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PLUS … Weekend reflections on the Psalms, and the Big Picture by Philip Greenslade

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EVERY DAY

Hebrews 1–6DaviD Coffey

NumbersDerek TiDbaLL

NOV/DEC 2012

C2CED ND 2012 text.indd 1 28/6/12 12:01:39

NOVEMbEr | iNtroDuctioN

Copyright © CWR 2007, 2012

First published 2007 by CWR. This edition published 2012 by CWR, Waverley Abbey House, Waverley Lane, Farnham, Surrey GU9 8EP, England. CWR is a Registered Charity – Number 294387 and a Limited Company registered in England – Registration Number 1990308.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of CWR.

Some extra copy provided by Philip Greenslade on Oct. 8, 9, 11, 12, 17, 23, 31.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are from the Holy Bible: New International Version (NIV), copyright © 2001, 2005 by Biblica. Used by permission of Biblica®. Other versions: ESV: The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, published by HarperCollins Publishers © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. NLT: Holy Bible New Living Translation, © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc. RSV: Revised Standard Version, © 1965, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. The Message: Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. AV: The Authorised Version.

Concept development, editing, design and production by CWR

Cover image: photocase.com

Printed in England by Linney Print

Derek TidballDerek Tidball was Principal of London School of Theology (formerly London Bible College, where he began teaching in 1972) from 1995—2008. He became a Vice-President of the Evangelical Alliance in 1995 and as was elected Chairman of the Council of the Evangelical Alliance in 2004. He has served as pastor of two Baptist churches and was Head of the Mission Department of the Baptist Union, and President of this in 1990—91. Derek is the author of 20 books, is a regular preacher and has delivered the Bible Readings at Spring Harvest, Keswick and other Bible conventions internationally.

David CoffeyDavid Coffey OBE is the Global Ambassador for BMS World Mission and Chairman of Spurgeon’s College Council. He was President of the Baptist World Alliance for five years from 2005—2010. David has visited 80 countries in all the continents, but he has a particular interest in the Middle East and seeks to strengthen the work and witness of the churches of the Arab world. His human rights visits include China, Egypt, Cuba, Russia, Azerbaijan and Vietnam. David has been married to his wife Janet for 46 years, and they have two adult children and four grandchildren. His interests are soccer, music and political biography.

Philip GreensladeHaving originally trained for the Baptist ministry, Philip has over 30 years’ experience in Christian ministry. He has worked with CWR since 1991 in the areas of biblical studies, pastoral care and leadership. With his passion for teaching God’s Word, he offers a refreshing and challenging perspective for all those who attend his courses. Close to Philip’s heart are the long-running Bible Discovery Weekends. Course Director for CWR’s recent postgraduate programme in Pastoral Leadership, Philip is currently leading a Pastoral Care course focused on Christian identity and vocation. He is the author of several books including God’s Story, Voice from the Hills and Ministering Angles.

Despite its title, Numbers is not a book for mathematicians! True, it contains the details of two censuses, but there’s much more besides. It’s the story of Israel’s 40 years in the wilderness before entering Canaan. Sadly, much of that time was problematic, but Israel’s failings and God’s grace are what give the book its spiritual value.

The book falls into two halves. The first half (1–25) tells us about the gen-eration who left Egypt but who, through disobedience, were refused entry to the promised land. The second half (26–36) deals with those who entered it. The book opens as the Israelites rest at Sinai (1–10) before they journey to the Desert of Paran (10:11–12:16). They stay there for 40 years (13–19), and then set out for the plains of Moab (20–21). The book closes with the various events that occurred in those plains (22–36).

Numbers contains much that newspapers today would label ‘Exclusive’. But it also contains some things that overlap with what is found in Exodus and Leviticus, albeit recorded differently.

Graham Scroggie, in Know Your Bible, suggested the message of Numbers could be summed up as speaking about our walk with God, our pilgrimage through the wilderness, our outward behaviour, our responsibilities, our faithfulness to God, and our service to others. It’s hard to beat that sum-mary! So enjoy the journey, and let us learn from the experience of these ancient pilgrims so that we, today, might prove obedient to God.

NumbersDerek Tidball

C2CED ND 2012 text.indd 2 28/6/12 12:01:40

NOVEMbEr | iNtroDuctioN

Copyright © CWR 2007, 2012

First published 2007 by CWR. This edition published 2012 by CWR, Waverley Abbey House, Waverley Lane, Farnham, Surrey GU9 8EP, England. CWR is a Registered Charity – Number 294387 and a Limited Company registered in England – Registration Number 1990308.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of CWR.

Some extra copy provided by Philip Greenslade on Oct. 8, 9, 11, 12, 17, 23, 31.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are from the Holy Bible: New International Version (NIV), copyright © 2001, 2005 by Biblica. Used by permission of Biblica®. Other versions: ESV: The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, published by HarperCollins Publishers © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. NLT: Holy Bible New Living Translation, © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc. RSV: Revised Standard Version, © 1965, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. The Message: Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. AV: The Authorised Version.

Concept development, editing, design and production by CWR

Cover image: photocase.com

Printed in England by Linney Print

Despite its title, Numbers is not a book for mathematicians! True, it contains the details of two censuses, but there’s much more besides. It’s the story of Israel’s 40 years in the wilderness before entering Canaan. Sadly, much of that time was problematic, but Israel’s failings and God’s grace are what give the book its spiritual value.

The book falls into two halves. The first half (1–25) tells us about the gen-eration who left Egypt but who, through disobedience, were refused entry to the promised land. The second half (26–36) deals with those who entered it. The book opens as the Israelites rest at Sinai (1–10) before they journey to the Desert of Paran (10:11–12:16). They stay there for 40 years (13–19), and then set out for the plains of Moab (20–21). The book closes with the various events that occurred in those plains (22–36).

Numbers contains much that newspapers today would label ‘Exclusive’. But it also contains some things that overlap with what is found in Exodus and Leviticus, albeit recorded differently.

Graham Scroggie, in Know Your Bible, suggested the message of Numbers could be summed up as speaking about our walk with God, our pilgrimage through the wilderness, our outward behaviour, our responsibilities, our faithfulness to God, and our service to others. It’s hard to beat that sum-mary! So enjoy the journey, and let us learn from the experience of these ancient pilgrims so that we, today, might prove obedient to God.

NumbersDerek Tidball

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The tribe of Levi, already intro-duced in 1:47–53, comes cen-tre stage in these chapters.

The Levites worked as servants in the tent of meeting and had responsibil-ity for dismantling, transporting and re-erecting the tent when the Israelites moved. They may have enjoyed some special privileges, such as being exempt from fighting, but their work looks anything but grand. One branch may have been the priests who offered sac-rifices – the Bible isn’t altogether clear how they relate – but essentially they were caretakers and support workers.

We learn a lot about service from them. Service for God doesn’t have to be spectacular to be important. They ‘assisted Aaron’ (3:6), and without them he couldn’t have done his work. It’s not always the up-front people who mat-ter the most. The Levites were ‘given wholly to’ Aaron for his work (3:9). The Hebrew says they were ‘given, given’. Their service was focused and their minds were not distracted. They also served as substitutes for the firstborn (3:11–13), who belonged to God by right. So their service enabled others

Service

NuMbErS 3–4 | Fri 2 Nov

What seems to us like a list of boring numbers, or tedious instructions

about organising a campsite, would have had real meaning to the Israelites. They had seen God deliver them supernaturally from slavery in Egypt, but it was to be some time before they entered the promised land. So in this in-between stage who were they – what was their identity? These chap-ters give them some clues.

First, they were to prepare them-selves to be a fighting force. A count of all the 20-year-old-plus men was to be organised. It was not that women and children were insignificant. The point was that the men would ‘serve in the army’ (1:3). En route to Canaan they would encounter many who were hostile to them. Once they got there the inhabitants would be far from welcom-ing. The Israelites needed to prepare for battle and consequently to know what resources would be available. Hence, God commands them to take a census.

Second, they were to be a worshipping community. The tent of meeting was to be placed at the centre of the camp (2:2)

as a visible reminder that what united the various tribes was the worship of their covenant God. They were to erect their tents around it in an orderly fashion (2:3–33) because, as Genesis 1 shows, God is not a God of chaos but of order. The tent was port-able to teach the Israelites that they did not yet have a place of residence (1:50–51). God would lead them for-ward to the promised land. The instruc-tions for handling the tent made it clear that although God was loving and merciful, He was not to be treated with any disrespect. The Levites had the task of moving it (1:48–53), and others were warned not to usurp their place or think they could treat God as they felt like doing. If they did, they would experience His anger (1:51,53). Their God was awesome in His holiness.

‘The whole community’ (1:18) is also presented as an obedient people (1:54; 2:34). These are still the marks of God’s people. Though we fight in a different way, we are the army of God (Eph. 6:10–20), united, for all our diver-sity, in worshipping Him and called to obedience (1 Pet. 1:2).

Who are we?

tHurs 1 Nov | NuMbErS 1–2

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The tribe of Levi, already intro-duced in 1:47–53, comes cen-tre stage in these chapters.

The Levites worked as servants in the tent of meeting and had responsibil-ity for dismantling, transporting and re-erecting the tent when the Israelites moved. They may have enjoyed some special privileges, such as being exempt from fighting, but their work looks anything but grand. One branch may have been the priests who offered sac-rifices – the Bible isn’t altogether clear how they relate – but essentially they were caretakers and support workers.

We learn a lot about service from them. Service for God doesn’t have to be spectacular to be important. They ‘assisted Aaron’ (3:6), and without them he couldn’t have done his work. It’s not always the up-front people who mat-ter the most. The Levites were ‘given wholly to’ Aaron for his work (3:9). The Hebrew says they were ‘given, given’. Their service was focused and their minds were not distracted. They also served as substitutes for the firstborn (3:11–13), who belonged to God by right. So their service enabled others

to live in freedom.Chapter 4 tells us more about

their service. It was hard work, as we should anticipate serving God to be. The Levites worked in a disciplined, orderly way as a united team, with the various clans, such as the Gershonites (4:21–28) and Merarites (4:29-33), playing their assigned role. Though they may not have been eligible to join the army, they functioned like a mili-tary force. They illustrate what Paul meant when he encouraged Timothy to serve as ‘a good soldier of Christ Jesus’, not getting involved ‘in civilian affairs’ (2 Tim. 2:3–4).

For all the ordinariness of the Levites’ work, it was a work of tre-mendous dignity in which they could take great pleasure. It included hand- ling ‘the most holy things’ (4:4). The Kohathites were instructed carefully that undertaking their role was a ter-rifying responsibility (4:20). Their work, therefore, should never be per-formed casually. To serve the King of kings was an awesome privilege, and it remains so today for the servants of Jesus Christ.

Service

NuMbErS 3–4 | Fri 2 Nov

as a visible reminder that what united the various tribes was the worship of their covenant God. They were to erect their tents around it in an orderly fashion (2:3–33) because, as Genesis 1 shows, God is not a God of chaos but of order. The tent was port-able to teach the Israelites that they did not yet have a place of residence (1:50–51). God would lead them for-ward to the promised land. The instruc-tions for handling the tent made it clear that although God was loving and merciful, He was not to be treated with any disrespect. The Levites had the task of moving it (1:48–53), and others were warned not to usurp their place or think they could treat God as they felt like doing. If they did, they would experience His anger (1:51,53). Their God was awesome in His holiness.

‘The whole community’ (1:18) is also presented as an obedient people (1:54; 2:34). These are still the marks of God’s people. Though we fight in a different way, we are the army of God (Eph. 6:10–20), united, for all our diver-sity, in worshipping Him and called to obedience (1 Pet. 1:2).

Who are we?

tHurs 1 Nov | NuMbErS 1–2

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this is an anguished song from exile – a community lamenting its fate. The singers plead God’s repu-tation for decisive action (vv.1–3), and want Him to ‘do it again’ in their day. Israel’s story had begun in the light of God’s face (v.3b; cf Num. 6:24–27); surely it was not to end in the deep darkness of the hiding of God’s face (vv.19,24).

Remarkably, the singers are unwill-ing to take the blame for the nation’s plight and want to put the onus back on to God. ‘You have done this, Lord’ (vv.9–16). ‘We have not failed You, Lord; You have failed us. We have not forgotten You, Lord; You have forgotten us!’ (vv.17–18). This is an astonishing stance to take in view of other scriptures.

What scholars call the ‘Deuteronomic history’ (running from Joshua through to 2 Kings) answers the question ‘Why the judgment of exile?’ by placing the full responsibility on an unfaithful nation which has refused to heed the voice of the prophets.

But what of those who had lived righteously and yet who also went down in the darkness of exile?

Is this, perhaps, their voice we are hearing? Rabbi Abraham Heschel dedicated his study of the prophets to the victims of Nazi oppression by quoting Psalm 44:17–26 in support. These verses have an unmistakable ‘Job-like’ ring to them. Thankfully, Scripture allows room for the out-raged ‘minority report’ of those for whom faithfulness has brought only pain and trouble.

The terrible image of ‘sheep for the slaughter’ (vv.11,22) evokes Holocaust victims, and also the sav-ing sacrifice of God’s choice Lamb and of His followers (Isa. 53:7; Rom. 8:36). In the end, only in Christ can we be sure that no ‘hellish slaugh-terhouse’ – whether national or per-sonal – can separate us from God’s love.

A lament, then – even one as angry as this – is still ‘an act of faith, for only Yahweh, who caused the trou-ble, can right the wrong’ (Walter Brueggemann). So ‘Awake … arise … Lord … redeem us for the sake of Your enduring covenant love.’

Minority report

WEEKEND | PSalM 44

Pollution is one of the great curses of our day. Yet although we are very concerned about

external pollution, we don’t seem so worried about ridding ourselves of inner pollution. The Israelites, how-ever, didn’t make the sharp distinction we create between physical and moral purity. To them all life was one, to be lived in the presence of an all-seeing God. These chapters show us ways in which the Israelite camp was kept clean – inside and out.

Chapter 5 gives examples of deal-ing with impurity. Those with an ill-ness that might be contagious were sent outside the camp so as not to spread the disease (5:1–4). Those who wronged their neighbours ‘in any way’ were to make full restitution for their wrong and then to add an extra 20 per cent to the value for the inconvenience caused (5:5–10). Leviticus 6:1–7 spells this out more fully, and shows that casual treatment of what belongs to others is in mind.

The next case concerns unfaith-ful wives and may at first horrify us (5:11–31). In a patriarchal age,

Keeping clean

NuMbErS 5–6 | MoN 5 Nov

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BRAND-NEW

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Is your church ready for a ‘Journey of Discovery’?

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Take Your Church on a Journey of Discovery in 2013!

Many churches in 2012 embarked on a ‘Journey of Discovery’ to read the entire Bible in a year using Cover to Cover Complete, CWR’s one-year chronologi-cal reading plan incorporating the full Bible text. One participant remarks:

‘Cover to Cover Complete has undoubtedly helped increase self-discipline in the reading of Scripture, enabled people to get to know the Bible better and, indeed, some now want to go study it in greater depth.’ Peter Hinton, St James’ Church, Alderholt

New for 2012This year, CWR has republished Cover to Cover Complete using, for

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Once we have received your order, we will send you your copies of Cover to Cover Complete, plus bookmarks for each individual and instructions on how to access your church’s very own online discussion forum.

property in the Jubilee Year (see Lev. 25) that would have remained theirs if it had passed through male heirs? The Lord’s reply reaffirmed the original decision: Zelophehad’s daughters were to inherit his land – giving vulnerable women reassurance and support. But the daughters had to marry within their clan so that the land would stay in their father’s family (vv.5–9). And this they did (vv.10–12).

The story is a fitting conclusion to Numbers. It speaks of God’s compas-sion as He deals with the great issues and small details, the powerful and the vulnerable. It speaks of His wisdom. People gain their identity and sense of belonging through land and prop-erty, and God wants to protect people’s roots and security. It speaks of God’s justice. His strategy here, as elsewhere, prevents some from amassing wealth at the expense of others who conse-quently become poor. What better way to end than speaking of the gracious character of the covenant God who had led them through the wilderness?

The daughters have the final word

Fri 30 Nov | NuMbErS 36

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The Big Pictureincluding the prophetic psalms, can now bear witness to Messiah Jesus whose time has come (1:5–14).

The key to this is eschatology – the awareness that in and through Jesus Christ the ‘last days’ have dawned which eclipse and fulfil what was said and done ‘in the past’ (Heb. 1:1). To miss this final message is even more serious than to neglect the Torah (2:1–4).

Ours is a challenging responsibil-ity because God’s covenant people – whether old or new – are called to embody the vocation of the whole human race (Gen. 1:26–28; Psa. 8; Heb. 2:5–18). Thankfully, that human destiny has been secured by, and entrusted to, the Truly Human One Himself (Heb. 2:8–9).

A further approach to understand-ing the relationship between Old and New Testament is that of typology – the correspondence seen to exist between real events, people and institutions in history. Surveying the spectrum of the one people of God, Hebrews sees a typological parallel with the wilder-ness generation (whose journey to the ‘rest’ of the promised land is told

philip greenslade gives a glimpse of how numbers and hebrews fit together in god’s story.

This ‘Big Picture’ feature regularly endeavours to show the vital con-nections between what we call the ‘Old’ or ‘First’ Testament and the New Testament. And no one does this better than the writer of Hebrews.

As ‘a first-class theologian and pas-tor in his own right’, the writer of Hebrews ‘provides some of the most profound reflection on the relation-ships between the old covenant and the new, and between the Jewish Scriptures and the decisive word God has spoken in Christ’ (Andrew Lincoln). One way of stating this relationship is to talk of continuity and discontinuity.

Hebrews starts by emphasising con-tinuity, stressing that it is the same God who speaks in both Testaments (1:1). Yet it highlights discontinuity by several sharp contrasts which show that the fragmentary revelation (‘many times in various ways’) has given way to the fullness of God’s unique disclo-sure in His Son, Jesus Christ. Another

way of saying this is to speak of the Christological goal of revelation. God speaks in an unfolding revelation which culminates in Christ.

Notices used to appear outside newsagents with scrawled headlines and the tag: ‘Full story in the final edi-tion’. That is just what we have in Jesus, argues Hebrews.

A movement is being tracked here that takes God’s self-revelation from provisional to final, from partial to full, from prophetic to realised, from promise to fulfilment, from previous covenant to new.

God speaks in an unfoldinG revelation

which culminates in christ

All God’s previous spokespeople were God’s ‘servants’ but now God has spoken in and through His own ‘Son’ (Heb. 1:2; 3:5–6). The message we receive from Him and about Him makes Him superior to all God’s other messengers, even the angels (1:3–4; 2:3). The prophetic scriptures,

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The Big Pictureincluding the prophetic psalms, can now bear witness to Messiah Jesus whose time has come (1:5–14).

The key to this is eschatology – the awareness that in and through Jesus Christ the ‘last days’ have dawned which eclipse and fulfil what was said and done ‘in the past’ (Heb. 1:1). To miss this final message is even more serious than to neglect the Torah (2:1–4).

Ours is a challenging responsibil-ity because God’s covenant people – whether old or new – are called to embody the vocation of the whole human race (Gen. 1:26–28; Psa. 8; Heb. 2:5–18). Thankfully, that human destiny has been secured by, and entrusted to, the Truly Human One Himself (Heb. 2:8–9).

A further approach to understand-ing the relationship between Old and New Testament is that of typology – the correspondence seen to exist between real events, people and institutions in history. Surveying the spectrum of the one people of God, Hebrews sees a typological parallel with the wilder-ness generation (whose journey to the ‘rest’ of the promised land is told

in Numbers) and, via Psalm 95, to see them as a pattern for the pilgrimage of new covenant believers seeking to enjoy the ‘rest’ of God now and to enter the ultimate ‘rest’ of God’s final kingdom! In line with this, Hebrews treats God’s Word as ‘living and active’ so that what was written is now what Scripture says, what God says, and what the Holy Spirit says ‘today’! (Heb. 3:7–4:10).

our very life depends on respondinG to God’s

voice ‘today’

Being in the new covenant thus raises the stakes. The wilderness wanderers fell by the sword (Num. 14:42–43), readers of Hebrews now face the more lethal ‘sword’ of God’s word of judg-ment (Heb. 4:11–13). Our very life depends on responding to God’s voice ‘today’. Only in this way will we stay on the ‘cutting edge’ of God’s purposes for today!

way of saying this is to speak of the Christological goal of revelation. God speaks in an unfolding revelation which culminates in Christ.

Notices used to appear outside newsagents with scrawled headlines and the tag: ‘Full story in the final edi-tion’. That is just what we have in Jesus, argues Hebrews.

A movement is being tracked here that takes God’s self-revelation from provisional to final, from partial to full, from prophetic to realised, from promise to fulfilment, from previous covenant to new.

God speaks in an unfoldinG revelation

which culminates in christ

All God’s previous spokespeople were God’s ‘servants’ but now God has spoken in and through His own ‘Son’ (Heb. 1:2; 3:5–6). The message we receive from Him and about Him makes Him superior to all God’s other messengers, even the angels (1:3–4; 2:3). The prophetic scriptures,

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DECEMbEr | iNtroDuctioN

hebReWs is not considered an easy book. The great preacher Charles Spurgeon once said that when he read Hebrews as a boy it bored him!

When you first read Hebrews you do feel you have entered a strange world of religious ceremonies and customs which don’t seem to fit the world of the twenty-first century. But a careful study of Hebrews reveals a book rooted in real life with a timely message for Christians today.

Hebrews was addressed to a local group of believers living in the latter part of the first century. They felt overwhelmed by anti-Christian forces in society which were beyond their control. There had already been a period of persecution when many believers had been arrested and killed, and the book is written when another outbreak of fierce persecution now seems inevitable.

So what are the options for Christians under pressure? You can stand firm and be faithful to Christ, or you can avoid the cost of discipleship and drift from your calling. Hebrews was written as a piece of pastoral encourage-ment to believers in danger of drifting. The key message of the whole book is the need to listen to God’s voice in Scripture. Hebrews begins by saying that God has spoken to us by His Son (1:1–2), and concludes by warning us not to refuse Him who is speaking (12:25).

Hebrews 1–6David Coffey

this is a royal wedding song. It survived the demise of failed human kingship in Israel and Judah at the time of the Exile to become a song of faith in Yahweh’s own kingly rule, and a song of hope for a messianic (‘anointed’) figure who would com-bine divine and human kingship (cf. v.6).

The kingly figure here portrayed is to be admired more than feared. (1) Love is an overflow of the self; love moves us beyond ourselves to lavish appreciation of another (v.1). Self-love dies when true love flour-ishes. (2) Love moves us to risk all by cutting loose from our previous and precious attachments. Love is a leaving that makes a new cleav-ing possible (vv.10–11). Exclusive devotion is the least love can offer. (3) Love is an act of faith in the future. Yesterday’s fathers hand over to the sons of tomorrow (v.16a). A localised monarchy will become a worldwide dynasty (v.16b), its short-lived fame turned into a forever-remembered name (v.17).

What is true of marriage holds true for a faithful relationship with God. Israel was seen as Yahweh’s bride

just as the Church is seen as the bride of Christ. So the writer to the Hebrews applies the extravagant language of this psalm to Jesus, the radiant Son of God to whom believ-ers are wedded (Heb.1:8–9). Did not gracious words pour from His lips? Was not majesty combined with meekness uniquely in Him? As for His triumphs, He won His greatest victory not by inflicting suffering, but by enduring it.

And man of sorrows that He was, was Jesus not also the happiest man who has ever lived, ‘set above his companions’ by His anointing with the ‘oil of joy’? Anointing makes authority attractive; only anointed kingship is constructive in estab-lishing truth and justice. Only the kingdom of Jesus offers hope to the world this Christmas.

Let us sing the King Messiah,King of righteousness and peace;Hail Him, all His happy subjects,Never let His praises cease:Ever hail Him; Never let His praises cease.(John Ryland)

Royal wedding song

WEEKEND | PSalM 45

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DECEMbEr | iNtroDuctioN

hebReWs is not considered an easy book. The great preacher Charles Spurgeon once said that when he read Hebrews as a boy it bored him!

When you first read Hebrews you do feel you have entered a strange world of religious ceremonies and customs which don’t seem to fit the world of the twenty-first century. But a careful study of Hebrews reveals a book rooted in real life with a timely message for Christians today.

Hebrews was addressed to a local group of believers living in the latter part of the first century. They felt overwhelmed by anti-Christian forces in society which were beyond their control. There had already been a period of persecution when many believers had been arrested and killed, and the book is written when another outbreak of fierce persecution now seems inevitable.

So what are the options for Christians under pressure? You can stand firm and be faithful to Christ, or you can avoid the cost of discipleship and drift from your calling. Hebrews was written as a piece of pastoral encourage-ment to believers in danger of drifting. The key message of the whole book is the need to listen to God’s voice in Scripture. Hebrews begins by saying that God has spoken to us by His Son (1:1–2), and concludes by warning us not to refuse Him who is speaking (12:25).

Hebrews 1–6David Coffey

just as the Church is seen as the bride of Christ. So the writer to the Hebrews applies the extravagant language of this psalm to Jesus, the radiant Son of God to whom believ-ers are wedded (Heb.1:8–9). Did not gracious words pour from His lips? Was not majesty combined with meekness uniquely in Him? As for His triumphs, He won His greatest victory not by inflicting suffering, but by enduring it.

And man of sorrows that He was, was Jesus not also the happiest man who has ever lived, ‘set above his companions’ by His anointing with the ‘oil of joy’? Anointing makes authority attractive; only anointed kingship is constructive in estab-lishing truth and justice. Only the kingdom of Jesus offers hope to the world this Christmas.

Let us sing the King Messiah,King of righteousness and peace;Hail Him, all His happy subjects,Never let His praises cease:Ever hail Him; Never let His praises cease.(John Ryland)

Royal wedding song

WEEKEND | PSalM 45

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Do you ever think about angels? When Hebrews was written, belief in the minis-

try of angels was on the increase. Christian believers from a Jewish

background were reared in the trad-ition that angels were present when the Law was given to Moses (Deut. 33:2). Stephen recalled this passage in his speech (Acts 7:53), and Paul knew the importance of this tradition (Gal. 3:19). It is possible a number of believers were so devoted to the angel tradition that they included prayers for angels in their liturgy. In a few extreme cases this may have become a veneration of angels in worship. Some believers were confused in their think-ing about the Person of Christ, and considered Him as the perfect angelic messenger sent by God. For all these reasons there needed to be some cor-rective teaching on angels.

The writer uses a series of Old Testament passages to prove the su-periority of Christ over the angels. First, Jesus has a greater name than the angels (vv.4–6). He is the Son and the Heir. Angels are servants of God.

angels are sent to serve us

HEbrEWS 1:4–14 | tuEs 4 DEc

I can recall my mother saying to me as a young boy, ‘Are you listening to me?’ Even though it’s not pos-

sible to produce in print the tone of her voice and the fixed stare of her eyes, you get the message! There are times in life when we are commanded to do some serious listening because of the authority of the person addressing us.

Listening carefully to Jesus Christ is one of the great themes of Hebrews, and the writer begins by leading us through three stages: God has spoken His final word through His Son (1:1–3); God’s Son enjoys an exalted status (1:5–14); God’s Word through Jesus is of ultimate significance (2:1–4).

God has spoken His word over hun-dreds of years through a variety of people, but Jesus is the supreme and final Word of God. The writer suggests eight principles which underline the authority of Jesus as the final Word of God (vv.2–3). He is the greatest of the prophets; He is the heir of everything; He is the creative agent whose hands shaped the universe; He is the visible expression of God’s majesty and the perfect revelation of God’s nature; He

sustains the universe by His power; He has made the unique sacrifice for our sins; He is seated at the right hand of God and enthroned in the majesty of heaven.

Hebrews was written for a group of believers in the first century who were suddenly faced with violent per-secution, and some of their friends had been consigned to a brutal death. Any group of believers would experi-ence fear and trepidation wondering who might be the next to be arrested. Furthermore, their faith was being tested under pressure. Why is God seemingly silent when we are suffer-ing for the name of Christ? Does God care?

Over the next 13 chapters the writer will respond to these questions by saying: God does care and He has a significant word to share with us for the tough times we face. But for the present moment, fix your eyes on this unique Jesus and listen carefully for His word.

are you listening?

MoN 3 DEc | HEbrEWS 1:1–3

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