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Dr. Bruce Waltke once told a story about a man who attempted to cross the frozen St. Lawrence River in Canada. The man was unsure of the ice sheet covering the river. At first he tested the firmness of the ice by laying his hands on it. Then he kneeled on the ice and eventually stood to his feet and carefully, slowly walked on it. When he had almost reached the most dangerous part of the river, the middle, he heard a noise behind him. Looking back he saw a team of horses pulling a carriage to the river. Upon reaching the river, the horse and carriage did not stop but rushed across the ice, up the bank and away. What a picture of faith! The man in the carriage being pulled by the horses knew the ice was solid. He had no doubts.

What is faith?

Frequently children are encouraged to ask Jesus to come into their hearts – to come in and to stay. For many young boys and girls that is very meaningful. They respond and ask Jesus into their hearts. The idea of someone’s coming into their lives and forgiving them of all the things they have done wrong and taking over their lives is what most children think they are doing. We urge children and adults to believe in Jesus. But what does that mean? What is faith? Is faith intellectually believing some facts about Jesus? Have you ever wondered what Jesus meant when He said “believe?” The book of Hebrews will answer this question for us in chapter 11.

The Foundation

The Holy Spirit has decided to define faith for these Hebrew readers. Why? We discover the answer to that question in the next chapter. Hebrews 11:1-12:3 is a break or a parenthesis in the discussion. The Spirit has just reminded them of their suffering, and He will continue talking about their suffering in Hebrews 12:4. But for now He wants to talk about faith. What is faith?

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. Hebrews 11:1-3 (NASB)

What is faith? Whatever it is, it is the “assurance” of a future event or the “title-deed” to property – something we own. It is something that is certain, the “conviction” or the proof of the invisible. Do you believe in something you cannot see? That is faith. Years ago I took my first trip to Washington D.C. I remember being excited because I experienced the fact that the city really existed. It was a real place. It was not just a legend, a story, or folklore. It was not something only in the movies. It was real! Faith believes the invisible is real!

Most of us, myself included, struggle to understand “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” We struggle because we do not understand the Greek word for “faith.” We have been taught the English meaning of the word “believe” or “belief.” The Greek word means more than “believe.” Before we talk about the Greek meaning of the word “faith,” we want to understand the flow of chapter 11.

Three Points

The Holy Spirit has three points he wants to make in Hebrews 11. The chapter is divided into three main sections: verses 4-16, 17-31, and 32-38.

The first section of Hebrews 11 is all about obedience. Here we see Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham and Sarah. Abel offered a sacrifice (v. 4). Enoch was pleasing to God (v. 5-6). He pleased God because he believed that God existed and he was seeking Him. Noah prepared an ark. Abraham “obeyed” by leaving his country and living in an alien land (v. 7-10). Sarah conceived a son (v. 11). Every illustration makes the point that real faith is marked by obedience.

Then the Spirit show that real faith believes that God’s promises about the future will happen. Here we see that Abraham offers his son because he trusts God to fulfill His promises by raising his son from the dead (v. 17-19). Isaac blesses Jacob trusting God for a future fulfillment (v. 20). The Holy Spirit is referring to Genesis 27:27-29 where Isaac blessed Jacob, with a blessing that looked to the future. In Heb. 11:21, Jacob worships Jesus (Genesis 49:10) even though He had not yet arrived. Next He says that Joseph gave orders about bringing his bones back to Israel because God had promised (Genesis 15:13 ) that the Jews would return to their land (v. 22). Moses left his royal position in Egypt because of Jesus (v. 23-29). Each example is about men who believed a future event would occur.

The final section shows us that real faith is willing to suffer.

And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, in order that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. Hebrews 11:32-38 (NASB)

Meaning of Faith

The Greek word for “faith” is pistos. Its meaning has been illustrated for us. Now for the actual meaning in the Greek. Here is a list of definitions: “belief, persuasion, obedience, confidence, trust, and conviction.” The word occurs in the papyri. There it means “guarantee.” Here is a sentence in which it was used, “You have a guarantee for all that I cannot show a written receipt for.” The word is used in Homer of the gods who vouch for the truth of an alliance or treaty. Faith is not just the belief “that the unseen God is.” It must result in obedience, a firm belief that future promises come true, and a willingness to suffer for what you know is fact. The best test that your faith is real is that you are willing to suffer. That is the ultimate test of what you consider to be truth!

The driver who commanded his horse to cross the icy St. Lawrence River believed so strongly that the ice would support him he drove on across – horse, carriage and all. He believed there was ice and not water. So he charged ahead trusting in the seconds ahead that the ice would hold. He believed he knew what was true about the ice.

Conclusion

Can I ask “Do you have faith?” Do you believe that God is? Are you seeking Him? If you are, you will seek to please Him by being obedient. You look to the future in heaven because it is real. But the real test that you have faith in Jesus is that you are willing to suffer for Him, to deny yourself, and to die. Faith means to trust, to rely on so much that you are ready and willing to suffer. Faith is more than simple belief in something. That is the message of Hebrews 11.

I remember as a young man sitting in a high school classroom asking Jesus to forgive me of my sins and asking Him to take control of my life. I do not remember telling Jesus that I believed in Him. That was not important. What was important was having God forgive me. I had no doubts that I was a sinner, that Jesus existed, that He was God, that He died for my sins and returned to life, and that He would take me to heaven in the future. I was depending on Him. I was relying on Him. Now that is faith!

Comments or Questions?

Monarch Abdul-Hamid II, Sultan of Turkey (1876-1909) lived in the Yildiz Palace in Constantinople under heavy guard. The palace was very unusual since it had only one room in which he would allow himself to be interviewed by outsiders. During such a meeting, the visitor had to sit alone in the center of the room and Abdul-Hamid would talk to him from behind a fine grill-work that concealed the balcony. The Sultan was not only invisible, but he would walk back and forth fearing the visitor might reveal a gun and fire it in the direction of his voice. Abdul-Hamid’s private room contained alarm systems, trap doors, and mirrors set at angles, as well as life-sized models of himself – standing at windows, sitting in chairs and reclining on lounges – which he hoped would receive any knives or bullets intended for him. Fear is a terrible, gripping feeling. It causes us to be confused and to react in unusual ways.

Situation

The book of Hebrews was written to a group of people who were afraid they had made a mistake by leaving Judaism and turning to Jesus. We will see in the next section of Hebrews that they were being persecuted. They were suffering, and God did not rescue them. The Jews believed that all suffering was due to sin, so it is not surprising that they must have been afraid they had made a mistake. What is worse is that they were not growing as Christians (Hebrews 5:11-14). They had stopped meeting together with other Christians. They were not attending church or were only going once in awhile because they had doubts about Jesus. This sounds like fearful people!

So for ten chapters the Holy Spirit has shown them that they did not make a mistake and that Jesus was better than angels, better than Moses, and better than any Levitical priest. The Old Covenant – the Mosaic Law – was only a shadow. The system they loved was disappearing. The prophet Jeremiah had predicted it was going to disappear. Psalm 40:6-8 had predicted that Jesus would establish a new Covenant; and He did when He died and bled. Psalm 110:4 said that Jesus would be an eternal priest having died a perfect, sinless death to forgive our sins once forever!

How do you think these fearful folks must have reacted by now after reading ten chapters of Hebrews? They must have been afraid to act!

Confidence

Therefore the Holy Spirit encourages them to be bold, to have confidence and to enter the Holy of Holies.

Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God . . Hebrews 10:19-21 (NASB)

The Greek word for “Holy Place” in the NASB is “Holies” or “Holy of Holies.” For a Jew, the thought of entering the Holy of Holies was a fearful thing. When the priest took the blood of the sacrifice into the Holy of Holies to obtain our forgiveness, he was fearful of being rejected. If he was rejected, the sacrifice was rejected, and their sins would not be forgiven.

So the Holy Spirit explains that because of Jesus, we should not fear that our sins will not be forgiven. When Jesus died, His death was something brand new and life giving. It was His blood that provided our ultimate and final forgiveness. He was the divine, holy, perfect sacrifice. Another reason we should not fear is that Jesus is our mediator – our great priest – the one Who obtains our forgiveness. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice. He is our Savior and our High Priest.

Let Us Draw Near

Therefore the Holy Spirit called them to do three things.

. . . let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22 (NASB)

First, they should draw near rather than pull away, but they need to draw near with a true heart. The Greek word for “sincere” is the opposite of “deception or lying.” It has the idea of being authentic or real. Can I ask you if you really believe in Jesus? Oh, I do not mean do you believe that Jesus existed? History has plenty of proof He really did walk this earth. No, I mean do you really believe Jesus! 1 Corinthians 15:2 tells us that it is possible for us to believe but yet not really believe.

. . . by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:2 (NASB)

Is your faith vain? Do you believe but yet not really believe? Are you going to heaven or hell? Some of these Jews believed in Jesus yet were in danger of going to hell because they did not really believe Jesus, just like people today. They knew Jesus existed. He had died only about twenty to thirty years previously. But not all of them believed that Jesus could forgive their sins. That is the difference between living with God and living in hell. The Holy Spirit is calling them to honestly, truthfully believe. They can do this because their sins have been washed away.

Let Us Hold Fast

Next He calls them to hold fast to what they believe without wavering.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful . . . Hebrews 10:23 (NASB)

A true heart says I believe, and means it and holds on. A wavering heart is a doubting heart. It is a heart that is not convinced that Jesus is its hope. A mark of a mature Christian is stability.

Let Us Consider

Finally, the Holy Spirit encourages them to reach out to others.

. . . and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25 (NASB)

The Greek word for “stimulate” is the same Greek word for “sharp disagreement” in Acts 15:39. Paul and Barnabas had a disagreement about whom they should take with them on a trip. Barnabas wanted to take John Mark and Paul disagreed. They had a strong disagreement. The Bible says it was “sharp disagreement.”

And Barnabas was desirous of taking John, called Mark, along with them also. But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. And there arose such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. Acts 15:37-39 (NASB)

This is our word for “stimulate” in Hebrews 10:24. We are to “stimulate” one another. The sense of the word means “to stir to anger, to incite, and to irritate.” The meaning is not that we should make someone angry. That would not result in love and good deeds. We are to strongly, aggressively seek ways to motivate others to love and good deeds. This is not a passive word. It implies strong action.

We cannot do this being absent from church. Our absence effects ourselves and others. So the Holy Spirit calls us to attend church. Apparently, some of these folks were not regularly attending church. Some pastors have used this passage to teach that we should be at church “every time the church doors are open.” That is not the message of the passage. The Hebrews were not spiritually growing. They did know their Bibles. They were in the habit of not attending. They were not just missing church one Sunday a month, or every Wednesday night. They were missing almost all of the meetings. They were habitually not attending. There was reason to doubt that they were real Christians. Christians with a sincere heart, whose sins have been washed away, hold on to their hope and minister to others and not themselves!

Conclusion

How can we strongly, aggressively encourage others to love and good deeds? Here are some biblical ways to do this. First share your money with others (1 Timothy 6:17-19). Second, use your spiritual gift because the Holy Spirit gave us spiritual gifts for that purpose (1 Corinthians 12:4-30). Next we should minister to the orphans, widows, strangers and prisoners (Hebrews 13:2-3; James 1:27). Finally, we should practice church discipline of members and leaders (Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Timothy 5:19-20). The goal of church discipline is restoration to holiness and not punishment.

God calls us to draw near if we really believe. Then we are to hold on because there is real hope in Jesus. Finally, by ministering to others it benefits them and ourselves. Did you notice the Holy Spirit did not call us to attend church so that we could be encouraged? He calls to attend church so that we can encourage others. Then we are encouraged too! He does not ask us to be passive. He calls us to minister to others.

Comments or Questions?

In the March 25, 1991 issue of the U.S. News and World Report magazine, several articles on hell were featured. In the article entitled, “Revisiting the abyss” John Dominic Crossan of DePaul university was quoted as saying, “Once we discovered that we could create hell on earth, it became silly to talk about it in a literal sense.” Or, according to Stephen J. Patterson, a literal hell is “part of an understanding of the cosmos that just doesn’t exist anymore.” In other words, the concept of a real hell with eternal torment is silly to him. But maybe the most interesting quote came from the Rev. Mary Kraus, “My parishioners are upper-middle-class, well-educated critical thinkers who view God as compassionate and loving, not someone who’s going to push them into eternal damnation.” If they are correct, then Jesus’ death was silly too! Jesus wasted His life!

Jesus’ Blood

The Mosaic sacrificial system has been the focus of Hebrews 7-9 – the shedding of blood for cleansing from sin. The Holy Spirit has taught us that the Old Covenant was never supposed to last forever. It was temporary. It was only a copy, a picture, a shadow of something yet to come. Something better was coming. 2 Corinthians 3:9 says the old Mosaic Law – while inferior – had glory, but the New Covenant which was coming had more glory.

The Old Covenant came with mortal, sinful priests, faulty sacrifices, and an earthly tabernacle, Jesus came as the eternal high priest, a perfect sacrifice – Himself – and a divine tabernacle – heaven. The New Covenant brought not a type, not a shadow, not a picture, but the real thing.

The high priests under the Mosaic Law could only enter the Holy of Holies once a year and only after an animal’s blood was shed. But when Jesus, the eternal, faithful, and merciful high priest came, He entered the Holy of Holies – heaven – forever by His own blood. This is the message of Hebrews 9:11-12.

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:11-12 (NASB)

It is important to note that while the Greek word for “holy place” in verse 12 means holy, it is in the plural. That means it refers to the Holy of Holies. We will see in a few minutes that it also refers to heaven. That is where Jesus entered by His own blood.

Why The Blood?

Have you ever asked, “Why did Jesus need to die? Why was blood necessary?” That question will be answered in the rest of this study. It is a question that I once asked myself. The first answer to that question is, “Jesus’ Blood Is Superior,” and it is given in the next two verses.

His Blood Is Superior

In the Old Testament goats, bulls, and calves were offered as sacrifices to provide temporary forgiveness of a person’s sins (Lev. 1-5). Sometimes a person needed to be “cleansed” on the outside too. Such cleansing was necessary if the person touched a dead person or gave birth to a child, for example.

If this happened, God required that the ashes of a heifer be sprinkled on the person for external cleansing.

What a picture – a person needed to be forgiven and cleansed for a number of reasons. The external cleansing was immediate and lasting. But the forgiveness of sins in this life was never complete, and one had to be forgiven each year again and again. Only the external cleansing lasted.

There was never any real forgiveness with the blood of bulls, goats, and heifers. So the Holy Spirit answers the question, “Why not Jesus?” with,

For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Hebrews 9:13-14 (NASB)

Jesus is the better sacrifice. He sacrifices Himself without blemish. He was without sin. Jesus’ blood cleanses our conscience forever. The animal sacrifices could only cleanse the flesh forever.

When Jesus died the ritual sacrifices were gone. The animal sacrifices only cleansed the outside forever, but Jesus’ sacrifice forgave our sins forever. When Jesus forgives our sin, he does it forever. Does Hebrews teach that we can lose our salvation? If so, then Jesus blood does not forgive us forever – only temporarily or “only year by year.”

For The New Covenant

The second reason for Jesus’ blood was to install the New Covenant.

And for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, in order that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “THIS IS THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT WHICH GOD COMMANDED YOU.” And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. Hebrews 9:15-23 (NASB)

Today we would call this a “Last Will and Testament” or simply a will. A will is something that tells others how to distribute remaining possessions and money after you die. The will does not become effective until you die. It requires your death. This is the picture here. The first covenant or will required the death of an animal. Then the Mosaic law became effective. So Jesus death was required for the new will or New Covenant (new promise ) to become effective. Ever since Adam sinned, God has often required the death of an animal to seal a promise.

The Perfect Sacrifice

Not only was Jesus the perfect sacrifice (Heb. 4:15; 7:26-28), not only did His death cause the new will or covenant to become effective, but His death put away our sin forever when He entered the Holy of Holies or heaven.

For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; nor was it that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood not his own. Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Hebrews 9:24-26 (NASB)

The Holy Spirit paints a picture for us of Jesus entering not an earthly tabernacle but heaven itself. He is seated next to God the Father. Jesus entered heaven after He died for our sins.

And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. Hebrews 9:27-28 (NASB)

Most people who stop long enough to think about what happens to them after they die worry about their future after death. Most of us believe there is something after death. That is why the vast majority of the world believes in a god. Most of us believe something good or something bad happens to us after this life. This past week I was listening to a man who claimed he was an atheist. Unfortunately, he may not realize that God has already described him.

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God . . .” Psalm 53:1 (NASB)

He does not realize that judgment is coming. I remember crying myself to sleep some nights as a young boy begging God to take me to heaven and not let me go to hell. I realized that I was a sinner and God was not. I knew that some day I would die and then something would happen. I would appear before Him, and He was going to judge me.

This passage says that God will judge us! Judgment is coming! For many, their judgment will be eternal life in the Lake of Fire. But for those who are eagerly waiting Jesus’ coming, our judgment is “without reference to sin.” That means those who are anxiously waiting for Jesus will NOT be judged by our sins. This is one mark of a Christian. Real Christians are eager for Jesus to return. Is this true of you? A true Christian is one who believes that Jesus died for our sins and returned to life, and is depending on Jesus for forgiveness of our sins!

Conclusion

Jesus was the perfect, eternal sacrifice. The last verse in Hebrews 9 says that He is coming again. When He comes back, He returns without reference to sin. There is no purgatory. There is no suffering. There is no hell. Oh, did you catch that! There is no hell for those who eagerly wait for Him. Jesus’ death was not silly! John Dominic Crossan and Rev. Mary Kraus are wrong. There IS a hell and Jesus’ blood – His forgiveness – is the escape . . .

Comments or Questions?

Once upon a time there lived a vain emperor. His only worry in life was to dress in elegant clothes. He changed clothes almost every hour and loved to show them to his people. Word of the Emperor’s “refined” habits spread over his kingdom and beyond. Two scoundrels who had heard of the Emperor’s vanity decided to take advantage of it. They introduced themselves at the gates of the palace with a scheme in mind. “We are two very good tailors and after many years of research we have invented an extraordinary method to weave a cloth so light and fine that it looks invisible. As a matter of fact, it is invisible to anyone who is too stupid and incompetent to appreciate its quality.” Finally, the two men were allowed to meet the emperor, “Besides being invisible, your Highness, this cloth will be woven in colors and patterns created especially for you.” The emperor gave the two men a bag of gold coins in exchange for their promise to begin working on the fabric immediately. The two men finally finished and presented the new clothes to the emperor who was encouraged to show them to his subjects. Of course he was naked, but everyone said, loudly enough for the others to hear: “Look at the Emperor’s new clothes. They’re beautiful!” “And the colors! I have never seen anything like it in my life.” They all tried to conceal their disappointment at not being able to see the clothes, and were unwilling to admit their own stupidity and incompetence. A child, however, who had no important job and could only see things as his eyes showed them to him, went up to the carriage. “The Emperor is naked,” he said.

Self Deception

The above story is an old fairy tale called “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” It was not written to illustrate the problem we find in the book of Hebrews. But it illustrates what the men and women to whom Hebrews was written thought they had done. They had left Judaism for Jesus and found trials, conflicts, and difficulties. They did not realize, as we do not usually realize, that when there is a battle, trouble is just around the corner. When they looked back, they thought they had left Judaism for nothing. They thought they were now “wearing spiritually invisible clothes.” They were wondering if they had made a mistake on leaving their old, “real clothes” behind.

So the Holy Spirit has explained that Jesus is better than the angels who in some way helped give the law to Moses (Acts 7:53; Galatians 3:19; Hebrews 2:2). The Holy Spirit has shown them that Jesus was more faithful than Moses who was the mediator of the Old Covenant – the Law. (Galatians 3:18-19; Hebrews 3:1-6). Jesus is also better than earthly priests, since He a priest after the order of Melchizedek, and lives forever. The Holy Spirit has laid the foundation and is ready for the shocking, unbelievable conclusion.

Main Point

The reason the first seven chapters of Hebrews were written – the main point – is now given.

Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister in the sanctuary, and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man. Hebrews 8:1-2. (NASB)

The main point is that Jesus is not just a man who lived and died, but He is our high priest and He sits at the right hand of God the Father in heaven.

The Hebrew expression “heavens” envisioned three heavens: our atmosphere, outer space, and then heaven itself. That is where Jesus serves as our high priest. He is also a minister! He ministers in a heavenly sanctuary – the true tabernacle, not an earthly one like the ones made with human hands, but one made without hands by God.

Jesus is a minister. The ministers in Israel were priests. They offered sacrifices for sin and thanksgivings. What is Jesus’ ministry? The Holy Spirit told us in Heb. 7:27 that he offered Himself as a sacrifice for sins.

. . . who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. Heb. 7:27 (NASB)

The Shadow

But if Jesus had still been on earth He would not have been a minister or a high priest, since the old Mosaic Law – the Old Covenant – was still in place. The old Law, even though it is only a copy, even though it is only a shadow, was still in force. But not for long. History tells us that the Mosaic law along with the sacrifices and temple worship, disappeared with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. God ended it using His tool – the army of the Roman Empire! The Mosaic law was only a shadow of the real thing.

Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, “SEE,” He says, “THAT YOU MAKE all things ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN WHICH WAS SHOWN YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN.” Hebrews 8:4-5 (NASB)

The last portion of this passage is amazing. It tells us that there is a tabernacle in heaven. The Holy Spirit proved this by quoting Exodus 25:40. The literal Hebrew of the passage says, that “which you are caused to see.” Moses was shown a copy on Mt. Sinai and was instructed to make a tabernacle similar to it.

He Is Better

So Jesus is a better minister, who offered a better sacrifice, and has a better ministry in a better place.

But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. Hebrews 8:6 (NASB)

Wow, Hebrews is full of many “betters.” This is the reason these first seven-plus chapters of Hebrews were written! In the first chapter of Hebrews, the Holy Spirit warned us to listen to Jesus. The angels had helped give the law. But Jesus is better than those who gave the law – the angels. Jesus is better than faithful Moses, who was the mediator of the Law. Jesus is better than any earthly high priest of the Mosaic Law. Jesus is a better minister of a better covenant with a better promise in a better tabernacle. Jesus is better and better and better! And the Mosaic Law – the old covenant – cannot match Him!

Old Covenant

The old covenant was faulty – it was imperfect. The Jews believed that it was perfect and that it would never go away. No wonder the readers of Hebrews thought they were wearing “invisible clothes.” There was no ridicule in Judaism like that received when they came to Jesus. They must have thought “Who needs this?” But they had sinful priests, who offered inferior sacrifices, who served a shadow – not the real thing – and had to endlessly offer sacrifices. The old covenant was faulty.

The Mosaic Law is called the first covenant, or old covenant. It was established in Exodus 19:5-6 when God said,

Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Exodus 19:5-6 (NASB)

This covenant was conditional; that is, it depended on how they lived and what they did – their obedience. If they were not obedient, then they would not be God’s own people. God never promised to be their God in this covenant. It was one sided!

As we know, the people of Israel, including their leaders, did not obey. They did not even believe Him in the wilderness (Hebrews 3:1-4:14). Most of the kings of Israel did not love God as they should have. We find that King Solomon started off well; but near the end of his life, he started loving other gods in addition to God.

. . . his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God 1 Kings 11:4 (NASB)

As a result, the nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms: the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah (1 Kings 11:1-4, 9-11; 12:16-24). The kings of these two kingdoms did not learn from King Solomon’s error. Most of them were wicked or evil kings whose hearts were not completely “devoted to the LORD.” Did you notice their problem was not that they did not love the Lord, but that they did not love Him completely! So the prophet Jeremiah gives them a warning from the Lord,

They have turned back to the iniquities of their ancestors who refused to hear My words, and they have gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers.” Therefore thus says the LORD, “Behold I am bringing disaster on them which they will not be able to escape; though they will cry to Me, yet I will not listen to them. Jeremiah 11:10-11 (NASB)

New Covenant

The old covenant – Mosaic Law – depended on their obedience. If they did not obey, God would bring disaster on them.

For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. For finding fault with them, He says, “BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH; NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD. Hebrews 8:7-9 (NASB)

This is a quote from Jeremiah 31:31-32. Did you notice the words “new covenant” in the first verse? So God decided long ago to make a new one. The old one did not work.

FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM UPON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. “AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN, AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, ‘KNOW THE LORD,’ FOR ALL SHALL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM. “FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE. Hebrews 8:10-12 (NASB)

This is Jeremiah 31:33-34 – the promise of a new covenant. Notice all of the “I will” statements. There are no conditional statements here. God does not require that we do anything. He does it all. He will put the Holy Spirit in our hearts. That is how His law is written in our minds, and on our hearts. This is the first covenant, or promise that He will be the Christian’s God and we will be His people.

Conclusion

Those who believe that one can lose his or her salvation have missed the point of the new covenant. The old covenant depended on a person’s behavior, but not the new one. Under the old covenant a person lost favor with God; but not with the new one, because it all depends on Him. God was unhappy with the Old Covenant because the men and women were not obedient and He had warned them of the consequences. But that is not true of the new one. The old covenant of “I had better not make a mistake” is gone and a new one where God says “I will” is here. It does not depend on me.

When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. Hebrews 8:13 (NASB)

The old is gone and the new is here. My salvation no longer depends on my efforts but on Jesus’ death for my sins and return to life. Praise God!

Comments or Questions?

Every day we get ready to do something before we actually do it. Each morning we wake-up, for example, and get ready for the day. Some of us brush our hair (if we have hair). Some of us may clean our teeth (if we have teeth). We decide what clothes to wear. We go through the preparation process every day. If we take a trip somewhere, we make plans in advance. We decide where we will stay. We pack our bags and we plan how we are going to get there. When a house is built, the foundation of the house is prepared before the house is actually built. This process is repeated day after day. We prepare and then do it. We lay the foundation and then build. That is what the author of Hebrews has been doing. He has been laying the foundation for his main point through the first six chapters of Hebrews. He has been laying the foundation in preparation for his message in chapters seven and eight. This study finishes the foundation.

The Last Piece

The Holy Spirit has warned the readers of Hebrews to listen to Jesus (Hebrews 2:1-4), to believe in Jesus (Hebrews 3:7-4:13), and to not go back to Judaism (Hebrews 5:11-6:20). Between these warnings, he has explained that Jesus is better than the angels, whom they highly respected. He has also explained that Jesus is more faithful – dependable and trustworthy – than Moses. He interrupted His explanation that Jesus is greater than any earthly priest to give His last and third warning. Now in chapter seven, the Spirit returns to Melchizedek in order to show us that Jesus is like Melchizedek. This is the last piece of the foundation before He starts building the walls – His conclusions. We are about to see the first of several major reasons for the book of Hebrews.

Background

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Hebrews 7:1-2 (NASB)

The Holy Spirit has come back to Melchizedek. He had started to explain in Hebrews 5 that Jesus was a high priest just like Melchizedek. In order to do this, He now shares some information about Melchizedek. But first we need to travel back to Genesis and see the first time that Melchizedek shows up on the pages of scripture. Abram (later called Abraham) has just defeated the army of King Chedorlaomer and his alliance of kings in order to rescue his nephew, Lot.

Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tenth of all. Genesis 14:17-20 (NASB)

Upon his return, Melchizedek brings some food for Abram and his men (Genesis 14:18) and then blesses Abram. Abram responds by giving him ten percent of the spoils of the battle.

Why did Melchizedek come out to Abram? Why did he bless Abram? Scripture does not say, but it appears that God must have directed Melchizedek to meet Abram and bless him. Who is Melchizedek? Genesis tells us that he is the king of a city. He is a priest of God Most High – the true and living God. It is the book of Hebrews that tells us the name Melchizedek means “righteousness” and that Salem means “peace.” He was the righteous king of a peaceful city. Since the Jews gave names to cities and to people which described them, Melchizedek must have been a godly man. The next time we see Melchizedek is in the Psalms,

The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, “Thou art a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” Psalm 110:4 (NASB)

That is all the Old Testament says about Melchizedek.

Who Is Melchizedek?

There is speculation in Jewish literature that Melchizedek was Shem, Noah’s son. Shem was alive at the time of Abraham. The Dead Sea scrolls say that Melchizedek was Michael the archangel. These speculations are interesting, but the Word of Life says,

Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he abides a priest perpetually. Hebrews 7:3 (NASB)

Was Melchizedek a man or Jesus? The Greek helps us answer the question. First, the word for “without father” is apator which refers to a person whose father is unknown, has died, or there is no record of his male parent. It was used for orphans (without father), foundlings, children born out of wedlock, outcasts, and outlaws. There is another Greek word for father. It is pter and it refers to one’s biological or adoptive male parent. So the emphasis of Hebrews 7:3 is that Melchizedek’s father is unknown. The same meaning is true for the phrase “without mother” and so the conclusion is reached, “without genealogy.” The Greek word means that Melchizedek has no traceable genealogy.

Was Melchizedek a man or an Old Testament appearance of Jesus Christ – a theophany? For several reasons the answer appears to be that Melchizedek was a man. First, the emphasis of Hebrews is that Melchizedek had no traceable genealogy in scripture. He has no recorded father or mother.

The phrase “made like the Son of God” means that Melchizedek was like a painting of Jesus or a type of Christ, but he was not Jesus. One well-known pastor of the past, Arthur W. Pink, has said there would be no need to say that Melchizedek was like Jesus if he was Jesus. That is probably the best statement.

Hebrews also says that Melchizedek abides as a priest perpetually, dievekes. History records that Julius Caesar after just finishing a military campaign against the Gauls returned to Rome only to discover that Pompey had taken over. After Julius Caesar defeated Pompey, he was declared to be Caesar “perpetually” even though he was not Caesar before he lived, after he died or while he had been briefly deposed. He was Caesar dievekes. To describe Caesar as dievekes was to give him an honor. It does not mean he reigned as Caesar forever. How does Jesus compare to Melchizedek ? Later in Hebrews 7:24 the Spirit says that Jesus’ priesthood is permanent, aparabatos.

This is a stronger Greek word than dievekes. It means that Jesus’ priesthood cannot be transferred. Julius Caesar’s reign was interrupted and briefly transferred to Pompey. Jesus is not the same as Melchizedek.

Melchizedek is not Jesus for another reason. The Greek simply says that Melchizedek lives (v. 8). The NIV translates it correctly as “living.” But the Greek says Jesus “always lives” and He “abides or lives forever.” (Is anyone looking for proof that Jesus is God or lives forever? Here it is. He lives forever). Every time Melchizedek and Jesus are compared, stronger Greek words are used for Jesus. Melchizedek’s priesthood can be temporarily transferred, but Jesus’ priesthood cannot be transferred. Melchizedek lives, but Jesus always lives – He lives forever! Also, in Hebrews 7:4 Melchizedek is called a man. Finally, if Melchizedek is Jesus Christ, he would be Jesus’ first advent or first coming to this planet. It is clear that Melchizedek was recognized as a king of an actual city. He did not just show up and then disappear. He was a real king of a real city. This would be a clear violation of the teaching of scripture that Christ has two advents – or comes to earth two times – to die, return to life and to set up His kingdom. It does not appear that Melchizedek was an Old Testament appearance of Jesus.

Melchizedek Is Great

The Holy Spirit is now ready to finish the foundation.

Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham. But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham, and blessed the one who had the promises. But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. And in this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. Hebrews 7:4-10 (NASB)

Melchizedek was instantly accepted by Abraham as being greater than himself, and he allowed Melchizedek to give him a blessing. Abraham in return gave Melchizedek a tithe or ten percent of the spoils of the battle. In that act of giving, Abraham’s distant offspring, the sons of Levi, also gave tithes to Melchizedek though they were not yet born but were in the loins of Abraham.

The Levities, who received tithes from the people, paid tithes through Abraham to one who was greater than Abraham. They paid tithes to one who was greater than themselves.

Conclusion

Melchizedek is greater than any levitical priest and he is recognized by God as being a priest. There is no scriptural record of his birth, his parents, his genealogy, or his death, so his priesthood has never ended. When the Word of God recognizes Jesus as a high priest in the succession of Melchizedek, Jesus’ priesthood is legal, unbroken and nontransferable, since He always lives. What a wonderful comfort for sinners like us. He is our Savior and One who will always be present to cover our sins with His blood and to ensure that we reach heaven. The foundation is laid, and the Spirit is now ready to give us the first of several major and wonderful spiritual conclusions. That is our next study.

Comments or Questions?