How can I get to heaven?

By Ian Mackervoy

A word list at the end explains words with a *star by them.

Contents

About the letter to the Hebrews

Shape of the letter to the Hebrews

Notes to explain the letter to the Hebrews

Word List

Book List

About the letter to the Hebrews

1          Who wrote this book?

2          Who were the first readers of this book?

3          Where did the writer send the book?

4          When did the author write the book?

5          Why did the author write the book?

6          What sort of book has the author written?

1 Who wrote this book?

The author of this book does not tell us his name. There is nothing in the book to say who wrote it. For centuries the church thought that the author was the *apostle Paul. But Paul always begins his letters with his name. The way that the author uses *Greek words is unlike the way Paul uses them. There have been many suggestions, but nobody knows who wrote this book. All that we know is that *Timothy was a friend of both the writer and the readers (13:23).

2 Who were the first readers of this book?

The first readers were probably Christian *Jews. The author did not write for all *Jews. He wrote to a group, whom he knew well, that had become Christian. The book shows that they were not strong in their *belief. They were in danger of going back to their old religion. The writer argues from the Old Testament to keep them trusting in Jesus.

3 Where did the writer send the book?

From early times the church believed that the readers lived in *Jerusalem. The title, the letter to the Hebrews, could show that they were *Jews in *Israel who spoke *Hebrew. Many *Jews who did not live in *Israel spoke *Greek. Another *suggestion is that the readers lived in *Rome. There is in fact so little evidence in the book itself that we have to say that we do not know where the readers were living.

4 When did the author write the book?

A bishop of *Rome named *Clement knew this letter and used it in his own writing. He wrote in about AD 96. The author of the letter to the Hebrews wrote his letter before then. From what is in the book we could argue that the *Jews were still carrying on the *temple ceremonies in *Jerusalem. We know that the *Romans destroyed the *temple in AD 70. If the date of writing was later, the author would have noted that event. So the date of the letter was probably before AD 70. (The ceremonies that he speaks about did not take place in fact from the *temple. They refer to the special tent that was in use before the *Jews built the *temple).

5 Why did the author write the book?

These Christian *Jews had to make a choice. They could not continue in *Judaism and be Christians. They must decide which way to go. It was either to go back to being *Jews or to go on to be Christians. It seems that their nation had now turned against Christians. They could not now go to the *temple as the *Jews would not let them. The writer tries to show his readers that the right choice was to continue to trust in Jesus. That was much better than all the ceremonies of their former religion, which Jesus had replaced.

6 What sort of book has the author written?

The way the author has written the book is not like any other book in the New Testament. We call it a letter, but it does not start like one. It does finish like a letter, but the author does not give us his name. The writer knows the readers and is eager to see them again (13:19, 23). He thinks well of them (6:9), but they should by now have been able to teach (5:12). He knows all about their past and their needs.

The way he writes is almost like a speech or a lesson. He cares about his friends and wants to advise them in the choices they have to make.

Shape of the letter to the Hebrews

1 Jesus, son of God, greater than all 1:1-2:18

 The greatness of the Son 1:1-3

 Jesus is superior to *angels in his person 1:4-14

 Jesus is superior to *angels in his message 2:1-4

 Jesus is superior to *angels as a *human being 2:5-18

2 The superior *apostle 3:1-4:13

 Jesus is superior to Moses 3:1-6

 Warning to obey 3:7-4:2

 Warning not to miss God?s promised rest 4:3-13

3 The greatest chief priest 4:14-7:28

 Jesus is superior to Aaron 4:14-5:14

 Jesus is superior in promises 6:1-20

 Jesus is superior to Melchizedek 7:1-28

4 Jesus is the better *mediator 8:1-10:39

 A new and better agreement 8:1-13

 A new way to praise God 9:1-28

 A new *sacrifice and way to life 10:1-39

5 The better way 11:1-13:25

 The way of trust and hope11:1-40

 The right way to live 12:1-29

 The way of love and doing what God wants 13:1-25

Notes to explain the letter to the Hebrews

1 Jesus, son of God, greater than all 1:1-2:18

The greatness of the son 1:1-3

Verse 1 From the start of this letter, the writer shows that God is real and active. God often spoke to the Hebrews in the past. He spoke to them in different ways. God gave them dreams, sent *angels to bring his words and used events to teach his people. He gave them his laws and taught them by the *prophets. He spoke through all kinds of men and women. For example, God called Moses from a burning bush (Exodus 3). Elijah the *prophet, who ran away from an angry queen, heard God in a whisper (1 Kings 19:12). Isaiah heard God?s voice when he saw him sitting high above all as king (Isaiah 6:1-8). God did not speak all the time and he did not show what he was really like at any one time. He chose certain men and women to show them something of himself to pass on to us. God spoke to these people a long time ago and what he showed to them is in the Old Testament. The last book in the Old Testament dates from about 400 years before Christ.

Verse 2 The phrase ?in the last days? often meant the time of the *Messiah. The writer uses it here to show that the *Messiah has come. The Hebrews were always expecting this person to come. He will bring a new age to them. He will be their king and he will overcome all their enemies. The Hebrews did not understand the real nature of the *Messiah. He is the Son of God, Jesus Christ. The time had come for Jesus to do his work on earth. In the past God told people something about himself. But now he has spoken in Jesus. He shows us what God is really like. God?s Son Jesus became a *human being to show God to us. Jesus is just like God and so we can know God. What God had shown in the past prepared the way for Jesus and what he would say and do.

The writer gives 7 facts to show how great God?s Son Jesus is:

1.   God appointed his Son to own everything.

2.   God created all that there is in space and time by his Son.

3.   The Son shines with God?s light.

4.   The Son shows us what God is like. When we come to know Jesus, then we also come to know God. Jesus said, ?Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father? (John 14:19), and ?I and my Father are one? (John 10:30). God is the Father.

5.   The Son Jesus maintains all things (Colossians 1:17). Having made the worlds and all things, Jesus Christ is still in control of them. His word of power maintains all things in their proper place. He has control of time and directs the future. He will cause all things to complete his plan. He made all things and he owns all things in heaven and on earth.

6.   The Son Jesus gave his life to make us clean from all *sin. All men and women have done wrong. There is not one person who is right in God's sight (Romans 3:23). God is so holy that nothing that is wrong can live with him. This means that no person can live with God. Jesus the Son of God came and was a perfect *human being. At the same time he was God in a human body. Jesus had two purposes in coming into this world as a *human being. The first was to show us what God is like. The second was to take away all our *sins (that is, all wrong doing in our lives). He took away all our *sins and accepted the punishment for them by dying on the cross. Jesus proved that he has done this by coming back to life from the dead. Now, if we believe in him, he will make us clean from all wrong. In that way Jesus makes us fit to live with God.

7.   Jesus the Son is now at God?s right hand. After Jesus had made the way for us to be clean from *sin, he went back to heaven. He sat down at the right hand of God. The right hand is a picture of the place of greatest honour. Now Jesus is the ruler over all of *creation.

Jesus is superior to *angels in his person 1:4-14

Jesus the Son of God 1:4-5

Verse 4 To the Hebrews *angels were very important. *Angels are powerful agents of God. It was by them that God spoke of himself in the old times. The Hebrews believe that the law from God came by *angels. When Jesus came into this world, he became for a little time lower than the *angels. As a *human being, Jesus was the Son of God. God gave his name great honour when he raised him from the dead. In this, Jesus is superior to the *angels. They have never become sons of God. They could not show us God as Jesus has done. They could not take our *sins away and make us clean as Jesus did. God gave Jesus a better name than he has given to *angels. Jesus alone was the Son of God.

Verse 5 The readers of this letter know that Jesus is the *Messiah. He is the person whom they were expecting to come. So the author shows that Jesus is superior to *angels by using 7 verses from the Old Testament. God did not call any *angel his son. In Psalm 2, God tells the *Messiah, ?You are my son?. He adds, ?Today I have given you the honour that belongs to someone with that name.' Some take the word ?today? in this verse to mean ?before God made the worlds?. That would show that Jesus was always the Son of God. Some take it to be the day when John baptised Jesus. This shows that Jesus as a man was the Son of God. He was already God's Son before he came into this world as a *human being. Some believe the day was when God raised him from the dead. In the letter to the Romans (1:4) it says that by raising him from the dead the Holy Spirit called him the Son of God. The clear teaching of the Bible is that Jesus is and always has been the Son of God.

Then there is another text from the Old Testament which says, ?I will be a father to him and he will be a son to me?. God spoke these words about king David's son Solomon (1 Chronicles 17:13-14). To the Hebrews, Solomon was a picture of the special king who was coming one day. This special king would be from the family of David. He would always be king. So the Hebrews took these words to mean that God will be the Father of the *Messiah. Jesus came as the *Messiah and God is his Father. God never said that he would be the Father of an *angel. As Jesus is the Son of God, he is superior to the *angels.

Jesus is superior to *angels 1:6-9

Verse 6 The meaning of this verse depends on the use of the word ?again?. In the *Greek language that the author used, there is a close connection between ?again? and ?he brings?. This gives two possible meanings for ?again?.

·     The time when Jesus will come again to the earth. Then he will set up his government in the world.

·     The time when God made Jesus king after he brought him back alive from the dead.

Jesus is God?s *firstborn because he is God?s only Son and because he was first to come alive again from the dead. When God brings his *firstborn into the world, he tells all his *angels to honour and praise Jesus. This shows that Jesus is as much superior to the *angels as God is.

Verses 7-8 God then speaks about the *angels. He says that he created his *angels to be like winds and flames. They are quick and powerful to do what God sends them to do. But God did not create Jesus. When the Father is speaking about his Son Jesus, he calls him God. He says that his *throne is forever. God is saying that Jesus is the same as he is.

Jesus will rule his *kingdom in ways that are always right and good.

Verse 9 Jesus loves what is right. He hates all that is evil. In his life on the earth he always did what was right. He taught what was right. He told of the punishment that is coming on all that is evil. That is why God chose him and made him to be *Lord over all. God has given him great joy and made him glad.

Jesus is the same forever 1:10-12

Verses 10-12. The author now uses another part of the Old Testament (Psalm 102:25-27). The writer of the Psalm was speaking to God. The writer to the Hebrews uses those verses as speaking of Jesus, because he is God. There are here 3 statements about Jesus the Son of God.

The Son of God makes all things. He made the heavens and the earth.

He is the ruler of all things. He will cause things to change. One day he will bring them to an end.

He will remain the same. He will never be any different from what he is now. All else will change, but Jesus Christ will always be the same.

Jesus sits at God?s side 1:13-14

Verse 13 God the Father has said to God the Son, ?Sit at my right hand?. He goes on to say, ?while I make all your enemies a place to rest your feet? (Psalm 110:1). God did not say these things to any *angel. *Angels stand before God as his servants. Jesus now sits with God, and so is much greater than the *angels. This means that Jesus is equal with God. He always was equal with God before he came to earth. Now as a *human being he again sits in his place next to God. That is the most powerful place that there is. Jesus still has lots of enemies, but with God he will overcome them all. In the old days the soldier who won a battle put his feet on the neck of the defeated king (Joshua 10:24). This is the picture of the enemies as a place to rest his feet. Jesus will be the master of all.

Verse 14 What is the role of *angels? *Angels do not rule. Their task is to serve. They are servants of God. God also sends them to help the people who trust in Jesus. *Believers are those who accept *salvation. They will one day live in heaven with God.

Jesus is superior to *angels in his message 2:1-4

Verse 1 The Son of God is so much greater than the *angels. We must therefore be very careful to listen to what he says. We must take in his message and obey it. God?s words are much more important for us than anything that *angels or men say. If we do not accept the pardon that God offers, we shall be in real danger. We have to continue to trust in him for our life, both now and for the future. There was a danger that these Hebrews could wander away from what is true. There was the risk that they might go back to their old ways and so avoid the trouble that the *Jews caused them. We also must be careful that we do not lose what we have in Jesus.

Verse 2 The words spoken by *angels are not like the words spoken by the Son of God. God sent his word by the *angels in the past. The Hebrews said that the law of God came by *angels. People had to obey God?s law. If they did not do so, God would punish them. The law included both blessing for right acts and punishment for wrong acts (see Deuteronomy 30:19). The good news that God will forgive wrong acts came by Jesus Christ.

Verse 3 The law that the *angels gave was very important. But the message that the Lord Jesus brought is much more important. There is no escape for any who do not accept the claims of Jesus Christ. God in Jesus has made for us the only way to heaven. If we do not accept that offer, there is no hope for us. The *angels did not show us this way to heaven. Jesus first taught it and in his death made it possible. Jesus is so much better than the *angels. So what he says is better than what they say. His promises are for a life that will never end.

The people who first heard Jesus told the good news to others. In their turn they passed it on. Now we have the chance to accept it. We have the Bible to show us the truth. We have the *witness of people who have found it to be true. This good news is that Jesus has accepted the punishment for all our *sins. We must come to Jesus and turn from our wrong. He will take away our *sins and give us new life. If we do not turn to him, we shall not have the new life. God will punish all who do not accept Jesus for all the wrong that they have done.

Verse 4 When the first *believers told other people the good news, God himself showed them that it was true. They spoke of what Jesus had done and God proved that it was true. He did this by special signs, wonderful acts and *miracles. He also gave to them gifts of the Holy Spirit. They used these gifts as God directed them. All of these things showed, to those who heard, that the message was from God (see Acts 2:22). No mere *human being could act like this.

Jesus is superior to *angels as a *human being 2:5-18

Verse 5 God has not given authority to *angels over the world to come. As we have already seen (1:14), *angels are to serve and not to rule.

Verses 6-8 God's purpose for the world to come is that *humans, and not *angels, should rule it. The Old Testament clearly teaches this in Psalm 8:4-7. These verses show us both how small and how great *humans are. They are very small compared to the things that God has made and which surround us. They are great because God has a special purpose for them. This purpose is that *human beings should have authority over the world to come. God always has them in mind and he cares for them. They are special to God among all that God has made.

God made *humans to be a little lower than the *angels. *Angels are *spirits with great authority and power. We, who are *human, cannot compare ourselves with them. But God has a greater plan in mind for *human beings. The writer uses the words from Psalm 8:4-7 as a prophecy. They tell us what God will bring about. But the writer sees the words as first referring to Jesus.

When God first made a man, he gave him power over all the birds, animals and fishes (Genesis 1:28). The first man, Adam, failed to rule as God intended, because he did wrong. God had to punish the man and so *human beings lost the right to rule. God has not taken back the first promise and *human beings will one day be able to rule. All things are to be under the feet of *human beings, that is, under their authority. This shows how great a role God has for *humanity. As yet we do not see all things put under them. We are not good enough to take that place.

Verse 9 God's promise for *humanity is not yet complete. But we see Jesus, the Son of God who became a *human being. He came to earth and lived as a man, and so became a little lower than the *angels, just like us. He came to die for us. When he had done this, God raised him from the dead and gave him a royal crown of great honour and power. In Jesus, God has begun to carry out his promise that *human beings should rule. It is because of God?s great love that Jesus died for all of us.

Verse 10 God made all things. He made all things for himself. In other parts of the Bible it says that Jesus made all things and all things are for his pleasure. There is no problem here. God the Father and God the Son are both God. Together they made the heavens and the earth. It is only in Jesus that all things find their purpose. In order to make us clean from *sin there had to be a *sacrifice. It was right that Jesus should come to earth and become one of us. He was then able to suffer on behalf of us all. He died a terrible death on the cross of wood. This death was not for any *sins that he himself had done, for he was perfect. That is, he was all that God intended him to be. When he died, he accepted all our *sins. Because of this he can give to us a new life. He is able to bring many sons and daughters to be with God in heaven. We become God?s sons and daughters when we trust in Jesus and in his work for us. By his death for us, Jesus was able to make us clean from *sin. Now we can go to be with God.

Verse 11 Jesus makes us holy when we trust in him. He brings us into the family of God and makes us his sons and daughters. All who trust in Jesus receive a new birth from the *Spirit. In this way they have the same Father as Jesus and the same life. Jesus is so great, yet he is happy to call the weakest Christian brother or sister. He is the *firstborn of many brothers and sisters. He is the *firstborn from the dead and all who trust in him will also rise from the dead.

Verse 12 Jesus calls us his brothers and sisters. In the Old Testament the *Messiah says that he will tell the name of God to his brothers and sisters (Psalm 22:22). To the Hebrews the ?name? meant more than just a name. It meant the whole person. Jesus is the *Messiah and he showed men and women the nature of God. As a *human among *humans Jesus praised God. He praised God with them in the *temple of the *Jews in *Jerusalem and their other holy buildings. Now as we praise God, Jesus in *spirit is there with us. He promised that when two or three of those who follow him meet together, he too will be there (Matthew 18:20).

Verse 13 Jesus was God. But while he was living on earth as a man, he had to put his trust in God. During his life on earth he had to depend on God. In this he was the same as we are, for we need God's help. Jesus was one of us. Again he shows that we belong to the same family. He says, ?Here am I, and the children whom God has given to me? (Isaiah 8:18). He is speaking of the men and women who followed him. We are among them, if we put our trust in him.

Verses 14-15 We have human bodies from our birth. For Jesus to help us he had to be the same as us. He had to take a human body and blood to be a real *human being. Because we are *human, we have all done what is wrong. The punishment for our *sins is death, both of the body and of the *spirit. For Jesus to help us, he had to take our *sins upon himself as a real *human. Yet he himself lived without doing any *sin. So by his death he was able to accept our punishment. He did this on the cross. In his death for us he overcame the devil, who had the power of death. The death Jesus speaks about is more than the death of our body. It is the death of our *spirit as well. This means a future without God to which all who do wrong would go. For those who accept Christ, the death of the body is not the end. It is the way to a new life that never will die. This is life for the *spirit in a new body forever with God.

People have always lived with a fear of death. It is the one sure event that comes to us all. Apart from what the Bible has to say about it, no one knows what will come after death. Most people have no hope about the future, and they are afraid of what they do not know. In Jesus Christ there is the promise of a much better life. People who put their trust in Jesus need no longer fear death.

Verse 16 Jesus became a *human being so that he could take us by the hand and lead us to God. He did not become an *angel. He did not come to earth to help *angels. He came to this world to save the children of Abraham.

Abraham was the father of the *Jews and their nation came from him. He was also a man of real trust in God. The children of Abraham are all those who are *Jews by birth. The Bible also calls all who believe in the one true God the children of Abraham (Galatians 3:7-9). God rescues the men and women who trust in Jesus.

Verse 17 Jesus came to save men and women, not *angels. Therefore he had to become like one of us and not like an *angel. He had to be a *human being so that he could stand before God as our chief priest. He takes the *sacrifice for our *sins to God. That *sacrifice was his own blood, that is, his life that he gave for us on the cross. He asks God to forgive his brothers and sisters. God accepts the *sacrifice of Jesus to pay for all our *sins. God forgives all who put their trust in Jesus and in what he has done for them. Jesus loves us and we can trust him to be our priest towards God. At the same time, Jesus pleases God because he has done all that God asked of him.

He had to be like his brothers and sisters in all things. This means that he had to live life as a real man. He had to face the same problems that we do. The devil tested him and he suffered in life as we do, but much more than we have to suffer. He was still different from us in some things. He was different in his birth. His mother had not had sex with a man. His Father was God and not a man. He was different in his life, because he did not do any wrong at all. He was different in his death, for he did not need to die for himself because he was without *sin. He chose to die and gave himself up to the men who wanted to kill him. He died for all the *sins that we have done.

Verse 18 The suffering that Jesus had makes him able to help any who are in need. When the devil or the things of this life test us, we can look to Jesus. He will give us the strength to do what is right. If we fail to do what is right, he understands. When we turn to him and confess that we have failed, he is able to make us right with God again.

2 The superior *apostle 3:1-4:13

Jesus is superior to Moses 3:1-6

Verse 1 In chapters 1 and 2 we saw how Jesus is greater than the *prophets and the *angels. This is because of his own greatness and because of what he has done for us. So now we are to think about him both as the *apostle and as our chief priest. To the Hebrews, Moses was the first *apostle and Aaron was the first chief priest.

The word ?*apostle? means someone whom God sends. An *apostle comes to people as the agent of God. So God sent Moses to the Hebrews when they were slaves in the land of *Egypt. He came to set them free and to lead them out of that country. To do this he had to go to the king of *Egypt and persuade him to let them go. At first, the king refused. But after God had done many powerful works, he sent them out. God sent Jesus to lead people out from the rule of the devil and to bring them to God. Jesus came to us to show us what God is like. He overcame the devil and set us free from his power.

The chief priest was a man who went to God as the agent of the people. He had to make sacrifices for all their *sins. Then he asked God to forgive them. Aaron was the man whom God made the first chief priest. He had to make the sacrifices for his own *sins as well as for the *sins of the Hebrews. Once every year he took the blood of an animal into the most holy place, and then God forgave the people their *sins. Jesus is the one who is our chief priest. He made a *sacrifice of himself for all our *sins. He did not need a *sacrifice for himself, because he was without *sin. Because Jesus took his own blood to God, God forgives us our *sins. (The word blood here is instead of the word *sacrifice).

Verse 2 An agent must be true to the one who appoints him. God sent Moses to be over his house, that is, as leader of the Hebrews. He led the Hebrews out of the land of *Egypt and for the 40 years that they lived in the desert. Moses did all that God asked him to do, although he did fail at times. The writer says that Moses was true to God. He was a great man and the Hebrews gave him great respect.

God also sent Jesus to be his agent on earth. He always did what God asked of him. He always spoke the words that God gave him to speak. He completed the task that he came to do. He was perfect in all his life and he never failed.

Verse 3 Both Moses and Jesus deserve all the honour that we can give to them. But much more honour is due to Jesus than to Moses. Moses was true to God as a servant in the house of God. Jesus built that house and is the owner of it. The builder and owner has more honour than the house itself. That house is the people of God. The servant, who in this picture is part of the house, must be less than the builder. Moses was a great man among the people of God. Jesus is so much greater because the people of God are his house.

Verse 4 Jesus became a real man for the work he had to do. He was always God and even when he became a *human being he was still God. Jesus said, ?I and my Father are one? (John 10:30). That is why there is here no difference between God and Jesus. Each house has a builder and God is building this one. Verse 3 tells us that Jesus is the builder of this house. God is the author and maker of all things. He does this by Jesus Christ his Son. So Jesus is the maker of all things.

Verse 5 Moses was a good servant in the house of God. The word servant does not mean that he had to do only small tasks. He had an important part to play in the story of the Hebrews. He was the agent of God to bring them out of *Egypt. He received the law from God and gave it to them. He was like a father to them in the desert. God sent him to be the *apostle of the Hebrews. His task was not just for his own days but it was to speak about the future. His life was to point to the work of an *apostle who was to come. The Hebrews looked for a man like Moses to come and lead them. That man is the *Messiah, who is Jesus Christ.

Verse 6 We now have the final proof that Jesus the Christ is greater than Moses. He is the Son who is over his own house. He must have more honour than Moses, who was only a servant in that house. Jesus as the agent of God brings to us far more than Moses could bring. We are part of his house, when we come to Jesus accepting all that he has done for us. We can have joy and confidence as we look to the future. We must hold on to this *belief and not let it go. We can be certain that God will do all that he has promised.

Warning to obey 3:7-4:2

Verses 7-9 Moses was true to God and trusted in him. Most of the people who came out of *Egypt with him failed to trust in God. They did not listen to what God said to them. They did not obey what God told them through Moses. As a result, God did not take them to the *promised land. Instead he led them in the desert for 40 years. Although they saw God?s great works, they still refused to obey him. They strained God?s patience. The Holy Spirit now says to us, ?Do not be like them?. When God speaks, we are to listen to what he says and to obey him. In those days God spoke by Moses. Today God speaks by one who is greater than the *prophets or the *angels or Moses. The Word of God to us is Jesus and he demands that we put our trust in him and obey him. The Hebrews in the desert let their hearts become hard as they turned from God. (The word ?heart? in the Bible often means how we think or feel.) It would be easy for us to do the same, but the Holy Spirit warns us not to do so.

Verses 10-11 The Hebrews did not trust God. They turned away from him in their hearts and minds. They refused to do what he wanted them to do. They did not know God's ways because they would not listen. For these reasons God was angry with them. God was so angry that he declared that they would never know his rest. So it was that all the adults who came out of *Egypt died in the desert (Deuteronomy 2:14). Only a couple of them, Caleb and Joshua, did go on trusting in God. They entered the *promised land.

 The rest of God points to a future of peace and plenty. It is a place where God will bless and keep his people forever. It is the *promised land, where the *Messiah is king. It is the place that will be home to all who trust in Jesus. (Verses 7-11 are from Psalm 95:7-11)

Verse 12 The writer warns us to take care that we do not turn away from God. It is possible for Christians to go back to their old ways and to forget God. We must make sure that we do not do that. To God that would be the action of an evil heart that does not trust in God. To go back from following Jesus would be to fight against the God who is alive and active. All who do turn back will one day have to stand before him and face his judgement.

Verse 13 We need to help each other to be strong in our *belief in Jesus. Each one of us needs the strength that comes by sharing our lives with others who trust God. We should at all times encourage each other to be true to God. There is much in this world that would lead us away from God. There are many things that speak lies into our hearts and could make us forget that we belong to God. With the help and teaching that we can bring to each other we can be strong in our *belief. Without this help it is easier for the devil to cause us to fall away from our God.

Verse 14 When persons first trust in Jesus, they have a real confidence in what he has done. The new *believer is sure that he has a new life in Jesus. This life is sharing in the very life of Jesus. But to start the Christian life is not enough. We must go on in this life and grow in Jesus until he takes us to be with himself. We do not dare to turn away from our confidence in him.

Verse 15 In the desert the Hebrews had made their hearts hard. They turned away from God. As a result God did not let them go into the *promised land. This is a warning for us. In our day when we hear the word of God we should obey it. We must not be like them and refuse to listen to God.

Verse 16 In verses 16 to 18 the writer asks 3 things and gives 3 answers. These are about the people who turned away from God. Who were the people who heard God's voice and yet would not obey him? It was the men and women whom Moses led out of *Egypt. They had seen all the wonderful works that God had done to make the king set them free. God gave them food and drink and all that they needed. In the desert he led them and kept them safe. Yet they would not accept God as their ruler.

Verse 17 Who was it that made God angry for the 40 years in the desert? It was those people who did not trust him. They all died in the desert because of their *sins. God is always angry about *sin, but he will forgive all who *repent of their *sin. He can do this because Jesus has accepted our punishment by dying for us on the cross.

Verse 18 Who did God say could never come in and rest with him? It was those people who would not obey him. God had done so much for them, yet they still went their own way. They refused to do what God wanted them to do.

Verse 19 They would not accept God as their leader. They did what they knew to be wrong. They would not obey God, but did what they wanted to do. They did not put their trust in God. They could not enter the land of blessing that God would have given to them. They are a warning for us. We must put our trust in God and do what he wants us to do. As we believe in Jesus, we can be sure that God will bring us to his *promised land. If we do not trust and obey him, we too shall not be able to go in.

Verse 1 God has promised a place of rest that will last forever. This place is open to all who walk in God's way. The *promised land of the Hebrews is to us a picture of that place of rest. The adults who came out of *Egypt failed to go in because they did not trust God. The promise of rest forever with God still stands and is for us. We must take care not to miss our chance to enter that place of rest. We must make sure that we are in the way that leads there. When we die, God will judge us and, if we are not walking in his way, it will then be too late.

Verse 2 The Hebrews heard the good news of the promises of God. We also have heard the good news as they did. They were slaves in *Egypt, but God set them free. God did many powerful works to make the king let them go. God then promised to lead them as a nation to a new land. To receive the promises of God they had to put their trust in him. They failed to do this, for they did not accept the word of God. It was for this reason that they died in the desert and did not go into the new land.

We have heard the good news that Jesus has come to save us. He has taken our *sins away in his own body. He has died for us, so that we might live to God. We shall also fail, if we do not trust in Jesus. The way to God's rest is in Jesus and is for all who follow him.

The Hebrews failed because they did not trust God and obey what he said. We shall not fail, if we hear the good news of Jesus and accept it.

Warning not to miss God?s promised rest 4:3-13

Verses 3-5 The *Jews believed that they were the people of God. Because they were the children of Abraham by birth, they were sure that they would go to heaven. They were wrong, because to enter God?s place of rest, people must obey him. When we know and accept Jesus Christ, we become the people of God. God has said that the people who did not have *belief in him would never enter his rest (Psalm 95:11). Nobody can go in without *belief in what God has said. God has spoken to us in his Son, Jesus Christ, who is the only way to life with God.

God rested after he had made the earth and the sky (Genesis 2:2). So the place of rest that we speak of has been ready since then. It remains open for us to enter and to be at home with God.

Verse 6 God has made this place of rest to be the home for *human beings. There is nothing that can stop God from keeping his promises. They can be for us, but only if we take hold of them in *belief. The people to whom God made the promises at first did not obey him. They heard the good news, but failed to go in. It is God's plan that some will enter. So the promises are now open for us to accept.

Verse 7 Because the people who first received God?s promise failed, God has fixed another day. That day is today, and we can now trust God and enter his place of rest. So David warns us all (Psalm 95:7-8). He said that when you hear God's voice today, do not let your hearts become hard. We need to hear and obey the call of God or we too shall not rest with God.

Verse 8 Joshua, who came after Moses could not lead the people to this place of rest. He did lead them into the land that God had promised them. That land was not the place of God?s rest, but it was a picture of it. If it had been that place, God would not have fixed another day. The name ?Joshua? in *Hebrew is the same as ?Jesus? in *Greek. The ?Jesus? (Joshua) of the Old Testament could not lead them into rest with God, but Jesus Christ can lead us there.

Verse 9 There is still this place of rest for the people of God. The word ?rest? can have more than one meaning. Here it has a special meaning. God had told the Hebrews to keep one day each week as a holiday. On this day they were to do no work. It was a day for praising God. It was a day for them to spend time with God. This 1 day in 7 was the *Sabbath day. Here the writer speaks of the rest like the *Sabbath. It will be a time when there is rest from all work. It will be a time when the people of God will enjoy him.

Verse 10 When God had made the earth and sky, he rested from his work. When a person enters God's place of rest, he stops doing his own work. There men and women live with God and enjoy each other.

Verse 11 We must be eager to enter this place of rest. We must make sure that we get there by coming to know God in Jesus. We must be careful that we do not fail like the people in the desert. They did not trust God.

Verse 12 The word of God is anything that God says. Jesus is also the Word of God. It is by Jesus that God has spoken to us. Jesus is God shown to us in a human body. Here the word of God is what God speaks and teaches. We have this word of God written down in the Bible. It is normal for God to speak to us through the Bible. His words are alive and full of power. God?s word goes right into our inner life. It is like a sharp sword that cuts on both edges. In a fight a sword cuts into the body. It can cut between bones. The word of God is like that with our minds and *spirits. It makes plain all the hidden parts of our lives, whether good or bad. Our lives are completely open to God and he knows all that there is to know about us. There can be no secrets hidden from God.

Verse 13 God sees and knows all about every living thing. He sees and knows all that there is to know about every man and woman. To him each life is like an open book. We cannot hide anything from God. One day we must stand before him and give an account of our lives. He will judge us by what we have done and by what we accept about Jesus his Son. It will be a terrible thing to stand before God for the people who do not know Jesus.

3 The greatest chief priest 4:14-7:28

Jesus is superior to Aaron 4:14-5:14

Our confidence 4:14-16

Verse 14 We have a great chief priest. He has gone on our behalf to the place where God lives. The *Jews spoke of many heavens, perhaps 3 or 7. Jesus has gone above all the heavens to the top place. The chief priest of the *Jews was only a man. He stood before God in the *temple on earth. Jesus as our chief priest is more than a man. He is the Son of God. He is always there with God himself. As we have such a chief priest, we must go on trusting in him. We can be sure that he will not fail us.

Verse 15 When Jesus came to earth, he became a real human. He lived as a man in all the experiences of life, the same as any person. He did not do any wrong, but he took all our *sins to himself. He died a terrible death of real and extreme pain. Now he shares with us all that we feel in our bodies and in our minds. He knows how weak we are, and when we suffer, he suffers with us.

Verse 16 Here is a chief priest whom we can trust. He took our *sins away when he died on the cross. He is now with God and is the agent for all who trust in him. So we do not need to have a chief priest on earth to go to God for us. We can be bold to approach God himself, because of the work of Jesus. We can always look to him for help when we need it. In his love he will be kind to us, for he knows how weak we are. He will pardon all our *sins and make us clean again. He will give us the strength that we need to help us in difficult times.

Rules for the chief priest 5:1-4

Verse 1 In the old times the chief priest had to be from the family of Aaron. He was just a man like us, but he had a special place in the Hebrew?s religion. He was to be God?s agent on behalf of men and women. Once a year he went into the most holy part of the *temple to meet with God on behalf of the people. He wore special clothes and followed the special rules that God gave to Aaron in the desert. He had to offer special gifts and sacrifices to God. Then God would pardon the people for what they had done wrong in the past year.

Verses 2-3 The chief priest was a man just like other men. As a *human, he too was weak and had to confess his own *sins as well as the *sins of others. So he would know how people felt and what their needs were. There had to be a balance in his attitude to them. He could be gentle both to the ones who knew little and to the ones who had done wrong. He could not just neglect *sin or act as if it did not matter. Wrong is always bad to God and must be so to the priest. The chief priest on earth was one with his people and as weak as they were. Like them he could not live a perfect life before God. He was just as likely to do wrong as any person. This was why he had to make a *sacrifice for himself first. He had to get his own pardon from God and then he could go to God for the people.

Verse 4 To be the chief priest was a great honour. It was also a great responsibility. No man had the right to take the job for himself. God chose and appointed Aaron as the first chief priest (Exodus 40:12). From then on, the chief priest for the *Jews had to be from the family of Aaron.

Jesus the new chief priest 5:5-11

Verses 5-6 Jesus could not make himself the new chief priest. Only God could appoint the chief priest. If Jesus had tried to make himself the chief priest, he could not have been the agent between us and God. In fact God did appoint Jesus to be the new chief priest. First, he tells us that Jesus, as a *human, is his Son (Psalm 2:7). Jesus in his birth as a *human came from God his Father. Then God says to him, ?You are a priest forever? (Psalm 110:4). Jesus is not a priest of the type of Aaron, for he did not come from that family. There was a priest of God who lived before the time of Aaron who had blessed Abraham. This man was Melchizedek. We shall look at him again in chapter 7. He was a greater priest than Aaron, as we shall see in that chapter. God made Jesus a priest after the type of Melchizedek to be the chief priest for all time.

Verse 7 Although Jesus was the Son of God and the priest of God, he did not have an easy life here on earth. His life was much more difficult than ours. To be a priest for us he had to suffer all the problems of *human life. This helps him to have sympathy with all who suffer. In all his life Jesus talked with God his Father in prayer. When he came to the garden of *Gethsemane, he was in pain in his *spirit. He fell to the ground and cried out to God with loud cries and tears. He knew that he had to die. It was God's plan that Jesus should suffer for all of our *sins. This was why he was in such pain in his mind and *spirit. Yet he said to God, I will do what you want me to do. God was able to save him from death, but Jesus agreed to die. Jesus our chief priest died as the *sacrifice for us.

God heard him when he prayed because he trusted in God. The meaning of this verse is not clear. It seems that Jesus was asking that he might not die. Yet he had to die. What was the answer that God gave? Jesus knew that he had to die on behalf of men and women, and that he came for that purpose. God gave him strength in the garden so that he could go to the cross and die. To hang on a cross was the most awful and painful way to die. Jesus felt all alone when he hung there. Even God left him there on the cross (Matthew 27:46). Yet in three days God brought him back from death to life.

Verse 8 *Human discipline always includes having to suffer. Jesus was the Son of God. Yet he had to learn, as a *human, what it meant to obey God completely, in every situation. It is not that there ever was a time when Jesus failed to obey God. He was always one with God, so the need to obey did not happen until he came to the earth. To do what God wanted, Jesus had to suffer. In doing it, he knew what it was to obey his Father by his own choice. He chose to suffer and to die, because that is what God asked him to do.

Verse 9 The Son of God has always been perfect. He obeyed God and this has made him fit to be the chief priest for all who obey him. By his death he has made a complete and full *sacrifice on our behalf. When God raised him from the dead, Jesus became the source of new life. Jesus gives people this new life, when they put their trust in him. This is the life of the world to come. It begins in us now and will go on forever.

Verse 10 The writer has shown how Jesus was able to be the chief priest. He became a man and so could know all about *human life. He was the Son of God and so could make the perfect *sacrifice on our behalf. The chief priest for the *Jews had to come from the family of Aaron. Jesus was not of that family, but he is the chief priest of all who trust in him. He is the chief priest because God appointed him. God called him to be a chief priest after the type of Melchizedek. This is greater than the chief priests of Aaron?s family.

Verse 11 The writer could say a lot more about the fact that Jesus is now the chief priest. He could tell them more about the priest Melchizedek and how Jesus was like him. He did not do so because he found it hard to explain it to them in simple enough words. The problem was that they were too slow to learn.

Weak and strong Christians 5:12-14

Verse 12-13 The readers had been Christians for some time and should by now have been able to teach others. They were not yet able to teach, because they had not grown strong as Christians. As we grow strong through the word of God, we should be able to teach other people. If we do not grow and learn, we shall need to learn the first lessons again. If we do not go ahead in our *belief, we shall go back. We cannot stand still.

 The readers trusted in Christ, but they had still not grasped the elementary *teachings of the word of God. They were like babies, who cannot eat meat yet, but need milk. The writer could not give them any more teaching, because they were not ready for it. They had not advanced, but were still like babies in their *belief. They could take in only the most simple teaching. All who are like this are beginners in the word of God and his ways.

Verse 14 The mature Christian is like a person who can eat solid food. This means that he can understand the things of the *spirit. He studies the word of God and prays. He learns how to see in each situation what is good and what is bad and what God wants him to do. As he does this, he grows strong in his *belief. This is not just the use of the mind. It is the use of both the mind and the *spirit. Then he does what is right and not what is evil. In this way he learns to grow in the Christian life.

 Jesus is superior in promises 6:1-20

Grow as Christians *faith 6:1-3

Verses 1-2 The readers had learned some basic truths about the Christian life, but had not progressed further. These basic truths include:

·     turning from wrong actions that lead to death, and to *belief in God that leads to life

·     Jewish rules about washing ceremonies

·     the special use of hands to bless and to heal

·     God raising the dead

·     the final judgement to come.

Jesus died to take all our *sins upon himself. The first step to take to become a Christian is to admit to God that we have *sinned. We must be really sorry for this and turn from it. As we turn from our *sin, we must put our trust in God. It is by giving our *sins and ourselves to God that he gives us new life in Jesus.

The *Jews had many special rules about how to use water to make something clean. Christians use water in *baptism, as a sign that the blood of Jesus has washed their *sins away. *Baptism is a picture of the *believer going down into death and then rising to a new life. Both *Jews and Christians use their hands to bless. Laying hands on someone is a means that God will use to give the Holy Spirit or to heal.

God?s raising people from the dead and the judgement to come are about the future. Those who trust in Jesus will live again after death. They will then be with Jesus forever. Those who do not trust God will also live again (John 5:28-29). Then they too will have to come before God. God will be their judge and they will have to pay for their own *sins.

The writer says that we must go on beyond these basic truths. We must build on the base of the new birth. We must grow as Christians and become mature in our *belief.

Verse 3 The aim of the writer is for his readers to go on from these first lessons. He wants to teach them more truth, so that they will become strong Christians. So the writer will go on from these first lessons if God permits it, that is, if God will help him.

No second chance 6:4-8

Verses 4-6 Here is a warning to us that we Christians must not turn away from the truth about Jesus that we have come to know.

There are some people who once said that they were Christians, but now have turned against Christ. They saw the true light of the good news of Jesus. They tasted the goodness of God. They knew something of the work of the Holy Spirit. They heard and knew the truth of the word of God. They had some impression of the coming age when we shall see the power of God. They once knew all this. But now they deny it. Now they cannot expect God to forgive them again. By turning away from Jesus, they have cut themselves off from life with God. Their action puts Jesus to public shame. It is as if they are killing him again. They will not find any way back to God.

Many take this part of the Bible to show that a *believer can turn from Christ. He can lose his life in Jesus. If this were to happen, he would be in a worse state than before. He would not be able to *repent and come to Christ again.

To understand the Bible, we need to look at all that it teaches. A true *believer is a changed person. He has a new life in Jesus. That new life will be forever with Jesus. That life can never die or be destroyed. The true Christian is, therefore, safe in Jesus. He is not able to fall from *belief. It is not possible for him to go back to what he was before. So these verses are not talking about a true *believer.

It may be that many *Jews had come to see the truth in Jesus. But when they saw the trouble that came to Christians because of their *faith, they turned back to their old ways.

The message for us is that we must always trust in Jesus. We must go on to know God better. We must not turn back but continue to follow him.

Verses 7-8 The writer gives an example to show the fate of the person who turns back from Christ. The ground often has the good rain fall upon it. If it grows good crops for the farmer, God blesses it. If it only grows weeds, it is *useless. People will burn the weeds. We who trust in Jesus must show our *faith by the way that we live. As God blesses us, we should become what he wants us to be. If we do not receive the blessing of God, we shall not be what he wants us to be. If we grow as God wants, he will bless us. If we are not what he desires, God will judge us.

Go on in the *faith 6:9-12

Verse 9 The writer has just warned his readers in strict words. But he does not want to leave them in despair and doubt. He calls them his ?dear friends? to show that he cares for them. He tells them that he is sure that they will grow as strong Christians. They will go on to receive the many good things that come with their knowledge of Christ. He does not tell us what these things are. But we know that they must be good gifts, because they come from God.

Verse 10 He is sure about them because of who God is. God is right and true. He will not forget what they have done. Their *belief in God was the cause of their actions. Because they really did trust in God, they showed it by a change in their lives. They helped other people because they loved God. They were still doing these good works to help the servants of God. This should be true of us today. If we love God, we shall love his people, and help them in whatever way we can.

Verse 11 The desire of the writer is that his Christian readers will be eager to live for God to the end of their lives. In this way they will make more sure the hope that they have in Christ. Hope is a certain future with God. As we go on with Jesus, we get more confident of it. What we hope for will happen one day. After we leave this earth, we shall live and be happy with God forever.

Verse 12 It is easier to rest than to go on. So he writes that they should not be lazy. They should copy the men and women who have proved their *belief. These Christians may have suffered much for their *belief in Jesus. But they have held on to the promises of God. They will receive in full all that God has promised.

God?s promise is sure 6:13-20

Verse 13 Abraham is the best example of trust and hope in God. God called him to leave his home and go to a far country. From then on Abraham went where God led him. God counted him as right, for he trusted and obeyed his word. This is why God made promises to him. To show that the promises were certain, God added a *vow in his own name. He used his own name for there is no greater name. The use of a *vow shows that the promises were for a future time. So Abraham had to live and wait in hope and trust.

Verse 14 Abraham trusted God that his promise of a son was true. Although Abraham and his wife were really too old to have children, God still gave them a son. God promised that from this son there would come a great nation. (That nation was *Israel.) God told Abraham of his plans for their future. One of these plans is that they will do good for all the nations of the earth. It is from that nation that the Christ (Jesus) has come to save the world. When Jesus comes back again, he will make the nation of *Israel great. They will lead the world for good.

Verse 15 Abraham had to wait and trust God to do what he had said. The birth of his son Isaac came 25 years after God had made the promise to him. It was 60 years later before the birth of his grandson Jacob. It was this part of the promise that he did see. He died before Jacob and his children went down to live in the land of *Egypt. When they left *Egypt, 400 years later, they became the nation of *Israel. Abraham had died without seeing God do all that he promised. He now lives with God and looks for God to complete what he has said he would do.

Verse 16 When people want to show that they really mean what they say, they use a *vow. They call on the name of a more important person to be a *witness that what they say, they will do. This person may be their king or their god, but someone greater than they are. The *vow is then like a law for all the persons there. They will punish any person who breaks his *vow.

Verse 17 God himself did not need to make a *vow. He will always do what he says, because he is true. That is his character. Yet he made a *vow on this occasion, so that Abraham could have no doubt that God would do it. The purpose of God does not change. He will do what he plans to do. That is what the *vow said. The *vow was not just for Abraham. It was to the heirs of promise. They are the people who follow him both by birth and by *belief. All who believe in Jesus, God counts as sons of Abraham. We who trust in God are the heirs of the promises of God.

Verse 18 God has given us two things that cannot change. They are his promise and his *vow. Once God had spoken in this way, there was no way that he could change his mind. It is not possible for God to tell a lie. All who turn to God can trust the hope that God?s promise gives for the future. This hope will keep us from any despair in this life.

Verses 19-20 Hope is to us like the *anchor is to a boat. An *anchor holds the boat steady and at rest. It goes down in the water to the seabed. There it is firm and will not move. Our hope holds us firm. With hope we can have a quiet heart, even when there are troubles round about us. It reaches to the holy place where God is. It goes into the place where Jesus has gone as our chief priest. He went there for us. He is there as our agent before God. Because Jesus has gone to be with God, we know that we also shall go there one day. When Jesus went to God for us he became a chief priest like Melchizedek, as we saw in chapter 5:6.

Jesus is superior to Melchizedek 7:1-28

Melchizedek 7:1-10

Verse 1 Melchizedek was the king of *Salem. *Salem was probably a short form of ?*Jerusalem?.

He was not only a king, but also a priest of the most high God. In those days it was not unusual for a king to be a priest. For the *Jews, a king could not be a priest. The Bible speaks of their *Messiah, who was to come. He would be both a king and a priest.

Genesis chapter 14 tells how 5 kings came and attacked the kings of the land. They seized many of the people and their goods. Among them was Lot, who was a nephew of Abraham. So Abraham went after them and fought the 5 kings. He overcame them and brought back all the people and the goods. Then Melchizedek, priest of the most high God, met him and brought out bread and wine. He blessed Abraham in the name of God most high.

Verse 2 Abraham gave him a tenth part of all the goods that he had taken in the fight. The name ?Melchizedek? means ?king of what is right? and ?*Salem? means ?peace?. So this man was the king of right and peace. In this he is a picture of the *Messiah (that is, of the Christ) for whom the *Jews were waiting.

Verse 3 The Bible does not tell us anything about the family of Melchizedek. There is no mention of his father or his mother. It was as if he had no parents. The *Jews took this to mean that he had no beginning. There is no record of his death. They took this to mean that he did not die. Here is a person who to them was a priest before time began. He will be a priest without end. He was like the Son of God who was in the beginning and ever will be. The priests of the *Jews had to be of the family of Levi. The family records had to mention their parents, their births and their deaths. Of course, they could not continue as priests when they died. But Melchizedek was a priest of a different kind that lasts for all time. Jesus is a priest like this. He was not of the family of Levi. He is the Son of God and he lives forever.

Verse 4 In the next 7 verses the writer shows that as a priest Melchizedek is greater than Aaron. Aaron was of the family of Levi and he was the first chief priest of *Israel. There are 4 things that show that Melchizedek is greater than Aaron:

·           He accepted a tenth part of all that Abraham had taken from the kings (verses 4-5)

·           He blessed Abraham (verses 6-7)

·           He was a priest forever. Aaron could only be a priest while he was alive (verse 8)

·           He must be greater than Levi, who came from the family of Abraham, much later (verses 9-10)

It was the custom to give the gods the best part of the things taken in war. It was a way of giving thanks for their help in battle. The leader would give these gifts to the priest of his god. The priest who received the gift would be more important than the one who gave it. So here, Abraham gave the best part to Melchizedek as the priest of the most high God. Melchizedek accepted the gifts and this shows that he was more important than Abraham.

Verse 5 Abraham and Sarah gave birth to Isaac. Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob. Jacob had 12 sons and God changed his name to *Israel. His 12 sons became the heads of the 12 *tribes of *Israel. Levi was one of these sons. Later, from the *tribe of Levi God chose the sons of Aaron to be the priests. By the law of Moses the people of *Israel had to give a tenth part of all that they had to God. It was these sons of Levi who collected the tenth parts, although it was from their own people who formed the 12 *tribes.

Verses 6-7 Melchizedek did not come from the family of Levi. Yet he received the tenth part from Abraham and blessed him.

Abraham was a great man. God had called him and led him. God had promised to make him great. His family were to own the whole of the land that God had shown him. They were to be a blessing to all the people on earth. This shows how great Abraham was. But it is true that the one who blesses is greater than the one whom he blesses. Melchizedek blessed Abraham in the name of the most high God. So he must have been greater than even Abraham.

Verse 8 Aaron and the priests who came after him were only men. They lived and died. While they were alive, they took the tenth part from the people. There is no record of the birth or death of Melchizedek. The *Jews took this to mean that he was still a priest, and still alive. In this way, the writer shows that Melchizedek is greater than Aaron.

Verses 9-10 It was from the sons of Levi that the priests came. Levi was a son of Jacob. Jacob was a son of Isaac. Isaac was the son of Abraham. So Levi came from Abraham. When Abraham gave Melchizedek the tenth part, Levi had not been born. The idea is that Levi was still in his parents, and that they were still in their parents. In this way one can say that the priests in the family of Levi already paid the tenth part through Abraham. This again shows that Melchizedek is greater than Levi. And because Jesus is a priest like Melchizedek, he too is greater than the priests of the *Jews.

King and priest 7:11-14

Verse 11 God gave the people the law by Moses and made Aaron the first chief priest. The purpose of the priests was to link men and women to God. To do this the priests had to offer sacrifices to God on the people?s behalf. No person is perfect and without *sin in the sight of God, and this includes the priests of Levi?s family. They were not good enough, because of their *sins. But God said that there would be a new kind of priest, one like Melchizedek. There would have been no need for a different type of priest if the priests of Levi?s family had been perfect.

Verse 12 It was the law of Moses that set up the priests of Levi?s family. So a different kind of priest required a change in the law of Moses about *sacrifice.

Verse 13 Under the old law, all priests had to come from the family of Levi. Aaron came from this family. Levi was one of the 12 sons of Jacob, who became the heads of the 12 *tribes of *Israel. No priest came from any of the other sons. The old law did not allow it. Jesus came from the family of *Judah and not from the family of Levi.

Verse 14 There is no doubt that the *Messiah was to come from *Judah (Micah 5:2). The *prophets also said that he was to come from the family of David (Isaiah 16:5). He is king David's greater son. The *Jews knew this. They knew that *Messiah would be both king and priest. Yet Moses never said that a priest would come from the family of *Judah.

Christ is greater, for he is alive forever 7:15-19

Verses 15-16 Jesus has come as a priest after the type of Melchizedek. Melchizedek was a king and a priest. He was not a priest by the law that came by Moses. He was a priest before God gave the law to Moses. This is also true about Jesus, for he was God before the law came. The *Jews did not know where Melchizedek came from and had no record of his death. So they saw a life which had no beginning and no end. Jesus was with God in the beginning and he will have no end. He is the priest who has made the perfect *sacrifice. He lives forever as the priest before God on our behalf.

Verse 17 It is God who made Jesus the new chief priest. God said to Jesus, ?You are a priest forever after the type of Melchizedek? (Psalm 110:4). In this he makes Jesus greater than the law of Moses which set up the priests of Levi. Those priests were *human and so had to die one day. Jesus lives forever. He is the only one who can always be our agent to God.

Verses 18-19 The law that God gave to Moses was good. By that law the priests of Levi came to God on behalf of the people. But that law was also weak, because people could not do all that the law said. No matter how hard people tried to keep the law, they failed because they *sinned. But now, because Jesus is our priest, God will accept us. This is better than the old law. There is no need now for the sacrifices that the priests of the family of Levi offered. By what God has done through Jesus, we can be sure of life with him both now and forever. We have to trust in Jesus and follow him. Jesus is now our chief priest and he is far better than priests of the old law. He has come and he has made the one perfect *sacrifice for us. He accepts all our *sins by dying on our behalf. As God accepts what Jesus has done, he makes us clean from all *sin.

Christ is greater because of the promise of God 7:20-22

Verses 20-21 When the sons of Aaron became priests, it could only be while they lived. But the word that God spoke about Jesus made him a priest forever (Psalm 110:4). When God makes a *vow, it means that he will never change what he has vowed. He said that Jesus is a priest forever and so we know that this is true.

Verse 22 The old law of Moses appointed sacrifices, but these could not make people clean from *sin. Priests who offered these sacrifices were like other men because in the end they too had to die. But Jesus offered the *sacrifice of himself on our behalf, and that has effect for all time. He is the priest who lives forever. God accepts his *sacrifice for us. He is the agent of God to bring us his blessing. He is our agent to God to bring us to him. Jesus can make us ready and clean to live with God forever. In this he is greater than the old law of Moses and all other priests.

Christ is greater because he is a priest forever 7:23-25

Verses 23-24 Under the old law of Moses there were many priests. They all died in the end, for they were only men like us. They could not be priests after they had died. There had to be new priests to take their place. With Jesus all has changed. He is alive and will never die again. He is our one and only priest. We have no need of other priests. There will be no more priests, for Jesus will always be alive. God has made him to be the one priest for all time and for all people.

Verse 25 Jesus is the one priest who will be with God forever. He has made the one *sacrifice that is perfect and God accepts that *sacrifice for all time. He alone has the power to make us whole. By it Jesus makes us clean and takes away all our *sins. It is Jesus who can make us right with God. It is only by Jesus that we can come to God. As he lives with God, he is the agent of all who believe in him. God accepts all who trust in Jesus, because of what he has done for us.

Christ is greater for he has offered a better *sacrifice 7:26-28

Verse 26 Jesus is the chief priest who satisfies all our needs. He is the perfect priest for us. He is much more than a *human, for he is also God. He is not distant from us. He has lived on earth as a *human being. He knows all the problems that we have. He knows how we feel. In all his life here he did no *sin. He lived a perfect life with his God. He died to take away all that was wrong in us. As our chief priest, he always lives as our agent with God. He has taken his place with God as the king of heaven.

Verse 27 For the old law there had to be sacrifices made every day for the *sins of the people. In addition the chief priest went once a year into the most holy place to offer sacrifices. The chief priest first had to offer a *sacrifice for his own *sins. Then he offered a *sacrifice for the *sins of the men and women. Jesus did not need to offer any *sacrifice on his own behalf, because he had no *sin. He offered the *sacrifice of himself for the *sins of us all. What he did is the complete answer for all our *sins. We have no need now for any *sacrifice other than the one which he offered.

Verse 28 The law of Moses made men chief priests. These men were weak, as are all men. We all do wrong and we all die. The law came from God, but it had to work with weak men and women and so could never satisfy their need. In contrast, God by his word made Jesus the chief priest. Jesus is not weak as we are. He did no wrong and he came back from the dead. He continues to live a perfect life and will never die. He is able to make us clean from all *sin, so that we can be with God.

4 Jesus is the better *mediator 8:1-10:39

A new and better agreement 8:1-13

The work of Christ is greater than that of the old priests 8:1-7

Verse 1 What we are saying is this. We have a chief priest who is so great that he sat down at God?s right hand. The right hand of God is the place of highest honour in heaven. For Jesus to sit down there shows that he has finished the work that he came here to do. By dying on our behalf, Jesus has made it possible for us to go to be with God.

Verse 2 In the time of Moses the *Israelites had a special tent in the desert. They made this tent to the plan that God gave them. In it there was the holy place, which was the special place of *worship. God did not allow anyone to go into this holy place except the chief priest. That special tent was a model of the true holy place in heaven which God has made. It is here that Jesus, as our chief priest, now works for our benefit. The *sacrifice that Jesus offered for us was complete when he died. So he does not need to offer any other *sacrifice for our *sin. He can speak to God on our behalf and offer him our prayers.

Verse 3 The duty of the chief priest was to offer gifts and sacrifices to God on behalf of the people. God made Jesus the chief priest. So he also needs to have something to offer to God for us. The chief priests had to bring gifts and sacrifices to God all the time. Jesus did it only once and for all time, when he gave himself. The priests of the old agreement always stood, for their work was not complete. Jesus, having died once for *sins, sat down to show that he had finished this part of his work.

Verse 4 If Jesus were still on earth, he would not be a priest at all. There were already priests under the old agreement from the family of Aaron. Jesus did not even come from that family.

Verse 5 The special tent was only a model or copy. Moses made the special tent and all the things in it, as God told him (Exodus 25:40; 26:30). This special tent was to teach the people about the true place of *worship in heaven. It is in this place in heaven where Jesus is our chief priest.

Verse 6 The better place in heaven where Jesus now works shows that he is greater than those priests. He has made a better agreement with God on our behalf. That agreement includes better promises than the old agreement. The writer will mention those promises in verses 8-12.

Verse 7 The old agreement that God gave to Moses included the rules by which the people should live. The agreement was good, for it came from God, and all its rules were right. The fault with it was that nobody was able to do all that it said. Nobody could keep the agreement. That is why there was the need for another agreement. The new one had to provide a way for men and women to get right with God.

The new agreement replaces the old one 8:8-13

Verse 8 From verse 8 to the end of verse 12 the author copies words from Jeremiah 31:31-34. He uses these words to show that the old agreement is no longer in operation. The new agreement, that Jesus brought, has taken its place. It was not that there was a fault with the old agreement. The fault was with people, because nobody could obey the agreement.

Most agreements are between two persons or groups. They both agree to do all that it requires of them. The new agreement is not like that. No mere *human can make an agreement with God. Here it says, ?I will make a new agreement?. This means that God himself will arrange the new agreement. He will also make a way for it to achieve its purpose. The old agreement was with the peoples of *Israel and *Judah, and the new agreement will be for them. It will not only be for them, but for all who trust in Jesus.

Verse 9 The people of *Israel were once slaves in *Egypt. God in his love and kindness to them rescued them from that country. He was like a father who leads his children by the hand to a place of safety. It was then that he made the old agreement with them. They failed to do what they had agreed to do. They kept turning away from God. In the end God turned away from them.

Verse 10 From the failures of the past, Jeremiah looks to the future. There had been a split in the nation of *Israel. Of the original 12 *tribes, 10 had become the new nation of *Israel. The other two *tribes formed the nation of *Judah. By the time of Jeremiah, *Israel did not exist any more. They had been so bad that God had scattered them among the nations. *Judah was as bad and God was about to scatter them too. Jeremiah saw a time when God will bring *Israel and *Judah back to their own land. God will make a new agreement with them.

God wrote the laws of the old agreement on stones. He will write the new rules on the minds and hearts of men and women. People did not have the power to carry out the old agreement. But now God will give them power to obey the new rules. That power is the *Spirit of God, who will live in the hearts of his people. Then they will not turn away from God. God will accept them as his own people.

Verse 11 All who enter into the new agreement will know God. They will be able to speak directly with God. There will be no need for anyone to teach them to know the *Lord. God himself will teach them.

Verse 12 The key to the new agreement is the fact that God will forgive *sin. It is not that God will just forget our *sins. He puts them right out of his mind for always. This is because Jesus has paid the cost of all our *sins. As we trust in Jesus, he makes us free from our *sins. As we come to God in Jesus, he accepts what Jesus has done and forgives us completely.

Verse 13 In saying that the agreement is new, God makes the earlier agreement old. The new replaces the old and the old is at an end. The old agreement has no effect, for it is of no use now that the new one has come.

A new way to praise God 9:1-28

The old holy place 9:1-10

Verse 1 To show how much better the new agreement is, the author writes first about the old agreement. The old agreement included the rules about *worship, that is, how to praise and honour God. This was to take place in a special holy place. Its use was only for here on earth, not in heaven.

Verse 2 As God had told Moses, they set up a large special tent. This special tent had two parts. The outer part of the special tent was the holy place. The inner part was the most holy place. In the outer part, the holy place, were a special oil lamp and a special table. Skilled workmen made the special lamp to the exact plan that God gave to Moses (Exodus 25:31-40). On the table was the holy bread. There were 12 loaves of this bread. Every Saturday, Aaron had to replace them with fresh loaves of bread. After the death of Aaron, the chief priest of the time would do this. The priests, but nobody else, ate the old loaves when they took them off the table. They had to eat the loaves in the holy place, for this bread was holy to the *Lord.

Verse 3 Through a second curtain was the most holy place. This was the very special place where the chief priest met with God. Only the chief priest could go in there and only once a year. The curtain was there so that nobody else could approach God.

Verse 4 By the curtain, near the special box of the agreement, was an *altar of gold (Exodus 30:1-6). On it the priests burned *incense every day.

The special box of the agreement was a large box made of wood, with gold all over it (Exodus 25:10-22). In this special box of the agreement were three things.

There was the gold jar of the bread from heaven (Exodus 16). When the people went through the desert God fed them. He sent bread each morning for them to collect and eat. God told them to put some of it into this jar. It was there to remind them of how God cared for them.

The stick of Aaron that came into flower was there (Numbers 17). There had been trouble in the camp of *Israel. Some people did not accept that Moses and Aaron were the right leaders for them. So God told them to put a stick for each *tribe in the special tent. The next day, the stick of Aaron had flowers and fruit on it. The other sticks were just dead sticks. So God showed them that he had chosen Moses and Aaron. God told them to put this stick into the special box of agreement to remind the people how God had led them.

Also in the special box of the agreement were the stones on which God had written the 10 laws. He had given these to Moses on the mountain top (Deuteronomy 5). These 10 laws were the rules that the people had to obey.

Verse 5 There was a figure of a *cherub on each end of the lid of the special box of the agreement. The *cherubs were special *angels who were to show that God was there in all his honour. God told Moses to make the figures of gold. They faced each other across the lid of the box. Their wings spread over the box. The lid itself was of pure gold. This was the place where the chief priest had to put the blood of the *sacrifice for *sin. Each year when he did this, God said that he would forgive the *sins of the priest and people.

It was not the writer?s purpose to explain what all these things meant. He wanted to show how much better the real things in heaven are than these.

Verse 6 The priests had to go into the outer part of the special tent every day. They prepared the lamps in the morning and lit them in the evening. They had to say prayers to God at fixed times in the morning and in the evening. At these times the priests burned *incense on the *altar of gold. Each week they had to change the bread.

Verse 7 The chief priest went into the most holy place once a year. When it says once a year, it means on one day of the year. He had to go in more than once on that day. The priest was in danger of the anger of God, when he went into the most holy place. There had to be the right sacrifices made to God to make it safe for him. He had to make a *sacrifice for his own *sins on the *altar. Then he went in with some of the blood and put it on the lid of the special box of the agreement. Then God forgave his *sins. Then the chief priest made a *sacrifice for the *sins of the people. He went in again with some of that blood and put it on the gold lid of the special box. Then he asked God to forgive the people as well.

Verse 8 The Holy Spirit used the special tent to teach us an important truth. It was that there was no way that the people could go directly to God. Only the priests could go into the holy place. Even they could not go beyond that. The chief priest alone could go to God in the most holy place. He could only go there on one day of the year (Leviticus 16).

While that form of *worship was in use there, the *Spirit did not tell about the direct way to God.

Verse 9 The ?present time? could mean the time when the special tent was in use. In those days the direct way to God was not yet open. It could mean the time when the author was writing. The direct way to God was now open in Jesus. In the old special tent the priests offered gifts and sacrifices to God. The problem was that these had no power to change a person?s heart and mind. These could not clean the conscience from *sin and so make the people right with God.

Verse 10 There were strict laws about food and drink. The *Jews had a lot of rules about washing and for much of their daily lives. These were all to do with the outside of a person and had no effect on the inside of a person. These old laws applied until the time of the new agreement came. The new agreement put an end to the old laws and replaced them with a better way.

The blood of Christ 9:11-14

Verse 11 The writer does not tell us what the good things are that have come. It must be the sum of all that Jesus has won for us by his death and *resurrection. He is now our chief priest of the new agreement. The place where he is, as our agent, is much better than the old tent. That was only a copy of the true place of *worship. This is where Jesus has gone. This is the holiest place of all, where he meets with God on our behalf.

Verse 12 By the blood, the priests went into the most holy place in the special tent. Jesus did not need the blood of animals. Those priests had to offer a *sacrifice for their own *sins. Jesus was perfect, and so he had no need for such a *sacrifice. He has gone, on our behalf into the true and holiest place of all. There had to be a *sacrifice for our *sins. Jesus died once for the *sins of all people and his blood, that is, his death, is sufficient for all time. The text seems to say that Jesus took his blood into that place. It means rather that he went in because of the value of the blood that he gave on our behalf. With his death Jesus paid the price to set us free from *sin. Now in him we can be right with God and can go and live forever with him.

Verse 13 The blood of goats and young cows and their ashes had the effect of cleaning a person on the outside. This could not take away a person?s *sin, for that is on the inside. Nor could it make a person right with God. It is only the blood of Jesus that can make the conscience clean. It is only the blood of Christ that can remove the *sin.

Verse 14 Jesus was both *human and God. He was perfect and had no *sin in him. How much more effect must the blood of Jesus have than the blood of animals! There are three reasons why his blood is so special:

·     It was by the *Spirit that he offered himself. Several times the *prophet Isaiah spoke about the servant of the *Lord who was coming one day. (This refers to the *Messiah, that is, Jesus Christ. ?Christ? means *Messiah.) On the first occasion, God says, ?I have put my *Spirit upon him? (Isaiah 42:1). This means that all that Jesus would do would be with God?s power. This includes his final great act of dying to take away our *sins.

·     Jesus freely offered himself, for he agreed to do so. He was ready to be a *sacrifice for the *sins of us all. He gave himself for us.

·     He was perfect and had no *sin, yet he offered himself to God. He was the one perfect *sacrifice that could pay for the *sin of all of us. He is the one *sacrifice that would please God.

So Jesus is able to make our consciences clean through his blood, and so to make us right with God.

Christ brings us into the new agreement 9:15-22

Verse 15 Because Jesus can make us clean from *sin, he is the one who brings us into the new agreement with God. His blood was the price that he paid to make us free from *sin. The sacrifices of old were to show the death of Jesus that was to come one day. This *sacrifice of Jesus was there for those who lived under the old agreement. It is there as well for us who live under the new agreement. The way to heaven is the same for all whom God calls. All who trust in Jesus will have a place in heaven. That place will always be there and so will they.

Verses 16-17 Most types of agreement are where two persons agree and both have rights and responsibilities. There is also an agreement made by one person. This is when a person says what should happen to his property when he dies. While this person is still alive, the agreement has no value. It comes into effect only when the person who made it is has died. Those who would benefit from the agreement have to show that its maker is dead. Then they can take the possessions left to them in the agreement.

Verse 18 God made both the old and the new agreements. In the old agreement, G