Hebrews 10-11

These 2 chapters are the apex of this letter.

Chapter 10

v. 1-7

V. 1 - First, the author calls the law a “Shadow” of things to come. Then he provides his reasoning.

v. 2 - The sacrifices were never complete. It was never finished.

In Jesus, the work of atonement is finished.

John 19:30 “When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

V. 3-7 - The sacrifices of Jesus should remind us of what he saved us from.

Not just that he saved us from hell into heaven at the end of our lives, but the slavery of sin that he saved us from into the slavery of righteousness in this life.

Romans 6:17–18 “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.”

The Jews were annually reminded that their sins were not atoned for. They were annually reminded that the sacrifices were not sufficient. This would have invoked feelings of guilt, regret, or possibly frustration.

The sacrifices of Jesus was sufficient for atonement. This should invoke feelings of gratitude and build our faith.

v. 5-7 quoted from Psalm 40:6-8

v. 8-18

v. 9 - He cancels the old covenant to bring a new covenant.

The New Covenant would be more appropriately called “The Covenant”

Better covenant - The law fulfilled.

It is better than everything else!

Religion not Relationship

Ratified by blood of Jesus, not animals (v. 9)

Open to all, not just the chosen few (v. 10)

One sacrifice not regular sacrifices (v. 12, 18)

Eternal not temporal (v. 14)

Grace, mercy, and redemption, not earned or worked for

True forgiveness not just a covering

Internal atonement not just ceremonial

Billions of people since the moment of creation have sought oneness with the creator.

They have worked to achieve this through many religions and beliefs

Jews

Hinduism (1500 BC)

Jainism (600 BC)

Buddhism (500 BC)

Confucianism (500 BC)

Taoism (400 BC)

Islam (600 AD)

Shintoism (800 AD)

Sikhism (1400 AD)

Rastafarianism (1930s AD)

Scientology (1954 AD)

All are looking to understand the creation of the universe and to be one with the creator(s).

Jesus is the answer to all of them, not just because he is the true God, but because he accomplished everything they are seeking in their religions.

V. 19-23

V. 19 - We have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place.

We can be in the presence of God!

We take this for granted.

9/11 was pivotal for those that experienced it.

Kennedy’s assassination is part of my life, but it changed my mom’s life.

Charlie Kirk is another example.

We have to understand how pivotal it is to be able to be in the presence of God.

All of those other religions are trying to be. Many think they are and are probably in the presences of demons.

The Jews had the only access, by one man, one time per year.

Now we all get it, if we choose to accept it.

v. 24-25

v. 24 - motivate, stir up.

paroxysmos - sharp disagreement

From where they are to acts of love and good works.

That means where they are is not in acts of love and good works.

So when we see others that are in a place that is not acting in love toward God and one another, we must stand in sharp disagreement to their position and encourage them in the right direction.

V. 25 - Encourage

parakalountes - urge, implore, exhort

Hebrews 3:13 “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

Do not negelct to meet

You can’t we be Christians alone. Why?

The entire context of all of the teachings of the New Testament was that they were part of the ecclesia.

ekklesia - public assembly

This is the word that is translated to church

The very definition of the church is a public gathering, not a private one.

How can you love on another in your room by yourself?

God is love is proof of the trinity. He cannot love all by himself and at the same time not be in sin.

How can we encourage one another when we are never together?

The encouragement is needed so that we will not be deceived into thinking God isn’t God.

2 Corinthians 11:3 “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”

Eve was tempted when she was alone.

Coal away from the fire.

v. 26-31

This is why we must meet…

We must meet to remain on fire and not to fall back into sin.

We should meet more than just on Sundays.

We should meet with believers as often as possible to continue to encourage one another, to stir each other up, to pray, and to worship.

V. 32-39 -

Remember…

The letter that Jesus wrote to the Ephesians (not Paul’s letter)

Revelation 2:1–7 ““To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’”

If you find yourself not as Zealous as you once were, remember what you were doing when you were zealous.

Remember your daily patterns.

Remember how you read each day.

Remember how you prayed daily.

Remember how you worshipped daily.

Go back to doing that. Choose to be that way.

“Do not waste time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.” -C.S. Lewis

Faith is an action. It is a decision.

Chapter 11

What faith is not

Faith is not making something happen. That is shamanism.

Animism assign spiritual attributes to everything. Animates inanimate objects.

Magic is the belief in the manipulation of the spiritual world.

Shamanism combines the two. It is the New Age belief that everything is spiritual and those that have the right powers or secret knowledge can manipulate those things.

We see this New Age belief creep into the church when we are trying to make the Spirit do something.

1 Corinthians 12:4–11 “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”

Telling God to do something is not faith. It is the belief that you are God and can enforce your will.

It is the same deception that the serpent used on Eve.

Genesis 3:4–5 “But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.””

2 Corinthians 11:3 “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”

Faith is believing God has it in his hands, not believing God will do what you want.

Faith

V. 1 - Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

John 4:39–42 “Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.””

The Word of God and testimonies of his work build faith.

V. 2-32 - testimonies

Us (v.3)

We have faith in things by default

This building was built by the lowest bidder, and you are under it.

Abel (v. 4)

Enoch (v. 5-6)

Genesis 5:24 “Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.”

Noah (v. 7)

Abraham (v. 8-10)

Sarah (v. 11-12)

Abraham (v. 17-19)

Isaac (v. 20)

Genesis 26:1–6 “Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines. And the Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” So Isaac settled in Gerar.”

Jacob (v. 21)

Genesis 32:9–12 “And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’ I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ””

Joseph (v. 22)

Moses (v. 23-28)

Israelites (v. 29-30)

Rahab (v. 31)

Gideon (v. 32)

Judges 6:25–27 “That night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order. Then take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down.” So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had told him. But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night.”

Barak (v. 32)

Initially hesitant and rebuked by Deborah, but when it came time to act, he acted in faith and the Lord blessed him with victory.

Samson (v. 32)

Had his faith in the fact that he was chosen. Hie faith was in his strength and hair.

After that had been taken away, he proved his faith in the Lord in his final act before dying:

Judges 16:28–30 “Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes.” And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other. And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life.”

Jephthah (v. 32)

Trusted in the Lord who made him head of the Gileadites to a point where he offered up his daughter as a burnt offering. (The Lord did not ask him to do this)

David (v. 32)

He faced Goliath with total faith that God was on his side.

Samuel (v. 32)

Offered up a lamb as a burnt in the midst of his approaching enemy, and the Lord defeated the Philistines.

Prophets (v. 32)

Isaiah 12:2 ““Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.””

Jeremiah 1:4–8 “Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.””

Ezekiel 37:1–10 “The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.”

Daniel 6:16–23 “Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him. Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.”