Hebrews

1:1f – complete and whole and one channel God's gift to meet man's need not God’s. And we do need it. In a day of reliance on the "many channels of God's grace" this has a strong word to us about God's gift of "a way". Perhaps to speak to man's perennial problem of never really getting down to the real task but rather "flitting".

2:1f – they were "flitting" with Angels, today we flit with novelties of many sorts – and the word to us all comes thundering through still in verse 3 – we neglect Christ at the peril of our souls. "Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard lest we drift away from it (like a boat past a landing).

1:1 – apostasy by neglect versus renunciation – two ways. He sees the former is being the more dangerous.

2:8 and 9 – [this] man's supremacy over all things we do not yet see – but we see Jesus – marked out already as the one to exercise universal supremacy by his present heavenly situation.

2:10 – "it was fitting that..." – what is fitting for God to do can only be seen by us in what he has done. Gave a pioneer to hack a "way out" – those who follow him out are his brothers – through affliction seems to be the route – God seems to have been realistic at any rate!

2:17 – Christ had to be made a family man in order to be an adequate "high priest". Our Savior from within a family. Yet "the sentence of Abraham" in two senses here – biologically and spiritually.

3:6 – his house.... if we hold fast to our confidence, and we are glorying in "our hope".

3:7f – "today" – the age we are in – is the age of opportunity. Once again a call to quit playing games and flitting and respond now.

3:12 – Judaism is okay (although dim) for Jews who haven't seen Christ.... it is an access to God – but to one who has experienced the fullness of Christ to move backwards is viewed here as away from God – thought-provoking passage.

3:14 – the test of reality is continuance, not simply initial acceptance. Cf. parable of the sower.

4:1-10 – God’s unending "Day seven"

4:12 – the rebellious spirit within is not hidden by external right living – ponder somenor [word question – some more?] – cf.______(withheld).

4:15end – only the sinless know the full-strength power of temptation – the others give in much earlier and never experience this. The "whitewashed hero" interpretation of this passage never has had any attraction to me, for that kind of a guy on the throne of grace would be something "out of this world" in the worst way – I always figured that the white washers [Christ was sinless in the other sense] were special pleading, and their case was unedifying anyway – but that man on the throne of grace is indeed an attraction to anyone who, like myself, is beset by the fact of the power of temptation and knows only too well his own helplessness...

5:8 – the cost of obedience to those who choose that route in this world – known by him fully – and so, it is him through whom we are able to obtain our salvation.

5:11-14 – I know just enough that this (especially verse 14) is important. But not enough from experience yet to know its importance.

7:19 and 22 – Christ, our better hope; a better covenant – through whom we draw near to God in reality not symbol.

7:25 – cf. Luke 22:32 – Jesus having prayed for Peter that he might have strength, and encouraging him to continue after his future repentance... such help is ours – Christ's continual concern for us and his procuring aid in our weakness is uninterrupted and always available – through all our lives and the lives of all people.

10:5-7 – the shadow is of the ritual plane – reality is of the moral plane – "I have come to do thy will"

10:5 – open ears God gives to hear his word, and an obedient body he has prepared and given us to do his will – if we wish to so use it – Christ did!

10:25 – used as a basis for our______ (?) Project! Bear in mind what happened!

10:31 – so right – both ways

 

[10:35 – added later from R/T tip – October/91] – word study on “parrasia” – outspokenness, frankness, bluntness/assurance, confidence – along with the sense of "to be". What he is saying here, is "cast this not a way (under pressure of the long wait for results) [for God is at work even now, and you have need of... etc.]... nice thought.

 

10:36 – endurance and perseverance (continuance) is needed. To stand still is to slip back – press on in faith.

11:13 – died never receiving and seeing the promised land as theirs in fact – but living (and dying) therein as if it was as good as done. Seeing (by faith) from afar the distant fact.

11:25 – the faith of Moses might well be taken to heart again.

11:26 – Christ the fulfillment of all this long-sought-for and lived-for "faith" – indeed far off!

12:2 – pioneer and perfecter – just starting to grasp of the reality of his thought here. In relation to those who "hung in there" with the tradition of "Abraham-faith" never seeing its fulfillment in reality – his life/death/resurrection/enthronement at long last (ratifies? Justifies? What's the word?!) their claim. For us, we live in the post-Christ period – our faith is of a different character – same content, but the faith is ratified – by faith we choose to be part of that or not – and the incredible thing is how unbelieving we are after Christ! It is finished. It is done. Access is fully gained and available to all. Sin no longer is any barrier between man and God, and sin-offerings etc. are obsolete – access is ours through Christ. We are made part of that body along with that "faithful cloud of witnesses" in so far as we choose to opt in, and continue in that "unchangeable character of God's purpose", of which we are partakers by faith (of a spiritual depth which I have by no means touched bottom!).

12:7-11 – cf. those who don't have "obedience" taught to them as a child and the parents try in vain to teach it to when they're 16 or so! At that point it's too late – and another way has to be worked out.

12:15 – a lack of receiving God's grace is connected here with bitterness springing up – one poisoning the many.

13:2 – another slant on the hospitality/stranger problem.

13:4 – might well be heard it again today regarding sex.

13:5f – trust in God's Providence might also be heard with profit today.

13:7 and 8 – communion of saints – especially the example of Christ –

13:17 – joyful pastoral care is edifying not sad pastoral care – let them do it this way – help them as well? Help them to render their account with joy and not sorrow.

[Note – a page in the notes was opened for reflections after Wayne's Jubilee sermon – regarding Leviticus and the atonement day – August/1991 – but no entries were made]

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