The Second Message: 7:1-10:18

The warning/encouragement sections

First warning

Author of Hebrews uses language that is descriptive rather than Paul’s more mystical concepts
- He is speaking from man’s perspective rather than from God’s perspective
- He never uses “in Christ”, but is far more concrete
- This helps us understand the warnings, because he is describing someone who behaves as if they were a Christian
- Paul talks about those who are justified or raised together with Christ—eternal realities
- Here it is people who make a profession, or “confession” that Jesus is their Lord 3:1, 4:14
- When Paul tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, he is not contradicting Hebrews which tells us we can fall away because Paul it looking from God’s perspective (who knows the heart) and Hebrews from human observation (which cannot distinguish between the wheat and the tares).
Theology of heaven breaking in to earth
- Pharaoh and Korah
- unforgivable sin
tasters of heaven & partakers of the Holy Spirit
- Judas, Ananias & Sapphira, Jesus’ words “I never knew you” Matt 7:21-23
- Saul among the prophets, Balaam, Balaam’s ass
the significance of 6:9
- “love for other believers” as the acid test of having a new heart

Second warning

very similar

The Summary sections

compare the two summaries
- The second follows on from the first
- they are almost identical in their summary of the middle message
- the first summary sets us up for the middle message

Outline of Hebrews so far

[1:1-4] Introduction: God’s Son has now received glory and power

[1:5-5:10] Message 1: Jesus has received his glorious inheritance and as our high priest enables us to follow him if we hold fast
1. [1:5-18] The Son receives power and glory above the angels, as our pioneer
  - [1:5-13] The Son has received power and glory above the angels
  - [2:1-4] Warning not to neglect the message he has spoken
  - [2:5-18] He received this inheritance of glory and honour as the pioneer for us, his brothers and sisters
2. [3:1-5:10] Faithfulness of Christ compared with unbelief of Israel
  - [3:1-6] Moses’ was faithful over God’s house as a servant, but Christ was as a son
  - [3:7-4:14] Those in Moses’ house failed to enter into their promises due to unbelief, so hold fast to your own faith
3. [4:15-5:10] Christ persevered through suffering and has compassion to help us and to bring us into glory

[5:11-6:12] First warning against falling away & encouragement
[6:13-20] First summary

[7:1-10:18] Message 2: The basis of our hope and confidence—Christ’s new work
1. [7:1-28] Christ—the new high priest
  - [7:1-10] Aaron’s order of Levite priests were inferior to the priest Melchizedek
  - [7:11-17] Jesus was not a Levite, and was in Melchizedek’s order
  - [7:18-28] Jesus’ priesthood is far superior to the old priesthood
2. [8:1-9:24] Christ—the new tabernacle, minister of a new covenant
  - [8:1-5] New tabernacle vs old
  - [8:6-13] New Covenant
  - [9:1-10] Old tabernacle: Priests are in outer tent—a curtain blocks access to the most holy place
  - [9:11-14] New tabernacle: Christ makes a way into the most holy place by his blood
  - [9:15-20] New Covenant
  - [9:21-24] New tabernacle vs old
3. [9:25-10:18] Christ—the new offering

[10:19-25] Second summary
[10:26-39] Second warning against falling away & encouragement

(the third message is in many ways parallel to the first and has the same message of endurance)

[11:1-13:19] Message 3:
1. [11:1-40] Examples of those who were commended by God for their faith
2. [12:1-13] They didn’t receive what was promised but you able to if you persevere in following Jesus, the pioneer
3. [12:14-13:19] What it looks like to persevere in following Jesus—love and good works

[13:20-21] Blessing

[13:22-25] brief note to recipient attached

How Message 2 fits in with the book as a whole

These are the “better promises”
- The author doesn’t have to “convince” us that they are true, since they have been authenticated by signs and wonders
- The signs and wonders have got our attention and this is the truth they are pointing to
- The main impact is not so much logical as moving our spirit
  - for this reason he uses lots of imagery
  - he wants us to “feel” the reality of this world that we cannot see
Problem of being influenced by a secular mindset
- If we work in a secular job, then we will tend to be influenced to think in the way of those around us
- When we are with believers, our spiritual mindset is re-enforced.
- there is a constant battle between the lies of Satan and the truth of God
The author of Hebrews has two solutions
- vividly pour the truth into us
- encourage us to meet together all the time so as to encourage one another
  - Read [10:24-25]
- Christians should meet socially as well as for “church”
  - we re-enforce true values and worldview as we do this

Detailed explanation of each section

The New Priesthood

The basic idea is not very complex:
- One purpose is to answer objections that Jesus couldn’t be a priest since he was from the wrong tribe.
- There are two orders (or systems) of priesthood, the Levitical and the little-known order of Melchizedek.
- Mel. is actually superior to the Old Covenant priesthood
- Since Jesus is not of the tribe of Levi, he must be a priest under this alternative, superior system
- Other reasons why Jesus makes a better priest

The new tabernacle & new covenant

From the outline you can see that this is arranged symmetrically
The flow of reasoning is this:
1. Jesus wouldn’t be allowed to serve in the old sanctuary because the Old Covenant stipulates Levites
  - So he needs a new sanctuary and a new covenant
2. This New Covenant is far better because it has much better promises
3. The old tabernacle has the curtain which prevents access into God’s presence
4. Jesus has made a new way into the real sanctuary—God’s holy presence by his new sacrifice
1. He brings us a New Covenant that frees us from the old law
1. Inferiority of old sanctuary compared with new sanctuary which is God’s very presence

The new sacrifice

he takes up the last climactic theme of the New Covenant: “Their sins I will remember no longer”
- He shows that this is based on Jesus making his own body a living sacrifice
- So we can really believe and hold on to this promise because the price has truly been paid

Notes on the New Covenant [8:6-13]

the quote is from [Jeremiah 31:31-34]
There are four promises in the covenant

But now Jesus has obtained a superior ministry, since the covenant that he mediates is also better and is based on better promises.
For if that first covenant had been faultless, no one would have looked for a second one.
But showing its fault, God says to them,
“Look, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will complete a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant that I made with their fathers, on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not continue in my covenant and I had no regard for them, says the Lord.

For this is the covenant that I will establish with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord.

A. God’s law written on our hearts	I will put my laws in their minds and I will inscribe them on their hearts.
B. We will belong to him and he will belong to us	And I will be their God and they will be my people.
C. No need for priests between us and God	11. And there will be no need at all for each one to teach his countryman or each one to teach his brother saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ since they will all know me, from the least to the greatest.
D. Our sins are all forgiven	12. For I will be merciful toward their evil deeds, and their sins I will remember no longer.”

When he speaks of a new covenant, he makes the first obsolete. Now what is growing obsolete and aging is about to disappear.

Link to more detailed notes on this passage

Application

Let us come into God’s very presence right this moment and enjoy the new and perfect access that we have to our dear Father!

Andrew Fountain, 2007 Back to loveintruth.com/teaching