Hebrews— Pulled in Two Directions
5.17.23
But now has He obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. (Hebrews 8:6)
This is a deep and wonderful book. It was written to the Jewish believers in the first century. Under persecution, they would be tempted to flee back to Judaism. The Temple was still standing, and all of its imagery and functions were on full display. The book shows the superiority of Christ, using the OT Scriptures as strong evidence.
There is a great familiarity with the OT (there are 29 direct quotations and 53 clear allusions to other OT passages). The book has the feel of a sermon throughout, but ends as an epistle.
Several men have been suggested as the author of this book, including Luke, Apollos, and Barnabas. The weight of opinion seems to favor Paul, and we will go forward with that assumption.
The book begins, not with the author’s name, but with the divine name. “God.” How authoritative, commanding and important this letter must be. How appropriate that the human author is hidden behind the divine Author.
The book was written before the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, but close to that time. The Jewish zealots were trying to get all Jews to conform to the Jewish faith and unite in the struggle against Rome. Persecution was beginning in earnest against the believers, probably by Nero, who died in 68 AD. Furthermore, if it was written by Paul, he was executed in 67 AD.
The theme of this book is ‘Christ is Better.’ He is shown to be better than all of the OT rituals, observances, and covenants. By following the word ‘better,’ one can discover the main current of thought, for the word is used thirteen times.
The Jewish believer had a strong pull upon him to return to his native Judaism. The temple was still standing. Its glory and rituals beckoned the new Christians back to its fold. Judaism was a divinely appointed religion, and its observance a national obligation. The Jewish traditions had been bred into the new believers since their birth, and it was hard to leave them. Family and friendship ties were difficult to break. To leave it all and continue going forth to Christ “outside the camp, bearing His reproach” (13:13), was difficult indeed.
There are notes of warning for those who are mere professors of salvation as opposed to possessors of saving faith (3:7-4:3; 6:4-9; 10:26-29).
A phrase that is found numerous times is “let us.” Among many things, we are urged to fear, draw near, labor, come boldly, consider one another, and hold fast.
A simple outline of the book sees Paul presenting Christ as a superior Person in chapters 1-4. He presents Melchizedek with a superior priesthood in chapters 5-10. Finally, faith is presented as a superior principle in chapters 11-13.
We will finish things up next week as we focus on how Jesus Christ is presented in the book. We end with a quote from John Baxter: “This epistle to the Hebrews is alive to the once-for-all finality of our Lord’s Passover sacrifice and covenant blood-shedding. It is talking to those who believed on Him and are in the covenant, and its purpose is now to show them how our wonderful Jesus completely fullfils (and thereby supersedes) the Levitical priesthood and sacrifices.”