hebrews: a new and living way

Hebrews A New and Living Way

2013 Cindy Brown. All Rights Reserved.This study was written using the ESV.

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Hebrews 1

Day 1

Introduction: We do not know who the author of Hebrews is. Some have suggested Paul, but it is not written in similar fashion to his other books. Since Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, and this book was written to the Jews, it seems like it could be a different author. The author never claims to be an apostle and said he had not heard the gospel from Jesus himself, but from someone else who had heard it from Jesus (Hebrews 2:3-4). We also are not sure when the book was written, but most scholars put it sometime shortly before the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD, probably around the time of Nero's persecution in 64 AD. The author mentions that the believers were under some persecution (Heb. 10:3239; 12:4) which was causing it to be difficult for some of them to stand firm in their faith.

In Hebrews 13:22 the author says that his purpose in writing was to give them a word of exhortation. Exhortation means to call to one's side, to admonish or encourage. As we will see, these people needed to be encouraged to look to Jesus. He admonishes them to turn away from the old system of offering sacrifices and to turn to Jesus, who is better, and who offers us a new and living way to worship Him.

Read Hebrews 1-7 today.

Day 2

Read Hebrews 8-13 today.

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Day 3: Hebrews 1:1-4

Read chapter 1 today.

As you read, mark the following words in your Bible. Mark them each in a different way or in a different color so that each word stands out from the others.

Any references to God the Father, including pronounsAny references to Jesus, including pronounsMuch superior, more excellentAngels

Read carefully so you can distinguish which pronouns refer to God and which refer to Jesus.

In verse 1, what do we learn about how God communicates? ____________________________________________________________

God wants us to know Him and has gone to great lengths to communicate with us. He has spoken at many times and in many different ways, using many different people. If God is so intent on speaking to us, we would do well to listen carefully.

What is the contrast the author makes in verses 1-2? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read verses 1-4 again and list everything you learn about Jesus.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

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None of these things can be said about the prophets that God used to speak through. Let's look a little more closely at some of these things.

In verse 3 it says that Jesus is the "radiance of the glory of God." That word radiance is only used here in the New Testament. It means "the perfect reflection of the brightness." So Jesus perfectly reflects God's glory to us. If we want to see God's glory, we should look at Jesus!

It also says Jesus is the exact imprint of God's nature. The word imprint means "impression or copy." So God's nature has been exactly impressed on Jesus and he perfectly reflects God's glory.

What does John 1:14 tell us about Jesus? ____________________________________________________________

Note what Colossians 1:19 and 2:9 tell us about Jesus. ____________________________________________________________

Read John 10:30. What does Jesus tell us about himself in this verse? ____________________________________________________________

Read John 14:8-9. What does Jesus himself say about this? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So to ask to see the Father when Jesus was standing right before them was silly! Jesus doesn't just act like God, He is God! His nature and glory are exact representations of God the Father. This is who is now speaking to us!

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Read Hebrews 1 again.

For the rest of the chapter, the author is going to explain why Jesus is better than the angels.

In verse 5, what do we learn is not true of the angels? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What do we learn about angels in verse 6? ____________________________________________________________

We read the account of this in Luke 2:8-14. God used the angels to announce the birth of His Son.

What do we learn about angels in verse 7? ____________________________________________________________

Angels are described as winds. What does that tell you about them? ____________________________________________________________

They are also called ministers. A minister is "one who renders special servicea servant."

So based on verses 5-7, what is the main difference between Jesus and the angels? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Verse 8 starts out with the word "but." This should clue us in to a contrast being made.

Verse 8 alerts us that everything said in verses 8-12 is said about the Son.

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What four things do we learn about Jesus in verses 8-9 that set him apart? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Verses 8-9 are quoted from Psalm 45:6-7. I am so glad that Jesus' throne will last forever. No angel or enemy will ever be able to knock Jesus off the throne. He is the absolute ruler and there is none above Him. That is a comfort!

What else do we learn about Jesus in verses 10-12? These verses are quoted from Psalm 102:25-27. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

These verses reveal to us that Jesus is the creator and that He is eternal. Only God is described in this way.

According to verse 13, what is one privilege that Jesus has that the angels don't? ____________________________________________________________

In verse 14, the angels are again called ministers. What does this verse tell us about what they do? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After reading chapter 1, I hope it is pretty obvious how Jesus is much better than the angels. He has a better name and a better position. He is the exact image of God, he is God's Son, he is the eternal Creator, and his throne will last forever. Angels are messengers of God's Word, but Jesus is the Word!

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Because this book was written to a Jewish audience, the author references several Old Testament quotes. They would have been familiar with these quotes, but might not have understood they referred to Jesus. The author wants these people to that Jesus he is God!

What do you think is the theme of chapter 1? ____________________________________________________________

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Hebrews 2


Read Hebrews 2

Mark the following words as you read today:

ThereforeAngelsJesus and all pronounsGod and all pronouns

Based on what you learned about Jesus in chapter 1, what do you think the "Therefore" in 2:1 is referring to?____________________________________________________________

In verse 1, we come to the first warning in this book. It is a warning about paying close attention to what we have heard so we do not drift away from it. Think about drifting for a minute. How quickly does it happen? Is it always noticeable? Do you have to do anything to drift? Relate these observations to how we drift spiritually and why this warning is given. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verses 1-3, there are several reasons given for why we should pay close attention to the message we have heard. Let's take a look at them.

What do we learn about the message declared to us by angels? ____________________________________________________________

Reliable means trustworthy or dependable. Because God's message is true, it is worthy of our trust. We should discard things that cannot be verified or are misleading, but because God's message to us is reliable, we need to pay close attention.

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What was the consequence for ignoring this message? ____________________________________________________________

A just retribution means it was a just or fair penalty. There are consequences for ignoring God's message to us.

So what warning does the author share in verse 3? ____________________________________________________________

God has given us only one means of salvation through Christ. So if we ignore that, there will be no escape for us from God's wrath against our sin.

God went to great lengths to communicate with us and show us his message is true. Read verses 3-4 again and write down 4 things God did to validate his message to us.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

God is a communicating God! Look at all the ways he has communicated with us so we can know him! He has gone to great lengths to give us evidence that his message is true. He sent his own Son, he used other believers who testified about it, he showed us signs and miracles and he gave us the gifts of the Spirit. God is speaking. The question is: are we listening?

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Read Hebrews 2.

What is one more thing we learn about angels from verse 5? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Verses 6-8 are a quote from Psalm 8:4-6. Who is this section referring to? ____________________________________________________________

What do we learn about man from these verses? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In the second half of verse 8, it says that God "left nothing outside his (man's) control." The whole world is at our disposal and God made man his highest creation.

But what does it also say at the end of verse 8? ____________________________________________________________

What things can you think of that this might be referring to? ____________________________________________________________

It might seem strange that the author suddenly starts talking about man when he has been comparing Jesus and the angels. But we will see why it is important that Jesus became a man.

In verse 9, the first word is "but" indicating a contrast from what was previously talked about.

Who is verse 9 talking about? ____________________________________________________________

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What do we learn about Jesus and the angels from this verse? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How is God's grace shown in verse 9? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Look up John 8:52. What does Jesus say in these verses about tasting death? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus tasted death for us so we won't have to! Remember death means separation, and for those who believe His Word, God promises they will never have to experience that separation from him. For those who are saved, Paul describes death as just falling asleep, taking a nap! "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55)Thank you Jesus, for taking my place and tasting death for me!

In verse 10, who does "he" refer to? Read it carefully. ____________________________________________________________

What do we learn about God in this verse? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Verse 10 says that Jesus was made perfect through suffering. Since Jesus never sinned, what does this mean? Look up the word "perfect" in the Greek. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus was made perfect or complete through suffering. If he had never experienced pain or suffering, he would not be able to understand what we were going through. But Jesus has experienced everything we have gone through so in that sense, he was made complete through suffering.

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In verse 11, who is it referring to when it says "he who sanctifies"? Look up Hebrews 13:12. ____________________________________________________________

So who is the source of Jesus and for us, who are sanctified? ____________________________________________________________

Because Jesus and the sanctified both come from God, what is the result of that from verse 11? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This is pretty astounding! God's own Son is not ashamed to call us his brothers, part of His family. And it has absolutely nothing to do with our own merit or goodness, but only because His death sanctifies us.

To sanctify means "to set apart." It also carries with it the idea of being washed and made clean. Because of Christ's death on our behalf, we are set apart from the rest of the world because our sins have been forgiven and now Jesus gladly welcomes us into his own family, calling us His brothers!

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Read Hebrews 2.

One of the reasons that Jesus is better than the angels is that he took on flesh and blood. There are six reasons that Jesus had to become like us. Let's look at each one of them.

In verse 14, what is the first thing that Christ's death accomplished for us? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

According to this verse, the devil has the power of death, but Jesus destroyed him! Look up the definition of destroy in the Greek. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus broke Satan's power of death over us and made him ineffective. We no longer have to fear his power over us!

What is the second thing Jesus' death accomplished for us from verse 15? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

From verse 16, what is the third benefit? ____________________________________________________________

Does the "offspring of Abraham" refer only to the Jews? Read Romans 4:16 to see who the offspring of Abraham are. ____________________________________________________________

What is the fourth benefit we receive from verse 17? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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The job of a high priest is to go before God and offer sacrifices on the behalf of the people. Jesus is described as being merciful and faithful in His service.

What does he do for us as a high priest from verse 17? ____________________________________________________________

Propitiation is not a word that we hear very often. It carries with it the idea of forgiveness of sins, but the reason the sins can be forgiven is because God is satisfied with the payment that was made. Propitiation is a satisfactory payment for sins. People try to bring all sorts of payments for their sins, but God is only satisfied with one payment, and that was the death of his Son.

What is the last thing Christ's death has accomplished for us in verse 18? ____________________________________________________________

Look up Hebrews 4:15. This verse gives us confidence that Jesus can help us because He went through the suffering of temptation but He was victorious. He never sinned! He is the One we can run to when we need help in saying "no" to sin.

Jesus death did not only save us from hell, the victory He won can help us in the here and now!

Based on what you have studied this week, what do you think the theme of chapter 2 is? ____________________________________________________________

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Hebrews 3


Read Hebrews 3.


ThereforeGod and all pronounsJesus and all pronounsWorthy of more glory, much moreHold fastDo not harden your heartsRest

Based on what you just read in chapter 2, what does the "Therefore" in 3:1 refer to? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How does the author address them in verse 1? _________________________________________________________

Knowing that this is written to believers will help us understand the rest of the chapter and the book.

What are we told to do in verse 1? ____________________________________________________________

The word consider means "to give very careful consideration to some matterto think about very carefully, to consider closely."

What specifically does the author want us to consider about Jesus? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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In chapter 1 and 2, we saw that Jesus is better than the angels. What comparison is made here in verse 3? ____________________________________________________________

Why is Jesus better than Moses according to verses 5-6? Note the different roles that Jesus and Moses had. ____________________________________________________________

If youre not steeped in the Old Testament the way the original recipients of this letter were, some of these references wont make as much of an impact as the author intended. For example, the author talks about Moses being faithful, but if you dont know what might have caused Moses to want to give up, you cant appreciate the superior faithfulness of Jesus. So lets do some historical review about Moses. Read the following passages and note what obstacles Moses faced and how he responded to God.

Exodus 3-4:17 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Exodus 17:1-6 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Both Moses and Jesus were "faithful in all God's house." They were both obedient to do what God asked of them. Moses was faithful as a servant, but Jesus was counted worthy of more glory because He is God's own Son.

Let's take a closer look at Hebrews 3:6. We have already seen that being faithful in God's house, is referring to service. Moses was faithful in the job that God has given him to do. And Jesus, God's Son was faithful to obey His Father.

In understanding this verse, we know it is not talking about salvation, because these people were already saved. (3:1)

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Notice the word "if" in this verse. It says we are God's house if we hold fast. Let's see if we can figure out what he is saying.

Hold fast means "to continue to believe, with the implication of acting in accordance with such beliefto continue to believe and practice, to continue to follow."

What were these people told to hold fast to? ____________________________________________________________

In this verse, confidence is "a state of boldness, sometimes implying intimidating circumstancesboldness, courage."

The author says these people are God's house if they continue to believe God and hold fast to their courage and boldness.

Remember that these believers were suffering some persecution for their faith. Read Hebrews 10:32-36 to see exactly what they were facing. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So I believe that the author is exhorting these people to faithful service in the midst of difficult circumstances. Moses and Jesus were both faithful in spite of difficulty and he encourages these people that they will be "God's house" too if they persevere and hold on to the truth during this time of persecution.

To boast means "to express an unusually high degree of confidence in someone or something being exceptionally noteworthy.

What is our hope that we should boast about?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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The author told them about the hope they have in Christ in chapter 2 and reminded them about all that Jesus had done for them. If they had confidence in Christ, and remembered their hope, they too, would be faithful in all God's house.

The author is exhorting these believers to hold fast. Moses and Jesus are both given as examples, but of course, Jesus is held up as being better than Moses. Jesus was faithful to do what God had asked of him, and as we consider what he endured, this will help us to hold fast as well.

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Read Hebrews 3.

In this section, the author gives them an example they would have been well acquainted with - the Israelites in the wilderness.

In verse 7, we come to the second warning in this book. Write it below. ____________________________________________________________

Read verses 7-11 again. Note how these people are described and what they did. This is how we should not be. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Israelites heard God speaking to them through Moses and they saw his works for 40 years. They saw God miraculously save them from the Egyptian army. He provided manna and quail for them when they were hungry and water from the rock when they were thirsty. God's presence with them was obvious through the pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night. Yet they still chose to harden their hearts and rebel against God.

What was God's response to the Israelites in verse 10? ____________________________________________________________

What was the consequence for their rebellion and testing the Lord? ____________________________________________________________

Rest in Hebrews has a few different meanings, based on context. What do you think not being able to enter God's rest meant for the Israelites? ____________________________________________________________

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The warning here is profound. The Israelites heard God's word and they saw his works, but they chose to harden their hearts against him. As a result, that entire generation was forbidden to enter the promised land.God has given us a better revelation through His Son in these last days, so we will be held accountable as well, if we ignore it.

The children of Israel stand as a negative example compared to Moses and Jesus. The warning is that we should not harden our hearts if we hear God speaking to us. For Israel the consequences were severe, and they are meant to be a lesson and warning to us as well.

What is your attitude towards God and His Word? Do you despise it or take it lightly? Are you eager to hear what he has to say? We are told to play close attention to what God has said. Ask God to give you ears to hear and feet that are quick to obey. Otherwise, we will be held accountable and there will be a just retribution.

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What is the third warning we see in verse 12? ____________________________________________________________

What is the result of having an evil, unbelieving heart? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does v. 13 tell us to do so that people won't be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin? ____________________________________________________________

To exhort means "to cause someone to be encouraged or consoled, either by verbal or non-verbal meansto encourage, to console."

How often are we to exhort each other? ____________________________________________________________

When we see a believer acting like the children of Israel, we are to exhort and warn them! An unbelieving heart leads to a hardened heart that can easily be deceived by sin. We usually don't recognize it in ourselves. That's why it is so important for others to come alongside us and remind us of the consequences of sin.

To deceive means "to cause someone to have misleading or erroneous views concerning the truthto mislead, to deceive."

God tells us that sin is deceitful. Sin tells us that it doesn't matter if we don't listen to God. It tries us to convince us that there won't be any consequences to our sinful actions. Sin tells us we will be happier if we look out for ourself first instead of listening to God. Sin tries to tell us that God is not doing what is best for us, that he is unloving and cannot be trusted. All of these are lies!

Now we are going to take a closer look at Hebrews 3:14. It is very similar to Hebrews 3:6. Note the word "if" in this verse as well.

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To share here means "one who shares with someone else as an associate in an enterprise or undertakingcompanion, partner."

Ephesians 1 tells us some of the spiritual blessings we have in Christ. Read Ephesians 1 - 2 and note what some of them are.

1:4-____________________________________________________________1:5-____________________________________________________________1:6-____________________________________________________________1:7- (two things) ____________________________________________________________

1:7-8____________________________________________________________1:9-____________________________________________________________1:11-____________________________________________________________1:13-14-____________________________________________________________2:5- ____________________________________________________________2:6- ____________________________________________________________2:13- ____________________________________________________________2:14-18- ____________________________________________________________2:19-____________________________________________________________

What do you think it means to share in Christ? Is it talking about salvation or something else? See Romans 8:17 to help you. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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This word for confidence is a different Greek word than the one we looked at earlier. Here it means "that which provides the basis for trust and reliancetrust, confidence, assurance."

So if we have faith and assurance about what God has said, we will share in Christ. We will experience all the blessings we just looked at. They are always available to us, but if we lack faith, we will not be able to partake and enjoy them.

It was the same for Israel. They did not hold their confidence in God firm to the end and as a result they were denied entrance into the land that God had promised them. They were still God's children, but they missed out on the blessings.

What warning is repeated in verse 15? ____________________________________________________________

In verse 17, what was the consequence Israel experienced for provoking God? ____________________________________________________________

What two reasons are given for why Israel could not enter the rest of the promised land? (v.18-19) ____________________________________________________________

Wow, this has been a challenging chapter! I think we can see how important it is to believe God and what he says. The consequences are pretty ugly! In chapter 2:1, we are warned to play close attention so we don't drift away from God. We are either drifting away from God or growing closer to him. There is no middle ground. Both processes are very slow and we almost don't even notice that we are moving. The main thing that decides if we are drifting or growing is if we listen to what God says and believe his Word.

The Israelites did not believe God and that whole generation missed out on the blessing of entering the Promised Land. The same is true for us today. When we doubt God's Word, we miss out on God being able to use us, we don't experience all the blessings we have in Christ, and we do not enter

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into God's rest. Instead we strive and try to live the Christian life on our own which always ends in frustration. We hurt ourselves and rob God of the glory due his name when we do things our way. It didn't turn out well for Israel, and it doesn't turn out well for us either.

Write what you think the theme is of chapter 3? ____________________________________________________________

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Hebrews 4


Read Hebrews 4


ThereforeRestDo not harden your heartsLet usHold fast

What warning or danger is mentioned in verse 1? ____________________________________________________________

In verse 1, it says that we should "fear" that we should fail to reach God's rest. If God tells us to be afraid of something, we should pay close attention to what he is saying.

Why do you think not entering God's rest is something that we should fear or be alarmed about? You can look back over your notes on chapter 3 to see what some of the negative consequences are. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We are not the nation of Israel, so what does this rest have to do with us? There are a few different types of rest mentioned in this chapter. In verses 2-3, he is referring to Israel not entering God's rest and therefore they were prohibited from entering the Promised Land. Their lack of faith and rebellion provoked God and He swore that that generation would not enter the land, but would die in the wilderness. Israel is used as an example of what not to do. In verse 4, there is a creation rest mentioned when God rested from all his works on the 7th day. In verse 1, the author tells us that the promise of entering God's rest still stands, or is still available. So this

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rest must be a different rest from the rest offered to Israel or the rest referred to when God finished creating the word, but there are aspects of Israel's rest and God's rest that tie in with our rest today. Let's dig a little more and see if we can figure out what the rest available to us today is.

How do we enter God's rest? (4:3) ____________________________________________________________

Is it a guarantee that we as believers will enter this rest? ____________________________________________________________

What would keep us from entering God's rest? (4:2; 4:6) ____________________________________________________________

In verse 7, the author warns us against hardening our hearts for the third time (Hebrews 3:7,15; 4:7). Anytime God repeats something, we should take notice and listen.

What do we do when we enter this rest? (4:10) ____________________________________________________________

In verse 11, we are told to strive to enter this rest. Strive means "to be eager to do something, with the implication of readiness to expend energy and effortto be eager, eagerness, devotion."

It almost seems like a paradox that we should strive to enter God's rest. But I think the author is exhorting us to be eager and quick to believe God and what His word says. We should show interest, eagerness and initiative to take God at His word.

What are the consequences of not entering God's rest? (4:11) ____________________________________________________________

So what is this rest available to us today? I believe the rest he is referring to is the faith-rest life. This is the realization that we are simply to rest in faith and trust in the promises of God, not to strain to please Him by our own efforts or works.

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Read these verses and note what they say about rest.

Colossians 2:6-7: How did we receive Christ? By faith! So how are we to walk?____________________________________________________________2 Corinthians 5:7 ____________________________________________________________Matthew 11:28-30 ____________________________________________________________

God has done the work! As we read in Hebrews 2:14-18 Jesus destroyed the power of the devil and delivered us from our life-long slavery to sin. He has given us victory over sin. We still have the sin nature in us, but its power has been broken and we do not have to give in to our sinful desires anymore. It's like an electrical cord. The cord has no electricity or power running through it unless it is plugged in. Unless we chose to plug in the cord to sin, it has no power over us! It is lifeless and defeated. The Holy Spirit, God himself, has taken up residence in us and He gives us the power to live a victorious Christian life. Do you believe that? Faith is the key to entering this life of rest. We may not always feel like this is true, but God's Word says it is, so we must believe it! When we claim this truth by faith, that's when we can enter God's rest. God has done it all and He invites us to rest in what he has accomplished for us. We can try to strive and be really good on our own, or we can rest in what Jesus has done.

Isn't it sad to think that some people will miss out on the rest that God is offering? Let us pay close attention to God's Word so we are not one of those people!

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Read Hebrews 4.

How do you think verse 12 relates to the previous verse about striving to enter God's rest? How does God's word affect our rest? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The word active means "pertaining to being effective in causing something to happeneffective, able to bring about."

Knowing that God's Word is active and effective to change things, how does this encourage you, especially after reading verse 11? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

List what we are told about God and His Word from verses 12-13. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I find verses 12-13 very encouraging. After spending lots of time warning us to listen to God and believe Him so that we can experience His rest, He tells us that we have a wonderful resource, and that is the Word of God. God's word will change me, convict me, encourage me and build my faith in who God is. If I will listen to His word, God promises that it will be effective to work change in my life. If I listen and believe God, I will not drift away from him or fail to experience His rest! What an encouragement!

Why do you think the author reminds us that Jesus has passed to the heavens in verse 14? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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In chapter 3, we were told to hold fast to our confidence (v. 6,14). What are we told to hold fast to now in chapter 4? ____________________________________________________________

Our confession is the things that we believe. To confess really means to agree with God. So we should hold fast to the things that we agree with God about, the things He has said in His Word.

What are some things listed in verses 15-16 that might help us to hold fast to our confession or the things that we believe? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

From verses 14-16, list how Jesus is described as our high priest. How is he different and better than a human high priest? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Because Jesus is a better high priest, we can approach him with confidence! The word confidence can also mean courage. What is the only reason we can approach God's throne with courage and confidence? ____________________________________________________________

Instead of condemning us for our sin, how does God receive us? ____________________________________________________________

Mercy means "to show kindness or concern for someone in serious need."

Grace means "to show kindness to someone, with the implication of graciousness on the part of the one showing such kindness; to show favor or good will that is undeserved."

Remember that this book is written to believers. God's mercy and grace rests on those who have believed his Son. What awaits unbelievers? (See Romans 1:18; Romans 5:9; 1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9) ____________________________________________________________

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After all the warnings in chapters 2-4, I find the end of chapter 4 very encouraging. God has not left us on our own. He has given us his Word, which is effective and powerful to change our thinking and keep us from unbelief. He has also given us Jesus, a faithful and merciful high priest who completely understands our weakness and struggles and is there to help us in our time of need. The all-powerful, eternal, magnificent God has made himself available to us!

Hebrews 4:11 tells us "Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience." So based on what we have read today, what are some practical things we can do to prevent us from falling or drifting away from the truth? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Day 13

Read Hebrews 4

As a review, look up the following verses, and write down the warnings given to us.

Heb. 2:1____________________________________________________________Heb. 3:7-8 ____________________________________________________________Heb. 3:12 ____________________________________________________________Heb. 3:13 ____________________________________________________________Heb. 3:15 ____________________________________________________________Heb. 4:1 ____________________________________________________________Heb. 4:7 ____________________________________________________________Heb. 4:11 ____________________________________________________________

Are any warnings repeated more than once? ____________________________________________________________

So far, from your study of Hebrews 1-4, what has been the author's main emphasis? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Write what you think the theme is of chapter 4. ____________________________________________________________

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Hebrews 5


Read Hebrews 5.

Mark the following words as you read:

Priest, high priestAll references to GodAll references to Jesus

This section continues the discussion about Jesus as our high priest that we read about at the end of chapter 4.

Read the first six verses and note everything you learn about a high priest in the Old Testament. How were they limited?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now note what you learn about Jesus as our high priest. What makes him better? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Because Jesus has "passed through the heavens" (4:14) he will be a priest forever. His eternal priesthood is what sets him apart from any other priest. He always lives to intercede for me before the Father!

Verse 7 tells us that while Jesus lived on earth, he offered up prayers with "loud cries and tears." How does it make you feel knowing that Jesus also cried and had sorrow while he lived on this earth? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Reverence in verse 7 means "reverent regard for with the implication of obedience." Jesus was heard because of his obedience to the Father to go to the cross, even though it was something he didn't look forward to in his flesh.

Jesus is shown here as an example for the recipients of this letter. They were in danger of falling away and not listening to or obeying God. Obedience it is not always easy, but Jesus is our example of reverently obeying the Father even when it was difficult and painful.

From verse 8 it says Jesus learned obedience. Learned here means "to learn from experience, often with the implication of reflectionto learn, to come to realize." Jesus has an experiential understanding of what it means to obey and sometimes how hard it is. He does not just have head knowledge about it, but he went through it and he knows and understands what it is like for us!

In verse 9, it says Jesus was made perfect. In order to understand what it is saying, we need to know what perfect means here. It has the idea of "to bring an activity to a successful finishto complete, to finish, to end, to accomplish; to be completely successful in accomplishing some goal or attaining some state."

What did Jesus complete or bring to a successful end? ____________________________________________________________

What was the result of Jesus learning obedience and being made perfect? ____________________________________________________________

What does verse 9 say is the condition for salvation? ____________________________________________________________

In other parts of the Bible, belief is the condition for salvation, but here it says obedience. Is the author saying we must obey to be saved? The word "obey" in the Greek has two meanings. One means to obey because you have paid attention to someone. The other meaning is kind of interesting. It means to "respond to someone knocking or calling at a

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door." Do you normally obey God and respond to him if you do not believe His Word? No. I think that the author is just coming at it from a different perspective. The end result if we are saved should be obedience. I think he is emphasizing this because remember these people were in danger of falling away from God. So he is not saying we have to obey to be saved, but we should obey if we are saved.

The author tells us in verse 9 that Jesus became the author of eternal salvation. Would our salvation be eternal if it was based on our obedience? ______. So this gives us a clue that the author is not saying we have to obey to be saved.

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Read chapter 5 again today.

In this section, the author says he has more he wants to tell them about Jesus' example to us, but it is hard for them to understand because they have become dull of hearing.

From verse 11, dull means "to be slow to understand, with an implication of laziness."

What does this say about the people the book of Hebrews was written to? ____________________________________________________________

From verses 11-14, write down what you learned about the recipients of the book. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now we can see why the author has given so many warning in this book. These people are children in their faith when they should have been mature by now.

From verse 13, what shows us if someone is immature spiritually? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Unskilled means "pertaining to the lack of knowledge or capacity to do somethinginexperienced in, unacquainted with."

Based on that definition, what do you think it means to be "unskilled in the word of righteousness? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Read verses 12-13 again. What do you think milk refers to? ____________________________________________________________

From verse 14, what shows us if someone is mature spiritually? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Discernment means "to have the capacity to perceive clearly and hence to understand the real nature of somethingto be able to perceive, to have the capacity to understand." How will we be able to discern between good and evil? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So an immature person is one who is unskilled in the word, one who is inexperienced or unacquainted with what God has said. He is not able to look at things, compare them to God's Word and discern if they are good or bad. A mature person meditates on the meat of the Word and has been trained to discern between good and evil, between false teaching and the truth. These people were immature. What kind of Christian are you based on the description given here in Hebrews?

Day 15

Read Hebrews 5 once more.


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Hebrews 6



Therefore Let usAny references to GodAny references to JesusPromiseHold fastHigh priest

The beginning of chapter six is a continuation of the thoughts at the end of chapter 5.

Read Hebrews 5:11 through chapter 6.

What 5 things does the author say in verses 1-2 are "elementary doctrines"? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

He is not saying that any of these doctrines are wrong or incorrect, but that they should be past these things already.

What does the author mean by dead works in Hebrews 6:1? Look up these cross-references:

Isaiah 64:6 ____________________________________________________________

Galatians 3:5,10 ____________________________________________________________

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Repentance means "to change ones way of life as the result of a complete change of thought and attitude with regard to sin and righteousnessto repent, to change ones mind."

Dead here means "pertaining to being utterly useless, ineffective, powerless."

So based on the verses you read and the definitions, what is he saying about not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So these believers were still back at the starting blocks! They were still teaching the foundational truth of salvation that their works are ineffective to make them right with God and they had to turn to God in faith. We need to know this to be saved, but it seems these believers had not moved past that in their growth.

Read verses 4-5 and note what group of people this is referring to. Are they believers or unbelievers? Explain why you think that. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 6, if these people fall away from God, what does the author say about them? ____________________________________________________________

Restore means "to cause a change to a previous, preferable stateto renew, to restore, to bring back."

Again, repentance just means to change your mind and agree with God.

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So based on the context and what the author has been talking about, and these definitions, what do you think it means that it is impossible to restore these people to repentance? ____________________________________________________________

When we come to a difficult passage in Scripture that may not be clear to us, we should refer to clear passages in Scripture to help us understand the difficult ones. In other words, we should use Scripture to interpret Scripture. Many people use these verses to say that you can lose your salvation. But let's use some other verses in Hebrews to see if this is what the author is saying. Look up the following verses to see what Hebrews says about our salvation.

Hebrews 7:25 ____________________________________________________________Hebrews 9:12 ____________________________________________________________Hebrews 9:15 ____________________________________________________________Hebrews 10:10 ____________________________________________________________Hebrews 10:14 ____________________________________________________________

So the rest of Hebrews contradicts the thought that we can lose our salvation. And like we will see in chapter 7, the New Covenant is based on God's oath, not our actions like the Old Covenant was. Since it is impossible for God to lie, we can take him at his word that our salvation is forever!

In verse 6, what two things does the author say people who fall away from God and choose to go their own way are doing to Jesus? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Believers who harden their heart and fall away, are treating Jesus with contempt. They are proving by their actions that Christ's crucifixion has not impacted their lives. This is a very sad place for a believer to be.

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The author does not say it is impossible to restore them to salvation, but it is impossible to restore them to repentance. There is a very strong warning here. It seems the author is saying, that a believer can become so hardened and rebellious to God's truth, that there will come a point where they will no longer be able to respond to God's voice. They will be so hardened that it will become impossible for them to change their mind and agree with God. If these people have felt the Spirit's presence in their life, tasted God's Word for themselves, and have seen God's power and then chosen to rebel and harden their hearts, there comes a point where they will not be able to be brought back to repentance. Now I think we can see why three times already the author has warned us about hardening our heart. The danger is real!

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In verse 7, he uses the example of rain falling and the crops producing a harvest. What kind of people do you think this is referring to? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 8, he uses another example of the crop bearing thorns and thistles and being useless. Who is this referring to? (Remember who the book is written to and the type of people he has talked about so far). ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 9, he says that he feels sure of better things for these people, things that belong to salvation. Since he is already writing to believers, he must not be referring to the salvation of their souls.

Salvation here means "to rescue from danger and to restore to a former state of safety and well beingto deliver, to rescue, to make safe, deliverance."

What is the danger that these people might need to be rescued from? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 10, what does the author commend them for? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Verse 10 is very encouraging, because if God sees us partnering with him and serving him, he will not overlook or neglect that and I think that means that he will continue to work in us.

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In verse 11, he uses the phrase "each one of you." Do you think all the people were showing that same earnestness? ____________________________________________________________

The word "earnestness" in 6:11 is the same Greek word used for "strive" in Hebrews 4:11. It means to do something with intense effort and motivationto work hard, to do ones best, to endeavor. Apparently not all the believers were showing earnestness.

Assurance means "to be completely certain of the truth of somethingto be absolutely sure."

Hope means "to look forward with confidence to that which is good and beneficial."

How long does he want them to have this assurance about their hope? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If we are assured of our hope in Christ, what does verse 12 say will be the result in our lives? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The word "sluggish" in the Greek is the same word used for the word "dull" in Hebrews 5:11. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

From the context, who do you think he is referring to in verse 12 that had faith and patience and inherited God's promises? ____________________________________________________________

He is encouraging these believers that he does see fruit in their lives. He has seen their works and the love they have shown for Christ's name, but he encourages them all to be earnest in their pursuit of the Lord. Those who have faith and patience will inherit his promises and will not fall away.

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Read Hebrews 6.

To refresh your memory, read these passages to see what God promised Abraham.

Genesis 12:1-2 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Genesis 13:14-16 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Genesis 15:4-6,18 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Genesis 17:1-8,15-21 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Genesis 21:1-12 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Genesis 22:1-19 (this passage contains the quote in Hebrews 6:14) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How many times did God repeat his promise to Abraham? ____________________________________________________________

In verse 15, what does it say happened to Abraham because of his faith in God? ____________________________________________________________

The author is using Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, as an example. He modeled earnestness, faith and patience in holding fast to what God had promised. Tomorrow we will see that just as Abraham found God to be faithful, those who hold on to the anchor of our should will find God faithful as well. The exhortation for us is to hold fast!

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The key to understanding the authors reference to Abrahams steadfastness lies in Gods promise to Abraham of a seed. Through this seed, all the other promises would be fulfilled, and yet God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son. How could the promise be fulfilled if Isaac was to be killed? Abraham had to hold fast to his hope.

What was his hope based on? What do you see in verses 16-18? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Abraham believed that God would keep his promise. He knew God would not lie to him. He was convinced that even if he had to sacrifice Isaac, God would still fulfill his promise. In Hebrews 11:19 we are told that Abraham believed that God could even raise Isaac from the dead, so sure was he of God's Word. Wow!

How does the writer of Hebrews describe this hope? (v. 19) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I think it is interesting that the author uses the analogy of an anchor. Think about an anchor for a moment. What is it's purpose? ____________________________________________________________

An anchor keeps a boat from drifting. It keeps it in the same spot on the ocean or on a river. Do you remember how back in Hebrews 2:1 we are warned to pay much closer attention to the truth so that we don't drift away from it? Now we see the answer to that - our anchor!

So how do you think remembering God's promises and our hope will keep us from drifting away from God? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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In verse 19 it says, " we have this as a sure and steadfast anchor for the soul. " From the context, what is "this" referring to? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In the OT, who was allowed behind the curtain into the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle? See Hebrews 9:6-7. ____________________________________________________________

Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf. He had open access to the Father and now he has opened that up for us too! He was the only high priest who tore the veil and invited us in to God's holy presence. Now we have open access to the Father through Jesus.

How do you think the fact that Jesus has opened up the inner place to us can give us hope? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 20

Read Hebrews 6 one more time.


This chapter focuses on pressing on to maturity and being anchored in our hope. It is easy for immature people to lose hope. Those who still need milk and can't handle solid food become quickly discouraged when life gets hard. But for those whose hope is anchored in Christ, they are able to endure difficult times because their hope is set on Jesus. Their hope rests in God, who cannot lie and they rest in the security and certainty of God's Word. Those who feast on the meat of God's Word understand that this life will include suffering, but we can still live victoriously through Christ. When our hope is sure and steadfast, and rooted in the character of God who cannot lie, like Abraham, we will take God at His Word despite the circumstances, and that is a mark of maturity!

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Hebrews 7

Day 21

Read Hebrews 7.


Priest, high priest, priesthoodAll references to GodAll references to JesusBetter hope, better covenantDraw nearOnce for allForever

As a background to this chapter, read Genesis 13-14. Make a list of anything you learn about Melchizedek. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now make 3 lists about what you learned about Melchizedek's priesthood, the Levitical priesthood and Jesus' priesthood from this chapter.

Melchizedek's priesthood:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Levitical priesthood:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus' priesthood:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Based on your study, what do both the priesthoods of Jesus and Melchizedek have in common that is unlike the Levitical priesthood? ____________________________________________________________

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Read chapter 7 again.

According to verse 11, what could the Levitical priesthood not do? ____________________________________________________________

Because the Levitical priesthood could not make us perfect before God, a new priesthood had to be introduced.

Some Jews might question how Jesus could be a priest since he didn't have the proper lineage to be a priest. Verse 13 tells us that according to the law of Moses, the priests were to come from the tribe of Levi, but Jesus descended from the tribe of Judah. In verses 15-16, the author makes it clear that both Jesus and Melchizedek are qualified to be priests for a different reason. Their priesthood is not based on who they descended from.

On what basis are both Jesus and Melchizedek made priests according to verse 16? ____________________________________________________________

In verse 18, the former commandment that was set aside refers to the Levitical law. How is the law described in verse 18? ____________________________________________________________

The law was not bad and was valuable in showing us our need for a Savior. But is was weak and useless in terms of making us right before God. It could not make us perfect or remove the guilt of our sin.

In verse 19, with the law being set aside, what was introduced? ____________________________________________________________

What did this hope allow us to do? ____________________________________________________________

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In verse 20, it says the Old Testament priests were not made priests by taking an oath because it was based on their lineage. But who made an oath to make Jesus a priest in verse 21? ____________________________________________________________

Jesus has a better priesthood for two reasons. God swore an oath making him a priest and we have seen that God's Word is sure. Also because Jesus lives forever and has an indestructible life, his priesthood is eternal.

Because God made an oath and from Hebrews 6:18 we know it is impossible for God to lie, what does verse 22 tell us? ____________________________________________________________

A guarantor is "one who guarantees the reality of something." Jesus guarantees the reality of a better covenant for us. Tomorrow we will look at what makes this new covenant better.

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Read Hebrews 7.

In verses 23-24, what is one thing that makes Jesus different and better than the Levitical priests? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 25, what is the result of Jesus living forever? What two things does he do for us? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I love the phrase "save to the uttermost." It means to save completely, totally and entirely. Our salvation is secure!

Because Jesus saves us so completely, we can now draw near to God. In the Old Testament, a veil separated the people from God's presence. Now we have open access to draw near to God!

Because of what Christ has done, how does Hebrews 4:16 say we should draw near? ____________________________________________________________

Based on verses 26-27, why does Jesus not have to offer sacrifices for his own sins? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 28 there are two contrasts made between Jesus and the high priests.

First, how were the high priests appointed and how was Jesus appointed as a priest? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Secondly, how are the priests described and how is Jesus described? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus has a better priesthood! He lives forever and will never die. He is able to save us completely, something the Old Testament priests could not do. Jesus lives to always make intercession for us. He is a better priest because he does not have to offer sacrifices for his own sin; he is perfect!His sacrifice is once and for all and does not have to be repeated day after day.

The author is trying to draw these Jews away from their traditions in the old priesthood. In the next few chapters, he is going to show how Jesus is superior to the system of worship in the Old Testament. They can leave behind the old way of worship since it was just a shadow of the things to come. Jesus is the fulfillment of those things and is so much better!

Jesus is a better high priest because he was appointed by God and his priesthood continues on forever! The point the author has been making so far in the book of Hebrews is that Jesus is better! Hes better than the angels and better than Moses. His rest is better than Moses and Joshuas, He provides a better hope, and He has become the guarantee of a better covenant. Jesus is the fulfillment of all that the Old Testament spoke about. Jesus is better!

What do you think the theme of chapter 7 is?____________________________________________________________

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Chapter 8


Read Hebrews 8.


Priest, high priestAny references to God, pronouns includedAny references to JesusBetterMuch more excellentCovenant

I love it when Scripture says "This is the point!" According to verse 1, what is the point that the author has been saying? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hebrews 7:26 and 8:1 both say that we have "such a high priest." Reread Hebrews 7:26-8:2 and describe what kind of a priest Jesus is for us. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Verse 1 tells us that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. What do you think the significance is that Jesus is seated? (Hint: remember that the Old Testament priests were always standing to perform their duties.) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Verse 2 tells us that Jesus is ministering in the holy places. Read Hebrews 9:24. Where is Jesus ministering now and what is he doing? ____________________________________________________________

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In verse 3, we read that one of the jobs of a priest is to offer sacrifices. What was Jesus' sacrifice according to Hebrews 9:12? ____________________________________________________________

Verse 4 tells us that the Old Testament sacrifices were just a copy and a shadow of the heavenly things. A shadow gives you an idea of the shape of something, but it's not the real thing!

In verse 6, how is Jesus ministry compared to the Levitical priests? ____________________________________________________________

What kind of covenant does Jesus offer? ____________________________________________________________

In order to understand why this covenant was better than the Old Testament covenant, let's go back and do some review. Read Deuteronomy 28:1-14. What did God promise if the people obeyed him? List the blessings below.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now read Deuteronomy 28:15-68. What did God promise if they disobeyed? List some of the curses below. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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The Old Covenant was conditional. What was it based upon? ____________________________________________________________

This better covenant is not based on how much we do or don't sin, but it is simply based on the certainty of God's Word! That's why it is better and it is guaranteed.

What kind of promises were given to Israel? Were they promises relating to earthly, physical things or spiritual promises? ____________________________________________________________

So based on what you know about the Old Covenant, the Law, why do you think the author says that the New Covenant that Jesus brings is better and based on better promises in Hebrews 8:6? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Hebrews 8:8-12 quotes Jeremiah 31:31-34. Also read Ezekiel 36:24-28.

When we read Jeremiah and Ezekiel, we see that the New Covenant appears to be for the Jewsthe nation of Israel. Hebrews is written to Jews who have believed in Jesus and entered into the New Covenant. But Im not Jewish, so how does the New Covenant apply to me?

Lets look at some other New Testament passages to answer this question.

Read Acts 13:44-48, Acts 28:23-28 and Romans 1:16.

According to these three verses, who was salvation offered to first? What was their response? Who was it offered to next? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

According to Romans 1:16, how do we enter the New Covenant?____________________________________________________________

Read 1 Corinthians 11:23-26: What instituted the New Covenant? ____________________________________________________________

See Ephesians 2:11-22: What was the Gentiles position before and how are they viewed now? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read Ephesians 3:4-6: What is the mystery that was not known about in times past? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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So based on these verses, who is included in the New Covenant? ____________________________________________________________

What do you think is the theme of Hebrews 8?____________________________________________________________

Thought for the Week

I hope you are seeing how Hebrews all ties together. Remember that this is written to Hebrew Christians, who because of the persecution, were tempted to turn back to the old way of doing things through the Law of Moses. The author has reminded his readers that Jesus is better than the angels, better than Moses, he offers a better rest, and his priesthood is better than Aaron's. Jesus offers us a better hope, he gives us a better covenant, better promises and has offered a better sacrifice. The Old Covenant pales in comparison with all the good things that Jesus offers us in the New Covenant. The Old Covenant was a conditional covenant. The Israelites had to perform and obey God in order to receive the blessings that God was offering to them. They could not come into God's presence; only the high priest could enter and they could only enter the Holy of Holies once a year. They had to continually offer sacrifices because the sacrifices they made did not take away their sin. Why would you want to go back to the old way when what Jesus is offering is so much better? The New Covenant is unconditional and is based on God's grace. We don't have to do anything because Jesus has already done it all through his death on the cross. God does not deal with us based on how good we are, but on how good Christ is. The promises in the New Covenant are guaranteed because they are based on God's Word. There has been one sacrifice, once for all, that permanently takes care of all of our sin. If we reject what Christ has done for us through the New Covenant, there is nowhere else to go. Remember all the warnings in the beginning of the book? If we harden our hearts and don't listen to the Lord, there is nowhere else to go because the Old Covenant does not offer us the blessings available to us through Christ. Jesus is better! Through his better sacrifice, he brings us a better covenant that is full of better promises! We need to listen to him!

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Hebrews 9


Read Hebrews 9.

Mark the following words in this chapter:

CovenantPriest, high priestBloodOnce, once for allEternalThereforeAny references to JesusAny references to GodBetter

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In the drawing, youll see that the outer court had one entrance, which always faced east. Inside that entrance was an altar of sacrifice, on which the offerings were burned. After that was a laver full of water for washing. Then there was a tent divided into two rooms by a veil. The first room was called the Holy Place, and the second was called the Most Holy Place or Holy of Holies. Three objects were in the Holy Place: the golden lampstand, which held seven oil lamps; the table, which held 12 loaves of bread (one for each tribe); and the altar of incense or golden altar, on which incense was burned with fire from the altar of sacrifice. Behind the veil, in the Holy of Holies, sat the Ark of the Covenant, which held the Ten Commandments inscribed on stone tablets. Either in this box or before it were also Aarons rod that budded and a golden jar containing some manna. The Ark of the Covenant was covered by the mercy seat and two cherubs whose wings pointed toward each other. The Ark was a portable box with rings on it to hold poles that rested on the shoulders of the Levites, who were appointed to carry it. Above the mercy seat hovered the cloud of God glory. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest took incense from the golden altar and entered the Holy of Holies to sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on the mercy seat to propitiate God. These things were representative of the true dwelling place of God in heaven, and Jesus pointed to all this in His earthly ministry. Read the following verses and identify what each part of the tabernacle stands for.

Psalm 141:2; Revelation 8:3-4 (Altar of Incense) ____________________________________________________________ Hebrews 10:20 (The Veil) ____________________________________________________________John 6:33-51 (Table of Shewbread) ____________________________________________________________John 8:12 (The Lampstand) ____________________________________________________________John 10:9 (The Door) ____________________________________________________________1 Corinthians 5:7 (The Lamb) ____________________________________________________________

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Ephesians 5:26 (Laver of Water) ____________________________________________________________

According to Hebrews 9:9, what were the Old Testament sacrifices unable to do? ____________________________________________________________

Contrast that with Hebrews 9:14. What does Christ's blood do for us? ____________________________________________________________

As our consciences are cleansed, what is the result? ____________________________________________________________

Christ's death on our behalf was not only to save us from hell. God's purpose for believers is to have a changed life and serve Him.

In verse 12, how many times did Christ have to offer a sacrifice? ____________________________________________________________

What did his sacrifice secure for us? ___________________________________________________________

In chapter 8 we learned that we have better promises through Christ. According to Hebrews 9:15, what is one of those promises? ____________________________________________________________

Was the inheritance of the promised land under the Old Covenant an eternal inheritance? ____________________________________________________________

The promises under the Old Covenant were for physical blessings and they were temporary. The promises under the New Covenant were based upon God's Word and they last forever. That is why they are better.

According to verse 15, what redeems us from the sins committed under the Old Covenant? ____________________________________________________________

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In verses 16-17, the author uses the example of a will. When someone is alive, often times they make a will. It tells who will inherit their belongings when they die. According to these verses, what has to happen for a will to take effect? ____________________________________________________________

In the same way, Jesus death instituted the New Covenant, giving us an eternal redemption and an eternal inheritance.

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Read Hebrews 9.

According to verse 18, how was the first covenant instituted? ____________________________________________________________

In verses 19-21, what four things were cleansed by blood under the Old Covenant? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

According to verse 22, why is blood so important? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 23, the "copies" were purified with the blood of animals. How are the heavenly things purified? ____________________________________________________________

The priests entering into the holy places in the Old Testament were symbolic of something to come. What is the fulfillment of that in verse 24? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

According to verses 25-26, how many times did Christ have to offer himself? ____________________________________________________________

What did his sacrifice accomplish from verse 26? ____________________________________________________________

What do we learn in verse 27 about man? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Christ is better because he only had to offer one sacrifice, but it was for the sins of many and for all time. What does verse 28 say about the second time that Jesus will appear? ____________________________________________________________

Those who are eagerly awaiting Christ's return are already saved. So what does it mean that he will save them? Jesus return will complete their salvation. Jesus has saved us from the power and the penalty of sin. But when he returns and takes us to live with him in heaven forever, we will be saved from even the presence of sin! What a day that will be and we do eagerly await it!

What is the theme of chapter 9? ____________________________________________________________

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Hebrews 10


Read Hebrews 10.

Mark the following words in this chapter:

Any references to GodAny references to JesusOnce for all, for all timePriest, high priestThereforeLet usDraw nearHold fastBloodBetter

In verse 1, circle the words "the law" "can never" "make perfect".

According to this verse, why can't the law make us perfect? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What evidence does verse 2 give of the law's inability to cleanse us? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 3-4, what else does it say about the OT sacrifices? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Verses 5-7, quote Psalm 40:6-8. God is not concerned about sacrifices offered, but his will being done. According to verse 10, what was God's will? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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In verse 9 he says God did "away with the first in order to establish the second." What is he talking about? The first and second what? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Verse 10 tells us we have been sanctified through the sacrifice of Jesus. Look up the word "sanctified" in the Greek. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Next the author compares Jesus' sacrifice through the New Covenant with the animal sacrifices in the Old Covenant. Notice how much better Jesus' sacrifice is!

In verses 16-17, what are some things that God promises to do in the New Covenant? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After telling us repeatedly that Jesus' sacrifice was "once for all", what do you think verse 18 is saying? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Old Testament Priests Jesus our High Priest

Stands daily (v. 11) Is seated at the right hand of God (v. 12)

Offers repeatedly the same sacrifices (v. 11)

Offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins (v. 12)

Those sacrifices can never take away sins (v. 11)

His sacrifice perfected us for all time (v. 14)

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Because Jesus death was once for all, when we claim this for ourselves by faith, we have forgiveness of our sin and there is no longer any other offering needed. The payment is complete!

Before giving any instructions of things we should do, the author reminds us what Christ has done and what is available to us through Christ. What three things does he point out in Hebrews 10:19-21? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So these three things, should make an impact on our lives. So based on what Jesus has done for us, what does the author tell us to do?v. 22 ____________________________________________________________v. 23 ____________________________________________________________v. 24 ____________________________________________________________v. 25 (2 things) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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