Scripture

Now may the God of peace – who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood – may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him for ever and ever. Amen.

Observation

In his concluding thoughts, the writer prays a blessing on his readers. May the God of peace, the same God who raised Jesus from the dead, may He equip them (us) with everything we need to do His will..

The book closes with the formal greeting, “May God’s grace be with you all.”

Application

The blessings of God rely on our personal relationship with Him. He is a real God, described here as the God of peace.

The peace of God comes from our dedication to following the Lord Jesus. The term does not mean that God owns peace, so to speak, but that He is the source of peace. When we submit ourselves to Him, He shares his shalom or peace with us.

God was the one who raised Jesus from the dead, and he ratified a new covenant, a better covenant, in the blood of Christ. This covenant is eternal and will never be done away with.

God calls us to live a life of holiness and good works. We are not saved by our good works, but we are saved in order to produce good works.

Even these good works are not our efforts alone. We need God’s grace and power in order to do every good thing that is pleasing to him.

Prayer

Hallelujah! You are an awesome Father, Lord God. Thank you for saving me by your grace and for equipping me to do the things you want me to do. Amen.

Scripture

Therefore, let us offer through Jesus continual sacrifice of praise to God proclaiming our allegiance to His name.

Observation

In the old covenant, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the temple, and their bodies were burnt outside the camp. Jesus died outside the city to make us holy. We need to go where He is and bear his disgrace.

This world is not our home. We are passing through on our way to a permanent dwelling place.

We should offer a continual sacrifice of praise to Jesus. This is our oath of allegiance to Him.

We should obey our spiritual leaders, so that they can rejoice in their responsibility.

Application

The Old Testament sacrifices are gone. Under the covenant of Christ, the only sacrifice left is the sacrifice of praise.

Our sacrifice his to be continual. Just as the animal sacrifices were offered night and day, so we must learn to be so full of joy and thanksgiving the praise almost leaks out of us. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul tells us to “Rejoice always, pray constantly and give thanks in all circumstances.”

It is easy to praise God when our lives are going well. The sacrifice of praise comes when we learn to praise God when things are going badly for us. God is still the same god when we are enjoying green meadows as when the flood waters are raging around us. He is worthy of praise always. The sacrifice comes when we praise Him anyway even if it is hard to see His hand at work.

Praise must come from the heart and not from the lips only. I know someone who uses the phrase, “praise the Lord,” almost as a swear word. Bang your shins, and it’s “Praise the Lord.” This is not the sacrifice of praise. When we say, “Thank you” to God from a joyful heart, then we have learnt to offer the sacrifice .

Prayer

Please help me Lord to remember to praise you even in the difficult times. Amen.

Scripture

Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

Observation

We should continue to love one another, entertain strangers, and remember those in prison.

Marriage must be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept pure. God will judge those who are immoral. We should keep our lives free from the love of money, and instead trust the Lord.

We need to be wary of strange teachings, remembering our hearts are strengthened by grace and not by eating the right foods.

Application

Our culture has elevated sexual depravity to an art form. What was once, just a generation ago, considered contemptible and disgusting is now celebrated as desirable.

Marriage is seen as a more or less temporary affair with cheating and divorce expected as the norm.

Scripture teaches us that God has a very high view of marriage. In Ephesians, Paul says that marriage is a picture of the covenantal faithfulness of Christ to the church. The intimacy of husband and wife is analogous to the intimacy between Christ and His own Bride.

Marriage is not a light thing. It is no light thing. It is not a mere human convenience. It is God’s idea, God’s plan for the ordering of a civil society.

It is no wonder that the devil hates marriage and tries to undermine it in every way possible.

Christians must honour marriage and try to encourage every husband and every wife to rejoice in their relationship.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for marriage. Thank you for my wife whom I love more than life itself. Amen.

Reflection on Hebrews 12:14-24

Scripture

But you have come to Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God.

Observation

We should make every effort to live at peace with the people. We have to be holy, or else we will not see the Lord. Avoid bitterness and sexual immorality.

Mount Sinai was the place where the Israelites met with the Lord Yahweh. It was a frightful place – burning with fire and covered with smoke, with loud trumpet blasts. Not even an animal was allowed to tough the mountain.

We have come to Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of God. We meet with the angels, but above all, we meet with God and with Jesus.

Application

When Israel was passing through the desert, the Lord invited them to meet with Him at Mount Sinai. But they were afraid, and Moses went up alone. Moses was afraid, but his passion to know the Lord overcame his fear.

We have come to a better place, the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. This is the place where, together with the angles, we meet to worship our God and His Son our Lord Jesus.

It is not that the Old Testament religion is better than faith in Christ. No, the reverse is true. The Jews worshipped at a physical mountain, but we worship at a heavenly mountain.

It does not matter where we worship or how we worship. What does matter is that we worship with a holy and sincere heart.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for meeting with me at any time and any place. Help me to seek you often and to learn to live in awareness of your presence. Amen.

Scripture

Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not disabled, but rather healed.

Observation

We are to endure hardship as discipline. Every father disciplines his sons. If you are not disciplined, then you must be illegitimate children, not true sons.

Human fathers discipline us as they see fit, and we respect them for it. But God disciplines us to make us holy. We don’t enjoy any discipline at the time, but it produces a harvest of righteousness.

Therefore, we must strengthen our feeble arms and knees so that the lame may be healed.

Application

In our happy clappy styles of worship and our feel good therapeutic sermons, we forget or overlook the fact that God is a good father.

Good parents discipline their children in order to shape their interactions with the world and other people. When children are not disciplined, they grow up to be selfish, bullies and thugs.

God wants the best for His children, and that includes allowing the difficulties of life to mould us into the people He wants us to be. The kingdom of God is meant to be full of people who know grace, mercy and empathy; not with overgrown babies demanding their own way.

The writer to the Hebrews is telling us to grow up and get over ourselves. We are to strengthen our arms in service and our weak knees in prayer. We are to help the lame similarly become mature in their faith.

Tough words from a God who loves us more than any earthly father,

Prayer

Lord, please train my thinking so that I learn to see you at work in my life in every way. Help me to welcome your discipline. Amen.