But this man...

“But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.”

Or

An Overview of the Book of Hebrews

There are few things that I like more than deep teaching. I remember sitting in my Texas Bible College classes eating up the words of each teacher. I felt as if they were pouring water into my dry soul. I had never really heard teaching quite like that before, and I was only a freshman!

Deep teaching is one thing you almost have to go out of your way to find. Most of the sermons at LifePoint are evangelistic, written to draw hearts to salvation. Though they are powerful and I always glean from them, they do not leave me in that state of quiet thought and meditation like deep teaching.

If you haven’t experienced that feeling, the book of Hebrews in the New Testament is a great place to get started.  Hebrews is thought to have been written by Paul, and I am inclined to agree. Many debate over this, though, because the writer never actually says who they are. However, Hebrews reads a lot like the other books that Paul wrote, especially the last chapter.  No matter who it was written by, though, Hebrews is a deep teaching book.

Hebrews is a book that must be read slowly and without any distractions. We less-than advanced millennials may have a harder time understanding the phrasing and even vocabulary used in the book. Even with its hearty wording, though, it is easy to recognize what a doctrinal jewel this book is.

Chapter One –

“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, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”

From the very first words of this book, we get the feeling that Paul has something important to say and he is not wasting any time getting there. He jumps right into his first main point:

                I.              Jesus was not an angel

His argument for this point is simply, how can Jesus be an angel when God would never tell an angel “Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies a footstool.”

Chapter Two –

“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?”

Paul moves into chapter two and gets right to his second point:

                II.             Jesus’ words and life were extremely important

Paul argues that if the words spoken by an angel are held in such high regard, how much more should the words of Jesus be held in high regard. He begins to paint the picture of who Jesus really was and what his life really accomplished.

Chapter Three –

“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.”

Paul’s third point is:

                III.           Don’t let your unbelief keep you from Jesus

Paul knew that readers were going to begin to get this picture of God reconciling the world to Himself through Jesus, and many would stop in incredulous unbelief. We still see this problem in many people today. They will ask us, “How can one man’s death take away the sins of the whole entire world?” or, "Why would God give Himself like that?" Paul responds to this by recounting the story of the Israelites being held back from the Promised Land because of their unbelief. He warns readers not to let their unbelief keep them from believing in the redemptive work of Jesus.

Chapter Four –

“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.”

Paul is still admonishing the reader not to let unbelief stop them, but now he gives an added incentive to believe.

                IV.          There is more of God than what you have experienced

I would sum up this chapter by saying, “There is rest, full understanding, and a throne of grace that are still yet to be gained! Keep believing!”

Chapter Five –

“For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God. And no man taketh this honour  (becoming a priest) unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.

                V.            Jesus, a high priest of the order of Melchisedec

Now we start to feel the gears shift. He’s about to tell us who Jesus is. He’s gone through telling us that he wasn’t an angel. He warned us to keep unbelief out of our hearts. Now he’s about to drop the hammer.

Chapter Six –

“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith towards God, of the doctrine of baptism, and of laying on of hands and of resurrection from the dead, and of eternal judgement.”

                VI.          Understanding what I am about to tell you is the next step

In my mind’s eye I can see Paul stop dictating, look his scribe in the eye and ask, “Do you think they are ready for this?” Then he shakes his head and says, “It’s time to move forward. It’s time to stop learning and relearning the same principles I’ve taught for the last 20 epistles. It’s time to keep doing those things, but put something new in your mouth to chew on.”

Chapter Seven –

“For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.”

                VII.         Jesus was a different kind of high priest

Paul talks about Melchisedec and further explains why Jesus was a priest after the order of Melchisedec. I, Ariqua, am not going to try to explain the identity of Melchisedec. It is enough to know that God considered him a different order than the Levitical order that comes to mind when someone says “Priest.” Jesus was not just an average human high priest. He was of a different order. Personally, I think this is one of the reasons why Jesus wasn’t born a Levite. God wanted it to be very clear that this was something different altogether.

Chapter Eight –

“In that he saith “A new covenant”, he hath made the first old.”

                VIII.        The need for change

It is in this chapter that we see more completely why a new covenant was needed. Paul explains that the old covenant (blood sacrifice in the temple) was not faultless. The sacrifice the priest of Israel made only rolled the sins forward year to year. It was merely a shadow of heavenly things. God knew that meant a greater sacrifice would have to be made to obliterate all of that past sin and pay the price for all the world’s future sins. He wanted to abolish this old way of doing things and create a new way, and this time, his plan was deeply personal. His laws would not just be on stone; they would be written in the minds and hearts of his people.

Chapter Nine –

“For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.”

                IX.           Not just a covenant, but a testament

This is one of my favorite chapters, not just in this book, but in the entire Bible. I love the portion that says, “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?” This is oneness. This is the gospel. This is the doctrine of the true church. Jesus, who was God in flesh, paid for the sins of the world so that he could be the testator of a New Testament. When you write your will, it has no effect until you die. When God wrote the new testament, a personal relationship with his greatest creation, it had no effect until he died. So, Jesus became the high priest and perfect sacrifice of this new testament, and when he died on the cross that day, the NEW TESTAMENT began. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we can have our sins remitted. We can have a personal relationship with God. God can write his laws in our heart. We can know him intimately now. Thank you, Jesus!

Chapter Ten –

“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.”

                X.            If you are blood-bought, sin has no control over you.

This is the climax! Everything that has been said before has been leading up to this moment. If you understand who Jesus really was and what he really did that day on the cross, you will know that sin has no power over you. You have an advocate though Jesus’ blood. You don’t have to live in captivity to sin any longer. The price has been paid! The blood has purchased you. Jesus' blood is more than just a Band-Aid to cover your sin AFTER you have sinned! You are supposed to be washed that first time and then move forward AND NEVER SIN AGAIN! You cannot do that without recognizing the magnitude of Christ’s sacrifice! He didn’t just die! He created something brand new: a New Testament that gives more power than just praying a few words when we mess up. He purchased you, adopted you, and made you his heir in the new testament so that you can live above the things that controlled you before. You are the heirs of a promise greater than any sin or devil. You have power over those things because Jesus claims you.

Chapter Eleven –

“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.”

XI.           The Faith Factor

Paul knew the above revelation would blow your mind. And whenever your mind is left as wide open as your jaw when you fully understand that revelation, there is always room for a seed of unbelief. So insert the Faith Hall of Fame, as some Christians call it. Each of the people here did not have the full revelation of what Paul just explained. Each of these people were born and lived before Jesus. However, they believed in God so strongly that their faith saved them, even before Jesus had a chance to pay the price. What Paul is saying is, even though the price is paid, we still have to have the Faith to believe that Jesus has covered us. We still have to have the faith it takes to say “no” to temptation because we believe that God has something more for us than to just live and then die. Faith says, “Sin, you will not be a part of my earthly life, even if you satisfy my flesh, because I believe that I am going to a Heavenly City, whose builder and maker is God. Sin will have no place in that city, and therefore sin has no place in my earthly life.”

Chapter Twelve –

“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 first born, which are written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”

                XII.         Remember where you are going

It is so easy to get sidetracked here on earth by the cares of this world. It is easy to pick up the weights of this life and let the sins of the world lay on our shoulder. Paul is shaking us out of that mode in this chapter. You can almost hear him crying out, “HEY! Put that down! Remember where you are going!” He forces us out of the stupor this earthly life shoves on us. He forces our eyes and mind upward to the pearly gates, to the point of it all. Yes, lift up the hands that hang down. Yes, strengthen the feeble knees. Yes, make straight paths for your feet. Yes, live for God on this earth. Yes, do the work of the ministry. Yes, help others find Jesus. Yes, provide for your family. Yes, make sure the laundry gets done every week. Yes, keep feeding your children. Yes, keep doing what you have to do to make it through this life. BUT IN ALL THAT, REMEMBER WHERE YOU ARE GOING!

Chapter Thirteen –

“Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”

                XIII.        Final thoughts

Remember to keep doing the things that God wants you to do. Keep Heaven first and let that be your incentive to not let sin back into your life.Jesus paid the price, yes, and he still desires good works from you. However, when you do those evey day life things that you know you have to do, keep Heaven on your mind. Remember to praise God continually and in all things.  Through those things, you will be made perfect in every good work to do his will, and Jesus will be pleased with your life. 

“Grace be with you all. Amen.”

Because this book has such an awesome message, I encourage you to read it for yourself! Don’t take my notes as the entirety of the book. I have only begun to scratch the surface of all that God reveals in this book. Pick it up and read it for yourself!