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

521. Hebrews chapter 7. “Jesus The Greatest High Priest Secured An Eternal Redemption For His People.”

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

The writer introduced the concept of Jesus as a high priest in 2:17, “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” Then the writer added to that concept in 5:10 and 6:20 that Jesus became a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Chapter 7 then shows how Jesus is indeed a high priest after the order of Melchizedek and the significance of that role for human salvation. It also shows how Jesus introduced a better hope and established a better covenant. 

1]. What Is The Priestly Order of Melchizedek? 7:1-3

Heb 7:1 “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2  and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3  He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.”

Melchizedek is a mysterious character who suddenly appears in the history of Israel. He is described as a priest of the Most High God, Yahweh. There is no record of his birth or his death or any genealogy. Yet resembling the Son of God he continues as a priest forever. 

2]. How The Priestly Order of Melchizedek Is Greater Than That Of Aaron and Levi. 7:4-10. 

“See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! 5  And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. 6  But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7  It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. 8  In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. 9  One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10  for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.” Hebrews 7:4-10.

The superiority of the order of Melchizedek is shown in the following ways. 

  • Abraham as the inheritor of the promises of God gave tithes to Melchizedek. 
  • Because the superior blesses the inferior it meant that Abraham saw Melchizedek as his superior. 
  • Melchizedek blessed Abraham, again showing the superiority of Melchizedek.
  • Even Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek [as he was in the loins of Abraham.]

3]. The Need For A New Priesthood. Comparison Of Jesus With Melchizedek. 7:11-19

Heb 7:11  “Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? 12  For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. 13  For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. 14  For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15  This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16  who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. 17  For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” 18  For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness 19  (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.”

Though the Aaronic priesthood was established by God it wasn’t a perfect priesthood. 

  • That was seen in the fact that generations of priests who owed their lineage to Aaron and Levi kept on making sacrifices that could never take away sin and they all died.
  • There needed to be another order of priesthood that could actually take away sin and could last forever.
  • The requirement for that priesthood was not that of a legal requirement regarding lineage. Rather it was established by an oath from God Himself, ”For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” 7:17.  Jesus had become the High Priest “by the power of an indestructible life.” 7:16.
  • Thus a better hope was introduced by Jesus through which we can draw near to God. 7:19

4]. The Superiority Of The High Priesthood Of Jesus. 7:20-28.

i]. Jesus was made High Priest by a direct oath from God. 7:20-21

Heb 7:20-21, “And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, 21  but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever.’”

ii]. Jesus became the guarantor of a better covenant.7:22

“This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.”

“Guarantor” is from [engyos; ἔγγυος] meaning a pledge, security, sponsor. 

The eternal priesthood of Jesus who was appointed a High Priest by an oath of God is the guarantee that all God’s promises will be fulfilled in Him.

iii]. Jesus’ Priesthood Lasts For Ever. 7:22-23 

“The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24  but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25  Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost [pantelēs; παντελής throughout all time] those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”

  • There was a weakness in the lineage of Aaronic high priests. They could only offer sacrifices during their lifetimes. But being mortal, they all died and could not continue in office. 
  • Jesus, being alive forever, can continue to make intercession [entynchano; ἐντυγχάνω = entreat, to plead the cause of anyone] for His people.
  • Because He is eternal, His priesthood is eternal and He can save all those who draw near to God through Him.

iv]. Jesus was appointed a High Priest By An Oath Of God. 7:26-28

Heb 7:26  “For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27  He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.   28  For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

  • The former high priests had to offer daily sacrifices for their own sins as they were not perfect. But Jesus was perfect and offered a single sacrifice for sins, [once for all] when He offered Himself. 
  • “Once for all” is from  [ephapax; ἐφάπαξ meaning on one occasion for all people.]

It is also found in Heb 9:12 “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.” And in Heb 10:10 “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

  • Jesus’ single sacrifice of Himself on the cross 

  Saved those who draw near to God through Him. Heb 7:25.

  Secured an eternal redemption for those who trust in Him. 9:12 

  Sanctified His people [Set them apart to belong to the people of God] according to the will of God.  10:10.

Summing up

As I wrote at the beginning of this article, this chapter shows how Jesus introduced a better hope and established a better covenant. It is a better hope as in 7:19, “a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.” 

And it is a better covenant in that Jesus’ eternal priesthood means that “Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.” Heb 7:22. The covenant promises will never cease.

As St Paul wrote, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” Eph 1:7. 

Blog No.521 posted on Wednesday 31 January 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, Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Questions and Answers, Salvation, Sanctification, Second coming of Jesus, spiritual warfare, Temptations, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

520. TEACHING VIDEOS ON HEALING BY JIM HOLBECK ON YOU TUBE

Posted on January 29, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

A church member from another town asked me if he could visit me and get some thoughts on how to begin a Healing Service in his parish. As I thought about that my mind went to material I had online that could be helpful for him. So I compiled a list of teaching videos I knew were on You Tube that had a lot of teaching on various topics related to healing that he and others might access. 

Then I thought, why not publish the list so that anyone in the world could access the material online. So here is the list with the links you can click on to open any particular video teaching. If you felt that a friend might be helped by the material in any video [especially on forgiveness] then you could eMail them the link. 

Overcoming Stress. Christian Enemy No 1. The World. Jim Holbeck

Overcoming Stress. Christian Enemy No.2. The Flesh

Overcoming stress. Christian Enemy No.3. The Devil. The enemy against us

Forgiveness  

Who We Are As Believers

Spiritual Warfare

How To Hang In for Your Healing and Blessing

What sort of healing can we expect from God

The Blessings of Belonging to God

What is the value of prayer in a Healing Ministry

Ministering with others

Jesus The Creator

Jesus The Saviour

Jesus the Lord   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYTFg4FDT3s&t=5s

Jesus The Judge   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYzs2G9CG_Q

Blog No.520 posted on Monday 29 January 2024

Posted in Forgiveness | Leave a comment

519. Hebrews Chapter 6.  A WarningAgainst Falling Away From Christ.

Posted on January 26, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

The previous chapter ended with the writer warning the readers that they needed to become mature in the faith and might need to be taught again the elementary truths of God’s word. They needed to be taken forward to maturity and the writer expresses confidence that it could happen, Heb 6:3 “And this we will do if God permits.”

However, they had to realise that they could not be restored to repentance and were in danger of falling away.  But the chapter ends with the writer’s confidence of “better things in your case” because of the work they had done and the love they had shown towards the Lord.

1].       An Encouragement To Go On To Maturity. 6:1-3

Heb 6:1  “Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3  And this we will do if God permits.”

The important thing to realise in these verses is that the writer is hopeful they will mature.

2].       The Third Warning In The Epistle [About The Failure To Mature.] 6:4-8

These are very powerful words. I once saw personally how the Holy Spirit of God transformed a hardened atheist into a very committed believer as he read these words. You can read what happened to my work-mate William on this link. https://jimholbeck.blog/2011/08/08/030-forgiveness-abundant-pardon-isaiah-556-7/

The warning which follows has been interpreted in different ways. These verses describe believers who have come to Christ in the following ways.

Heb 6:4  For it is impossible, in the case of those 

  • who have once been enlightened. Christian conversion is being brought from darkness into the light of Christ. My friend William was soundly converted. It was obvious to many that he had come from darkness into the light of Christ  
  • who have tasted the heavenly gift. This could be the gift of Jesus Christ whom God “gave” to a sinful world, or it could be the gift of salvation in Christ.
  • and have shared in the Holy Spirit. “Shared” is from [metochos; μέτοχος] which means being a partaker of the Holy Spirit who had brought them from darkness into light.
  • Heb 6:5  and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come. “Tasted” is from [geuomai; γεύομαι] meaning to taste or experience. They had experienced the goodness of the word of God as they heard it and responded to it and had also experienced the powers [dunamis; δύναμις] mighty works or miracles of God’s kingdom.

Heb 6:6  and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. “Fallen away” is not the word for apostasy [apostasia; ἀποστασία] but is from [parapiptō; παραπίπτω] meaning to fall by the side of; to fall off or away from. It means lapses or deviations rather than an outright denial of Christ. 

“Restore” is from [anakainizō; ἀνακαινίζω] meaning to renovate or renew. We need to note here that it is not to restore to salvation, but to repentance. If they have experienced the blessings in verses 4 and 5 but hardened their hearts against Christ, then it shows that their repentance was incomplete. 

“Repentance” is from [metanoia; μετάνοια] meaning a change of mind or of thinking patterns. True repentance should be accompanied by a change in behaviour. It appears that many believers had not completely surrendered to Christ and were thus disregarding the significance of Christ’s death for them. Their attitude brought contempt towards Christ rather than leading people to Him.

An Illustration From Nature Of The Need To Be Responsive To God. 6:6-7.

Heb 6:7 “For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8  But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.” The writer encourages the readers to be responsive to the word of God to become fruitful and to be blessed by Him. 

3].       There Was Hope For Believers. 6:9-12

The writer here addresses the readers personally, “Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. 10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.” 6:9-10. In any group of believers there will be a variety of responses to the gospel message. Everyone needs to be encouraged and this is what the writer attempts to do as these words indicate, “in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation.”

“Better” here is from [kreittōn; κρείττων] meaning superior or more useful and occurs 13 times in Hebrews out of the 18 occurrences in the New Testament. Everything concerned with Christ is superior, so their faith in Him as Saviour and the obedience stemming from that is superior in every way. They are on the right track as shown by their work and the love they have shown in serving the saints. They just need to continue as they have been doing but be open to a growing maturity.

The message becomes more personal in verses 11 and 12 as the writer uses “each one of you” to address individuals. They were to “show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end,12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” The word “earnestness” is from [spoudē; σπουδή] a noun but the verb has already been used in 4:11, “Let us therefore strive [spoudazō  σπουδάζω] to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” To strive or be earnest was the opposite of being sluggish [nōthros; νωθρός] a word used only in Hebrews here and in 5:11 “dull of hearing.” The believers needed to be quick to hear and obey!

4].       The Certainty of God’s Promise. 6:13-15

The writer turns to the certainty of God’s promises and the need to remain patient in receiving them. Heb 6:13 “For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14  saying, ‘Surely I will bless you and multiply you.’ 15  And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise.” God promised Abraham that He would bless and multiply him and Abraham waited patiently for the fulfilment of the promise.

5].       The Promise To Abraham Was Guaranteed By Two Unchangeable Things. 6:16-18

The two immutable things are God’s promise and God’s oath. It is impossible for God not to fulfil his promises, “For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. 17  So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18  so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.” 6:16-18.

God’s promises are always true because He never changes. The “unchangeable character of his purpose” is due to His unchanging nature. When God makes a promise it will surely come to pass. Those who have turned to Him for refuge can be certain that their hope is secure.

6].       The Certainty Of The Fulfilment Of The Promise Of God. 6:19-20

Heb 6:19  “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20  where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” The Christian hope is anchored in the promise of God and is unchanging. Christ is our hope [Colossians 1:27] and is described as “a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.” This is linked to His work as High Priest. The high priest could only enter the holy place as a representative of the people. No one else could enter. But Jesus entered as a “forerunner” [prodromos; πρόδρομος] meaning “one who comes in advance to a place where the rest are to follow.” [Vincent] Because He offered the perfect sacrifice for sins, it means His people who trust in Him may enter as well. Their hope is fixed like an anchor in the bed of the sea floor and they have entered into the presence of God as followers of their forerunner, Jesus. 

The final phrase in verse 20, “having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” is a reminder that the high priesthood of Jesus is better or superior to all the high priests in Israelite history. The writer goes on in the next chapter to explain why that is so.

Blog No.519 posted on Friday 26 January 2024. [Australia Day.]

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

No.518. Hebrews 5. Christ Is The Better High Priest Than All Other High Priests

Posted on January 21, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

In this chapter we see how the writer showed that Jesus was appointed by God to become the High Priest who offered the perfect sacrifice for sins. He met all the qualifications to become the high priest and was a better and more superior high priest than Aaron because He belonged to the priestly order of Melchizedek. 

1]. The Qualifications Required To Become A High Priest To Offer Sacrifices
• He has to be appointed by God. Heb 5:1 “For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.”
• He can identify with the weaknesses of people because he himself is weak. Heb 5:2 “He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness.”
• He has to offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as for the sins of the people. Heb 5:3 “Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people.”
• He has to be called by God like Aaron was. Heb 5:4 “And no one takes this honour for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.”

2]. How Jesus Was Qualified To Become The High Priest
• He was appointed by God. “So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; 6 as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” 5:5-6. It was God’s plan for Jesus as His Son to become a high priest.
• He offered up sacrifices to God. Heb 5:7 “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.” Jesus lived His life as a human in total dependence on His Heavenly Father.
• He became the perfect high priest who offered the single perfect sacrifice for sins. Heb 5:8 “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.” This doesn’t mean that Jesus was once disobedient but learned to obey. Rather He learned what being obedient as a human involved as He suffered in His physical body. Again “being made perfect” does not mean that Jesus was imperfect in any way. Rather the word for “perfect’ is [teleioo; τελειόω] which can mean to execute fully, to discharge one’s responsibilities. He fulfilled His responsibilities as the High Priest in offering the perfect sacrifice for sins as the writer mentioned in chapter 1 verse 3, “After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
• God declared that His High Priesthood was superior to that of Aaron and all the other high priests. Heb 5:10 “being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.”

3]. The Third Warning. A Warning Against Apostasy
The writer shared what he felt about his readers, warning them they needed to mature as believers. Heb 5:11 “About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.” He recognised that they had become unresponsive to the message they had received and they needed to change.

i]. They Were Falling Short Of Their Destiny. 5:12.
Heb 5:12 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers.” They should have received the teaching so deeply that they could have been teachers rather than perpetual disinterested learners. They were accountable for their neglect.

ii]. They Needed To Be Re-Taught The Basics Of Christian Belief. 5:12.
“You need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food.”
“Basic principles” is from “Basic” [archē; ἀρχή] a beginning, the first in a series, the leader. “Principles” is from [stoicheion; στοιχεῖον] an element; the elements from which all things have come.
In our modern world we could express this as “You need to be taught again the ABC of Christian teaching.”
The “oracles” [logion; λόγιον] divine communication or revelation. It means the revelation given to the readers as they heard the gospel message about Christ.
The readers had become spiritual infants through their lack of commitment to Christ, needing milk rather than solid food.

iii]. The Change They Needed To Make In Living For God. 5:13-14.
Heb 5:13 “for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.” They were no longer to live as spiritual infants reliant on milk. Rather they were to partake of solid food, becoming skilled in the word of righteousness. “Unskilled” is from [apeiros; ἄπειρος] meaning inexperienced, unskillful, ignorant, the only time this word is used in the New Testament.

They had to become mature, for only in that way could they have the powers of discernment to be able to distinguish good from evil, “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” 5:14.

SUMMING UP
The writer began this chapter by describing the qualifications needed to become a High Priest. Then he went on to describe how Jesus had met those qualifications. Jesus had learned what human obedience entailed by becoming human and having fulfilled His role as high priest had become the source of eternal salvation for those who trusted in Him.
However, through their lack of commitment to Jesus, they had not matured as believers and the writer warned them they needed to mature. We will see in the following chapter that the writer warns them to move beyond the elementary teaching about Christ and to be taken forward to maturity.
Blog No.518. Posted on Sunday 21 January 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, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, Second coming of Jesus, spiritual warfare, Temptations | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

517. Hebrews Chapter 4.  There Is A Sabbath Rest For The People of God.

Posted on January 20, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

Chapter 3 ended with these words, “Heb 3:18  And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.” Hebrews 3:18-19.

This would have raised the question whether God’s promise of rest was still available and if so, whether believers could miss out on it through unbelief like the Israelites of Moses’ time. The writer then set out to answer the question. Heb 4:1  “Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 2 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. “ 4:1-2.   

There was good news in the sense that God’s promise of rest was still available. But there was the caution that disobedience could mean they could fail to reach that rest.

Believers Enter Into The Rest Of God. 4:3-5

We see this truth in several verses in the remainder of the chapter. For example, in 

Heb 4:3  For we who have believed enter that rest,

Heb 4:6  Since therefore it remains for some to enter it,

Heb 4:9  So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 

However the writer emphasises the need for believers to be responsive to God and to live in obedience to Him, again reminding the readers that those who rejected God could be excluded. 4:3 “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. 4  For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” 5  And again in this passage he said, “They shall not enter my rest.”

The writer used the argument based on the creation story to show that God worked for 6 days in creating the world, but rested on the 7th day. He could rest, for His work of creation was done. Those who rejected Him failed to enter because of their disobedience [verse 5] and the hardening of their hearts [verse 7]. 

The Promise Of Entry Into God’s Rest. 4:6-8

God’s people could enter into God’s rest provided they were not guilty of disobedience by hardening their hearts. Heb 4:6  “Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, 7  again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” 8  For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on.”

The writer illustrates from the history of Israel why God’s people failed to enter into His rest. They disobeyed under the leadership of Moses and Joshua and much later David warned the people not to harden their hearts.

The Nature Of God’s Rest Which Is Still Available To The People Of God. 4:9-10

Heb 4:9  “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.”

God had made the Sabbath to be a day of rest for His people. It seems that the day of rest referred to the rest from trying to get into God’s kingdom in their own strength and trusting in Jesus Who had opened the way for them through His death and resurrection.

An Encouragement To Enter Into That Rest. 4:11-13

Heb 4:11 “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12  For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13  And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

The word “strive” [spoudazō; σπουδάζω] denotes both urgency and effort. It had to be their urgent priority. The word of God they had received had the power to discern the thoughts and motivations of their hearts. God knew them, and their inner thoughts and motivations could not be hidden from Him. And to Him they had to give account. They were responsible for how they responded to Him and to His message to them.

Jesus the Great High Priest Has Opened The Way Into The Presence Of God. 4:15-16

They could enter into rest because Jesus their great High Priest had opened the way provided they held fast their confession of faith. “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.”  Jesus understands the temptations they face to turn away from Him, for as a human He was faced with those same temptations. But Jesus can help them, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” He faced human temptations but never succumbed to them. He overcame and can help His people to overcome.

Jesus Can Help Them To Enter The Rest Of God. 4:16.

Because Jesus understands human weaknesses He is able to offer mercy and to impart grace to help in their time of need, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” 4:16. Thus it is with confidence they can draw near to the throne of grace. 

Later in the epistle the writer again expresses the confidence they can have in Jesus. 

“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, 21  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.” Hebrews 10:19-23. 

We note again those two truths, namely the sure promise of God’s rest and the need for His people to hold fast their confession of faith to receive the promise of God’s rest. 

SUMMING UP

Chapter 4 was a reminder to the readers that God promised His people Israel that if they obeyed Him, they would enter into the Promised Land or into His rest. However, they disobeyed under the leadership of both Moses and Joshua and thus failed to enter into the Promised Land. However, the writer went on to say that there remained a sabbath rest for the people of God and that they should make every effort to enter into that rest. It was a matter of holding on to their confession of faith in Christ and trusting Him as they approached God’s throne of grace with confidence. He could give them grace to help them in their time of need. 

Blog No.517 posted on Saturday 20 January 2024. 

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, HEBREWS. A study of the Epistle, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Mental Health, Prayer, Questions and Answers, Real Life Stories, Salvation, Sanctification, Second coming of Jesus, spiritual warfare, Temptations, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

516. Hebrews chapter 3. Jesus Greater Than Moses. Why We Need To Keep Trusting In Him!

Posted on January 18, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

In chapter 1 the focus was on Jesus being a better messenger than the angels. This was because He was a Son and not just a servant like the angels. Then in chapter 2 we read that Jesus became a true human when He came to earth and that to ignore Him was to ignore the salvation God was bringing in Him. Now in chapter 3 the writer goes on to describe Jesus as being greater or better than Moses. Heb 3:1 “Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, 2  who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house.”

The writer addresses the readers as being “holy brothers”, and sharers of a “heavenly calling.” We saw in the previous chapter that Jesus called believers His brothers. They had responded to the call from heaven to trust in the message from heaven and God became their Heavenly Father. 

*“Consider” is from [katanoeō; κατανοέω] to consider attentively, to fix one’s eyes or mind upon. They were to focus their attention on Jesus.

* “Apostle” is [apostolos; ἀπόστολος] one sent as a messenger or agent. Jesus was sent into the world to reveal the Father through His words and actions. 

* “High Priest” is [archiereus; ἀρχιερεύς] a high or chief priest.  Jesus became the high priest by making purification for sins [1:3 “after He had made purification for sins” and 2:17, “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”

* “Confession” is from [homologia; ὁμολογία] meaning “saying the same as.” It may have referred to a simple statement such as “Jesus is Lord!” as they confessed their faith in Christ.

IN WHAT WAYS IS JESUS GREATER [OR BETTER] THAN MOSES?

i].        Jesus Is the Creator Of All Things. Moses Was A Created Being.

Heb 3:3 “For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honour than the house itself. 4  (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.”)  Jesus was God’s agent in creation and even Moses owed his origin to Him.

ii].       Jesus Was A Son. Moses Was Only A Servant.  

Heb 3:5  “Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 6  but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.”

A SECOND WARNING. 3:7-12. THE DANGER OF HARDENED HEARTS

Heb 3:7  “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, 8  do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, 9  where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. 10  Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ 11  As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’”

A Second Warning Repeated. 3:12-13

The second warning in the epistle becomes more personal indicating the individual responsibility of believers, in the use of the words “any of you” in verse 12 and “none of you” in verse 13, “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 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.” Hebrews 3:12-13.

“Fall away” is [aphistēmi; ἀφίστημι]  to put away, separate; to draw off or away, withdraw. There was the danger of falling away or separating from their allegiance to Christ.

“Hardened” is [sklērynō  σκληρύνω] to harden; to harden morally, to make stubborn. This is the basis of our word scelerosis, meaning the hardening of tissue in the body. The hardening of our hearts makes us less sensitive to the voice of God.

“Deceitfulness” is [apatē;  ἀπάτη] means deception, delusion. Satan is seen as the deceiver of humankind as St John affirmed  in Rev 12:9 “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world.” The danger of deceit is that the deceived person does not realise that they are deceived and thus trusts and acts on a lie.

TRUSTING IN CHRIST IS THE ANSWER. 3:14

Heb 3:14  “For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” There was no need for anyone to fall away if they maintained their trust in Christ. If they did remain faithful they would continue to share in Christ. “Share” is [metochos; μέτοχος] and denotes the unity between the believer and Christ. The word is used 6 times in the New Testament but 5 of them are in Hebrews [1:9, 3:1, 3:14, 6:4  and 12:8.] The believers had put their confidence in Jesus but they needed to maintain confidence in Him to the very end.

THE DANGER OF LOSING CONFIDENCE IN JESUS.  3:15.

Heb 3:15  As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” The writer is looking back to the history of the nation and refers to the disobedience of the nation as they were being led from Egypt towards the promised land. The nation of Israel had hardened its heart against God and was punished for its disobedience.

The Danger Of Losing Confidence Exemplified In The Old Testament. 3:16-18.

God had set His people free from bondage in Egypt and had begun to lead them to the Promised Land under the leadership of Moses. But most never arrived there. 

St Paul described this in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, “We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were  destroyed by serpents, 10  nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11  Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.”

The Writer Gives The Reasons The People Under Moses Failed, As A Warning To The Readers

*  Who heard and rebelled? Heb 3:16  “For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses?”

*  Who provoked the Lord for 40 years? The people under the leadership of Moses. Heb 3:17  “And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?”

*  To whom did God swear that they would not enter His rest? Those who were disobedient. Heb 3:18  “And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19  So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.”

SUMMING UP

The chapter began with the writer stressing that Jesus is greater or better than Moses, because Jesus was a Son and creator of all things while Moses was simply a servant as a created being.

Then came the second warning in the epistle. A warning not to harden their hearts like the Israelites of old. After describing the disobedience of the Israelites, the writer goes on to stress the individual responsibility of every believer not to harden their hearts but to remain confident in their hope in Christ.

This is a warning for every believer in every age to take note of and then to re-commit themselves to Jesus.

Blog No.516 posted on Thursday 18 January 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, Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Real Life Stories, Salvation, Sanctification, Second coming of Jesus, spiritual warfare, Temptations, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

515. JESUS BECAME A HUMAN TO SAVE HUMANS. Hebrews 2:5-18

Posted on January 14, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

In this section of Hebrews, the writer builds on the truths shared in chapter 1, namely that Jesus was a better messenger than the angels because of who He was as the Son of God and because of the ministry He had exercised as the Redeemer of humankind. In this chapter, the writer spells out in more detail why Jesus became a human and how His suffering through death brought a perfect salvation to guilty sinners who turned to Him in faith.

1]. GOD MADE HUMANS TO HAVE DOMINION OVER THE WORLD BUT THEY FAILED

As we read the opening chapter of Genesis we learn of God’s plan to create a world and as a climax of creation to create humans to have dominion over the world, “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26. However sin entered the world with dramatic consequences [Genesis 3:16-24] and humans lost that dominion over the world.

God in His eternal plan and purpose for the world would eventually bring into the world a perfect person as a human, who would die for the sins of humans and bring victory to fellow humans through His resurrection from the dead. That of course was His own eternal Son, Jesus Christ. There is a problem in understanding who “man” refers to in verses 6 to 9. It could be said that in verses 6 to 8 it is a reference to humans as a whole and then in verse 9 the focus shifts to the perfect human, Jesus. “5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6  It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 7  You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honour, 8  putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.” Hebrews 2:5-8. It is true that God created humans to have dominion over the world and were superior to angels, but when they sinned they lost that authority and became for a time less than angels.  They were initially crowned with glory and honour at creation and will eventually be honoured that way when Christ returns and takes them to glory. 

2]. JESUS AS THE PERFECT HUMAN NOW RULES THE WORLD. BUT HOW?

i]. By Becoming A Human. 2:9

The attention now shifts to Jesus as the “him” in verse 9, “But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” Hebrews 2:9. Jesus was and is the eternal Son of God but in a passage of time He humbled Himself by coming into the world as a human baby. In this sense He was made ”lower than the angels” in the purpose of God as He set aside the privileges that were His as the Son of God. However, He fulfilled the purposes of God in suffering death on the cross for humans as the long-promised Suffering Messiah and was again “crowned with glory and honour.” Not only was He the Son of God but through His life, death and resurrection, He became Perfect Man and is seated at the right hand of God in glory.

ii]. By Dying As A Human For Humans. 2:10

The writer says, “For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.” Heb 2:10. 

“Fitting” is [prepō; πρέπω] meaning it is proper, it is right. It was in accord with God’s purposes that Jesus “should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.” It was in order that He should bring “many sons to glory.”

But what is meant by the phrase “should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering?” Jesus was always perfect in every way, so how could he be made perfect through suffering? “Perfect” is from [teleioō; τελειόω] which can mean to execute fully, to bring to completion. Jesus’ suffering on the cross completed God’s plan of saving the world and so bringing many sons to glory.

iii]. By Bringing Believers Into The Family Of God. 2:11-13

Jesus is not only the perfect human but He has brought believers into the family of God.  As the perfect human, He could see human believers as brothers in the same family under the same Heavenly Father, “For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12  saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” 13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.” 2:11-13. What a great privilege it is to belong to the children of God and to know that Jesus sees us as His brothers. 

3]. THE RESULTS OF HIS DEATH AS THE PERFECT HUMAN FOR HUMANS

i]. His Death As The Perfect Human Set Humans Free From Their Bondage To The Devil.  2:14.  “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.” When sin entered into our world death came with it. The author of sin and death is the Devil. The coming of Christ destroyed the works of the Devil in the sense that Christ paid the penalty for sin so that the devil as diabolos [the accuser] can no longer hold this power of accusation over believers. 

ii]. His Death Set Humans Free From Bondage To Their Fear Of Death. 2:15

“and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” 

It is true that humans have a strong fear of death. Some people realise their lives have not been perfect and fear that they may have to suffer some punishment for their sins in the afterlife. However, when believers recognise that Christ has atoned for their sins and God no longer sees them as guilty, they lose their fear of death. They see death as passing from this world into the presence of Christ, so there is nothing to fear. 

iii.]. His Death Atoned For The Sins Of The World. 2:16-17

Jesus Christ helps believers, described here as “the offspring of Abraham.” “Helps” here is [epilambanomai: ἐπιλαμβάνομαι.] This has the meaning to lay hold of, take possession of, overtake, attain,  to rescue one from peril, to help,  “For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17  Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” 2:16-17. 

He “helped” believers by paying the penalty for their sins as the writer describes later in Heb 10:12-14. “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.” This single sacrifice achieved a “propitiation.” The word “propitiation” is from  [hilaskomai; ἱλάσκομαι] meaning to appease, to conciliate to one’s self. The NIV and CSB versions translate the word as “makes atonement.” It has the idea of not only getting rid of sin, but also bringing about a reconciliation between God and humankind.

iv. His Suffering in death Means He Is Now Able To Help Those Being Tempted. 2:18

Heb 2:18  “For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Jesus knows what it is like to live life as a human. He faced all the temptations humans suffer except to a far greater degree, without ever sinning.  He knows how to overcome temptation as a human and so He is able to help those being tempted. 

“Help” is from [boētheō; βοηθέω] meaning to run to the aid of those who cry for help; to advance to the assistance of anyone, to help, to aid. Jesus faced temptations to the nth degree and is thus is able to help believers to resist when they are being tempted. He understands the complexity and the strength of the temptations humans face and is able to help them overcome temptation.

SUMMING UP

The writer is reminding Hebrew readers that Jesus is not only the Son of God but through becoming a human He brought salvation to guilty humans through His sacrificial death on the cross. Thus He understands their suffering temptations and is able to help them when they are being tempted. The writer expands on this truth  in Heb 4:15  “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” 

The Hebrew readers could take confidence that Jesus becoming a human was not a sign of His weakness. Rather it showed that He became human in the purposes of God in order to die a perfect death for humans. This was to enable those who trusted  in Him to receive His help in their temptations on earth and to be able to take them home to glory when they died. 

Jesus is the Son of God and the  Perfect Son of Man who is able to help the people of God as they seek to live for Him in their daily lives! 

Blog No.515 posted on Sunday 14 January 2024.

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

514. THE DANGER OF NEGLECTING THE SALVATION GOD OFFERS US. [Hebrews 2:1-4.]

Posted on January 12, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

The letter to the Hebrews contains wonderful promises of God’s rich blessings to those who respond to Him in faith. But it also contains strong warnings to those who reject His message given through angels and especially through His Son. As the writer expressed it in the previous chapter, Heb 1:1  “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 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.” In that chapter the writer had gone on to describe the supremacy of Jesus because He is the creator and sustainer of the universe and the One who fulfilled God’s plan of redemption through the sacrifice of Himself on the cross. 

The First Warning

This then is the first warning, Heb 2:1  “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2  For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3  how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4  while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.” [ESV.]   The readers of the letter were to “pay much closer attention to the message.”

The Important Message They Were Not To Ignore

These are powerful words stressing the importance of the message.  Thus, “pay much closer attention to the message.”

“Much closer”  is [perissōs; περισσῶς] meaning exceedingly, beyond measure,  abundantly, vehemently.

“Attention” is from [prosechō; προσέχω] which means literally to hold the mind. In other words, they were to fix their minds on the message Christ brought in His ministry of words and deeds. 

“Drift” is an interesting word [pararreō; παραρρέω] which means to flow beside, to carelessly let slip away, to fail to grasp. This meant that they had to focus on the message, act on it and not let it drift away from their attention.

The warning is intensified as the writer adds, “For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3  how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” Heb 2:2-3. God means what He says. He showed that in the history of Israel. When He warned the nation through angelic messengers and they ignored or rejected His message, there were consequences. If God brought judgment on those who rejected His message through angels then how could they possibly escape if they neglected the message of salvation given through His much greater messenger, His Son, Jesus?

The Salvation Jesus Came To Bring. 2:3-4 

The writer described this salvation as “such a great salvation.” He or she  then added why it was such a great salvation in verses 3 and 4.,“It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4  while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.” We look at these words more closely. 

i]. “It was declared at first by the Lord” 

Throughout the whole history of Israel, God had been speaking to His people through angels and through human messengers. He was preparing His people for the salvation that would be accomplished through Christ. This was God Himself taking the initiative in His grace and letting His people know His will, how He wanted them to belong to Him and how to behave as His people.

ii]. “and it was attested to us by those who heard” 

“Attested” is from [bebaioō; βεβαιόω] meaning to confirm, establish or make sure. The writer is saying that he or she, together with those who had heard the message could vouch for the truth and reliability of the message they received. So the readers or hearers of this letter should accept what God had spoken especially through His Son and act upon that message. 

iii]. “while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.”  Verse 4.

God Himself also bore witness to the message.  “Witness” is from [martureō; μαρτυρέω] to be a witness, to bear witness, i.e. to affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something. God bore witness to the message brought by Christ by confirming it in ways that only He could do. These included the following.  

  • “Signs” is from [sēmeion; σημεῖον] meaning something that pointed beyond itself to a truth. The signs pointed to the truth about Jesus.
  • “Wonders” is from [teras; τέρας] meaning a prodigy, portent, a miracle. These were special revelations from God to confirm His message. 
  • “Various miracles”  is from [poikilos; ποικίλος = various, diverse, manifold]  and 
  • “Miracles” [dunamis; δύναμις] meaning power or strength. The power of God at work! We see how Jesus described the origin of His words and His works as being from the Father working through Him, ““Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.” John 14:10.
  • “Gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.”  These are not just human abilities but manifestations of the presence of God. It is the Holy Spirit Himself who distributes the gifts, not humans.  “Gifts” here is not the same as in 1 Corinthians 12 [charismata] but is from [merismos; μερισμός] meaning a separation or distribution. The Lexham English Bible accurately translates this phrase as “and distributions of the Holy Spirit according to His will.“

Summing up

After outlining the pre-eminence of Jesus in chapter 1, the writer spelt out what that involved for humans. God had spoken through His Son and had accomplished “such a great salvation” through His sacrifice on the cross. There was an urgency for the readers to act on the message 

They had received the message of salvation and had to act on it and not let it drift away through neglect. [“Neglect” in Hebrews 2:3 is ameleō; ἀμελέω = not to care for, to disregard.] To make light and disregard such an important message would bring the Lord’s just penalty. 

In just these 4 verses we see the amazing grace of God in revealing His purposes in Jesus and how the people needed to respond to Jesus by faith to receive the promise of salvation. That is our choice today. Shall we act on the message of salvation in Christ or will we neglect it by letting ourselves drift by it and suffer the penalty for our neglect?

Blog No.514 posted on Friday 12 January 2024.

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