Hebrews 1:1

I would like to start by expressing the goal of this blog. I have been wanting to do a Bible study in our home for some time but have not been able to make it happen. It is my hope that this will serve as a similar forum and, it is my hope that you, the reader, will get involved and comment! Let’s "increase in the knowledge of God" (Col 1:10) together!

I have loved Hebrews from the first time I read it nearly 12 years ago. I loved how heavily it leaned on the Old Testament (OT) and the historical angles it uses. It is my desire to work through this book and learn. I do not have it all figured out, but I have a passion for it as I believe it to be one of the most interesting, important, and complicated books of the New Testament (NT). This book deals with difficult subjects such as the supremacy of Christ, how the OT sacrificial system relates to the Cross of Christ, eternal salvation, and others. I look forward to your comments and I will not mediate them unless necessary.

And with that, on to the scripture…

Heb. 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

The author of Hebrews begins his work assuming the existence of God. This is most likely due to who his audience was. I used the word “work” intentionally. This book does not begin like the other epistles of the NT. There is no salutation or greeting. He starts right off in the first verse with a theme we will revisit throughout this book: the supremacy of Christ above all else, above the fathers, angels, and even above Moses (remember the audience was first century Jewish Christians). Interesting, but we will get to this in due time.

It will probably be of note for some readers that I will be using the masculine to describe the author. I believe it is most likely given the internal (Heb 2:3) and external evidence that the author was not one of the apostles or Paul. Aside from this it is unclear who actually penned the book. Cases have been made for many different authors including Barnabas, Priscilla and Aquila, Luke, Clement of Rome, Gamaleil (Paul’s mentor Acts 22:3), and others. The audience apparently heard the Gospel from people who heard Jesus for themselves. And Timothy is mentioned as still being alive setting its date within his lifetime (Heb 13:23).

The book of Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians who were experiencing persecution and considering going back to Judaism. This letter was written to encourage these believers not turn back to the shadow but to run to the very image, who is Christ (Heb 10:1).

From verse one we are told that God has spoken. And that he has not just spoken but has spoken at many times and in many ways. It is interesting that the author starts out with God speaking (Gen 1 and one?). The Greek word used here is Laleo. When ascribed to God it emphasizes the idea that He spoke rather than keeping silent. He has not left us to try to figure out if there is a god, and if we decide there is, what he is like. Instead He has spoken not just once and too bad if you missed it, but he has spoken many times and in many different ways. What a loving God we have to not only speak but to speak many times and in different ways. Sometimes we need things said to us in different ways so that we will understand them. Sometimes we need things said to us many times before we get them. He has gone to great lengths to communicate with us! What an honor!

He spoke in the past to the "fathers" through the prophets. In the OT God would speak through people called prophets. These were people He chose to share His message. They were also often one of the same people they were sent to reach. This might sound confusing, but what I mean is, these people were familiar to them, they knew them, and as a result many times the prophet was not respected or listened to. Jesus spoke of how this happened even to Himself when he said “a prophet has no honor in his own country (Jn 4:44).”

Many of them were even killed:
Matt. 23:29-34 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city.

The blessing of God was seen as an offense. Are we like that? Do we appreciate His correction? What does this correction mean? What is the relationship it defines? All questions we will deal with in Hebrews.

Here is a tease:
Heb. 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

…and what is the purpose?

Heb. 12:10 “…that we might be partakers of his holiness.”

He wants what is best for us. What a relief. I don’t even always want that. I am so thankful that I can trust Him for my well-being. Imagine that, the Creator of the universe is concerned with me. What a great hope we have!

Keep plugging on. You can do it. No matter what life’s challenges are He’s on His son’s and daughter’s side. No matter what!

We did it! One verse down 302 left to go.

Take care and God Bless,

Jeromy