Hebrews 6: Making sense of Hebrews

Last Friday I began reading the intensely Jewish take of the gospel through Jesus Christ as Paul communicated it to the Hebrews. To but it briefly, “I am quite certain you cannot discuss these themes briefly.” For that reason I have had trouble both reading through each chapter for the day and summarizing them in any way. Each verse or at least each paragraph is filled with compelling intrigue and requires you to look through two lenses: the lens of the gospel of Christ and the lens of the Old Testament and its incomplete sacrificial system. Without the latter we don’t understand in full extent how the former brings complete clarity to our understanding and to our salvation.

Let me help you see my viewpoint of Hebrews. If you have ever looked through a telescope
on a clear summer evening you can understand my analogy.  Often you begin by looking at an object through a lower powered lens. You choose your object. For me it was often the mystery of the moon. You focus in and everything becomes clear. Once you have seen it clearly you will take a more powerful lens, a lens with greater magnification and you can “zoom” in on the moon. Now it appears to be much bigger, much clearer, and new observations are made. The greater the lens used the more ready you are to make your preparations for landing. At least that’s the way it worked in my adventurous mind.

The Old Testament gives us a clear understanding of God, but as we look at it through the magnified power of the gospel lens, the picture we see draws us in and informs us of the great themes of God’s word, His love, and His plans for us. So the study of Hebrews is really an intense look into the Old Testament's patterns, pictures and types of Christ and His redemption. So, in essence the careful study of God through the objective lens of the Old Testament and the magnifying lens of the New Testament causes us to see God and His love in such magnified extremes that it moves us to join in with His eternal plan now and helps ready us for our future landing in a new heaven and a new earth.

So even as I planned to write today of the amazing reality that Christ is our “anchor” in Hebrews 6:19; I am again amazed at the depth of the riches and wisdom of God and am worshipping in that He has given me further illumination today that has satisfied my mind for this moment and brought my spirit to a place of humble and awe-struck worship. What is He doing through the Word and His Spirit in you today?