David Hathaway

'Then I said, “Here I am – it is written about me in the scroll – I have come to do your will, my God.”’ First he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them’– though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, ‘Here I am, I have come to do your will.’ He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy.' (Hebrews 10.7-14. NIV.)

'The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming – not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshippers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: 'Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, "Here I am – it is written about me in the scroll – I have come to do your will, my God."'' (Hebrews 10.1-7, NIV.)

Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance – now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. He said, ‘This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.’ In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.' (Hebrews 9.15-2

'Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, so obtaining eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! 'For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance – now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.' (Hebrews 9.11-15, NIV.)

'Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. 'Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made m

'This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbours, or say to one another, “Know the Lord,” because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.’ By calling this covenant ‘new’, he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.' (Hebrews 8:10-13, NIV)

'And since every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices, Christ must make an offering too. The sacrifice he offers is far better than those offered by the earthly priests. (But even so, if he were here on earth he wouldn’t even be permitted to be a priest because down here the priests still follow the old Jewish system of sacrifices.) Their work is connected with a mere earthly model of the real tabernacle in heaven; for when Moses was getting ready to build the tabernacle, God warned him to follow exactly the pattern of the heavenly tabernacle as shown to him on Mount Sinai. But Christ, as a Minister in heaven, has been rewarded with a far more important work than those who serve under the old laws because the new agreement that he passes on to us from God contains far more wonderful promises. 'The old agreement didn’t even work. If it had, there would have been no need for another to replace it. But God himself found fault with the old one, for he said, “The day will come when I will make a

[Jesus] became a priest with an oath when God said to him: 'The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: "You are a priest for ever." Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.' (Hebrews 7.21-22, NIV.) 'Now the main point of what we are saying is this: we do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being. Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer.' (Hebrews 8.1-3, NIV.)

'Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant. Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives for ever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.' (Hebrews 7.22-25)

Throughout the Old Testament we can see 'types' and 'shadows' of Jesus. We know He was present in the the creation of the world (John 1.1), and it certainly seems from the book of Genesis that Melchizedek is a 'shadow' appearance of Christ.  'Melchizedek, who was not a descendant of Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham. And Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham, the one who had already received the promises of God. And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed. The priests who collect tithes are men who die, so Melchizedek is greater than they are, because we are told that he lives on. In addition, we might even say that these Levites—the ones who collect the tithe—paid a tithe to Melchizedek when their ancestor Abraham paid a tithe to him. For although Levi wasn’t born yet, the seed from which he came was in Abraham’s body when Melchizedek collected the tithe from him. So if the priesthood of Levi, on which the law was based, could have achi

'You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.' This position of king and priest of God originates in the Old Testament in reference to Melchizedek. 'This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means ‘king of righteousness’; then also, ‘king of Salem’ means ‘king of peace’. Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest for ever. Just think how great he was: even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people – that is, from their fellow Israelites – even though they also are descended from Abraham. This man, however, did n

'We are convinced of better things in your case – the things that have to do with salvation. God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. 'When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, He swore by Himself, saying, ‘I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.’ And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. 'People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which

'It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.' (Hebrews 6.4-8, NIV.) There is repentance for sin. Before Peter denied Christ, Jesus said to him, "Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Christ lives to intercede for us, therefore He is able to save to the uttermost all those who come to Him, because he is

At the end of chapter 5, the writer to the Hebrews, which many people assume to be the Apostle Paul, is warning people against falling away from the truth. It reminds me of the story of a young boy who was put to bed, but every night kept falling out. His parents asked him what the problem was, and the boy responded, 'I stay too near the getting in side.' How true that is for many Christians. 'So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding.' (Hebrews 6.1-3, NLT.) 'Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognise the difference between right and wrong' (Hebrews 5.14,

In order to grow from infant Christians to mature believers, we must learn discernment. We train our conscience, our senses, our mind, and our body, to distinguish good from evil. Can you recognise temptation before it ensnares you? Can you tell the difference between a correct use of Scripture and a mistaken one? We all need to mature beyond elementary teachings of the faith, to gain a complete understanding of Scripture. But we must never move away from these essential teachings  'Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.' (Hebrews 5

'During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.' (Hebrews 5.7-10.) Jesus chose to obey His father, even though obedience led to suffering and death. Because Jesus obeyed perfectly, even under great trial, he can help us obey, no matter how difficult obedience is. Jesus didn't passively obey, it was a life He chose freely.  Jesus is the source of our salvation. There is no other name by which we can be saved. He is the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Him. By Christ’s sufferings, He purchased a full deliverance from sin and misery, and enables us to receive eternal life. 

'Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. And no one takes this honour on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.' (Hebrews 5.1-4, NIV) This chapter stresses both Christ's divine appointment and his humanity. At the end of chapter 4 we are reminded that Jesus is our High Priest, that He was tempted in every way, but was without sin, 'Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.'  A High Priest represents the people before God; he offers sacrifices for sin, but as he is human like us, his sacrifices are for himself and for his people. As the Bible says, no one should b

'For we do not have a high priest who is unable to feel sympathy for our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need' (Hebrews 4:15-16, NIV).  Because our High Priest, Jesus, HAD to come and live here for 33 years and face the same problems, temptations and weaknesses as we do – He is sympathetic to us, touched by our weaknesses! Therefore, v16, ‘Let us come boldly to the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.’ God is aware of our frailties, our weaknesses, our difficulties. In the Jewish religion, the people had a high priest who could enter the earthly Holy of Holies on their behalf once a year only – but the real High Priest is Jesus, who constantly lives in the Presence of God. He is God. But He is not aloof; He lived with us, He faced and understands the same problems and te

‘Seeing therefore that it remains that SOME must enter, and those to whom it was first preached didn’t go in because of unbelief… again God set a certain day, saying to David, “Today after so long a time… today if you will hear His Voice, do not harden your hearts!”’ V8, ‘For if Jesus had given them rest, He would not afterwards have spoken of another day’! Jesus came offering us a way of escape, a way of salvation, a way of deliverance, but, just as Israel had long ago stood on the borders of the Promised Land and because of unbelief didn’t go in, when He came, Israel as a nation again rejected. They rejected Christ and crucified Him; Paul was also among them!  But, Paul writes, in the days of David, God was saying, “Today, if you don’t harden your hearts, you can receive...” In those 40 days after Jesus had risen from the dead, before He ascended to Heaven, He spoke many things about the Coming Kingdom… So that when He instructed His Disciples to wait in Jerusalem ‘for the Promise of the Father which you ha

Chapter 4 reverts to the theme of Chapter 3, the Promise of entering a Coming Rest. Paul writes, v1, ‘Let us fear therefore lest, a promise being left us of entering into His Rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.’ In v4, you see that Paul is linking this Rest to the Seventh Day of Creation. For six days God created – and on the seventh day, He rested from His Work. This is a picture of the 1000-year Rest, the Millennial reign of Christ on earth which still to come!  Paul warns us, we should be afraid, lest we fail to enter into this promise! For, v2, ‘unto us was the Gospel preached, as well as unto them’ – Paul means, the Jewish forefathers heard the promise, but failed to enter the Promised Land because of their unbelief. Paul says, ‘The Word which was preached to them did not profit them, because it was not received with faith by those that heard it. But we, who have believed, can enter this Rest.’ But it’s a question, v3&5, ‘IF they shall enter into My Rest…’ It’s conditional. To enter, yo