Daily Inspirations

Good morning. The law could never make perfect those who draw near. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. The Father finished His work a long time ago and “rested“. And now Jesus has finished His work, and sat down. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are “being“ sanctified. Legally we are sanctified at rebirth; experientially, it takes a lifetime to be sanctified. The author of Hebrews then repeats the verse that says that the new covenant is God putting His laws on our hearts and writing them on our minds and remembering our sins no more. Father thank You that Your laws are written on our minds and our hearts performing their works through Your Holy Spirit.

  Good morning. In the first covenant, Moses sprinkled all the objects and the people with blood. According to the law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. If the first covenant required the shedding of blood – the heavenly things themselves “needed to be sprinkled“ with better sacrifices than these. Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, but into heaven itself to appear in the presence of God for us; nor was it that He would offer Himself often. And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once (however the book of Revelation speaks of a second death) and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation (without reference to sin), to those who eagerly await Him. We have already received salvation “with reference to sin“; but we await the “salvation” of our bodies. Father help us to make ourselves pure as we aw...

  Good morning. Therefore, Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Where two sides disagree, you need a mediator (or go-between) to settle the dispute. The accuser of the brethren says that we did wrong and therefore deserve eternal destruction; the blood of Jesus says that we are forgiven. Where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. That’s because as long is that person is alive, he or she will make sure that the agreement is enforced, and there is no need of a covenant at that time. Father continue to guide the reader and his/her family in their decisions every day.

  Good morning. So we have the way of the old: but when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, nor of this creation; and not through the blood of animals but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. The redemption under the old, was temporary; the redemption under the new is eternal. If the blood of animals cleansed the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? The blood of animals was sprinkled on the flesh of the people; the blood of Christ is sprinkled on our consciences. Father thank You that we are cleansed by a better sacrifice through the blood of Christ.

  Good morning. The priests enter the outer tabernacle performing the divine worship, but into the second, only the high priest enters once a year (Day of atonement), not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place (Jesus) has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing, which is a symbol for the present time. Gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, since they relate only to food, etc. for the body imposed until the time of reformation (through the new covenant). All of these things for centuries received the attention of the priests and the people, instead of God, which is the reason for them. The people and priests trusted in the form of worship and not in the One who gave them. Father help us to not keep our eyes on traditions we have been taught, but on You each day of our lives....

  Good morning. Now even the first covenant had regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary. The author then mentions the things inside the holy place. Behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant; and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. A couple of things about the previous verses: first the altar of incense was not behind the second veil. That is clear from the book of Exodus. Was that an error? No serious Jew would’ve made that mistake. My Bible excuses it as the author showing the close relationship to the inner sanctuary and the ark. While that is possible, it may mean that the author was not a Jew. The second thing is that while all of those objects were inside the ark at one time; they were not there w...

  Good morning. So what? you may ask. We have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man. Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer. Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve a copy and a shadow of the heavenly things. But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. Everything that God had Moses to put in the tabernacle represented what was actually in heaven. That is why he could not deviate from what God showed him. The author of Hebrews will explain in a few verses what is meant by a better covenant and better promises. Father help us to follow ...

  Good morning. Since Jesus holds His priesthood permanently: therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. The law did not make intercession for the people; as we said before, it was lifeless. And it did not save people even for a short time, much less permanently. It was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens (you could not say that about the earthly high priests); who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did, once for all when He offered up Himself. For the law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever. You don’t want someone representing you before God who is more concerned about his own status than he is about y...

  Good morning. Why did God replace the system of rules and regulations of the law? On the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing perfect), on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. The law was a set of lifeless rules and regulations that did not care whether or not we were able to obey them. If you did, fine; if you did not, too bad so sad. Where is the hope in that? And inasmuch as it was not without an oath (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him “You are a priest forever”, so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. The priests of the law died and were replaced by new ones. Jesus, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. We will complete the thought next time. Father thank You that You had everything planned out perfectly from th...

  Good morning. Now Melchizedek was not a descendent of Aaron: The one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek”. All priests came from the tribe of Levi; Jesus came from the tribe of Judah. Priests lived and died, but Jesus lives forever. We will see next time why God did away with the requirements of the law, and replaced them with a personal relationship with Jesus. Father help this to be the greatest month ever for the reader and his/her family.

Good morning. Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? If the law was perfect, and the Levitical priesthood was perfect, what need was there for something different? When God spoke this through David about there being a coming change in priesthood, it wasn’t at the last minute - a desperation because the old way failed. The law had been around for only a few hundred years – there was still 1000 years to go till Jesus. God knew, even before creation, that there was a better way. He was showing man that man could not obtain holiness on his own. For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. If the law was good enough, there would not have been a need to change the priesthood. Father help this to be a great week for the reader and hi...

  Good morning. Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a 10th of the choicest of spoils. And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have commandment in the law to collect a 10th from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham. But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. In this case mortal men received tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes. Under the old covenant, the people gave a tenth to the Levites. Abraham would have only given a tithe to someone who represented the Lord. This meant that Melchizedek was someone very special. Father help this to be a very special day for the reader and his/her family.

  Good morning. For this Melchizedek, King of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a 10th part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. My Bible points out that he was both a king and a priest. That did not happen under the old covenant. You could be one, but not the other. He was king of righteousness, and king of peace. That seems to prefigure Jesus. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually. My Bible reminds us: in Genesis the norm was to give the father and or mother of an important person and how long this person lived. Neither of these is mentioned. It doesn’t mention someone being priest before him or after him. The author of Hebrews just ...

  Good morning. … Take hold of the hope set before us: this hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Notice that hope deals with our soul area. Our soul can be tossed to and fro from the storms that assail us. It needs an anchor to steady us – hope. The veil that it is talking about is the one that separates the holy of holies from the rest of the temple. Once a year the high priest entered. He did this every year; but Jesus entered the true one in heaven once for all time. The high priest entered with the blood of an animal; Jesus entered with His own blood. Next time we will talk more about this Melchizedek. Father thank You for the hope that anchors our soul. Help this hope to keep the reader’s soul steadfast and sure.

  Good morning. For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end to every dispute. In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. We should take God at His word, for He never lies – in fact He cannot. God promised to multiply Abraham. And then on top of that, He swore an oath to Abraham. As humans, one person will tell another that he or she is going to do something. The other person is skeptical; and so the first one says, “I swear that I will do it“. If all Christians truly abided by the verse elsewhere in the Bible – let your yes be yes, and your no be no, then we would not need to swear that we will do something. Father thank You that You do not have to swear that You ...

  Good morning. Father bring healing quickly to the reader and his/her family. Referring back to the Old Testament (which was their Bible), as the author of Hebrews many times does: for when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, “ I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you“. That should be all that we need. When we see God‘s promise to us in the Bible, we should have faith to believe that He will do what He said He would. And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. Just like we will see in chapter 11, the chronicles of faith, the author of the book of Hebrews sees the people in the old testament through “rose colored glasses“. If you read the account in Genesis of Abraham, to us he did not patiently wait; hence, Ishmael. Seeing the account through the eyes of faith, Abraham did wait patiently. We should see ourselves as God sees us – through the eyes of faith. Father thank You that You never go back o...

  Good morning. Referring to those falling away: we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. In other words, those verses we looked at yesterday don’t apply to you. For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, and having ministered and still ministering to the saints. We don’t believe you would be doing that if you had fallen away. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence (don’t slack off your enthusiasm from when you were first saved) so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish (too many Christians have become sluggish over the years), but imitators of those (people in the church watch to see what we will do, and many times imitate us) who through faith and diligence inherit the promises. Father continue to go with the reader and his/her family. Bring blessings and healing upon them qu...

  Good morning. For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. This is a toughie. It can be interpreted as believers losing their salvation. They have been enlightened, but that does not mean that they are believers; they may simply have heard the truth of the gospel. That would go along with “they have tasted the good word of God”. However, it does say that they have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit. That would imply that they were believers. In modern-day Christianity, we interpret the phrase “then have fallen away“ as meaning they lost their salvation. We do have to be careful about using modern day interpretation of words and phrases in the Bible to b...

  Good morning. So what might we call this milk? Leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation (you must have a solid foundation, or the building will crumble at the slightest quake) of repentance (literally means to change your mind about something) from dead works (works of the law for salvation) and faith toward God, of instruction about washings (could have been talking about baptism, but also could have been talking about the ceremonial washing of hands, cups, etc. under the custom of the Jews) and laying on of hands (for healing, receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit, commissioning from the Lord, etc.), and the resurrection of the dead (the end of this physical life is not the end of the spiritual you) and eternal judgment (yes Virginia, there is a judgment day coming to those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ). And this we will do, if God permits. Father help us to move on from elementary principles ...

  Good morning. And having been made perfect (again he is not saying that Jesus was less than perfect), He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Concerning him (Melchizedek) we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. Behaving like a baby when you are only a few months old is one thing, but still acting that way years later means you have a problem. This happens too often in churches. Sometimes baby Christians never grow up spiritually. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice (some Christians don’t practice the word of righte...

  Good morning. Speaking of Jesus our high priest: In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying in tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Obviously he was talking about Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. While the gospels mention Jesus crying out to the Father to remove the cup, they do not mention tears. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. I am sure that Abraham agonized when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac; still he obeyed. In the garden, Jesus agonized over the fact that the Father asked Him to sacrifice Himself. When Abraham obeyed, he became the father of a multitude. When Jesus obeyed, He became the brother of a multitude. We would never want our children to suffer like Jesus did, even if they had done something wrong. But Jesus and the Father knew that it was necessary for our sakes. Father continue to go with the reader during this week and ev...

  Good morning. Speaking of the earthly high priest: he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself (as we mentioned yesterday). And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was. And just like Aaron did not choose to be high priest – so also Christ did not glorify Himself, but He who said to Him, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You; You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.“ It was not according to the order of Aaron. The author of Hebrews will point out what this means. Father continue to go with the reader and his/her family. Prepare them for what is to come.

  Good morning. Since we have this great high priest who has been tempted like we and yet without sin: therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Before Jesus there was no way that man could even dream about being able to come into the presence of God. Because of what He did, we can come boldly into God‘s presence. We need mercy when we sin, and we need grace to help keep us from yielding to sin. The author now goes back to talking about the high priests here on earth. For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. Even though the high priest had himself sinned during the year, it was his duty to offer sacrifices for the sins that the people had committed during the year; after he had first offered a sacrifice for the sins he had committed. Father thank You that we can come with conf...

  Good morning. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. In other words, you can’t get away with anything. Therefore, since we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. He is referring back to previous things that he wrote about Jesus being the apostle and high priest of our confession. When we see the word confession, we immediately think it is talking about admitting things that we have done wrong. It can also mean speaking forth what you believe; in this case about Jesus and what He has done for us. Reiterating what he said earlier: for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. You cannot be tempted to sin unless there is something that you do not have that you want. There was nothing that Jesus did not have that He wan...

  Good morning. Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. We hear or read a bunch of words each day of our lives. Some are good and inspire us to feel better or do better, and some make us feel miserable. But in and of themselves, they are dead. Why should we be diligent to enter God‘s rest? For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edge sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. God’s Word is not just a bunch of words on paper. It goes to work on us even to the farthest depths. Without the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to tell what is from our soul, and what is from our spirit; just like without the tools of modern science, it is impossible for the human eye to detect where the bone leaves off and the marrow begins. Father help us to allow Your Word through Your Spirit to ...

  Good morning. For we who have believed enter that rest. Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, He again fixes a certain day, “today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.“ It’s not just the Israelites who hardened their hearts; it is people today, even in churches. For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another another day after that. Ours is not just a physical/emotional rest like theirs. So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. It’s not like God got tired and had to rest. When He finished with creation, He ceased from His labors. We also do not have to labor to enter our promised land - it is not by works, but by grace through faith. Father thank You that we can enter into Your rest, even here on earth.

  Good morning. Referring to the children of Israel and God’s promise of entering the promised land: for indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. It’s not just the Word, and it’s not just faith – it takes the uniting of both of them. The word translated united is the same one that is used to describe the making of a compound. A compound is when you take two completely different items like carbon and iron and combine them under heat and pressure to make steel. It is not an entirely new element, but you cannot tell where the iron leaves off and the carbon begins. Iron by itself is strong; but combined with carbon under heat and pressure it makes steel. At the time it was discovered, it was the most powerful substance used in building. The same thing happens in the uniting of the Word of God and faith. You cannot tell where one leaves off and the other begins. Eac...

  Good morning. And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief. So it was a two pronged problem - disobedience and unbelief. In the end, why do we disobey? It is because of unbelief. Either we don’t believe in God’s promises that He will take care of our situation; or we don’t believe that if we sin, there will be punishment. The fact that a lot of times people are not punished the moment they sin emboldens them to further commit sin. Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. The Israelites had a promise from God for hundreds of years of entering into His rest in the promised land. After they left Egypt, they only had a short distance to travel to hold on to God‘s promise. Even so, they couldn’t make it. When they spied out the land a short time after leaving Egypt, they let the possible prob...

  Good morning. We have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end. So if you want to reach the best potential for yourself, then this is not a fly-by-night thing that you do for a while and then fade away. (Logically speaking) that does not necessarily mean that if you do not hold fast, that you will not become a partaker of Christ. That is called the inverse, and is not logically equivalent to the conditional (grimace 😩 ). “do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.“ Who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? Only Joshua and Caleb made it to the promised land. They were the only two who had a good report when they spied out the land. And with whom was He angry for 40 years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? They saw God’s miracles for 40 years, and still rebelled against Him. We must be careful that we not do the same thing. F...

  Good morning. Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. Note that he says brethren. That is implying that he was talking to believers. How could a believer have an evil, unbelieving heart? It also talks about that person falling away from (comes from the Greek word translated apostasy) the living God. So do these things mean that this supposed person has lost their salvation? Or was it someone who was associating with believers, but in the end was not truly a believer himself? Whether this person was an unbeliever, or a believer who lost his salvation, the writer of Hebrews gives a solution to the situation: encourage one another day after day, as long as it still called today, so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. When you don’t associate with fellow believers, it is much easier to get discouraged and to fall away from the things of God. You start to believe that it is OK t...