Chapter twelve does much to answer the question “how then shall we live?” in light of the theology outlined earlier in the book. The Christian life is likened unto a race, the prize of which is the New Jerusalem. As with any race, distractions come along and endurance is required to finish strong. Watching our race from the grandstands are the cloud of witnesses, those who have gone before us. Standing at the finish line is Jesus, who endured His race – ultimately, the cross – with joy. Having this as our motivation, our way of endurance is to fix our eyes on Jesus and remove all that hinders us from receiving His love.

Just as Jesus is the Overcomer who provides an example, God is the Father who provides discipline. An essential part of a child’s upbringing is the chastening of his or her father. That a father cares enough about the well-being of his children to discipline them is a sign of genuine love. We must view the chastisement of our heavenly Father in the same way and embrace it as our means to proper spiritual development. God, in His goodness, chastens us for our own profit. Though it is painful at the time, we know it produces a great reward in its transforming work in our hearts.

Another reality of the race we run is that we do it together as a community of believers. A key requirement to enduring in the race is living holy in relation to others. We are to lift up the weak, knowing that God will heal and restore them. We should pursue peace with those around us and live morally upright.

Of course, the prize we receive upon completion of the race is of much interest to us. As we know, our destination is the city of the living God. But this dwelling place of God is not like His manifestation on Mount Sinai, with terrifying sounds and sights; it is the heavenly Jerusalem inhabited by the angels, the Church, God the Judge and Jesus the Mediator. What we will have at the end is everything that cannot be shaken, for God will shake both heaven and earth in the days to come.

Following up on the exhortation to live by faith rather than turning away, the author of Hebrews devotes this portion of his writing to defining faith, through past example and unto future hope. The first sentence gives us the most concise (and most commonly referenced) definition of faith: “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. In this way, faith provides a sort of connection between the intangible and the tangible. A more clear description of what faith actually looks like is found later in the chapter. The author gives us two requirements for true faith: believing that God exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. Belief in only the former is what has caused much of the Church to remain stagnate in their faith; to them, Christianity is a one-time “turning to God”. The second component of faith is what causes us to press in and pursue God on a daily basis.

Much of the rest of the chapter is a retelling of stories from the past through the lens of faith. Each of the Patriarchs and prophets of old gained God’s approval through their various acts of faith. At the closing of this section, the author highlights two positive results of faith: the ability to encounter God’s power and the ability to endure persecution and suffering. These two realities work together to bring us into perfection; they are equal in importance, and neither should be emphasized over the other.

Intertwined with the faith stories of old is the theme of being a stranger in a foreign land. This wandering can especially be seen in the life of Abraham but is shared by all the Patriarchs mentioned in this text. All of them had a common goal of reaching the City built by God. This greater promise superseded their hopes of earthly promises, even their entering of the Promised Land. I find it fascinating that these great men and women of faith cannot enter into perfection apart from us; they actually depend on us to take hold of the better gift that we have access to. This reality ties back into previous discussions in the book of Hebrews on the responsibility of those who have been enlightened and the corporate and eternal impact of such people falling away.

If there is one truth that the author of Hebrews has made most clear to this point, it is the supremacy of Christ, and more specifically, that of His priesthood. This chapter focuses primarily on the perfection of His sacrifice. Under the Law, animal sacrifices were continually offered year after year as a reminder of sins. The blood of bulls and goats, however, were not able to take away sins or clean the consciences of those on whose behalf they were offered.

Christ came to do the will of the Father, nothing more and nothing less. He very well knew that burnt offerings and sacrifices were not what the Father desired. Christ accomplished in fullness exactly what was necessary – a one-time sacrifice that would sanctify and perfect the people of God forever. His current position is at the right hand of God, awaiting the full inheritance that His sacrifice made possible. For in this New Covenant, we can approach God in confidence, without shame. In light of this, we ought to encourage one another in love.

With this great hope comes a great warning; once again, the author makes clear the danger of apostasy. The negative side of knowing this superior sacrifice of Christ is that rejecting it has more severe of a punishment than rejecting the sacrifices of old. Those who disobeyed the Law of Moses died, but those who know the truth of the cross and reject it will face the terrifying fury of the fire of God. By knowing Christ’s sacrifice but continuing in willful sin, a person is insulting the Spirit of grace and calling what Christ did insufficient. This is a sobering warning; to fall under the judgment of One to whom vengeance belongs is a terrifying thing.

The hope we have in Christ and the fear we have of the punishment of willful sin should motivate us to endure to the end. There will be persecution and tribulation, but our confidence will fuel our endurance so that we might receive that which God has promised. Faith will preserve our souls until He returns, as we continue in the will of God just as Christ did. His perfect sacrifice provided for all of our needs, we just have to embrace it.

This section of Hebrews provides a somewhat detailed description of the old and new covenants, contrasting the perfection of the new with the faults of the old. Each covenant has its respective tabernacle, high priest and set of regulations. The author begins by defining the tabernacle of the new covenant – an essential premise for proving its superiority to the old. The “true tabernacle” is one that has existed in heaven forever, created not by man but by God. The earthly tabernacle built by Moses was only a shadow of the real one. It is fascinating to think that the pattern God showed Moses on the mountain was heaven itself!

The author then reiterates the fact that the first covenant had faults, and therefore a new one had to be established. Most of the book of Hebrews up until this point has been devoted to our High Priest, and having just described the tabernacles of each covenant, what still needs our attention is the set of regulations for each. We get a teaser of the primary change in regulation in the quote from Jeremiah in chapter eight – that in the new covenant all will know God directly rather than through others. The first part of chapter nine recaps the regulations of the old covenant, which due to the familiarity of the readers with this subject does not contain much detail (see verse five). We clearly see several deficiencies in the old model. For one, the sacrifices offered can not make one perfect in conscience. Secondly, sacrifices had to be made continually. Thirdly, the priest had to make sacrifice on behalf of himself because he, too, was a sinner.

The perfection of the new covenant can be summed up in Christ’s work on the cross. The purpose of bloodshed is threefold: to inaugurate a covenant, to cleanse and to secure entry into the Holy of Holies. Christ’s blood accomplished all of these in fullness for eternity, as He has conquered death. In Him, we have forgiveness of sins and can approach God without shame. He will appear a second time to save those who eagerly await Him, and thus, we should set our gaze on Him all the more in this age.

The author of Hebrews stated back in chapter five that there is much to say about Melchizedek but that it is difficult to explain. I will admit that although he seems to be quite significant, particularly in regards to the concept of priesthood, I know little about him. In fact, I am puzzled by many of the details mentioned about him, such as his having no mother or father and his being a perpetual priest. And just how exactly does he have no beginning or end? The author seems to create questions rather than answering them in this text.

However, what is made clear is that Melchizedek was very distinct from the typical Levitical priest. Since perfection was not achieved through the Levitical priesthood, it makes sense that one of a different order would have to arise. Several prophecies made it clear that this new Priest would come from the tribe of Judah, according to the order of Melchizedek. This would not just be a change of priests, it would be a change of law. Daily sacrifices would no longer be needed, and most importantly, we would all be able to draw near to God.

Christ’s priesthood was confirmed by a divine oath – something that had never occurred for any of the previous priests. Since we know that God does not lie and does not change His mind, we can rest assured that Jesus will remain a Priest forever, as promised. This truth, Christ as our eternal Priest, is at the very core of the New Covenant in which we live. His priesthood is permanent, and He continually represents us before the Father in intercession. As believers in the New Covenant, we are extremely privileged to have a high Priest who is completely undefiled and free of sin and yet knows our temptations. He has no need to make daily sacrifices, because He offered up Himself once and for all on behalf of everyone.

So indeed Christ’s stepping into priesthood marked the beginning of a new era; one in which the Bride of Christ would be able to come into fullness to cry out for His return. This transition was the end of the Levitical priesthood. Jesus, in the order of Melchizedek, will be our priest forever!

Chapter six of Hebrews begins with a continuation of the previous chapter’s discussion concerning the need to mature beyond the basic doctrine of Christ. Such things as the repentance of sins, faith toward God, eternal judgment, etc should already be understood by this point in the believer’s journey. Once the foundation has been laid, one should progress to the building of the actual house.

After this transitional section, the author of Hebrews moves on to make one of the most clear, and sobering, statements on the reality of falling away from the faith found in the entire Bible. Many believers would like to think that once a person has been enlightened and accepted Christ, then they are secure in His hand. However, we learn here that it is not only possible for a believer to fall away after being enlightened but also impossible for one who has done so to return again to repentance! In fact, contrary to what many people proclaim, the only way to truly “fall away” is to have partaken of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God and the powers of the age to come. Apart from this, there is nothing to fall away from – such a case would just be a shifting of the person’s beliefs. To further clarify, the author uses the example of two instances of ground receiving the rain of God. One produces useful vegetation and is therefore blessed by God; the other bears thorns and thistles and is therefore burned. The most painful part of the reality of falling away is that those who do are actually crucifying the Son of God once again and putting Him to shame.

The good news is that we do have hope. God remembers our work and love shown in His name, and if we are not sluggish but instead diligent to realize the full assurance of this hope, then we will inherit the promises of God. Just as the purpose of God does not change, neither do His promises for His children. We can take refuge in His promise to bless and multiply us. Ultimately, Jesus Christ is our great Hope – the anchor of our souls, sure and steadfast. He has entered within the veil as the Forerunner, our great High Priest for eternity.

The fifth chapter of Hebrews establishes a key requirement of high priests: that they are appointed by God rather than by themselves. This qualification highlights the divine purpose and intention in having high priests, as well as the sovereignty of God in selecting whomever He decides is the rightful candidate. Once called by God, a high priest is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins. The whole idea of priesthood would not work properly if they were self-appointed rather than chosen by God. I am reminded of how Saul was the desired king of the people, but David was appointed by God – and thus was able to operate as a king in the way God intended.

Christ clearly meets this qualification of being appointed by God, as He is called “begotten Son” and “Priest forever in the order of Melchizedek” by the Father. Moreover, Christ was perfected in this priestly calling during His days on the Earth. He learned obedience through suffering, crying out to His Father in prayer and supplication continually. I love how Christ’s cries were heard by God because of His godly fear. This reverence of the Almighty God is an example of humility to us – that it is not what we do but how we carry our hearts before God that captures His attention. At the pinnacle of this submission to the Father, Christ died on the cross to become the author of eternal salvation for us who believe.

The author of Hebrews seems to experience some frustration at not being able to explain the details of Melchizedek to the recipients of this writing due to their spiritual immaturity. Because of this, the final few verses of this chapter seem to be a “side note” on the importance of growing in spiritual understanding. New believers are first taught the basic principles of God, but then they are to develop into teachers themselves. Failure to do so will result in the failure of becoming skilled in the word of righteousness and in discernment. There is a temptation to be content with only spiritual milk, that is, to not desire the “solid food” of the deeper things of God. This is not the fullness that God intended for us, and it is actually dangerous for us not to practice and train our senses to be discerning of good and evil. In context of this chapter, the concept of Christ as our appointed High Priest might be considered spiritual milk, a basic principle of God that should be understood by all believers. The actual meaning and implications of this truth are deeper things that must be sought out.

God has partaken in divine rest since the foundation of the world, and His desire is that His children might also partake in it. After having thoroughly discussed faith in the previous chapter, the author of Hebrews now presents faith and diligence as the primary means to obtaining God’s rest. He first assures us that this rest is still obtainable and then encourages us to enter into it.
One interpretation of entering “God’s rest” might be the reaching of a place of mature faith where human striving ends. It denotes a complete trust in God to the point of attempting nothing apart from Him. Operating in such a maturity of faith eliminates the need to be anxious or performance-driven; our full confidence is in the Lord. Another interpretation of “God’s rest” could be an eschatological reference to our end goal of dwelling in the New Jerusalem with Christ as King – for only then will all of our “works” cease (as described in verse ten).
Regardless of the manner in which “rest” is interpreted, we do know that it is possible to miss it and that diligence is required to enter into it. In other words, “rest” does not mean that we just kick back and do nothing. We must be very intentional about obeying God. Moreover, we obey God not only through words and actions but also through the thoughts and intents of our hearts. We like to use verse twelve (“for the Word of God is living and powerful…”) to demonstrate how great of an offensive spiritual weapon the Word of God is for debating or piercing others’ hearts with Truth, but in reality, this verse is describing the mighty ability of the Word to uncover the hidden life of our thoughts and motives, and how we must one day give account to Christ for all of this.
As intense as this reality is, we learn in the final verses of the chapter that we do have a High Priest who is compassionate and merciful, sympathizing with our every weakness. We once again gaze upon Him as the source of mercy and grace, as well as the means to obtaining divine rest. The rest of God is still available to us today, and we must be diligent to enter it!

In this chapter of Hebrews, the author highlights the theme of faithfulness. We are first shown the perfect faithfulness found in Christ and then exhorted to do the same. It almost seems too obvious, but the author illustrates how faithfulness is our primary weapon in fighting the battle of falling away.
What immediately struck me in the first section was the very concept of Christ being faithful over His house. For whatever reason, it has always been easy for me to think of God the Father as being faithful by providing for our needs, but I have never really spent much time meditating on the reality that Jesus Christ is the Faithful One. I began to consider the implications of the first few verses alone and was overwhelmed. Christ is so faithful to complete all of the tasks given to Him by the Father, and this faithfulness is what brings us life. As Apostle, He is the faithful Leader and Pioneer of the Church, the Great Initiator and Establisher. Moses was a servant in the house of the Lord, but Jesus is the Son over the house of the Lord. As High Priest, He faithfully went to the cross and is now and forever interceding on our behalf before the Father.
The latter portion of this chapter contains a series of cause and effect relationships describing the great reward for those who remain faithful, as well as the penalty for those who do not. Israel’s history contains plenty of examples of how not to remain faithful to the Lord, the most clear of which is found in the Exodus story. In Psalm 95, the Lord reminds His people of the wrath that was invoked when they hardened their hearts in the wilderness. The author of Hebrews reiterates this story twice with a bit of personal advice in between. On a practical level, the exhortation to “encourage one another day after day…so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” demonstrates the power and significance of community. Ultimately, our goal is to be Christ’s house, which is the glorious reward that is mentioned in this chapter for those who hold fast their confidence and hope in Him. As He is faithful, let us be faithful.

The need to “pay much closer attention” to the gospel strikes me as being particularly prevalent in our time and culture. One reason why we see so much compromise and “drifting away” from Christ in the Western church is simply that we have not closely examined the Person of Christ in His greatness and humility. The second chapter of Hebrews is a clear exhortation to actively pursue the knowledge of Christ in order to prevent falling away.

This text begins by stating that because of the greatness of Christ, as stated in chapter one, we must pay closer attention to what we have heard. It is foolish to hear this truth and dismiss it as a fact undeserving of the full attention of our hearts and minds. Furthermore, this sort of neglect has a just penalty that we cannot escape – just as with any other sin and disobedience. Jesus made this clear, and God and men alike confirmed it to us in various ways.

Though Christ’s greatness in itself is a powerful testimony, His humility is what truly brings us to and keeps us in God’s hand. The author of Hebrews beautifully describes the paradox of Christ’s greatness and humility. First, we are reminded of the coming reign of Christ when the world will be subject only to Him. Next, we are brought back to His first time on the Earth when He became a Man, even lower than the angels temporarily. The author then bridges the past and the future with a statement on the current status of Jesus’ reign: that all things are subject to Him, but we do not yet see the fullness of this.

What we do see is One who took on death on behalf of all of us; One who was perfected through suffering so that we might be sanctified and glorified. And if this weren’t enough to grab our hearts, He calls us brethren and sings praises to the Father amidst us! He conquered death to set us free, with His eternal inheritance always in mind. He is the perfectly qualified High Priest, having experienced all that we have. He has reconciled us to God and is faithful and merciful to His children!