Hebrews: Read this first

First, notice that the letter is called "To the HEBREWS". There are lots of things in question about this letter (as to WHO wrote it, and WHEN it was written) that are not really known, but no one questions the fact that it was to the Hebrews. This is important. It would be the equivalent of knowing that a document was specifically addressed "To the Baptists" or "To the Presbyterians" or "To the Fundamentalists", because in knowing to whom it was addressed, a reader who was familiar with the intended audience would automatically pick up on many things that might otherwise slip by.

The Hebrews are the offspring of Abraham and Sarah, also known as Israel or the Jews. Jewish history has been carefully documented and passed down from generation to generation. The "new" thing of Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Spirit happened with them first. Not only did it happen first, it actually came THROUGH them and their rich heritage. It passed to the rest of the world through THEM (even though they weren't too excited about the idea at first―or even later―as it seemed to be passing FROM them as the years went by). At the first, they began to see how Jesus was the missing piece of EVERYTHING in their religion from the sacrifices to the ceremonies and special days, etc. But as time progressed, they persisted in holding to the foreshadowings of Christ so that there was a growing REVERSION to the "shadows" instead of a moving on to the "reality" (which was Christ). It got so bad that by time Paul made it to Jerusalem the congregation of the "faithful" almost ripped him to shreds (only prevented by the intervention of the Roman guard). He had even taken the advice of performing the appropriate ritual in the attempt to convince them that he was not preaching against the Law (which he wasn't since he was preaching Christ as the FULFILLMENT of the Law), but it obviously didn't work. The "congregation of the faithful" had for many years become simply a title and had been infiltrated by the same religious people that fought Paul at every turn. This letter was a call to those who had ears to hear. It was meant to distinguish the amazing difference between true life (Christ) and form (religion).

Does this sound anything like what has happened in our major denominations? I think we really do understand ... we just gotta get our bearings straight.

Hebrews is an excellent documentation (in the strictest Jewish sense) of the contrast between Christ (the New Covenant) and the Law (the Old Covenant). That's why He is referred to as "better". He is compared to angels because the Old was sent through servants while the New came through Christ - which makes the New as superior to the Old as Christ is superior to angels. That meant that if what was spoken through angels was important (and it was) then that which was spoken through Christ is proportionately more superior. Hebrews doesn't put down the Old Covenant for it had its purpose; instead, it shows that in EVERY WAY that the New was superior.

And they were reverting to the Old while dressing it in the clothes of the New. We understand that, too.

The writer of Hebrews referred to a particular episode in their heritage that wasn't exactly one of the high points in the story. It was when they were in the wilderness - at the threshold of the promised land - and all the people except for Joshua and Caleb voted not to go in (two of the twelve men, one from each tribe, who had been sent in to check out the land). They refused to enter God's rest through unbelief. Here's the point: just because they had the "form" (Israel, the people of God) didn't mean that they believed. Joshua and Caleb probably didn't realize that NOBODY else saw it as they did. As a matter of fact, I'm sure they figured that they would be able to convince them to go into the land and conquer the enemy JUST AS GOD HAD PROMISED. They put up quite a fight, but in the end the people would have stoned them if God hadn't shown up at that moment. Must have been quite an eye-opener for them, huh? They probably ASSUMED that most would be ready to go in. The promised land became to them simply a memory ... for every one of them died off in the wilderness over the next 40 years except for Joshua and Caleb (must have been coincidental, you think?) :)

The letter puts religious Israel STILL at the entrance to the land where they are STILL refusing to go in. Among much of the "congregation of the faithful" the land of promise is simply a memory that is held to in name only. The call to the unbelieving was that entrance was through faith. The believing are given a vivid picture not to ASSUME that everybody else saw it that way. This has nothing to do with the mentality that we enter, then exit, then enter again, then exit ... ad infinitum (forever and ever). We HAVE entered ... BUT when we look around us and assume that all those who "claim the name" have also entered, we set ourselves up to fall into all the millions of counterfeits that they do. But as we are becoming more and more confident that CHRIST, and ONLY Christ is the everything of the everything we become fooled less and less by the counterfeits. And that confidence shines BRIGHTLY in the land of confusion.

The Priesthood of Christ was far superior to the priesthood of Israel. You know how Americans have to send their money to the IRS? Every bit of money sent to them validates their authority. But who is the IRS accountable to? Every Jew validated the priesthood of Israel (Levi) because they gave them their tithes. But what if THEIR priesthood had already validated a BETTER priesthood even before they existed? That's what happened between Abraham and Melchizedek (read it yourself ... haha).

Now, if the Priesthood of Christ was far-superior and eternal, then why would the Jews revert back to the inferior and temporal priesthood of Levi? Well, guess what? Here were these "faithful" who were going back to the blood sacrifices offered up by the Levitical priesthood. In it's time it was a foreshadowing of Christ ... but AFTER Christ became HIGH PRIEST the sacrifices became a REPLACEMENT of Christ.

Now, we may think that we aren't affected by this kind of thing anymore, but we are. Consider the fact that most "churches" have "altars". What are those there for? Just because we call them "God's" altars or "Christ's" altars doesn't make them that. There is only one "altar" that remains for eternity - the cross of Christ.

Consider this: when the people were reverting to the Law with its sacrifices they were, no doubt, tying it in with "Christ" ... making it sound "Christian". Why would they even be considering these blood sacrifices? Because they were looking at their SIN. What were they attempting to do? They were attempting to "renew those who had fallen"!!!! They were trying to bring the people back to a "change of mind" (repentance). The whole statement, "those who have once been enlightened and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away ..." is supposed to sound so incredibly sharp as to shake some sense into any who heard it.

Don't forget what was said about Christ and His SUPERIORITY over the Old Covenant for it is all tied together here! How could a PARTAKER of the SUPERIOR get RENEWED by the INFERIOR? How could somebody who had been enlightened by the NEW get REINTRODUCED by the OLD? If someone COULD fall away after being brought into life through the so-far-in-every-way SUPERIOR Christ then it would be totally IMPOSSIBLE to renew such a one by the incredibly INFERIOR, TEMPORAL shadow of the one who replaced it.

since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame

This is what those who revert to law are suggesting. It can't happen. Here's the picture: live by law and fall into sin, then try to make "sacrifices" to compensate for these sins ... and once the cycle starts there is no end ... and these "sacrifices" - performed under the name of Christ - are SUPPOSED to bring us back to God. These sins are perceived as something not taken care of yet nor forgiven until the "sacrifice" is performed ... and the "blood of Christ" is beseeched as if Christ did NOT pay for them all. It pictures Christ as needing to go back on the cross over and over again, and this puts Christ in a category as no better than the Law and its priests. It makes Christ as INFERIOR as the thing He came to replace. It makes Christ STILL about sin. But He is the Lamb of God that took away our sin. Christ is not the minister of sin, but of life.

Hope this helps.

Love,
Jim

This is a response I received from a reader who has gotten over his fear of the letter to the Hebrews. I thought some of you might relate.

Hi Jim,
   The book of Hebrews has been an absolute terror to me. And I mean just that, real terror! About a year ago, the terror hit me full blast one night as I was reading it, and I've been afraid of it ever since. I've read many, many different explanations of it, including yours, and have built up a little bit of confidence in my head, but nothing really eased my fear in my heart about it. So I've been avoiding it all summer, and I even make sure that I don't open my Bible to it by accident. I kind of know where to put my thumbs to make sure that I avoid it.
   Here's what happened today. This morning I was kind of lost in thought about "milk and meat". I was thinking of how my old pastor would give one really outstanding grace message on Easter Sunday, but wouldn't preach about it again all year. He called that stuff "milk", and insisted on giving us "meat" the rest of the year, like faith teachings, morality, etc. I was thinking of the contrast in my thinking now, and how his "milk", was now my "meat".
   But I wanted to re-read those verses again, and I knew where they were located in 1 Cor, and again, right smack-dab in the scariest part of Hebrews. I was hoping that I could kind of tiptoe in there and grab those verses and get out of there. (Kind of like a recovering alcoholic might feel about having to go back into a bar, Hebrews is a frightening place for a recovering legalist to go back into!) But after I read the verse, I made the mistake of trying to get a good look at it's context, and I felt those literal waves of terror hit me again.
   I was equipped with all sorts of head answers, like "I'm reading someone else's mail" and stuff like that, and for almost a year I've been becoming more settled in Grace, but all that head knowledge just crumbled when as I started to read from the 5th chapter to the end of Hebrews. (That's a dangerous thing to do, anyway. There's some things in the first four chapters, that are very important to grab hold of, or your kind of lost)
   Anyway, all sorts of doubts and fears, that I've gotten away from, came flooding back in, and it sent me in a downward spiral very rapidly. I was in a major depression all day, and thinking that maybe there was a chance that I took the wrong turn with my grace beliefs, and so forth. I wanted to go and read your stuff again, but I was determined to search my own heart about it, instead of trying to believe what someone else said about it. I knew it had to be a heart thing.
   I clicked on the shack late this evening, and there weren't many new posts there, so I clicked into the "Shack Quotables" for the first time, and saw your Hebrews stuff there. I spent an hour reading your posts there, and for the first time, the light really came on for me! I mean I see what Hebrews is all about now. I know it in my heart. It's not an issue for me at all now. I finally see exactly what you were saying about it. Before, I kind of thought that people were just trying to explain a way around it, but now it's settled in my heart.
   Man, thanks so much, Jim! You've really helped me to see something that has terrified me since childhood. My heart was filled with joy, and I like Hebrews now.
   Just wanted to send you a letter to share this with you, and sincerely thank you! It is really a great milestone in my life. That book has baffled me since a Baptist preacher screamed parts of it at us when I was seven years old.
   Sorry about the long letter, I'm not a good writer, and it takes me a lot of words to make a simple point. No need to reply, just wanted to say THANKS! Vinnie