Virtual Vestry ~ Hebrews

Since there is no Zoom meeting this week please take time to read through the complete Book of Hebrews in two different versions: firstly one of your choice and secondly the NRSVA version as supplied in a specially formatted and annotated PDF file. Try to read, preferably aloud, each version in a single session (or two at the most).

As you read try to imagine yourself listening to these words being spoken - perhaps delivered as a (rather long) sermon. In very broad brushstrokes, what are this overall messages being presented by the author (who is almost certainly NOT Paul)?

Llew will be leading on Jan 8th and will combine weeks 1 and 2 of the Lesson Study Guide (LSG) and will be posting notes here in due course...

During the coming quarter, depending on each week's leader, we have the option to follow the LSG, but it is my hope that we will primarily be studying the Book of Hebrews as a whole rather than picking texts out to adhere to or emphasise a particular theme or themes. Please try to refer to commentaries wherever possible. Recommendations may follow in due course.

• NRSVA of Hebrews, with notes

I do not intend to add any notes apart from the lesson study book. But I do intend to look at material from lessons 1 and 2.

Lesson 2 is essentially as follows:

• Jesus is the Son
• Jesus is the King
• Jesus is our Champion
• Jesus is our High Priest
• Jesus is our Mediator
• Jesus brings a better covenant.

Each of these vital topics are explored deeper in the weeks ahead. I want to explore the questions - how do the above truths sustain you in times of difficulty, tragedy, emptiness, false accusations, persecution, loneliness or just plain weariness? How would you encourage someone who is drifting from faith?

What anchors you?

• LSG #1: 'The Letter to the Hebrews and to Us'
• LSG #2: 'The Message Of Hebrews'
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

Before we get to the topic of this week's study can I ask a question? The LSG (and others) seems to consider it important that we declare Paul to be the author of Hebrews. This, in spite of the fact that the book states no author and it would seem from an analysis of the Greek that the author is unlikely to be Paul. Why is it important for some of us to know that Paul was the author? Does it matter? What do we lose in our understanding of Hebrews if Paul was not the author?

Read LSG #3: 'The Promised Son' in preparation for our discussion. You may (almost certainly) find Jon Paulien's presentation to the Pine Knoll discussion group to be helpful.

I don't intend to repeat the LSG coverage here. Rather, I'd like to pick up on the overall theme of the lesson, 'The Promised Son'.

Hebrews 1:1-4 (which is a single sentence in the original Greek) introduces the 'Son' and makes some strong (and perhaps confusing?) statements about the position of the 'Son' in relation to the other character in vv1-4, 'God'.

We are all familiar with the notion of the 'Trinity' of 'Father', 'Son' and 'Holy Spirit'. It is a fundamental belief of almost all Christian denominations, including Adventism - see Fundamental Belief #2 which states

There is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of three coeternal Persons. God is immortal, all-powerful, all-knowing, above all, and ever present. He is infinite and beyond human comprehension, yet known through His self-revelation. God, who is love, is forever worthy of worship, adoration, and service by the whole creation. (Gen. 1:26; Deut. 6:4; Isa. 6:8; Matt. 28:19; John 3:16; 2 Cor. 1:21; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 4:4-6; 1 Peter 1:2.)

But to a typical Jew at the time of Christ the idea of a God who is somehow split into (at least) two 'persons' would be deeply problematic. After all does not the first commandment say "You shall have no other gods before me" where 'me' is decidely singular? The multiplicitly of gods in the pagan nations that surrounded Israel was a constant source of trouble. The Jewish God was very insistent on being a complete and total and all-encompassing singular God. For Jesus to say "He who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9) is a shocking statement.

• Do we appreciate just how shocking Jesus' claim in John 14:9 would have sounded?
• I rather like the wording of the Adventist Fundamental Belief on the Trinity, above. What do you think? Would you re-word it? Re-emphasise certain parts over others?

How do you view the 'Trinity'? You may well be familiar with this image that describes the relationships: ...which does a decent job of explaining the theology.

Other representations in art seem to pick up on common themes. God the Father is an old man, God the Son is the instantly recognisable Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit is a dove. Here's a typical example - a detail from "The Adoration of the Trinity" by Albrecht Dürer (1511) And another from Francesco Alban (around 1640)

I always read into such representations an implicit heirarchy. God the Father was in charge, the authority figure. He was The Boss. Jesus was the sacrifice, the 'soldier sent into battle', younger, somehow one of us in a way that God the Father wasn't. And God the Holy Spirit? A dove. Some nebulous fluttering flighty thing that does something that we, somehow, can't quite put our finger on.

In reading up on the history of the Trinity doctrine in Christian thinking I came upon this rather arresting image from Fridolin Leiber (1853-1912) There's all sorts of unsettling imagery in there but maybe it is more accurate in its representation of the Godhead. What do you think?

Allow me to wander off a little...

The trinity has often been an extremely divisive doctrine. To some it is plainly and simply heresy. We are monotheists. There is one God, not three! People have been burned at the stake for this sort of thing...

You can see the author of Hebrews wrestling with the best way of explaining just who, exactly, is 'the Son'. Trying to explain that the 'Son' is 'the exact imprint of God's very being' (vv1:3). God and the Son are the same thing.

I think we, in our modern world have some really rather nice analogies we can use to help us here. So let's look at two of my favourite things: the C# computer programming language, and the wave-particle duality nature of light.

Let's take the second one first - and stick with this! Honestly, it is helpful...

To quote from Wikipedia: Wave-particle duality is the concept in quantum mechanics that every particle or quantum entity may be described as either a particle or a wave. It expresses the inability of the classical concepts "particle" or "wave" to fully describe the behaviour of quantum-scale objects. As Albert Einstein wrote

It seems as though we must use sometimes the one theory and sometimes the other, while at times we may use either. We are faced with a new kind of difficulty. We have two contradictory pictures of reality; separately neither of them fully explains the phenomena of light, but together they do.

To increase the nerd-count of this discussion let's look at the concept of interfaces in the C# programming language¹...

A highly desirable feature of computer code is to be able to hide the details of something away in code that you need never look at or understand - a concept known as 'black boxing'. All I need to know to use your black box is what it expects from me and what it will give back. I don't (and shouldn't need to) care about how your black box does the thing it does.

To put it simply, an interface is a contract. This contract states the behavior of some black box. It defines the interaction between components that use the interface. It also defines the interface itself. Most importantly, it leaves out the part about how the interaction is implemented.

Perhaps this is another useful metaphor for the Trinity? I, a human, have - let's be honest - really no idea how the Trinity actually works. But do I need to? I just need to know how to talk to 'it' - what does it expect from me and what will it give back?

I've never had a problem with the 'Son' being 'God'. The idea of the Trinity seems quite reasonable to me and I can't understand why it has been such a divisive doctrine over the years. But I think that's because I learned my theology in a time when the common language of science had caught up with the language of theology.

Lucky us!

¹ Apropos of nothing, but the website you are currently viewing is powered by code written in C#...

• LSG #3: 'The Promised Son'
• PDF of these notes
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

My prime goal for this lesson is to facilitate the sharing of our individual responses to what the book of Hebrews is telling us.

Since it happens to be Burn's Weekend, I have included a couple of selections from two of his works. Like many in our modern world he had a hard time relating to the church of his day. He was not anti-god and had a couple of clergymen who were close friends including one who lived just a few miles from our home. I've a funny feeling he is someone Jesus would have related to quite easily. I would encourage you to read them.

The Setting of the Book:

We may not know who wrote Hebrews, or even the exact location of the writer. However, the content of the book is undoubtedly in the Pauline era. The reference in Hebrews 13: 23 to Timothy being released from prison would alone fix the book to before the destruction of the temple in AD 70. That would have been a time of tremendous pressure on the Jewish Christian Community with their loyalty to Israel being tested to the limit. The movement that led to the destruction of the City and Temple began years before it happened.

The comparison of the High Priestly ministry of Jesus, to the still existing Temple Ministry could never have been more important. Hebrews 8:13 would suggest that the Temple ministry of the Mosaic Covenant was about to "disappear". Jesus knew this would happen and had repeatedly predicted it.

I would like us to look at Jesus as Brother from various perspectives.

• Why was it necessary to provide Salvation?
• What does it tell us about God?
• What does it mean for our relationship to God?
• What does it mean for our relationship to our fellow Christians?
• What does it mean for our relationship with society in general?

There has been a significant movement within Christendom to reject the idea that salvation had to be paid for by the shedding of blood. That fact has been a significant driving force in much of biblical interpretation in recent centuries. I'm of the mindset to let the bible speak for itself!

Hebrews 2: 5-18

What does this tell us about the Godheads attitude to SIN? Is this the action of an ANGRY GOD, or the action of a LOVING GOD?

How do the themes below, outlined in the Lesson Quarterly relate to the above questions?

• The brother as a redeemer;
• Not ashamed to call them brothers;
• Flesh and blood like us;
• Perfected through sufferings

If God could humble himself in such a great act of MERCY, what does that demand of us?

• Did Jesus show us how to treat others?
• How do you think Jesus would relate to the poor, outcast, strangers, and the multiplicity of cultural challenges in our day?

Robert Burns: A Man's A Man For A' That

Then let us pray that come it may,
(As come it will for a' that,)
That Sense and Worth, o'er a' the earth,
Shall bear the gree, an' a' that.
For a' that, an' a' that,
It's coming yet for a' that,
That Man to Man, the world o'er,
Shall brothers be for a' that.

Robert Burns: A Cotter's Saturday Night

The priest-like father reads the sacred page,
How Abram was the friend of God on high;
Or Moses bade eternal warfare wage
With Amalek's ungracious progeny;
Or how the royal bard did groaning lie
Beneath the stroke of Heaven's avenging ire;
Or Job's pathetic plaint, and wailing cry;
Or rapt Isaiah's wild, seraphic fire;
Or other holy seers that tune the sacred lyre.

Perhaps the Christian volume is the theme,
How guiltless blood for guilty man was shed;
How He, who bore in Heaven the second name,
Had not on earth whereon to lay His head:
How His first followers and servants sped;
The precepts sage they wrote to many a land:
How he, who lone in Patmos banished,
Saw in the sun a mighty angel stand,
And heard great Bab'lon's doom pronounc'd by Heaven's command.

Then, kneeling down to Heaven's Eternal King,
The saint, the father, and the husband prays:
Hope " springs exulting on triumphant wing,"
That thus they all shall meet in future days,
There, ever bask in uncreated rays,
No more to sigh, or shed the bitter tear,
Together hymning their Creator's praise,
In such society, yet still more dear;
While circling Time moves round in an eternal sphere

Compar'd with this, how poor Religion's pride,
In all the pomp of method, and of art;
When men display to congregations wide
Devotion's ev'ry grace, except the heart!
The Power, incens'd, the pageant will desert,
The pompous strain, the sacerdotal stole;
But haply, in some cottage far apart,
May hear, well-pleas'd, the language of the soul;
And in His Book of Life the inmates poor enroll

• LSG #4: 'Jesus, Our Faithful Brother'
• PDF of these notes
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

This week's discussion will be based on the text of the Book of Hebrews rather than the LSG.

There are clear sections in Book of Hebrew (ignore the 'modern' chapter divisions for a moment) Here's a summary of the early ones:

1. Introduction to the message the writer wants to get across (1:1-4)
2. Jesus is superior to angels (1:5-14)
3. FIRST WARNING: "PAY ATTENTION..." (2:1-4)
4. The status of Jesus (2:5-18)
5. Compare Jesus with Moses (3:1-6)
6. SECOND WARNING: "DON'T MAKE GOD ANGRY..." (3:7-19)
7. What's this "REST" all about? (4:1-11)
8. and onwards: further arguments and warnings (4:12 onwards...)
   . . . "hold fast..." (4:14)
   . . . "get a teacher..." (5:12)
   . . . "go on to perfections..." (6:1)
   . . . and others to follow in future weeks.
   You get the idea?

This week we will look at issues arising from the second warning.

Scripture

Read Hebrews 2:18 through to 4:13 in the NRSVA and also a contemporary version of your choice.

Also read:

• Psalm 95, noting especially vs 7b-11
• Exodus 17:1-7
• Deuteronomy 6:1-19, noting especially vs16-19
• Jeremiah 2:2-3; Ezekiel 20:13-17
• 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, noting especially vs 12-13
• Genesis 2:2; Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-14; Isaiah 65:17-25

What is the relevance of Moses to the writer's overall argument? See 2:18 - 3:6.

What is the testing, going astray and rebellion in 3:8-10, 16-19 all about?

Why did the rebellion / testing / going astray of the Israelites cause God to be angry?

Was God reasonable in being angry? Does 3:11 imply no forgiveness?

How might we as individuals and/or as a Christian Community be testing God?

What was the "rest" referred to in 3:11, 18? Is the "rest" of 4:1 the same "rest"? Why/why not? If it's not the same, then what is it?

Is the "my (God's) rest" referred to in 4:5 the same as "God rested on the seventh day..." in 4:4?

What was the "rest" that Joshua seemingly did not give "them" (the Israelites)? The 7th day Sabbath? or some other sort of "rest"?

What is the "rest" referred to in 4:9-11? How might Isaiah 65:17-25 affect our understanding of "rest"?

Is the "rest" referred to variously in Hebrews 3 and 4 only about The Sabbath as held described and practised within Adventism?

Given that this section of Hebrews is classed as a warning to the listeners, what notice should we take of 3:12-14 and 4:11-13?

• LSG #5: 'Jesus, The Giver of Rest'
• PDF of these notes
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)
• PowerPoint Slides referenced during the discussion

Jesus the faithful Priest - one after the order of Melchizedek,

Amazing stuff in this week's study - I don't think you all need to go reading/searching for stuff beyond just reading the passages discussed in the LSG - which I think does a good job of the topic.

Anyway below are some of the materials I was fascinated by and around which we can discuss on Sabbath.

1. Read Gen 14 and then focus on verses 17 to 24. What was God doing having a Canaanite as his high priest? What does that tell you about God?
2. Read Hebrews 7:1-3. Who is this Melchizedek? Is he really without mother or father and has no beginning of days nor end of life?
3. Some commentators see a play on the two kings who come to meet Abraham. One has come from the pit [verse 11] and the other from Salem [verse 18]. These two Kings meet us every day, one will offer us all things but in fact brings nothing the other will take [tithes] but gives you the God who owns and makes all things.
4. Read Psalm 110. What is David doing when he writes the psalm and says that there will be a priest after the order of Melchizedek? Where did he get that from? How did he know? What did he think the psalm would say to the religious leaders? It becomes the basis of Jesus' discussion stopping statement in Matt 22:41-46.
5. Now Hebrews 7:11-28. Why did there HAVE TO BE a different High Priest? What law was set aside or changed? Why?
6. Read Hebrews 5:1-10. Then narrow in on verses 8 to 10. How did Jesus learn obedience through what he suffered? How was he made "perfect"? Now read Hebrews 7:11-28 and ask how Jesus is the better high priest?
7. The LSG says on Tuesday's lesson that "The function of the Levitical priests and their sacrifices was temporary and illustrative." Is he correct? Why would only the coming of Jesus as high priest and his death be the only way of salvation? How can that be certain?
8. Read Hebrews 7:16 and 23-28 What do these verses tell us about Jesus our High Priest? How do these statements give you confidence in your salvation?

• LSG #6: 'Jesus, The Faithful Priest'
• PDF of these notes
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

Steve P's notes are shrouded in mystery so you'll just have to show up to know what's being discussed...

• LSG #7: 'Jesus, The Anchor of the Soul'
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

I read the Bible, looking through the lenses I am about to describe. This week I am dragging you along with me. I have listened to Hebrews once or twice a week since we began this quarter. As I have listened, it's as if I hear the voice of our unknown speaker. I know they wrote elegant Greek. It sounds to me like they also intimately understood Hebrew history, culture, and rituals. Writing this to you, I am using the NIV and the New English Translation, with its notes on Greek and Hebrew. I have also used the Zondervan NIV Exhaustive Concordance... And Google.

Somewhere in our discussion this week, I hope Llew reads his Henri Nouwen quote. I believe that quote should be part of every lesson.

So, here we go, taking looks through a few lenses.

Context: I read that the audience of this letter are Hebrews who have chosen to follow The Way. I read that they have been generous, self-sacrificing, and in danger. These people have emigrated from one spiritual location to another, at a cost to themselves and their families. I have worked with immigrants of various kinds. There is research indicating that the process of emigration is so stressful that, usually, at least one family member comes down with some sort of diagnosable mental or physical stress. My sense is that these listeners were exhausted and afraid. I think of Harriet Tubman following the drinking gourd and believe that this writer pulled out every linguistic and cultural encouragement to help the Hebrews see that the journey, its cost, its losses, and its stress were worth everything because the Conductor of this railroad would see them through.

Title: The writer calls their audience, Hebrews. I wonder if this choice was carefully deliberate. Hebrew means "to traverse or pass over." Tradition indicates that Abraham was the first to be called Hebrew... "the one who passed over" (the river). Many scholars think Abraham crossed the Euphrates at a low water time, then the Jabboq, and, finally, the Jordan. Just being called by this name is a reminder of other spiritual travelers, well-known in story, who have been called to leave what they knew, follow God, through loss, trial, wars, and family issues to a place chosen for their growth and strengthening. Their very name is a reminder of when others have followed God as they traversed their spiritual journey through geography and history. These Hebrews are not alone.

Names of the Deity: I think it was Andrew who pointed out the value of knowing which Names are being used. Different name: unique quality or function.

• Lord: The Greek kyrios indicates that this is the Hellenic translation of Yahweh - the covenant-making and convenient-keeping God. The same God who made promises to Abraham is making this promise of a better, attainable land to exhausted, frightened travelers. Their ancestors made it across the Red Sea on the way to Canaan. These Hebrews have the same Covenant Keeper leading them to the Heavenly Canaan. "The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind" (Psalm 110:4).
• God: kyrios, the one true God or the Son of God to denote a relationship to the Father. Jesus is not an imposter (like Barabbas). He is truly part of the covenant-keeping Deity.
• Jesus: Hellenization of Joshua. Joshua means "to rescue or rescuer." The One these journeyers are being asked to follow is the ultimate Rescuer. He chose to pay the ultimate self-sacrificing price to keep them safe.

Object Lessons - Israel used concrete objects, people, places, and events to describe or teach concepts. They also used them as examples or shadows of spiritual lessons or Heavenly places or people. I believe this thinking is why the Levitical Priesthood and Melchizedek both represent the work of Christ—at different points in history.

Levitical Priesthood - Object lesson of us interacting with the grace of Christ

• Levi's entire history was known. Israel kept track of lineage in a way that boggles my mind.
• Levi's history is intertwined with violence and blood. Levi first comes into prominence as an instigator of the deceit and blood bath at Shechem (Genesis 34).
• In Genesis 49:7, Jacob disinherits them from the Canaanite legacy because of that deceit and violence.
• Oddly, their redemption from that curse is also predicated by violence and blood; the slaughter of unrepentant idolaters at the golden calf debacle (Exodus 32: 25-29). Because of their passionate loyalty, God, through Moses, shifts their curse and gives the tribe of Levi a role and a blessing heretofore unknown. While they would never have a specific portion of the Promised Land, they would have their own cities and be a part of every portion.
• As the sanctuary was set up, the Levites camped closest to its curtains as the last line of fierce defense of God's shekinah.
• All items in the sanctuary and the priests were anointed (Messiah in Hebrew); an object lesson of the plan of salvation that would be completed by the Heavenly Messiah.
• In the ancient sanctuary, people journeyed to the sanctuary where "God dwelt as the Shekinah glory."
• No priests officially took part in the rulership of Israel.
• At the death of Christ, the Levitical services were symbolically ended as the curtain between the Holy and Most Holy place was split open.

Note: It occurred to me as I was writing this: It's ironic; Levi freely shed blood in violent retribution. Redeemed from a curse, the Levites had constant interaction with blood that was shed as an object lesson of redemption.

Melchizedek - Object lesson of the grace of Christ in relationship to us.

1. No one knows the origins of this priest. There is no proper Hebrew line of lineage. People like us often ask, "Where on earth did this guy come from?" We humans are rarely good with "not knowing." People of Christ's time were also not good with confusion about His origins.
2. Names in ancient Hebrew culture indicate character or action. Melchizedek's name means my king is righteousness (or right doing)—as opposed to deceit and blood baths.
3. The city he rules is Peace (Salem). Quite a dichotomy from Shechem.
4. Melchizedek journeyed to Abraham and gave a war-weary soldier bread and wine as well as a blessing from El Elyon {The God Most High). This title for God is used only one other time in the Bible (Psalm 78:35 - They remembered that the God Most High was their Protector/Redeemer ) Again, he is an object lesson of the One who makes a journey to us, in the power of His Spirit, and offers a people, weary from their own battles protection and redemption.
5. Abraham either recognizes the meaning of Melchizedek's blessing or already had known him as a priest of the Protector/Redeemer. From either or both understandings, Abraham offers tithes. As with an exhausted and terrified Elijah, blessing, food and comfort was offered before a response. Jesus, by promise and by action, offered the blessing of God's care before He asks them and us to respond.
6. Melchizedek is fair enough to be king; righteous and kind enough to be a representative of God. Jesus is the fair judge and the one who mediates for us in Heaven.
7. The Levitical priesthood ended with, "It is finished." The Melchizedek priesthood began there. This priesthood lives not in Canaan but in Heaven. This priesthood does not ask a pilgrimage to visit God, but a door of the heart that is opened to welcome Christ's knock. It is based in the blood of only One. Its focus is a reminder that relationship with God has always been the priority. Its community is not one lineage but the world. This priesthood's home is not a sanctuary in Jerusalem but the original City of Peace.

The Plea, Encouragement and Perspective

Questions:

1. What are the gifts and challenges of having "a mystery" as part of our faith journey?
2. What do you think is the significant difference between the ancient pilgrimage and Jesus knocking on the door of our heart and community?
3. What was there about ancient Israel's mandate that could have made them ambassadors to the world? What are the similarities and differences between the two times?
4. Do you think that if ancient Israel had followed their mandate that there would have been as much difference between pre- and post-Calvary?
5. Melchizedek was priest and king; Jesus is priest and king. How do you think these connect with us being called priests and kings?
6. Why do you think this concept may have been a comfort to the Hebrews?
7. What qualities are necessary to be both priest and king?
8. How do you think the roles of intercession were similar and different between the two priesthoods?
9. Why would this comparison be a way of giving encouragement and comfort to tried and frazzled people.

Notes:

1. I ran the placement of these verses through my chiastic lens. They are not exactly in the center of the letter but were close enough to have me wonder.
2. Tom de Bruin's article on positionalism has me thinking about my position as I consider these concepts. As I type this, I think my position is that I am always looking for pictures of the character of God and the ways Heaven woos us. My journey challenges are ones of theodicy.
3. You may or may not have noticed that I used "they/them" pronouns for the writer of this letter. It occurred to me, while on a walk, that I have always assumed the writer was male. That's embarrassing for someone who had "Anonymous was a woman" on my refrigerator at some point in my life. So, in honor of ambiguity, "They/Them" wrote Hebrews.

• PDF of these notes
• LSG #8: 'Jesus, The Mediator of the New Covenant'
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

The relationship between the Covenants and the ministry of Christ on Earth and in Heaven is the theme of the Book of Hebrews.

It was pointed out last week that the word "better" is used more in Hebrews than the rest of the NT. The Covenants are not Bad and Better, but Good and Better. All the early Covenants were established by God himself. It was not the failure of God that limited their capabilities, rather it was human failure.

That should be no surprise to us.

In the Ancient World there were collection of Gods who needed to be appeased in whatever ways it made sense to those who worshipped them. Everything was driven by FEAR. The concept of thanking the Gods was extremely limited.

If you examine the Levitical pattern of Sacrifices and the Annual pattern of Festivals given through Moses, we see balance and rules that were intended to instruct the people on the goodness of God, and the need to Love God and to Love Others. It's not an accident they contain the 2 Great Commandments that Jesus later endorsed.

The LSG notes for this week outline the different types of Sacrifices. Like the Festivals they emphasise a broad range of the needs of the Spiritual Life. It was all based on the Love, Goodness and Promises of God.

Thanksgiving and Rejoicing were important. Relationships that sometimes required forgiveness and restitution were important. The sacrificial requirements were tailored to embrace rich and poor alike. The message was clear: it's your attitude that counts, not your money!

Joseph and Mary and the baby Jesus were part of the poor of society. Protecting the poor was always central to God's Guidance. Whenever that was neglected, the Prophets cried out in protest.

The use of the sacrifice and offerings emphasised God's concern over sin. They were also vehicles for thanksgiving, celebration, community rejoicing and socialization, and contributed to the provisions for those who served in the Temple, and the Levites as a whole. Jer. 34:8-22, one of our texts for today also addresses the issue of releasing fellow citizens from slavery every 7th year.

Repeatedly, the nation strayed away to the worship of other Gods and neglected the Temple worship. It seems incredible that at the time Josiah became king, the Temple was so neglected they had even lost the copies of the Mosaic Law. This pattern of apostasy repeated itself again and again throughout the nation's history. It was not God who broke the Covenant, it was the people.

Last week there seemed to be a consensus that the New Covenant was in fact a Universal Covenant: God was ALWAYS focused on man's heart and mind relationship with himself, not on blind obedience. Over the centuries there were many OT characters who lived in that sort of relationship with God. When Paul talks in Romans 2:1-16 about those who would be saved despite having no written revelation he was telling us that God is focused totally on the Heart and Mind. Jesus tells us the same.

Jer. 31: 31-34 (READ):

The context for the New Covenant is that of the return from CAPTIVITY. Even in Jeremiah's day God was longing for Israel to open their hearts to his love. The significance of the wording of the Covenant is that it spells out GOD'S ULTIMATE GOAL.

No longer will they teach their neighbour, or say to one another, 'Know the Lord', because they will all know me.

I believe we can only grasp the significance of the Birth, Life, Death, Resurrection, Ascension and Priestly Ministry in the framework of the above question.

Hebrews was written when it was painfully obvious that the TEMPLE WORSHIP instituted under Moses had clearly demonstrated its inadequacies. Shortly after the book of Malachi was written Jewish scholars had concluded that God was no longer talking to the nation. The age of the prophets was over. There is substantial evidence to suggest that the OT writings were ratified within the Jewish world as early as 4 BC, and certainly before the Septuagint was translated, long before the coming of Christ.

The temple destroyed in AD 70 had been built by Herod the Great who had tried to kill Jesus after his birth. By that time the temple rulers were more political than spiritual, and more interested in money and power than in worship. That explains why they didn't like Jesus or the things he stood for.

HEB. 9:11-15; 22-28 [READ]

• Why is Jesus the Perfect Sacrifice?
• What was accomplished by his Death?
• What was accomplished by his Resurrection?
• When he entered the Most Holy Place was, he just starting to fight the battle against sin, or was the battle done?
• What still needs to be accomplished before the New Covenant reaches the goal of everyone 'Knowing God'?
• Is there still a problem in heaven, or is the existing problem totally on earth?
• What tools are available to God to finish the task?

• PDF of these notes
• LSG #9: 'Jesus, The Perfect Sacrifice'
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

Areas for Thought and Discussion

• How might Daniel 7:13 relate to Acts 1:9; Hebrews 4:14, 6:20, 8:1-2, 9:24?
• The Christian Church (including Adventism) through the ages has paid scant attention to Jesus' ascension. Why? What has it missed?
• At what point in human history did Jesus become High Priest?

The LSG's Memory Text, Heb 9:24 , states "For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf".

• For what purpose(s) did Jesus ascend to heaven and enter the heavenly sanctuary?
• Does the second part of the text imply that Jesus is distinct from God? Why/why not?

The final sentence in the LSG for Tuesday states "Jesus, as our Priest, also has been our veil. Through his incarnation, God pitched his tent in our midst, and made it possible for us to contemplate his glory…."

• "has been" implies he no longer is "our veil". When did this change occur?
• In reality, what does it mean for us as individuals and as church congregations to "come boldly to the Throne of Grace"?
• In view of what we have discussed and with reference to Heb 12:28-29

  "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; for indeed our God is a consuming fire"

  and Ps 63:1-4

  "O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name."

• how do we relate to having direct access to the Almighty God who is also our Father in heaven?

• PDF of these notes
• Slides referred to in the discussion
• LSG #10: 'Jesus Opens the Way Through the Veil'
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

My honest opinion of the LSG for this quarter is that the TOPIC approach has enabled them to ignore the obvious messages of the Book of Hebrews:

• The New Covenant has displaced the Old Covenant.
• The 10 Commandments are unquestionable part of that Old Covenant.
• The distinction between Moral Law and Ceremonial Law is a human invention.

I am NOT against the Sabbath or the 10 Commandments. They were Schoolmasters to bring us to Christ! But they were one part in a much bigger and better plan.

• I don't think any on the NT writers were against having a Sabbath.
• There are many good reasons in favour of a day of worship, fellowship, and service.
• Jesus took the OLD COVENANT and distilled them to two principles. Love for God and Love for our fellow human beings.
• Having distilled them, he then expanded by his life and teachings in ways beyond our wildest human imagination. Love took on new dimensions that were the basis of eternity, encapsulated in 1 Cor 13.

My objective this week is to ask difficult questions that the book of Hebrews cries out for us to ask.

1. PRIOR TO THE OLD COVENANT

I cannot accept that the creation happened in 6 literal 24hr days, but I absolutely believe GOD (Christ) created everything . If the creation record is a description of periods of time, then the 7th Period is not a single day. Therefore, when we are invited to REST in God, it is not limited to time restrictions.

Even if the days of Creation were literal 24hr days, and the world is less than 10,000 years old the following facts would still be true.

• The timespan from creation to Sinai far exceeds the limited timespan of the Mosaic Covenant.
• There were no 10 Commandments, and no written revelation of God's will for mankind.
• There is no record of anyone ever keeping the Sabbath.
• There are limited records of sacrificial offerings, but certainly nothing in the scale or format of the Mosaic Covenant.

For salvation to be even possible during that time, it could only have happened under the circumstances spelt out by the Apostle Paul in Romans 2:1-16. It is a tragedy that so much of Christendom, including the evangelical church has failed to comprehend the importance of that passage. The passage addresses an issue that impacts the character of God. Will God ever say to anyone on the day of Judgement: There is no place for you because you were born in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and I couldn't talk to you? The Holy Spirit has never been on strike!

In the days of Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, etc there is no record of any written commandments or a 7th day Sabbath. This is the period when many of those listed in Hebrew 11 as examples of FAITH, lived.

That also included Moses' Parents whose act of faith was before the Old Covenant, and Rahab who had no knowledge of it when she bravely saved the spies.

2. THE MOSAIC COVENANT TILL THE TIME OF JESUS (1500 years?)

The period of the Mosaic Covenant was extremely limited, and was punctuated by repeated rejection of God, and hundreds of years when the Temple was either non-existent or neglected.

When God brought Israel out of Egypt to set them up as a NATION, they were coming out of SLAVERY, and an environment of continuous work with NO RESPITE. The Mosaic Covenant with its tough strictures gave them the chance of being SCHOOLED into a dependency and love for God, and each other. Would a strong emphasis on the Sabbath been important in that context?

Acts 15: 1-29 When the Council of Jerusalem met to decide how the Gentile Christians should relate to the teachings of Moses Peter and James strongly agreed with Paul. The only requirements they made were related to items they believed were offensive to God: ' you are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality '. There is no mention of any of the other commandments.

Acts 15: 10-11 (Peter) "Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No, we believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are"

If the 10 Commandments had never been written, could any of us seriously believe that the Life and Teachings of Jesus, together with the rest of the New Testament would FAIL to provide all the spiritual and moral guidance needed to prepare us for the Kingdom of God, especially with the promised guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit?

NT Sabbath Facts:

Last week, I mentioned that Jesus was only called HIGH PRIEST in the book of Hebrews and nowhere else in Scripture. There are other patterns of information that we do well to address, particularly especially about the Sabbath.

• No NT writer ever advocates the importance of Sabbath worship.
• Jesus goes out of his way to challenge the legalistic approach of the Pharisees to the Sabbath.
• He does say "the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath".
• Jesus never tells us how we should keep the sabbath.
• The writings of the early church fathers provide evidence that worship on the 1st Day of the week was well established in non-Jewish Christian groups as early as the 1st Century, and certainly in the 2nd Century.

The last two references to the Sabbath in Scripture

COL 2:16 NIV

"Therefore, do not let anyone judge you by what to eat or drink or with regard to a religious festival New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come: the reality, however, is found in Christ"

HEB 4:9-13 NIV

"There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest"

Sabbath Myths:

1. The Sabbath is the Seal of God (Read 1 Cor: 1:22; Eph 1:13 for the real deal)
2. There will be a Universal Law forbidding worship on Sabbath at the end of time.
3. The US Senate debated and rejected two laws in the 1880's that would have restricted non-essential business from being done on a Sunday and would have restricted the length of a working day.
   • Slavery had been abolished but many workers were working 7 days a week and over 12 hrs per day.
   • Business Leaders opposed the changes - not surprising!
   • Unions supported the changes... In favour of the health and wellbeing of the ordinary worker.
   • SDAs and Seventh Day Baptists vehemently opposed it.
   • The proposed laws did not compel anyone to worship on any day.
   • The Senate voted against the measures, a few Stated enacted parts of the measures.
   • In the ME AGE, what likelihood is there that this could ever happen worldwide?

OTHER REALITES

1. Most Messianic Jews worship on the 7th Day Sabbath.
2. Many Messianic Jews and other celebrate the Jewish Festivals and have gone out of their way to emphasise the way in which these Festivals foreshadowed the coming of Christ.
3. There are over 500 Saturday worshipping churches and sects in our world today.
4. There is no condemnation in the NT of worship on the 7th Day, or any other day.
5. DO NOT JUDGE ANYONE, LET EACH PERSON HAVE THE FREEDOM TO FOLLOW THEIR OWN CONSCIENCE... IN CHRIST. THAT IS THE MESSAGE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

• PDF of these notes
• LSG #11: 'Jesus, Author and Perfecter of Our Faith'
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

The book of Hebrews is, amongst other things, a series of arguments often interspersed with warnings following the general pattern:

Statement(s)

Therefore

More statements (if / but / so that...)

Warning(s) (maybe)

Next statement(s)

etc.

This week we will look at Hebrews 10:26-31; 12:1-29 in which there are six "therefore" statements. This is the first section of the final argument (interrupted by chapter 11 - a diversion on the subject of faith). The second section of the final argument (chapter 13) will be the subject for next week. We will try to stick closely to the text of Hebrews rather than dodge about trying to proof-text a theme.

Over the past two and a half months we have considered the writer's sequence in which s/he provides evidence that Jesus is superior to angels, superior to Moses, a superior High Priest, the mediator of a superior covenant offering a superior sacrifice. His main proposition is now complete and we are faced with the question "So What?". This week we will attempt to find answers to that question.

• Two weeks ago we concluded the story of Jesus enabling our access to God in his sanctuary (10:19-23). How would you summarise the writer's warnings and instruction in 10:26-38 and the assurance given in 10:39?
• Following the examples of People of Faith (11:1-39), what "therefore statements" and warnings do you see in chapter 12? How do you feel about the various warnings? What is your response to them?
• What instructions do you see in chapter 12? What is your response to these?
• What do you understand by Jesus being the "author and finisher" / "pioneer and perfecter" of our faith (12:2) ? Check out this phrase in other translations.
• How would have felt camping in the Sinai desert as referred to in 12:21 / Exodus 19:10-22? How does "coming to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God..." (12:22-24) make you feel?
• Hebrews 12:25-27 talks about a "time of shaking". What do you understand by this? How comfortable do you feel about it? Might this happen in your lifetime? Can one prepare for it? If so, how?
• 12:29 refers to God as a "consuming fire". How do you reconcile this statement with 1 John 4:14-19?

• PDF of these notes
• LSG #12: 'Receiving an Unshakable Kingdom'
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

In our 12 sessions on Hebrews so far:

• We have discussed JESUS as our
  • KING,
  • MEDIATOR,
  • HIGH PRIEST,
  • BROTHER.
• Also, JESUS as the Promised SON and the SACRIFICE.
• We have also discussed the NEW COVENANT.

Acknowledging the interrelation of a number of these titles:

1. have you acquired any new understanding(s) in terms of thse roles, as a result of our Virtual Vestry discussions?
2. have our studies, as a whole, enhanced your spiritual experience, and if so, in what way?
3. do you still struggle with any of the concepts raised in the past twelve weeks?

PLEASE READ HEBREWS CHAPTER 13.

A section of a piece in 'The Times' newspaper from a few days ago, written by the columnist, Janice Turner:

Sometimes love has the power to move nations

Sitting outside the Foreign Office in a picnic chair with handmade signs, wrapped in blankets, wearing a bobble hat, Richard Ratcliffe resembled a homeless person, a crank or just one of many single-issue obsessives who haunt Westminster. His bloodshot eyes overflowed with sorrow; after 21 winter days outside without food he was hunched and frail.

How on earth, you wondered, could this self-abnegation affect geopolitics, soften hearts in an unpitying regime which hangs 300 of its own citizens a year. Yet on this final day of hunger strike, Ratcliffe held up a sign by way of explanation. 'LOVE IS A DOING WORD', it said.

The context of this is that his wife had been incarcerated by the Iranian regime and he was desperate for her to be freed. The point of selecting this portion of the article is his sign: 'Love is a doing word'.

Four themes in Hebrews 13 we may wish to explore:

1. Expressing brotherly love.
   Verses 1-3.
2. Honouring marital love.
   Verse 4.
3. Learning contentment over covetousness.
   Verses 5, 6
4. Follow your leaders.
   Verses. 7, 17

I leave these themes open-ended for you to develop. We will spend most time on theme 1.

Hebrews 13:9-16:

• Do these verses help you to understand the point of the whole letter?
• What was undermining this group of Jewish Christians' faith in the New Covenant?
• What undermined the faith of the Israelites in the Old Covenant after they moved into The Promised Land?
• What is undermining the faith of Christians in our country today?

From Aristotle:

Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing and being nothing.

• PDF of these notes
• LSG #13: 'Let Brotherly Love Continue'
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)