Tag: Hebrews
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The Greater Blessing the Lesser – Genesis 47:7
Genesis 47:7 And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. What a scene this is. Joseph brings Jacob into the presence of Pharaoh, the ruler of the greatest empire on earth. Pharaoh had power. Pharaoh had wealth. Pharaoh had position. Pharaoh sat on a throne men would…
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He Went Before Them – Genesis 46:31-32
Genesis 46:31-32 And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father’s house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father’s house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me; And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and…
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Alive, Not Just Impressive – Genesis 33:16
Genesis 33:16So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir. Esau leaves the scene here looking very good. And in one sense, he was good. He had every reason to stay angry with Jacob, but he let it go. He did not cling to the offense. He only took Jacob’s gift when Jacob pressed…
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Enough Already – Genesis 33:9
Genesis 33:9And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself. That had to stop Jacob in his tracks. All that planning.All those droves.All that effort to secure favor. And Esau says, “I have enough… keep it.” In other words, “You don’t need to buy anything here.” That is striking, because…
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Trading Away What Matters – Genesis 25:31-34
Genesis 25:31-34And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread…
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He Sees Us Coming – Genesis 24:63-67
Genesis 24:63-67 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide; and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh…
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From Milk to Meat – Genesis 21:8
Genesis 21:8And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. That might seem like a simple little verse, but it carries more weight than you might think. Isaac reached the point where he no longer depended on his mother’s milk, and Abraham celebrated it…
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The Hebrews Begin to Come into View – Genesis 10:18-21
Genesis 10:18-21 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha. These are the sons…
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Finding Grace in His Eyes – Genesis 6:8-10
Genesis 6:8, 9, 10 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. What a wonderful phrase that is. Noah found grace in the…
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The Blood That Cries, The Blood That Cleanses – Genesis 4:10
Genesis 4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. This is one of the most haunting lines in all of Genesis. Abel is dead, silent in the field, and yet God says his blood still has a voice. Cain may think the matter…
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God’s Way, Not Mine – Genesis 4:2-4
Genesis 4:2-4 And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat…
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Worship God – Revelation 22:8-9
Revelation 22:8, 9And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets,…
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Grace Around the Throne – Revelation 4:3
Revelation 4:3“And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.” John says the One on the throne looked like jasper and sardine stone. Jasper seems to speak of brilliance, clarity, light. That matters, because…
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The Sword That Sets Things Straight – Revelation 2:16
Revelation 2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Jesus does not leave Pergamos wondering what He thinks about mixture and compromise. He says it plainly. Repent. That is the answer. Not better management. Not smoother language. Not a more careful balancing…
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A Few Words and a Lot of Grace – Hebrews 13:22–25
Hebrews 13:22–25 And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words.Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you. Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints.…
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The God of Peace Finishes What He Starts – Hebrews 13:20–21
Hebrews 13:20–21 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom…
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Joy in the Shepherding – Hebrews 13:17–19
Hebrews 13:17–19 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things…
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The Sacrifice of Encouragement – Hebrews 13:16
Have you ever watched one child thank another without being told? It almost stops you in your tracks. There is something so clean about it. No prompting. No bargaining. No lecture first. Just kindness offered freely, and suddenly the whole room feels lighter. A parent sees that and smiles almost without thinking. That little moment…
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Praise on the Pilgrim Road – Hebrews 13:14–15
There are seasons when praise feels easy. A man wakes up lighthearted. Prayer feels warm. Worship comes naturally. Gratitude rises without effort. It is springtime in the soul, and the fruit seems to come almost by itself. But then there are other seasons. The sky feels gray inside. Traffic wears on you. Dishes pile up.…
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Outside the Camp with Jesus – Hebrews 13:13
A man can stay in the camp his whole life and still never really come to Jesus. He can love the structure, the familiarity, the smell of religion, the visible symbols, the old routines. He can feel safe there because everything is recognizable. The camp has walls. The camp has ceremony. The camp has approval.…
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Outside for Our Sin – Hebrews 13:12
Hebrews 13:12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. There is a reason Hebrews makes a point of saying Jesus suffered without the gate. At first glance, that can feel like a small detail. A matter of location. Just geography. But it is much more than…
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Outside the Camp – Hebrews 13:10–11
There is something in us that likes visible religion. We like places we can point to, systems we can touch, rituals we can repeat. It feels solid to stand near an altar, watch the smoke rise, and say, “There it is. That is where God meets man.” The Jewish believer reading Hebrews would have understood…
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Grace at the Center – Hebrews 13:9
Sometimes people miss the feel of religion more than the reality of Jesus. They miss the movement, the ceremony, the visible structure. They miss the sense of doing something tangible. It feels spiritual to handle sacred things, to follow a sequence, to smell incense, to keep a rule, to observe a ritual. And because of…
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The Love That Never Changes – Hebrews 13:8
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. This little verse stands like a rock in the middle of the chapter. Everything around it moves through real life—loving the saints, welcoming strangers, caring for the hurting, honoring marriage, learning contentment, walking in submission. And right here, underneath it all, is…
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Words Backed by the Word – Hebrews 13:7
Hebrews 13:7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Submission becomes much easier when authority is tied to truth instead of ego. That is the heartbeat of this verse. The writer is not telling people to…
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Satisfied Because He Stays – Hebrews 13:5–6
Hebrews 13:5–6 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Covetousness always whispers the same…
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Honor What God Joined – Hebrews 13:4
Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. God does not speak about marriage like it is a burden to survive or a social contract to manage. He speaks of it with honor. That matters. In a world that treats covenant like something disposable, Scripture…
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Feeling Their Chains – Hebrews 13:3
Hebrews 13:3 Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. Brotherly love does more than speak kindly. It feels deeply. The writer tells believers to remember those who are in bonds—as though we were chained beside them. In the early church…
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Hospitality Without Knowing – Hebrews 13:2
Hebrews 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Brotherly love does not stay inside the circle of familiar faces. It reaches outward. It shows itself in the way we treat strangers. The writer says we should not forget to show hospitality, because in doing so some have entertained angels…
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Let It Continue – Hebrews 13:1
Hebrews 13:1 Let brotherly love continue. The writer closes the letter with a simple exhortation: let brotherly love continue. Notice what he does not say. He does not say, “Create brotherly love.” He does not say, “Manufacture it.” The implication is that this love already exists among believers because they share the same life in Christ.…
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The Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken – Hebrews 12:28–29
Hebrews 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: After talking about the shaking of heaven and earth, the writer now brings us to the destination. A kingdom that cannot be moved. Everything around us can shake. Nations rise…
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When God Shakes the Ground – Hebrews 12:25–27
Hebrews 12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven. The warning here is simple and direct: do not refuse the voice of God. At Sinai, when God…
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The Better Mountain – Hebrews 12:22–24
Hebrews 12:22–24 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made…
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The Mountain That Shook – Hebrews 12:18–21
Hebrews 12:18–19 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more. The writer…
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The Blessing and the Birthright – Hebrews 12:17
Hebrews 12:17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. Esau’s story does not end with the bowl of beans. At first he treated his birthright like it meant nothing. He tossed it…
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Don’t Trade the Birthright – Hebrews 12:16
Hebrews 12:16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. The writer now gives a sobering example of what bitterness can eventually produce. Esau. All through this chapter we’ve been warned about the danger of a root of bitterness. Now we see what that root…
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Watch the Root – Hebrews 12:15
Hebrews 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled. As the race continues, the writer now gives a warning. Watch carefully. Stay alert. Guard your heart. Because there is something that can quietly grow beneath the surface…
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Chasing the Right Prize – Hebrews 12:14
Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. The word translated follow can also be rendered pursue. It is a strong word. It means to chase after something with determination. That fits perfectly with the race imagery running through this chapter. Every athlete pursues something. One runner chases a…
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Back in the Race – Hebrews 12:12–13
Hebrews 12:12–13 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. After talking about discipline producing fruit, the writer now gives a strong encouragement. Lift up your hands.Strengthen your…
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The Sweet Fruit Later – Hebrews 12:11
Hebrews 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Let’s be honest about discipline. No child ever jumps up and says, “Oh good, I’m being corrected today!” Discipline never feels pleasant in the moment. It…
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For Our Profit – Hebrews 12:10
Hebrews 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Earthly fathers discipline their children, but their reasons are not always perfect. Sometimes a dad corrects a child because he is embarrassed. Sometimes it is frustration. Sometimes…
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The Father Who Corrects – Hebrews 12:5–9
Hebrews 12:5–6 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. After speaking about running a race, the writer now…
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The Place of Surrender – Hebrews 12:4
Hebrews 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. The writer brings us down close here. Very close. After telling us to consider Jesus, he now says, in essence, “You have not yet come to the place He came to.” You have struggled. You have sweated. You have wrestled. But you have…
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When Your Mind Starts to Give Way – Hebrews 12:3
Hebrews 12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. There is a kind of exhaustion that has nothing to do with muscles or sleep. It settles in the mind. It comes when pressure keeps building, when people keep resisting, when the road…
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Joy on the Other Side – Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. After telling us to run with patience, the writer of Hebrews now tells us where…
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Run Light – Hebrews 12:1
Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Hebrews 11 showed us the walk of faith. It gave us…
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Better Than a Parted Sea – Hebrews 11:40
Hebrews 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. It is easy to romanticize the old stories. We think, “If only I could have stood there when the sea split open. If only I could have seen fire fall. If only I could have watched…
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Commended Before Completion – Hebrews 11:39
Hebrews 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise. After all the names, all the stories, all the victories, all the suffering, Hebrews brings us to this surprising line: they obtained a good report through faith, yet they did not receive the promise. That is a remarkable sentence. These…
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Faith That Wins Without Escaping – Hebrews 11:35–38
Hebrews 11:35–38 …and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted,…
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Faith Is Not a Formula for Getting Your Way – Hebrews 11:32–35
Hebrews 11:32–35 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire,…
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Grace Knows How to Find the Unlikely – Hebrews 11:31
Hebrews 11:31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace. The verse almost makes you stop and look twice. Right here in the great roll call of faith, alongside names like Moses and Joshua, stands Rahab. And Scripture does not hide what she…
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March Until God Moves – Hebrews 11:30
Hebrews 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. For six days, it must have looked ridiculous. Israel was not battering the walls. They were not scaling them. They were not rolling out some impressive siege machinery. They were just walking. Round and round. Day after day.…
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Leave Egypt in the Water – Hebrews 11:29
Hebrews 11:29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. The sea opened, but that was only half the story. Israel walked through on dry ground, safe under the hand of God. Then the same waters that made a path for them came…
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The House Marked by Blood – Hebrews 11:28
Hebrews 11:28 Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. Imagine that night in Egypt. A father has his family inside. The meal is prepared. The air feels heavy. Outside, judgment is coming. No one in that house is saying, “We’ll probably be…
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He Could See What Egypt Couldn’t – Hebrews 11:27
Hebrews 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. A man walks away from the palace, and all the power of Egypt is behind him. That is the scene. Moses did not leave some distant system he barely knew. He left…
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He Saw a Better Return – Hebrews 11:26
Hebrews 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. Picture Moses standing in the middle of two economies. On one side, Egypt. Gold. Power. Prestige. Stored-up treasure. Immediate advantage. The kind of wealth people can count, polish, stack, and brag…
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The Pain You Choose Matters – Hebrews 11:25
Hebrews 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Moses made a hard choice, but it was a clear one. He chose suffering with the people of God over the passing pleasures of sin. That line is honest in a way Scripture…
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He Walked Away From a Crown – Hebrews 11:24
Hebrews 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. The writer slows down here and begins to show us the shape of Moses’ faith. And the first thing we see is not a miracle, not a plague, not a parted sea. We see a…
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See More Than What Is in Front of You – Hebrews 11:23
Hebrews 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment. Before Moses ever stretched out a rod, before he ever stood before Pharaoh, before he ever led anyone through the sea, he…
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Hope That Outlives You – Hebrews 11:22
Hebrews 11:22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones. Joseph is standing at the very edge of death, and what is on his mind? Not Egypt’s power.Not his own achievements.Not even the comfort of the moment. He is talking about…
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Bless Them for What God Can Yet Make of Them – Hebrews 11:20–21
Hebrews 11:20, 21 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. It is striking that as these men neared the end of their lives, they were still speaking forward.…
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Faith Believes Past What It Has Ever Seen – Hebrews 11:18–19
Hebrews 11:18, 19 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. Picture Abraham at the foot of the mountain. The wood is ready. Isaac is beside him. The…
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God Counts the Child of Promise – Hebrews 11:17
Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. This verse lands with real weight because it brings Abraham to the place where faith costs him something deep. He is not merely asked to leave Ur now. He is…
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A Better Country Keeps You From Going Back – Hebrews 11:14–16
Hebrews 11:14–16 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to…
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Strangers Here, Steady in Faith – Hebrews 11:13
Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. There is something both strong and tender in this verse. These people died in faith. Not after seeing…
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When Weak Faith Still Holds On – Hebrews 11:11–12
Hebrews 11:11, 12 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and…
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Still in a Tent, Still Heading Home – Hebrews 11:9–10
Hebrews 11:9, 10 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Picture Abraham at dusk. Tent canvas pulling in…
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When God Says Go, Start Walking – Hebrews 11:8
Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. There is something almost unsettling about Abraham’s story here. God called him to leave, and Abraham obeyed without knowing exactly where he…
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Build With Tomorrow in Mind – Hebrews 11:7
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. Noah heard about a world that had not yet arrived. Rain…
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The Soul That Seeks God Will Not Be Empty – Hebrews 11:6
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. This verse gives us two anchor points for faith. First, faith believes that God is. That sounds almost too simple, but…
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What Pleases God Most – Hebrews 11:5
Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. Enoch steps onto the page almost quietly, but what is said about him is stunning. He was translated. Taken. Removed before…
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The Offering God Receives – Hebrews 11:4
Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. The first man mentioned in Hebrews 11 is Abel, and that is not accidental. The writer begins here because…
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What You See Came From What You Couldn’t See – Hebrews 11:3
Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Hebrews does not begin the story of faith with a small example. It begins with creation. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed…
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Faith Rests Its Weight on God – Hebrews 11:2
Hebrews 11:2 For by it the elders obtained a good report. Faith can sound like something distant or complicated, but really, it shows up in daily life all the time. We sit down in a chair without inspecting every joint. We drive down the road trusting the car will respond when we hit the brakes.…
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Faith Sees It Before It Shows Up – Hebrews 11:1
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The writer of Hebrews has spent ten chapters laying the foundation. He has been showing us who Jesus is, what He accomplished, and why going back to old religious systems would be a terrible trade. Then he turns…
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Don’t Go Back to a Wasted Life – Hebrews 10:38–39
Hebrews 10:38, 39 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. These verses draw a hard line in the dirt.…
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Don’t Throw Away Your Nerve – Hebrews 10:35–37
Hebrews 10:35–37 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. There is a worn-out kind…
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Don’t Trade Tomorrow for Applause Today – Hebrews 10:32–34
Hebrews 10:32–34 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds,…
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Resting in What Was Finished – Hebrews 10:30–31
Picture a man who has just finished paying off a crushing debt. For years he tried to chip away at it—extra shifts, tighter budgets, sleepless nights worrying about the balance that never seemed to disappear. Then one day the notice comes: the account is settled. Paid in full. But imagine if that man kept sending payments anyway.…
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Grace Insulted – Hebrews 10:29
Imagine someone giving you an extraordinary gift. Not something small. Not something casual. But something costly—something that required real sacrifice. They hand it to you freely, with kindness and love. Now imagine pushing the gift back across the table and saying, “No thanks. I’ll pay for it myself.” That wouldn’t simply be unnecessary. It would…
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A Warning Worth Hearing – Hebrews 10:26–29
A father is teaching his young son to cross a busy street. Cars rush by. Engines roar. The boy is eager to run ahead, but the father grabs his shoulder and says, “Stop.” The boy frowns, thinking the warning is harsh. But the father isn’t trying to control him—he’s trying to protect him. Think about…
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Encouraging Each Other on the Way – Hebrews 10:24–25
Picture a group of travelers climbing a steep mountain trail together. The higher they go, the harder the climb becomes. The air grows thinner. The rocks get loose. The trail narrows. One person slips, and another quickly grabs his arm. Someone else starts to lag behind, exhausted, and another turns around and says, “Come on—you’re…
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Held by His Faithfulness — Hebrews 10:23
Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) At first glance, this verse sounds like a command about our stability. “Hold fast.”“Do not waver.” It almost sounds like the writer is saying the Christian life depends on how tightly we can grip our faith. But…
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A True Heart — Hebrews 10:21–22
Hebrews 10:21–22 And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. The invitation here is simple, but it is also one of the hardest things for people…
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The Torn Veil — Hebrews 10:20
Hebrews 10:20 …which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh. That verse is breathtaking when you slow down enough to feel it. The veil in the tabernacle was not just fabric. It was a barrier. It said, “You may come this far, but no farther.” It stood between…
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Mercy Over the Record — Hebrews 10:15–20
Hebrews 10:15–20 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will…
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Perfected Forever — Hebrews 10:13–14
Hebrews 10:13–14 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Jesus is seated now, waiting until every enemy is finally put under His feet. That means history is not drifting. It is moving. The King is not worried, not scrambling, not…
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Seated for You — Hebrews 10:12
Hebrews 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God. That one word changes everything: sat down. Under the old system, the priest never sat down because the work was never finished. There was always another sacrifice, another reminder, another day of ministry,…
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The Never Finished Life — Hebrews 10:11
Hebrews 10:11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. There is a sadness in that verse if you stop and look at it closely. Every priest standeth.Daily.Offering the same sacrifices.Again and again. He never sits down because the work is never finished. That is the…
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Once for All — Hebrews 10:9–10
Hebrews 10:9–10 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. There is a holy finality in these verses. Jesus came to…
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The One Sacrifice — Hebrews 10:7–8
Hebrews 10:7–8 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law. There is something strong…
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A Body Prepared — Hebrews 10:5–6
Hebrews 10:5–6 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. There is something holy and tender in these words. They pull the curtain back and let us hear what sounds…
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Shadow and Savior — Hebrews 10:1–4
Hebrews 10:1–4 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have…
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Crown, Not Cross — Hebrews 9:28
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. The first coming of Jesus and the second coming of Jesus are not for the same purpose. The first time He came, He came to…
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One Life, One Death, One Judgment — Hebrews 9:27
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. This is one of those verses that clears the air fast. We do not move through endless cycles of lives, coming back again and again in different forms, hoping eventually to work our way upward. Scripture does not…
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Once for All — Hebrews 9:25–26
Hebrews 9:25–26 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the…
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In Heaven for Us — Hebrews 9:24
Hebrews 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. The earthly tabernacle was never the final destination. It was a figure. A copy. A model of something greater. The…
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Better Than the Pattern — Hebrews 9:23
Hebrews 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. The earthly tabernacle was never the main thing. It was a pattern. A copy. A shadow cast by a greater reality. That is why everything connected…
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Blood and Forgiveness — Hebrews 9:18–22
Hebrews 9:18–22 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, Saying, This is the blood of…
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The Covenant Put Into Effect — Hebrews 9:15–17
Hebrews 9:15–17 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of…
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A Cleansed Conscience — Hebrews 9:13–14
Hebrews 9:13–14 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living…
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Inspect the Lamb — Hebrews 9:11–12
Hebrews 9:11–12 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained…
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The Closed Door — Hebrews 9:8–10
Hebrews 9:8–10 The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as…
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Beyond Ignorance — Hebrews 9:7
Hebrews 9:7 …not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people. When the high priest entered the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, he never entered empty handed. He came with blood. Blood for himself.Blood for the people. But the verse adds an interesting detail. The blood was…
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Once a Year — Hebrews 9:7
Hebrews 9:7 But into the second went the high priest alone once every year… Behind the veil was the Holy of Holies—the most sacred place in the entire tabernacle. No one went in there. Not the priests. Not the Levites. Not the people. Only one man could enter, and he could do so only once a…
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The Daily Ministry — Hebrews 9:6
Hebrews 9:6 Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. After the tabernacle was set in order and everything placed where it belonged, the priests began their daily ministry. Their service was not occasional. It was constant. Every day they entered the Holy Place.…
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Mercy Above the Ark — Hebrews 9:3–5
Hebrews 9:3–5 And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; And over it the cherubims of…
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The Place of Meeting — Hebrews 9:1–2
Hebrews 9:1–2 Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. When God instructed Moses to build the tabernacle, He was establishing something remarkable: a meeting place between…
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Mercy That Won’t Keep Score — Hebrews 8:12–13
Hebrews 8:12–13 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. This is where the heart just stops and stares…
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Knowing the Lord — Hebrews 8:11
Hebrews 8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. This is one of the most tender marks of the New Covenant. God is not merely gathering people around information about Him. He is…
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Written Within — Hebrews 8:10
Hebrews 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. This is one…
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Not According to the First — Hebrews 8:8–9
Hebrews 8:8, 9 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand…
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Better Promises, Better Covenant — Hebrews 8:6, 7
Hebrews 8:6, 7 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. Jesus did not come to polish up…
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The Pattern and the Shadow — Hebrews 8:5
Hebrews 8:5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. The tabernacle in the wilderness was never meant to be…
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A Better Priesthood — Hebrews 8:2–4
Hebrews 8:2–4 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest,…
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The Whole Sum — Hebrews 8:1
Hebrews 8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens. Everything the writer has been saying comes down to this one glorious reality: we have such a High Priest. Not…
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Forever Enough — Hebrews 7:26–28
Hebrews 7:26–28 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.For the…
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Saved All the Way Through — Hebrews 7:25
Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. That is not thin comfort. That is deep water. Jesus does not save halfway. He does not get a man started and then leave him to finish…
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One Priest Who Never Changes — Hebrews 7:24
Hebrews 7:24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. There is a deep comfort in that verse. Under the old system, priests kept changing because men kept dying. One would serve, then another would take his place, and then another after him. The office remained, but the man did not. So…
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A Better Testament, A Living Priest — Hebrews 7:22–23
Hebrews 7:22–23 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death. What a contrast this is. Under the old system, there were many priests. Not because the system was overflowing with strength, but because death kept…
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Sworn In Forever — Hebrews 7:20–21
Hebrews 7:20–21 And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:(For those priests were made without an oath;But this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek:) There is something very weighty here. The…
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A Better Hope — Hebrews 7:18–19
Hebrews 7:18–19 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.For the law made nothing perfect; but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. That is strong language. The old commandment is set aside, not because God made…
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A Priest from Another Tribe — Hebrews 7:13–17
Hebrews 7:13–17 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there…
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The Rules Changed — Hebrews 7:12
Hebrews 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. That verse is brief, but it swings a very big door open. The writer of Hebrews is saying that if God has brought in a different Priest, then the whole arrangement connected to the old priesthood has…
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Why Another Priest? — Hebrews 7:11
Hebrews 7:11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron? Hebrews asks a very plain question here, and once you hear it, it…
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Greater Than Levi — Hebrews 7:5–10
Hebrews 7:5–10 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:But he whose descent is not counted from them received…
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Consider How Great This Man Was — Hebrews 7:4
Hebrews 7:4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. The writer slows us down here and says, in effect, “Stop and think about this.” Consider how great this man was. That is a remarkable statement, because Abraham was no small figure. Abraham was…
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Righteousness Before Peace — Hebrews 7:1–3
Hebrews 7:1–3 For this Melchisedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;Without…
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The King Priest — Hebrews 7:1
Hebrews 7:1 (a) For this Melchisedek, king of Salem… Melchizedek first appears as king of Salem, which is understood to be Jerusalem. That matters because Jerusalem is the city of the great King. So right away, this man steps onto the page with unusual weight. He is not a minor background figure. He is a king…
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Through the Banner — Hebrews 6:20
Hebrews 6:20 (a) Whither the forerunner is for us entered… That word forerunner is full of life. It is not the picture of someone entering a place alone just to admire it. It is the picture of someone going ahead so others can come in behind him. Like the first player charging through the paper banner before…
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Anchored Beyond the Veil — Hebrews 6:19
Hebrews 6:19 (a) Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast… Hope is not presented here as a wish. It is not a crossed-fingers optimism. It is an anchor. That means biblical hope is meant to hold. When the sea is calm, an anchor does not seem all that…
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Strong Consolation — Hebrews 6:18
Hebrews 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us. This verse is one of those places where the Lord seems to lean down close and say, “I want…
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God Meets Us There — Hebrews 6:16–17
Hebrews 6:16–17 For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath. The point here is wonderfully simple: God knows how slow we are to…
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Waiting Well — Hebrews 6:13–15
Hebrews 6:13–15 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. There is something deeply human in this passage. God gave Abraham a promise.…
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Full Assurance to the End — Hebrews 6:11–12
Hebrews 6:11–12 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. The encouragement here is simple and steady: keep going. The writer says he desires that every…
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God Does Not Forget — Hebrews 6:10
Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. There’s a steadying truth in this verse: God does not forget. Notice what the verse highlights. It speaks of work and labour of love. The emphasis…
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Persuaded of Better Things — Hebrews 6:9
Hebrews 6:9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. Just before this verse, the writer of Hebrews speaks very seriously. He talks about ground that receives rain yet produces only thorns and briers. The warning is real. It’s meant to wake people up and…
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Two Kinds of Ground — Hebrews 6:7–8
Hebrews 6:7, 8 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. Right after giving that…
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The Prayer That Changed the Heart — Hebrews 5:5–8
Hebrews 5:5–8 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.Who in the days of his flesh, when he…
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Still Wearing the Hospital Gown — Hebrews 5:2–4
Hebrews 5:2–4 Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is…
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The Missing Ingredient — Hebrews 4:2
Hebrews 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. Israel heard the same good news we hear. For them, the good news was a land flowing with milk and honey. God promised…
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Afraid of the Wrong Thing — Hebrews 4:1
Hebrews 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. When most people think about fear, they imagine punishment, judgment, or losing control of life. But the writer of Hebrews points us in a completely different direction. Catch…
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The Sin That Kept Them Out — Hebrews 3:17–19
Hebrews 3:17–19 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. When we…
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Don’t Settle in the Wilderness — Hebrews 3:12–16
Hebrews 3:12–16 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning…
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Don’t Harden Your Heart — Hebrews 3:7–11
Hebrews 3:7–11 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway…
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The House He Lives In — Hebrews 3:3–6
Hebrews 3:3–6 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a…
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Consider Jesus — Hebrews 3:1–2
Hebrews 3:1–2 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. Up to this point in Hebrews, the writer has been making a bold case. Jesus, though for a…
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He Knows the Struggle — Hebrews 2:18
Hebrews 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. The writer of Hebrews makes a powerful claim here. Jesus suffered being tempted. Because of that, He is able to help those who are tempted. But that raises a question people have wrestled with for…
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He Became Like Us — Hebrews 2:16–17
Hebrews 2:16–17 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the…
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Free From the Fear — Hebrews 2:13–15
Hebrews 2:13–15 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death,…
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The Voice Beside Ours — Hebrews 2:12
Hebrews 2:12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. Most of us walk into a time of worship thinking about one thing. We are going to sing to the Lord. The music begins. The voices rise. Some strong, some quiet, some…
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Not Ashamed — Hebrews 2:11
Hebrews 2:11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren. There is something in human nature that wants to associate upward. People like to be connected with those who are impressive, successful, powerful. If someone famous walks into…
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The Captain Who Went First — Hebrews 2:10
Hebrews 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Years ago I saw a cartoon that stuck with me. It showed a president standing at the edge of a military transport…
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But We See Jesus — Hebrews 2:8–9
Hebrews 2:8–9 For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. But we see Jesus;Who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that…
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Crowned, Then Fallen — Hebrews 2:7–8
Hebrews 2:7–8 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. When David wrote Psalm 8, he was looking up at the night sky and marveling that God would…
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Under the Stars — Hebrews 2:6
Hebrews 2:6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? The writer of Hebrews now reaches back into another psalm, this time Psalm 8. Instead of naming David directly, he simply says that “one in a certain…
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Who Will Rule the World to Come — Hebrews 2:5
Hebrews 2:5 For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. Angels have always captured people’s imagination. Paintings portray them as majestic beings. Books are written about them. Entire industries sell little statues of angels meant to decorate shelves and mantels. But the Bible never encourages us…
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Don’t Neglect the Rescue — Hebrews 2:3–4
Hebrews 2:3–4 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his…
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Don’t Let It Drift — Hebrews 2:1–2
Hebrews 2:1–2 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward. I remember noticing it one year and almost laughing…
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Servants in the Background — Hebrews 1:14
Hebrews 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? Angels seem to be everywhere in modern conversation. Books about angels sell by the millions. Gift shops carry rows of angel figurines. People speak about them with fascination and sometimes even reverence. But when Scripture…
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What Remains — Hebrews 1:10–12
Hebrews 1:10–12 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed:but thou art the…
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Hebrews 1:9 — The Gladness of Holiness
Hebrews 1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Speaking to the Son, the Father says something very revealing: “You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity.”Because of that, He says, “You are anointed with the oil of gladness above all others.”…
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Hebrews 1:8 — The Throne of the Son
Hebrews 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. The writer of Hebrews now quotes Psalm 45, and the statement could not be more direct. Speaking of the Son, the Father says, “Thy throne, O God.” Think about…
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Hebrews 1:7 — Servants Like Wind and Fire
Hebrews 1:7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. Having established that the Son is greater than the angels, the writer of Hebrews now describes what angels actually are. They are servants. The verse says God makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire. The…
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The Son Above Every Angel — Hebrews 1:5–6
Hebrews 1:5–6 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all…
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Hebrews 1:4 — The Son Above the Angels
Hebrews 1:4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. The writer of Hebrews now begins drawing comparisons to show just how great Jesus truly is. The first comparison he chooses is angels. That choice makes perfect sense when you understand the mindset…
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Hebrews 1:3 — The Incomparable Christ
Hebrews 1:3 (a) Who being the brightness of his glory… Jesus Is the Radiator A reflector is something that simply bounces light off itself. The moon is a good example. When you look at the moon at night, you are not seeing the moon’s own light. You are seeing sunlight reflected from its surface. Jesus…
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Hebrews 1:2 — The Son Who Made the Worlds
Hebrews 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; The writer of Hebrews now takes us even further into the identity of Jesus. Not only is the Son the One through whom God has spoken, and not…
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Hebrews 1:2 — The Son Who Inherits Everything
Hebrews 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; After telling us that God has spoken through His Son, the writer of Hebrews adds another breathtaking truth. The Father has appointed the Son heir of all things.…
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Hebrews 1:1 — God Has Spoken
Hebrews 1:1–2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son… The Book of Hebrews begins with a word that settles everything before anything else is said. God. No greeting. No introduction. No attempt to…
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Background to Hebrews
Before we step into the text itself, it helps to step back and notice three things about this remarkable book: its author, its audience, and its central message. Author One of the long running discussions surrounding Hebrews is the question of who actually wrote it. For centuries believers and scholars have suggested different possibilities. Some point…