RPG Adults
THE MESSAGE OF THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS (I)
MONDAY, JULY 1
Hebrews 1:1-3
Exodus 3:1-7
“And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him
in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush …”
THE MESSAGE OF THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS (I)
The Epistle to the Hebrews was addressed to Jewish believers who had come out of Judaism. It provides a proper interpretation of the Old Testament in relation to the coming of Christ. The writer called it going “on unto perfection” (Heb 6:1). He asserted the superiority of Christ over angels, Moses, the Aaronic priesthood, the Law, and the prophets. These are the key aspects of Judaism and the Old Testament. The author of the Epistle is not given in the original manuscripts but as the King James Version of the English Bible attributed it to Paul, the Apostle is the most probable writer. The date of writing is also not clear, but circumstantial evidences put it between AD 64 and 68. The spiritual depth and quality of its contents bear witness to its inspiration. It was probably written in Rome (cf. Heb 13:24). The main theme of the Epistle is the superiority of Christ. The first three verses commence with that theme.
God spoke “at sundry times and in diverse manners” (Heb 1:1). God chose different means of communicating His message. In the Old Testament, the first formal calling of a prophet was that of Moses. Earlier the Lord had spoken to Noah and used him to fulfil a great landmark in human history. Moses did not only fulfil what the Lord commanded him, he also left a permanent record in writing. The major prophet that followed him was Samuel. He was also a priest and he served his generation.
After him many other individual prophets were called and they conveyed God’s messages. Malachi was the last prophet of the Old Testament era. Each of them had a special word from the Lord and left a mark in their time. Eighteen prophets contributed to the books of the Old Testament.
THOUGHT: God speaks today through the written Word.
PRAYER: Father, let me hide Thy word in my heart.