531. Hebrews11:4-40. The Examples of the Faith Of The Heroes of Faith

Posted on February 23, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

Hebrews chapter 11 opened with a definition of faith in verses 1 to 3,  “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2  For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3  By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” Hebrews 4:1-3. [NOTE 1]

The remainder of the chapter gives examples of those who exercised faith in God in the midst of challenging circumstances. 

This is shown in the different eras of Israelite’s history.

  • A].        11:4-7. Early History To The Great Flood
  • B].        11:8-31. History From Abraham To Entry Into The Promised Land.
  • C].        11:32-40. Other Historical Examples Of Faith. 

A].    11:4-7. Early History To The Great Flood

Heb 11:4  “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.” We are not told why Abel’s sacrifice was more acceptable to God than Cain’s, except that it was offered in faith. His example of faith continued to encourage people even after his death.

Heb 11:5  “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. 1:6  And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”  The first “taken” is from [metatithēmi; μετατίθημι meaning to transport, transfer, to translate out of the world. The second is from the noun [metathesis; μετάθεσις] and reinforces the concept that Enoch was removed from the world because of his faith. There follows a general truth, namely that anyone who wants to please God, like Enoch, must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. 

Heb 11:7 “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this, he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”

Noah acted in faith by obeying the voice of the Lord to prepare for a giant flood and was considered righteous for doing so.  

B].     11:8-31. History From Abraham To Entry Into The Promised Land

Heb 11:8 “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9  By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10  For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” Faith means acting on what God reveals. This is what Abraham did as he acted in faith setting out to go to a promised land while not knowing what direction he would be travelling.

Heb 11:11 “By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. 12  Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.” Sarah allowed herself to participate in the plan of God knowing it was humanly an impossible task. But in faith, she looked beyond the impossible in trusting that God was faithful to His promises.

A summary of those who had faith

Heb 11:13  “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14  For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15  If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16  But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” Faith is believing in promises that are unseen by natural sight. All the above heroes of faith trusted in God’s promises seeing and greeting them “from afar.”

Examples Of Faith From Abraham To The Entry Into The Promised Land. 11:17-31

Heb 11:17 “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18  of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 19  He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.”

God’s testing of Abraham in commanding him to offer up his son Isaac as a sacrifice, may seem out of the character of God. However, God knew that Abraham would act in faith and Isaac would not be sacrificed. Abraham in faith believed that if Isaac was sacrificed then God could bring him back from the dead.

Heb 11:20  “By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau.“

Isaac had known God’s blessing on his life and in faith believed that his sons would also receive God’s blessing. He preferred Esau to Jacob and tried to bless Esau first even though he was not the firstborn. His will was contrary to the will of God. However, when he discovered that he had blessed Jacob instead of Esau, he realised that God’s will must be done and in faith accepted God’s plan in making Isaac His first choice in His purposes. 

Heb 11:21  “By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.” 

When Jacob blessed Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph, he crossed his hands so that the older son’s blessing fell on Ephraim, the younger. In spite of Joseph’s protests, Jacob insisted that the blessings must stand because this was the order that the Lord had specified. He acted in accord with the revealed will of God and this was seen as an act of faith.

Heb 11:22 “By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.”

When Joseph knew that the end of his life was near, he predicted the exodus of Jacob’s descendants from Egypt. And he expressed his faith in telling these descendants to carry his bones from Egypt to the promised land of Canaan. 

Heb 11:23 “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.”

Here it is the faith of Moses’ parents that is being discussed. Somehow they recognised that this child was special and needed to be protected from Pharoah’s edict that children his age had to be killed. They took the risk of hiding Moses because of their faith in God’s purposes. 

Heb 11:24  By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25  choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26  He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. 27  By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. 28  By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. 

Moses’ faith was seen in his forsaking all the wealth and privilege of belonging to the court of Pharoah to take a stand for his own people. In faith, he led the people of Israel out of bondage in Egypt knowing that Pharoah would be angry and would try to prevent them from leaving. He observed the Passover and encouraged all the Israelites to do the same, and as a result, the destroying angel passed over the homes of the Israelite people. 

Heb 11:29 “By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.” The Israelite people followed Moses’ command and in faith began to enter into the Red Sea only to find that the sea opened up for them, but the pursuing Egyptian army was destroyed as the sea closed over them. 

Heb 11:30  “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.” 

The people believed that if God’s command was obeyed, then the wall would fall.

Heb 11:31  By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.” 

Rahab hid the spies because she had begun to have faith in the God of Israel. She told them, “And as soon as we heard it [the stories of the Exodus and the victories God had given the Israelites], our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.” Joshua 2:11. Rahab recognised that God was at work in blessing His people and trusted in Him.

C].     11:32-40. Other Historical Examples Of Faith

The writer concluded the chapter by joining together the many acts of faith that the people of God had performed over many centuries. Heb 11:32 “And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—

  • Heb 11:33  who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
  • Heb 11:34  quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
  • Heb 11:35  Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.
  • Heb 11:36  Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
  • Heb 11:37  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—
  • Heb 11:38  of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. The judgment of the writer on all these heroes of faith is given in the simple phrase, “of whom the world was not worthy.” 11:38. The unbelieving world did not deserve to have such heroes living among them and considered them as being of no worth, but by their faith they were worthy in the sight of God.

Something Better For The Current People Of God. 11:39-40.

There is a surprising ending to the chapter as the writer reveals a wonderful truth, “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40  since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” 11:39-40. The believers in  the Old Testament period knew God’s blessings but there was more to come which would be introduced through Jesus. God’s promises are eternal but are fulfilled according to His timetable, not ours. The fulfilment would come in Jesus as St Paul wrote in  2 Corinthians 1:20 “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.”   

The entry of Israel into the promised land could have been seen as the fulfilment of all God’s promises to His people. But there was something ”better” for the people of God in all ages to experience. As the writer expressed in Heb 4:3 “For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’” although his works were finished from the foundation of the world.” All believers may enter into God’s rest which means into a personal relationship with Christ. He encourages everyone to come to Him to enjoy the rest that only He can offer, “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.

[NOTE 1]. The definition of “faith” is outlined in the previous blog No. 530.

Blog No.531 posted on Friday 23 February 2024

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Healing, HEBREWS. A study of the Epistle, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, Temptations, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

530. HEBREWS 11:1-3. WHAT IS FAITH?  

Posted on February 21, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

The writer finished chapter 10 with these words, “But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.” Hebrews 10:39. This is followed in chapter 11 with a definition of faith and how it was exemplified by people throughout the history of Israel. But first, we look at the definition in verses 1 to 3 in bold print, with the Greek words and their meaning. 

11:1. Verse 1 begins with the words, “Now faith is the assurance [ὑπόστασις; hypostasis = confidence, confident, person, substance] of things hoped for, the conviction [ ἔλεγχος; elegchos] proof, conviction, evidence, reproof] of things not seen [βλέπω; blepō; to look at, behold, perceive, regard, see, sight, take heed.] 

The word for “assurance” [ὑπόστασις hypostasis] had been used 2 times before its use in chapter 11. It means a setting under or the foundation of something.

  • Heb. 1:3 – Nature. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.” The word can mean the steadfastness of mind, firmness, courage, resolution, confidence, firm trust, assurance, substance. Jesus was of the same substance as God and the exact imprint of His substance or nature.
  • Heb 3:13-14 – Confidence. The readers are encouraged to exhort each other to avoid the danger of hard-heartedness, “ But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14  For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.”

God is faithful and His promises are true. Therefore the believer can be assured of His promises being fulfilled in their lives both in the present and in the future. The NEB version puts it, “Faith brings substance to our hopes” where substance is this word [ὑπόστασις hypostasis.] Faith brings hope into being. 

“Hope” as we use the word today has a degree of uncertainty about it, for example, “I hope it is fine today.” However, in the New Testament hope is certain and will surely come to pass. 

“Conviction” [ἔλεγχος; elegchos,  is the inward assurance that comes from faith. Here it is the conviction of things not seen. It is the certainty that God’s promises for the present and the future [at present unseen] will surely come to pass. 

11:2. “For by it the people of old received their commendation [μαρτυρέω; martyreō; to obtain a good (honest) report, be well reported of.] Those in the Old Testament period who had faith in God were recognised by Him as being acceptable in His sight. They honoured Him by trusting in Him and in His promises to them.

11:3. “By faith we understand that the universe [αἰών; aiōn properly, an age; by implication, the world] was created [καταρτίζω katartizō; to complete thoroughly, make perfect, prepare.]  by the word of God, so that what is seen [βλέπω; blepō; to look at, behold, beware, see, sight, take heed. ] was not made out of things that are visible. [φαίνω; phainō; to lighten (shine), appear, be seen.]

Creation is seen by most scholars as being ex nihilo, “out of nothing.” There was nothing apart from God before He spoke the universe into existence. Others look at this verse and suggest that there may have been invisible things existing before God spoke them into being. However other parts of the Bible do not seem to support this latter view. 

The apostle John described creation in John 1:3, “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Everything that exists owes its origin to Jesus. 

St Paul in Colossians 1:16, declared that God created everything including the visible and the invisible, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” Everything, whether seen or unseen was created by Jesus.

Earlier in Hebrews 1:2, the writer saw Jesus as the creator of the ages, Heb 1:2 “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.”

SUMMING UP

The word for “faith” [pistis ; πίστις] occurs about 243 times in the Bible and so is of great importance. The writer of Hebrews began  chapter 11 with a definition of faith before beginning to mention many of the heroes of faith in the Old Testament period who gained God’s approval by their faith, “For by it the people of old received their commendation.” 11:2.

In brief, faith is described as the following:-

  • It is the assurance of things hoped for
  • It is the conviction of things not seen
  • It understands that the universe was created when God spoke it into being
  • It understands that everything that exists did not exist before God created [or prepared] it by His word of power. 

The writer now goes on in the rest of the chapter to describe how the people of faith exercised their faith in many different circumstances because of the confidence they had in the God they had begun to worship and to serve.  

The exciting thing we will read as we come to the end of the chapter is that God has provided something better for us, “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40  since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. 11:39-40. 

Blog No.530 posted on Wednesday 21 February 2024.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Justification, Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, Second coming of Jesus, Temptations, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

529. THE NECESSITY OF CHRIST’S SACRIFICE ONCE FOR ALL. Hebrews 10

Posted on February 17, 2024 by Jim Holbeck


1]. The OT Sacrifices Could Never Take Away Sin. 10:1-4
In the opening verses, the writer shows the inability of the sacrifices offered in the Old Testament era, to take away sin. That inability was shown in the fact that the sacrifices had to be offered continually every year. “For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” If sin had been dealt with, there would have been no more need for sacrifices. However, worshippers’ consciences were not cleansed, for the blood of bulls and goats is unable to take away sins.

2]. Jesus’ Single Sacrifice Takes Away Sin For Ever. 10:5-10
Jesus, operating in the will of God, offered a sacrifice that brought to an end the Old Testament order of offering sacrifices, “Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; 6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. 7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’” 8 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. 10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” 10:6-10. This meant that there was no more need for the Old Testament sacrifices to be offered [offered according to the law] because a new order had been established, based on Jesus obeying the will of God in offering Himself as the sacrifice. The old order has been done away with, and the new order introduced by Jesus has come. In fulfilling the will of God, believers have been sanctified through Jesus’ offering of Himself. [NOTE 1]

3]. Jesus As The Better High Priest Who Offered The Better Sacrifice. 10:11-14
The contrast is now made between Jesus as the great high priest and the succession of high priests under the old order of priesthood. Of the latter the writer wrote, “And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” 10:11. Then comes the great contrast, “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” 10:12-14. The priests under the old order had to stand daily offering sacrifices which could not take away sin. But Jesus offered His single sacrifice for sin and then sat down at the right hand of God. His sacrificial work was done and God accepted it as done. Verse 14 confirms that truth saying, “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” 10:14. This is an interesting verse as the verb “has perfected” from [teleioō; τελειόω] is in the perfect tense meaning that Jesus’ offering was complete. No more sacrifices would ever need to be offered. However the participle form of the verb ”being sanctified” is in the present tense. [NOTE 2]. They were being sanctified [or made more holy] as they lived for Christ.

4]. The Victory Jesus Accomplished On The Cross. 10:15-18.
Jesus through His death on the cross introduced a new covenant. It showed God’s initiative in working inwardly in His people and what would be the result of Jesus’ single sacrifice on the cross. His inward work would be, “And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds.” 10:15-16. They would become sensitive to Him and to His laws.

The results of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross? Forgiveness! “Then he adds, ‘I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.’ 18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.” 10:17. No more sacrifices needed! The single sacrifice of Jesus had made forgiveness available for the people of God.

5]. The New And Living Way Into The Presence Of God. 10:19-25
What are the results of Jesus sacrifice for sins? We can draw near to God through Him, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh.” 10:19-20. Jesus is the great high priest whose sacrifice of Himself allowed Him to enter into the holy of holies and into very presence of God. By doing so He has also allowed us to enter directly into the presence of God as forgiven sinners.
What other advantages or obligations are there for us in having Jesus as our great high priest? The writer lists 3, “and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” 10:19-25.
We can draw near to God as forgiven, cleansed sinners. 10:22.
We can hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering. 10:23.
We can consider how to encourage each other in our faith. 10:24-25.

6]. The Fourth Warning Against Deliberate Sin. 10:26-31
The Christian message of Christ’s death for sinners is liberating, but there are dreadful consequences for those who don’t act on the message and deliberately sin, “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one
• who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and
• has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and
• has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 “For we know him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Believers need to take God seriously. He has acted in grace towards guilty sinners offering them forgiveness and a new life in Him. They open themselves to His judgment if they ignore, disregard or belittle His amazing grace.
BUT there may be some hope.


7]. Going On In Faith And With Endurance. 10:32-39.
Praise God that the writer writes, “But!” He reminds them of former victories they had known and encourages them to endure to receive the promises of God. “But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.37 For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; 38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” 39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.” 10:32-39.

Chapter 10 ends on a positive note as the writer expresses confidence in thereaders describing them as “those who have faith and preserve their souls.” But they have been warned!

………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

[NOTE 1. “Sanctified” is from [hagiazō; ἁγιάζω] meaning to separate, cleanse, purify, sanctify; to regard or reverence as holy. Believers who trust in Christ have been separated from the unbelieving world to belong to Christ. God regards them as holy, as set apart for Him. It is a verb in the perfect tense, meaning that it is established, not just part of a process. Believers are now His through Christ’s sacrifice.
NOTE 2]. “Are being sanctified” is the present participle form of the same verb used in verse 10. What it means is that those set apart to belong to God [sanctified] are in the ongoing process of being made more holy [sanctification.]
Blog No.529 posted on Saturday 17 February 2024.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Healing, HEBREWS. A study of the Epistle, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, spiritual warfare, Temptations, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

528. What is Valentine’s Day? 14 February Every Year

Posted on February 13, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

Unfortunately, we do not know after whom Valentine’s Day was named. There are at least three possibilities, one of them being a Bishop who was martyred for his faith. However, research has not actually found who Valentine was. St Valentine’s Day is included in the Church of England Book of Common Prayer as being on 14th February in “The Calendar with the Table of Lessons” under “Martyred at Rome c.269.” It is no longer in more recent Calendars in other Anglican churches.

It has become a day when lovers express their affection for one another by sending cards or giving gifts. It appears that Valentine’s Day did not come to be celebrated as a day of romance until about the 14th century. It was in the 18th century in England that greeting cards known as “valentines”  were sent to loved ones.

In “Gammer Gurton’s Garland. The Nursery Parnassus” by Joseph Ritson,”  there is an example of the type of simple affectionate message that appeared on such cards. It read,

“The rose is red, the violet’s blue, The honey’s sweet, and so are you.

Thou art my love and I am thine; I drew thee to my Valentine:

The lot was cast and then I drew, And Fortune said it shou’d be you.” [NOTE 1].

Expressions of love need to be appropriate. But love can be complicated. There are many words used in English to describe the various types of love. One of the best guides to understanding the different types of love is in the writings of CS Lewis, the late English Professor whose writings have become known around the world. He wrote a book with the title “The Four Loves.” He described them as affection [storge], friendship [philia], romantic [eros] and charity [agape]. [NOTE 2].

1].        Affection, [Storge].

“It’s the familiarity of the people with whom you are thrown together in the family, the college, the mess, the ship, the religious house,” says Lewis. “The affection for the people always around us, in the normal day-to-day of life, is the majority of the love we experience, even if we don’t label it.”  It is found in family love such as the affection children have for their parents and siblings and the affection parents have for their children and grandchildren.

2].        Friendship.[Philia].

Lewis wrote “friendship likely has closest resemblance to Heaven where we will be intertwined in our relationships. We develop a kinship over something in common and that longing for camaraderie makes friendship all the more wanted. … Think about it too. Friendships have begun faith movements, developed entire areas of thought, and contributed to many projects from art to business.”

In some ways, it is based on the attractiveness of the other person in our sight. It may be their character or the attractiveness of their wanting to create friendships. 

3].         Romantic love.  [Eros].

Lewis wrote, “Different than friendship, lovers, ‘are always talking to one another about their love’ and ‘are normally face to face, absorbed in each other.’” He adds, ‘The event of falling in love is of such a nature that we are right to reject as intolerable the idea that it should be transitory.’’’

Also “When we discover afresh that romance is more deeply set than the drivel served up by our culture, than we will more rightly hold our spouse in the model of unconditional love.”

4].        Charity. [Agape.]

Lewis wrote, ”This is our chief aim, the unconditional love of the Father given to us through his Son. Affection, friendship and romantic love are each the training ground for charity to grow. It’s also a rival to the three.” It is not based on the outward attractiveness of the other person but on an inward desire to seek the other person’s best interests.   

Reaching out to the other person can bring the pain of rejection or misunderstanding when they are conditioned by life’s experiences to treat any form of perceived kindness as a threat. It is painful when we make the effort to make the life of another person more comfortable or meaningful, to be rejected. But  true agape love takes that risk. As CS Lewis wrote, “If we think that perhaps love is not worth the sorrow and pain, then we are more pagan than Christian. Though the fall has invited such selfishness to linger heavy in our culture, ours is the Gospel charge – to go to the nth degree to love those who are broken, not for some vague humanitarian effort, but to make disciples of all nations, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Is it possible for us to go to the nth degree in seeking to love the other person with agape love?

It is, when we understand that such love is a gift imparted to believers by the Holy Spirit. Our Christian hope enables us to receive the Lord’s blessings, “and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:5. Such love is beyond our human resources but it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit who comes to live in us when we open our hearts to the Lord, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23.   

St Paul described agape love in this passage, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5  or rude.  It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6  it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8  Love never ends.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. That means that all the other loves can be appropriate when they are subsumed in the agape love of God, for God is love as we read in 1John 4:16. “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”  

So on Valentine’s Day as on every other day, “Let all that you do be done in [agape] love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14. It is love when we try to make other people feel better about themselves. It is not love when we act towards others so we can feel better about ourselves. It is not love when we act towards others to make them feel better about us or  like us more. True agape love is focussed on meeting the needs of the other, not on meeting one’s own needs.

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[NOTE 1]. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/34601/34601-h/34601-h.htm This has songs and verses for children written by John Ritson in “Gammer Gurton’s Garland. The Nursery Parnassus” in 1873.

NOTE 2]. https://www.cslewis.com/four-types-of-love/  by CS Lewis.

Blog No.528. Posted on Tuesday 13 February 2024.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Healing, Holy Spirit, Justification, Mental Health, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

527. What Is The Origin And Significance Of Ash Wednesday?

Posted on February 13, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

It is certainly true that the words “Ash Wednesday” do not appear in the Bible. So why do Christians throughout the world celebrate it as a day of religious significance? The name “Ash Wednesday” is derived from the custom of placing ashes on believers’ foreheads in the shape of a cross. The ashes come from the burning of Palm crosses which were distributed to worshippers on Palm Sunday, the previous year.  Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent in many churches throughout the world, and services held on that day have the theme of repentance and absolution.

In these services worshippers are urged to reflect on their own mortality and their failure to perfectly obey God’s commandments, and to come humbly before Him, confessing their sins and asking Him for His forgiveness. 

For example, the Anglican Church in Australia has a suggested service in which the following words are used. [NOTE 1]

THE RECEIVING OF ASHES

The ashes are placed on the Lord’s Table, and the priest says

Blessed are you, God of all creation.

You are eternal,

we are mortal,

formed from the dust of the earth.

As we receive these ashes, make them a sign for us of repentance and returning to you.

Breathe into us again the breath of life.

Blessed be God for ever.

Come, receive the sign of ashes

The ashes are placed on each person’s forehead in silence, or with the words

Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.

and/or

Repent and believe the gospel.

and/or

Turn away from sin and be faithful to Christ.

Each person may answer Amen

The reference to dust [or ashes] comes from God’s declaration to humans when they had disobeyed His commandment not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. His declaration was, “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19.

A little later in the service, an Absolution is pronounced by the priest,

The priest pronounces the absolution

With our hearts turned to God in repentance, with the knowledge of our sins

laid bare before the cross of Jesus Christ,

in the name of the living God,

your sins are forgiven.

Receive God’s mercy,

take hold of your forgiveness,

and, in the power of the Holy Spirit, walk in the light of Christ. Amen.

Ash Wednesday has been traditionally observed in churches since the 11th century and begins the season of Lent. It has often been suggested as a time for penitence or reflecting on our failures and coming before God to seek His forgiveness. 

Praise God for His faithfulness and mercy towards those who come to Him in humility and repentance, as Micah wrote, “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. 19 He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:18-19

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[NOTE 1.] On this link https://anglican.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Ash-Wednesday.pdf

Blog No.527 posted on Tuesday 13 February 2024

Posted in Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Mental Health, Mini Reflections, Prayer, Questions and Answers, Salvation, Sanctification, Temptations, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

526. What Is “Shrove Tuesday?” Its Meaning And Purpose

Posted on February 12, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

The word “shrove” comes from an English word “shrive,” which means to give absolution for someone’s sins by way of Confession and doing penance. Thus “Shrove Tuesday” was named after the custom of Christians to be “shriven” or seeking to be absolved of their sins before the start of Lent on the following day, Ash Wednesday.

The custom of having pancakes to eat derived from the idea that because Lent was to be observed as a time of reflection and self-discipline, there could be a more joyous time beforehand when people could use up the available food materials, such as flour, eggs and fats, to make pancakes as a celebration. The custom has been observed for hundreds of years around the world. The day is often described as “Pancake Day.”

Praise God for His mercy as this verse affirms, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John1:9.

Blog No.526 posted on Monday 12 February 2024

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525. Hebrews chapter 9.  Jesus As The Great High Priest Of A New Covenant Secured An Eternal Redemption

Posted on February 11, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

In chapter 8 the writer concluded that Jesus had established a new covenant which was much superior to the old covenant. Now in this chapter that truth is described in more detail. We see that Jesus offered a “better” sacrifice in establishing a “better” covenant with “better” promises. 

1].        Sacrifices Offered By High Priests On Earth Could Not Take Away Sin. 1-10.

In verses 1 to 5, there is a description of the Holy Place and also the Most Holy Place. In the latter, the High Priest could enter only once a year but had to take blood to offer for his own sins as well as for the sins of the people.  The writer added, “By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9  (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10  but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.” 9:8-10. The old covenant sacrifices could never take away sin, as seen in the fact they had to be offered every year.  

2].        Jesus’ Sacrifice Of Himself In Heaven Secured An Eternal Redemption Through His Blood. 11-14

There came a change when Jesus came to earth and offered Himself as the sacrifice to take away sins forever. However, this happened not in the earthly temple but in a heavenly tent. And it happened only once, for that single sacrifice secured an eternal redemption, “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12  he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” 9:11-12. 

The contrast is also made between the offering of the blood of bulls and goats and the offering of the blood of Jesus, “For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14  how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” 9:13-14.  The blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer did make the worshipper ceremonially or outwardly pure before God to be able to offer their sacrifices. However, the offering of Jesus was effectual in inwardly cleansing human consciences to enable worshippers to turn from dead works [of no value to God] to actually serve God with consciences that were sensitive to God and to His will.

3].        Jesus Is The Mediator Of A New Covenant. 15-23

The writer now contrasts the new covenant [which is so much superior] to the old one and says that Jesus is the mediator of this new covenant., “Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. 16  For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17  For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. 18  Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. 19  For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20  saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” Hebrews 9:15-20.

The benefits of the new covenant the writer describes as 

  • Those who responded to God’s call, receive the promised eternal inheritance. 
  • They are redeemed from transgressions committed under the first covenant.
  • The blood offered under the old covenant was that of bulls and goats which we have seen can never take away sin. But Jesus’ blood [shed in His death] established the new covenant which redeemed the people of God.

4].        Jesus Has Entered Heaven To Appear On Our Behalf To Put Away Sin. 24-28

Under the old covenant, the high priest in the temple purified everything with blood for “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” 9:22. But these sacrifices were copies of the real sacrifice that Jesus had to offer, “Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24  For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.” 9:23-24. 

The Better Sacrifice Which Jesus Offered

We see now the contrast between the sacrifice Jesus offered and those offered by a succession of high priests. 

The succession of different high priests entered the holy place in the temple every year with blood not their own. 

However Jesus entered the heavenly place just once, shedding His own blood, “Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26  for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” 9:25-26. 

His single offering of Himself made forgiveness available to those who trusted in Him and secured for them an eternal redemption.

The Better Sacrifice Which Jesus Offered Means No Judgment And Future Salvation

“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28  so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” 9:27-28.

Every human must eventually die and face judgment. However, for those who trust in Jesus, their sins have been borne by Jesus and so they will not face judgment for their sins. Jesus will return again, not as judge, but as the Saviour of those who trust in Him.

SUMMING UP CHAPTER 9

The writer has described the new covenant introduced in the previous chapter and shown it to be superior to the old covenant. The priests under the old covenant “serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things.” Hebrews 8:5. “Shadow” is from [skia; σκιά] a shadow, a foreshadowing. 

The whole sacrificial system of the old covenant foreshadowed the sacrifice Jesus was to offer to secure an eternal redemption for the people of God. 

It would be a single sacrifice of Himself as the perfect offering for sin and those who trusted in Him would receive forgiveness of all their sins and would experience salvation when He returned again. 

Blog No.525 posted on Sunday 11 February 2024.

Posted in Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, HEBREWS. A study of the Epistle, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, Second coming of Jesus, Temptations, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

524. The Privilege Of Marriage. A Blessing From The Lord. Proverbs 31

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

We may sometimes wonder if representatives of the male species really appreciate the privilege of having a female of the species to love and by whom to be loved. A true marriage partner is really a gift from God. So we should see our marriage as being a wonderful privilege that God has bestowed on us. To realise that another person deliberately chooses to make you the centre of their universe [after God of course] is nothing less than the grace of God touching your life. 

The writer of Proverbs wrote these words, “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. 11  The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. 12  She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.” Proverbs 31:10-12.  What a privilege it is to have found an excellent wife. When one looks around at the number of marriages that end up in separation or divorce, one realises the extent of the privilege we have been given in life to have found an excellent wife. She is indeed worth far more than all the jewels one could amass in a lifetime. The jewels might be precious and beautiful but they offer no warmth or love.  The excellent wife does her husband good and not harm, all the days of her life.

Well, praise God I did find an excellent wife, named Carole. One whom God chose for me especially. She may have been born in Kharagpur in India, thousands of kilometres from I was born in Gympie in Queensland but the Lord overruled so that both our families moved to the same area in Ipswich. The Lord brought us to Himself about the same time and led us to the same church. I knew about her before I met her for she was an outstanding athlete, swimmer, basketballer and hockey player, as well as winning prizes in art of speech competitions at Eisteddfods. I heard her speak on the local radio station on Saturday mornings when they featured junior singing and speaking talent.  Then I met her as she finished Grammar School when she became a member of the youth group I was leading. Just 4 years later I proposed and 18 months after that we were married. 

God was so good to us. We both secured jobs that were satisfying and later came the gift of three great children. We lived together for 3 years in Melbourne, 10 years in Brisbane, 10 years in Armidale NSW, 18 years in Sydney, and retired to Port Macquarie in 2006 when we both retired. The Lord took her home in October 2019 after a long bout with cancer but not before we had enjoyed a wonderful retirement for over 13 years. When the nursing staff rang me to tell me that Carole had just passed away, the words that immediately popped into my mind were these, “Absent from the body. Present with the Lord.” So I know she is at bliss in the presence of the Lord.  

Tomorrow 7th February would have been Carole’s 81st birthday so I felt like writing something about her as I have on many other occasions on this blog site. One of the last memories of our time together was of an incident just a couple of days before I drove her to the hospital for the last time. I was helping her move from one place in our home to her favourite chair. As we passed through the dining room she suddenly stopped and with her lovely brown eyes looked up into my face and said, “Darling, thank you for loving me. Thank you for caring for me.” She obviously knew that her life was coming to an end and so she summed up our almost 54 years together with those simple words. I’m not sure how I replied but I could have said, “I did it because I love you. It was my privilege to love you and to care for you. Thank you for loving me!” 

The privilege of marriage to “an excellent wife!”  A privilege coming from the grace and love of our Heavenly Father who “works all things together for good for those who love Him.” Romans 8:28.

Blog No.524 posted on Tuesday 06 February 2024

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Coping With Personal Grief, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Justification, Mental Health, Prayer, Real Life Stories, Salvation, Sanctification, TOPICS, Tributes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

523. Healings That Impact The World. A Man Healed Of Lou Gehrig’s Disease. [A.L.S.   Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis]

Posted on February 4, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

This disease is known in Australia as Motor Neurone Disease. I remember when I first joined the staff of St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney, there used to be an annual service for those with Motor Neurone disease and their carers. I got the impression that those afflicted with the disease had only months or a couple of years to live. It seemed to be incurable. The Dean of the Cathedral Lance Shilton would give a message about the Christian hope. Otherwise it was a sad service. 

A few years later we had the joy of having some American folk from Florida and Alabama coming to learn more about the healing ministry at our Healing Ministry Centre in Sydney. They were a lovely group and very open to learn. My wife Carole and a Florida lady Sarah Jaeger formed a deep friendship and perhaps as a result in 1999 we were invited to do a short time of teaching in Wisconsin, Birmingham [Alabama] and Winter Park in Florida. Sarah’s husband Don had been miraculously healed of Lou Gehrig’s disease [A.L.S.] after a healing service at the Cathedral in Orlando led by my predecessor Canon Jim Glennon, and was keen to begin a healing ministry in All Saints Episcopal Parish in Winter Park in Florida. 

Carole and I were invited back every year for a month to minister in Winter Park from 2001 to 2008 and again in 2012. It was a wonderful parish where the Rector was a decorated war hero and his wife was from a leading family in Latvia from where she had escaped during World War 2, David and Katrina Wilson. They led a wonderful parish where Christ was central and the Bible was taken as the basis of faith. The Healing Ministry grew under Don’s enthusiastic leadership and soon ministry was being offered every day for those who needed help. Carole and I would return to Sydney quite refreshed after a busy time of ministry because of the love and support shown to us by parishioners. 

But today is one of those Sad/Happy days as I heard that Don Jaeger had just passed away into the presence of the Lord. So sad for his family and friends, but so happy for Don as He is now in bliss with Jesus. His testimony of his healing has touched the lives of thousands of people around the world and especially those facing seemingly impossible situations in their lives. To be told in 1992 that you will soon die, for your medical diagnosis confirms you have Lou Gehrig’s Disease, but to be able to live praising the Lord to 2024 is a wonderful story of God’s love and power touching human lives. 

Those facing seemingly impossible situations in their lives today would be greatly helped by reading more of Don’s story and especially hearing Don’s testimony of his healing. I will put links to those sources below but before that, I will share one of his sayings that will be forever in my memory. When he was told that no medical help could cure him and that imminent death awaited him, he resolved “to delegate my healing to Jesus.” As a businessman he was used to delegating responsibilities to those he knew could be trusted, and when he was told that his medical condition was beyond human help of any kind, he simply delegated his healing to Jesus and served Him as the Lord and Master of his life. Jesus was, is and always will be worthy of our trust!

I wrote about Don and his healing in one of my early blog articles which is No.041 on this link www.jimholbeck.blog or on https://jimholbeck.blog/2011/09/18/041-healing-of-lou-gehrig’s-disease-als-see-note1-motor-neuron-disease/

You can see and hear his humble testimony on You Tube on this link

Praising the Lord for His faithfulness and thanking Him for what He has done in the lives of those who, like Don, delegate their healing to Him.

Blog No.524 posted on Sunday 04 February 2024.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Mental Health, Prayer, Real Life Stories, Salvation, Sanctification, TOPICS, Tributes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

522. Hebrews chapter 8. “The New Covenant is Much Better Than The Old.” 

Posted on February 3, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

The previous chapter ended with the truth that Jesus was unlike other high priests because He sacrificed for sins once for all when He offered himself to take away sin. The writer now goes on to explain the significance of Jesus as the great High Priest of the new and better covenant.

1]. Jesus, The High Priest Who Offered A Better Sacrifice. 8:1-5

Hebrews chapter 8 begins with, “Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2  a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man.” 8:1-2. The words ‘The point” is from [kephalaion; κεφάλαιον] meaning a sum total, or the crowning point in a discussion. The whole epistle centres on Jesus Christ as the High Priest of God already seated at the right hand of God. That aligns with how the writer introduced Jesus in the first chapter of this epistle,  “…  After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Hebrews 1:3. His ministry as a high priest of offering the one perfect sacrifice for sin had been accomplished and so He was able to sit at the right hand of God. 

Jesus is also described here as “a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man.” The sacrifice He offered was in a heavenly temple, a real temple unlike the temple on earth which was simply a copy of the heavenly temple.  8:3-5. 

Jesus was the true high priest. All the other high priests offered gifts and sacrifices but they were serving copies or shadows of heavenly things. The true substance, the perfect sacrifice, was offered by Christ in the heavenly temple, “For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4  Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5  They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” Hebrews 8:3-5.

2]. Jesus Mediated A Better Covenant Enacted On Better Promises. 8:6-9

The writer continued describing the superiority of the ministry of Jesus as the great High Priest by showing that it was associated with a better covenant based on better promises. Heb 8:6,  “But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. The word for “better” is from [kreittōn; κρείττων] meaning superior or more valuable. It is used 6 times in Hebrews out of a total of 19 times in the whole of the New Testament. The writer describes why that is so in verses 7 to 9. The first covenant God made was with Israel at the time of the Exodus but His people did not continue in it. So a new covenant was necessary and God established that in the ministry of Jesus,  7 “For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. 8  For he finds fault with them when he says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 9  not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.”

3]. The New Covenant Established By God For People To Become His People. 8:10-13.

Heb 8:10 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 11  And they shall not teach, each one his neighbour and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12  For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” 13  In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”

The new covenant had the following advantages:-

  • God would put His laws into their minds.
  • He would write His laws on their hearts.
  • He would initiate an intimate relationship with His people, “I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
  • This intimate relationship would mean that all His people would know Him personally and would not need to be taught about Him by others.
  • He would be merciful concerning their iniquities and would not remember their sins any more. 

The writer concludes the chapter with an important declaration, 13 “In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”

The focus of the Hebrew readers was to be on Jesus who had established a new covenant they were to live under, through His death and resurrection. The high priests of the old covenant and the sacrifices they offered were just a copy or shadow of the one true sacrifice that  Jesus that offered, as the great High Priest, on the cross.

Blog No.522 posted on Saturday 03 February 2024.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, HEBREWS. A study of the Epistle, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, New Covenant, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, Second coming of Jesus, spiritual warfare, Temptations, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment