Category: Hebrews

November 7: Reading the Holy Bible in a year.

Hebrews 13. Show love for each other, be hospitable, practice outreach, honor marriage and be content. But “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” Remember, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever”, and we have a heavenly altar, not made with hands, and our sacrifices are sacrifices of praise, thanksgiving, doing good and with joy. This was the last two of the “let us” in the book of Hebrews for a total of fourteen. The theology part ends with “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” This covenant was instituted before time began, that is why modern translations call it the eternal covenant. Finally, I add my personal thoughts on who was the author of the book of Hebrews.

Daniel 3 tells about the image of gold that all had to worship, and the fiery furnace prepared for the three Hebrews that refused. From Sunday School we all know how that went.

November 6: Reading the Holy Bible in a year.

Hebrews 12:14-29. Let us fix our eyes to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. This and four other “let us” in the book of Hebrews bring us to a total of twelve, all intended to teach us how to live and bring us closer to Jesus and in so doing we get disciplined by God for our benefit. But it also comes with the fifth and final warning to us: “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven”

Daniel 2 contains Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and only Daniel could interpret it. Of particular interest is “Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.“

November 5: Reading the Holy Bible in a year.

Hebrews 12:1-13. Let us fix our eyes to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

Daniel 1. This book is most probably written by Daniel during his life. This has been questioned because of the many, accurate prophesies in it. It begins with Daniel and three other Hebrew children as they are taken into the Babylonian King’s administration as interns, and are given new names. They refuse the non- kosher diet, and pass the test.

Psalm 107. God to the rescue. It is a telling of four “saysos” as the Southerners used to say as they called for testimonials in their revival meetings:  “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so“. The Israelites kept getting in trouble and finally cried out to the LORD, and He saved them out of their distresses. This is a remarkably positive Psalm.

Psalm 108, a Psalm, a song of David. Here David repeated parts from Psalm 57 and Psalm 60 and used it to ask for God’s help in his further conquests as he subdued nations around him.

November 4: Reading the Holy Bible in a year.

Hebrews 11:23-40 is called “the great faith chapter”. The writer of Hebrews continues his history of faith with Moses’ parents, Moses, the people crossing the Red Sea, the fall of the walls of Jericho and the friendly innkeeper Rahab. Then the author ran out of time to mention Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets. “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”

Proverbs 18, Proverbs of Solomon. God looks at the heart, take heed and do what is right in the eyes of the Lord, not men.

Psalm 106 is a follow-on of Psalm 105. While Psalm 105 tells of the story of God’s people from Abraham to Moses, Psalm 106 continues from the crossing of the Red Sea (or Sea of Reeds) to the sins committed ,even to the child sacrifices to the gods of Canaan. The psalmist prayed for deliverance from the heathens and return and restoration of the promised land. The Psalm begins and ends with a Hallelujah (praise the LORD).

November 3: Reading the Holy Bible in a year.

Hebrews 11:1-22 is called “the great faith chapter”. “Without faith it is impossible to please God“. In the faith hall of fame the people recorded are in order, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, ending Genesis. The rest of this great chapter is tomorrow’s reading.

Ezekiel 47. This chapter is interesting. It tells of the river from the temple, the healing waters, trees by the river and the borders of the land.

Ezekiel 48 delineates the division of the land and tells of the Gates of the City. Finally the name of the Holy city shall be  “The LORD is there.” (“Yahweh Shammah,”)

November 2: Reading the Holy Bible in a year.

Hebrews 10:19-39. Since sacrifice for sins are done away with it means we must live “in a new and living way“. In the letter to the Hebrews there are eight “let us” to tell us how. After that I divert into the difference between dispensationalism  with its ten covenants and covenant theology, which has only three, and the different dispensations, of which we now are in the dispensation of grace. The next question is, when did the dispensation of grace, or church age, as it is also called, start? This too is quite interesting, but that was when it hit me. It doesn’t matter, we live in “today”. This is quite fantastic, and the narrative returns to Hebrews, where it explains that the law of Moses was inferior to the new and living way. It comes with a warning though: Do not sin deliberately! Verses 28 through 31 are quite tough, and give us pause to ponder. Is it really that bad? No, there is still hope for the believer, “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” The verse 38 was the verse that convinced me I had to be baptized in a believers baptism, even though I had been baptized as an infant. It really had nothing to do with salvation, that was settled at the time of belief. It was an act of faith and obedience to remain in close fellowship with God. “But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”

Ezekiel 46. The prophet continued outlining the manner of worship and how offerings were to be prepared.

November 1: Reading the Holy Bible in a year.

Hebrews 10:1-18. This chapter deals with Christ’s sacrifice of himself “once for all“. This is what constitutes the new covenant. and since sacrifice for sins are done away with it means we have the privilege to live in the age of grace, not the age of the Law.

Ezekiel 43. In his vision the Prophet saw the glory of the LORD returning to the temple, the Lord’s dwelling place, the altar and the consecrating thereof.

Ezekiel 44. The East Gate is to remain shut (this is important prophecy), only the Prince may sit inside the gate. Only clean people are are admitted to the temple, and there are many laws concerning priests.

Ezekiel 45. The dimensions of the holy district are defined, the properties of the city and as for the prince, he will execute justice, live in peace and live under the laws governing the prince, including keeping the feasts.

October 31: Reading the Holy Bible in a year.

Hebrews 9:11-28 tells of the much superior heavenly sanctuary into which Christ entered once and thus fulfilled the new covenant. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

Ezekiel 40 describes a vision the Prophet saw that described a new City and a new Temple. It was very detailed and showed the eastern gateway, the outer court, the northern and southern gateways, gateways to the inner court, where to prepare sacrifices, chambers for singers and priests and finally the dimensions of the inner court.

Ezekiel 41. The prophet continued describing the dimensions of the Sanctuary, the side chambers on the wall, the building at the western end and the design of the temple area.

Ezekiel 42. The Prophet outlined the chambers for the priests and the dimensions of the temple.

October 30: Reading the Holy Bible in a year.

Hebrews 9:1-10 tells of the earthly sanctuary, the tabernacle and the Temple with the Most Holy Place

Ezekiel 38. This chapter contains great prophesy with relevance for today of the events in the Middle East. Gog and allies attack Israel but there is coming a judgment on Gog.

Ezekiel 39. Things will be breaking bad for Gog. His armies will be destroyed and he himself will be buried in Israel, there will be a triumphant festival and Israel will be restored to the land.

October 29: Reading the Holy Bible in a year.

Hebrews 8. Jesus, among all other things is forever the High Priest of the New Covenant.

Ezekiel 37. This is the famous chapter about the valley of dry bones and how they are coming alive. They shall become one nation under one King.

Psalm 105. God is faithful to His Covenant people, and retells the account of what He did for the Hebrews from Abraham to the wanderings in the wilderness.