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INTRODUCTION
The Epistle to the Hebrews ( i.e. to
Jews who had accepted the Lord Jesus as
the Messiah ) is one of the most important of the New Testament books. But an
understanding
of this book will necessitate, on the
part of the reader, a grasp of the Old Testament story and many of its
laws.
The thrust of the writer’ argument is that the
Christian faith is far superior to the Judaism they had known prior to
conversion.
The word “ better” occurs some 13
times …in the King James version.
(1)
The Lord Jesus is SO MUCH BETTER than the Prophets . (1:1-3)
1:1: God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake
in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
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;
3: 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;
Not
that what the prophets of the Old Testament were wrong in what they said.
They were inspired by the Holy
Spirit.(2 Peter 1:21) But the complete revelation of God only came with the
advent of the Lord Jesus.
+++++++++++++++++++++
(2)
The Lord Jesus is SO MUCH BETTER than the Angels. ( 1:6-8)
1:4: Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by
inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
5: 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?
6: And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith,
And let all the angels of God worship him.
7: And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers
a flame of fire.
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.
9: Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy
God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Angels
are the worshippers, but the Lord Jesus is the One worshipped. (6)
Angels are God’s servants (7) but the Lord Jesus
is God’s Son.( 8)
++++++++++++++++++++++
(3)
The Lord Jesus is SO
MUCH BETTER than Moses ! (3:3-5)
3:1:
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the
Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; 2: Who was faithful to
him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. 3: 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.
4: For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.
5: And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a
testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; 6: But Christ as a son
over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the
rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Moses
is one of the giants of Judaism’s
history. But even he shrinks into insignificance compared to the Lord Jesus.
Moses
was like a pillar in God’s house, but the Lord Jesus was the builder!(3)
Moses
may have been top servant in God’s house …but the Lord Jesus was “son over his
own house.” (5-6)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
(4)
The Lord Jesus is SO MUCH BETTER THAN Joshua . (4:8-11)
8: For if
Joshua had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another
day.
9: There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10: For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own
works, as God did from his.
11: Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after
the same example of unbelief.
It was Joshua who led the people of Israel into
the Land of Canaan and helped them subdue their enemies. But the Scripture
spoke of another future rest (8)…for
the rest Joshua gave them was but temporary.
The
“rest” we have, because of our trust in the Lord Jesus, is eternal! (11)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
(5)
The Lord Jesus is SO MUCH BETTER than Aaronic Priesthood. ( Ch 4:14- 10:39)
Over
six chapters are now devoted , in the Book of Hebrews, to the Old Testament
Priesthood and the rituals they performed.
It deserves careful study.
Many
Christians are familiar with that which the Saviour accomplished for them in
the past
(at
Calvary) , and they have some understanding
as to what He will do at His
Second Advent in the future … but what
exactly the Lord Jesus is doing now
is often an overlooked subject.
These chapters point out the supremacy of the Lord
Jesus “ our Great High Priest” over the Old Testament priesthood.
22: By so much
was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
23: And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to
continue by reason of death:
24: But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
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.
26: For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
27: 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.
28: For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of
the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for
evermore.
Their
duration of priestly service was only
temporary …for they died. But our High priest liveth to die no more.
They
were sinful and needed sacrifices for themselves. Not so the Sinless Son of
God.
Their
was no chair in the Tabernacle or Temple. They “stood”, for their work was
never finished. But our Great High
Priest “sat down” . (10:11-12) “It is Finished” was His cry !!
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(6) The Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus was
SO MUCH BETTER than the Old
Testament sacrifices.
Those
animal sacrifices merely prefigured the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. They could not “take away sin”.(10:4) But
the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus could !
The
Aaronic priests sacrificed “daily” but the Lord’s sacrifice was “once for all”
!(10:11-12)
10:11: And
every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same
sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12: But this man, after he had
offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13:
From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
14: For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
By
faith we need to reach out and claim His atoning sacrifice as being for us … as the Old Testament
worshipper did. ( Leviticus 4:29)
My faith would lay her hand
On that dear head of Thine;
While like a penitent I
stand
And there confess my sin. ( I
Watts)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(7) The Lord Jesus has prepared a Home that is SO MUCH BETTER than the Old Testaments saints ever knew !
Hebrews
11 lists the ‘Honour Roll of saints” … Abel(4) , Enoch(5) , Noah (7) Abraham and Sarah (8-11), …and many, many
more.
But
these folk were not looking for an earthly plot of real estate in Palestine …
they had their eyes focused upon something better … “a better country” !!
(11:13-16)
11:9: 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:
10: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is
God.
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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.
14: For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15: And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came
out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
16: But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God
is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
And
as spiritual children of Abraham, so should we!
++++++++++++++++++++++++
….Paul
caught a glimpse of this “ better country”
and wasn’t allowed to tell anybody what he saw !!
(2 Corinth 12:4). But of this we can be sure; the Lord Jesus has prepared something SO MUCH BETTER, for them and for
us who name Him as Lord and Saviour, than we could ever imagine!
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