02/22/10

Hebrews 11-13

In chapter 11, the author of the epistle to the Hebrews again makes it clear that he is speaking from the Hebrew tradition by listing, and extolling the virtues of, many of the Hebrew heroes of faith. He describes faith as "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" and notes that "this is what the ancients were commended for." He then lists many of those "ancients" and the faith that they displayed, from Abel, to Noah, to Abraham, down to Rahab and David and Samuel "and the prophets." "These were all commended for their faith...only together with us would they be made perfect."

Hebrews 12 starts by talking about discipline. It can be hard to endure discipline, the author says, but it means that "GOD is treating you as sons." Fathers discipline sons for their own good, and GOD disciplines us "that we may share in his holiness." It isn't pleasant while it happens, but it pays dividends in the long run. He exhorts the readers to "make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy," cautioning them against sexual immorality and against godlessness "like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights." And he compares Mount Sinai ("a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire") to Mount Zion ("the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God"). And tells again how Jesus is "the mediator of a new covenant."

Chapter 13 contains several more exhortations, including, but not limited to, calls for the readers to love one another, not to forget "to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it," to remember those in prison and being mistreated, to honor marriage, eschew adultery and not to be "carried away by all kinds of strange teachings." There are request to pray for "us," the author and others. There's a benediction, news that "our brother Timothy has been released" and greetings from "those from Italy."

Thoughts, questions, issues

• Obviously, the title of the book is appropriate to its contents. Whoever wrote it, it is clearly aimed at Christians of a Hebrew background. The appeals to Hebrew scripture would probably not be meaningful to gentiles, and certainly the list of heroes of the faith are all heroes of the Jewish faith.
• The closing exhortation includes a couple of things that make a Pauline attribution easily understandable. Aside for the fact that Paul was, himself, an observant Jew and so knowledgeable and well-positioned to make the arguments include, the closing includes a note that "our brother Timothy has been released." Certainly, had Paul written this letter, that would be an unsurprising comment.
• There's just wonderful imagery in the first three verses of chapter 12, with the "great cloud of witnesses," "let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us," "let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." Wonderful, rich, timeless exhortation.

Psalms 19

In evangelical circles, at least, God's revelation to us takes two chief forms. One of these is "special revelation," in which God directly acts in human affairs. The Bible comes to us through special revelation, as GOD spoke to Abraham and Moses and David, GOD sent Jesus to earth and guided the writers who created the gospels.

The other kind of revelation is general revelation, which is GOD's nature revealed for all to see in the nature of his creation. Psalm 19 is a psalm of general revelation. The psalmist looks out at the world around him and sees that

the heavens declare the glory of GOD; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech, night after night they display knowledge.

We cannot know GOD's intent for our lives, how to worship him, how Jesus died for our sins, without the special revelation of the scriptures. But we can, through general revelation, know a great deal about GOD. When we look at the beautiful and spectacular universe he has created. The psalmist moves from general revelation to specific later in the prayer ("the law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple") but primarily, this psalm is a wonderful example of the extent of GOD's general revelation.

As a musical bonus, here's a setting of parts of the 19th Psalm by Beethoven, performed in 2005 by the Park Street Church Sanctuary Choir. The recording isn't very good, but it's a great piece.

Psalm 19
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.

3 There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard. [a]

4 Their voice [b] goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,

5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

9 The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.

10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.

11 By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.

13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

02/21/10

Hebrews 7-10

In Hebrews 7, the author continues the comparison of Jesus with Melchizedek, the high priest of GOD and king of Salem who was mentioned in Genesis 14 and Psalm 110. He uses Melchizedek as a prototype for a high priest who is eternally just that, "without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life...he remains a priest forever." And even Abraham "gave him a tenth of the plunder." He suggests that if perfection was possible through the Levitical law and priesthood, there would have been no need for a greater priest, but it was not, so Jesus came from the tribe of Judah. And he says that the law made nothing perfect but "Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant...he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them...the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever."

In chapter eight, he makes clear that the entire point of the high priest discussion is to emphasis that there is a high priest, and he is a high priest not of the line of Aaron, but of Melchizedek, a priest who sat "at the right hand of the the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man." Because of the sin of man, he goes on, GOD had to make a new covenant, because man did not keep the old covenant. Jesus serves as a new high priest in the "true tabernacle."

Chapter nine starts with discussion of the worship regulations of the first covenant, how they had specific places in the tabernacle. The high priest went into the Most Holy place "only once a year, and never without blood." But "the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper." "How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" All of the things in the tabernacle, all of the regulations and rituals, are imitations of heavenly things. But "Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence...Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." In chapter 10, the writer emphasizes that Christ's sacrifice was made once for all. If the temple sacrifices had been able to truly cleanse the people and make them perfect, he suggest, they would not have needed to be made year after year. "But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins."

Thoughts, questions, issues

• The whole Melchizedek discussion is interesting, albeit a bit odd. At the time that his name appears in Genesis 14, he is said to be the King of Salem (that is, Jerusalem) and "a priest of God most high." I commented on reading that chapter that "it is difficult to know exactly what that would mean in the time before the birth of Israel." The only other Old Testament reference to him came a thousand years later, in Psalm 110. I still feel that it's hard to understand, but the author of this epistle uses him as a high priest who is an eternal high priest. High priest before Aaron, high priest still, and, therefore, a proxy for Jesus.
• Jesus said that not a jot or a tittle of the law would pass away, but the author of the epistle to the Hebrews says that the law has been superseded.
• One of the things that I think is hard for us to understand is the impact that the phrase "blood of Christ" would have in a society where sacrifice was a way of life. As I noted when discussing Leviticus, the overwhelming impression that book leaves on the modern reader is blood - its pages are drenched in it. But that was the backdrop to the incarnation. When we talk about about Jesus Christ dying as atonement for our sins, it's a use of language, a turn of phrase, that we are used to hearing. To the early Christians and particularly those of a Jewish background, the atonement for sins was a bloody business to which they were well accustomed. It had a particular meaning to them that is hard for us to fully understand. But all of Leviticus looks, in retrospect, as if it were preparation for a world in which the incarnation would be necessary. The rites and rituals, the sin offering and atonement rituals, all prepared a people to understand the atonement for sin which was achieved for all men by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the sin washed away in the blood of Christ.

Psalms 18:25-50

The martial imagery continues in the second half of the 18th psalm, but in more of a praise psalm. The LORD is said to "save the humble...his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him." The praise takes many forms, praise for victory and support and vanquishment of enemies, praise for faithfulness and keeping the lamp burning, turning darkness into light. "Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to your name."

Psalm 18
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,

26 to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.

27 You save the humble
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.

28 You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.

29 With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall.

30 As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.

31 For who is God besides the LORD ?
And who is the Rock except our God?

32 It is God who arms me with strength
and makes my way perfect.

33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he enables me to stand on the heights.

34 He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

35 You give me your shield of victory,
and your right hand sustains me;
you stoop down to make me great.

36 You broaden the path beneath me,
so that my ankles do not turn.

37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.

38 I crushed them so that they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.

39 You armed me with strength for battle;
you made my adversaries bow at my feet.

40 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.

41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
to the LORD, but he did not answer.

42 I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind;
I poured them out like mud in the streets.

43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
you have made me the head of nations;
people I did not know are subject to me.

44 As soon as they hear me, they obey me;
foreigners cringe before me.

45 They all lose heart;
they come trembling from their strongholds.

46 The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God my Savior!

47 He is the God who avenges me,
who subdues nations under me,

48 who saves me from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from violent men you rescued me.

49 Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD;
I will sing praises to your name.

50 He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.

02/19/10

Hebrews 4-6

Chapter four continues the discussion from chapter three of those unfaithful Israelites who failed to follow GOD's laws after being brought out of captivity in Egypt and therefore failed to enter the promised land. Now the author is referring to GOD's rest, and says that much as those were unable to enter the promised land, those having now heard the gospel and not combining it with faith will face GOD's anger and not be able to enter GOD's rest. He exhorts his readers to "make every effort to enter that rest," and not to "fall by following their example of disobedience." And he compares the word of GOD to a double-edged sword.

He continues to talk about obedience by claiming Jesus as the great high priest for Christians, Jesus "the son of GOD." And how Jesus is not unable to sympathize with their weaknesses, but was tempted "in every way." And that through him, they could approach the "throne of grace with confidence."

Chapter five continues the metaphor of Jesus as the high priest. He makes the point that no one can claim that honor, but that it must be given by GOD, as he gave it to Aaron. He speaks of Jesus' days on earth, and the "prayers and petitions" which he offered to GOD, "and he was heard because of his reverent submission." And the author makes the point that he has to be simple with his teaching, because they are like infants in the faith, not yet ready for solid food.

Nevertheless, he begins in chapter six, it is time to leave the elementary taching "and go on to maturity." He warns them of the danger of turning away, now that they've heard the gospel, and says that those falling away, "to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace." He follow chastisement with word of encouragement, expressing faith in their ability to "imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." Finally, he expresses confidence in the certainty of GOD's promise to Abraham, and confidence that Jesus has gone into GOD's holy sanctuary, where only the high priest goes, and "has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever."

Thoughts, questions, issues

• GOD's rest here seems to be an allusion to heaven, or GOD's presence, "[Jesus'] father's house."
• The message here continues to be framed in Old Testament references, terminology and lessons. In adition to the continual quotes, the author cites the behavior of Moses, of the Israelites, of Joshua, of David, of Melchizedek and of GOD, as told in the Jewish scriptures.
• Again, we see the early high Christology of the church, how Jesus was called the son of GOD, how he gave his life as a sacrifice for atonement of our sins, and how he sits at the right hand of the father.

Psalms 18:1-24

The first half of the 18th Psalm is largely given to a powerful poetic image of the psalmist's rescue by the LORD. He cried out to GOD from his distress and

the earth trembled and quaked...Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it...He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—the dark rain clouds of the sky. Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning....He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies, great bolts of lightning and routed them...He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.

Wonderful imagery of a rescue from desperate straits by an all-powerful savior.

Psalm 18
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
1 I love you, O LORD, my strength.

2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3 I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies.

4 The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.

6 In my distress I called to the LORD;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.

7 The earth trembled and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.

8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.

9 He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.

10 He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.

12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
with hailstones and bolts of lightning.

13 The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.

14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies ,
great bolts of lightning and routed them.

15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, O LORD,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.

17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.

18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the LORD was my support.

19 He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.

20 The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.

21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD;
I have not done evil by turning from my God.

22 All his laws are before me;
I have not turned away from his decrees.

23 I have been blameless before him
and have kept myself from sin.

24 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

02/18/10

Hebrews 1-4

The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews starts his letter by talking of the way that GOD spoke to the prophets in the past, but that now he spoke through his son, "appointed heir of all things...as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs." And he makes the point by identifying many scriptural references which identify and speak of Jesus in a way that no one would speak of the angels.

In chapter two, he notes that this places an obligation on us to "pay more careful attention...so that we do not drift away...How shall we escape if we ignore sucha great salvation?" The quotations continue, including the lovely passage from the 8th psalm, "what is man that you are mindful of him?" And he emphasizes the sovereignty of Jesus, as "GOD left nothing that is not subject to him." And he makes clear the understanding of Jesus as savior - "he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone." But he also emphasizes the humanity of Jesus. He was not only fully GOD, he was fully man, and shared humanity to "destroy him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil..."

Chapter three begins with a mention of Jesus being greater than Moses. And again, he quotes the psalms (95) in warning against unbelief. "See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God." He encourages his readers to encourage one another every day, and not to let them be "hardened by sin's deceitfullness." And he reminds them of the way that those led out of Egypt still rebelled in the desert and incurred the LORD's wrath for forty years, and were not able to enter the promised land "because of their unbelief."

Thoughts, questions, issues

• It was thought by some that Hebrews is a Pauline epistle but most scholars agree now that it is not. There are schools of thought suggesting Barnabas or Silas, among others, but no one knows for sure. Except one - as Origen said, "Yahweh only knows."
• As with the authorship, the time and place of its writing are also unknown. It is, therefore, not clear under what circumstances the epistle was penned. The target audience is clear, however, as the frequent Old Testament references make it clear that it was aimed at scripture-reading Jews.
• The angels are, as we are, creatures, made (created) and not begotten.
• It is hard for us, but it was hard for them, too. Even the disciples, the ones that were with Jesus and saw with their own eyes the miracles, had difficulty in following his instructions. How much harder is it for us 2000 years removed? That's one of the hardest transitions of Christian faith, in my opinion. It's one thing to believe, on an intellectual level, that Jesus came and died on the cross for our sins. It's another thing entirely to actually live as if we believe it.
• Not that there is any question, but the reference to Moses is one of the items that makes the target audience clear. For the Jews, Moses was the great prophet, and to tell them that Jesus was greater than Moses is to make a strong statement, a statement that would be weak or meaningless to a gentile, a Roman or a Greek.
• There are fourteen Old Testament references in those three chapters, mostly from Psalms, but also from 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, Deuteronomy and Isaiah.

Psalms 17

The psalmist cries out for salvation, or for justice. But the most striking things about this psalm to a Christian is the way that the psalmist justifies himself before God - he calls his plea "righteous," saying that "it does not rise from deceitful lips...My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped." This is a psalm that is uncomfortable coming from Christian lips. We are more familiar and comfortable with Psalm 51 ("against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. ") The psalmist is asking for justice, where we rightly fear it.

Psalm 17
A prayer of David.
1 Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea;
listen to my cry.
Give ear to my prayer—
it does not rise from deceitful lips.

2 May my vindication come from you;
may your eyes see what is right.

3 Though you probe my heart and examine me at night,
though you test me, you will find nothing;
I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.

4 As for the deeds of men—
by the word of your lips
I have kept myself
from the ways of the violent.

5 My steps have held to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.

6 I call on you, O God, for you will answer me;
give ear to me and hear my prayer.

7 Show the wonder of your great love,
you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.

8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings

9 from the wicked who assail me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.

10 They close up their callous hearts,
and their mouths speak with arrogance.

11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me,
with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.

12 They are like a lion hungry for prey,
like a great lion crouching in cover.

13 Rise up, O LORD, confront them, bring them down;
rescue me from the wicked by your sword.

14 O LORD, by your hand save me from such men,
from men of this world whose reward is in this life.
You still the hunger of those you cherish;
their sons have plenty,
and they store up wealth for their children.

15 And I—in righteousness I will see your face;
when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.