Hebrew writer said (2)
The Hebrew writer said to his readers, "Your past was glorious, your gifts were prizes indeed, your leaders were worthy, your covenant towered above all others and your blessing within in the bounds of that covenant was rich and real."
But what is that to us? This ancient writer spoke of even more ancient realities; things like curtains, priestly rituals, temple gatherings, animal sacrifices, pomp and lineage, censers and mountains and heroes with feet of clay. What is all that to us? The past is past and it wasn’t even our past. We can see ancient Jews being interested in such things but now reading such a book is like doing archaeology. Unearthing and rummaging the past.
That’s a serious consideration and I suppose many of us justify our continued "archaeological" work on the basis of finding principles we can apply. I don’t say that looking for principles is a bad thing but that practice must be handled with great care. "Their situation is like ours so we can apply the principles the Hebrew writer laid down to our situation." Hmmm. I can see that that might have some place in what we're supposed to engage in but if we had asked the Hebrew writer if he was laying down "principles" he would probably have been offended by our ignorance.
The Hebrew writer was laying down the gospel! He was unveiling the person and work of Jesus Christ and in light of Jesus Christ he was judging all that they had ever known or would know. He had nothing to say about general "principles" (especially general "moral" principles) and everything to say about Jesus Christ and what he meant.
Jesus himself, speaking of his cross in John 12:31, said, "Now this world is judged!" The Hebrew writer, speaking in light of Jesus Christ, said, "Now is the past with all its glories and pleasures judged!"
If what the Hebrew writer said about Jesus Christ (and not "principles"!) has nothing to say to us all then we should regard it as a dated, ancient old book with an interesting argument for 1st century Jewish people. But he spoke of a Jesus Christ who is "the same yesterday, today and forever."
That same Jesus Christ, in and through whom the entire creation holds together (Hebrews 1:3), is Lord of all (compare Hebrews 1:4 and Philippians 2:9—11). And in light of him—the ever living and ever present one, all our pasts and pleasures and glories and deams are judged.
If we can lock Jesus Christ into the past, then the book of Hebrews can only be of archaeological interest. A relic! If he is as alive today as ever he was, and as he ever will be, then he is present to judge our very existence. The Hebrew writer would say to a converted hedonist that is now depressed, "Your past may have been pleasant but..." He would say of our religious experience apart from Jesus Christ, "It was impressive and satisfying but..." He would say of our non-believing arguments, "They were plausible but..."
If it is something less than Jesus Christ that the Hebrew writer is talking about it might not be enough. But if it is Jesus Christ himself and all that he means then we need nothing more.
©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.
Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.