Getting the Most out of Hebrews (4)
This is the fourth post in a series that will help you get the most from
reading the book of Hebrews. To start at the beginning, click
here.
Hebrews: Something Old, Something New
Some circles seemingly consider the Old Testament obsolete, out-dated, and
out of touch with the new world of the New Testament. I have heard teachers
claim that unless the New Testament reaffirms an Old Testament doctrine, such
doctrine is null and void. I have, then, heard others use this principle to argue
against using musical instruments during worship. The New Testament references
unaccompanied singing, and therefore the cymbals, pipes, harps, and other Old
Testament testimony of making music is now forbidden in this new world of grace,
but no law -- (Did that sound cynical?)
In light of this, understanding the book of Hebrews for many Christians will
be difficult, because it assumes the reader knows the Law, and the Prophets, and
the Writings of the old saints. Since my main goal of this extended series is to
provide tools for making this book your own, I would like to cover four
essential concepts that you need to know in order to make headway.
Moses and Other Messengers
Moses was the greatest prophet in the Old Testament. Among Jews today, he
is still the greatest of all God's messengers to mankind. He must be count great
among Christians, as well. This is his legacy:
Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses,
whom the Lord
knew face to face, for all the signs and wonders which
the Lord
sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and
all his land, and for all the mighty power and for all
the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.
(Deuteronomy 34:10-12, NASB)
Moses gave us the Law of God spoken from Mount Sinai. Born after him were
other messengers who spoke in other, less direct ways:
- Isaiah communicated visions, gave his children interesting names like
Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, and spoke oracles from the Lord.
- Hosea married a prostitute as part of his message to Israel. He also gave
his children prophetic names like Lo-Ami (Not my people).
- Amos could look at everyday objects, like a plumb line, and use them to
communicate God's truths.
- Ezekiel communicated in visions and play acting.
The more you know about the diversity of God's messages through his prophets,
the more you can understand the unique opening of Hebrews:
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the
prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these
last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things,
through whom also He made the world. And He is the
radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds
all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He
sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having
become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent
name than they. For to which of the angels did He
ever say, “You
are My Son, Today
I have
begotten You”? And again, “I will
be a Father to Him
And He shall be a Son to Me”?
(Hebrews 1:1-5)
The writer to the Hebrews begins his work by showing Jesus to be a better
messenger with a better message than all the other messengers. Thus he begins
his great theme that Jesus is superior to Moses and the other prophets by virtue
of His being "the exact representation of His nature."
The Kinsman Redeemer
There is an interesting Old Testament word that requires several different English
words to carry its meaning. That word is goel. Here is how
this word is translated:
- Kinsman -- this is in Leviticus 25:25. A close relative has the
responsibility of redeeming property sold to pay debts.
- Redeemer -- this is in Leviticus 25:49. A close relative has the
responsibility of redeeming another relative sold as a slave to pay debts.
- Blood Avenger -- this is in Deuteronomy 19:12. A close relative has
the responsibility to avenge the blood of a close relative killed by
another.
So goel communicates both blood ties and the responsibilities that
pertain to those ties. They are two sides of the same coin and cannot be
separated. In the story of Ruth, Boaz is the kinsman of Naomi and, by extension,
Ruth. And so Ruth is free to approach Boaz and say to him, “I
am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close
relative.” To transliterate, Ruth says, "You are a goel."
The writer of Hebrews uses this concept of the kinsman-redeemer to develop
the essential reason why God had to take human form to provide salvation to
mankind:
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and
through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the
author of their salvation through sufferings. For
both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father;
for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying,
“I will proclaim
Your name to My brethren, In
the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.”
And again, “I will
put My trust in Him.” And again, “Behold,
I and the children
whom God has given Me.” Therefore,
since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook
of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the
power of death, that is, the devil, and might free
those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
(Hebrews 2:10-15)
Note these words especially, "Therefore, since the children share in
flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same." By sharing
our nature, Jesus became a kinsman and took on the responsibilities of freeing
us from slavery.
Melchizedek
This is one person who is central to the argument of Hebrews. You must
understand what the Old Testament says about him in Genesis and Psalm 110, and
then see how the author of Hebrews develops a picture of Jesus as Priest and
King.
Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer
and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the
valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And
Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of
God Most High. He blessed him and said, “Blessed
be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And
blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” He
gave him a tenth of all. (Genesis 14:17-20)
The Lord
says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I
make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” The Lord
will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying,“
Rule in the midst of Your enemies.” Your people
will volunteer freely in the day of Your power; In holy array, from the womb
of the dawn, Your youth are to You as the
dew. The Lord
has sworn and will not change His mind, “You are a priest forever According
to the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at Your
right hand; He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath. He
will judge among the nations, He will fill them with
corpses, He will shatter the chief men over a broad country. He
will drink from the brook by the wayside; Therefore He will lift up His
head. (Psalm 110:1-7)
There you have the sum total of what the Old Testament has to say about
Melchizedek, but Hebrews mentions him by name over eight times. What is
important is that Psalm 110 tells us that Messiah will be both a king and a
priest. It opens the door to a priesthood outside the bloodline of Aaron. The
writer of Hebrews uses Psalm 110, Jesus' death, and references to the tabernacle
to tell us how Jesus' death saved us.
The Tabernacle and Sacrifice
The author of Hebrews also connects with the Jewish sacrificial system, which
he describes in the context of the wilderness tabernacle rather than the temple
in Jerusalem.
Now even the first covenant had
regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary. For
there was a tabernacle prepared, the outer one, in which were
the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread;
this is called the holy place. Behind the second veil
there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, having
a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with
gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which
budded, and the tables of the covenant; and above it were
the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy
seat; but of these things we cannot now speak in detail. (Hebrews 9:1-5)
You may want to refer to this
image.
- The tabernacle consisted of a courtyard that contained the altar and
washing basin. The priests entered this area freely each day to make the
daily offerings. These included burnt offerings, sin offerings, guilt
offerings, and fellowship offerings.
- Within this courtyard was a tent, or tabernacle, that contained a front
room and a back room.
- The front room was the Holy Place wherein a priest kept a lamp burning,
burned incense at prescribed times, and replaced the bread of presence each
day. Access to the Holy Place was restricted to a single priest each day,
but there was a cycle of families that rotated in this service. It was this
service that Zechariah, John the Baptist's father, engaged in when he saw
the angel Gabriel.
- The back room was the Holiest of Holies. Here the High Priest only could
enter once a year to make an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the nation.
This system separated the general population from the Levites who care for
the tabernacle and its furnishings. The Levites, in turn, were separated from
the population of priests, who all descended from Aaron. The priests were
separated from the current family that offered the daily incense. Everybody was
separated from the single High Priest who could make the offerings on the Day of
Atonement. Once again, Hebrews says:
Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests
are continually entering the outer tabernacle performing the divine worship,
but into the second, only the high priest enters
once a year, not without taking
blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in
ignorance. The Holy Spirit is
signifying this, that the way into the holy
place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing,
which is a
symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered
which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, since
they relate only to
food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a
time of reformation. (Hebrews 9:6-10)
As you read Hebrews, you will come face to face with the realities after
Jesus death and resurrection.
Wednesday: Jesus in the Book of Hebrews
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