INSIGHT INTO HEBREWS

BY: LLOYD ELLEFSON

PARTS 1-9

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PART ONE

HEBREWS

Hearing is very important in our everyday life. Those who have hearing problems can certainly attest to that. But there is a big difference between hearing naturally and hearing spiritually. Some people don't hear a spiritual message because their ears are only tuned in to the natural. In order to understand the book of Hebrews we have to be able to hear spiritually! Jesus constantly emphasized the importance of hearing spiritually! He said, "Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it shall be measured to you; and more shall be given you besides."(Mark 4:24). Something in a person determines how he hears. The degree to which we hear spiritually will determine the measure we will receive. The natural mind cannot receive spiritual words, so it is unable to obey Christ's words. It functions in choice instead of in obedience! Choice comes from the forbidden tree; the knowledge of the good and the evil of that tree were both forbidden! In order to function in obedience we have to learn to hear spiritually. According to how we hear, it will be measured back to us.

Let's look at the situation Jesus was in. He had come to His people - to people who were called the chosen people of God. This included the priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes who were especially knowledgeable in the law. They thought they knew who they were, what they were doing and what pleased God. It was to them that Jesus said, "For whoever has, to him shall more be given..."(v.25) What did some have that others lacked? I believe some had heard the law, while others had not. There is a difference between knowing the law and hearing the law. "For if you believed Moses" (the law), "you would believe Me...But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?...If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead."(Jn. 5:46-47; Lk. 16:31) Only those who understood the law could hear His words. According to the degree to which they had listened, they would receive from the Lord. So it is very important that we hear with an obedient heart!

"...My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself."(John 7:16-17) Teaching is the equivalent of doctrine in this context. In order to hear we must first be willing to obey God; otherwise we won't hear correctly. Unless we are truly willing to do the will of God, we will not know whether our interpretation of God's message is true!

This does away with the idea that we can make an independent decision as to whether or not the speaker is of God, and is speaking truth. Independent decisions are not accepted in the kingdom of God. Only a will, submitted to the will of God, is acceptable to God. We must first will to do the will of God! The natural mind is full of deception, for it cannot understand God. That is why it is so important to be submitted to the will of God! This submission forms the foundation for our growth in the things of God and goes beyond the letter of the law. The ability to hear spiritually determines our rate of growth! "If any man wills...he will know." This is what Jesus said to the Jews, and it is just as true and important today!

I have found this to be very true in my own life. The Bible says we shall know those who labor among us. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me...And a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him..." (John 10:27,5) The true sheep will not follow a false shepherd. God has a way of eliminating false shepherds by means of the sheep. The reason many false shepherds have large followings is because their followers do not know the voice of the true shepherd!

"But we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory."(1 Cor. 2:7) Paul spoke the wisdom, which was before the foundation of the world - before man received the thinking and nature of the serpent. We should also be speaking that wisdom! Speaking of mysteries, we know there is a mystery of godliness and a mystery of lawlessness, darkness, or iniquity. (1 Tim. 3:16; 2 Thess. 2:7) Paul said that none of the rulers understood the mystery; if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (v.8) They lacked true understanding, and this resulted in the crucifixion of our Lord. Mysteries have to be revealed by someone who knows the answer - and only the Lord knows the answer! Light reveals the things hidden by darkness; it causes us to see and understand. It reveals the darkness that is in us; it shows us that the Adamic man is the man of sin, that lawlessness is disobedience to God, and that everything that is not of God is in the realm of darkness!

The only way we can recognize the false is by knowing the true. If we only have lies, we think our lies are truth, and we have no way of determining that they are lies. A true dollar bill will identify a counterfeit - it reveals the counterfeit! A true standard of measure reveals a false one. Only revelation knowledge of Jesus Christ can open our eyes to darkness, Satan, deceit, etc. Knowledge of truth will reveal the lies - everything that is false. Studying the false (Satan, demons, darkness, sin and evil) in order to know the truth, only gets us into trouble; it does not give us truth. Many people do not know that, so they are busy studying the false.

"But just as it is written, `Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him'."(1 Cor. 2:9) Since these things are not in our heart, and we can't see nor hear them, there must be some other faculty through which we can get to know them. There must be something which will cause us to hear what our ears can't hear, and to see what our eyes can't see and our. This other faculty is the Holy Spirit.

"For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God."(v.10) The Spirit within us brings us into a new realm! When we are in unity with the Spirit, we are no longer limited to earthly things! Having our intellect satisfied is not enough, for it is often satisfied with lies. Our natural minds pick up wrong ideas. Unless we are led by the Spirit, we will not hear at the level God wants us to hear.

The mind set against the Spirit, crucifies Christ, for it is not hearing correctly. "For those who are according to the flesh set their mind on the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit."(Rom. 8:5) We need to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches! We often wonder why those who are in Christ are experiencing so many problems and so little peace!

The answer is in v.6,"For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace." This is a present possession. Our old nature is carnally- minded, and this is death. The wrong use of our mind causes death; the problem is that the natural mind is unable to receive spiritual truth. When Jesus was put on the cross He put to death the man of sin, for this man entertained the thoughts produced by his own mind. When our mind is governed by our feelings, we cannot see God, so we cannot hear Him. Only thinking according to our old nature is a misuse of our mind. We have been given the mind of Christ, and it operates beyond our feelings. It is a mind that is beyond our mind!

The word must always have two witnesses. The first witness is in the natural realm; it comes when the scriptures are read. The second is the spiritual witness. This principle is evident throughout the scriptures. Even Jesus said that if He alone bore witness of Himself, His witness would not would not be admissible as legal evidence. (John 5:31) According to the law, having only one witness is equal to no witness. The natural witness is not enough; it has to be discarded before the spiritual witness can be received. This is typified by Moses breaking the first set of commandments when he came down the mountain. He was so angry when he saw the children of Israel in their idolatry, that he threw down the tablets and shattered them. That is typical of the first word or law of God in the natural man. It has to be cast to the earth and be broken. After this, Moses got a second set, and that was put unbroken into the Ark of the Covenant in the holy place. This shows that the words of God are first accepted in the carnal mind! But as long as they remain in the carnal mind they are in the death realm. When they are received spiritually (in the mind of Christ that has been given us) they bring life!

Jesus Christ is the Word. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. When the Word was crucified, His flesh was broken or rent. This was typified by the tearing of the curtain in the temple. The risen Word has been disrobed of its flesh! It released Jesus Christ to come to us so that we could be joined to Him spiritually! It is the carnal mind that is at enmity with God, "...for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God."(Rom. 8:7-8) Most of Christianity does not understand that. Unless the Spirit gives life to the Word, it remains in death. The religious systems are in death and function in the death realm. The church will have to learn that we no longer know Christ according to the flesh. (2 Cor. 5:16)

Do you know that Jesus Christ can still be crucified today? If we don't allow His life to permeate our mind and body, we are putting Him to death, keeping Him in prison and depriving Him of food and drink! (See Matt. 25:34-46) Jesus is giving us a spiritual lesson here. He said that He was hungry, and some gave Him something to eat; He was thirsty and some gave Him water; He was a stranger and some invited Him in; He was naked and some clothed Him; He was sick and some visited Him; He was in prison and some came to Him. How did they do that? They found Christ in the people they met. They sought people out and brought life to them in the area of their need! This is what we are to do also!

We need to know Jesus Christ! He is the truth - so NOTHING else can be the truth. He is not a system of laws, works, or doctrines. He alone is the truth! As we bring truth to people, we are bringing them life! We need to know where Christ is in the lives of people so that we can help them come into life. If we don't allow Christ to rule our thoughts and minds, we are not allowing Him to give life to His word. This is the same as putting Him to death, or keeping Him in prison, or keeping Him hungry and thirsty. Some have put Him to death - He has no life in them. They may speak words that sound good, but their words are empty of life. Some have Jesus in the prison of their minds, their thoughts, their doctrines. They are holding on to their false ideas and won't allow truth to free them! That is how religious systems crucify Jesus Christ.

Eating together establishes a certain rapport and relationship. Business people make use of this principle for doing more business. Food is necessary for the sustenance of life. In Revelation 3:20 it says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me." Just imagine, Christ seeks us out! He makes the first move! He wants to dine with us and give us the same food He eats! The food He gives us is explained in John 6:57, "...I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me." Eating of Christ means we are embracing truth. Truth is our life! Truth is eternal! It cannot be corrupted or polluted! Everything that is built on the foundation of truth will remain! So in order to grow and mature in Christ, we need to grow in truth. If we just hear the letter, we will not hear the Spirit. We must be in a relationship with the Lord so we can hear what He is saying!

Hebrews is a tremendously interesting book! As we study it, we want to hear what the Spirit is saying! Though the writer of Hebrews is unknown, it is thought to be Paul. It is written in excellent Greek. It is not really important for us to know who wrote it, but it is really important to hear what the Spirit is saying!

Some of the subjects that will be discussed are: 1) The importance of the wonderful union with Jesus when He took on flesh! 2) The meaning of entering God's rest and becoming true Sabbath-keepers. 3) The symbolism of the wilderness wanderings and the crossing of the Jordan. 4) The superiority of the Melchizedek priesthood over the Aaronic priesthood. 5) The superiority of the new covenant. 6) The meaning of the blood of the Covenant. 7) The tabernacle and its meaning. 8) Two mountains and two Jerusalems.

In the past God spoke to the prophets, and they relayed the message to the hierarchy of that day. In these last days God has spoken to us in His Son! "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world (ages)."(1:1-2) Does He speak to us in King James English? No, He speaks to us through His Spirit and we have to meditate on His words in our heart - even as Mary did. His words have to come from the Son, whether they come through the scriptures, prophecy, or revelation! The Son has been given the responsibility of bringing a revelation of God to us!

In Matthew 11:27 Jesus explained how we can get to know the Father: "...and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." Then in John 14:6 He said, "No one comes to the Father, but through Me." We may wonder which comes first - the Father's revelation of the Son or the Son's revelation of the Father. John 6:45 gives the answer - "Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me." The people who had heard and learned from the Father were the ones who could come to Jesus.

It is only through Christ that we can get to know who God is; and learning to know who Christ is, must come from the Father. The Father sends us the Spirit, and the Spirit brings us Christ! Nothing else will! We are to hear with our heart! So if we understand something with the mind, it does not necessarily mean that we have it. On the other hand, if we do not understand something, it does not necessarily mean that we don't have it.

Learning to know Christ is a growth experience. In Mark 4:28 it mentions that there is first the leaf or blade on the stalk, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. The grain is covered by chaff until it is harvested. After it has been harvested, all the chaff is burned together with the old leaves and stalk. What do the stalk, blade and chaff represent? They represent all the things, which were necessary in our lives for our growth into maturity! At one time the chaff was needed, for without it there could be no kernel or fruit. So we need all the forms of truth, and the joys and trials of life for our spiritual development!

Since the seed that is planted is Christ, what do you think the seed that is harvested will be like? That which is harvested is just like the grain, which was planted! We have been predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ! All those things, which got us out of the darkness of the earth and brought life to us and caused growth, are later stripped away and burned! The chaff represents all the forms of truth that helped us grow up into Jesus Christ! All the communions and baptisms are only forms of truth. They helped us come into the realization of who Christ is. Later they are put into the fire - and fire is always judgment. Truth replaces the forms of truth!

Jesus was appointed heir of all things! Jesus Christ inherits everything, and we are co-heirs with Him in all He is and has. Christ is the anointing, and we share in His anointing! This joins us to Christ and makes us sharers of His inheritance! Our anointing in the Holy Spirit is not ours independently of Christ. Since Christ is the anointed One, we know that He is always enough for us. We don't need anything else! Let us not get trapped into thinking that Christ is not enough, and that a greater anointing has to come. Nothing needs to be added to Him nor substituted for Him! Let's not substitute heaven for Jesus.