first readers. They had heard the gospel through contemporaries of Jesus (2:3), and their conversion had brought on physical persecution (10:32-34). One fact leaps out: their spiritual state greatly distressed the unidentified author. Five times in the book of Hebrews he interrupts a careful line of reasoning to fire off a warning (2:1; 3:7; 5:11; 10:26; 12:25).
Hebrews is actually a commentary on the Old Testament. It examines many Jewish customs and shows how Jesus brought about a "better covenant" to replace many of those laws. (Covenant means the same thing as Testament; a firm agreement between God and humanity.) Therefore, to fully appreciate Hebrews, you should have some familiarity with such books as Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers.
As you read, look at the bottom of each page for footnotes referring to the Old Testament. If you can't figure out what a text in Hebrews means, try looking back to the original passage.
To follow the logic in Hebrews, note each use of the word better. The author compares Jesus Christ to the angels, to Moses, to the priests Aaron and Melchizedek, and to Abraham. |
