Hebrews 7:11-19
It's certainly true that the author is going to leave the elementary teachings! This is some tough stuff to figure out. Basically the author is comparing the Levitical system to the new system that has been brought in under Christ. So the key words in this section are: priesthood, law, change, hope. The author is continuing his exposition of Psalm 110:4 (You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek). The author has explored who Melchizedek was and why his priesthood was greater than the Levitical priesthood (see the previous post). Now the author is setting out to prove that Jesus was a priest in the order of Melchizedek and therefore fulfills Psalm 110:4. This is to prove the greater point of the supremacy of Christ over any Jewish system, covenant or ritual. The author uses the following points to prove his point: 1) The eternal nature of the Melchizedek order indicates that the Levitical order was not enough to achieve perfection. Therefore the Melchizedek order is better than the Levitical order. 2) With a change in priesthood comes a change in the law. It is only possible for Jesus to be a high priest if there is a change in the law since under the Old Covenant, only descendants of Levi could be priests and only descendants of Aaron could be high priests. Since the Melchizedek order is greater than the Levitical order, then the covenant that the new order brings in must be greater than the covenant that existed under the Levitical order. 3) Jesus did not belong to the tribe of Levi or the line of Aaron. Therefore he could not be a high priest in the Levitical order under the old covenant. Jesus becomes a high priest by virtue of his indestructible life (his resurrection) and therefore fulfills the "forever" part of Psalm 110:4. 4) Through the resurrection of Christ, the Melchizedek order has been brought in and with it a new covenant which offers us a new hope - a better hope.
Not only is Jesus both Priest and King, just like Melchizedek, he has made us to be a kingdom of priests. This means that we, as disciples of Christ, are to be facilitating the worship of our families, of our fellow disciples and of those who do not yet know Christ. The question for me is: am I facilitating access to God through Christ or am I building structures, barriers, rituals, etc. that are keeping people from Christ? This does not mean that structures and rituals are bad. It just means that they must be a means to helping people connect to Christ. We have a structure and an order to our youth nights. However, the structure is not the point - the point is that students have the opportunity to connect with Christ and we use the structure to make that possible. So, what structures am I creating? Are they helping others (and myself) to connect to Christ or erecting barriers that are preventing access?
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Melchizedek
Hebrews 7:1-10
This Melchizedek character is a bit mysterious. He shows up in only two other places: once in Genesis 14 where we learn that he is both a priest and king, that he blesses Abraham and that Abraham gives him a thithe. In all, the incident takes up three verses. The other place his name is mentioned is in Psalm 110 which is a Messianic psalm, acknowledging the dual role of priest and king that the Messiah will play. Melchizedek is found in one line: "You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek." It is to that line that the author alludes to at the very end of chapter six - it is not quite a direct quote but so close that in a college paper, the prof would definitely require an aknowledgement of source.
From the amount of time that the author spends on Melchizedek here, more than in any other place in Scripture, it seems that Melchizedek is a revered figure in Hebrew legend. The author points out that he was greater than Abraham because he blessed Abraham (the greater blesses the lesser) and because Abraham paid him a tithe. The author argues that as the father of all Jews, Abraham is the father of the Levites and therefore the Levites share in the tithe that Abraham paid to Melchizedek and concludes that the order of Melchizedek is greater than the order of the Levites. He is setting the argument that Jesus fulfills the role of both priest and king (and is therefore the Messiah) because whether or not he is a Levite, he is a priest in the order of Melchizedek.
The author is returning to his main argument that Jesus is the pre-eminent high priest. He has argued so far that is ultimate because he empathizes with our temptations, he is in heaven and became the source of eternal salvation for all who believe. The author reminds me that it is all about Jesus. That in Jesus I have something infinitely greater than any religious system and that my life has been reorganized with Jesus at the center and everything else revolving around him.
This Melchizedek character is a bit mysterious. He shows up in only two other places: once in Genesis 14 where we learn that he is both a priest and king, that he blesses Abraham and that Abraham gives him a thithe. In all, the incident takes up three verses. The other place his name is mentioned is in Psalm 110 which is a Messianic psalm, acknowledging the dual role of priest and king that the Messiah will play. Melchizedek is found in one line: "You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek." It is to that line that the author alludes to at the very end of chapter six - it is not quite a direct quote but so close that in a college paper, the prof would definitely require an aknowledgement of source.
From the amount of time that the author spends on Melchizedek here, more than in any other place in Scripture, it seems that Melchizedek is a revered figure in Hebrew legend. The author points out that he was greater than Abraham because he blessed Abraham (the greater blesses the lesser) and because Abraham paid him a tithe. The author argues that as the father of all Jews, Abraham is the father of the Levites and therefore the Levites share in the tithe that Abraham paid to Melchizedek and concludes that the order of Melchizedek is greater than the order of the Levites. He is setting the argument that Jesus fulfills the role of both priest and king (and is therefore the Messiah) because whether or not he is a Levite, he is a priest in the order of Melchizedek.
The author is returning to his main argument that Jesus is the pre-eminent high priest. He has argued so far that is ultimate because he empathizes with our temptations, he is in heaven and became the source of eternal salvation for all who believe. The author reminds me that it is all about Jesus. That in Jesus I have something infinitely greater than any religious system and that my life has been reorganized with Jesus at the center and everything else revolving around him.
Monday, October 26, 2009
the anchor
Hebrews 6:16-20
The key words in this passage are: oath, hope, anchor, high priest. The author is continuing his thought about the certainty of God's promise of Sabbath rest. The author's argument that humans swear by something greater than themselves to confirm their statements. There is nothing higher than God so when God makes a promise, he swears by himself. This makes the promise doubly guaranteed: the first guarantee is that God cannot lie and the second guarantee is the oath that God made.
There are a couple of really interesting images. The first is the image of fleeing to take hold of the hope. There's a sense of urgency, even emergency. As if there is imminent danger and the readers and the author have sensed this danger and have fled to find refuge in the hope of Sabbath rest. The second image is that of an anchor that is secured in the Most Holy Place. The anchor speaks of security, the theme of this section. The fact that is secured in the Most Holy Place indicates that the disciple's security is tied to the unchanging character of God. The author also brings up the idea of Christ being a high priest in the order of Melchizedek again. This is something the author will explore more fully in the next section.
This passage reminds me of the unchanging nature of God's character. Part of being able to trust God is the fact that God never changes. He is eternally constant. He is and was and is to come. My understanding of God will change - hopefully continually growing fuller and deeper - but he is constant. This gives me great confidence in my salvation in that it depends on the unchanging character of God. I can rest assured that I will enter God's promised, future Sabbath rest - not because of my own character, abilities or accomplishments but because of God's. That takes the pressure off!
The key words in this passage are: oath, hope, anchor, high priest. The author is continuing his thought about the certainty of God's promise of Sabbath rest. The author's argument that humans swear by something greater than themselves to confirm their statements. There is nothing higher than God so when God makes a promise, he swears by himself. This makes the promise doubly guaranteed: the first guarantee is that God cannot lie and the second guarantee is the oath that God made.
There are a couple of really interesting images. The first is the image of fleeing to take hold of the hope. There's a sense of urgency, even emergency. As if there is imminent danger and the readers and the author have sensed this danger and have fled to find refuge in the hope of Sabbath rest. The second image is that of an anchor that is secured in the Most Holy Place. The anchor speaks of security, the theme of this section. The fact that is secured in the Most Holy Place indicates that the disciple's security is tied to the unchanging character of God. The author also brings up the idea of Christ being a high priest in the order of Melchizedek again. This is something the author will explore more fully in the next section.
This passage reminds me of the unchanging nature of God's character. Part of being able to trust God is the fact that God never changes. He is eternally constant. He is and was and is to come. My understanding of God will change - hopefully continually growing fuller and deeper - but he is constant. This gives me great confidence in my salvation in that it depends on the unchanging character of God. I can rest assured that I will enter God's promised, future Sabbath rest - not because of my own character, abilities or accomplishments but because of God's. That takes the pressure off!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
I Swear...
Hebrews 6:13-15
The promise is what connects this paragraph to the previous paragraphs. The author has tried to prevent the readers from falling away first by warning them of the dire consequences if they do and then by exhorting them to work patiently and faithfully to inherit the promise. In this paragraph, the author reminds the readers that the promise of God is completely sure. He goes back to Abraham to show how trustworthy God's promise is.
The theme of patience also shows up in this paragraph as well. This indicates that the readers were growing impatient with the promise of God and were in danger of giving up on the faith, motivating the author's warnings at the beginning of the chapter. The author reminds the readers that Abraham had to wait to receive what God had promised but that did not mean that God was not trustworthy. In the same way, the readers can be sure that they will receive what God has promised (going back to the promised Sabbath rest in chapter 4) even though it is taking longer than they would like.
The author would speak the same message to us today: God is trustworthy and he will keep his promise. Be patient, work hard, have faith and don't fall away! The ways that I see people falling away today are many: ungodliness, immorality, materialism, complacency, turning following Christ into a religion or sub-culture, etc. I know that one of the ways that I tend to fall away is by losing sight of the fact that Christ will return, that the promise will become reality.
The promise is what connects this paragraph to the previous paragraphs. The author has tried to prevent the readers from falling away first by warning them of the dire consequences if they do and then by exhorting them to work patiently and faithfully to inherit the promise. In this paragraph, the author reminds the readers that the promise of God is completely sure. He goes back to Abraham to show how trustworthy God's promise is.
The theme of patience also shows up in this paragraph as well. This indicates that the readers were growing impatient with the promise of God and were in danger of giving up on the faith, motivating the author's warnings at the beginning of the chapter. The author reminds the readers that Abraham had to wait to receive what God had promised but that did not mean that God was not trustworthy. In the same way, the readers can be sure that they will receive what God has promised (going back to the promised Sabbath rest in chapter 4) even though it is taking longer than they would like.
The author would speak the same message to us today: God is trustworthy and he will keep his promise. Be patient, work hard, have faith and don't fall away! The ways that I see people falling away today are many: ungodliness, immorality, materialism, complacency, turning following Christ into a religion or sub-culture, etc. I know that one of the ways that I tend to fall away is by losing sight of the fact that Christ will return, that the promise will become reality.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Faith and Patience
Hebrews 6:9-11
The key words are: salvation, work, love, help, diligence, hope. The author contrasts laziness with faith and patience and parallels God's justice with his remembering the work of his children. The theme is faith, particularly the faith of our spiritual ancestors - a theme that the author will camp on in Hebrews 11 and 12. Another theme is the surety of our hope - a theme that the author will develop in the next couple of verses.
This section takes almost the opposite tone as the previous paragraphs: the previous paragraph being a dire warning and this paragraph being an encouragement to continue in the faith. The main thought is that, in light of the devastating consequences of falling away and the amazing hope if you hold on to faith, work hard to hold on to your faith.
This is a good affirmation for me. I do not feel in extreme danger of falling away from my faith, although I always need to be cautious because I know how weak I am; a few choices and changes in circumstances and my faith could be in extreme danger, apart from the grace of God. I need to work hard now, before my faith is in danger, to continue to solidify the foundations of my faith so that when the tough times come, I am ready and my faith can stand. Of course I recognize that while there is a human component to my faith - in other words, there are things that I am responsible for when it comes to my faith - it is Christ and his grace that ultimately sustains me. My work is to stay connected to him.
The key words are: salvation, work, love, help, diligence, hope. The author contrasts laziness with faith and patience and parallels God's justice with his remembering the work of his children. The theme is faith, particularly the faith of our spiritual ancestors - a theme that the author will camp on in Hebrews 11 and 12. Another theme is the surety of our hope - a theme that the author will develop in the next couple of verses.
This section takes almost the opposite tone as the previous paragraphs: the previous paragraph being a dire warning and this paragraph being an encouragement to continue in the faith. The main thought is that, in light of the devastating consequences of falling away and the amazing hope if you hold on to faith, work hard to hold on to your faith.
This is a good affirmation for me. I do not feel in extreme danger of falling away from my faith, although I always need to be cautious because I know how weak I am; a few choices and changes in circumstances and my faith could be in extreme danger, apart from the grace of God. I need to work hard now, before my faith is in danger, to continue to solidify the foundations of my faith so that when the tough times come, I am ready and my faith can stand. Of course I recognize that while there is a human component to my faith - in other words, there are things that I am responsible for when it comes to my faith - it is Christ and his grace that ultimately sustains me. My work is to stay connected to him.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Graduate School Teaching
Hebrews 6:4-8
The author warned his readers that he was going to leave the elementary teaching and he certainly did! The author lists characteristics of those who have participated in Christian community: enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, shared in the Holy Spirit, tasted the goodness of the word of God. This certainly seems like a description of someone who has been saved. The challenge is that the author says that it is impossible for someone who has experienced everything listed and has fallen away to be brought back to repentance. This passage seems to be teaching that it is possible for a person to lose his salvation. This does not really line up with my understanding of other Scripture passages so either my understanding of other Scripture is wrong or my understanding of this passage is wrong.
Even for those who believe that it is possible to lose your salvation, this passage causes major problems because it teaches that if you lose your salvation (fall away) it is impossible to be brought back to repentance. Most who believe it is possible to lose your salvation also believe that it is possible to regain it upon repentance.
It is possible that the list of characteristics could apply to someone who has entered fully into Christian community or the Christian sub-culture but has never surrendered her life to Christ - therefore, the person was never truly a Christian. In my opinion some major interpreting of the characteristics in the author's list is needed to support this view. However, it is not impossible to support.
The metaphor at the end of the passage actually helps: those who fall away are like land that has experienced much rain - in this case all the blessings of being a part of Christian community - but only produce thorns a thistles. The warning for me is that I must continually evaluate whether I am more in love with Christ or more in love with the blessings I receive from Christian community. This is a hard evaluation because Christ and his gifts are so connected. However, I must ask the Holy Spirit for help because it is of the utmost importance that my heart is more enraptured with Christ than it is with his blessings - my eternal destination is at stake. I must also be very careful to point people more to Christ than to his gifts. While the blessings of Christian community may draw people to Christ, I must make sure to help people see beyond the gifts to the Giver. Their eternal destiny depends on it!
The author warned his readers that he was going to leave the elementary teaching and he certainly did! The author lists characteristics of those who have participated in Christian community: enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, shared in the Holy Spirit, tasted the goodness of the word of God. This certainly seems like a description of someone who has been saved. The challenge is that the author says that it is impossible for someone who has experienced everything listed and has fallen away to be brought back to repentance. This passage seems to be teaching that it is possible for a person to lose his salvation. This does not really line up with my understanding of other Scripture passages so either my understanding of other Scripture is wrong or my understanding of this passage is wrong.
Even for those who believe that it is possible to lose your salvation, this passage causes major problems because it teaches that if you lose your salvation (fall away) it is impossible to be brought back to repentance. Most who believe it is possible to lose your salvation also believe that it is possible to regain it upon repentance.
It is possible that the list of characteristics could apply to someone who has entered fully into Christian community or the Christian sub-culture but has never surrendered her life to Christ - therefore, the person was never truly a Christian. In my opinion some major interpreting of the characteristics in the author's list is needed to support this view. However, it is not impossible to support.
The metaphor at the end of the passage actually helps: those who fall away are like land that has experienced much rain - in this case all the blessings of being a part of Christian community - but only produce thorns a thistles. The warning for me is that I must continually evaluate whether I am more in love with Christ or more in love with the blessings I receive from Christian community. This is a hard evaluation because Christ and his gifts are so connected. However, I must ask the Holy Spirit for help because it is of the utmost importance that my heart is more enraptured with Christ than it is with his blessings - my eternal destination is at stake. I must also be very careful to point people more to Christ than to his gifts. While the blessings of Christian community may draw people to Christ, I must make sure to help people see beyond the gifts to the Giver. Their eternal destiny depends on it!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Re-Laying Foundations
Hebrews 6:1-3
The author continues his thought from the previous chapter about the maturity level of his audience. The author indicates his intention to move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ, which the next paragraph certainly does. Nothing like going from elementary school to graduate school in less than two paragraphs. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
The author lists the foundational teachings: repentance, faith in God, cleansing rites, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. Looking at this list, my mind is suddenly engaged. I think that it would make a great outline for a new believer's class: the class on cleansing rites could be about religious rituals and the class on laying on of hands could be about spiritual gifts and calling.
The sad part about looking at this list is that I think a lot of so called "mature" disciples of Christ don't have this foundation. The author says that he is not going to lay the foundation again. Instead he is going to build on the foundation. For me, I need to make sure that: 1) I have a good foundation of teaching to build on in my own personal journey, 2) that I lay a good foundation of elementary truths for disciples to whom I minister and 3) I rely on God's wisdom to know when it is time to move on from the foundations in the disciples I am leading.
The author continues his thought from the previous chapter about the maturity level of his audience. The author indicates his intention to move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ, which the next paragraph certainly does. Nothing like going from elementary school to graduate school in less than two paragraphs. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
The author lists the foundational teachings: repentance, faith in God, cleansing rites, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. Looking at this list, my mind is suddenly engaged. I think that it would make a great outline for a new believer's class: the class on cleansing rites could be about religious rituals and the class on laying on of hands could be about spiritual gifts and calling.
The sad part about looking at this list is that I think a lot of so called "mature" disciples of Christ don't have this foundation. The author says that he is not going to lay the foundation again. Instead he is going to build on the foundation. For me, I need to make sure that: 1) I have a good foundation of teaching to build on in my own personal journey, 2) that I lay a good foundation of elementary truths for disciples to whom I minister and 3) I rely on God's wisdom to know when it is time to move on from the foundations in the disciples I am leading.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Back to Elementary
Hebrews 5:11-14
The author contrasts teachers and students, milk and solid food, infants and mature. The author is frustrated because there is so much more to explore regarding the priesthood of Christ but the audience is not even trying to understand the deeper truths and the author has to return to elementary teachings. The author compares the elementary teachings to milk from a mother's breast and the deeper teaching to solid food. The audience has obviously been disciples of Christ for a while since the author believes that, by this time, they should be teachers. However, they have not grown and matured in their faith and they still need someone to teach them.
There are a couple of applications for me. The first is obviously that I need to make sure that I never give up trying to understand the truths about Christ. There is better and more solid food, deeper and more wonderful truths to be enjoyed. If I am healthy, I must continue to grow. I must continue to have a deeper, fuller and more wonderful understanding of the teachings and person of Christ. The second application is especially relevant as I prepare to preach this weekend. I must recognize that there are people that I will be speaking to who are at all various degrees of maturity in their faith. There will be some who are relatively young and who need milk. There will be some who are more mature and can handle solid food. I must make sure that I provide both - not pandering to those who are not growing but continuing to encourage their development. As a pastor, I must recognize that part of my calling is to help others continue to grow in their spiritual journey. Like a parent, I must introduce more solid food and encourage people to move beyond milk. I must challenge those who are not growing and are no longer trying to understand. All of this, of course, must be done in the power of the Spirit and with the help of God.
The author contrasts teachers and students, milk and solid food, infants and mature. The author is frustrated because there is so much more to explore regarding the priesthood of Christ but the audience is not even trying to understand the deeper truths and the author has to return to elementary teachings. The author compares the elementary teachings to milk from a mother's breast and the deeper teaching to solid food. The audience has obviously been disciples of Christ for a while since the author believes that, by this time, they should be teachers. However, they have not grown and matured in their faith and they still need someone to teach them.
There are a couple of applications for me. The first is obviously that I need to make sure that I never give up trying to understand the truths about Christ. There is better and more solid food, deeper and more wonderful truths to be enjoyed. If I am healthy, I must continue to grow. I must continue to have a deeper, fuller and more wonderful understanding of the teachings and person of Christ. The second application is especially relevant as I prepare to preach this weekend. I must recognize that there are people that I will be speaking to who are at all various degrees of maturity in their faith. There will be some who are relatively young and who need milk. There will be some who are more mature and can handle solid food. I must make sure that I provide both - not pandering to those who are not growing but continuing to encourage their development. As a pastor, I must recognize that part of my calling is to help others continue to grow in their spiritual journey. Like a parent, I must introduce more solid food and encourage people to move beyond milk. I must challenge those who are not growing and are no longer trying to understand. All of this, of course, must be done in the power of the Spirit and with the help of God.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The Weeping Messiah
Hebrews 5:7-10
This paragraph is part of the author's description of Jesus as the Great High Priest. In this paragraph he is focusing on Christ's priestly ministry of intercession for the people before God. The key themes are prayer and obedience. When the author talks about Jesus offering fervent prayers with cries and tears, I immediately think of the Garden of Gesthemane. I think the author has that in mind as well but the author also indicates that this was not the only time that Jesus prayed with such fervency. The author indicates that this was a normal pattern for Jesus.
There are a couple of interesting phrases or ideas in this paragraph. First, the author says that Jesus was heard when he prayed to the one who could deliver him from death. At first I was confused by that. I could make the argument that Jesus was heard, just as the Father hears all our prayers, but that the answer was "no". However, the author's point seems to be that we can trust Jesus as our Great High Priest because God heard and responded positively to his prayer to escape death and therefore, as Jesus intercedes on our behalf, we can expect positive answers to our prayers as well. After doing some investigating, I discovered that this is precisely the point of the author and was reminded that Jesus did escape death; the Father responded to his prayer by raising him to life again.
This is a reminder to me that God may not always respond to my prayers in the way that I initially want or expect him to but that he will respond in a way that will bring him maximum glory. I can trust Jesus, even when facing death, even when dying, because I know that I have a High Priest who has even gone through and conquered death.
The second interesting phrase is: "once made perfect". This challenges my belief that Jesus was perfect because, right from conception, miracles had prevented him from inheriting the sin nature common to humanity and because he was fully God. The author's point is not that Jesus had some imperfection to work through and, after his time of obedience, his record was wiped clean and he was made perfect. The author's point is that as Jesus grew and developed as a human being he continued to face tests of obedience and as he continued to respond in submission to God he continued to work out and display his perfection. I can remember when I played volleyball and my dad was coaching. I was a terrible server. My dad would pull me off the court whenever it was my time to serve because I sucked! My dad also kept service stats that he'd post on the bulletin board outside the gym. I remember one time I went 0 for 0. I could say that I served a perfect game. However, I had not served at all. I think that's what the author was saying about Jesus. He was perfect but only as far as his obedience and perfection was tested. In Jesus' life, it was tested to the utmost. There is no greater test of obedience and Jesus passed it with flying colours, displaying his perfection. It is upon this life of perfect obedience that we now have hope for eternal life and for our own ultimate perfecting.
Here's what I know from this passage: I can trust Jesus as my intercessor and high priest because he is passionate in his prayer, because God hears and responds to his requests and because he is the only person who has earned the right to stand before God by his perfect life of obedience and submission. So, why do I pray so little?
This paragraph is part of the author's description of Jesus as the Great High Priest. In this paragraph he is focusing on Christ's priestly ministry of intercession for the people before God. The key themes are prayer and obedience. When the author talks about Jesus offering fervent prayers with cries and tears, I immediately think of the Garden of Gesthemane. I think the author has that in mind as well but the author also indicates that this was not the only time that Jesus prayed with such fervency. The author indicates that this was a normal pattern for Jesus.
There are a couple of interesting phrases or ideas in this paragraph. First, the author says that Jesus was heard when he prayed to the one who could deliver him from death. At first I was confused by that. I could make the argument that Jesus was heard, just as the Father hears all our prayers, but that the answer was "no". However, the author's point seems to be that we can trust Jesus as our Great High Priest because God heard and responded positively to his prayer to escape death and therefore, as Jesus intercedes on our behalf, we can expect positive answers to our prayers as well. After doing some investigating, I discovered that this is precisely the point of the author and was reminded that Jesus did escape death; the Father responded to his prayer by raising him to life again.
This is a reminder to me that God may not always respond to my prayers in the way that I initially want or expect him to but that he will respond in a way that will bring him maximum glory. I can trust Jesus, even when facing death, even when dying, because I know that I have a High Priest who has even gone through and conquered death.
The second interesting phrase is: "once made perfect". This challenges my belief that Jesus was perfect because, right from conception, miracles had prevented him from inheriting the sin nature common to humanity and because he was fully God. The author's point is not that Jesus had some imperfection to work through and, after his time of obedience, his record was wiped clean and he was made perfect. The author's point is that as Jesus grew and developed as a human being he continued to face tests of obedience and as he continued to respond in submission to God he continued to work out and display his perfection. I can remember when I played volleyball and my dad was coaching. I was a terrible server. My dad would pull me off the court whenever it was my time to serve because I sucked! My dad also kept service stats that he'd post on the bulletin board outside the gym. I remember one time I went 0 for 0. I could say that I served a perfect game. However, I had not served at all. I think that's what the author was saying about Jesus. He was perfect but only as far as his obedience and perfection was tested. In Jesus' life, it was tested to the utmost. There is no greater test of obedience and Jesus passed it with flying colours, displaying his perfection. It is upon this life of perfect obedience that we now have hope for eternal life and for our own ultimate perfecting.
Here's what I know from this passage: I can trust Jesus as my intercessor and high priest because he is passionate in his prayer, because God hears and responds to his requests and because he is the only person who has earned the right to stand before God by his perfect life of obedience and submission. So, why do I pray so little?
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Priest of the People
Hebrews 5:1-6
This continues the author's teaching about Jesus being the great high priest. The first paragraph of this section deals with the qualifications of the high priest: one of the people, represents the people to God, called by God. I think the part that speaks most loudly to me is "able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness." I am not a priest by virtue of my being a pastor. I am a priest by virtue of my being a disciple of Christ. Jesus has created a kingdom of priests. We all have direct access to the Holy Presence of God through Christ and we all have the responsibility to come before God on behalf of each other. As a pastor, I have even greater responsibility in some ways to shepherd and teach people in a way that reflects the glory and character of God. I know that I have not always dealt gently with those who are going astray. I have forgotten that I am also subject to weakness and have more often played the role of the prophet than the priest. I pray that God would increase my priestly heart.
The author's point is that Jesus did not take the authourity of being a high priest on himself but that he was appointed by God. The author uses two quotes from two Psalms to support his point. The first is from Psalm 2 which was likely sung at a king's coronation. This is frequently used as a Messianic psalm in the NT, meaning that while it had a direct historical fulfillment in the coronation of kings, that it was ultimately fulfilled in in Christ. The second is from Psalm 110. This is again has several Messianic themes in it, especially the joining of the office of King and Priest. The author introduces the theme of the "order of Melchizedek". He will pick up on this them later.
Again, for the author, it's all about Jesus. He points to Jesus as our Supreme High Priest: from the people, familiar with our weaknesses, tempted with our temptations, appointed by God to represent us before God. What a glorious picture of Christ!
This continues the author's teaching about Jesus being the great high priest. The first paragraph of this section deals with the qualifications of the high priest: one of the people, represents the people to God, called by God. I think the part that speaks most loudly to me is "able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness." I am not a priest by virtue of my being a pastor. I am a priest by virtue of my being a disciple of Christ. Jesus has created a kingdom of priests. We all have direct access to the Holy Presence of God through Christ and we all have the responsibility to come before God on behalf of each other. As a pastor, I have even greater responsibility in some ways to shepherd and teach people in a way that reflects the glory and character of God. I know that I have not always dealt gently with those who are going astray. I have forgotten that I am also subject to weakness and have more often played the role of the prophet than the priest. I pray that God would increase my priestly heart.
The author's point is that Jesus did not take the authourity of being a high priest on himself but that he was appointed by God. The author uses two quotes from two Psalms to support his point. The first is from Psalm 2 which was likely sung at a king's coronation. This is frequently used as a Messianic psalm in the NT, meaning that while it had a direct historical fulfillment in the coronation of kings, that it was ultimately fulfilled in in Christ. The second is from Psalm 110. This is again has several Messianic themes in it, especially the joining of the office of King and Priest. The author introduces the theme of the "order of Melchizedek". He will pick up on this them later.
Again, for the author, it's all about Jesus. He points to Jesus as our Supreme High Priest: from the people, familiar with our weaknesses, tempted with our temptations, appointed by God to represent us before God. What a glorious picture of Christ!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The Supreme High Priest
Hebrews 4:14-16
The word "therefore" threw me for a loop. I was looking back at the previous flow of thought from the rest of chapter four and I just couldn't figure out how the author could, in my understanding, jump from a discussion on obeying God's Word in order to enter God's Sabbath rest to Jesus being the great high priest. Turns out I wasn't looking back far enough to catch the author's train of thought. Thankfully Pastor Steve pointed me in the right direction: I had to back to the end of chapter two and the beginning of chapter three: Jesus, in becoming like us, became our merciful and faithful high priest who is able to enter into our temptations and suffering(2:17-18) therefore, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess (4:14).
There are multiple interwoven arguments and themes because holding on to the faith we profess is the theme of the previous section but the motivation for holding on to faith is the rest we can achieve when we do. Now the author turns back to his previous motivation: that Jesus empathizes with our weakness and enters into our suffering but did it without falling into sin. This gives us confidence to approach the throne of God, knowing that he hears our prayers and empathizes with our needs.
Again the author's main point is the supremacy of Christ. Jesus is the supreme high priest because he allows us direct access to the throne of God. There is no longer a veil. Also, he empathizes with and enters into our pain.
The word "therefore" threw me for a loop. I was looking back at the previous flow of thought from the rest of chapter four and I just couldn't figure out how the author could, in my understanding, jump from a discussion on obeying God's Word in order to enter God's Sabbath rest to Jesus being the great high priest. Turns out I wasn't looking back far enough to catch the author's train of thought. Thankfully Pastor Steve pointed me in the right direction: I had to back to the end of chapter two and the beginning of chapter three: Jesus, in becoming like us, became our merciful and faithful high priest who is able to enter into our temptations and suffering(2:17-18) therefore, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess (4:14).
There are multiple interwoven arguments and themes because holding on to the faith we profess is the theme of the previous section but the motivation for holding on to faith is the rest we can achieve when we do. Now the author turns back to his previous motivation: that Jesus empathizes with our weakness and enters into our suffering but did it without falling into sin. This gives us confidence to approach the throne of God, knowing that he hears our prayers and empathizes with our needs.
Again the author's main point is the supremacy of Christ. Jesus is the supreme high priest because he allows us direct access to the throne of God. There is no longer a veil. Also, he empathizes with and enters into our pain.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The Double-Edged Word of God
Hebrews 4:12-13
The author makes a comparison between the God's Word and a sharp double-edged sword. Unlike the sword, God's Word is able to divide not just flesh but soul from spirit. God's Word lays bare the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. God's Word is linked very closely to God: just as the attitudes of the heart are not hidden from God's Word, nothing is hidden from God's sight; just as the Word judges the thoughts of the heart, we must give an account to God. This reminds me of the importance of God's Word - that I read God's Word not just to find things that I must change about myself or rules that I must obey but to discover Jesus, the revelation of God. I cannot separate God and his Word. To know God I must know the Word and to obey God I must obey the Word.
The author uses a connecting word at the beginning of this paragraph indicating that his thoughts about God's Word are the conclusion of, or at least flows from, what he has been saying about the Sabbath rest that is available for those who will obey God. The line of reasoning is fairly clear: to enter God's Sabbath rest we must obey God and to know who God is and what he wants us to do we must read and obey God's Word.
The author makes a comparison between the God's Word and a sharp double-edged sword. Unlike the sword, God's Word is able to divide not just flesh but soul from spirit. God's Word lays bare the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. God's Word is linked very closely to God: just as the attitudes of the heart are not hidden from God's Word, nothing is hidden from God's sight; just as the Word judges the thoughts of the heart, we must give an account to God. This reminds me of the importance of God's Word - that I read God's Word not just to find things that I must change about myself or rules that I must obey but to discover Jesus, the revelation of God. I cannot separate God and his Word. To know God I must know the Word and to obey God I must obey the Word.
The author uses a connecting word at the beginning of this paragraph indicating that his thoughts about God's Word are the conclusion of, or at least flows from, what he has been saying about the Sabbath rest that is available for those who will obey God. The line of reasoning is fairly clear: to enter God's Sabbath rest we must obey God and to know who God is and what he wants us to do we must read and obey God's Word.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Work Hard To Rest
Hebrews 4:6-11
The author continues his inductive study on Psalm 95:7-11 but specifically looking at verses 7-8 and 11. He is specifically studying the Sabbath rest of God. His line of reasoning goes as follows: God's promise is that humans can enter his Sabbath rest if they believe and obey his word. Since the Israelites did not enter his rest because they were disobedient, God's promise is still open and has not been fulfilled yet. Psalm 95:11 makes it clear that the promise has been extended to a period of time called "Today". If the Promised Land was the Promised Rest, then God's promise would have been fulfilled when Joshua led the people into the land. However, Psalm 95:11 was spoken through David and David comes after Joshua. The warning is written to the people alive in David's day. The author extends that warning to the present day since, according to the author, we are all still living in the time period called "Today". The promise of God, according to the author, is therefore still not completely fulfilled and there remains a Sabbath rest available to all those who do not harden their hearts when they hear the voice of God.
The application is that the author's audience should work hard to make sure that they enter into the Sabbath rest of God and avoid following the example of the ancestors of Israel. The application for me is the same: what am I hearing from God's word that I need to start obeying. By not obeying I am questioning the word of God (did God really mean that?) and the character of God (can God be trusted?). It is not enough to hear the word of God or even to agree with the word of God, I must act on it! I must not just believe it, it must become a conviction!
The other application for me is that there is a rest available to me that is experienced at some level today and more fully in eternity. It doesn't mean that I stop working but that the goal of my work is to experience the rest of God. So much of what I do is busy work. I don't want to appear lazy so I make sure I am busy - often for the sake of just doing something. This has become a badge of honour in our society. Do a test. If you ask someone how they are doing or how their summer/fall/weekend/week was, I bet that the next most common response, after some variation of "good", will be a variation of "busy". I want there to be, at the core of my being and presence, a sense of rest and refreshment because I have tasted and, to at least a small degree, live in the Sabbath rest of God. I want to work hard to experience that rest.
The author continues his inductive study on Psalm 95:7-11 but specifically looking at verses 7-8 and 11. He is specifically studying the Sabbath rest of God. His line of reasoning goes as follows: God's promise is that humans can enter his Sabbath rest if they believe and obey his word. Since the Israelites did not enter his rest because they were disobedient, God's promise is still open and has not been fulfilled yet. Psalm 95:11 makes it clear that the promise has been extended to a period of time called "Today". If the Promised Land was the Promised Rest, then God's promise would have been fulfilled when Joshua led the people into the land. However, Psalm 95:11 was spoken through David and David comes after Joshua. The warning is written to the people alive in David's day. The author extends that warning to the present day since, according to the author, we are all still living in the time period called "Today". The promise of God, according to the author, is therefore still not completely fulfilled and there remains a Sabbath rest available to all those who do not harden their hearts when they hear the voice of God.
The application is that the author's audience should work hard to make sure that they enter into the Sabbath rest of God and avoid following the example of the ancestors of Israel. The application for me is the same: what am I hearing from God's word that I need to start obeying. By not obeying I am questioning the word of God (did God really mean that?) and the character of God (can God be trusted?). It is not enough to hear the word of God or even to agree with the word of God, I must act on it! I must not just believe it, it must become a conviction!
The other application for me is that there is a rest available to me that is experienced at some level today and more fully in eternity. It doesn't mean that I stop working but that the goal of my work is to experience the rest of God. So much of what I do is busy work. I don't want to appear lazy so I make sure I am busy - often for the sake of just doing something. This has become a badge of honour in our society. Do a test. If you ask someone how they are doing or how their summer/fall/weekend/week was, I bet that the next most common response, after some variation of "good", will be a variation of "busy". I want there to be, at the core of my being and presence, a sense of rest and refreshment because I have tasted and, to at least a small degree, live in the Sabbath rest of God. I want to work hard to experience that rest.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
