Episode 294: By faith, Abraham offered Isaac

Hebrews 1-13

God gave his Son a better name than the angels

1 ^1-3 In these last days, God's son sat on the right hand of the Majesty on high.

⁴ He was much better than the angels, so he got a better name than theirs.

The Son is God and created everything

⁸ He said to the Son,

Your throne, Oh God, is for ever and ever.

¹⁰ In the beginning, you laid the foundation of the earth, and created the heavens.

¹¹ They will perish, but you will remain.

2 ^1-18 Things we've (already) heard

Jesus deserves more glory than Moses (because we are his house)

3 ¹ Jesus deserves more glory than Moses.

⁶ Because Moses was just a servant in God's house, but Jesus is son of the house (which is us).

The evil heart of unbelief

¹² Watch out for the evil heart of unbelief.

¹⁷ Remember the Israelites that God killed in the wilderness.

The word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword

4 ¹² The word of God is quick, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.

¹³ All creatures are naked in God's eyes.

Jesus was tempted (but he didn't sin)

^14-15 Jesus was tempted like we are, but he didn't sin.

Milk and meat

5 ¹² You need milk, not strong meat.

¹³ Milk is for babies.

¹⁴ Meat is for grownups.

Those who fall away can't return

6 ⁴ It’s impossible for those who have fallen away to repent and return to the faith.

⁶ They have crucified again the Son of God and publicly humiliated him.

⁸ They are rejected like thorns and briars and will be cursed and burned.

God swears to himself (he can't tell a lie)

¹³ When God made a promise to Abraham, he swore by himself.

¹⁸ It was impossible for God to lie.

Melchizedek was never born and never died

7 ¹ Melchizedek, king os Salem and priest of the most high God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter, and blessed him.

³ Melchizedek had neither a father nor a mother. He was never born and never died, but was like the Son of God.

⁵ The sons of Levi received the priesthood.

¹¹ If the Levitical priesthood was perfect, we wouldn't need another priest.

¹⁴ The Lord is a descendant of Judah, so he couldn't be a priest.

¹⁵ But priests can also be like Melchiizidek.

²¹ The Lord sware and he won't repent, saying, "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchisedek."

²² And so that's how Jesus became a priest.

We needed a new covenant (since the old one was flawed)

8 ⁶ Jesus is the mediator of a better covenant.

⁷ Because if the first covenant was perfect, then we wouldn't need a second.

The bloody new testament

9 ¹² Jesus redeemed us with his own blood.

^13-14 If unclean flesh is purified with the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of a heifer, then it'll be made even more clean with Christ's blood.

¹⁵ In this way Jesus is the mediator of the new testament. Those who are called, receive an eternal inheritance through his death.

¹⁶ Because where a testament is, there must be death.

¹⁸ There's never been a testament without blood.

¹⁹ Moses took the blood of calves and goats and sprinkled the book and the people.

²⁰ This is the blood of the testament that God has given you.

²¹ God sprinkled blood on the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry.

²² Almost everything is purged with blood. Without blood there is no remission.

²⁶ Now, at the end of the world, Christ appeared and sacrificed himself.

A new way of living through his flesh

10 ¹⁰ We are made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ.

¹¹ The daily sacrifices of priests can never take away sins.

¹² But this man, after he offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God.

¹⁹ So go to the holiest place with the blood of Jesus.

²⁰ He's consecrated us in a new and living way through his flesh.

Love one another and do good works (because Jesus will be here soon)

²⁴ Let's love one another and do good works.

²⁵ Because the day is approaching.

It's a fearful thing (to fall into the hands of the living God)

²⁷ God's fiery judgment will devour his adversaries.

²⁸ Those who broke the law of Moses died without mercy (if there were two or three witnesses)

²⁹ It'll be much worse for those who insult the Son of God.

³⁰ For God has said, “Vengeance is mine.”

³¹ It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

It'll be just a little while (he won't tarry)

³⁷ He'll come in a little while. He won't tarry.

³⁸ The just live by faith, but God will take no pleasure in those who turn back.

³⁹ Those who turn back will go into perdition, but those who believe will save their soul.

11 ¹ Faith is believing without evidence what you hope to be true but haven't seen.

⁴ By faith, Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain, which proved that he was righteous.

⁵ By faith, Enoch didn't die - God translated him.

⁶ You can't please God without faith.

⁷ By faith, Noah made an ark after God warned him about unseen things. He saved his family, while God condemned the world.

¹¹ By faith, Sarah conceived when she was too old to conceive,

¹² giving Abraham, who was as good as dead, as many offspring as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore.

¹⁷ By faith, Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac, his only begotten son.

²⁸ By faith, Moses kept the Passover and sprinkled blood, so they wouldn't be killed with firstborn Egyptians.

²⁹ By faith, they passed through the Red Sea while the Egyptians were drowned.

³⁰ By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down.

³¹ By faith, the harlot Rahab wasn't killed with the other nonbelievers.

³² What more can I say? I don't have time to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets.

³⁵ Others were tortured so they'd get a better resurrection.

God always hurts the ones he loves (if he doesn't whip you, you're a bastard)

12 ⁶ The Lord hurts those that he loves, and whips all of his sons.

⁷ Don't all fathers whip their sons?

⁸ If you aren't whipped, you're a bastard, and not a son.

God is a consuming fire

¹⁴ Live peaceably with others. Be holy, or you won't see the Lord.

¹⁶ Don't be a profane fornicator, like Esau was, when he sold his birthright for a bit of meat.

²⁰ If a beast touched the mountain, it was stoned to death.

^22-24 You have come to Mount Zion, to the church of the firstborn, the spirits of just men, and the blood of sprinkling.

²⁹ Because our God is a consuming fire.

Entertain angels (but don't believe strange doctrines)

13 ¹ Continue to love each other.

² And don't forget to entertain strangers, since some have unknowingly entertained angels.

³ Remember those who are in prison and who suffer adversity.

⁴ Marriage is honorable for everyone, but God will judge whoremongers and adulterers.

⁵ Be content with what you have.

⁹ Don't believe strange doctrines.

¹⁷ Obey those who have authority over you.

²⁰ The God of peace raised Jesus from the dead through blood.

²³ Timothy has been released from jail. If he's here soon, I'll bring him with me when I visit you.

²⁶ Amen.