Chapter Titles
1. The Final Word and Superior to Angels
2. First Warning and Christ’s Humanity
3. Jesus Greater than Moses and Second Warning
4. God’s Rest
5. Christ Our Great High Priest and Third Warning
6. Maturity, Apostasy and Promises
7. The Priesthood of Melchizedek
8. A Better Covenant
9. A Better Sanctuary
10. A Better Sacrifice and Forth Warning
11. Examples of Faith
12. Endure Chastising and Fifth Warning
13. Christian Living and Conclusion
Memory Verses
1: 1-2
2:9
3:13
4:14-16
5:7-8
6: 11
7: 27-28
8: 6
9:22
9: 27-28
10:24-25
10:38
11: 1
11:6
12:1-2
13: 12-14
The Warnings
|
|
Passage |
Warning |
Practice |
|
1 |
2:1-4 |
Don’t Drift |
Neglecting God’s revelation
|
|
2 |
3:6-4:13 |
Don’t Defect |
Hardening heart and displaying unbelief |
|
3 |
5:11-6:8 |
Don’t Degenerate |
Dull of hearing and immature
|
|
4 |
10:26-31 |
Don’t Despise |
Deliberate sinning
|
|
5 |
12:18-29 |
Don’t Deny |
Ignoring God’s holiness
|
Why the Warnings?
1. Although this is written to the church there are many tares among the wheat.
2. Falling away from God can be a gradual process.
3. We do NOT want to be surprised when we stand before the LORD on Judgment Day. (Matt. 7:13-23)
4. God’s revelation is the anchor for our souls (6:16-20)
5. God’s holiness is not a game (10:26-31)
Introduction and Background
Author
No greeting naming the author is evident in this letter; therefore the church fathers were unsure of who wrote it. Many have suggested that Paul is the author yet this letter lacks some of his characteristics (greeting, phrases and style). Others have suggested Apollos or someone who was close to Paul.
Date
Several factors date this letter between the years A.D. 40-70. At the writing of this letter, Timothy was still alive (13:23). Clement of Rome cites this letter and he lived around A.D. 95. Most likely, the temple had not been destroyed (A.D. 70) because the author would have alluded to it in dealing with the insufficiency of the temple sacrifices (10:2).
Recipients
This letter was written to Jewish Christians, which had a knowledge of Old Testament practices and stories, who were struggling with going back to Judaism. Yet this letter was also useful to the Gentile Christians who were struggling with the Judaizers or the allurements back into paganism.
Purpose
This letter is a work of exhortation (13:22). It was written to warn the readers to not turn back from following the LORD and to encourage them to stay true to the faith in Jesus Christ.
Themes
Shadows/ Types
Prophesies
Priesthood
Covenants
Angels
Melchizedek
Faith
Sacrifices
The Temple
Sabbath Rest
Discipline
Apostasy
The Final Word
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.
1. God spoke…
|
Differences |
Law |
Gospel |
| Manner | Many timesVarious ways | One dispensation (first century)One way- Spirit- Jesus- Apostles |
| Times/Seasons | In the past | In these last days |
| People receiving revelation | Our forefathers | To us |
| People giving the revelation | The prophets | His Son |
2. Neither was by man’s own invention but was from divine origins. (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
3. Long ago, at many times and in many ways…
- Old Testament
- Gradual and progressive disclosure
- Adam (Gen. 3)
- Noah (Gen. 8-9)
- Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3; 15:17-20; 17:1-2)
- Moses: David- prophets- Ezra
- Dreams, Visions, Voices, Angels, Prophecies, Sermons of prophets
4. In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…
1. Jesus appeared to the prophets in the Old Testament as the “Angel of Jehovah.”
- Gen. 16:21- Hagar
- Gen 22- Abraham
- Gen 32 -Jacob
- Num. 22 Balaam
- Judges 6- Gideon
2. Old Testament intervention of the Son of God is different from the incarnation.
3. Because Jesus had the divine nature, he was able to receive the will of God.
4. The will of the Father was carried out by the Son of God becoming human. (John 1:14)
5. The union of the person of the Son of God and his human nature is a “holy thing.”
6. Jesus had a special endowment of the Holy Spirit which is beyond our comprehension. (John 1:33; Luke 4:1)
7. The prophesies of Jesus were greater than those of the prophets because they were the fulfillment and demonstration of the prophet’s types and shadows.
(John 1:17-18; Eph. 3:8-11; Col. 1:26-27; 2 Tim. 1:9-10; Titus 2:11)
8. The Jews had an expectation of the Messiah, who would reveal a new and final revelation from God. (John 4:25)
Application:
1. There is a God and He is not silent…
- He has revealed Himself and His will in both general and special revelation.
- You are not alone or on your own.
2. Specifically, God has revealed Himself in the Law, Prophets and Jesus. Therefore we need NOT look elsewhere!
3. Jesus is the fulfillment! Don’t look for anyone or anymore!
Compare Jesus to anything or anyone and he is superior to them all because he is…
- Appointed the heir of all things
- Position
Appointed to
- Possession
All things
- He created the world
- John 1:3
- Colossians 1:16
- Radiance of the glory of God
- Glory and Word- “Shekinah” (Dt. 4:12; Ex. 40:34-35; John 1:1)
God
Shekinah (mediating terms: glory and word)
World
- Light in darkness
- God’s presence- “dwelt in” or “rested upon”
John 2:19-21- His temple = His body
Jer. 31:31-33
- Exact imprint of his nature
- “to engrave” or the impression of a signet ring
1 Tim. 6:16; Colossians 1:15; 2:9; John 1:18;
- Jesus was the invisible becoming visible and the infinite becoming understandable to the finite.
- “Sometimes it is a greater thing to withhold the putting forth of power than to exert it!”
- He upholds the universe by the word of his power
- Carry or support- Mark 2:3
- To energize or impel- 2 Peter 1:21
- This shows his Divine providence in that he preserves and governs. (Jn 17:2; Col. 1:17)
- After making purification for sins
- Jesus purged away the filth of our sins
- Where O.T. sacrifices were never complete or sufficient Jesus work was both.
Lev 16:30; 1 John 1:7
- He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high
- Honor- “at the right hand” and “Majesty”
- Finished work- “sat down”
- Rest – “sat down”
Christ is Superior to Angels
Hebrews 1:4- 14
The angels were very significant in the Jewish mind. The Law had been given through the angels. Man was made lower than the angels (Psalm 8:4-6; Hebrews 2:6-7). How then, in the Jewish mind, could the author show that Christ was greater than the angels?
|
Jesus |
Angels |
Scripture |
| the Son | Servants. | Ps 2:7; 104:4; 2 Sam 7:14 |
| the King | Subjects | Ps 45:6-7; Isa 61:1 |
| the Creator | Creatures | Ps; 102:25-27 |
| Seated | Standing | Ps 110:1 |
In Hebrews 1:6 what is the relation of the angels to Jesus (Ps 97:7)?
What divine attributes do you find in these OT verses about Jesus?
Think about the One who is worthy of our worship and adoration.
Is He the object of all your love and obedience?
Consider the work of angels (1:14). How do they minister to believers? Do you have a guardian angel story?
