Hebrews by Gary DeLashmutt (2006)

This introduction to Hebrews captures the importance of relating to God on a personal level, rather than basing our interactions on religious rituals. Christ is better than Old Testament Judaism and has replaced it. The author of Hebrews makes his case through two main points: 1) Jesus is better than the Old Testament prophets (the prophets predicted Christ!), and 2) Jesus is better than the angels. The author is trying to teach his audience that there are consequences for neglecting God's message.

Hebrews makes the case that Jesus is greater than any person or institution. This second chapter provides understanding about why this is: because of his sacrifice in order to rescue humanity. The necessity of Christ to become human is explained in three reasons: 1) to regain humanity's lost dominion over the earth (prevailing where Adam failed in the fall), 2) to die in our place for the guilt of our sins(allowing us to join God's family), and 3) to help us when we suffer (since he, himself, knows what it means to suffer).

Due to persecution, many Jewish Christians are considering reverting back to living under the Law, instead of following Christ. The author of Hebrews reminds the recipients of Moses, warning them of history repeating itself: God is making a promise, and His people are rejecting it. Christ is greater than Moses, and the promise is greater now than in Moses' example. Two application points can be drawn from this lesson: 1) real faith in Jesus lasts, and 2) listen to God's ongoing instruction (considering symptoms of a hardened heart and how to prevent one).

Responding to God and trusting Him leads to being able to partake in His rest. This rest lifts burdens from His people, but it can seem difficult to understand at first. Entering into God's rest involves ceasing from works, while making every effort to depend on God. This can only be understood and applied through grace and mercy, which are available through Christ.

Defending the priesthood of Christ, the author of Hebrews mentions Melchizedek. The significance of this character is that the Old Testament taught that the Messiah would be from a priesthood older than the Levitical priesthood. Melchizedek is only mentioned in this passage, Genesis 14, and Psalm 110, which all point to him being a priest and the Messiah's relation to him. The Old Testament taught that the Messiah would replace the Levitical priesthood. With this replacement came a new and better way to relate to God--one that includes confidence in God's acceptance, relational closeness with God, and the same intimacy with others who know God.

The Old Testament foreshadows the salvation brought by the Messiah through the tabernacle. The author of Hebrews reminds his audience what this tabernacle represented: God dwelling among His people; the necessity to be "clean"' before Him; the barriers between Him and man; His provision and protection; and, most importantly, how Christ is the perfect fulfillment of a complete sacrifice. Ultimately, Christ's relationship to the tabernacle demonstrates that ritualistic worship is obsolete!

Now that the author of Hebrews has clarified that the new covenant is better than the old covenant, he gives three examples of how. 1) People now have the power to follow God. 2) People now have personal intimacy with God. 3) People now have complete forgiveness by God. While not as extreme as the old sacrificial system, it is still important to watch for ways that people can revert to relating to God through rituals.

Shifting from theological argument to practical application, the author gives suggestions on how to respond to Jesus' gift of salvation. He says that his audience should: 1) cultivate relational closeness with God, 2) keep sharing their faith with others, and 3) keep inciting one another to live out God's love. He warns against auto-pilot and stagnant faith without active love and service.

God has a race for His people to run! It requires endurance and several key points. The first key is to get rid of all suitcases. These can be the sins that hinder us or the activities we do that aren't morally wrong but still slow us down. The second key is to get strength from other veteran runners. Characters from the Old and New Testaments, biographies of other Christian workers, and Christian workers God puts in one's life can be great sources of motivation and encouragement.

Continuing in learning how to run with endurance, two more keys are presented. The third key is to focus your attention on Jesus as an example and provider. The fourth is to cooperate with the trainer, knowing that He is motivated by love, and knowing that the benefit of running the race will come later.

The author of Hebrews describes a new and better way to worship God, as compared to the rituals of the old covenant. Several differences include new worship: 1) is wherever you are, 2) is continuous, 3) is equally achievable by all believers, and 4) is a lifestyle of thanks to God and loving service to others. It is important to note how ritual worship services can hinder believers from having a full life with God.

The new worship involves loving people with our lives. There are three distinct groups that people fall into, and how we can love each of them varies. The first group, other followers of Christ, are people we should love as family. These are people we should be deeply invested in. The second group, strangers, are people we should show hospitality to and not neglect. These are people we should be seeking out and moving towards. The last group, those in prison or who are ill-treated, are people we should allow God to open our hearts to love. These are people we should have a burden for.

The new worship involves having a new perspective on money. Believers need to reject materialism's empty promises that lead to disastrous decisions. Believers also need to embrace and pursue God's purpose for life and cultivate enjoyment of the good things God gives, whether physical, intellectual, aesthetic, or relational. Finally, believers need to practice consistent and spontaneous generosity, which protects us and gives us excitement for eternity.

The next piece of the new worship reminds believers to consider their leaders. Three ways to do this are to: 1) choose them carefully (test them against Scripture), 2) imitate their faith (and their commitment to others), and 3) obey and submit to them (in biblical matters, respecting the authority they have been entrusted with). These ultimately come from the mutual desire to succeed as a church!

God doesn't need our gratitude as validation for Himself, so why does it matter? Firstly, our level of gratitude reveals our spiritual health. Gratitude is a natural response to grace, so if we are understanding grace, we should be expressing gratitude. Gratitude is also a medicine that promotes spiritual health. This means we should be practicing gratitude actively. Several helpful ways to do this are to utilize spiritual songs, ask God to sensitize you to grumbling (and give others the green light to say something to you about it), keep a journal, reflect, thank others, and spend time with other grateful people.