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Under the Mosaic Law God instituted a class of people called Priests. There were lessor priests and one great High Priest. The Priests served to administer the Law that God gave to Moses. They performed this by teaching the people the Law and by administering both the moral and ceremonial components of the Law.
Among these things were the appeasement of God through animal sacrifices to him. The lessor priests administered the ordinary sacrifices for the people but the High Priest administered a special sacrifice for the people once a year. He did this by entering the most holy of holy places in the Jewish Temple once a year with a blood sacrifice.
Fast forward to New Testament times. Jesus is now both our King and High Priest. However his priesthood descended from a character named Melchizedek which was superior to the Priesthood that descended from Moses’ brother Aaron. He too enters the most “Holy of holy places” with a blood sacrifice. However he doesn’t enter into a man made temple with animal blood he enters into Heaven itself to give his own blood directly to Jehovah God. A sacrifice which is so excellent that mankind can come closer to God than they ever have (historically).
In addition, the “lessor priests” who at one time offered a blood sacrifice for the people on a daily basis are now ordinary followers of Christ. There is no longer a spiritual class distinction among God’s people. We, as Christians, are all priests. We no longer offer up blood sacrifices but instead offer up spiritual sacrifices… our own lives (like Jesus) that sacrifice for the benefit of others.
“As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:8-9.
Let’s understand who we are and where we came from that we might serve better.
The Book of Hebrews was written to prevent Hebrew Christians from losing their faith in Jesus Christ by returning to the dead system of faith in the Mosaic Law.
In chapter 5 the author informs them that the reason they are contemplating returning to Moses is because of their own failure to incorporate the basics of the teaching of Christ into their own spiritual DNA and because they had failed to develop spiritually.
In this section we can learn what God expects of us by looking at their failures. Here we go.
- The new Christian should be attentive in learning the basic tenets of Christianity (5:11-12).
- Once the basics have been learned it’s time to move on to other things… like teaching. At some level all Christians should be able to teach… even if it is a parent teaching a child (5:12).
- The developing Christian needs experience in “the word of righteousness”. Professor Experience is a powerful teacher and his lessons are not soon forgotten (5:13).
- A Christians “senses” need to be used and exercised. Otherwise those senses are handicapped when it comes time to differentiate between good and evil (5:14).Developed senses can keep us on the right path to spiritual completeness.
- A Christian, with all his effort and energy, should “press on” to become spiritually complete (6:1).
- And finally the spiritually complete Christian is like seed planted into deep and rich tilled soil that receives regular rain. That seed will not fail but will receive rich blessings from God (6:7-8).
Follow this formula and never look back and all will be well.
The book of Hebrews was written to encourage Jewish Christians not to reject Jesus Christ by returning to Judaism.
There are three “rests” found in the book of Hebrews; the “rest” of the promised-land for the Jews, God’s “rest’ on the seventh day after creating the earth and the eternal “rest” promised for God’s people that lasts for eternity.
The promised-land “rest” was a conditional rest. It was conditioned based upon obedience. A whole generation of Jews could not enter the promised-land due to their disobedience to God. They died in the wilderness and never received their rest (Heb. 3:19)
God worked and rested when he created the earth (Heb. 4:4) and he expects his people to follow his example.
God’s people, and in this case these Jewish Christians, have to maintain their obedient faith in Jesus Christ to enter into eternal rest. Their so called work is similar to the work of faith required of the Jews to enter the promised-land and is similar to God’s work of creating the world and then resting.
The message in the Book of Hebrews written to Jewish Christians is a call of warning to us all… our promise rest is conditioned upon obedient faith.
“Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.
For the word of God (Jesus Christ) is alive 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. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account”. Hebrews 4:11-12
