Week 8

Monday, February 17

Hebrews 8                                                                                                

Commentary

The Old Testament was never intended to be the last word, it was always pointing forward to the Savior who would fulfill its promises and perfect its types – the prophets, priests, kings, temple, Law, and more find their greatest embodiment in Christ. He is the Word incarnate, not just a deliverer of God’s message. He is the greatest and eternal high priest, not a fallible, mortal man. He is the great King – even the greatest of Israel’s kings had significant shortcomings, but Jesus has none. He is the embodiment of the temple – he comes to us in the flesh and we can approach God through him (not just Jews, not just priests). He is the perfect keeper of the Law and his sacrificial death means we are forgiven of our failures to keep his law and because of Jesus, the Holy Spirit lives inside believers and helps them to obey and glorify God.

Application/Discussion

1. Don’t confuse the imperfect earthly things with the perfect heavenly things. Your church’s worship will not be perfect, but if you are in a Bible-believing, Bible-preaching, Bible-living church, it will be authentic praise and adoration of God. Your church’s worship can change (or not change) and still glorify God. Your earthly body will have problems and one way or another and is going to give out on you one day. Glorify God in your body, but don’t expect to have a glorified (made perfect/whole) body until the Lord calls you home. Your body can be weak and still glorify God. What do you tend to overidealize or expect perfection out of in your life? What does the Bible say about this particular thing?

Points of Prayer

1. Thank God for Jesus fulfilling the promises and types of the Old Testament, showing God is faithful to his Word and that Jesus is the great Savior.

2. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s help in remembering this world is temporary and to prioritize things with eternal significance, like involvement in church ministries and sharing the gospel.

3. Pray for you and your church to serve God gladly and point the lost in your community to him.

Going Deeper

To learn more about “types” in the Bible, you can check out these great resources:

·      hhttps://www.gotquestions.org/typology-Biblical.html

·      https://learn.ligonier.org/articles/what-is-typology

·      The books 40 Questions about Interpreting the Bible and 40 Questions about Biblical Typology by Kregel Academic

·      The book Christ from Beginning to End by Steve Wellum and Trent Hunter, which shows how various people, events, and institutions in the Bible point to Christ. You can also watch the video series by Trent Hunter at the link below:

·      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCR4wm0rIhg&list=PL_ANbt_-AmSkXYrn2nHRnVB-CGeXWZFY

Tuesday, February 18

Hebrews 9

Commentary

One of the encouraging parts of the Old Testament’s descriptions of the tabernacle design or priestly rituals is that we see the complexity it took to allow sinners to approach God to ask for forgiveness and are reminded of the once-for-all work of Christ on the cross. The author of Hebrews brings these things up to show that Jesus is better than these temporary and limited ways for God’s people to approach him. Through Jesus’ atoning death and victorious resurrection, all the complexity of the ceremonies of the law melts until the beautiful, awesome, and mind-boggling simplicity of God the Son taking the punishment for our sins and making a way for us to come to God as justified sons and daughters rather than guilty criminals. Jesus’ sacrifice was once for all, his death could truly pay for our sins and cleanse us from our sins. This is such a great salvation, don’t turn away from it to try and work your way to God, or live sin trying to find lasting joy, or living in fear and reluctance rather than boldly obeying and serving God!

Application/Discussion

1. How does this chapter make the Old Testament feel more important and relevant to Christians? Why should we read and treasure the ceremonial parts of the Law if Jesus has done something better anyways?

2. How does this passage increase your love and thankfulness for Christ? How does this passage motivate you to obedience and how does it give encouragement for when you fall short?

Points of Prayer

1. Thank God for the great salvation bought by Jesus’ blood.

2. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s help in loving and obeying God.

3. Pray for your church’s pastors, teachers, and leaders to teach and live out the gospel faithfully and draw others into further love of and obedience to God.

Going Deeper

These articles are all great helps as you seek to read, understand, and cherish the Law as a believer:

·      https://georgehguthrie.com/new-blog/5-practical-guidelines-for-reading-the-old-testament-laws

·      https://learn.ligonier.org/articles/how-to-read-biblical-law

·      https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2015/01/how-should-we-understand-the-law

 

Wednesday, February 19

Hebrews 10:1-18

Commentary

Today’s reading shows how Christ is the once-for-all sacrifice for sins. In the Old Testament, animals were sacrificed year after year, showing how frequently we needed forgiveness but also showing that these sacrifices were inadequate to truly grant us forgiveness. These sacrifices pointed to one who would come and lay down his own life as the true and final sacrifice for sins. Jesus obeyed God perfectly, unlike any of us, and thus he was a perfect sacrifice. The Law was like a bandage or placeholder, treating the symptoms of sin by God granting forgiveness when his people showed repentance by bringing sacrifices with the right motive in their hearts. Jesus is the cure, his death grants us forgiveness and pays the price for our sins. Because of the cleansing and forgiveness that Jesus gives us when we come to faith in him, the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us and helps us to love and obey God.

Application/Discussion

1. How does knowing that Jesus paid the full price for your sins by dying on the cross impact how you feel about your own sin and your desire to obey God?

2. Do you ever feel tempted to hide in your guilt and sin rather than bringing it to God? Remember that Jesus died to save sinners, including you! Don’t hesitate to ask for forgiveness, or even to ask God to help you want forgiveness.

Points of Prayer

1. Thank God for Jesus paying the price for our sins and for the Holy Spirit dwelling inside us if we have come to know God.

2. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s help in obeying God’s commands and hating sin.

3. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s help in trusting that Jesus’ death alone can pay for your sins and to always bring your sin to God.

Going Deeper

These videos explore how Jesus’ death paid for sin in further detail, with the first being shorter and the other two being longer

·      John McArthur: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLsWFKZo5Nw

·      Albert Mohler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKNEafz2tCI&t=5s

·      R. C. Sproul: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrGYoRdNOes

Thursday, February 20

Hebrews 10:19-39

Commentary

This passage is about the confidence we can have in God’s promises because Jesus has paid the price for our sins and fulfilled what the Law pointed to. Our salvation is already purchased, the only thing we have to do is accept this gift that God offers us. When we do accept this gift of salvation, if we have truly accepted it rather than just give God lip service, then we should live it out. If we say we have repented of our sins and trusted in Jesus as our Savior, how could we then turn around and live as if we are still lost? We will find ourselves in trouble, either with hellfire if we haven’t truly come to faith, or with God’s discipline and correction if we are true believers but deliberating and repeatedly living in sin. The author of Hebrews encourages his readers with this message and reminds them of the zeal and godliness they displayed when they first came to faith. If we have come to faith in Christ, we should be living with these zeal and godliness, confident that God has forgiven us and that he will grant us heaven when our journey here on earth is over.

Application/Discussion

1. In what ways can someone who is not a Christian believe or act as if they are a Christian? In what ways can someone who is a Christian ignore God’s commands and live as if they are lost? How does Jesus’ payment for our sins encourage us to obedience?

2. Why is it so tempting to live in continual sin rather than obedience? How does Christ’s perfect obedience despite his temptations and hardships encourage you?

Points of Prayer

1. Thank God for the confidence we can have that Jesus had paid the price for our sins and that our salvation is secured by him.

2. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s help in persevering in godly living and to not ignore him or live in sin.

3. Pray for the salvation of two lost people you know by name.

Going Deeper

If you’d like to learn more about the “warning passages” of Hebrews, like today’s passage, check out the following links:

·      https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/can-a-christian-fall-away

·      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvX4z9ZeMq8

·      https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/warning-passages-ahead

·      https://www.gotquestions.org/warning-passages.html

Friday, February 21

Hebrews 11

Commentary

This wonderfully encouraging chapter is often called “the Hall of Faith.” The author of Hebrews lifts up numerous saints (a term that simply means those who have been saved by God) from the Old Testament as examples of faithful living. Despite the temptations and hardships they faced, they kept going, they kept trusting, they held onto their faith. Even when the promise of a Savior seemed faint and distant, even when God asked for their trust in seemingly impossible circumstances, they clung to God and, even more importantly, God clung to them, even in their doubts and mistakes. Now, on this side of the cross, we can see with even greater clarity that God really does keep his promises – we have seen their faith “perfected” because the Savior they were looking for now has come, and now as we play our part in God’s grand story, we get to walk the same walk of faith they once walked. Like these believers of old, we are called to trust God even when things seem dark and scary, to obey God even when sin seems so appealing and when godliness seems to difficult, and look for a home not in this sinful, broken world, but in the eternal heavenly city that he will bring us home to one day. Press on in faith!

Application/Discussion

1. How does the faithfulness as well as the sinfulness of these “heroes of faith” encourage you in your walk with the Lord? How is Jesus an even better example, and a better Savior, than these figures?

Points of Prayer

1. Thank God for the examples of faith he gives us in his Word, especially the examples of God is faithful to his people even when they are not always faithful to him.

2. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s help in pressing on in faithfulness.

3. Pray for your church family to see this world is not your ultimate home and to seek to share the gospel and disciple believers with great compassion and urgency.

Going Deeper

This encouraging sermon on Hebrews 11 is preached by Thomas Schreiner, one of my favorite New Testament scholars. Fun fact, I was seated just barely out of view in the front couple of pews on the left side!

·      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGy4uUSMEdo

Saturday, February 22

Hebrews 12

Commentary

Going off of what we read yesterday, this chapter encourages us to see these saints of old as examples of how we, too, should live faithfully and pursue Christ, looking to him as our ultimate example. He suffered greater than we ever will, even if we, too, were to die for our faith, but Jesus persevered in his faith, never wavering and never sinning. As we go along the same pilgrimage of faith, we should expect our share of hardships as well, remembering that God uses these experiences to shape and strengthen us. Through Christ, we have unlimited access to and fellowship with the Almighty God who is holy, holy, holy. This is an unbelievable gift and we should love and obey God in return for this great love. One day, Jesus will return, bringing his people home and judging his enemies, and our struggles will melt into eternal joy and worship. Come soon, Lord Jesus!

Application/Discussion

1. What does the author’s use of “if God permits” in verse 3 say about God’s sovereignty in our lives and our spiritual growth?

2. Why can’t the warning in this passage be about genuine believers? What does the rest of the Bible say about salvation?

Points of Prayer

1. Thank God for giving us his Son and his salvation.

2. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s help in looking to Christ and following his example of faithfulness.

3. Pray for the lost in your country and for God to strengthen the churches and believers around them to reach out with the gospel.

Going Deeper

John Piper’s “Look at the Book” teaching series has a brief but helpful look at 12:1-2:

·      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sSgUIVqVwA

Sunday, February 23

Hebrews 13

Commentary

As our author concludes his book, he gives practical instructions on how to live faithfully together as God’s church. We should love and care for others, always being hospitable, caring for those who are afflicted and forgotten, treasuring marriage, and finding contentment in God rather than earthly wealth. We are not meant to find this world as our home but rather as a stop along the way. Our mission here is to bring others to know God, inviting them to join us on our journey to God’s heavenly city. In the meantime, we are to live faithfully and that happens in part by participating in the local church, led by the leaders (pastors, overseers, elders) of the local church. We should see them as models of faith, listen to their teaching and follow their leading, and pray for God to bless, strengthen, and guide them. One day, we will be Home and at rest forever. Until then, we march on in faith, clinging to God’s promises and remembering that Jesus is better than everything this world has to offer.

Application/Discussion

1. In what ways is this world good, and in what ways does it need redemption? How can we honor God while living in a world filled with so much sin and brokenness?

2. How do your pastors serve as examples of faith to you and your church? Are there particular ways of service and leadership that stand out to you? Remember to love them, thank them, and pray for them.

Points of Prayer

1. Thank God that this world is not our home.

2. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s help in working for things of eternal meaning and to live faithfully.

3. Pray for your pastors to live faithfully, treasure their families, oversee the church wisely, and teach and lead rightly.

Going Deeper

This Crossway article gives further details on great ways to pray for your pastors:

·      https://www.crossway.org/articles/how-to-pray-for-your-pastor/

One of the most influential and edifying books in Christian history is Augustine’s The City of God, with its title and themes being influenced in part by Hebrews 11 and 13. Here’s a great overview of the book and its lessons today:

·      https://www.liberty.edu/ace/articles/city-god-city-man

I wrote a personal reflection on how this world isn’t my home a few years ago and have republished it on the Family Bible Reading blog:

·      https://familybiblereading.blogspot.com/2025/02/home-is-where-water-doesnt-taste-funny.html