Daily Meditations

Hebrews 10:28 Rejecting God's law has consequences This verse carries a very serious warning rooted in the Old Testament Scriptures.  “ If a man or woman living among you in one of the towns the   Lord   gives you is found doing evil in the eyes of the   Lord   your God in violation of his covenant,   and contrary to my command   has worshiped other gods,   bowing down to them or to the sun   or the moon or the stars in the sky,   and this has been brought to your attention, then you must investigate it thoroughly. If it is true   and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done in Israel,   take the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that person to death.   On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.   The hands of the witnesses must be the first in putting that person...

Hebrews 10:27 A fearful expectation of judgement Sin has consequences! One of the most commonly used expressions in the Bible that describes the intensity of God’s judgement, is fire! “ God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”  2 Thessalonians 1:6-9.  At the end of chapter 12 of this letter, we are reminded that “ Our God is a consuming fire.”  How foolish it is to rebel against Him, to profane His name and to deny His existence. We are told here that those who persistently and knowingly sin somehow have a fearful expectation of judgement. In other words, there is something in ou...

Hebrews 10:26 The dangers of deliberate sin We are now deliberating on a troubling passage that stretches from verse 26-31, and it follows on directly from the instruction to those who have given up “ meeting together.”  One simple cause of this is that there are “believers” who know their own sinful state, the repetitive sins that trouble them daily and the battle to feel worthy, or maybe there is just one problem in their past that the enemy uses for the same result. They have decided that it is best not to associate with God’s people, to keep away from anything that pinches their consciences and makes them face their never-ending battle with sin. A “Go it alone, do it my way” policy to religion is easier to live with and there are no public ramifications. We should remember the stark warnings that were given in Hebrews 6:4-8 and that these are part of a number of warnings contained in this letter: -  1.       Hebrews 2:1-4     ...

Hebrews 10:25 Don't give up meeting together! We have probably all met people who claim to be followers of Christ, who say that they believe in God and the Bible and that they have real faith, but they don’t go to church. They may be loosely linked with some kind of fellowship group or help out at a charitable event but church? No! Many have said to me, “I find God best when I’m walking in the countryside or contemplating in my garden. I don’t need church.”   What often irks these people is the shallowness of some churchgoers, the squabbles and politics that often drive congregations and the idea of being lectured from the pulpit. Christianity has become so complicated and the pursuit of truth so individual that there are many who prefer their own version of the faith to that which is taught by the Bible. That is, if they can find a church that comprehensively teaches the Scriptures! What they miss of course, is the thrill of exploring the Word, the excitement and joy of singing Go...

  Hebrews 10:24 Spurring one another on Most of this book, thus far, has been taken up with amazing doctrines, uncovering mysteries and principles that stretch back through centuries of human history. The author has unlocked some of the doors that keep Jews and Gentiles apart and he has also carefully guided us on a journey into the spiritual realms where we discover the interaction between heaven and earth and between God and His people. At the heart of all of this is Yeshua, Jesus our Lord, who we identify with because He bridged the gap, He is both heavenly and spiritual but also human, like us. Yes, Jesus is at the heart of it all, this glorious inheritance we have is in Him and through Him and because of Him, our great High Priest, and the only mediator between us and the Lord our God. He is so closely aligned to His Father that their thoughts, words and deeds are indistinguishable, but there is one great difference; God is so glorious and powerful that He is beyond the imagin...

Hebrews 10:23 He who promised is faithful We examined the “ hope set before us”  in Hebrews 8:18-19 where it is likened to an  “anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”  This hope is able to enter the sanctuary behind the curtain. In other words, our hope is not a far-fetched, vague anticipation of what is to come; it has flesh and blood and is fully realised in the person of Jesus Christ.  We have now been instructed that He is our sacrifice, it is His blood that washes our consciences clean, the curtain was symbolic of His body and through Him we may enter the holy presence of the Lord God. Jesus is also our High Priest both on earth and in heaven, as such He has cleansed our guilty consciences, sprinkled our sinful hearts and washed us with the purity of His Word. In other words, this statement encompasses all of the eternal truths contained in the previous verses. Jesus is our hope, it is His sacrifice on our behalf that gives us confidence to enter the heavenly re...