There are many opinions on the author of the book of Hebrews. We
believe it was a collaborative effort with Paul and some of his closest
companions. Most commentators agree on the time frame of the writing and
it would place the writing of Hebrews near the time of Paul's death. In
his last recorded letter Paul asks Timothy to bring the scrolls,
especially the parchments. Could it be that the parchments had no
writing on them and that is what was used to write Hebrews?
Heb 1:3
The
Son is the radiance of God's glory (see Genesis 1) and the exact
representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.
After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right
hand of the Majesty in heaven.
God spoke in the past
through the prophets, the Old Testament. Now we have God speaking to us
through His Son, the New Testament. Not only did Jesus create
everything, He sustains it and keeps it together. There will come a
time when He will stop sustaining everything and there will be a new
heaven and a new earth. (see 2 Peter)
Until we make the
"Son" the center of our universe with all our lives revolving around
Him, then we fall short of all God wants us to be.
Heb 1:14
Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
This
verse is a great comfort for those of us who have loved ones who are
not yet believers. Even when they have not made a decision, angels are
sent to serve them. This verse took us on a thought journey concerning
holy angels and evil angels. It seems that only holy angels have the
ability to manifest themselves in human form. Evil angels must inhabit
some person or animal and are unable to manifest themselves in human
form. They are however able to inhabit unbelievers.
Heb 2:15
and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
How
many believers live in fear of death? So many of us "worms" are afraid
to go into the "cocoon" in order to emerge as a beautiful "butterfly".
Jesus freed us from the fear of death.
Heb 3:6
But
Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if
we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.
Courage and hope are built on the foundation of Jesus. We are His "house" while we sojourn here.
Heb 3:10-13
That
is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, 'Their hearts are
always going astray, and they have not known my ways.' So I declared on
oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.'" See to it,
brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns
away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it
is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's
deceitfulness.
The writer(s) or Hebrews tells us that God
was angry with the generation of Moses and said that they would never
enter His rest. They wandered around for forty years and were not
allowed to go into the "Promised Land". If we substitute salvation for
rest, we can make the connection that if we do not know His ways, if our
hearts go astray, if we have a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns
away from God, we will not have His "rest" (salvation).
The
"Today" that is mentioned in this passage is the first day of our
eternity. Today begins at the moment of our conversion and the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is what the criminal on the cross
experienced.
Luke 23:43
Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
Heb 3:19
So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.
They
don't have salvation, therefore no rest. The gospel was preached to
Moses and the others in the desert. The message was of no value to them
because they did not combine it with faith.
Heb 4:12
For
the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged
sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and
marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
How is the word of God living and active?
Heb 4:16
Let
us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may
receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
We have this confidence in Him not in ourselves. It is approaching the throne without doubt or fear and with respect.
Heb 6:1-2
Therefore
let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to
maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that
lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the
laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
As
Christians we should have no need of laying again the basic foundations
of the faith. We should know the fundamentals. We grow in our
understanding of those areas that may be "fuzzy" for us.
Heb 6:7
Land
that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop
useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.
Sounds as if we should drink in the nourishing "rain" and produce a crop of righteousness.
Matt 13:8
Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop-- a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
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