The version used is KJV
Disclaimer
Since becoming a believer, I wanted to understand how I should live that reflects the full counsel of the Most High from His Holy Word. I remember asking questions in 2018 to some of the folks who have been walking in faith for a long time, I am saved, now what?. The answer was a mix of - wait on the Lord, walk with the Lord and such. All of these were good advise. But there was more on the specifics that was needed, but I should have studied further His Word, as the answers to the question is in His Holy Word.
This write up, as part of summarizing 13th chapter of Hebrews provides some of those answers I have picked up. Please treat this as my current understanding and not a doctrinal position or general framework. Each of us need to seek the full counsel of God's Word and come to the conclusions after being convinced in our own minds.
Approaching this book
A detailed note on my view of the authorship and the language it was written is documented here
I have always wondered how it would be for me, if I had been a Jew/Yahudim (from tribe of Judah) or one from the lost tribes of Israel, that our Savior Jesus Christ preached to, in how I would have responded to the laws (Torah) of God as they existed in the 40-70 AD leading upto destruction of the temple.
If I put myself into their shoes in the mid 50s AD, and I believed in the message of the Gospel (the Son of God came in flesh, did the miracles and healing and taught great many things, was crucified and was resurrected, seen alive with apostles and other disciples) and fully believed and trusted for my salvation; how do I reconcile the temple system that was still in existence? Do I still take the blemishless animal for my sin offering? Do I obey the Aaronic high priest's ordinances?
If I was an early believer in the early church, it could have been anywhere between 5-30 years (based on when you think this letter was penned), during which time I need to reconcile these tough questions and to be obedient to the Most High for the gift He had just bestowed up on me - in His Son.
Therefore we should approach this book with reverence like we do the entire Holy Word, not as a gentile (one in the nations of the world) but as a grafted in Hebrew, even if we were cut off from the common wealth of Israel before, but after our confession and giving our life to our Messiah Jesus Christ, we are now part of the Abrahamic lineage and the promised line through Isaac, Jacob, as a spiritual seed in our Messiah. Hence this book applies to us more than ever in this last hours before our King's return.
Highlights
Here are then key highlights as we close on Ch13 of the epistle to the Hebrews.
No mention of temple, only tabernacle
In the entire book of Hebrews, there is no mention of the words used by Paul or other authors of the new testament, around temple - either naios or heiron. The word used is only the temporary structure called tent or tabernacle as in the days of Moses, skene.
This is remarkable, as the detailed description of the sacrifices and the priesthood, is not set in the first or the second temple that was built by Solomon and in the times of Ezra/Nehemiah, respectively, but in the original tabernacle, as the children of Jacob traveled the wilderness before they came to the promised land.
History of faith
The only references to the land and the people through the two temple periods, comes from the details of various characters as testimony to faith - from judges, to prophets to common folks who demonstrated their faith by their action, thereby pleasing God.
This faith chapter stands as a bridge then to ensure the believers at the time of this letter being written, before the temple was destroyed around 70AD, to subsequent generations thru to ours, to see the temporary nature of the structures created with man-made hands, but to look for the city to come where the foundations will be laid by God Himself.
Each of the generation since, following the fall of the temple in 70AD, have had to demonstrate their faith and live by faith in new ways, as the challenges and the world changed around, but that first generation of believers who lived between the period, had to really call on the strength of God and the writings of the prophets to see the nature of His work, so they could abstain from sacrifices for sin offerings for their sins, in the hope that laid before them as delivered and completed by our Messiah. I can only imagine that difficulty in the transition and the change in mindset required for the new believer who were both Jews and the lost house of Israel along with their gentile neighbors, who were also converting.
Lets assume I was a greek or roman at this point in history, before the first advent of our Messiah. I am told by my Jewish neighbors as they proselytize me and for me to come into the faith, I have to leave my current practices and join the then Jewish religion, pledge my allegiance to YHVH as my God and be circumcised, and go through other ceremonies to be part of Israel and the entry into the religion. I also would have to keep all of the man-made laws (starting of Talmud at this time) they had around keeping of sabbath or eating clean and such. I also had to offer the sin and other burnt offerings periodically or when I was convicted in the temple. I also had to visit and gather at the temple in Jerusalem atleast 4 times a year. So just after few decades, following the advent of our Messiah, I am now told by the new believers, that the sacrifices are done with and I have an eternal redemption through the Son of God, and they prove that from the scriptures to contrast with the teachings of the religious establishment. The only way, I can accept and follow it is through the grace and mercy of God and His Holy Spirit doing its work in educating and bringing to knowledge of these facts.
Therefore, whether I was a Jew or Greek, I need[ed] God's mercy and His faith to work in us before I can reconcile what I had known prior to the light that is being shown to me. This is no different today, as I still need to come out of her, so as to not partake of her signs and abominations, and to stay separate from the world, relying on the character and nature of YHVH and His promises that was fulfilled in His Son. The faith chapter becomes the bridge for me to reconcile the promises of the Old Covenant with the delivered work of my Messiah.
Coming out of Egypt vs being an Israelite
As I reconcile the promises of the Old Covenant with the delivered work of my Messiah, the best place I needed to be in history to understand these promises of the Most High, is during the time of the exodus, some 3500+ years ago. This is demonstrated through the most of the chapters of this book, where it not only anchors on the promise and the same Gospel preached to them as they came to the wilderness, but also the ordinances and provisions made during the wilderness and when settled in the promised land of the priestly offices, terms of the covenant, how it was to be ratified and administered etc.
Although, I would like to dwell on the prophets and kings and the learnings in OT leading upto the first advent of our Messiah, the real analogy of my current walk has to be contrasted with the sons of Jacob who were brought of Egypt by the might hand of YHVH. Hence I need to look the faith of Caleb and Joshua and of Rahab to learn about how to handle the journey set forth now before the second advent of our Messiah. In addition, the full body of the NT scriptures and the elaboration of how the new covenant from Jer 31 is ratified, in our Messiah, helps me to rest in His completed work and to complete the race with endurance, under God's grace.
This book, is the only book in NT (or Brit'Hadashah) to expound on the [re]newed covenant as promised in Jer 31 and Eze 36. Hence as I grow in my knowledge of the religion and way establish by Jesus of Nazereth, I need to keep going to the book of Hebrews to understand how to graduate from milk to eating meat, as I continue to apply the teachings of the apostles and my High Priest and King, Christ Jesus.
Jesus our Sin Offering
Our place is outside the gate Heb13:11-12, where our Savior was crucified, and where the traditional sin sacrifice is burnt. We seek our Messiah there and claim redemption using His completed works, as our sin offering for our sins once in for all, that he might sanctify us with his own blood.
Therefore, our sacrifice is our lives, to be lived in accordance with the Holy Word of God, as Paul states in Romans 12. This includes our whole body, mind, strength and spirit. We also offer sacrifices of praise to God continually, which is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name, which are the calves He is looking for, as also mentioned in Hos14:2
This is also exemplified by our beneficial work as outlined earlier in the chapters while not forgetting to commune and fellowship, as this is pleasing to God.
Seek the city to come
We seek the city to come. This theme also resonates through out the book of Hebrews. We are sojourners on this earth and we look to the city to come, whos builder is the Most High God. This is part of Thy Kingdom come, which was heralded by John the Baptist and began with the Jesus proclaiming it and establishing it. We look to serve the only true King, who rules from the right hand of the Most High, in heavens. This means that we dont get comfortable here on earth and I need to be wary of the encumbrances the world and the flesh puts out to take my focus off my Messiah. The Pharisees were looking for a Lion, and missed the Lamb. We should not miss the Lion, by looking for the Lamb, as our Messiah returns as the King.
My summary
- As we looked, this is the only book in NT to explain the new covenant. The fulfilment is documented in the gospels and the rest of the letters of the apostles, but the specific promise of how the renewed covenant is ratified and administered is only expounded in this letter, directly quoting Jer 31 and Eze 36
- I should heed the lessons and warnings around falling away, and rely on the promises of God which is my eternal hope, following the examples of the folks in the wilderness journey before entering the promised land and the positive examples of faith from the history.
- Faith as the answer for all challenges and diverse doctrines thrown my way. Independent of theology or doctrinal frameworks that convince of sacrifices coming back or 3rd temple or whatever man-made machinations can come up with, using parts of the Holy Word or from smart sounding educated men, I should walk in faith and hope that is laid before me, just like my forefathers did, when they still saw the temple standing in 65AD, but relied on the completed work of our Messiah for sin, once for all.
- I also must realize and reason on the temporary nature of things as it was in the wilderness - frequent moves, full reliance on YHVH, not to grumble, learn the lessons laid before me, be joyful in prosperity and in persecution, since the eternal reward is the citizenship in a kingdom where the foundation is laid by God.
- Once I accept the Gospel and am under the new covenant or renewed covenant, then I am the citizen of the Kingdom of God. This will then answer the question I have had early in my conversion - You are saved, now what. The focus then goes form individual salvation of worrying about me and my life to broadening to the belief that I am now part of something bigger and eternal and holy, and in serving our Holy God. I am a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, even if I am temporarily sojourning on this earth. As a new citizen, my life now needs to be in accordance with the laws of the Kingdom and the expectation of my Lord, King and Ruler has of me, as the new citizen. I dont question filing taxes or the speed laws or the property laws, as I live as a citizen of USA. I try to understand them and be the dutiful citizen to USA. This is the same for the Heavenly Kingdom. Its not about rules or tick boxes, but a way of life and my conduct should reflect that as the citizen of this Heavenly Kingdom.
- The way of life as a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, is dictated by the precepts established by the Most High. What day to rest, what to eat, where and how to worship, how to approach Him, how to love Him, how to love our neighbors and many of the mundane every day thing of living is answered in His Holy Word. With our High Priest and King ministering to the Most High in the Heavens, we can rest assure of the intercessor who is there on our behalf to raise up our prayers and petitions. Therefore, the terms of the covenant established from the time of Adam, which was inherent by God communing with Adam, until explicitly stated during the time of Moses, remains. The ratification and administration of the covenant has changed
- its written in our hearts and we have the strength through a heart of flesh and the Holy Spirit and not in stone
- its administered to the corners of the world with any and all who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ, are grafted into the promise, hence are partakers in the Kingdom as citizens, and not just the 12 tribes who came out of Egypt 3+ centuries ago,
- and the chief administrator is not the Aaronic line but the High Priest Jesus Christ of the order of Melchizadek
- I also dont need to keep searching for God's will. Most of His will in what I should be doing, is revealed in His Word. We also have the ultimate example of how to discern and align to God's will, by our Messiah's testimony and life. I should start obeying His will as He has exposed it in His Word, and if He calls me to a specific task like that of Hosea (to marry a prostitute) or my Messiah (to sacrifice my life), then I will be better prepared.
- Therefore I need to be a dutiful citizen in the Kingdom of Heaven. But God has provided more than that. God has provided a way to love Him and please Him, which is more than just being a servant or citizen, but to become adopted son. This is demonstrated through the life of the faithful, who lived their faith in God the Most High and therefore pleased Him. I can do the same, with the help and grace of God.
Note: There might be folks, who might take offense to many that is stated here, and might try to bring in verses from other letters of Paul to justify their doctrinal position, I suggest few things to ponder upon
- remove all man made doctrines of Augustin, Luther or Calvin, or church father, Dispensationalism, Arminianism, Marcionism, Catholicism and any systematic theology of the last several centuries, and just use the full counsel of God in His Holy Word
- set aside the fact that Israel is a nation in middle east and look at how its used in the Bible
- keep Peter in mind 2Pe3:15-16 when using select verses from Paul, that seems to state the law is done away with. Here is a bit more background on this.
- read Acts, chapters following Paul's conversion, and see how he kept the Nazarite vow, partook in feasts and such
- remember Daniel and his friends, Mordechai, Ezra, Ezekial and others who were righteous as called by God, even when they were not offering sacrifices at the temple via the Aaronic line
- remember what Samuel says to Saul in response sparing King Agag
- Jesus' own teachings from Matt 5
- prayer and fasting to the Most High, so He could show the truth