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Organizing Our Hebrews Reading
Organizing Our Hebrews Reading
Hebrews is an organized epistle combining declarations, warnings, and commands. The declarations are about our ‘better covenant’. While the word ‘better’ does not actually appear in each of these sections, it does appear some 13 times in 12 verses (list at bottom). These teaching sections allow us to make a simple chapter outline: (HINT – memorize such an outline for better over-all comprehension as you read the letter):
1 - Jesus – the better messenger
2 - Jesus – better than Angels
3 - Jesus – better than Moses
4 – Jesus better than Joshua and provides a better rest.
5 – Jesus better than Aaron (a better priesthood).
7 – Jesus – a better high priest
8 – Jesus – Mediator of a better covenant
9 – Jesus – provider of a better tabernacle
10 – Jesus – the better sacrifice
11 – Faith – the better way
Then the warnings, almost after each teaching part.
1. Drifting from the word … do not neglect 2:1-4
2. Unbelief - Disobedience … 3:7-12
3. Disobedience -- - 4:11-16
4. Immaturity – unable to discern between good / evil – 5:11
a. FALL AWAY – ch. 6
5. Rejection - 10:16 –
Add to this the ‘let us’ commands for directions on being a disciple:
Heb 4:1 Let us therefore fear,
Heb 4:11 Let us labor
Heb 4:14 let us hold fast
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace,
Heb 6:1 let us go on unto perfection (maturity)
Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith,
Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering;
Heb 10:24 let us consider one another
Heb 12:1 let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,
Heb 12:1 let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:28 let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
Heb 13:13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
Heb 13:15 let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually,
With such lists, you can organize your study and thoughts as we read through this epistle. Happy reading!
Hugh DeLong
Better can be seen in the NASB at: 1:4; 6:9; 7:19, 22; 8:6; 9:23; 10:34; 11:4, 16, 35, 40; 12:24
