Hebrew3:1-6

Pondering Hebrews 3:1-6

1. Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Yeshua, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; ² He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. ³ For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honour than the house. ⁴ For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. ⁵ Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; ⁶ but Messiah was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.” 

Within the first two chapters of Hebrews, we noted that Yeshua is greater than the angels. This was significant as angels; God’s supernatural envoys are ‘mere’ messengers from God who had started to be worshipped again by some, while explicitly forbidden (Deuteronomy 4:19). This was not without precedent for two of Israel’s kings Ahab and Manasseh had worshipped the ‘Host of Heaven’, which are these angels (2 Kings 17:16, 21:3). The holy angels continue to worship the Lord (Nehemiah 9:6), but fallen angels wanted to be worship and some had started to do this (Colossians 2:18). It is interesting to me, that angels are very popular, in television programs and movies. There is an explosion of interest in angelic beings both good and bad (Matthew 24:37; 1 Peter 3:20). Yeshua, in contrast, has a better Name and all creation including the angels are to be in subject to Him, for He is crowned with glory and honour (Hebrews 2:7) and the good angels will worship Him (Hebrews 1:6).

Now in chapter 3 the author of Hebrews instructs us by comparing Moses and Yeshua. Moses has been regarded as the most significant Biblical Jewish prophet of all times. In chapter 3 of Hebrews we get to understand that Yeshua is even greater than Moses! It was Moses, who received the Torah (Exodus 34), it was Moses who spoke with God face to face (Exodus 33:11), it was Moses that led the people out of bondage (Exodus 33:1).  In all these things Moses was a servant in God’s house (Numbers 12:7-8), he was even called “Moses the man of God” (Deuteronomy 33:1). All of these high accolades are suddenly passed over when we are introduced to the Son, for God the Father spoke about Messiah and said: “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17). This was repeated at His transfiguration (Mark 9:7), and at His resurrection, He was being exalted to sit at the right hand of God (Acts 2:33). Contrast the glory, Moses in (Exodus 34:29-35), where we read that when he spends time with the LORD has face become radiant, a glory which fades away (2 Corinthians3:13). Not so of the Son who had that glory in Him as part of His nature, (Isaiah 6:1-8), as such he veiled it with flesh (John 1:14), revealing His glory only a few times (Matthew 17:1-7) until He comes to set up His kingdom (Matthew 25:31). The writer of Hebrews can indeed say one greater than Moses is here.

The term apostle means send one, Yeshua is the ultimate send one from the Father; this is the only reference to Yeshua being called an apostle. Secondly, He is called a high priest; this is in the order of Melchizedek, for Yeshua is of the tribe of Judah, not Levi and so He could not have served in the Levitical order because the Torah prohibited this. We will discuss that at another time! As the God-Man, He is a high priest who serves in the heavenly tabernacle bringing in the Brit Chadashah (New Covenant).

This New Covenant announced in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31-34), proclaimed at the last Passover (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:17-20 & 1 Corinthians 11:23-26), and gets inaugurated after the death of Messiah, when He applied His blood in the heavenly tabernacle (Hebrews 10:19). This New Covenant have an already and not yet fulfilment aspects. The fullness of the New Covenant indicates that all Israel will be in a right relationship with the Lord (Jeremiah 31:31-34), this has yet to happen. But each person Jew or Gentile who accepts the atonement of Yeshua through the New Covenant, can become a child of God (John 1:12); this new unity of Jew and Gentile was a mystery in the Tanach (Older Testament). It was revealed to the apostle Paul (Ephesians 2-3).

Friends, we are to be partakers of the heavenly calling: Since Yeshua is steadfast and able to bring many sons and daughters to glory (Hebrews 2:10). We are to be partners with Yeshua in His heavenly calling.

What does it mean to be partakers of the heavenly calling? This calling is for those in Messiah (Hebrews 3:14) and those who are in the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 6:4). We can be His ambassadors and He can make His appeal through us (2 Corinthians 5:20) and we partner with Him in the ministry of reconciliation.

Hope this illuminated your understanding
Blessings in Messiah Yeshua
Paul

Hebrew2:1-4

Weekly Letter   Pondering Hebrews 2:1-4 This letter was written to second-generation Messianic Jews who had not personally met or heard the LORD Yeshua (Hebrews 2:3). It was written because some had started to drift from the faith (Hebrews 2:1-4) back to 2nd Temple Judaism. Because of this danger, the author demonstrates that Yeshua and His ministry are better than…. The author in these verses employs a rabbinic method of teaching called קל וחומר “kal v’chomer,” meaning from “light to heavy.” This is Hillel’s first rule of interpretation. The purpose of this method was to show that if that was true, how much more is this true. If the revelation by angels was true, how much more the revelation of Yeshua, the Son of God. Both are true, but the former was light in comparison to this. By using this method the author brings us to the inescapable conclusion that Yeshua is better and brings a superior covenant. He does this by showing that Yeshua is: Better than the previous revelation (Hebrews 1:1-3) Better than the Angels (Hebrews 1:4-2:18) Yeshua is superior to Moses (Hebrews 3:1-4:13) Yeshua is superior to Aaron & the Levitical Priesthood (Hebrews 4:14-5:10; 7:11-28; 9:1-10) The Torah was but a shadow (Hebrews 7:12, 19, 28; 10:1) The New Covenant is better than the Mosaic Covenant (Hebrews 8:1-13) The blood of Messiah is better than the blood of goats and bulls (Hebrews 9:11-10:18). In light of the fact that Yeshua is better than…, the author then urges them not to drift away from the Messiah. While all of the previous revelations, covenants and prophets were true, Messiah the Son of God brings in a superior Covenant. As such the author warns them of five dangers: The Danger of Drifting (Hebrews 2:1-4) The Danger of Disbelief (Hebrews 3:7-4:13) The Danger of Remaining Immature (Hebrews 5:11-6:20) The Danger of Willful Sin (Despising) (Hebrews 10:26-31) The Danger of Denying the better than… (Hebrews 12:15-29) As you read Hebrews in a study bible you will note the frequency of the quotations, and without a firm understanding of the Tanach (Older Testament), you might feel a little lost. In Hebrews 2:5-9 the author, for example, quotes Psalm 8:4-6. Sometimes the quotation is verbatim; sometimes it looks like the quote comes from the Greek translation (Septuagint) and at other times he leans on the Aramaic translation (Targum).  The author of Hebrews quotes scripture in a variety of ways. He frequently uses the phrase “God says” (twenty-three times), “the Holy Spirit says” (3:7; 10:15, 17; see also 9:8) and “Messiah says” (10:5). The author just assumes that we know where he quotes from. Hebrews 2:6: “Someone somewhere has testified. . . .” I do not believe that the author had forgotten where he was quoting from but that he wants us to search the scriptures and make ourselves familiar with the Tanach (Older Testament). Speaking about Yeshua, the author of Hebrews says (Hebrews 2:5-9): 5 For He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking. 6 But one has testified somewhere, saying, “What is man, that You remember him? Or the Son of Man, that You are concerned about him? 7 “You have made him for a little while lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honour, And have appointed him over the works of Your hands; 8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. 9 But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Yeshua, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” Yeshua, who was identified as the Son, heir and creator (Hebrews 1:1-2) is contrasted to the holy angels, who are ministering spirits. In His humanity, He was lower than angels, but they will submit to the Son in the age to come (Revelation 19:11-16).  “Yeshua, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” Yeshua was not just lower than the angels; He also suffered and experienced death. Yeshua enabled the redemption of the world through His suffering and death. It is at this point that the author makes a startling statement in Hebrews 2:10 “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.” How was it fitting for God to allow His Son to suffer? God had asked Abraham to sacrifice his one and only son Isaac (Genesis 22), and the words of David speak to us in 2 Samuel 24:24 “for I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing.” In that light, it was fitting for God to offer His One and Only Son, Yeshua (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53). He came into the world to save it, John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” The last phrase in Hebrews 2:10 is translated variously (NASB) to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. (ESV) should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. (KJV) to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. The Greek word archēgos (ar-khe-os) means chief leader. Messiah is described as “the author of our salvation,” in that with His blood He wrote the contract, the New Covenant; and He is the captain (prince), for we His sons and daughters are under His direction, and He is the founder/originator of our salvation as we did not earn it but He paid the price. He was made “perfect through sufferings”; He suffered all of the consequences of the legal requirements that are in the Torah, the Law which I (we) have broken. To satisfy the justice of God He became perfectly acquainted with suffering. It was even pleasing to the LORD to bruise Him (Isaiah 53:10) for the purpose of bringing you and me into His glory. Hope this illuminated your understanding Blessings in Messiah Yeshua Paul     Previous Sermons Please listen and enjoy the Friday night recordings, the link is below as well as the accompanying PowerPoint. Recording Next Meeting:  It is our Purin Celebration, Messianic Rabbi and head of Celebrate Messiah Lawrence Hirsch will be teaching on Friday the 13th of March. Don't forget to dress-up! We will be meeting at our venue at 32 Horace Street St Ives at 7:30 pm. Please don't forget, if possible to bring something salty and or sweet, to share after the meeting! Purim Book of Esther Guest Speaker: Messianic Rabbi Lawrence Hirsch 13 March 2020 Upcoming Events: Please make diary notes of the following upcoming events and to avoid disappointment.   Purim Celebration Friday the 13th of March. Messianic Dance Class Friday evening the 20th of March at 7;30 pm 32 Horace Street St Ives RSVP Cathy Wright 0433 674 686 Pesach (Passover Celebration) Saturday the 11th of April.   Register for Pesach Donate Looking forward to seeing you all. Blessings Harry and Paul  www.BritChadashah.com.au www.celebratemessiah.com.au m +61 423967184 e  Harry@celebratemessiah.com.au e Paul.cohen@celebratemessiah.com.au Our mailing address is: Brit Chadashah P.O. Box 304 Caulfield South, VIC 3162 Australia Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. or subscribe to this list.

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Off to the Races on Christmas Day

CHANUKAH

e    Chanukah Celebration We will be celebrating Chanukah slightly early this year, this Friday night the 20th of December. Our final meeting for 2019. We will remember what God has done. Please invite your friends. “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12) Shalom Friends, As we will be celebrating Chanukah soon, I thought it would be good to do a little study on this festival. We first read about Chanukah in John 10:22-39, where we see that Yeshua celebrated Chanukah. The feast is not mentioned in the Older Testament, for it, was instituted by Judah Maccabee in 164 B.C.E. It marks the rededication (chanukah) of the temple, after it had been defiled by Antiochus Epiphanes, when pigs were sacrificed on the temple’s altar. We note that this feast celebrates the deliverance from evil and a dedication to God. John 10:22-24 “At that time the Feast of Dedication (Chanukah) took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Yeshua was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon.” I find the way that John records this rather interesting, for Chanukah is always in winter and Solomon’s colonnade was a part of the temple which was only in Jerusalem. Why does John emphasise the fact that it is winter and that Yeshua is in the temple, and specifically in Solomon’s colonnade? I believe he highlights that it is winter in order to emphasize that Yeshua is the Light of the world (John 1:9; John 8:12; John 9:5). This feast is also called the Festival of Lights for in each Jewish home, then and now, candles are lit. Today we use a special 9-branched menorah on each of the eight nights of Chanukah. Light and darkness are recurring themes in John’s Gospel, as he compares Yeshua as the Light, in contrast to the darkness of unbelief. This comes out plainly in John 10:24 “So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Yeshua had demonstrated that He was the Messiah and had told them plainly time and time again, yet most of the Jews,(John means the Jewish leadership), did not believe Him. Sadly this is still true today. The majority of Jewish people do not believe. And that is why we pray that God may open their eyes and that they may turn to the Light. We, like John the baptist, need to be witnesses to the true light, Yeshua, who can gives light to everyone who believes. Now the location comes into play. It is interesting that they are in Solomon’s Colonnade, given the name Solomon means “peace” or “man of peace.” And here is the Prince of Peace before them. After the Maccabees had cleansed the Temple they removed the defiled altar. While the story recorded in 1 Maccabees 4 is not part of the Biblical story, it does tell us about the history. In 1 Maccabees 4:43-47 we see that “they cleansed the sanctuary and removed the defiled stones to an unclean place. They deliberated what to do about the altar of burnt offering, which had been profaned. And they thought it best to tear it down, lest it bring reproach upon them, for the Gentiles had defiled it. So they tore down the altar, and stored the stones in a convenient place on the temple mount until there should come a prophet to tell what to do with them. Then they took unhewn stones, as the law directs, and built a new altar like the former one.” They were waiting for a prophet to tell them what to do with the defiled stones and now walking amongst them was Yeshua, the Prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-18). We who are in Messiah are compared to living stones. 1 Peter 2:5 says “you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Messiah Yeshua.” You and I are now dedicated by Yeshua to serve in holiness in His Temple because He has cleansed and purified us. In Acts 3:1-11 we read that Peter and Paul healed a lame man while walking in Solomon’s colonnade. Also, the early believers met in Solomon's colonnade (Acts 5:12). This is where they started to spread the True Light to the world. Similarly, we should let our light shine before men, and that is a serious challenge. The Jewish leaders asked Yeshua if He was the Messiah. Will you help in sharing the Gospel to the Jewish people? Please pray that we are walking in the Light of the Lord, so that the things we plan, and that we may have His seal of approval. Shalom & Blessings in Messiah Yeshua, the True Light Paul   Previous sermons recorded at Brit Chadashah Next Meeting:  Paul will be teaching on Chanukah this Friday the 20th of December We will be meeting at our venue at 32 Horace Street St Ives at 7:30 pm. Please don't bring something to eat for after the discussion. We are being blessed with catering for the evening! Thank you again to all who support our ministry in prayer and financially, electronically or directly at our meetings. May the LORD bless you all for your generosity.     Donate Looking forward to seeing you all. Blessings Harry and Paul  www.BritChadashah.com.au www.celebratemessiah.com.au m +61 423967184 e  Harry@celebratemessiah.com.au

SILENCES

Shalom Valentin We praise God We praise the Lord for an excellent fund raising dinner for the new Messianic Centre in Melbourne on Friday evening. This wonderful opportunity to reach out to His people will be finished well before the end of next year. Prayer Requests A special request for comfort and prayer for Rita Ivenskis family and friends and for Celebrate Messiah’s whole Russian Ministry. Rita was talking in front of 200 people at the Melbourne Simcha on Saturday when she said “I feel like the Holy Spirit is upon me … I feel like I am going to fall”. She then collapsed and literally went to be with the Lord.   Upcoming Events: Chanukah Celebration We will be celebrating Chanukah slightly early this year, on Friday night the 20th of December our final meeting we will remember what God has done. Please invite your friends.   Silences Three extraordinary silences are recorded in this week’s parashah. They start right after the binding of Isaac (his near sacrifice), which is one of the most significant passages in Torah. Abraham was asked to sacrifice the promised and long awaited son, the son of the covenant. Because of that event we must ask ourselves what happened to Isaac after the near sacrifice? Please read the text Genesis 22-25 and you will see that as soon as the Angel of the LORD stopped Abraham from sacrificing his son, Isaac drops out of the picture completely. In Genesis 22:19 we read that “Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and they went together to Beer-Sheva; and Abraham dwelt at Beer- Sheva.” Abraham returned to the two servants without the son of promise, Isaac. From that moment on they walked apart. This is the first silence in our text. A second silence in connection with Isaac is after the death of his mother Sarah. In Judaism the mourning is traditionally led by the oldest son, however in Genesis 23 it is not Isaac but Abraham who makes all the arrangements for the burial. Isaac does not appear once in the chapter indicating that he was not there. In one Jewish tradition it is the near sacrifice that brings about the death of Sarah, as if to say that these two stories are intertwined and one caused the other. A third silence comes in chapter 24 where Abraham instructed his chief servant to find a wife for his son. Did Isaac know what Abraham had organised and did he even agree to have an arranged marriage? Since his brother Ishmael had taken a wife (s) from the local women, why would he not do the same? There is no verse indicating that Abraham checked in with his son or asked for his opinion. There is not even a hint in any verse that Abraham informed Isaac of the plan. These silences ‘speak loudly.’ It is only after the chief servant brings the woman, Rebecca,that we read about Isaac. Genesis 24:63 states that ‘he meditated’ שׂוח (shuach). The precise meaning of the word is unclear. Rashi says the word means ‘prayer,’ while Strack and Billerbeck think it means to ‘to wail’ or ‘lament.’ The same word is used twice in Psalm 55 in verses 2 and 17 where it means to ‘moan,’ while in Psalm 142:2 it is translated as ‘complain.’ These differences help us understand that the meditation was a prayer of lament. With this understanding Genesis 24:67 makes more sense, for there we read that Rebecca “became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.” The pain caused by his near death experience, the death of his mother and the separation from his father now start to ease because his wife comforted him. These three silences help us frame the story. The near sacrifice, the death of his mother and the choice of a wife for him, all suggest a great separation between Isaac and his father, but once Isaac had Rebecca by his side a restoration took place. The biblical text also tells us that both Isaac and Ishmael stood together at Abraham’s grave (Genesis 25:9). This restoration foreshadows what is happening today between Jews and Arabs. Just as the near death of Isaac foreshadowed the death of Messiah, so too their reconciliation was not only foreshadowed but also accomplished by Messiah (2 Corinthians 5:18). One lesson I draw from all this is that silences are ok. Let the comforter (John 14:26) comfort us and let us be like Isaac. Let us meditate and pour out a lament before the Lord about those things in our life that seem to have died so that He might restore all things. Shalom in Yeshua’s grace Paul   Recordings of Previous Sermons