Bible Study The Letter To Hebrews

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● Heb 10:15-18 . .The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: "This
is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my
laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." Then he adds: "Their sins
and lawless acts I will remember no more." And where these have been forgiven,
there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

In criminal justice systems, there's an item of record called an indictment; roughly
defined as a formal written statement framed by a prosecuting authority and found
by a jury (such as a grand jury) charging a person with an offense. The indictment
process is a scary feature of the first covenant because it doesn't allow God to
forget. (Ex 34:6-7 & Nahum 1:3)

In other words; Yom Kippur, though a day of cleansing, is also a day for the Jews to
remember that the full satisfaction of justice for their sins remains pending,
hanging above their heads like a guillotine just waiting for the man in charge to
give the executioner a signal to let go the rope keeping the blade in check.

● Heb 10:19a . .Therefore, brothers,

This letter is addressed to Hebrews; so "brothers" indicates the author was
addressing his fellow Jews.

● Heb 10:19b-20 . . since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the
blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is,
his body,

It's a "living" way because it's perpetual; i.e. having no defined limits, viz: not
subject to obsolescence, cancellation, and/or replacement.

● Heb 10:21-22a . . and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us
draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience

The Greek word translated "sincere" basically means truthful, i.e. the you that you
really are, plus the way that you really are, both in your thoughts and in your
feelings.

A guilty conscience deserves blame but isn't necessarily experiencing feelings of
blame. The focus is upon a conscience that functions deprived of divine absolutes.
In other words, it's possible to be influenced by a corrupt conscience and not know
it; for example:

"Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults." (Ps 19:12)

● Heb 10:22b . . and having our bodies washed with pure water.

( I have yet to come across a satisfactory explanation for that part of Heb 10:22)

● Heb 10:23a . . Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess,

The Jews have been promised a theocratic kingdom headed by a man who will
liberate them from foreign domination and from fear of war, plus allow them to own
private property, and ensure them plenty of peace, prosperity, justice, health, and
long life: none of which the people of God have thus far managed to secure
permanently but expect to under Messiah's administration.

● Heb 10:23b . . . for He who promised is faithful.

In other words: they mustn't lose confidence that the kingdom is coming because
there remains a rest for the people of God that they would've obtained already had
Moses' people entered the land of milk and honey when God wanted them to.

● Heb 10:24 . . And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love
and good deeds.

Man is a species of life that is quite naturally, and comfortably, inclined to provoke
and annoy each other and bring out the worst in their fellow men. It is Christ's
expectations that his own make an effort to do just the opposite; viz: bring out the
best in each other.

Good deeds speaks of one's actions, i.e. their conduct. For example: courtesy,
scruples, honesty, charity, kindness, tolerance, non violence, tact, deference,
generosity, graciousness, law abiding, an honest day's work for an honest day's
pay, helpful, modesty, sincere promises, decency, loyalty, manners, benevolent,
compliant with superiors, self controlled, speech that's treads lightly on peoples
nerves, patient, and calm, etc.
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● Heb 10:25 . . Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of
doing, but let us encourage one another-- and all the more as you see the Day
approaching.

I'm pretty sure that pertains to synagogues, i.e. houses of worship where pious
Jews meet once a week, usually on Saturdays; which for them is the routine
Sabbath.

Synagogues also serve as yeshivas-- the equivalent of catechism --where Jews
study a variety of sacred literature; most especially the Tanach, wherein are located
the God-given prophecies relative to the approaching theocratic kingdom. It would
be a very good use of their study time for poorly trained Jews to review those
prophecies and also to become associated with other Jews who believe in them.

● Heb 10:26-27 . . If we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the
truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation
of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.

That's basically a reiteration of Moses' law where it says:

"But the person, be he citizen or stranger, who acts defiantly reviles the Lord; that
person shall be cut off from among his people. Because he has spurned the word of
the Lord and violated His commandment, that person shall be cut off-- he bears his
guilt." (Num 15:30-31)

At the time David committed murder and adultery, he was an inspired man who
knew well in advance that what he was doing with Bathsheba and her husband was
wrong; yet went ahead with his scheme. David should've been permanently cut off
from God for that. But we know he wasn't because his actions were passed over.
(2Sam 12:13) The thing is: were Jesus not on track from the very beginning to give
his life for willful sinners, David would've been lost.

● Heb 10:28-29 . . Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on
the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a
man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who
has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and
who has insulted the Spirit of grace?

In other words: Jesus is the final option for willful sinners.

The Greek word translated "sanctify" simply means to set something aside
specifically for God's use; viz: to consecrate. The life's blood of a beast sanctified
Aaron for priesthood duty (Lev 8:22-24). In contrast, Jesus was consecrated with
his own life's blood which is far and away superior because Christ was made in the
image and likeness of God whereas beasts weren't. (Gen 1:26-27, Heb 1:3)

● Heb 10:30a . . For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay"

Of all the peoples on this planet, Jews should know better than anyone that
Abraham's God is not one to trifle with.

● Heb 10:30b . . and again, "The Lord will judge his people."

There is a day coming when every Jew, from every corner of the globe, will be
rounded up and taken to one place for a special evaluation. The outcome of that
evaluation will determine which of the living Diaspora will be allowed to share in
Abraham's blessings. (Ezek 20:33-44)

● Heb 10:31 . . It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
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● Heb 10:32-36 . . Remember those earlier days after you had received the light,
when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes
you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side
by side with those who were so treated.

. .You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of3
your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting
possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You
need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive
what he has promised.

As it has been for many centuries, it is still very difficult for modern Jews to be
faithful, especially in Islamic countries. But think about it-- is there any earthly
persecution and/or hardship that can honestly compare to the permanent loss of a
share in Abraham's blessings?

● Heb 10:38-39 . . Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my
soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto3
perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

"the just shall live by faith" is an excerpt from Habakkuk 2:4 whereby the Jews
were encouraged to retain their confidence in God even when their situation
appeared hopeless. However; this world is passing; and all its brutish governments
are passing with it.

● Habakkuk 3:16-19 . .When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the
voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might
rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them
with his troops.

. . Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the
labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut
off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in The
Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he will
make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.

● Heb 11:1 . . Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we
do not see.

I'm sometimes asked how I can believe in a religion that cannot be proven true. I
can only say it's an intuitive conviction that I am unable to shake off.

Why does anybody believe what they believe? Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Bahá'í,
Hare Krishna, Jehovah's Witness, Mormon, Catholic, Baptist, Judaism, Voodoo,
Wiccan, Jain, Druze, Native American, etc, etc, etc. The answer? Because it grips
their heart-- the core of their being --which is very different than persuading
someone with logic and reasoning.

When folks are persuaded to buy into a religion by means of logic and reasoning,
they can be just as easily persuaded to give it up by logic and reasoning. But
someone whose heart is gripped by their religion is not easily removed regardless
of how strong, how sensible, how convincing, nor how logical the opposition's
argument. In point of fact, one of the prerequisites to salvation is believing with
one's heart rather than one's head. (Rom 10:8-9)

● Heb 11:3 . . By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's
command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Intelligent design is impossible to prove true. But we accept it because the first
chapter of Genesis wasn't written for the scientific mind, rather, it was written for
the mind of faith; which is able to cope with creation as a reality instead of a myth.

NOTE: Galileo believed that science and religion are allies rather than enemies--
two different languages telling the same story. He believed that science and religion
complement each other, to wit: science answers questions that religion doesn't
bother to answer, and religion answers questions that science cannot answer.

For example: theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking understood pretty well how the
cosmos works; but could never scientifically explain why it should exist at all. Well;
in my estimation, the only possible answer to the "why" is found in intelligent
design; which is a religious explanation rather than scientific. Religion's why is
satisfactory for people of faith. No doubt deep thinkers like Michio Kaku, Neil
deGrasse Tyson, Michelle Thaller, and the late Carl Sagan would prefer something a
bit more empirical.
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● Heb 11:4 . . It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God
than Cain did. God accepted Abel's offering to show that he was a righteous man.

There's no indication in Gen 4:3-5 suggesting their offerings were sacrifices for sin.
The Hebrew word is minchah (min-khaw') which basically means: to apportion, i.e.
bestow; a donation; euphemistically, tribute; specifically a sacrificial offering
(usually bloodless and voluntary). In point of fact, sin offerings are typically in the
holocaust category and go by the Hebrew name 'olah (o-law') instead of minchah.

Ancient rabbis understood the brothers' offerings to be a "first fruits" kind of ritual.

T. And it was at the end of days, on the fourteenth of Nisan, that Kain brought of
the produce of the earth, the seed of cotton (or line), an oblation of first things
before the Lord; and Habel brought of the firstlings of the flock. (Targum Jonathan)

Seeing as how Cain was a farmer, then in his case, an amount of produce was the
appropriate first fruits offering, and seeing as how Abel was an animal
husbandman, then in his case a head of livestock was appropriate. (Gen 4:3-4)

This incident is not said to be the very first time they brought gifts to God. The
brothers (and very likely their parents too), probably had been bringing gifts for
many years; ever since they were lads. And up to this point, apparently both men
were doing everything right and God was just as much pleased with Cain and his
gifts as He was with Abel and his gifts. So then, why were Cain and his offering
unacceptable this time around?

Cain had become a different man, i.e. he was no longer righteous; instead he had
become unrighteous. In other words; Abel was the kind of man whom God
approves whereas Cain had become the kind of man whom God disapproves; and
there are no rituals that can make up for that shortcoming. (Prv 15:8)

"And The Lord said to Cain: If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?" (Gen
4:6-7)

Cain believed in the existence of a supreme being; that was good, and his ritual
was timely; that was good too. But Cain's piety was flawed, i.e. his personal
conduct didn't satisfy God's standards relative to right and wrong, ergo: Cain's
ways tainted his offering and made it unacceptable.

Cain's situation is well illustrated by Isa 1:11-20. Moses' people were offering all
the covenanted sacrifices, they were praying up a storm, and observing all the God
given feasts and holy days. He rejected all of it, even though He himself required it,
because the people's personal conduct was unbecoming.

This is a very useful biblical illustration of Jas 2:17-26 wherein is said, in so many
words, that faith without works is dead.

FAQ: In what way might Cain's piety have been lacking?

REPLY: Well, my first guess would be bad blood between him and his younger
sibling (Matt 5:23-24) and Cain was insolent and rude; even to his maker (Gen
4:9) all in all; Cain was teetering on the point of no return and at risk of becoming
incorrigible.

"But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have
you, but you must master it." (Gen 4:7b)

This is the first mention of self control in the Bible. In other words: God created
mankind with the capability to choose bad ways for itself; but that's only half the
story. God also created mankind with the capability to choose good ways for itself;
so He wasn't requiring something impossible from Cain like touching his right elbow
with the thumb of his right hand.

* Folks unified with Christ are not exempt from self control. In point of fact; without
self control, their faith has a problem.

"Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not
offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer
yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer
the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness." (Rom 6:12-13)

"If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not
live by the truth." (1John 1:6)
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● Heb 11:5a . . By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not
experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away.

Enoch of course did die because everybody has to at least once.

"In Adam all die" (1 Cor 15:22)
"Man is destined to die once" (Heb 9:27)

However, the full experience of death includes dying, viz: walking thru the valley of
the shadow of death. Many will, and many do, pass from this life to the next so
fast that they completely miss the journey.

For example: were we to ask Enoch what it was like to die, he wouldn't be able to
say because he was spared the discomforts of a typical passing. But were we to ask
a terminal cancer patient what it was like to die, they'd have a story to tell.

* It's assumed by many that Enoch was taken to Heaven; but according to Christ; no
man had been there prior to himself. (John 3:13) So it's my guess that Enoch was
taken to a comfortable location that would later provide suitable accommodations
for Abraham and Lazarus as depicted in the story told at Luke 16:19-31 and also
for the criminal crucified the same day as Jesus per Luke 23:39-43.

● Heb 11:5b . . For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased
God.

That particular commendation takes the edge off death. When we know in our
hearts that our association with God is on solid footing, then we also know in our
hearts that God has another life waiting for us beyond this one: especially
resurrection to a body that's impervious to disease and never loses its vitality.

For the folks whom God commends as pleasing to Him, passing is an
inconvenience, i.e. something to get over with rather than something to fear.

● Heb 11:6 . . And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who
comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly
seek Him.

I'm of the opinion that the folks who believe God exists easily outnumber those who
earnestly seek Him. If only the majority could appreciate that God is ready and
willing to make it worth their while to make an effort to get to know Him.

● Heb 11:7a . . By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet,
moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house;

In Noah's case, faith is expressed by one's confidence in something revealed. For
example it's common knowledge that there's a Hell in the afterlife. However, not
everyone believes in such a thing; consequently the possibility of a Hell doesn't
motivate them to get ready for it.

● Heb 11:7b . . by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the
righteousness which is by faith.

There's a righteousness in accord with culture, there's a righteousness in accord
with government, there's a righteousness in accord with playing by the rules, etc.
In other words: there is more than one kind of righteousness but in our particular
sphere of existence, the righteousness in accord with faith is of paramount
importance because it has far reaching consequences not only in this life, but the
next too.

"A voice said: Shout! I asked: What should I shout? Shout that people are like the
grass that dies away. Their beauty fades as quickly as the beauty of flowers in a
field. The grass withers, and the flowers fade beneath the breath of The Lord. And
so it is with people. The grass withers, and the flowers fade, but the word of our
God stands forever." (Isa 40:6-8)
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● Heb 11:8 . . By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive
as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was
going.

You gotta admire that man's courage. In his day, stepping out into the unknown
like he did was like leaving the earth and going to Mars. I have no clue how
Abraham got to the point of trusting in God's providence like that but the proof of
his faith was in his decision to go. (cf. Jas 2:18)

● Heb 11:9 . . By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a
foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him
of the same promise.

It would've been impractical for Abraham to build a home seeing as how God
moved him around so much and on short notice.

Note that the promises God made to Abraham weren't transferable. In other words;
Isaac and Jacob were heirs along with Abraham instead of after him, i.e. the two
men were Abraham's joint heirs; consequently their posterity became Abraham's
joint heirs too.

● Heb 11:10 . . For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose
architect and builder is God.

That particular city isn't something man-made, which tells me that Abraham knew
quite a bit more about the future than I thought possible for his day.

NOTE: Guys like Noah and Abraham believed in things impossible to prove true;
which serves to illustrate a practical application of the very first verse of this
chapter, which says:

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

● Heb 11:11-12 . . It was by faith that Sarah together with Abraham was able to
have a child, even though they were too old and Sarah was barren. Abraham
believed that God would keep his promise. And so a whole nation came from this
one man, Abraham, who was too old to have any children--a nation with so many
people that, like the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way
to count them. (cf. Gen 15:1-6)

NOTE: Jesus was virgin-conceived whereas Abraham and Sarah together conceived
Isaac. So although Isaac was a miracle baby, so to speak, he wasn't a supernatural
baby. In point of fact, there were more like him, e.g. Jacob, Esau, Joseph,
Benjamin, Samson, and Samuel, et al Ps 113:9.

● Heb 11:13a . . All these people were still living by faith when they died.

"All these people" would include Abel, Enoch, and Noah too; which again surprises
me how much those folks back then knew about the future.

● Heb 11:13b-16 . . They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them
and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and
strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a
country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they
would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better
country-- a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their god, for
He has prepared a city for them.
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A stressful moment came for Abraham when God instructed him to offer his miracle
son as a sacrificial offering which would require Abraham to slay Isaac and cremate
his remains.

It's commonly alleged that Abraham's obedience was that of a mindless lap dog,
but no, Abraham believed, quite correctly, that if God were to fulfill the promises He
made to Abraham relative to Isaac's future in Gen 17:19 & Gen 17:21, then his
divine benefactor would have to restore Isaac's remains to life. It would be difficult
to use a knife on Isaac, but at least Abraham had the comfort of knowing the loss
of his son wouldn't be permanent.

● Heb 11:17-19 . . It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when
God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God's promises, was ready to
sacrifice his only son, Isaac, though God had promised him: "Isaac is the son
through whom your descendants will be counted." Abraham reasoned that if Isaac
died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did
receive his son back from the dead.

* I would like to know how Abraham managed to convince Isaac to cooperate. By
the time of the Akedah, he was old enough, and strong enough, to shoulder a load
of wood; and mature enough to understand the particulars of the ritual that he and
his dad were on their way to perform; so Isaac wasn't a little kid in that incident.
Had he wanted, Isaac could've easily escaped.

The remainder of chapter 11 recounts how faith influenced certain folks' paths in
life. The examples are pretty much self explanatory. However, verse 21 is notable
because it introduces an important repercussion relative to adoption.

● Gen 48:5-6 . . Now, your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt
before I came to you in Egypt, shall be mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine
no less than Reuben and Simeon. Progeny born to you after them shall be yours;
but they shall be recorded under the names of their brothers in their inheritance.

Jacob set a rather odd precedent by taking Joseph's sons to be his own; thus
installing them in tribal positions equal in rank and privilege to his original sons;
and increasing the total number of his legit sons from twelve to fourteen.

* Mannaseh and Ephraim didn't bring the total number of the tribes of Israel up to
fourteen. They're actually half-tribes, i.e. two sub tribes composing the tribe of
Joseph.

The application of Jacob's precedent placed Jesus in Solomon's line to David's
throne (Matt 1:1-16). Seeing as how Jesus was virgin-conceived, then he would not
be in Solomon's genealogy had not Mary's husband Joseph taken her baby as his
own; which is actually fairly easy to show.

Joseph was instructed to give Mary's baby the name Jesus. (Matt 1:21)

Joseph complied. (Matt 1:25)

In ancient times when a man stood with a woman to name her child, he officially
declared it his (cf. Luke 1:13 & Luke 1:59-63). So from then on the neighbors, and
Mary too, identified Joseph as Jesus' dad. (Luke 2:27-28, Luke 2:41, Luke 2:48, &
Luke 4:22)
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