope. Then, the people of Israel lived in the shadow of God’s presence. They had seen the mighty works of God. God fed them daily with the manna. He gave them water out of the rock to drink. However, as incredible as it may seem, many of them remained disobedient. They grumbled and complained. They wanted to go back to Egypt! Hebrews 4:1,2 comments, “Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may have come short of it. For indeed we have had the good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.” In the same way, we Christians find ourselves in a “wilderness” of sorts. Behind us lay our sins and our old way of life. Before us lay the Promised Land, the kingdom of God, eternal life. However, you are now walking through the wilderness of this present evil age. The wilderness is what can make you or break you. The wilderness experience will reveal who and what you really are. You have to keep your eyes upon the distant Promised Land.
Hebrews 6:4,5 observes, “For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them to repentance, since they again crucify the Son of God and put Him to open shame.” This verse is not declaring a penalty against those who have fallen away. Rather, it is simply describing the reality of the human heart. Some of the Israelites of old were apparently untouched by the wonders that they had seen. They had short memories. They were easily discouraged by obstacles. They didn’t trust the God who had saved them. They returned to their old ways. In the same way, some Christians after tasting “the good word of God and the powers of the age to come” have fallen away. They were unimpressed by what God had done in them. They were no longer moved by the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. After God had revealed His glory to them, what further could God do to convince them now? If you have seen miracles and all you can do is yawn, what more can God do with you? I believe God, in His grace, would allow repentance in these cases. However, can such a hardened heart be able to repent? If you have already proven yourself resistant to the Holy Spirit, you have rendered yourself blind and deaf to the saving gospel message. It is a though God has cooked you a wonderful gourmet meal with the best ingredients. However, you have no taste for what God is serving. So, you won’t be back because you have no appetite for what God is serving. Hebrews reads, “…it is impossible to renew them to repentance….” You have headed back to Egypt and have forsaken the Promised Land. What could convince you change your course now? God had given you his best and you didn’t want it.
However, it is not the intent of Hebrews to discourage, but to encourage. Hebrews 6:9 reads, “But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you….” Hebrews 6:11 adds, “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end…” The book of Hebrews, taken as a whole, is a word of encouragement. Don’t give up. Don’t quit. Don’t be discouraged. Don’t be overcome by sin. Have hope. Have faith in the promise of God. For God is faithful. For you will find troubles and challenges in the wilderness. So, brothers and sisters, if you are reading these words, you have not yet given up. You are not lost. You are still seeking the Promised Land. Hebrews 10:35,36,39 sums up this message: “Therefore don’t throw away your confidence which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised….but we are not those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.” So, the wilderness road may have beaten up a bit. You may have wandered in the wrong direction at times. Perhaps you had temporarily lost your way. You might have encountered obstacles. However, you are still on the road with your eyes focused on the Promised Land. Keep going and don’t give up.
-Scott Deane
Reflection Questions
Why is it important to know what you believe about salvation?
Have you accepted Jesus and been baptized? Are you assured of your salvation?
What are some reminders you can put into your everyday routine to point you to living a gospel-centered life so that you don’t forget your primary calling?
What makes a firefighter run into a burning building to save a human life? What makes a police officer run towards gunfire rather than away from it? What makes a nurse care for a patient with a contagious virus? What makes a soldier live in constant danger in a far away land? What makes a father or mother risk their own life in order to save their child? These are common examples of bravery. We often take these sorts of things for granted. We often just assume that someone will be there to save us when we are in trouble. However, these acts of bravery and self-sacrifice are counter intuitive. Why would someone risk their own life to save another person, even a stranger? Why would you run into a burning building or knowingly expose yourself to a deadly disease? Why would you count your own life as nothing for the sake of another? We have here a special kind of love and a special kind of courage. Normal human beings can do incredible things.
Hebrews chapter 5 teaches that Jesus is our High Priest by virtue of His sacrificial death upon the cross. Hebrews portrays Jesus in a very human way. Jesus was well acquainted with the human experience. In fact, the experiences of Jesus made Him worthy to be our high priest. Hebrews 4:15 reads of Jesus, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” He was tempted just like we are. Hebrews 5:2 writes of the high priest, “…he can deal with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself is beset with weakness…” For this reason, according to Hebrews 4:16, “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace in the time of need.” For Jesus knows the human experience. He knows that it is not easy to choose right over wrong. He knows that the right choice is not always the easy choice.
Hebrews 5:7 reads, “In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.” This verse relives that most dramatic moment in Jesus’ life as He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. After observing the Passover with His disciples in the upper room, Jesus and company retired in the darkness to a garden located on the Mount of Olives. Jesus knew what was about to happen. He was about to be betrayed. He was about to be judged by corrupt men. He was about to be humiliated. He was about to be nailed to the cross and killed. Even knowing what was going to happen didn’t make it any easier for Jesus. There Jesus prayed to His God, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me, yet not My will, but Yours be done.”(Luke 22:42) As He labored in prayer and poured His heart out to His Father, great drops of sweat dropped from His brow like blood. An angel strengthened Him as He prayed. For the Father had asked Him to willingly give His life for the sake of the whole human race. Jesus, we know made the choice to obey God when it would have been easier not to obey God. God was asking Jesus to give everything, all that He had. Was it courage? Was it bravery? Was it faith in His Father?
Notice the content of Jesus’ fervent prayer in Hebrews 5:7: “He offered up….prayers….to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety…” That verse might make us pause for a moment. For, Jesus in one sense was not saved from death. He was crucified. He died and was placed in a tomb. However, “being saved from death” is a reference to the resurrection of Jesus. His Father saved Him from being dead. Jesus gave up everything and God restored it all…..and even more. This act of obedience even in the face of death was a remarkable moment in human history. It was not just facing death. It was facing death with the expectation that life would be restored by God Himself. Jesus trusted God, His Father, with His life. Hebrews 5:9 says of Jesus, “Having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.” Jesus is the model and example of what God created all human beings to be. Namely, Jesus trusted God with His life. He obeyed God even when it was dangerous. He obeyed God even when it was easier not to obey. God wants you to trust Him with your life. God wants you to believe His promise of resurrection. God wants you to put your life in His hands. God is calling us normal human beings to do incredible things.
-Scott Deane
Reflection Questions
How would you describe the relationship between God and Jesus described in Hebrews 5?
What does eternal salvation mean to you? What does it mean to you that Jesus died for you to receive it?
How did Jesus show us how to trust God? How did Jesus show us how to obey God? How are you doing following Jesus’ example?
Seek Grow Love 