Day 304

Lamentations 4:1–5:22; Hebrews 2:1-18; Psalm 103:1-22; Proverbs 26:23

WE’RE PLAYING A bit of catch-up because we began a number of different books in quick succession. Yesterday, we began the book of Hebrews. This letter is one of the most compelling exhortations to keep the faith and stay true that we’ll find in the New Testament. While that’s true, the letter is a bit of an anomaly because we don’t fully know its origins.

Although the apostle Paul has been credited with the authorship of Hebrews at different points in time, most scholars would agree that this is unlikely; Paul was very clear that he was called to bring the gospel to the Gentiles —and this book is Hebrew through and through. Whoever did write Hebrews was a master communicator and was clearly well educated. The author possessed a skilled understanding of the Scriptures and of Judaism. Two candidates who fit this criteria would be Barnabas and Apollos, but no one is certain. What is certain is whoever penned Hebrews had the authority to write such a work and that the work was regarded with utmost respect.

Paul’s protégé and son in the faith Timothy is mentioned in the letter, so Hebrews is probably somewhat contemporary with Paul’s writings or perhaps was written a bit later. It’s clear from the letter that the persecution of those who believed in Jesus had begun within the Jewish community. Although it hadn’t reached the level of martyrdom in most cases, the Jewish believers and those who were sympathetic had begun to suffer ridicule. They were being stereotyped as irrelevant and weird.

It’s easy enough to see this dynamic in modern culture. Often, Christians are portrayed in the media as irrelevant, backward, and a little weird. In the first century, these cultural pressures were causing many Hebrew believers to withdraw into the woodwork and hide their faith. Others were turning their backs and walking away altogether, returning to traditional Judaism.

The writer of Hebrews observed this and boldly stepped forward to encourage Hebrew believers to stay faithful to Jesus and not return to their former ways. Hebrews encourages us to hold fast to the hope that we have in Christ, without wavering at all. This is a very important message for believers today, and it’s offered brilliantly through the lens of the Old Testament and Jewish heritage in the remarkable book of Hebrews.

WORSHIP:

Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!