Snow Day with my Bible - Hebrews After Leviticus

During Leadership Retreat our fearless Leader Heather Zempel suggested that after I finish Leviticus I should read Hebrews. That was the best advice I have received this year by far!! Wow!! Today is a snow day and I am ripping into Hebrews much faster than normal and Leviticus has come alive through Hebrews. So much to move through I thought I would break up the normal Book Blog into a few parts. The last two days Hebrews 1 - 10 have been amazing. I am reading a new translation for me as well, The Message. As I move through each passage I am found thinking.... AMAZING, Yes no more sacrifices, Wow, YES Jesus the PERFECT High Priest. Let me share a few parts with you as it is all really overwhelming!!


Hebrews 2: 1-4 (The Message)

1-4It's crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we've heard so that we don't drift off. If the old message delivered by the angels was valid and nobody got away with anything, do you think we can risk neglecting this latest message, this magnificent salvation? First of all, it was delivered in person by the Master, then accurately passed on to us by those who heard it from him. All the while God was validating it with gifts through the Holy Spirit, all sorts of signs and miracles, as he saw fit.

This passage is talking about the Old Law and the New Law. The Old Law (Leviticus) was delivered by Angels, however this New Law - The Gospel, The Message of Christ redemption for all sins was delivered in PERSON BY THE MASTER. Wow, then is was accurately passed on to us by those who heard it from him. I love how we are expected to understand how important the Old Law was, but see that this New Law is that much more important!!

Hebrews 5:11-6:3 (The Message)

Re-Crucifying Jesus
11-14I have a lot more to say about this, but it is hard to get it across to you since you've picked up this bad habit of not listening. By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go over the basics on God again, starting from square one—baby's milk, when you should have been on solid food long ago! Milk is for beginners, inexperienced in God's ways; solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong.

Hebrews 6
1-3 So come on, let's leave the preschool finger-painting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on "salvation by self-help" and turning in trust toward God; baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment. God helping us, we'll stay true to all that. But there's so much more. Let's get on with it!

This passage I am sure many have read or heard sermon's on over and over. We are to be developing in our relationship with Christ not just learning the same basics over and over. What really stood out ot me in this passage as I read it today was THE BASIC FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS. As I read that specific then followed with the 5 things that are listed as basics:

1. Turning your back on "Salvation by self-help" : Meaning our salvation is not by our works or our own power.
2. Turning in Trust toward God: Meaning our salvation is by his power and gift to us.
3. Baptismal Instructions: Meaning being baptized
4. Laying on of Hands: Meaning praying for each other with laying on of hands for healing
5. Resurrection of the dead: Meaning people being raised from the dead
6. Eternal Judgment: Meaning understanding Heaven and Hell

When I went through that passage I was feeling a mix of emotions. I have shamefully always read this passage and thought I am not on MILK, surly I am on solid food with my relationship with Christ. When I read the 5 foundational truths outline in this passage I was convicted and excited. Convicted that those 5 foundational truths are not as a part of my life as I would like. Also convicted that the passage continues: God helping us, we'll stay true to all that. But there's so much more. Let's get on with it! Wow I find that personally I am striving for the foundational things of Christ as outlined in this scripture. BUT THEIR IS MORE!! Wow how powerful! Thank you God!!

Snow Day with my Bible to be continued....