Download Hebrews Lesson VI

Persevere in Jesus
LESSON VI
REVIEW
• Survey
– I Clement – the Epistle of Clement
to the Corinthians—AD 95, cites
Hebrews in a Scriptural manner
– AND, there is no mention of the
Fall of Jerusalem
REVIEW
Hebrews 1:1-3 NKJ God, who at various times
and in various ways spoke in time past to the
fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last
days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has
appointed heir of all things, through whom
also He made the worlds; 3 who being the
brightness of His glory and the express image
of His person, and upholding all things by the
word of His power, when He had by Himself
purged our sins, sat down at the right hand
of the Majesty on high,
REVIEW Vv. 1-3
• Most recently, God reveals Himself to
us,
– not by a the scattered witness of the
Prophets
– but by the fullness of His Son
– Who is Alpha and Omega,
• through Whom all was created
• Who is heir of all things
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Who is the wisdom and Word of God
Who is radiance of His glory
Who represents Him perfectly
Who sustains all things
Who atones for sins
Who is honored at the Right Hand of
Majesty
Hebrews 1:4-14 NKJ 4 having become so much better than the
angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent
name than they. 5 For to which of the angels did He ever say:
"You are My Son, Today I have begotten You"? And again: "I will
be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son"? 6 But when
He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: "Let all the
angels of God worship Him." 7 And of the angels He says: "Who
makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire." 8 But
to the Son He says: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A
scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom. 9 You
have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore
God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more
than Your companions." 10 And: "You, LORD, in the beginning
laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work
of Your hands. 11 They will perish, but You remain; And they will
all grow old like a garment; 12 Like a cloak You will fold them
up, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your
years will not fail." 13 But to which of the angels has He ever
said: "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your
footstool"? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to
minister for those who will inherit salvation?
Summary vv.4-14
• Angels are messengers and have done great things throughout
salvific history
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God has spoken through them
They have performed great works
They are ministers
They worship God
They are not, however, exalted to His right hand
They are, in one sense, higher creations than mankind
They are sent to minister to the faithful
• But the Son is greater still
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He is “begotten not made” (not a creation)
He will be worshipped in the Judgment
He is the maker, angels attend him, are at his disposal
He is changeless, permanent
He reigns, the eternal king
He is very God
Exhortation!
• Word through angels?
NKJ
Hebrews 2:1 Therefore we must
– Acts 7:35 "This Moses whom they
rejected, saying,`Who made you a give the more earnest heed to the
ruler and a judge?' is the one God things we have heard, lest we drift
sent to be a ruler and a deliverer
away. 2 For if the word spoken
by the hand of the Angel who
appeared to him in the bush. 36
through angels proved steadfast, and
"He brought them out, after he
had shown wonders and signs in every transgression and disobedience
the land of Egypt, and in the Red received a just reward, 3 how shall we
Sea, and in the wilderness forty
escape if we neglect so great a
years. (Act 7:35 NKJ)
salvation, which at the first began to
• We have heard the way of salvation.
be spoken by the Lord, and was
– In Christ we inherit it (like the Promised
confirmed to us by those who heard
Land).
– His angels minister to us to that end.
Him, 4 God also bearing witness both
with signs and wonders, with various
• The author gives three witnesses to
miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit,
what we have heard.
according to His own will?
Bottom Line of 1:4-2:4
• The Scriptures say Christ is greater than the angels in the
completest possible sense.
• By an angel God proclaimed Moses the leader, and those who
opposed him were swallowed up by the earth in the desert.
• How much more will the word of God’s own son be binding upon
us?
• Therefore Christ is very exalted.
• Moving forward, the writer will balance that exaltation with Christ’s
humiliation.
For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.
6 But one testified in a certain place, saying: "What is man that You are mindful
of him, Or the son of man that You take care of him? 7 You have made him a
little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And
set him over the works of Your hands. 8 You have put all things in subjection
under his feet." For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing
that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. 9
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering
of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might
taste death for everyone. 10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things
and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain
of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and
those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not
ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying: "I will declare Your name to My
brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You." 13 And again: "I
will put My trust in Him." And again: "Here am I and the children whom God
has given Me." 14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and
blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might
destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those
who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For
indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of
Abraham (Hebrews 2:5-16 NKJ)
Summary
• Angels are ministers working powerful acts for God
throughout the Scriptuers.
– They worship Him forever.
• Jesus Christ is greater than the Angels:
– Greater in His exalted divinity
– Greater through His humiliated humanity
– Greater in His work for, and direct effect upon our
salvation
• in destroying death and the adversary
• in freeing the enslaved
• in setting the example of true love
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Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that
He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things
pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to
aid those who are tempted.
• Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling,
consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ
Jesus, 2 who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses
also was faithful in all His house. 3 For this One has been counted
worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the
house has more honor than the house. 4 For every house is built by
someone, but He who built all things is God. 5 And Moses indeed
was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those
things which would be spoken afterward, 6 but Christ as a Son
over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the
confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.
(Hebrews 2:17-3:6 NKJ)
High Priest
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Our writer had just been fleshing-out
the humanity of Christ.
– We find out later that “every high priest
[is] taken from among men...” 5:1
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“Merciful and faithful” (as attributes of
Jesus the High Priest) hold the thought
together—
– Merciful toward the brethren
– Faithful toward God
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“Propitiation?” to forgive, with the
focus upon the instrumentality or the
means by which forgiveness is
accomplished -Louw and Nida
– And the Lord was prevailed upon to
preserve his people. (Exo 32:14 LXE)
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ExpiatePropitiate-
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Atone-
take away guilt
regain favor through a
pleasing act
to expiate, with the
idea of unity
NKJ
Hebrews 2:17 Therefore,
in all things He had to be
made like His brethren, that
He might be a merciful and
faithful High Priest in things
pertaining to God, to make
propitiation for the sins of the
people. 18 For in that He
Himself has suffered, being
tempted, He is able to aid
those who are tempted.
Exhortation
• Since He can help the tempted... NKJ
– Just like at the beginning of
chapter 2, the Writer circles
back to application.
• In chapter 2
– We found out that Christ is not
ashamed of His brothers and
sisters because as Sacrifice and
Sacrificer, He sanctifies them,
He makes us holy.
• Now the Author can refer to the
readers as “holy Brethren.”
• Partakers
• We need to “thoroughly and
carefully notic[e Jesus]”
- Kistemaker
– sent with authority
– made atonement
Hebrews 3:1 Therefore,
holy brethren, partakers of
the heavenly calling, consider
the Apostle and High Priest of
our confession, Christ Jesus, 2
who was faithful to Him who
appointed Him,
Moses
• Proceeding down the Jewish
authoritative ladder.
– God sent the angel
– the angel appointed Moses (St.
Stephen’s speech)
– Jesus is greater than angels,
– is Jesus greater than Moses?
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KJA
Wisdom 13:4 But if they
were astonished at their power
and virtue, let them understand
by them, how much mightier he
is that made them. (Wis 13:4
KJA)
NKJ
Hebrews 3:2-6 as Moses also was
faithful in all His house. 3 For this One has
been counted worthy of more glory than
Moses, inasmuch as He who built the
house has more honor than the house. 4
For every house is built by someone, but
He who built all things is God. 5 And Moses
indeed was faithful in all His house as a
servant, for a testimony of those things
which would be spoken afterward, 6 but
Christ as a Son over His own house, whose
house we are if we hold fast the
confidence and the rejoicing of the hope
firm to the end.
• The house. The Author uses the
language of construction:
--This is similar to when God builds David a house (a
– 9:2, 6; 11:7
– and the idea of a family
family), after telling him through Nathan the prophet
that David would not be the one to build God a house
(temple), but his son--and Christ is the Son.
So let us
• Consider Jesus
– at all times
– and especially in the times of temptation.
• Except for sin, His humanity is the same as ours. He
understands.
• hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of
the hope firm to the end.
Homework
Read Chapter 3 a few more times.
Review Chapters 1 & 2
Check a couple different translations if you can