Bible Study Hebrews

7/12/09 Bible Study Class (Griff Covered)

Book of John (Prologue)

We are seeing Jesus New (For the first time)

Gospel of John

• It is the most devotional, most detailed, and most accurate
• The beloved disciple (John)
• Most passionate, he truly believes every word
• It is also the smartest gospel (Luke does the most research)
• The way John wrote:
• Language, foreshadowing is brilliant in every word

Prologue is the entire gospel

• Poetry, imagery is a comparison of Jesus and John and is brilliant

The Message: Every thing is made through God

• John echoes Genesis which was the start of everything
• He takes you back to creation where the faith began
• Christ was part of that creation
• Mechanism of action

John 21:25

• A Word: So many words about Him, cant hold all in books (goes from one to infinite)

Reading John 1 & 2

• Seems like Monotheism
• Looks like 2 Gods, but is actually a Trinity
• One being 3, and 3 being 1
• Jews: Faith is in One God, and the thought of anything else, they stop there
• Eternalness of Jesus
• Jesus isn’t a new idea at this point
• He was the plan from the beginning
• He wasn’t an addition to fix things

John Ch. 3-5

• Message: Says everything is created through Him
• To teach kids, we have to tell them that God made trees, grass, etc.
• Tangible, visual (Is the foundation)
• Creation is the first impression of Love
• “Man” walked on earth, wont see until after we’re dead, maybe
• Light/Darkness: Psalm, Matthew, Revelations, Genesis – Jesus
• Uses Himself as “Light”
• Huge Promise
• Light: Truth, guidance, greater than darkness

John Ch. 6-8

• John gets role because of us
• We’re sent by God to point out life to light
• Our roles are alongside John
• Point way to Jesus
• John: Chapter 3 says “He must increase, I must decrease”
• More of you, less of us

John: 9-14

• Word became Flesh and blood, and moved to the neighborhood
• Risk: What can a baby do? Nothing
• For Jesus to be fully human, He has to have human experiences
• Such as being a baby in order to come to the world
• Babies don’t have special powers
• God says: Come as infant
• But the problems lie in human terms, what if baby doesn’t develop correctly
• Trusting humans to care for Jesus was also risky and involved trust and faith in humans
• Fully Human: Jesus didn’t always know He was God

New View:

• We see Jesus crawling on floor, seeing the world from a toddlers point of view

See what salvation is:

• Believer, Trust in Me
• Belief is faith (Faith healed people)
• Trust in Father, God, Spirit
• Maybe salvation is simply trusting
• Giving as much of yourself to God as is possible
• Basically trust

John Ch. 15-18

• John Baptist’s role: Proclaiming Jesus
• Verse 15: Point the way to Jesus
• Law
• Grace and truth of Jesus prevails over Laws of Moses
• Jesus gave Grace and Truth
• There is more truth, and more to it
• Prologue: Telling of story
• Prologue is telling of John’s story
• He doesn’t matter anymore
• Its about Jesus

7/19/09 BSF HEBREWS

• Nothing to prove as gospels, already have proven everything
• Nobody knows who wrote Hebrews, people think its Barnabus
• Writer uses Greek translation of the old testament

o Written in 60 AD

o Talks of the temple in present tense

o Written to Jewish Christians

§ They had started to Judea-ize again

§ During Babylonian captivity, apparently they became fascinated with angels and were on the verge of worshipping them

• The beginning of Hebrews, it states Jesus is superior to angels
• Secular and nonsecular (self- help world)
• Praise Music

o In churches, they practice and emphasize on “You”

o God loves you, you, you, you – how God makes me feel vs. doctrine, theology, who God is and what he did

o There is more on the love of God for “you” as opposed to who God is

Chapter 1 of Hebrews Study

• Jesus is:

o The end of prophets

o The Son of God

o Message from God

o Exact represent of being (God)

• Sustains all things by his word
• Psalms –
• writer knows Psalms and refers to them and uses them to prove Christ
• Some quotes may have been about the king of that time, but in prophesying it is about Christ
• Angels are a gift to us and here to serve us, not here to be worshipped
• Angels worship Jesus!
• Angels are his servants
• But the Son is King
• He is the Right Hand: Most high, good side
• Exact representation off His being, humanity

7/26/09 Chapter 2 of Hebrews

Galatians 3:19 – “What, then was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator”

Acts 7:53 – “You who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.”

• Allowing thoughts of Jesus slipping away, fall into the old habits
• To not drift away
• Warning: Jesus is Superior
• The message by the angels was a binding one
• If a warning spoken by the angels is not obeyed and there is just punishment for it, how much more is what was spoken by Christ?
• Salvation: Through the Gospel
• The disciples confirmed to those who heard them
• Salvation: Admit you are a sinner
• Repent accept Christ as Savior and Lord
• 1 Corinthians 15:3-6 – For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
• Acts 14:3 – So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.
• Even apostles are limited in a way
• But they are empowered by the Spirit
• God testified to it
• Warning: Not something to be taken lightly
• “Son of God” is the name for Jesus
• Jesus was fulfillment
• We can look at this as mankind
• He was made lower than angels (as the Son of Man) but He was still higher than them
• Gnostics:
• Deny humanity of Jesus
• They didn’t think Jesus was human
• Reminder: Jesus was flesh and blood
• Angels
• Appear as men
• Fight invisible wars
• Ministering servants to believers
• They don’t know everything
• Matthew 4:7-9 – Jesus answered him, “It is also written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
• Philippians 2:6-12 – Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Shining as Stars Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence – continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
• Resurrection Accomplished
• Brings us to glory
• Declares us family
• He is the intercessor for us, now able to come to the presence of God
• Verse 12: Sing you praises: to the congregation to God, the Heavenly host
• Jesus will declare God’s name to the congregation
• Jesus saying to God, will sing: “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. Jesus Prays for All Believers “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
• we were given to Jesus
• we’re a gift to Christ
• By death, He destroys that who has power of death and those who fear death, it is non-existence and meaningless
• Abraham’s descendants were children who believe
• Christ had to be made like His brothers
• He had the opportunity to sin is why its so important
• Why would Satan waste time his time if Christ couldn’t sin
• Verse 18: He suffered in temptations
• He asked the Father if He could take the cup away from Him
• He went through with it
• He humbled Himself, experienced what we experience

8/2/09 Hebrews Chapter 3

• Jesus is greater than Moses
• “Fix our thoughts” – give this some serious thought
• Not easy to understand
• Apostle and high priest
• Sent by God for particular purpose – the purpose was to be a high priest
• Both Moses and Jesus are similar in paths chosen to lead people to God and save them
• Houses:
• Moses’ time: Tabernacle
• Jesus’ time: Church
• 
  
• Jesus: full-filled God’s intend for human race
• 1 Corinthians 6:19 – Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own
• Our body is the temple
• We are a dwelling place of God
• Houses of God are sacred
• Ephesians 2:22 – And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit
• Being built together
• Revelation 22
• Dwelling of God with the people
• Warning against unbelief
• Psalm 95:7-11 – for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did. For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways." So I declared on oath in my anger, "They shall never enter my rest."
• Do not harden your hearts
• Its not the exact quite because it is a quote of a Greek translation
• Writer was Greek educated
• Exodus 17:
• Massah and Meribah (location where Moses struck the Rock in which water came out of in the desert)
• The people quarreled with Moses and tested God (they grumbled because they wanted water)
• God says they have a choice to believe or to go astray
• Jewish Christians are saying they had it better in Judaism because before they could sacrifice and do such traditions
• Warn believers not to fall away
• Verses 12-19:
• Don’t fall astray
• Encourage one another daily
• Today: urgency, your chance a period of Time
• We’re waiting, for the 2^nd Return of Christ
• God made an oath
• Regarding the conditions of their hearts, if they continue to disobey

8/9/09 Chapter 4 Hebrews

• Setting up for the priesthood of Jesus
• Verses 1-8:
• “Therefore”: is a warning against unbelief; had consequences
• “Us”: Jewish Christians
• We can speculate that the writer is Jewish
• Verse 2: In each case “gospel” is the promised land as opposed to before where they didn’t have faith that God would deliver them (didn’t combine it with faith)
• Our faith saving us isn’t a new concept
• Genesis 15:6 – Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness
• Abram believed the Lord
• They had a veil gospel: Passover, sacrifice, ritual cleansing, snake on a stick, not working on a Sabbath
• Purpose: Trust God to provide
• Our faith, reliance on God in every thing
• Combination of effort and faith (passive in reliance on God, effort)
• Verse 3: “Enter” – present tense, a kind of rest
• Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
• Some Jews may enter
• God hasn’t given up on the Jews/Israel
• He will not be going back on His Promise
• Romans 11:1-2 – I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel
• God hasn’t left them
• “Today” – refers to the age of grace (is capitalized)
• David in Psalm 95: says don’t harden your hearts
• Joshua led them to the promised Land
• “Sabbath Day”: is the idea to remember the concept of faith and reliance on God
• To not work, or make or do anything, means to rely strictly on God to provide for them
• They are in the desert, living in the wild, and every little essential thing they do or don’t do counts for their survival
• But they were told that on one day to just not do anything, but rely on God to be taken care for (Reliance on God – act of faith)
• “People of God” are the Israelites
• Make an effort to rely on God
• Verse 12: Carries on, present constant
• See what’s on the inside, the soul is laid open
• Verse 14: holding firmly requires effort
• Tempted in every way
• “Confidence”
• Voice of God was scary for the people
• Hebrews 12
• Told to go boldly to the throne of grace
• Mercy and grace

8/16/09 Hebrews Chapter 5

• End of Chapter 4 verse 14:
• Jesus is the High Priest
• Chapter 5: Priesthood is filled with the Levites
• Jesus is the descendant of the tribe of Judah
• The Pharisees thought He couldn’t be the High Priest because He isn’t from the Levite tribe
• His claims:
• King: Prince of Peace
• High Priest
• High priest cannot be king
• Cant be both
• Dualism Messiah Prophecy: Pre-Jesus; Jews cant understand
• The High Priest before Aaron was Melchizedek
• Genesis 14:18 – Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High
• Blessed Abram
• Revelation of God to mankind through Jews
• Even talks of God of the universe
• Abram gives him a tithe of 10% of everything
• Melchizedek has no beginning or ending (some say he’s a pre-incarnate Jesus)
• This is the reason Jesus can be High Priest and a King
• Strength and Weaknesses of a high priest:
• Appointed
• Deal gently
• Offer gifts and sacrifices
• Called by God
• Sins: They cant make sacrifices for other without cleansing themselves
• Jesus surpassed all other high priests because:
• He doesn’t have to sacrifice for Himself
• Preceded order of Melchizedek
• Was the sacrifice itself
• Matthew 11:28-30 – "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
• Jesus can give rest, but the High Priests can point you to God
• Jesus says He can forgive sins
• Philippians 2:8 – And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!
• He is the High priest and the sacrifice
• Satan uses guilt and shame to divide us from God
• Don’t indulge it; don’t feel guilty about being tempted
• Verse 7: heard because of “reverent submission”
• How we come to God matters
• “Loud cries & tears” (prayers that Jesus made to God from earth to have His burdens lifted)
• John 17: Jesus prays – put own name (Loud cries Petition)
• Prays for His disciples
• We are a gift of God
• Learned obedience from what He suffered
• Point to suffering
• Obedience, sin-lessness was earned, had choice of temptations in desert
• “And once made perfect”
• Baptized – had to be made perfect to fulfill what was said
• We learned that obedience through disobedience
• He became the source for all who believe: That is our command
• Verse 11: Basics truth, but understand more fully
• Jesus is the High Priest
• He is God
• Is the Son of God
• He died
• Became the source of Eternal salvation
• Need to spend more time in prayer
• In the end: Prayers are asking for some things
• That is still immature
• Instead pray for what God can do in you

8/20/09 Hebrews Chapter 6

• Verses 1-3: Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so.
• Elementary teachings include:
• Birth, death, resurrection, repentance, baptism
• Repentance from sin, faith in God
• Instruction about baptism:
• Means cleansing, not a salvation representation
• Laying on hands: anointing is showing of the way the Holy Spirit came
• Resurrection, death, and judgment: move forward
• In spirituality: you either move forward or backward, don’t stay in the same place
• Maturing: move beyond culture
• Have our faith in Christ shape our culture and background
• It was very easy and natural for the Jews to slip back into Judaism because it’s the worship of the same God
• For pagans it was easier because they went from many gods and idols to Jesus
• Verse 4: It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace
• Important for…believers
• It is in present progressive – meaning that it is in progress of falling away
• Try to replace “because” with “while” because its present progressive
• Openly denounce Christ, to public disgrace
• Becomes apostate (someone who forsakes his religion)
• While a person is in that state, they cant be repented
• We can lose our salvation?
• The mature Christians, if they fall away, publicly denounce Christ
• God can change hearts and He’s there in the lives
• Nothing is as important as God
• Verses 7-8: Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.
• Not a hopeless cause
• Know that our salvation is secure because of what happened on the cross
• It cant be taken away
• Verses 9-12: Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case – things that accompany salvation. God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this some diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
• Once saved, we begin to show good works through our faith
• In regards to falling away: Jewish Christians are still good people, as long as they haven’t abandoned Christ
• They were culturally sliding back
• Elevating Moses
• Imitate these people (Chapter 11)
• God’s promises are true, sometimes its just not in our lifetime
• Verses 13-15: When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, He swore by Himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.”
• God made an oath
• Verses 16-20: Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, h confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the should, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
• When an oath was made, there was a requirement for 2 witnesses
• Does God need to make an oath? No
• But He did it to assure us
• We should be encouraged because God’s promises are true
• Inner sanctuary/curtain – is the most holy place
• We read through these but these people are under these things
• Jesus was not a descendant of the Levites
• Was Jesus a High Priest or a King? To the Jews you cant be both
• Melchizedek was a High Priest before Aaron was

9/6/09 Hebrews Chapters 7 & 8

• Genesis Chapter 14:
• 5 petty kings invaded by 4 powerful kinds
• Make an agreement that the petty kings can rule a certain area as long as they pay the 4 kings
• After 12 years the petty kings wanted to stop
• The 4 kings weren’t happy and decided to take over
• Abraham’s nephew, Lot, was in the center of it all
• Overnight, after Abraham finds out, he assembles a militia who win and get Lot back
• This is evident that Abraham is wealthy and everything was done through the help of God
• Genesis 14:17:
• In verse 18: Melchizedek, is the King of Salem
• Salem probably was Jerusalem
• Melchizedek is referred to as the King of Peace
• Melch means “KING” in Hebrew
• Zedek means “righteousness” in Hebrew
• He brings out Bread and Wine
• Melchizedek the High Priest, is the Priest of God the Most High
• This is the first time the word “priest” is used in Scripture
• This was a period when there was nothing of laws or Mosaic text
• Melchizedek blesses Abram
• When someone blesses you, it means they are of a higher standard than you are
• Melchizedek seems to have authority
• He makes a reference to God: Says the victory is the result of God
• Abram gives him a 10^th of everything
• Abram knew where the riches were coming from
• Melchizedek disappears from Scripture for a thousand years
• Shows up again in Psalm 110 and Luke 20:41
• Psalm 110:
• Talks of the messiah to come
• Verse 4: Melchizedek (king or priest)
• To the Jews you cant be both
• Jesus: to be a priest and was not from the line of Levites
• Luke 20:41:
• The Jews knew the messiah prophet to come will be from the line of David

Chapter 7:

• Melchizedek just shows up and then disappears, without coming or going, without a mother or father, or genealogy
• They didn’t know
• Was he an apparition: No
• Pre-incarnate Christ who appeared
• Essenes (wrote the dead sea scrolls)
• They write about Melchizedek (these are extra-biblical)
• Theory put forward that Melchizedek may have been Archangel Michael
• He always has a sword
• Verse 4: Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!
• Even Abraham gave him a tenth
• Other tribes gave a 10^th to the Levites, but Melchizedek isn’t a Levite and he took the 10^th
• Priest (Melchizedek) was greater than the later to come Levites priesthood
• Levites also gave this priest a higher standing
• Don’t worry that Jesus isn’t a Levite, because He comes from Melchizedek priesthood
• Verse 12: For when there is a change of priesthood, there must also be a change of the law
• When there is a change of priesthood, there is a change of law
• Melchizedek to the Levites
• Jesus we know comes from the tribe of Judah
• He is a Priest because of not who He belonged to but because He was resurrected from the dead
• Verse 21: But he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever’”
• God in verse 21 promises that He’ll be the Priest forever
• Levitical priests died
• Jesus lives FOREVER – He is the PERMANENT priest
• Jesus LIVES TO intercede for us
• Law: has weak men
• Oath: Came after the law, appointed the Son, made perfect

Chapter 8

• Made tabernacle similar to that of which is in Heaven
• Not only is there a new priest, but there is a new Covenant (New Testament)
• Founded on a better covenant
• God found fault with the people
• Verse 8: But God found fault with the people and said: “The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah”
• Covenant with the house of Judah (Book of Jeremiah)
• It states in the old Testament, that God will make a new covenant
• Wont give laws on tablets, but in our hearts and minds
• The new, better covenant (not given by laws)
• Melchizedek is woven through the bible
• ONE HUGE MESSAGE

9/13/09 Hebrews Chapter 9

There is a new and better covenant

Verses 1-5:

• Tabernacle had 3 main parts
• Outer court: alter for daily sacrifices
• Holy place: lamp stand, table, bread
• Holy of holy: a place where nobody goes to but the High Priest and only once a year
• Cant discuss in detail now: there’s more to it, in detail
• Symbolic for what was to come
• Holy: tablets, manna, Aaron’s staff

Verses 6-10:

• Verse 8: “most holy place” is where God dewells
• As long as the tabernacle still had standings (rights) (in a legal sense)
• It served as a temporary comfort, it was nothing to give peace
• It wasn’t enough to keep you feeling clean for long
• The author is transitioning into a new and better covenant

Verses 11-12:

• Verse 11: “good things to come”
• Given eternal life
• Why did Christ have to die?
• Life is so important and sin is so serious
• Blood is life
• Redemption (original Hebrew written in Greek:
• Been bought, or not paying for sins

Verses 13-14:

• Burned a red heifer outside camp, and mixes with water that was used to cleanse
• If burning of heifer can make you outwardly clean, Jesus Christ purifies us inwardly and eternally!
• We’re restored in our relationship with God (separation, fellowship, with God)
• Sacrifice with Jesus Christ restores relationship with God (had fellowships God in Garden of Eden)

Verses 15-18:

The old covenant: Law was given to Moses

• Christ is the mediator of the New Covenant
• The old covenant demands penalty of death
• Jesus Christ paid the penalty of all of us, so there’s a new covenant
• “will”: somebody has to die
• Even the first covenant not put into effect without blood

Verses 19-20:

• Why did Jesus Christ have to die?
• Genesis 15:9-21 – So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon." Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure." When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates- the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites."
• This was the covenant that God made
• Cut animals in half
• Should someone break the covenant, this was a sign to show what would happen to them – be cut in half
• Forgiveness for sin is very costly because God takes sin very seriously
• Sin cant be set aside even by a loving God
• God doesn’t change rules, but provides
• Righteousness He requires; He still requires it

Verses 23-28:

• “copies” – the tabernacle represents something else
• Tabernacle was a picture, shadow of Heaven, the dwelling place of God
• Christ didn’t walk into temples but went to the REAL holy of holies
• The actual dwelling place of GOD
• He offered Himself

It will be a new heaven and a new earth

Cant earn forgiveness

GET ON WITH IT

9/20/09 Hebrews Chapter 10

• Verses 1-4: New covenant offers a perfect sacrifice
• Verse 1: make complete, we’re completely cleansed, not morally
• The saints made sacrifices, how’d they get saved?

ó They make sacrifices but it didn’t save them

ó Because it was done all the time so it was temporary

ó Its what is to come (through faith) that they were saved

• Verses 5-7: did they know it was a picture to come?
• Verse 5: quote from Psalm (the Hebrew author preferred to quote from Greek)
• Messianic Psalm: prophesized the coming messiah
• “You”: God the Father
• “Me”: Jesus Christ
• “I”: Jesus Christ

ó Change in covenant

• Verse 8: God dint set up the sacrificial systems to be ideal
• Why sacrifice animals if it didn’t achieve the purpose?

ó Because sin is costly

ó God doesn’t look lightly at sin

• Verse 9: Taking quote apart to make you understand
• The fist covenant was replaced with the 2^nd one
• Verse 10: “will”

ó Jesus Christ’s will to be obedient and God’s will this to be done

• Verses 11-14:

ó Old priest stands up

ó But Jesus Christ gets to sit down because He’s done

ó He is completely, perfectly qualified to being made holy

• Verses 15-18: put laws in the hearts and minds:

ó Why quote Jeremiah?

ó Not on a scroll, but in their hearts

ó Wont be a body of law in code, but the law of God

• Keep those two laws in the hearts
• Take away 613 commandments and do away with them

ó Because will follow the law anyway, its written in the hearts

• Accept/demonstrate the love for God
• Jesus says the heart must be pure
• Jeremiah said the change in covenant was coming
• Why use the OT to prove to these Jewish Christians?

ó Because it was important to them and they knew

• Verse 19: most holy place was the inner room where God dwells
• Drew picture of tabernacle because they knew it

ó Use words that were keen in the minds

• Curtain ripped at the crucifixion
• Verse 20: “Therefore”

ó Don’t be afraid of God, don’t be afraid to approach Him

ó Draw near God

ó Jewish Christians were still participating in the temple offerings/sacrifices

ó Difficult to NOT do anymore

ó Eventually became competitive with Jesus Christ

ó Cleansing of the conscience

ó Writer of Hebrews says to look at Jesus Christ

… He doesn’t give the command to NOT do anymore

… He is refocusing them to Jesus

ó Ritual – without it they feel guilty

• Verse 24: focus on encouraging others
• Verse 25: “day”

ó People that don’t go to church

ó Don’t give up meeting together

• “Day”:

ó The 2^nd coming

• Verse 26: sins are forgiven

ó If you deliberately (without repentance) keep sinning

• Verse 27:

ó If we keep sinning, then we become and enemy of God

• Verses 28-29:

ó Treated as unholy blood of covenant

ó How much more so will God deal with those who mistreat the blood of Jesus

• Verse 32: what the early Christians went through for believing in Jesus
• Verse 34: sometimes they lost everything
• Verses 35-39:

ó Says to persevere for a little while

ó We’re saved

ó Will persevere

ó “Hang in there!”

9/27/09 Hebrews Chapter 11

Verse 1-3

• Psalm 78
• Faith can be belief, better word: Trust: belief + action

ó Commitment: act in my belief

• Not “a” belief
• Faith is one step of believing
• Talks about creationism (verse 3)

ó Belief that we are God’s creation is the initial step

Verses 4-7:

• Talks about Abel

ó Abel brought fat portions of flock [blood sacrifice])

ó It was the condition of his heart

ó Cain brought some of what he had

ó Able took the risk that his flock may not reproduce

ó He trusted God to provide

• Give first fruits to God every day

ó Give just an hour a day!

ó Trust that God will stretch the time

• Enoch: never died

ó God took him

Verse 6:

• We can do good, but without faith, it doesn’t please God
• We have to do out of our hearts for God

Verse 7:

• Only one that was faithful to God

Verses 8-12:

• Promised land, and he lived in tents
• Abraham lived in tents, he was nomadic
• Abraham never saw the land that was promised
• He and his wife were both old
• Had Ishmael before Isaac with Hagar

ó Took matters of a child into his own hands

ó We believe in God’s promises, but we aren’t always willing to wait on God

• Genesis 18:10: wife Sarah will have a son (this was told to them after Hagar)
• Sometimes we run ahead of God

Verses 13-16:

• Point: lived and acted by faith

ó Things they looked forwards to didn’t happen while they were alive

ó Their minds were set to the eternal, not attached to this world

ó They brought glory to HIS name, gave HIM a human characteristic

Verse 17-22:

• All these actions
• Told Isaac would be one that all the children were to come from

Verses 23-29:

• Moses had faith, promise of a redeemer
• Had the choice of the riches of Egypt or be the leader of the Israelites (his parents brought him up with knowledge to the Hebrew God)
• No middle ground: it was all or nothing
• The Jewish Christians are trying to be both Jewish and Christian

ó They still made sacrifices

ó No middle ground

• Same is for today
• God calls us for the same reason: all or nothing
• Living with eternal perspective

Verses 29-32

• Gets tired at this point
• Knew A LOT, he knew much about the OT history

Verse 33:

• Isaiah was sawed in two (according to Jewish tradition)

Verse 38:

• Is the world worthy of us?
• Are we best friends with the world?
• These people with faith had bad days
• At the time there was severe persecution (James 2-3)

Verse 39:

• Promised a 2^nd return of Christ, but they didn’t witness it
• The people thought it would happen in their lifetime

ó They begin to doubt Jesus

• All these people died and never saw what was promised

Chapter 12:

• Therefore:

ó Witnesses: all the ones he spoke about

ó Surrounded by them

• Don’t lose heart, hang in there
• You may not see the second coming of Christ
• You please God when you act out on belief
• We take risks because we act on faith
• Don’t take matters into your own hands
• If its truly worthy, HE has given it already or will give it

10/14/09 Hebrews Chapter 12

• Throw off what doesn’t matter
• Hinders: not everything may be sinful

ó Relationships/friendships

ó Keep them at arms length

ó Hobbies

• What are we spending our time on?
• Get rid of all that to get on with your life/whatever God called you to do with a common goal
• Race: live life according to the will of God – common goal
• Those are heroes of faith, but the author and perfecter of faith is Focus/ Jesus Christ
• Jesus is at the right hand of God

ó He is finished

• Right hand of God: Favor, power position
• Verse 3: Jewish Christians were suffering through persecutions, temptations to backslide back to Judaism
• It is difficult to get rid of tradition
• Verse 14: may be persecuted, but you are not dead
• Verses 5-6: discipline is looked at as a bad thing

ó Greek word for discipline means whole raising of children

ó There is encouragement, guide

• God’s raising us as His own kids
• Some of what we suffer could be the result of God’s discipline
• Verses 7-8: we’re disciplined by God because He loves us
• Verses 9-10: sometimes parents mess up, but God disciplines

ó He is the perfect parent

ó He disciplines us in a perfect way

• Verse 11: it may not be pleasant now, but being disciplined by God, there is a peace there
• Verses 14: try to live in peace – be one with the Lord

ó There are different kinds of peace

ó Standard hat God holds as perfection, we cant on our own, come to God holy through the blood of Christ

• We try, but perfect holiness cant be achieved without Christ
• Make every effort, but leave the rest to God
• Holy: 2 greatest commandments

ó Perfect love (through the Holy Spirit)

• Verse 15: all conflict starts with the seed
• If there is something, have to get rid of it now, talk of a better root
• Verse 16: Esau: physical desire for present without regard to the future

ó When give into to desire without regard to the future

• Verse 18-24: Mt Sinai: God’s voice terrified the people
• Compare Mt Sinai to Mt Zion
• New covenant – we don’t have to be afraid because of Jesus
• Cain kills Abel

ó Blood of Abel: betrayal/guilt

ó Because Abel was innocent

• Blood of Jesus Christ: better word

ó Speaks of grace, mercy, forgiveness

• Verses 25-26:

ó Israelites who didn’t believe the good news about the Promised Land from Joshua and Caleb

• Verse 27-28: what cant be shaken: our eternity with God
• Verses 28-29: our God is still consuming fire, needs to be worshiped in reverence and awe
• Theme of the chapter: Focus eyes on Jesus Christ

10/11/09 Hebrews Chapter 13

• Verse 1: brotherly love
• Verse 2: entertain strangers (Abraham and Lot)
• Hospitality is an important virtue
• Inside our world (our church)
• Those in prison: those jailed for their beliefs
• Time’s an important commodity – it is something we cannot get back
• Verse 4:

ó God is concerned with out hearts because relationships effect our hearts

• Verse 5: don’t have to be concerned with what you don’t have because through God you have everything
• Verse 9: strange teachings/doctrines

ó It’s not a potpourri religion (pick and choose what you like)

• Verse 10: we have an alter: don’t have to sacrifice animals, have Jesus
• Probably being excluded from the alter
• Our alter: is the Cross
• The foot of the cross
• Outside camp: everything is unclean
• It tells them that we have to go outside the old standards to meet Jesus
• Bearing disgrace He bore: when you go outside, you bear disgrace He bore (you will suffer)
• Verse 15: sacrifice of Praise

ó We tell Him this because its what He asked us to do

• Verse 16: sacrifice of praise and sharing and doing good
• Verse 17: leaders of church
• Verse 18: writer was hoping to be back with them
• He urges them to pray for him
• Verse 22: word of exhortation: sermon
• He knew Timothy