Hebrews 4:10

 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.  Hebrews 4:10

This verse in Hebrews refers to the Lord's 4th commandment:

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore, the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy." Exodus 20:8-11

God is commanding us to take a break! He is indeed giving us permission to take some time off and rest! How amazing and wonderful is that!

Honestly, I have found that when I do take the time to truly rest, that not only do I feel better for it, but I am also admittedly more productive!

We can rest in His grace and mercy.  Thank you, God, for your peace that passes all understanding. Praise the Lord!

Hebrews 3:13

 Exhort one another daily, while it is called "today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:13

We are only human. We are all sinners. We need to help each other remember and encourage each other to press on. It is very easy to fall away and get discouraged. 

We have to be careful not to make the same mistake that the Israelites did. They actually saw the wonders and miracles of God and yet they complained and were not able to enter the Promised Land.

Dear Lord, please help us to persevere to the end. Please help us to hear your still small voice and to listen to you speaking to us. Help us to do it with the right heart. Thank you, Lord, that we can take comfort in knowing that you see our heart. 

Hebrews 2:5-18

 Hebrews 2:5-8 refers to Psalm 8:4-6:

"What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the angels and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands, you have put all things under his feet."

mindful (adjective) aware, attentive, observant, vigilant, careful

What are humans that the almighty God would keep a watchful eye over us? 

The son of man is Jesus, being both God and man....Jesus was made lower than the angels, meaning he was human....Jesus was crowned with glory and honor, meaning he is Lord, and has the authority and control over everything God created. 

Knowing that God is in control of everything, that He has a plan and a purpose (Isaiah 14:24), that He can bring good out of something bad (Romans 8:28), gives us the peace that passes all understanding! (Phil. 4:7) "Do not be afraid, for I am with you," says the Lord! (Isaiah 41:10)

God made Jesus human to walk on this earth for a little while, and now He is our Lord and Savior to be worshiped and praised. 

Jesus is God's one and only begotten Son. God created humans. We are God's children. We have been adopted as believers in Christ. (Romans 8:14-15) God is vigilant in taking care of His children. Hebrews 2:10-18 refers to us as a family (sons, brothers, children, offspring, flesh and blood). If Jesus is God's son, and we are God's children, then Jesus is our brother! Jesus is "not ashamed," meaning He is proud to call us brothers and sisters! (Hebrews 2:11) 

Jesus was made like us humans in every respect so that He could fully understand us, so that He can be merciful and help us when we are being tempted. (Hebrews 2:17-18)

When we are tempted, Jesus can help us so that don't give in to temptation. 

God does not tempt us. (James 1:13)

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. We are all family in the kingdom of God. We are one body in Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-13, 27)

Jesus, as High Priest in the service of God, made propitiation for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17)

propitiation (noun) appeasement, the act of gaining favor or goodwill

appease (verb) to reconcile, to make someone pleased or less angry by giving or saying something desired, to bring to a state of peace 

propitiation = the action of appeasing God, the atonement (reparation for a wrong) for our sin, the reconciliation of God and man through Jesus Christ.

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21

Jesus was "made perfect through suffering." Hebrews 2:10 

Jesus willingly endured the cross and died for our salvation as the perfect sacrifice. Jesus died to destroy the devil so death no longer has power. We are no longer slaves because Jesus delivered us!

 Thank you Jesus for being my Lord and Savior! 

Hebrews 2:1-4

Hebrews chapter one is distinguishing Jesus from the angels by demonstrating how God's only son is superior to and worshiped by the angels. 

"Therefore, we need to pay close attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. The message declared by the angels proved to be reliable." Hebrews 2:1-2

What was the message that we heard from the angels? God's law. (Acts 7:53, Galatians 3:19) 

God used to speak through prophets and angels, but now He speaks to us through Jesus. (Hebrews 1:1-2) 

Jesus is God's Word. (John 1:1) 

We need to focus on what God is telling us, so we don't get distracted and forget it. 

If the message declared by the angels was proven to be reliable, and if Jesus is superior to the angels, then how much more reliable is Jesus?

How was the angels' message proven to be reliable? 

Many people have accepted the existence of angels, given them honor and respect, while some have even worshiped them. We are warned not to worship the angels, and to worship God. Angels are commanded by God, and they are God's messengers. 

"Every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution" Hebrews 2:2. 

transgress (verb) to sin, to break a law, to go past a boundary

disobey (verb) to refuse or neglect to obey

Sin is sin, and it doesn't matter if we do or don't do it willfully, unconsciously, or even by accident, it's still sin. If we have broken one law, we may as well have broken them all. (James 2:10)

"But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you" Deuteronomy 28:15.

"Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip, for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly. For the Lord will vindicate his people" Deuteronomy 32:35-36.

Was being kicked out of the Garden of Eden a "just retribution" for eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil? (Genesis 3)

Were the ten plagues a "just retribution" for Pharoah's disobedience not letting God's people go free? (Exodus 7-12)

Was being swallowed by a whale a "just retribution" for Jonah's disobedience for not going to Ninevah? (Jonah 1:17)

"Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience" Ephesians 5:6.

The angels' message was proven reliable because of physical blessings for obedience and/or physical consequences for disobedience. 

Therefore, we must focus on God's Word, so we don't sin. We have heard terrible consequences happen when people disobeyed God's law.

"How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?" Hebrews 2:3

Reliable (adjective) able to be trusted and believed, credible, true

The credibility of our salvation is established:

• It was declared at first by the Lord (Matthew 3:16-17)
• It was attested to us by those who heard (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
• God bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will (The New Testament)

If we can trust that there are consequences for breaking God's law, how much more can we trust the salvation of God's Word?

Hebrews Chapter 1

 The first chapter of Hebrews is giving Jesus the credibility that He is God's Son and not just another angel of the Lord, and giving Him the honor and glory. Not only is Jesus over the angels, God the Father has made Jesus superior to all and everything in subjection to Him. God gave His Son Jesus the authority of God over all. Jesus is the perfect sacrifice and died for our salvation. Jesus was human just like use and Jesus is God just like the Father. That's why He is able to help us. 

Even though we don't know who wrote the book of Hebrews, the letter is believed to be written probably between 60-70 AD, to Christians in a time of trial, as an encouragement in crisis to focus on Jesus.

Who Jesus is:

• God's Son
• the firstborn heir of all things
• the radiance of God's glory
• the exact imprint of God's nature 
• superior to angels

Where Jesus is:

• He is sitting at the right hand of God now.
• He was there at the time of the creation of the world.

What Jesus is doing and has done:

• God created the world through Jesus.
• Jesus upholds the universe by the word of His power.
• Jesus made purification for sins.

God used humans to speak to us at many times in different ways (Hebrews 1:1):

• In Jacob's dream, he saw a ladder from earth to heaven with angels and the Lord promised him that He'd take care of him. (Genesis 28:10-15)
• God spoke to Moses through a burning bush. (Exodus 3:1-6)
• Thunder and lightning, loud trumpet blast, thick dark smoke, God gave the ten commandments through Moses. (Exodus 20:1-21)
• Balaam's donkey saw the angel of the Lord. The Lord spoke through the donkey, and the Lord opened Balaam's eyes to see the angel. (Numbers 22:28,32)
• The Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21)

Now God speaks to us through Jesus in these last days (Hebrews 1:2).

The author makes a point to state that Jesus is superior to the angels (Hebrews 1:4-14). 

Maybe the author was suggesting that the readers thought that Jesus was an angel or a prophet. Apparently, some people worshiped the angels (Colossians 2:18). 

Angels are:

• to bow down to worship Jesus (Deut. 32:43)
• not to be worshiped (Revelation 22:8-9)
• wind (Heb. 1:7)
• a flame of fire (Heb. 1:7)
• used, changed, and worn like garments (Heb. 1:11-12)
• perishable (Heb. 1:11)
• ministering spirits (Heb. 1:14)
• servants (Heb. 1:14)
• messengers of God (Exodus 23:20, Matthew 28:2-7)
• God commands them to guard and protect His followers (Psalm 91:11)

Jesus:

• God's one and only begotten Son
• God's anointed
• sitting on throne at the right hand of God
• His kingdom never ends
• was at the beginning of creation
• will live forever
• His enemies are a footstool for His feet

So, if we believed the angels, how much more so we should believe Jesus. 

Hebrews 1:3

"He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power." Hebrews 1:3

radiance (noun) light or heat as emitted or reflected by something

glory (noun) 1) high renown or honor won by notable achievements 2) magnificence or great beauty (verb) take great pride or pleasure in

When I think of radiance, I think of the sun shining so brightly through the clouds that I can see brilliant sunbeams piercing through the sky. 

When I think of radiance, I think of how a full moon can light up the night because it is reflecting the light from the sun that is hidden from our view. We can't see the sun at night, but the moon can. 

When I think of glory, I think of the goodness of God, giving thanks to God, honoring and praising God!

What is the glory of God? 

What is God's glory? 

Jesus is the light of the world.

Jesus is the radiance of the world.

Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God.

The glory of God is the world!

The world is what God takes great pride and pleasure in!

Wow! That is mind blowing to me! That we are God's glory! 

When God looks at us, all He sees is Jesus! 

EXPERIMENT:

Here is an experiment to help understand how God looks at us once we have put our faith and trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior:

1. Get a bunch of pennies and make two stacks. 
2. Make one stack have more than the other. 
3. Give the larger stack to another person.
4. When you look at those stacks of pennies,

• count how many pennies there are
• see how tall or short
• compare how much bigger their stack is than yours

Whoever doesn't have as many pennies doesn't measure up, feels less valuable, and doesn't feel worthy. 

1. Stand up.
2. Look down at the stacks of pennies from above. 
3. What do you see?

When God looks at the stack of pennies, all He sees is the top of the stack... He only sees one penny! Before we were saved as believers in Christ, that penny is old, brown, and rusty. After we have been covered with the blood of Jesus and washed white as snow, then that penny is bright, shiny, and perfect! All God sees is Jesus! Isn't that absolutely mind-boggling?! I just love this beautiful mind picture!

Jesus is the exact imprint of God's nature. 

An exact imprint is like a fingerprint, something that is marked with the exact image.

Jesus is like the fingerprint of God on man. Jesus is both God and human. 

Jesus shows us the very character of God in human form. 

Jesus never sinned. Which is why Jesus was the perfect sacrifice to pay for our sins. 

Thank you, Jesus! Thank you for redeeming me and being my Lord and Savior!

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 

Jesus sustains everything by the mighty power of His command. 

Jesus is the Word of God. 

God is speaking to us through Jesus. 

There is power in the name of Jesus!

Thank you, Lord! Praise Jesus!

Jesus is the light of the world.

Jesus is the radiance of the world. 

Jesus is the reflection of the honor and beauty of God. 

Jesus is reflecting God. 

This reminds me of the moon reflecting the light of the Sun at night. 

The sun is hidden from our view at night, but it is still there.

The moon gives light to the darkness of night. 

God is like the sun, just as Jesus is like the moon, just as the world is like the night.

What an awesome insight! 

We will never look at the moon the same way ever again!