God Speaks
The Son of God Is Superior to All the Laws and Traditions of the Hebrews
Verse of the Day: The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. (Hebrews1:3-4 NIV)
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We Respond
Hebrews 1
Reflection: Editor’s note: As praythruthebible.com begins the book of Hebrews, I will be taking the position that it is Someone bragging on Jesus–how He is better than anyone or anything that the Hebrews (Jews) [or any other people] have ever known. He is superior to anyone and anything else. So, let’s brag on (praise) Jesus for all He is worth.
Hebrews chapter 1 emphasizes that Jesus is better than the fathers–Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is to be honored more than they are. Jesus is better than the prophets of old, more dedicated to proclaiming the Word of the LORD than they were. Jesus was designated the heir of all things. Jesus participated in creation and holds it all together by the word of His power. Jesus is the radiant display of the glory of God, and He is the exact representation of God Almighty. Faith in His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension is the only way our sins are purified, and we can live the Christian life. Once Jesus had accomplished all that God the Father had for Him to do on earth, He sat down at the Father’s right hand (the place of highest authority). He is much superior to the angels. His name is far superior to theirs; the LORD God never called an angel “My Son.” God told the angels to worship and serve Jesus. In quoting from the psalms, the writer of Hebrews relates what God the Father might have said when Jesus arrived back in Heaven. The LORD God is now working out His plan to bring all of Jesus’ enemies under Him. He has also assigned ministering spirits to serve those who are to inherit salvation through Jesus.
Prayer: As we read and study Your Word, Father God, may we focus on the supremacy of Your Son, Jesus Christ. He is better than the fathers–Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He is to be honored more they are. He is better than the prophets of old, better at proclaiming Your Word than they were. You designated Him the heir of all things. He participated with You and the Holy Spirit in creation and holds it all together by the word of His power. Jesus is the radiant display of Your glory, God, and He is the exact representation of God Almighty. Faith in You, Jesus, and what You have done is the only way sins are purified. Once You accomplished all the Father had asked of You on earth, You sat down at the Father’s right hand (the place of highest honor and authority). Jesus, You are much superior to the angels. Your name, Jesus the Messiah (Christ), is superior to theirs. You, LORD God, never called an angel, “My Son.” Father God told the angels to worship and serve Jesus. LORD God, You exalted Jesus because, as the God-Man, He completed all that You had assigned Him to do on the earth. Therefore, You rewarded Him with the highest position and place of honor. You are now working out Your plan to bring all of Jesus’ enemies under Him. You have also assigned ministering spirits to serve those who are to inherit salvation through Jesus. All this for Your glory. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will brag on Jesus this week to someone who knows Him well, to someone who only knows about Him, or to someone who has never heard of Him.
- I will honor Jesus this week by reading Hebrews chapter one aloud and discussing with Him what it says about Him and what it means in my life.
- I will find a song, a list, or a poster of the names or descriptive terms for Jesus and put it where I can review it often.
- I will speak up when I hear Jesus’ name used wrongly or faith in Him ridiculed.
Hebrews 2
Reflection: Note: In posting last week, I neglected to mention this summary of the letter to the Hebrews. It should help the viewer to better understand the layout, principles, and purpose of this part of scripture. https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/hebrews/
Hebrews 2:1-2 warns that disobeying or neglecting the message of God delivered by angels was dealt with in a serious manner. Verses 3-5 explain that ignoring or neglecting the salvation offered by Jesus Christ and confirmed by signs, wonders, miracles, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was an even more serious offense. Verses 6-8 and 12-13 are references to passages in the Hebrew scriptures that verify that the Messiah was superior to angels but needed to be made like human beings. Verses 9-11 and 14-18 expound on what is happening now in heaven in regard to Jesus and why He had to suffer in order to rescue human beings from the fear of death.
Prayer: Dear Gracious Father, thank You for providing us with this letter of comparison and warning. Help us to learn that Jesus, God the Son, is superior to everything but You and to heed the warnings You give us in this written word. Previously, You gave us a steady word of instruction through angels confirming it with signs, miracles, wonders, and gifts of the Holy Spirit. You dealt severely with those who disregarded it. Now, You have given Jesus greater authority than they had because of His suffering and death on our [my] behalf. He was made completely like us so that we could be made whole and set free from the fear of death. Jesus didn’t do this to help angels but to help people who trust and rely on God like Abraham did. Because Jesus experienced temptation and death on our behalf but did not falter, He is able to bring us (fallen human beings) back into favor with God. Praise His holy name. Thank You, Jesus for all You have endured for us. Help me and others to live as if we really believe that is true. For Your glory, LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will examine my own heart and mind to see if there is any way in which I am neglecting or ignoring the truth about Jesus found in scripture.
- I will show my respect for the privilege of having the scriptures by reading it at least once a day this week.
- I will look for and write down examples of signs, wonders, miracles, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit happening today.
- I will discuss with a friend how Jesus is superior to angels.
Hebrews 3
Reflection: Hebrews chapter 3 begins by telling us that Jesus is better than Moses. It also offers a warning not to follow the example of the people Moses led out of Egypt. They were rebellious; therefore, God denied them the rest (sense of peace and security) in Himself that He had in store for them. That generation all died in the wilderness without entering the promised land. The lesson of Hebrews 3 is that we will not experience all that God has prepared for us unless we fix our thoughts on Jesus, trustingly listen to Him, and do whatever He says.
Prayer: Dear Father of my Lord Jesus, thank You for calling us to focus on Jesus. He is the one You sent and who serves as both our sacrifice for sin and our high priest. Thank You, Jesus, that You are even more faithful than Moses in carrying out all that God the Father has planned. For this You will receive even greater honor and glory. Help us to continue to hold fast to You in confidence. May we hear and heed Your voice and not rebel or let our hearts go astray. May we daily encourage and exhort one another to stay faithful and not be drawn away by unbelieving hearts. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will begin or continue a list of things and people that Jesus is better than.
- I will read the above list aloud in prayer and praise, alone or with others.
- I will think about and/or discuss with others the benefits of trusting and obeying Christ Jesus.
- I will think about and/or discuss with others the consequences of not trusting and obeying Him. Reflection: Hebrews chapter 3 begins by telling us that Jesus is better than Moses. It also offers a warning not to follow the example of the people Moses led out of Egypt. They were rebellious; therefore, God denied them the rest (sense of peace and security) in Himself that He had in store for them. That generation all died in the wilderness without entering the promised land. The lesson of Hebrews 3 is that we will not experience all that God has prepared for us unless we fix our thoughts on Jesus, trustingly listen to Him, and do whatever He says.Prayer: Dear Father of my Lord Jesus, thank You for calling us to focus on Jesus. He is the one You sent and who serves as both our sacrifice for sin and our high priest. Thank You, Jesus, that You are even more faithful than Moses in carrying out all that God the Father has planned. For this You will receive even greater honor and glory. Help us to continue to hold fast to You in confidence. May we hear and heed Your voice and not rebel or let our hearts go astray. May we daily encourage and exhort one another to stay faithful and not be drawn away by unbelieving hearts. AMENAction: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will begin or continue a list of things and people that Jesus is better than.
- I will read the above list aloud in prayer and praise, alone or with others.
- I will think about and/or discuss with others the benefits of trusting and obeying Christ Jesus.
- I will think about and/or discuss with others the consequences of not trusting and obeying Him.
Hebrews 4
Reflection: Hebrews 4:1 tells us that the rest offered by God still remains accessible to us today. It should be our goal to make sure that we and others don’t fail to avail ourselves of all its blessings. This rest, based on how God rested on the Sabbath after completing His work of creation, is accepting God’s love for us as a gift. It is epitomized by the finished work of Christ on the cross; it is complete trust in God alone as we lovingly listen to and obey Him. It is hearing His voice and not hardening our hearts. If Joshua’s leadership had been enough, there wouldn’t have been a need for the word of God to say it again. The LORD uses the word to pierce and discern the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. Nothing, no one is hidden from His sight; everything is naked and exposed to His love, mercy, and grace. We can confidently (and confidentially) confess our sins to Jesus, the Son of God. He understands by experience what it means to be human and to be tempted, but He never sinned. He pleads before the Father on our behalf. He is better than earthly high priests.
Prayer: Dear Great and Awesome God, who gives His people rest, help us to receive this good news by faith and not miss out as some people did in the past. Jesus is even greater than Joshua. Joshua could only lead the Israelites into the promised land. He couldn’t give them the true rest in You they (and we) so needed. Let us listen to and rely on Jesus, the Living Word, and to the holy scriptures, the written word of God. This will keep us from falling away in disobedience. After all, “the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” You, Lord God, see everything. When it comes time for us to stand before You and give an account, thank You that we can confidently point to Jesus and say, “I am not worthy, but in faith I declare, ‘He paid it ALL.’” That is perfect rest. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will seek to experience the Sabbath rest God intends for me to enjoy.
- I will develop an internal ongoing interactive conversation with the Lord even while I’m working.
- I will take time daily to let the word of God penetrate my heart and expose my sin so that I can confess it to Him and experience His loving forgiveness, correction, and redirection.
- I will memorize Hebrews 4:12 and/or 4:16 and put them into practice.
Hebrews 5
Reflection: The discussion in Hebrews of Jesus being the great high priest actually begins in verse fourteen of chapter four and continues through chapter five verse ten. Melchizedek is a person in Abraham’s time who both blessed and received tithes from him. (Genesis 14:17-24) Jesus experienced every kind of trial and temptation humans experience (except he never sinned), so He can empathize with us and offer the kind of support and mercy we truly need in overcoming sin. We just need to accept His gracious provision and follow Him. Other high priests had to cover their own sins as well as those of the people they represented before God. Jesus was totally without sin until the sins of all mankind were placed on Him during His crucifixion. It is the LORD God Himself who appointed Jesus for this position. Jesus learned trusting-obedience* through the things that He suffered. Believers are warned against not maturing in their faith in Christ.
*The term trusting-obedience was taken from The Message//Remix New Testament in Contemporary Language, Hebrews 5:7-10, by Eugene H. Peterson, 2003.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank You for being our great high priest. As great as You are, You can still sympathize with our weaknesses. You became a human being and were tempted in every way we are, yet You did not sin. Because of this, we can come to You, on Your throne, and receive grace to help us in our time of need. Jesus, thank You for acting on my behalf in regard to God and my sinful nature and my individual sins. You didn’t independently promote Yourself to this position as high priest, but God the Father appointed You as His beloved Son. In Your time on earth, You struggled physically, emotionally, and spiritually, learning what it means to obey. For that reason, You are able to perfect our obedience as we humbly cooperate with You and the Holy Spirit. Jesus, please help me to learn trusting-obedience just as You did through the things that You suffered. Holy Spirit, please help me to continue to mature in my faith so that I will be able to teach others how to distinguish good from evil and put the truths of God into practice in my daily life. For Your glory, LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will worship the LORD with a grateful heart for how Jesus dealt with all my sins at the cross.
- I will conduct a study of the office of the high priest (and/or Melchizedek) throughout the scriptures to see how Jesus is better.
- I will talk with a fellow believer about what I learned.
- I will take specific time daily interacting with my great high priest, Jesus.
Hebrews 6
Reflection: Hebrews chapter 6 is a call for believers in Christ to go on to maturity: we should seek to grow beyond mere acknowledgement of the foundations of belief in Christ. Some of these foundations include the following: 1) repentance of acts that lead to death, 2) instruction about baptisms, 3) laying on of hands, 4) the resurrection of the dead, and 5) eternal judgment. Once people have truly experienced (tasted) the goodness and power of God but have turned their back on Him, it is impossible to bring them back. This is because if they are truly rejecting the fundamentals of the faith (not just organized religion or its practices), they are disgracing and devaluing Christ Jesus and His sacrifice for them. The reference to the productive or unproductive ground brought to mind the parable of the soils Jesus told in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8. A well-tended vineyard that produced bad grapes is also mentioned in the Old Testament book of Isaiah chapter 5. We should be growing increasingly reliant on God and showing our love for Him by being diligent and faithful to help those around us, regardless of their response. Then we will through faith and patient endurance inherit all that God has promised. He took an oath by Himself since there isn’t anyone greater or higher in authority. Although the original oath and promise was to Abraham (Genesis 12), it applies to all the promises God has made down through the ages. Jesus, who fulfilled many of God’s promises in the Old Testament, has gone ahead and is now representing us before the Father as our High Priest, like Melchizedek.
Prayer: Dear God, who warns and instructs His people, help me to clean out my ears, be attentive to the Holy Spirit, and grow beyond the basics of the faith. I want to be mature, exercising the powers of discernment You’ve given me to practice distinguishing between good and evil. I want to embrace good much more readily and avoid evil much more often. I don’t want to continue absorbing Your instruction and blessings without producing a crop that blesses other people and honors You. I no longer want to just coast and end up dishonoring myself and Your kingdom. May I encourage others in their love and work for You. May we all earnestly imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises You have recorded for us in Your written word. Those promises will be fulfilled just as Your promises to Abraham were. To verify them You took an oath with Yourself as the guarantor–there is no one over You. You cannot lie, so You will do whatever You say. Jesus has gone ahead of us into Your holy presence; He makes a way for us and is a steadfast anchor for our souls as well as our great High Priest. As He continues to glorify You, so should we. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will research what the foundations of faith in Jesus Christ are so that I can grow in applying them in my life and also grow beyond mere assent.
- I will teach what I learn to the next generation (physically or spiritually).
- I will try to model in my daily life what it means to be spiritually mature.
- I will patiently endure whatever is happening in my life and hold tight to the promises of God for now and the future.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.