July 31, 2010 Lesson 20 of Hebrews 13:9-25

What decisive choice and action are demanded here of the first readers of this epistle between their old Jewish associations and their new Christian allegiance? What comparable choices do those who wish to follow Christ still have to make today? Answer: Again, like yesterday I am having trouble answering. I will tell you what I am seeing in this section and I hope it answers the question. What I see first is a turning of away from ceremonial things such as foods. Second I see Jesus’ death being compared to the old sacrifices to show how His death atones for our sins. I see a command to offer a sacrifice of praise. I see a plea to “obey your leaders and submit to authority” in v17. This is much different than v7. V7 is trying to get one to imitate the faith of the old leaders, while 17 is trying to get one to follow the new leaders under the new covenant.


V 15, 16,20, 21. What can we count on God to do for us, and why? What is the purpose in view? What sacrifices can we now offer in God’s service? How far is this purpose finding fulfillment in my life? Answer: Again, not sure but I will answer as best I can. V15-16 it tells us to sacrifice by praising God and helping others. Going back to Romans 12:1, “Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God –this is your spiritual act of worship.” As in the Old Testament this is not a sacrifice for atonement, but of worship, a fragrance offering. Ps 7:17, 51:17; sacrifices showing a humble heart. V20-21 is showing how those of us who humble ourselves and make our lives a sacrifice, as in 15-16, then God will be pleased and equip you with what you need to allow Him to work through us.

July 30, 2010 Lesson 19 of Hebrews 13:1-8

List in detail the various aspects of Christian duty which are enjoined or implied here. Examine our own life and circumstances in order to discover way in which your practical obedience in demanded. Answer: 1) Love each other as brothers, 2) entertain strangers, 3) remember those in prison, 4) Marriage should be honored and kept pure, 5) keep free from the love of money, and 6) remember your leaders (i.e Moses, Abraham) and imitate them.


V5, 6, 8. What makes the Christian adequate to face every possible circumstance? Why is there for them nothing to fear, and no-one who can really harm them? What use can they make of the Old Testament Scriptures for the encouragement? Answer: The Christian is adequate to face whatever life throws at them because we believe in the Son of God that fulfills these verses. Christ is our rock and foundation. V5 comes from Deut 31:6, 8 while V6 comes from Ps118:6


V7. In what ways should Christian leaders, whose life on earth has ended, be remembered? Answer: They should be remembered and imitated.

July 29, 2010 Lesson 18 of Hebrews 12:18-29

V18-24. List the ways in which our Christian privileges under the new covenant excel the experiences of the Israelites at Sinai. Of what ought we by faith deliberately to be conscious when we draw near to God through Christ and his shed blood? Answer: We are heirs with Christ. At Sinai they were given the law, the law does not save. The law shows us our sin, the law provided rituals for cleansing of sins. Christ’s words, like and with the law, shows us our sins, however it is His sacrifice under the new covenant that brings us righteousness. (I hope this answers the question, I am not sure I understood it)


V25-29. What is here said to be impending and inescapable? How do we know this? Cf. Mark 13:31; 2 Pet 3:9-14, How in consequence, ought we to live our present earthly lives? Answer: Warning against refusing God. Judgment is impending and inescapable. However, for us the standard is set higher than in the OT times. They were warned through the OT prophets (i.e. Moses, Abraham, etc.), we were warned through Christ (heaven). Again, I am not sure I answered this one right. I double checked the STS book to see if I had the right questions for the right day, and it seems that I do.


Notes
V 23. ‘The assembly of the firstborn’: i.e. the church (Greek, ecclesia) of the privileged who have heavenly inheritance and whose names are written in heaven. Cf. Like 10:20; Rev 21:27.
V23. ‘The spirits of righteous men made perfect’: i.e., either Old Testament saints, or all the faithful departed.

July 28, 2010 Lesson 17 of Hebrews 12:1-17

V1-4. What quality does the Christian race particularly demand? What conditions must be fulfilled if it is to be run successfully? How can I gain the help I need to finish the course? Answer: running the race requires perseverance/ endurance! As I understand the second question based on this passage the conditions needing to be met is Christ’s endurance of the cross and our belief in Him.


V5-11. For what purpose does God in his providence order some of the earthly experience to his children? What goal has he in view for us? On what kind of response from us does our full enjoyment of benefit depend? Answer: God disciples us like our earthly fathers (or mother depending on the situation) have to, in order to teach us lessons. Lessons that will help us grow into what He (or he if we are talking about our earthly father) wants us to be, a transforming process. The fulfillment depends on our acceptance of that discipline. If we rebel it will be of little use, except to frustrate.


V12-17 What dangers beset those who are spiritually slack and careless? How may a whole group be affected by one renegade? What particular steeps to avoid these dangers are (either explicitly or implicitly) given here? Answer: Those who are careless may lose all their reward. Esau did sell his inheritance for only a bowl of soup (talk about careless) causing many to suffer out of lack of blessing and frustration.

July 27, 2010 Lesson 16 of Hebrews 11:23-40

V23-28. Note how Moses’ faith gave him the twofold awareness and assurance emphasized in V1. What choices did such faith lead him to make: a) concerning the world in which he had grown up, and b) concerning the cost of siding with Israelites? How ought similar faith to affect my attitude towards the interest to which I choose to devote my life? Answer: Moses saw that the world he grew up in was not one that served God. Moses saw that it was filled with sin and no repentance. He had faith enough to realize that it was not about him or his pleasures. He saw that the ways of the Egyptians would lead ultimately to death. We are no different today. We must choose to leave the ways of the world behind so that we may live and grow in Him by faith.

V28-31. What different steps and stages of faith and its expression are illustrated by these four instances? What kind of faith did the capture of Jericho demand? Cf. 3:14; 6:11, 12; 10:35, 36. Is my faith at all weak in this last quality? Answer: Faith, the assurance of things unseen, I am not sure how to put that into this answer. I don’t see /understand the steps, stages, or kind of faith means.


V32-40. These verses give a summary of the achievements and the sufferings of the men and women of faith. Note that the victories are of all kinds; and that the most outstanding witness is given by the ‘martyrs’ who suffered and died rather than deny their faith. In what ways am I more privileged than they? Would I be ready to follow their example, or does their faith put mine to shame? Answer: I would say their faith puts mine to shame. If I was stoned or whipped in the public square would I be able to maintain my faith? I hope that I would, and thank God we don’t have to worry about this in America today. My thoughts and (more importantly) prayers go out to them who live this way (i.e. China, middle east). It is easy to have faith in God when you live somewhere that has “freedom of religion.” Not so easy when you have to fear for your life just for believing in the one true God. Actually not that I think about it, If you do live in fear because of your belief then to me that just proves God exists. Why would the enemy, satan, have to convince people to torture and kill those who believed in God if there is no god. What other religion is really treated to this degree?

July 26, 2010 Lesson 15 of Hebrews 11:1-22

Faith deals with things unseen and things future, and, in particular, with the living God and his faith doing (v1,6). It is sure of the present reality of the one, and of the coming fulfillment of the other. Notice in detail how these characteristics of faith were exhibited in the lives of the individual mentioned here. What does this teach me I need to desire if my life is to please God. Answer: It teaches me that it is by faith we are saved! Not by might or power or works. It is the faith in God, faith in Christ Jesus and believing that He is the only way to God. Without faith our belief is really nothing. Despite the daily sacrifices of the Old Testament (only temporary coverings of sin) verse 2 shows us that it was faith that the “ancients were commended for.”


V7-16. To what should faith in God pay attention, and what does its full expression involve? Where is the crowning fulfillment of its hopes to be enjoyed? How should such awareness affect my present outlook, action, and attitude to life? Answer: Faith, being that assurance of things hoped for, should continue to keep its eye on the promise. Noah and Abraham both did, as described in this passage. We too should keep our “eye on the prize” in that we too will one day live forever with God in heaven!!


V17-19. What apparent contradiction was involved (as Abraham at first was it) between God’s promise and God’s command concerning Isaac? How did Abraham’s faith in God triumph over this test, and what new hope did Abraham have in God? Answer: The contradiction is that God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations through his son Isaac. To sacrifice Isaac would have meant the end to that. However, God (like always for those who have faith in Him) provided to Abraham an appropriate sacrifice.

July 25, 2010 Lesson 14 of Hebrews 10:19-39

Having finished his doctrinal exposition, the writer proceeds to give practical counsel for the life we are to live under the new covenant.
V19-25. How are we exhorted here to give expression to our faith, hope and love? Seek in your own life to discern ways in which these exhortations demand your obedience. Answer: The exhortations, as noted in the NIV study Bible, are 1) Let us draw near to God (v22), 2) Let us hold unswervingly to… hope (v23), 3) Let us consider how we may spur on another on (v23), 4) let us not give up meeting together (v25), and 5) Let us encourage one another (v25). For me all 5 of these items are a daily battle. Some more than others and some more on one day than another. Living the Christian life is not something that we want to do by human nature. It is something that we pray for continually, that transforming by the Holy Spirit to be more like God that He may be glorified in us. That we are drawn nearer to God and sometime (i.e. during trying times) that requires the help and support of another believer.


V26-39. For those who have God given light concerning the way of salvation, what is the only alternative to going on with God? Why are its consequences so serious? On what grounds does the writer here expect, and appeal for, the best from his readers? Answer: If you turn your back on God, once you have been given the light, you have turned you back on the only way to salvation. You will have no way of returning. The passages says, it is as if you have crucified Christ all over again. The writer says that if we persevere in our faith we will be richly rewarded.


Notes
V22. As the high priest and his sons at their consecration for service in the earthly sanctuary were washed with water and sprinkled with the blood of sacrifice (Exod 29:4, 21), so we in ‘heart’ and ‘body’ (that is, inwardly and outwardly, in our whole being) have been ‘sanctified’ by Christ’s sacrifice.
V26, 29. The writer has in mind deliberate and persistent apostasy – self-chosen denial and defiance of both the Son of God and the Spirit of Grace. The closing words of verse 26 mean that no second atoning sacrifice is provided for those who reject the sacrifice of Christ and his sanctifying blood.