Thoughts From Hebrews - Day 22

                                       Hebrews 8:8-13


But God found fault with the people and said:

“The days are coming, declares the Lord,
    when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
    and with the people of Judah.
⁹ It will not be like the covenant
    I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
    to lead them out of Egypt,
because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,
    and I turned away from them,
declares the Lord.
¹⁰ This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel
    after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
    and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.
¹¹ No longer will they teach their neighbor,
    or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
    from the least of them to the greatest.
¹² For I will forgive their wickedness
    and will remember their sins no more.”

¹³ By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.


        Our Sunday School class is going through Acts which is a fascinating time where the New Covenant meets the Old Covenant and the resulting confusion that is caused by this. For example in Acts 19, Paul arrives in Ephesus and meets some believers who don't even know about Jesus and the Holy Spirit. They were following the teachings of John the Baptist. If they had died would they have gone to Heaven without faith in Jesus? Abraham's bosom, the holding place for believers, according to my understanding, had been cleared out at Christ's death. And then there were other questions like how much of the law should we follow? Should we be circumcised, what about dietary laws, feasts, sacrifices, cleanliness laws, judicial laws, etc.? They even had the first Church Counsel in Acts 15 where it was decided that the Gentiles should abstain from sexual immorality, food offered to idols, blood, and strangled animals.Although Paul is thrilled to take the news back to Antioch that the men didn't need to be circumcised, part of me thinks that he was disappointed that James added a few rules to their freedom. In fact Paul later addresses food offered to idols as a problem for someone weaker in the faith. The transition continues to be a problem and the whole book of Galatians addresses it.

        Paul makes a summary statement on how the New Covenant Christians (us) are to live in Galatians 5:6

     "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."

 He says love God and love your neighbor. So we can do whatever we want, we just have to love? Well, sort of. You see if you love God you won't do things contrary to His will. Well, how do we know His will if we don't follow the law? Paul makes another statement in Galatians where he lists some sins to avoid and calls them "obvious."

"The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." Gal. 5:19-21

        How are they obvious? I think it goes back to this passage in Hebrews - God has put His laws in our hearts and minds. We know what is wrong when we are doing it or thinking about doing it. Also, we have the teaching by Christ on what is wrong and right, the writings of his apostles who were schooled by Him for three years, and the examples from the Old Testament of people whose behavior was approved of or disapproved of by God.

      Takeaway? Let's do one act of love for someone each day. I was thinking about this as I drove past someone's house whose garbage cans had blown into the street and I didn't stop and get them out of the street. Shame on me. Every morning get up and think - one act of love.

Thoughts From Hebrews - Day 21

                                                   Hebrews 8:1-7

Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, ² and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.
³ Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. ⁴ If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. ⁵ They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” ⁶ But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.
⁷ For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.


            Jesus sat down. That in itself summarizes what is better about the New Covenant. If you look in Leviticus at the daily activities of the priest, especially in Leviticus 16, there was no time for sitting. Their shift was a flurry of activity offering gifts and sacrifices for the people who daily sinned and daily needed forgiveness. There were daily sin offerings, guilt offerings, fellowship, grain, and burnt offerings not to mention the once a year Day of Atonement. These were all temporary stop gaps till the day that sin would be completely paid for, once and for all. They were the swipes of a credit card to pay for sin, knowing that the credit card balance, a sum so large that no one could pay, would someday be paid by a better sacrifice. That was Jesus' blood. He paid for all sins for all time, past, present, and future. Then He sat down because no more sacrifices were needed. Yet the passage says "He serves", present tense, which means although He sat down, He is still serving. What does that mean?

       The Bible calls Jesus our mediator. Forgive my non-Trinitarian thinking, but I picture Jesus, sitting at the right hand of the Father, saying 24/7 (there is no 24/7 in Heaven) "Yes, Jim sinned again but remember, I paid for that sin. I have received the punishment for that sin and the Rock can't be struck twice. Forgive Him and restore Him." I believe that is the sitting, yet serving job that our perfect High priest is doing for us. What is the application of that for us? First of all, it should lead us to praise, worship, adoration that Someone would love us enough number one to die for us and number 2 to spend all His time interceding for our current sins although that function will end when we go to Heaven and sin is no more. Boy, if anyone should be looking forward to that day, it should be Jesus. What a terrible job He has. I guess you could say He is looking forward to retirement. Hey! Finally a Biblical precedent for retirement!

        Secondly, it should keep us from sin. How, you might ask, when we know that every sin we do is forgiven? Do you understand that every transgression you make, every sin you commit is projected on a big screen TV in Heaven and God the Father and God the Son see it in living color. Not exactly like that but you get the point. Aren't you embaressed? Don't you want Christ, like in the case of Job, to be saying "Have you seen my servant Jim? Isn't he awesome?" instead of, "Yes, He blew it again and I am ashamed of Him but yet I love him and forgive him". Which scenario do you want being played out in Heaven?

       Lastly, theologically speaking, I don't see how you can make a case for losing your salvation. Jesus can't die on the cross multiple times for your salvation. He did it once and for all and sat down. I don't need to be re-saved, I've been saved transformed by the indwelling Holy Spirit, adopted into God's family and I can't be un-adopted, un-transformed, and un-born again. What an amazing wonderful, patient, forgiving Savior I have!

Thoughts From Hebrews - Day 20

                                               Hebrews 7:20-28

And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, ²¹ but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:

“The Lord has sworn
    and will not change his mind:
    ‘You are a priest forever.’”

²² Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

²³ Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; ²⁴ but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. ²⁵ Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
²⁶ Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. ²⁷ Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. ²⁸ For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.


              Everything changes and I hate it. Just when I get familiar with things at the hospital, they change them. The other day they changed the name of the wireless sign in and the passcode and I had to hunt to find things. They are going to change the charting system to all computerized. They changed to latex free in the OR and the gloves decrease dexterity which for someone who isn't that dexterous in the first place, that's a big deal. I went to the store and everything has changed locations. Why? Not only that but they discontinued peppermint oreos and dark chocolate Lays potato chips. I went home, went to Tim Keller's site and they changed it and I can't find my old downloaded messages. I ate some white chili last night and woke up with severe gas pains. I went to look for the Beano but it was no longer in the same cupboard because we got new cupboards and that one now holds coffee. In the past, I used to get so many Christmas cards at work that I could tape them to my door and fill the door. Two weeks from Christmas, I have 3. I mentioned it to my son and he said, "Oh yeah, my generation doesn't do Christmas cards." I used to get all kinds of Christmas treats, too, but I guess his generation doesn't bake either.

          OK, maybe I don't hate all changes because some are definitely for the better. It's just that the process of learning something new takes time and can be frustrating until you master it - then once you do, they will change it again. I am currently typing on an old computer because if I upgrade, I will have to transfer all my programs, files, and possibly learn a new operating system. Once I do, I know I would be very pleased but the thought of that change is anxiety provoking. Therefore I have to keep x-ing out of a screen that wants me to upgrade! Don't you just wish the next time you change something it would be perfect and never need changing again?

           See, that is what is going on here in Hebrews. The Old Covenant was good but needed improvement. It had big flaws unless you enjoyed going to the temple every day, slicing a sheep's neck, getting blood all over you, only to find out it never really worked. Thus Christ came and brought a New Covenant that worked, was perfect, permanent, complete, and forever and will never need changing. Problem was that people back then, like me today, are resistant to change even though in this case the change was needed. Therefore they kept wanting to go back to their old covenant because of the comfort level there or not even entertain the thought of changing. Today is the same. People are depressed, anxious, restless, fearing death, without hope, carrying guilt of past mistakes - yet when offered a new life, the change is too great. That's why John says, "The man who has accepted this has certified that it is true." In other words, when you take the leap and head into the unknown and new through faith, then you will know it is true and worth it but it takes leaving your "dis"comfort zone.

          I have found something permanent and His name is Jesus. I'm not going to arrive at the gates of Heaven someday and be told that the requirements have changed. They have been satisfied once and for all. And the requirement is easy - coming to God through Jesus by faith. It's easy but it takes a complete change - a complete 180. That's what repentance means. Are you willing to make that change or do you want to stay in your dis-comfort zone? The choice is yours.

Thoughts From Hebrews - Day 19

                                            Hebrews 7:11-19

 If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. 13 He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15 And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16 one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is declared:

“You are a priest forever,
    in the order of Melchizedek.”

18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

         "An indestructible life". Jesus had an indestructible life. They killed Him but three days later he came back from the tomb. The cool thing is that by doing that He imparted indestructibility to all of us. John 3:16 says we will not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus says in the gospels not to fear the person that can only kill the body but rather fear the One who can send your soul to eternal death. In other words, if we ask Jesus to forgive our sins and come into our life, we are indestructible.

          We love watching super heroes because they seem indestructible. Of course Superman died in a previous movie but in the most recent one he came back to life. We like guys like James Bond because no matter what predicament he gets into, he never dies. As great as movies like Braveheart and Gladiator are, as we think about them we can't help but think "he dies". I don't like movies like that. In fact the one where superman died was probably the least successful movie of the bunch. No one wants to see that! In the same way, I am not going to give my life to a destructible prophet. I am going to follow an indestructible "person" by the name of Jesus.

         In fact, historians wonder how in a matter of 2 centuries, the whole Greco-Roman thought, which was brilliant with such minds as Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, was replaced by Christian thought. Scholars think it is because the belief in the resurrection, indestructibility, offered hope that no other thoughts could match. The belief that when we die we don't cease to exist or get absorbed into some impersonal force that can't experience love is gladly replaced by we return in a new better body that can experience love and the restoration of everything lost. That is by far superior to anything man can come up with. And the exciting thing is that it isn't just a philosophy but it is the truth as evidenced by Jesus' indestructibility as He rose from the grave and hundreds witnessed His indestructible life.

        Because of Christ, I don't need to fear war, disease, violence, natural disasters, car accidents, plane crashes or any death phobias people have. I'm indestructible. I'm gonna' LIV4EVR. Are you?

Thoughts From Hebrews - Day 18

                           Hebrews 7:1-10

This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, ² and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” ³ Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.
⁴ Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! ⁵ Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. ⁶ This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. ⁷ And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. ⁸ In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. ⁹ One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, ¹⁰ because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.


       I've always been intrigued by Melchizadek because he comes out of nowhere as priest of the true God. This fascinates me because it seems that the only ones following God, at this point, are the line of Abraham and he isn't from that line. Truth is, unless he is a preincarnate Christ, he probably is from the line of Shem and there was a pocket of worshippers of the true God out there that we never read about. It makes you wonder, what if God made the same offer to one of them that He made to Abraham but they refused to "go"? We assume God just made it to Abraham but what if Abraham was the only one willing to step out of his comfort zone and say yes to God, and because of that we all have salvation? It makes me wonder, what am I saying "no" to God because it is too radical of an ask? Who is He having to raise up to do what I won't do? Who gets an opportunity to change the world instead of me?  Just some convicting thoughts which may or may not come from this passage but I find it interesting to ponder.

       The next thing I learn is that when I think I am the only one out there, like Elijah running from Jezzabel, God has others going through the same thing. A lot of times, they are too afraid to stand up and are just looking for an "Abraham" to stand up and fight and then they will come out of hiding.

       The other thought that comes to my mind is the whole argument, "What about those who die and have never heard"? Hebrews 11 says God rewards those who diligently seek Him. I think it is possible that even though this priest is not from the line of faith that we are saved through, that he diligently cried out to know God and God revealed Himself to Melchizadek or his band that he was priest over. God is not willing that any should perish apart from knowing Him. Certainly this does not relieve us from the duty of missions and evangelism but it does remind us of God's mercy and love

     Obviously, Melchizadek is being used in this passage to develop the type and legitimacy of Christ as our High Priest but he does challenge me to says "yes" to God, to stand up and be bold, to realize that I'm not alone but other believers are out there, and to support missions because there are those out there who are seeking God and need to hear.