Hebrews

Our Access To God

Copyright © 2002-2003 by M. W. Andrews; all rights reserved.

This material may be used and distributed freely as long
as the copyright information is included as shown here.

Last revision: 5 June 2003

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1

Heb 1

Jesus is greater than the angels

2

Heb 2

But … He’s not beyond our reach, because He’s our Brother

3

Heb 3

Jesus is greater than Moses

4

Heb 4:1-13

But … we could miss God’s rest like the people who followed Moses

5

Heb 4:14-5:10

Jesus is our High Priest, better than Melchizedek

6

Heb 5:11-6:28

But … we have a responsibility to mature

7

Heb 7

Jesus established a better priesthood

8

Heb 8

Jesus established a better covenant

9

Heb 9

Jesus even offered a better sacrifice

10

Heb 10

But … the righteous still live by faith

11

Heb 11

Examples of Living By Faith

12

Heb 12

But … you need to get in shape to run this race

13

Heb 13

Our sacrifices are important

Joshua 1:1-9

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There is an abundance of questions and information provided in this study guide – more, in fact, than will fit in typical class periods. The purpose of this “excess” is to provide the teacher with options that best suit the needs and direction of the class. The teacher can trim the material to correspond with the desired length of the class and the interests of the group. Since the colored text helps identify elements that lead to the main themes, the colors can be used as a guide for what to include.

Scriptures along the left margin should be read in class before proceeding with the questions and comments. Parentheses indicate that the reading is optional.

Major points to emphasize

A portion of the questions that emphasize the main themes. These could be distributed before class to help class members prepare their thoughts.

[1]         Endnote reference; click on the number to see the reference.

Ñ         “Key” point of explanation or interpretation

s         Question to ask your discussion group; possible answers or considerations sometimes follow in a list below the question.

©         Application question – useful for going deeper into each person’s walk with Christ.

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A box with an arrow points to a question (and possible answers) that could be listed on a flipchart or similar tool.  This format encourages class members to share more of their thoughts about the question.

A box (without an arrow) containing text represents a fundamental principle in the lesson that should be written or projected where all students can see it.  This helps them retain the central message while other supporting points are being discussed.

Ñ          “The thing that will help us most in dating the letter is its references to persecution.  It is clear that at one time their leaders had died for their faith (Heb.13:7). It is clear that they themselves had not yet suffered persecution, for they had not yet resisted to the point of shedding their blood (Heb.12:4).  It is also clear that they have had ill-treatment to suffer for they have had to undergo the pillaging of their goods (Heb.10:32-34).  And it is clear from the outlook of the letter that there is a risk of persecution about to come.  From all that it is safe to say that this letter must have been written between two persecutions, in days when Christians were not actually persecuted, but were none the less unpopular with their fellow-men.  Now the first persecution was in the time of Nero in the year A.D. 64; and the next was in the time of Domitian about A.D. 85. [1]

Ñ          The Epistle hails and sends greetings from some place in Italy, at a time when Timothy, Paul's disciple, was set at liberty, and the writer was on the point of paying, with Timothy, a visit to his readers (13:23,24). The passage, "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them" (13:3), does not necessarily imply that he himself was in prison, indeed 13:23 seems to imply his freedom. These notices naturally suggest the close of Paul's first Roman imprisonment, in the spring of the year 63, or soon after; for Timothy and Luke were with him there, and the writer himself evidently belonged to the circle of his friends and fellow-workers.

There is further internal evidence that the letter was written before the destruction of Jerusalem (70), before the outbreak of the Jewish war (66),  … the Temple was still standing, with its daily sacrifices regularly going on, and the doom of the theocracy was still in the future. [2]

Ñ          We don’t know who wrote this book, when they wrote it, or why they wrote it.  The early church fathers thought the book was magnificent, but had trouble including it in the canon of Scripture because of its anonymity.

Heb 1:1-2

Superior to the Prophets

Ñ          The letter to the Hebrews is written in beautiful Greek, yet the author was thoroughly familiar with Jewish law.  Could have been written by …

-      Barnabas  (Greek disciple)

-      Apollos  (from Alexandria, center of learning)

-      Paul  (perhaps with a good writer)

Ñ          This is a passage that any classical Greek orator would have been proud to write.  The writer of Hebrews has brought to it every artifice of word and rhythm that the beautiful and flexible Greek language could provide.  In Greek the two adverbs which we have translated in many parts and in many ways are single words, "polumeros" and "polutropos."  "Polu-" in such a combination means "many" and it was a habit of the great Greek orators, like Demosthenes, the greatest of them all, to weave such sonorous words into the first paragraph of a speech.  The writer to the Hebrews felt that, since he was going to speak of the supreme revelation of God to men, he must clothe his thought in the noblest language that it was possible to find. [3]

s         What are some ways that God speaks to people?
Are the methods mentioned here intended to be all-inclusive?

s         What are “these last days”?

Ñ          “The Jews divided all time into two ages – the present age and the age to come.  In between they set The Day of the Lord.  The present age was wholly bad; the age to come was to be the golden age of God. The Day of the Lord was to be like the birth-pangs of the new age.” [4]

s         What does it mean to be an “heir of all things”?

s         Where was Jesus in the creation story?

Heb 1:3-14

Superior to the Angels

s         How is Jesus like the Father (v.3)?

Ñ          Jesus is called the "charakter" of God's very essence.  In Greek, "charakter" means two things, first, a seal, and, second, the impression that the seal leaves on the wax.  The impression has the exact form of the seal.  So, when the writer to the Hebrews said that Jesus was the "charakter" of the being of God, he meant that he was the exact image of God. Just as when you look at the impression, you see exactly what the seal which made it is like, so when you look at Jesus you see exactly what God is like. [5]

s         What is the significance of “sitting down” at the “right hand” of God?

s         What are some things that you have heard about angels?

s          [In Jewish beliefs] there were millions and millions of angels. There were two hundred angels who controlled the movements of the stars and kept them in their courses.  There was an angel who controlled the never-ending succession of the years and months and days.  There was an angel, a mighty prince, who was over the sea.  There were angels of the frost, the dew, the rain, the snow, the hail, the thunder and the lightning.  There were angels who were wardens of hell and torturers of the damned.  There were recording angels who wrote down every single word which every man spoke.  There were destroying angels and angels of punishment.  There was Satan, the prosecuting angel, who on every day except the Day of Atonement continuously brought charges against men before God. There was the angel of death who went out only at God's bidding and who impartially delivered his summons to good and evil alike.  Every nation had its guardian angel … Every individual had his guardian angel … So many were the angels that the Rabbis could even say: "Every blade of grass has its angel." [6]

s         What is Jesus’ position relative to the angels?

s         In v.5 there are two quotes. Why does the author include the first quote from Psalm 2:7?  Why is the second quote (2 Sam.7:14) included?

Ñ          Most of these quotes use the Septuagint (the Old Testament translated into Greek in the 3^rd century B.C.) as the source, and therefore may not sound to us like direct quotes.

s         If Jesus had a part in creation (1:2), then what is meant by saying God brought “His firstborn into the world” (v.6)?

s         How is Jesus described as different from the angels in v.7-9 (quoting Psalm 104:4; Psalm 45:6-7)?

s         How do you suppose the Jews understood this everlasting throne and kingdom prior to Jesus’ birth (v.8)?

s         What does the quotation in v.10-12 say about Jesus?
Read Psalm 102:24-28.

s         What does the quotation in v.13 (Psalm 110:1) say about Jesus?

s         What purpose do angels have?  To whom do they minister?

s         How does this passage help you understand who Jesus is?

ÿ          Jesus is higher than all of the prophets.

ÿ          Jesus is higher than the angels.

Heb 2:1-4

Consequences of the Message

s         The author claims (v.2) that the angels delivered a message that was binding and punished disobedience.  What message do you suppose is being referred to here?

-      The Law?

-      Any message delivered by angels?

s         What might be the consequences of ignoring or drifting away from the salvation that Jesus offers?

s         Can you tell from this passage how the author found out about this salvation?

s         What was the purpose of God’s signs, miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit?

Heb 2:5-13

Compassion of Jesus

s         What has God placed under Jesus’ authority (subjection)?
Read Psalm 8.  How does this quote help explain Jesus’ authority?
Is His authority apparent to us? Why?

Ñ          In the psalm quoted here the two parallel phrases: "What is man that you remember him?" and "Or the son of man that you visit him?" are different ways of saying exactly the same thing.  The psalm is a great lyric cry of the glory of man as God meant it to be.  It is in fact an expansion of the great promise of God at creation in Gen.1:28, when he said to man: "Have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." [7]

Ñ          The glory of man, incidentally, is even greater than the King James Version would lead us to understand.  It has: "Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels" (Ps.8:5).  That is a correct translation of the Greek but not of the original Hebrew.  In the original Hebrew it is said that man is made a little lower than the "Elohiym"; and "Elohiym" is the regular word for "God."  What the psalmist wrote about man really was: "Thou hast made him little less than God," which, in fact, is the translation of the Revised Standard Version.  So then this psalm sings of the glory of man, who was made little less than divine and whom God meant to have dominion over everything in the world. [8]

s         Why did God crown Jesus with glory and honor?

s         What do you think it means to be made “perfect through suffering” (v.10)?

s         How is Jesus the “Author” or “Pioneer” of our salvation (v.10)?

s         What does it mean to you to be part of God’s family, i.e., Jesus’ brothers and sisters (v.11)?

s         How do the quotations in v.12-13 (Psalm 22:22; Isaiah 8:17, 18) help explain Jesus’ relationship with us?

Heb 2:14-18

s         What did Jesus do for us (that we couldn’t do ourselves)?

s         What did Jesus do to the devil?
Do verses 14-15 shed any light on the meaning of Rev.12:9 or Rev.20:2?

Ñ          Verse 16 is key to this section and the discussion about angels. Jesus is higher than angels and He is higher than us; but He has chosen to help us as a brother. Therefore He is not out of reach for us.

s         What are some reasons for Jesus being made human like us?

ÿ          Even though Jesus is higher than the angels, He is our brother.

Heb 3:1-6

Superior to Moses

s         What is the “heavenly calling” (v.1)?

©         Do you have a “heavenly calling”?  What is it?

-      To be holy

-      To be part of God’s family

-      To exhibit love and mercy

Ñ          In v.1, “consider” is a much more intense term than we might think. It means to perceive or understand fully,[9] like the man who is supposed to “consider” the log in his own eye before pointing out a splinter in another’s eye (Matt. 7:3).

s         How is Jesus an apostle (v.1)?
How is He a high priest?

s         Who appointed Jesus?  (i.e., to whom has he been faithful?)

s         What (or who) is the “house” spoken of in v.3-4?
What does it mean to “build” this house?

©         Are we content to let Jesus build His house?

s         How would you compare Moses’ role with Jesus’ role in v.5-6?

-      Servant versus Son

s         What makes Jesus more worthy of honor than Moses?

Ñ          The passage quoted in v.2, “Moses was faithful in all his house” (Num. 12:6-8), was an argument that Moses differs from all the prophets.  To them God makes himself known in a vision; to Moses he speaks "mouth to mouth."  To the Jew it would have been impossible to conceive that anyone ever stood closer to God than Moses did, and yet that is precisely what the writer of the Hebrews sets out to prove. [10]

s         Why do you think courage (confidence) and hope are necessary in order for us to remain God’s “house”?

Heb 3:7-19

The Consequences of Supremacy

Ñ          Read Psalms 95:6-11.  The two phrases, the provocation and the day of temptation translate two Hebrew words which are place names – Massah and Meribah.  This is a reference to the story told in Exo.17:1-7 and Num.20:1-13.  These passages tell of a rebellious incident in the pilgrimage of the children of Israel.  They were thirsty in the desert and railed against Moses, regretting that they had ever left Egypt and forswearing their trust in God. In the Numbers version of the story God told Moses to speak to the limestone rock and water would gush forth.  But Moses in his anger did not speak to the rock; he struck it.  The water came forth but for this act of distrust and disobedience God declared that Moses would never be allowed to lead the people into the promised land.  "Very certainly they shall not enter in to my rest," means, "Very certainly they will not enter into the Promised Land."  To wanderers in the desert the Promised Land was the place of rest, and it was often called the rest (compare Deut.12:9).  The point is that the disobedience and the distrust of Israel debarred them from the blessings of God that they might have enjoyed. [11]

s         According to the quotation in Heb.3:7-11, how is our relationship with Christ similar to the relationship that the Israelites had with Moses?

-      Rejecting Jesus means rejecting God (and to the Jews rejecting Moses meant the same thing)

s         What is the opposite of a “hardened heart”?

s         Why is the author so concerned about believers hardening their hearts (or falling away or not holding fast)?

s         How does sin destroy our confidence in Christ?

s         In what ways can we encourage each other to remain faithful?

s         Did Moses lead all of the Israelites into the promised land (v.16-19)?
What was the cause of their failure to enter?

-      Didn’t know God’s ways

-      Went astray in their hearts

-      Tested God

s         Can the same problem(s) hinder us?

©         Do you treat Christ any better than the Israelites treated Moses?

©         How are you maintaining a “healthy heart”?

©         How can you encourage others to be faithful?

ÿ          Jesus is even higher than Moses.

ÿ          Therefore, pay close attention to your calling.

Heb 4:1-13

Diligent in Obedience

s         What does the “therefore” in v.1 refer to?

s         What is the author encouraging the readers to do?

s         What are the readers of this book expected to be concerned about (v.1)?

s         What are some definitions of “rest”?
What is “God’s rest”?

-      Completion

-      Satisfaction

Ñ          In order to emphasize the main point, we are given three examples of rest in this passage:

-      Creation rest (v.4)

-      Canaan rest (v.8)

-      Calvary rest, which is available to us (v.11)

s         Why did the Israelites miss God’s rest?

s         What was the “good news” that was preached in the Old Testament (v.2)?

-      Compare Exodus 19:3-6

-      Why wasn’t this “good news” enough to bring them to rest?

s         Notice the time element in this passage:
In what way is God’s rest past?
In what way is it present (compare Mat.11:28-30; Rom.5:1-2)
In what way is it future?

Ñ          Notice that v.7 quotes Psalms 95:7-8 for the third time (also in 3:7-8 and 3:15).  Read Psalms 95:6-11 again to see why it’s so important.  David’s psalm offers hope that we might still be able to enter God’s rest – if we don’t harden our hearts.

s         In what way do we (or will we) observe the “Sabbath” (v.9)?
What works do we rest from?

-      Maybe we’ll rest from trying to be good enough J

s         How do we enter God’s rest?

©         Are you participating in God’s rest?
How is His “Sabbath” a reality for you?

s         The context preceding v.12 is that obedience is required in order to enter God’s rest.  How does the Word of God relate to obedience and disobedience?

s         How is the Word of God described in v.12-13?

s         Can you find in this passage some ways that the Word of God works like a physician?

-      Diagnostic

-      Surgery

-      Implantation

Ñ          The Greek word translated “laid open” in v.13 is tetracheelismena, which means to bend back the neck (the word “trachea” has the same root) and expose it for peril or surgery. [12]

Ñ          God offered rest (Sabbath) as far back as Creation. But people didn’t enter it.  Now we learn that it’s still available.  But we could miss it, too.

ÿ          Although Jesus is better than Moses, we are not better than the people who followed Moses. Most of them missed God’s rest, and so could we.

ÿ          We can participate in God’s rest if we trust Him and do not harden our hearts.

Heb 4:14-16

Confident in Approaching the Throne

s         What are some characteristics of Jesus that show He is capable of working with us – even though we may be disobedient?

s         What is there about Jesus that encourages you to place your confidence in Him?

©         Why do you trust Jesus to be your High Priest?

s         How has He passed through the heavens?

s         How was He tempted?

Ñ          The concept of God being approachable was new to both the Jews and the Gentiles. The Jews considered God too holy to share our human existence, and the Greek philosophers had described deity as aloof from human concerns. [13]

s         How do mercy and grace contribute to God’s rest?

©         In what ways have mercy and grace been shown to you?

©         Do you confidently approach God’s throne?

Heb 5:1-6

Called By God

s         Describe the characteristics of a high priest (v.1-4).

-      Appointed

-      Offers gifts and sacrifices for sin

-      Deal justly with weak people (realizing his weaknesses)

-      Called by God

s         How did Jesus offer “gifts and sacrifices” for sin?

s         How should one “deal gently” with people in their weaknesses?

s         The word that is translated “deal gently” is metriopathein.  W. M. Macgregor defined it as "the mid-course between explosions of anger and lazy indulgence."  Plutarch spoke of it as that sympathetic feeling which enabled a man to raise up and to save, to spare and to hear.  It means the ability to bear with people without getting irritated; it means the ability not to lose one's temper with people when they are foolish and will not learn and do the same thing over and over again.  It describes the attitude to others which does not issue in anger at their fault and which does not condone it, but which to the end of the day spends itself in a gentle yet powerful sympathy which by its very patience directs a man back to the right way. [14]

s         If a high priest is called by God, why is he still encumbered with weaknesses?
How does this weakness affect the attitude of the high priest toward the rest of the people?
How did Jesus share this characteristic?

s         What does it mean to be called by God (v.4)?  (compare 3:1)

-      Compare 1 Peter 2:9 – Who is called: few or many?

How is a high priest’s calling distinct?
How was Jesus called?

©         For what purpose has God called you?

s         Who was Melchizedek?  (Gen.14:18-20; Ps.110:4)
Why does he take precedence over Aaron?

-      He was high priest before Aaron was called

©         What are your “Melchizedeks”?
I.e., What are the roles that Jesus wants to have in your life (like “high priest”) that conflict with your own expectations of Jesus?

Heb 5:7-10

Jesus’ Qualifications

s         What are some of Jesus’ qualifications for high priest?

-      Prayed earnestly

-      Learned obedience through suffering

-      Reached His goal (“perfect”)

-      Provided salvation

-      Called by God

s         What are some examples of Jesus offering up prayers this fervently (v.7)?
How did God answer His prayers?

s         What does it mean that Jesus “learned obedience” (v.8)?

-      Perhaps it means that He matured

Since He wasn’t disobedient, what did He learn?  Was it necessary?

s         When was Jesus “made perfect” (v.9)?
In what since was He not “perfect” earlier?

s         Why is Jesus’ “perfection” important for Him to offer eternal salvation?
To whom is this salvation available?

s         What do you think the Jews at that time would consider as obedience?
Did Jesus change the meaning of obedience for them?

©         Do we follow Jesus’ example of compassion, obedience, and prayer?

©         Have you learned the lessons of obedience that Jesus learned?

ÿ          Jesus meets the qualifications for high priest:

Ø       Called (appointed) by God

Ø       Interceded for people & learned how to live obediently in the midst of weakness

Ø       Offered sacrifice for sins

Ø       Jesus meets the qualifications for high priest:

ÿ          Jesus is better than His predecessor, Melchizedek.

Heb 5:11-14

Grow Up

s         Why is the author having trouble proceeding with his description of Jesus as High Priest?

s         What was the spiritual state of those who first received this book?

©         What are some areas in which you are slow to understand?

s         What are the marks of spiritual maturity mentioned here?

-      Ability to teach

-      Acquainted with the Word

-      Able to discern good and evil

©         What marks of spiritual maturity do you see in your own life?

©         What are some “elementary principles” that you/we need to let go of in order to move ahead?

s         What do you suppose is meant by “solid food”? (compare 1 Cor.3:2)
Why is “solid food” only for mature Christians?
What is the danger for infant Christians?

s         How does one “train” to discern good and evil?
Aren’t our consciences enough of a guide?
Is this a matter of learning the distinction or unlearning what the world teaches?

Heb 6:1-8

Stick With It

Ñ          There are 6 elementary teachings in v.1-2 which “constitute a common ground between Judaism and Christianity … The essence of the author’s argument is that the one difference between the two faiths – Jesus Christ – is crucial.” [15]

s         List the “elementary teachings” in v.1-2.
Do we underemphasize or overemphasize these teachings?

s         In v.1 we’re told to press on to maturity; then in v.3 the author says we will “if God permits.”  What might be a reason that God would throttle our growth?
Does God limit growth?

-      Perhaps He enables growth at just the right time.

s         What does it mean to “fall away” (v.4-6)?
What hope is there for someone in that state?
If such a person ceases their rejection of Jesus and accepts His one-time sacrifice, can the person be restored?
Why is this difficult?

s         How does one who falls away put Jesus to open shame?

s         Describe some of the enjoyments that a believer “tastes” (v.4-5).

©         Describe the “taste” of the heavenly gift and the Word of God.

s         What is the “heavenly gift”?

s         How are maturing Christians like the land (v.7)?
How are those who fall away like the land (v.8)?

©         Are you drinking in God or just being prickly (v.7-8)?

Heb 6:9-12

A Good Start

s         Why do you suppose the author changes his tone in v.9?
What does he expect of the reader?

s         What are some things that “accompany salvation” (v.9)?

s         What are the works for which the author compliments these people?

s         Why does helping God’s people show love to God (v.10)?

©         What does our behavior toward others reveal about our love for God (v.10)?

s         What is the sluggishness (or laziness) that is warned against in v.12?
How does it relate to the attitude in 5:11-14?

s         How can we put v.12 into practice and become “imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises”?

©         How can you show faith and patience in your current circumstances?

Heb 6:13-20

s         How is Abraham an example of faith and patience?
What did Abraham learn about patient faith?

s         Why did God swear an oath with His promise to bless Abraham?
Why did He need to swear an oath if He cannot lie?

-      Perhaps as a second “witness” to the promise.

s         What is the significance of an oath?

©         Are you trustworthy with your promises?

s         How do you reconcile this oath with Jesus’ statement in Matt.5:33-37?

s         What are the “two unchangeable things” that give assurance about God’s promise (v.18)?

s         What is the promise (or promises) for which we are heirs (v.17)?
(compare 6:12)

-      Maturity

-      High Priest

-      Blessings

s         What hope do these promises give to Christians?

s         From what were the Jewish Christians fleeing (v.18)?
To what were they fleeing?

s         Why would this hope have been an encouragement for believers who were being persecuted?

Ñ          The importance of our hope is described with two illustrations:

-      Anchor

-      Holy of Holies

These illustrations share some common aspects:

-      Both are invisible when operating properly

-      We must be connected in order to benefit (one by rope/chain, the other by the High Priest)

s         What is it that makes our hope securely anchored (v.19-20)?

s         What does our anchor protect us from?

©         How tight is the rope to your anchor?  Is it like one of those extensible dog leashes or like a rock climber’s safety rope?

s         What does Jesus do in the holy place (behind the veil)?

Ñ          [In v.20] the writer to the Hebrews uses a most illuminating word about Jesus. He says that he entered the presence of God as our forerunner.  The word is "prodromos."  It has three stages of meaning: (i) It means one who rushes on.  (ii) It means a pioneer.  (iii) It means a scout who goes ahead to see that it is safe for the body of the troops to follow.  Jesus went into the presence of God to make it safe for all men to follow.

Let us put it very simply in another way. Before Jesus came, God was the distant stranger whom only a very few might approach and that at peril of their lives. But because of what Jesus was and did, God has become the friend of every man. Once men thought of him as barring the door; now they think of the door to his presence as thrown wide open to all. [16]

ÿ          Press on to maturity so that you can discern the truths about Jesus.

ÿ          God desires and expects the best from you.

ÿ          In return, God promises you ultimate security.

Heb 7:1-3

The Greatness of Melchizedek

s         How is Melchizedek’s greatness (significance) described?

-      King of Salem

-      Priest of God

-      Abraham gave a tenth to him

-      He blessed Abraham

-      No beginning or end – What does this mean?

Ñ          The name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness.” Since he was the king of Salem (which means “peace”), he would also carry the title, “king of peace.” [17]

s         How is Jesus similar to Melchizedek in this description?

Ñ          Some of the terms in v.3 had negative connotations in the culture at that time (as they also do now). [18]  But the author actually elevates Melchizedek by pointing out his lack of parentage.

Heb 7:4-10

s         Why is it significant that Melchizedek was not a descendent of Levi?

s         If the author considers the Levitical priests as “men who die” (v.8, NIV), then it must be Melchizedek whom he says is “declared to be living.”
What does this tell you about Melchizedek?  About Jesus?

Heb 7:11-25

Change of Covenant

s         Can you think of ways in which the Law was based on the Levitical priesthood (and not vice versa)?
What would then be the place of the Law if a genuine non-Levitical priest were to appear?

s         What was the basis of Melchizedek’s priesthood (v.16)?

s         What is the “regulation” or “commandment” (v.18) that was “set aside”?

Ñ          The word used for “canceled” or “set aside” is athetesis; that is the word used for annulling a treaty, for abrogating a promise, for scoring a man's name off the register, for rendering a law or regulation inoperative. [19]

s         If the Law could make nothing perfect, why was it instituted?
What was needed in addition to the Law?

s         Why did God add an oath to the promise of a new priest (v.20-22)?
Notice that the expectation of a new kind of priest is essentially proof that a new covenant must be given as well.

s         What is the “guarantee” that comes with our new covenant with God (v.22)?

s         How is our salvation dependent on the permanence of our priest (v.23‑25)?

Heb 7:26-28

s         What are some of Jesus’ qualifications that are better than other priests?

-      Holy

-      Blameless

-      Pure

-      Set apart from sinners

-      Exalted above the heavens

-      Sacrificed once for all

-      Perfect forever

ÿ          Our new priest brought a new (and better) priesthood.

Heb 8:1-6

Jesus is the Real Thing, not a Copy

s         What is the author’s “main point” (v.1)?

s         How does Jesus serve as our high priest?

s         Every high priest offers both gifts and sacrifices (compare 5:1).  What does Jesus offer?

Ñ          In Acts 7:44 and Exodus 25:40, we find that Moses was told to follow a pattern (same word as used in v.5).  The tabernacle and the temple sanctuary were designed to be similar to what is in heaven (v.2).
We are told in Hebrews 8:4-5 that the priestly functions were shadows of what was to come.  That means that the structure of the buildings and the duties of the priests were intended to tell us something about the nature of heaven.

Heb 8:7-13

Jesus Offers a Better Covenant

Ñ          In the Bible the Greek word that is always used for a covenant is "diatheke" and there was a special reason for the choice of this rather unusual word. … For all normal uses the Greek word for an agreement is "suntheke" which is the word for a marriage covenant or bond and for an agreement between two states. Further, in all normal Greek "diatheke" means not an agreement, but a will. Why should the New Testament use this word for a covenant?  The reason is this – "suntheke" always describes an agreement entered into on equal terms. The parties to a "suntheke" are on the one level and each can bargain with the other.  But God and man do not meet on equal terms.  In the biblical sense of a covenant, the whole approach comes from God. Man cannot bargain with God; he cannot argue about the terms of the covenant; he can only accept or reject the offer that God makes.

The supreme example of such an agreement is a will.  The conditions of a will are not made on equal terms.  They are made entirely by one person, the testator, and the other party cannot alter them but can only accept or refuse the inheritance offered.

That is why our relationship to God is described as a "diatheke," a covenant for the terms of which only one person is responsible.  That relationship is offered us solely on the initiative and the grace of God. As Philo said: "It is fitting for God to give and for a wise man to receive."  When we use the word covenant, we must always remember that it does not mean that man made a bargain with God on equal terms.  It always means that the whole initiative is with God; the terms are his and man cannot alter them in the slightest. [20]

s         What was wrong with the Old Covenant?
Was the problem with God’s part or with the people’s part?

s         What makes the New Covenant new?
Jeremiah knew about it over six hundred years earlier (Jer.31:31-34).

s         What are God’s commitments in the New Covenant?
What are His expectations for His people?

s         How is it better to write laws on peoples’ hearts instead of stone tablets (v.10)?

-      Using computer jargon, our hearts (unlike stone tablets) are not “read-only.”

©         What are some ways that we sometimes emphasize rules that are “cast in stone” rather than encourage people to allow God to “write” upon their hearts?

s         What kind of teaching is it that consists of telling others to “know the Lord” (v.11)?
Do we have this kind of teaching today?  Should we?

s         What are some ways in which the Old Covenant is no longer in effect (v.13)?  What are some ways in which it still influences us?

Ñ          Using the language from 8:5, all of the obsolete aspects of the Law are “shadows,” no longer necessary because the reality is present.

ÿ          We know from chapter 7 that if the priesthood changes, then the law (covenant) must also change, because the law is based on the priesthood (7:12).

ÿ          Our new priest brought a new (and better) covenant.

Heb 9:1-10

Holiness Requires Regulations

s         What were some of the old covenant regulations for worship?
Does the new covenant have regulations for worship?
Are there any regulations that we have added?

s         Why was the sanctuary arranged as described in v.1-10?
Who was allowed to enter?

s         Why was it so restrictive?

s         What benefit did people receive from the sacrifices and gifts?

-      Atonement

s         What could these sacrifices and gifts not achieve?

-      Clear conscience

s         What do you think such an arrangement might teach people?

-      That they needed strength

Heb 9:11-22

Better Sacrifice – More Complete Reconciliation

s         In what way did Jesus, our High Priest, enter the Holy Place?

s         How is Jesus’ sacrifice better than the old covenant sacrifices?

s         Who are those who are called?
What is their promised eternal inheritance?
What has allowed them to be freed from sin?

s         What does it mean to be free from sin?

Ñ          Notice in v.15 that the people in view are those who accept the new covenant.  Although Jesus’ sacrifice put an end to the old covenant, the focus of salvation here is for those who accept the new covenant.  We shouldn’t use this passage to suggest that all of the old covenant believers were saved by Jesus’ sacrifice.

s         Why is blood important to a covenant (v.16-22)?  Recall the meaning of this word as discussed in Heb.8:7-13.  The Greek word is often translated as “will.”

s         Why is blood important for forgiveness (v.22)?

Heb 9:23-28

Offered Once For All

s         Why did the priests have to offer sacrifices over and over, and the high priest enter the Holy Place year after year?
Why is the yearly sacrifice no longer necessary?

Ñ          “Let us remember again the letter's basic thought that the worship of this world is a pale copy of the real worship.  The writer to the Hebrews says that in this world the Levitical sacrifices were designed to purify the means of worship.  For instance, the sacrifices of the Day of Atonement purified the tabernacle and the altar and the Holy Place.  Now he goes on to say that the work of Christ purifies not only earth but heaven.” [21]

s         When is the judgment?

-      After we die

-      When Christ returns

s         What will Christ do when He returns?
Do you think He will offer a second chance for those who rejected His sacrifice the first time?

s         If we have already been saved by Jesus’ first coming, what is the “salvation” He will bring to us at His second coming?

ÿ          If the covenant changes, then the sacrifices must also change

ÿ          Jesus offered a better sacrifice, which does not have to be repeated

ÿ          His sacrifice provides our only access to God

Heb 10:1-7

Sacrifice Is Necessary But Insufficient

Ñ          Recall that Old Covenant things were referred to in 8:5 as a shadow of the reality in heaven.  The contrast here between skia (shadow, shade caused by interruption of light as by trees) and eikoon (image or picture) is striking. Christ is the eikoon of God (2 Cor 4:4; Col 1:15). [22]

s         Why were the people of the Old Covenant given a “shadow” instead of the “reality”?

Ñ          Notice that what the author means by saying that sacrifices couldn’t take away sins is that they couldn’t accomplish it permanently.  The “annual reminder” forced the people  to rely upon God alone for atonement.  The problem is not that they weren’t cleansed (God did not establish an ineffective system), but that they had to continually be re-cleansed.

Ñ          V.7-8 are a quote from Psalms 40:6-9. Notice that the psalm translates the first part differently, since it is quoted from the Septuagint rather than the original Hebrew.  However, the meaning of the two phrases is the same.  "Thou hast given me an open ear," means, "You have so touched me that everything I hear I obey."  It is the obedient ear of which the psalmist is thinking.  "A body you have prepared for me," really means, "You created me that in my body and with my body I should do your will."  In essence the meaning is the same. [23]

s         Why was God unhappy with sacrifices and offerings, when He was the One who commanded them?

Ñ          Long before this book was written, the prophets had tried to make it clear that obedience is the only true sacrifice.  Sacrifices were meant to be an expression of love, not a way of buying forgiveness.  Examples can be found in 1 Samuel 15:22;  Psalms 50:14;  Psalms 51:16-17;  Hosea 6:6;  Isaiah 1:11-20.  Jesus provided the perfect sacrifice because He was perfectly obedient.

Heb 10:8-18

The Essence of the New Covenant

s         How was Jesus’ attitude toward the sacrifice different from the priests?

Ñ          The sacrifices of the priests were not pleasing because they performed sacrifices as their duty. On the other hand, Jesus wanted to do God’s will. This is the essence of the New Covenant: a desire to do God’s will  (i.e., written on our minds and hearts).  The reason that chapters 9-10 talk about sacrifices is not just to explain why His was better, but to also explain that Jesus wanted to sacrifice. And that desire is closely tied to faith.

s         Is the author saying in v.11 that the Old Covenant sacrifices had no benefit for the people?

-      No, the sacrifices had to be repeated in order to be beneficial

s         What is the significance of Christ sitting down at the right hand of God (compare 1:3)?
What is the significance of His enemies becoming his “footstool”?

©         What does it mean that Christ makes you perfect?
How are we made “holy”?

s         Is God more forgiving than He used to be?
Has the scope of His forgiveness changed?

Heb 10:19-31

You Should Also Desire God’s Will

s         Why would we want to enter the “Most Holy Place”?

-      That’s where God is

s         What are some ways in which we should prepare for approaching God in the “Most Holy Place” (v.19-24)?

-      Accept our “Great Priest” as the One who opened the way

-      Sincere heart

-      Full assurance of faith (i.e., trust, confidence)

-      Hearts sprinkled clean (i.e., clear conscience)

-      Washed with water (i.e., pure)

-      Certain about our hope

-      Notice the trust required

s         How does this assurance that we can approach God encourage you to want to assemble with other believers?

s         What is “the Day” that is approaching?
How does this future event encourage you even more to assemble with believers?

s         What kinds of sins are being discussed in v.26-31?
Why is there no mercy or hope?
How can the God of v.17-18 be the same as the God of v.31?

Ñ          In v.29 there are three definitions of the sin that brings judgment. [24]

(i)            Sin is to trample Christ under foot.  It is not mere rebelliousness against law; it is the wounding of love.  Once Christ had come, the awfulness of sin lay not in its breaking of the law but in its trampling of the love of Christ under foot.

(ii)          Sin is the failure to see the sacredness of sacred things.  Sin is the failure to realize the sacredness of that sacrifice upon the Cross.

(iii)         Sin is the insult to the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit speaks within us, telling us what is right and wrong, seeking to check us when we are on the way to sin and to spur us on when we are drifting into lethargy. To disregard these voices is to insult the Spirit and to grieve the heart of God.

Heb 10:32-39

Live By Faith

s         Describe what the first readers of this book had been through.
What danger do you think they now faced?

s         What is the author’s advice at the end of this chapter?

s         What does it mean to “live by faith”?
What does it mean to “shrink back”?

-      “Shrinking back” is like an army in retreat, even casting aside their weapons as they run (10:35)

s         How is the attitude of one who “lives by faith” similar to Jesus’ attitude in v.7 (“I have come to do your will”)?

ÿ          Sacrifice is worthless without a desire to do God’s will

ÿ          The new covenant is written on our hearts and minds (i.e., our desires as well as our conscious actions), and we confidently enter the Holy Place.

ÿ          Therefore the righteous live by faith rather than an “institution.”

Heb 11:1-12

s         What is faith (i.e., what does v.1 really mean)?

s         At those times when you have this kind of certainty, what do you find yourself doing as a result?

s         How does faith help us understand the world (v.3)?

s         How did faith lead Abel to offer a better sacrifice (v.4)?
From our discussion in chapter 10, what would this “better” sacrifice probably have been?
How does Abel still speak?

s         How did faith lead Enoch to not experience death (v.5)?

Ñ          The writer to the Hebrews reads into the simple statement of the Old Testament passage the idea that Enoch did not die at all but that in some mystic way God took him to himself.  But surely the meaning is much simpler.  In a wicked and corrupt generation Enoch walked with God and so when the end came to him, there was no shock or interruption.  Death merely took him into God's nearer presence.  Because he walked with God when other men were walking away from him, he daily came nearer to him and death was no more than the last step that took him into the very presence of that God with whom he had always walked. [25]

s         Why is faith important?
Why is it not enough to believe that God exists?

s         How did Noah exhibit faith (v.7)?

s         How did Abraham exhibit faith (v.8-12)?

Heb 11:13-16

s         What did these faithful people have in common?

s         Where was their home?

Heb 11:17-31

s         How did the patriarchs express their faith (v.17-22)?

s         What rewards did these people receive?  So why were they faithful?

Ñ          The point which the writer to the Hebrews wishes to make is that all of these men died without having received the promise that God had made, the promise of the Promised Land and of greatness to the nation of Israel. Isaac was still a nomad, Jacob was an exile in Egypt.  Joseph had attained to greatness but it was the greatness of a stranger in a strange land; and yet they never doubted that the promise would come true.  They died not in despair but in hope.  Their faith defeated death. [26]

s         How do you suppose that the Messiah contributed to Moses’ choices (v.23-28)?

Ñ          It is told that before a great battle Napoleon would stand in his tent alone; he would send for his commanders to come to him, one by one; when they came in, he would say no word but would look them in the eye and shake them by the hand; and they would go out prepared to die for the general whom they loved.  That is like Moses and God. Moses had the faith he had because he knew God in the way he did.  When we come to it straight from God's presence, no task can ever defeat us.  Our failure and our fear are so often due to the fact that we try to do things alone.  The secret of victorious living is to face God before we face men. [27]

s         The only instances in this list of the faith of the Israelite people are in v.29-30.  How were they faithful?

s         What do you think about a heathen sinner being included in this list (11:31)?

Heb 11:32-40

s         Why did these people do what they did?

Ñ          The whole list is of people who faced incredible odds for God. It is of people who never believed that God was on the side of the big battalions and were willing to take tremendous and even terrifying risks for him.  It is of people who cheerfully and courageously and confidently accepted God-given tasks which, on human terms, were impossible.  They were all people who were never afraid to stand alone and to face immense odds for the sake of their loyalty to God. The honor roll of history is of people who chose to be in God's minority rather than with earth's majority. [28]

Ñ          In this passage [v.35-40] the writer to the Hebrews is intermingling different periods of history.  Sometimes he takes his illustrations from the Old Testament period; but still more he takes them from the Maccabaean period which falls between the Old and the New Testaments. [29]

ÿ          Faithful people are faithful because they want to be.

Heb 12:1-3

Get into the Race

s         Does the list of people in chapter 11 encourage you to be more faithful?

©         Do you know anyone that you would add to this “cloud of witnesses”?
How does their faith keep you on track?

s         According to these verses, what does the Christian life consist of? [30]

-      A goal.  The Christian is a pilgrim whose goal is the likeness of Christ.

-      An inspiration.  The many who are already victorious encourage us, too.

-      A handicap.  “If we would travel far, we must travel light.”

-      A means.  Hupomone refers to patience that overcomes, not just acquiesces.

-      An example.  Jesus accepted the cross despite the shame.

-      A presence.  Jesus is our companion as well as our goal.

s         How does it help you to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus?

s         What makes Jesus the “pioneer” (or “originator”) of our faith?
What makes Jesus the “perfecter” of our faith?

Heb 12:4-17

Prepare for the Race

s         How severe had the struggles of these people been?

Ñ          For them the struggle of Christianity has not yet become a mortal struggle.  When he speaks of resisting to the point of blood (v.4), he uses the very phrase of the Maccabaean leaders when they called on their troops to fight to the death.  When they think of what the heroes of the past went through to make their faith possible, surely they cannot drift into lethargy or flinch from conflict. [31]

s         How can we tell whether our hardships are discipline or just misfortune?

s         Why does God discipline us?
When does He discipline us?

Ñ          Jerome said a paradoxical but true thing: "The greatest anger of all is when God is no longer angry with us when we sin."  He meant that the supreme punishment is when God lets us alone as unteachable. [32]

s         What should the readers of this book do to strengthen themselves and help others?  Compare v.1-2.

s         What are some of the temptations to “sell out” (i.e., give up on the faith) that the author warns against (12:15-16)? [33]

-      There is the danger of missing the grace of God. The word he uses might be paraphrased failing to keep up with the grace of God. The early Greek commentator Theophylact interprets this in terms of a journey of a band of travelers who every now and again check up, "Has anyone fallen out?  Has anyone been left behind while the others have pressed on?"  In Micah there is a vivid text (Mic.4:6), "I will assemble the lame."  Moffatt translates it: "I will collect the stragglers." It is easy to straggle away, to linger behind, to drift instead of to march, and so to miss the grace of God.

-      There is the danger of what the Revised Standard Version calls "a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit."  The phrase comes from Deut.29:18; and there it describes the man who goes after strange gods and encourages others to do so, and who thereby becomes a pernicious influence on the life of the community.  This is a warning against the infection of the world, sometimes deliberately, sometimes unconsciously, spread within the Christian society.

-      There is the danger of falling into immorality or relapsing into an unhallowed life.  The word used for unhallowed is "bebelos."  It has an illuminating background.  It was used for ground that was profane in contradistinction to ground that was consecrated.  The ancient world had its religions into which only the initiated could come.  "Bebelos" was used for the person who was uninitiated and uninterested in contradistinction to the man who was devout.  Westcott sums up this word by saying that it describes the man whose mind recognizes nothing higher than earth, for whom there is nothing sacred, who has no reverence for the unseen.  An unhallowed life is a life without any awareness of or interest in God. In its thoughts, aims, pleasures, it is completely earthbound.

s         How was Esau an example of such behavior?  See Gen.25:28-34; Gen.27:1‑39.

s         How does fixing our eyes on Jesus (v.2) help us avoid these traps?

Heb 12:18-24

This is the Real Thing

s         What mountain is referred to in v.18-21?
What is its significance for the readers of this book?

-      It was where the Law was given

s         What mountain is referred to in v.22-24?
What is its significance or meaning?

-      Heaven?

-      Church?

s         What are some phrases used to describe the church in v.22-24)?
Why do you think the author used these terms?

-      Mount Zion

-      Heavenly Jerusalem

-      City of the living God

-      Assembled angels

-      Church of the firtborn

-      Names written in heaven

-      God the judge

-      Spirits of righteous men made perfect

-      Jesus the mediator

-      Sprinkled blood

s         What did the blood of Abel “speak”?

-      Revenge, justice

s         What does the blood of Jesus “speak”?

-      Forgiveness, mercy

Heb 12:25-29

Don’t Ignore the Warning

s         Who is the one speaking that we should not refuse?

s         God’s voice shook the earth at Sinai. What will be shaken the next time?

s         The author quotes Haggai 2:6 regarding the next shaking of heaven and earth.  Is he applying it to a particular event?

s         What will remain after God shakes up the universe?
What kind of effect should that have on us?

Ñ          The writer to the Hebrews finishes with one of those threatening quotations which he so often flings like a thunderbolt at his readers.  It is a quotation from Deut.4:24.  Moses is telling the people that they must never break their agreement with God and relapse into idolatry.  For he is a jealous God. They must worship him alone or they will find him a consuming fire.  It is as if the writer to the Hebrews was saying: "There is a choice before you.  Remain steadfastly true to God, and in the day when the universe is shaken into destruction your relationship with him will stand safe and secure.  Be false to him and that very God who might have been your salvation will be to you a consuming fire of destruction."  It is a grim thought; but in it there is the eternal truth that, if a man is true to God, he gains everything and, if he is untrue to God, he loses everything.  In time and in eternity nothing really matters save loyalty to God. [34]

ÿ          It’s time to get in shape.

ÿ          The warning we’ve received from God is serious.

Heb 13:1-8

Consider Your Relationships

s         Here the author identifies some essential qualities of the Christian life. What are they?

-      Brotherly love

-      Hospitality

-      Sympathy for those in trouble

-      Purity (especially in marriages)

-      Contentment (rather than love of money)

-      Imitate your leaders (v.7)

s         What does it mean to love each other as brothers?

©         Do you entertain strangers?
What does this mean for us?

Ñ          Notice that the author asks the readers to remember those who are suffering as if they too were suffering.

s         How would you paraphrase the instruction on marriage (v.4)?

s         How can we avoid loving money (v.5)?

©         What do our credit card balances tell us about our level of contentment?
Why is it better to trust God than to trust credit companies?

s         Why does the author refer to Ps.118:6 in this context (13:6)?

Consider Whom You Imitate

s         Who are the people that you imitate?
Are they people who have built results upon a solid faith or people whose faith has been a “roller coaster”?

Ñ          The Lord does not change (13:8).  He is more interested in creating character than in creating drama, but sometimes we prefer drama.

Heb 13:9-19

Consider Your Sacrifices

s         What do you think the author means by “strange teachings” (13:9)?

Ñ          The emphasis on food and eating must have been a problem among the first readers of this letter.  Many Jews believed they could serve and please God by eating and by not eating certain foods.  But the author points out that offerings for sin were not eaten in the tabernacle, and therefore the food itself was not what benefited anyone.  Furthermore, the “altar” at which we serve is greater than the altar at which the Jewish priests served.

s         What is our “altar” (v.10)?
How is our “altar” better than the one in the tabernacle?

s         Where is our “most Holy Place”?
Is it there that we meet with Jesus or at the place where He suffered?

s         What is the “city to come” that we long for?

s         What are the sacrifices that please God (v.15-16)?

-      Praise

-      Confessing His name

-      Doing good and sharing with others

s         Who are the “leaders” in view here?
Does it matter?
Why should we obey them?

s         What can you imagine that the author is saying here about his own situation?

Heb 13:20-25

Salutation

s         What themes from this book are summarized in this brief prayer (v.20‑21)?

s         Do you think that this entire book was intended as a letter – or only a portion of it?

s         Do v.23-24 sound like they were written by anyone in particular?
What do you think were Timothy’s circumstances?
Where was the letter probably written from?

ÿ          Your most important sacrifices are offered in how you live each day.

ÿ          Your life of faith exalts Jesus Christ.

1

Heb 1

Jesus is greater than the angels

2

Heb 2

But … He’s not beyond our reach, because He’s our Brother

3

Heb 3

Jesus is greater than Moses

4

Heb 4:1-13

But … we could miss God’s rest like the people who followed Moses

5

Heb 4:14-5:10

Jesus is our High Priest, better than Melchizedek

6

Heb 5:11-6:28

But … we have a responsibility to mature

7

Heb 7

Jesus established a better priesthood

8

Heb 8

Jesus established a better covenant

9

Heb 9

Jesus even offered a better sacrifice

10

Heb 10

But … the righteous still live by faith

11

Heb 11

Examples of Living By Faith

12

Heb 12

But … you need to get in shape to run this race

13

Heb 13

Our sacrifices are important