the last high priest

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Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. [Hebrews 4:14 ESV]

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What comes to mind when your hear the title High Priest? I think of the person who was designated to enter the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctuary of the Jewish Tabernacle where God dwelt. To get there the priest had to pass through other rooms. This seems to be what is referenced here.

The High Priest was the one who interceded, before God, on behalf of the Jews. He made offerings and prayers for himself and for them. In that sense Jesus is presented as a great high priest. One who has, metaphorically, passed through the outer rooms and entered God's presence.

The metaphor breaks down, all of them do, if one tries to read it literally. The central point is that Jesus, one not qualified by Mosaic law to be a priest (he was not a Levite), became the last High Priest. This is what we confess. We no longer need a human priest. Our priest is in heaven.

Heaven, the holiest of holies, is accessible because of you Jesus. We give you thanks.

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... this devotion is part of a series about the book of Hebrews.

naked and exposed

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Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. [Hebrews 4:13 NLT]

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This verse conjures up words like omnipresence (the presence of God everywhere at the same time) and omniscience (the idea that God knows all that there is to know). The psalmist tells us so beautifully that wherever we go, God is there. There is no place in the universe where we can hide.

Reading "naked and exposed" reminds me of Eden. The garden where life began. The scriptures tell us that, before they sinned, "the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame". The story of Eden tells us that from the very beginning humankind has been accountable to our Creator.

I want my accountability to God to be only what I do. Not that I always do good things. Yet my accountability to him is much deeper. He sees my heart. My motives. The deepest part of me is exposed before him. And that is why I believe that he is the One who can help me in ways that no other can.

Come Holy Spirit. Expose our inner infections and heal them as none other can.

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... this devotion is part of a series about the book of Hebrews.

the word: living; active; sharp; discerning.

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The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart. [Hebrews 4:12 GNT]

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I love this description. In context it is referring to the idea that we must not harden our hearts to God's voice. I think that many mistakenly apply this to the bible. In doing so they limit divine communication to words written many years ago. This presents us with an incomplete image of God's Word.

In my experience God has spoken to me in many ways. I have felt his voice pierce me. Separating my voice from his. My thoughts and desires from his. These experiences lead me to believe that when God speaks it is like a surgeon operating with a scalpel. Precise. Helpful. Healing. And skilled.

The words alive and active tell me how relevant his voice is to me. He uses what I read and hear to transform me on a daily basis. His words to me can do things that nothing else can do. He is not constrained by my ability to hear but can, and does, communicate to me as I walk with him.

Help me to keep my heart open, and not hard, to your word Lord.

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... this devotion is part of a series about the book of Hebrews.

his voice. our hearts.

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“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” [Hebrews 4:7 ESV]

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I remember reading a quote by an English author in 2008. His words rocked my world. I could not escape the impact and the application it had on my life. It went like this:

"Why be something to everybody when you can be everything to somebody?"

I cannot describe the power that this sentence had on me. I wrestled with it for months. It led me to retire from pastoral ministry and care for my wife full time. I believed that I had heard God's voice.

My message is to simply say that God speaks to us. Sometimes through others. Often through the scriptures. The issue is how we will respond. Will we soften or harden ourselves to what he says? Will we wrestle with what we hear? Will we dismiss it? Or will we be changed by it?

Lord God help us. Teach us. To keep our hearts soft. And be open to your voice.

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... this devotion is part of a series about the book of Hebrews.

the promise of rest

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God’s promise that we may enter his place of rest still stands. ...
We who believe are entering that place of rest. [Hebrews 4:1,3 GW]

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The writer continues to teach about this idea of rest and how it is dependent on faith and trust. This idea seems to be prominently important to him. It makes me wonder what it means to rest. The Jews were commanded to rest on the Sabbath. Is this the promised rest or is it something else?

I think that the promised rest is not a Sabbath rest in the sense that we take a day off during the week. Not that there is anything wrong with resting our bodies from the rigors of work. I am thinking that this promised rest is spiritual in nature. And gained when we stop trusting ourselves.

I have entered into such a rest. Not that I permanently stay in that rest. My experience is that rest grows as I continue to cede control of my life to the Lord. I have found that the promise of rest only comes when I trust the Lord instead of myself. For me it has been a matter of letting go of control.

Once again Lord, I proclaim my trust that you will work everything together for my good.

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... this devotion is part of a series about the book of Hebrews.

entering a place of rest

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they were not able to go into His rest because they did not put their trust in Him. [Hebrews 3:19 NLV]

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We do well to remember the story of the 12 men who Moses sent to spy out the promised land. Only 2 of the men came back believing that Israel was able to take the land that God had promised them. The other 10 spoke of giants in the land and communicated fear. The people believed the 10.

In a sense this is the story of our lives. Will we embrace the future with optimism or pessimism? Will we trust that God will be with us on the journey? Or will we be afraid of the future? The question challenges me. I sometimes look to the future and fear the worst. And I find no rest when I do.

Transparently, I often think of the past when I look to the future. But instead of seeing times of joy, I remember the times of fear. In that I am like the 10 rather than the 2. It reminds me that I am only trusting God when I am not in control. I can only enter rest when I am trusting God instead of myself.

I am afraid of the future Lord. Help me to trust you and to enter your rest.

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... this devotion is part of a series about the book of Hebrews.

partners with Christ

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For we have become partners with Christ,
if in fact we hold our initial confidence firm until the end. [Hebrews 3:14 NET]

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I love the way that this translation renders the Greek word metochoi as partners. It carries with it a sense of sharing or partaking. The sense in my mind is that we are active participants in God's work on earth. Think of us as junior partners. Learning from the senior partner as we walk at his side.

The second half of the verse serves to remind us that our partnership is ongoing and active. No silent partners. The word rendered confidence brings with it a sense of reality. This partnership we have with Jesus must be real. It must touch us deeply. Only then can we hold firm until the end.

You call us partners Lord. Help us to see ourselves as co-laborers in your work on earth.

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... this devotion is part of a series about the book of Hebrews.