[Rex Sexton] Twice daily, for sixty years, the Jews had sacrificed, in the temple at Jerusalem, two lambs and a bull on behalf of the Emperor of the Roman people. The offering symbolized Jewish loyalty and also their subservience to Imperial Rome. These daily sacrifices began in the year 6 BC when the Roman Emperor Augustus annexed that area of Palestine two years after the death of Herod the Great. And Augustus said, “This is now going to be considered officially part of the Roman Empire – not just a protectorate governed by a foreign king.” He also divided up the Kingdom of Judea into four protectorates, each given to one of the nephews or sons of Herod the Great in order to govern it.

So, since 6 AD, these offerings have been given twice a day on behalf of the Caesar in Rome. Most Jews were very, let's just say, upset about it – they winced. They did it because of their subservience.

“In the summer of AD 66, sixty years later, supported by revolutionaries and encouraged by lesser priests, the Captain of the Temple, a daring youth named Eleazar, stopped the sacrifice, which was an act of rebellion against the Romans. But Eleazar gathered some troops and some men with swords. He besieged the Roman garrison at the Antonia fortress, which overlooked the temple. Menahem, the Zealot leader, marched his men to the Dead Sea, where, by a stratagem, they captured the rock fortress of Masada, killing the Roman garrison. And they equipped themselves from his extensive armory. Menahem returned in triumph to Jerusalem and he was acclaimed as a type of messiah king, gaining immense prestige from his ancestry. He was the son of Judas of Galilee, who, at the time of census of Jewish citizens by Quirinius in AD 6 had founded a sect – a religious party – that was now known as the Zealots. These extreme nationalists, inspired then sixty years later, became the soul and body of the great revolt of the Jews of the late 60's AD – dying in the last defense. Their choice of mass suicide on the hilltop of Masada, in preference to Roman servitude, has inspired Israelis to this day.”

I'm reading out of a book you may be familiar with. It's called The Roman Siege of Jerusalem. The author's name is, I think, Furneaux – let me make sure I get it correct here. Rupert Furneaux, a Frenchman – excellent job at his research. Continuing, he talks about the conditions in Jerusalem in 66 and 67 AD. “Intransient, uncompromising, obstinate, and driven by the unconquerable will of the human spirit, the Jews preferred to die rather than acknowledge the mortal master. God, they fervently believed, would deliver them as the hardships of alien rule became harsher. More and more people deserted the pacific philosophy of the Pharisees, who were content to wait for the fulfillment of God's purpose, and instead joined with the Zealots. The Roman yoke ground hardest on the common people who bore the burden of taxation. The Roman taxes, added to the Temple dues, and the extortions of the procurators, as well as their own priestly aristocracy, drove most Judeans into dire poverty.” It's sort of like what we experience today. We pay Federal Income Tax, then we pay state taxes, then we pay county taxes, we pay city, we pay taxes at the gas station, we pay taxes at the store. I looked at my property tax statements – 12% over the year before. Now I didn't get a 12% raise, how can they make me pay 12% more for property tax? I should be able to protest, right? Say, “No, I can afford it,” but I can't.

“So the Roman yoke was hard because most people ended up in poverty. Palestine was a harsh land from which to gain a living. It supported a fairly small population but there were large numbers in Jerusalem. The performance of religious rites and the maintenance of the temple required the services of 7,200 priests and 9,600 Levites. One hundred door keepers were required each night to close the massive temple doors that weighed tons. The captain of the temple police – the sagan – was next in rank to the single high priest to whom he was always closely related. The priests and Levites were divided into courses. When not on duty they pursued ordinary occupations throughout the country – as did the scribes and rabbis – the interpreters of the law, or theologians, as they are described. The rabbis, many of whom were very poor, were held in high esteem. Only craftsmen at their work were exempted from the rule that all must rise at their feet when they passed.”

“The historians also talk about the various factions that grew up between the Zealots. And after they had gained control of Jerusalem, they then began fighting with each other, and each group of Jews recruiting new allies” – recruiting new people – “to be able to come with them and join in the fight.” As Furneaux and Josephus record, they were fighting amongst each other and killing each other when the Romans were not attacking them.

“The Romans, though, were exacerbated by the Jewish resistance and they reacted eventually with some significant severity. The Emperor Nero, to whom the Gentiles and Jews of Caesarea had appealed, decided in favor of the former. To celebrate their victory, the Gentiles offered a sacrifice outside the synagogue, and, of course, Florus, who was the new descendant – or the one sitting in the seat of Pontious Pilate, the procurator – he and Nero became enemies in the minds of the Jews.”

“Florus” – who was the procurator, as I mentioned – “marched on Jerusalem when he found some of the citizens marching in the cities in protest” – just like we have today – a protest in the cities – but they handled them differently back then. “Anxious to forestall the wrath, they greeted him obsequiously, whereupon he ordered his cavalry to ride them down. Entering the city, Florus delivered it for plunder and massacre to his soldiers. Panic ensued. Many were killed. Others were brought before Florus, who ordered them to be scourged and crucified. These atrocities occurred on June, the 3rd AD 66. Though the high priest succeeded in soothing the multitude, they exacerbated the factious party. Another clash between the Romans and the Jews, was not long in coming.”

“The Romans asked a man – a general named Gallus – to attempt to recapture Jerusalem in late 66 AD. For five days his troops surrounded the city. The Romans attempted to scale the walls and they were repulsed time after time. At length, though, the defenders were overpowered by the hail of missiles and they gave way. The Roman soldiers formed a testudo, a device locking their shields together to protect them from the stones and the arrows of their enemy. They were right next to the gate. It looked like the city was going to fall. But Gallus suddenly suspended the assault and, without suffering any reverse, abandoned the siege. No historian has yet succeeded in supplying any adequate reason for why Gallus caused this strange and disastrous decision. He did not lack siege engines, since the Jews are recorded as capturing them during his retreat. He had secured his supply line, during his absence, on Jerusalem and that region – though he may have run out of water or he may simply have just lost his nerve. We just don't know.”

“Gallus withdrew his army to Mt. Scopus, where he was followed by the Jews. Plucking up their courage, the insurgents fell upon his rear, killing a number of his cavalry and infantry. The next day he continued his retreat still harassed by the Jews who hung up on his heels.”

“Word got back to Emperor Nero about the defeat of the Romans. Nero was in the area of Greece visiting when he heard the news of the Roman defeat. It filled him with consternation and alarm. He felt that a Roman defeat would be embarrassing all across the empire and could not be tolerated.
To command the army, he requested a retired general, named Vespasian, to raise an army in the area of Greece and Asia Minor and march on Jerusalem. Now Vespasian had had a successful career. He won thirty battles in Britain. He subdued the Isle of Wight. He had served in Greece, Cyrenaica in Africa, and also in Thrace. The reason he had retired is because he offended Nero by falling asleep during one of Nero's theatrical performances. And so rather than be threatened with losing his life or committing suicide, he felt he should then simply retire – get away from Nero's eye because the penalty for falling asleep in Nero's theatrical performances was very serious.” Now we don't do that today in church, obviously. We just do the best we can to keep people awake. But you were not allowed to fall asleep during one of Nero's performances.

“But Vespasian now raised an army. He was 58 years old. And he was also a very successful general. The term revolutionaries, which Josephus freely uses, had wide meaning. The Zealots claimed to be the lead of the revolutionary groups. They split into a number of factions. The Jerusalemite Zealots – followers of Eleazer, the son of Simon – who stayed in the city and fought his defense. And there were others – the Masada Zealots, who considered themselves the true inheritors of Zealotism. Their exclusiveness apparently barred them from assisting their compatriots sometimes in their death struggle with Rome. So during this time when Vespasian was raising his army the factions were fighting amongst each other. The historians say each faction strove to achieve it's own military dictatorship in Jerusalem. The anti-government party increased in strength as they were joined by other partisan leaders, driven into the city by the Roman advance. Emboldened by their great strength, the Zealots and their allies murdered their own imminent men causing much dire panic within the city. John stirred up the malcontents, the reckless use, inciting them to war, and ridiculing the power of the Romans. ‘For their monstrous crimes,’ said Josephus, ‘the Zealots invented the equally monstrous excuse that their victims had plotted to surrender Jerusalem.’”

So during this time of turmoil in Jerusalem, factions fighting each other, the army of Vespasian crossing the ??? and marching down towards Jerusalem, this occurred: “About this time, according to the tradition recorded by the church historian Eusebius, the Christian church community within Jerusalem, the fathers of the church” – meaning those who had their roots all the way back to AD 31 – the day of Pentecost – “escaped from the doomed city. They made their way across the river Jordan and took refuge in the Gentile city of Pella.”

During this time we have an incredible window of history in our own Bible. It's my belief – after saying what I would say is likely my favorite book, just by the number of hours reading it in the New Testament – the book of Hebrews – is that it was written to this church in Jerusalem prior to their time of leaving. They had been there since Pentecost of 31 AD. They were a church that was growing old. They probably had many elderly people. They probably had many who had sat there for many years. They originally formed, hoping Jesus Christ would return very soon – that's why they had all things in common and they shared things. They sold their properties, because, in their minds, Christ was coming within a few months or years. Yet time went on. And as time went on, that 60 years of peace that had gone on since 6 AD – the time of what we call the Pax Romano, or the Great Tranquility – certainly they had a few skirmishes, but for the most part, Jerusalem was at peace during that entire 60 year time.

But during that time they saw factions. They saw divisions. They saw their own society coming apart. Jerusalem waited for the Messiah to return. Many were growing weary and they were weak in waiting. So this letter was written to a church very likely that was needing to leave their city, and needing to address their spiritual challenges of being an aging church, and a church that though they had waited for Jesus Christ to return, was not going to see Him return in their lifetime.
What can we learn about ourselves from this heartfelt letter – very likely written by the apostle Paul, judging from the last five verses in the book? We perhaps are in a similar time. Most of God's people today were called into the church in the 1960's or early '70's. That's when vast numbers were called in. And ministers were so busy baptizing people that I heard ministers who would wait until they had ten people to baptize, and they would set up the tank and start baptizing. It was just amazing the number that came in during that time. And, as we know, many of those are reaching the end of their physical lives now. But we are a church that has age to it. We are a church that, even though we have beautiful young people – we have some beautiful young couples – I would say that we have some similarities with the church that was started in Jerusalem in 31 A.D. In fact, there are some very striking parallels with our time now. Look at our society – how it is fractionalizing, how there are demonstrations in the streets, and how there is anger that is not overcome – that there is not peace after new people are selected.

As we look at the warnings of the book of Hebrews, we are looking at a mirror of ourselves. We are looking at something that, perhaps, we ought to be reflecting on, especially as we head towards the time of Passover in just a few weeks.

I want to begin by looking here in the first chapter – if you'd turn with me over to the first chapter of Hebrews. Paul was writing this book to a church that was going to have to flee. In just a couple of years, they would have a window when the armies were not surrounding Jerusalem. And according to Eusebius, they heard the voice of an angel appear during one of their – the voice of an angel sounded, not appeared – during one of their meetings at the place – the temple in Jerusalem – saying, “It's now time to flee and go to Pella” – a place that had been destroyed by the Romans. It was simply what was left of what had once been a very nice town or city. But it was a place that was safe, and a place the Romans would not return to because it was of no value.

Hebrews 1 begins with six Psalms – six prophetic or historic psalms – that tell the work and the purpose of Jesus Christ, showing that He, as the Messiah, was ordained from the very beginning – from  the time that time began – and that God the Father had given Him the commission, after all the creation had been done, to bring a family to the Kingdom of God. And it says in verse 13”

Hebrews 1:13 – “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool”?

So we have this summary about verse 5:

V-5 – “You are My Son. Today I have begotten You”? And verse 8:

V-8 – But to the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. So we have the commission of Jesus Christ and His purpose.

But it begins in verse 2, by saying:

V-2 – …in these last days God has spoken to us by His Son. So in the beginning he says in verse 1:

V-1 – God the Father, at various times and in various ways spoke in times past to the fathers by men called prophets, but He has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.
That is what the chapter 2 begins with – the word therefore. Therefore hearkens back to verse 2, which says “since God has spoken to us now by His Son,” it is far more important that we listen, because the words directly from the Son of God carry more import, more weight, more importance to us than words just spoken by men, even though they came from God. So he says in chapter 2, and verse 1:

Hebrews 2:1 – Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. Drifting away or gradually watching the truth just float away is a symptom of an older church – a church that has been established – perhaps that has waited and waited and waited for the return of Christ – and He hasn't come, so eventually, people just grow spiritually lazy and what do you know? We have some who are drifting away. He encourages them, “Please, give more earnest heed to the things we have learned.” Relearn the truths that brought you into the Church of God. Relearn these fabulous, foundational truths that are the basis for the entire world to live – when someday that truth will cover the entire earth.

You know, our memory wanes with age and time. Our memories are kind of like buckets full of water with small holes. And the things we learned and thought we knew very well, all of a sudden, we can't remember anymore. Unless we replenish, unless we reread, unless we restudy, and have a renewed love of the truth, that truth is gradually going to disappear from our memories and our mind.

Verse 3 is a very strong warning:

V-3 – How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation. Perhaps because of the passage of time, or the turmoil of the time, or the politics of the time, people began to neglect salvation. They began to be more occupied with other things. And indeed, I didn't have time to read all the book. If you get a chance to read it, of course, you'll not be able to put it down, I would guess. But these Zealot groups – and it's even gone over, I think, not in Clark's, but in Matthew Henry's commentary, Introduction to Hebrews. He says that, in these various Zealot groups, they wanted to recruit others. They wanted a larger army to fight. And so they were recruiting the Christians in Jerusalem, who were a fairly significant number. And the Christians didn't want to fight. They didn't want to take up swords against the Romans. But these groups were pressuring them saying, “You must protect the temple, or you must protect the Levites. You must protect the priests.” And they were pressuring them not only to take to take up swords and arms against the Romans and the other Zealot groups, but also to become Jews again – to once again be wedded to, or melded to – that temple and all of it's rituals.

And so, when Paul writes this – not to let a person escape salvation, and not to let these things drift away – he's writing to a group of people who are growing old and under pressure – political and spiritual pressure to conform to the world around them. And so he tells them, “Don't do that.” He says, “Don't let these things drift away, because they are so much more important than to let them fade away – to let them become bitter.” In fact, you might say, this is perhaps the SPS of the book, because the book of Hebrews contains more strong warnings against falling away, against drifting away, against neglecting salvation, against becoming bitter, against not understanding or living the truth than any other book in the New Testament. There are certainly some strong ones in Revelation, but Hebrews is at a bit more personal level, and at the end of the book, Paul says, “I know you all very well.” So he's writing to a church where he knew those people.

Let’s drop down to chapter 3. He says:

Hebrews:3:1 – Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling…. He say, “Look here brethren, you were called by God. You're partaking of the Heavenly calling.” …consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house.

In this chapter, he begins to show the analogy of Moses being the steward over the house of Israel and Jesus Christ being the steward over the house of God. And we are a part of the House of God – not a part of the house of Israel in the same sense that Moses was. And so he’s showing the difference between the house of God and the house of Moses, so these people will be able to understand that when they leave the city of Jerusalem, and the temple service that was following the directives written down by Moses, they would not be leaving the house of God. In fact, they would be going to a more superior house, which they already are. But they had been meeting in the portico of Solomon – this big kind of columned meeting area – huge area – on the edge of the temple complex. And that, to them, was and had been their church home since 31 AD – for at least 35, 36 years.

Let's continue in verse 2:

V-2-8 – …Who was faithful to Him who appointed Him – so Moses was faithful; Jesus Christ was faithful to God the Father, who appointed Him – as Moses also was faithful in all His house. So Jesus Christ said many times that He was doing the will of His Father. He came down to the Earth to reveal who the Father was. So He was faithful in all that He was appointed to do. For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. So here we have him saying – really parenthetically – that Moses was building the house for Jesus Christ, or for God the Father. For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterwards.So Moses was faithful so that what he did as a servant could be an example, and also a prophecy of those things that would afterward be spoken of, which he says in verse 6, is that Christ, as a Son over His own house, whose house we are – notice – if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. And that concept is repeated several times in Hebrews – that these people who were about to flee, these people who were suffering, this city that was going to be destroyed, a city in chaos when this was written, that they were going to have to hold fast their confidence in the hope firm to the end. They were not going to – if they were going to make it to God's Kingdom – were not going to fall short. And so, we have these warnings – warnings that apply truly to us. Continue down he says: Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness. So he's talking about the forty years and the eleven recorded rebellions of the people of Israel. Even though they were brought out by a mighty hand from God Almighty into the land – out of the land of Egypt into the wilderness – they simply never were a faithful people. And so in verse 10 he says:

V-10 – Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, “They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.” So I swore in My wrath, “They shall not enter My rest.” That was after the spies came back from spying out the Holy Land and saying it was, “Oh, filled with giants, and it was too many people, and we can't do it” – all, of course, except for Caleb, who said, “No, we can. We can be more than conquerors. We can take this land.” And so Caleb had to wait forty years and watch all the rest of them die, and then he was able to go into the Promised Land and do what he said publicly he would do. Then he says in verse 12: Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. In other words, that they might be offended by what would happen. Or, in their weakness they would somehow turn against God and say, “Well, I'm just going to depart.” He said: Instead, exhort one another daily. So in verse 13, he adds another subject – the importance of fellowship – of encouragement, of exhortation for and by each other, and between us all. And this subject is continued a couple of times in the book. He's telling this group of people – knowing they were going to have to flee, knowing they were going to have to suffer a great deal – that they needed to be together in encouraging one another. Because he probably understood that they were going to leave their houses – some of them may have had big houses. They may have had possessions the equivalent of Mercedes, and all sorts of beautiful cars, and homes, and decorations, and furniture and whatever. They were going to essentially leave Jerusalem with what they could carry on their back and it wouldn't be all that much. A few of them might have had donkeys, or perhaps some sheep, or some goats, but for the most part, they were going to leave with what little possessions they could. So he warned them: Exhort one another daily, while it is called Today – while you have the chance – lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Because as he said, sin, obviously, is very deceitful.

Now let's drop down…this verse 19 mentions:

V-19 – We see they could not enter because of unbelief. So he said these thousands of people – millions of people – about a million and a half people apparently – died in the wilderness and they could not enter because of unbelief.

And then he starts chapter 4:

Hebrews 4:1-3 – Therefore – because those people died, or could not enter, because of unbelief – therefore, seeing a promise remains of entering His rest…. So again, he's showing a parallel. The earlier chapter was between Moses' house and God's house. Now we have a parallel of a promise they were promised – of going into the Promised Land of Palestine – Judea – and yet here we have a promise of entering His rest, which is the millennium – which is the Kingdom of God. He said: …let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. So they apparently were maybe not afraid to disobey God as they had been earlier. Seeing we have this promise, therefore – understanding others missed out because of unbelief – let us, then, not fear, lest we also come short. Indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them. In other words, the gospel that was preached to them was a parallel gospel – not the same reward, but a parallel gospel. But the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. They heard the words. They understood it, but they did not receive it with faith and believe that God would do what He said He would do. He says: For we who have believed do enter that rest – so it takes faith and we're going to enter that rest – we're in that process – as He has said, “So I swore in My wrath. ‘They shall not enter My rest….’” Then he mentions something kind of interesting: …although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. The word for foundation there is, essentially, mistranslated. The Greek word katabole kosmou. That's K-A-T-A-B-O-L-E. The next word is kosmou – K-O-S-M-O-U – which means cosmos or society. It means the destruction or the disruption of the world. So he's saying the works – this plan of God for a kingdom, and to call Israel, and have a savior come, and all these things that are part of God's plan, were finished from the time that the devil – Satan the devil – disobeyed God, and the world was disrupted. It's one of several references in the New Testament to the angelic rebellion in the world, that was under the water at that time, is mentioned or referred to in the New Testament. So the translator is simply not understanding what happened correctly in history – from reading Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 –  didn't know exactly how to translate it. But it really means from the disruption of the world.
V-4-7 – For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works.” And again, “They shall not enter My rest.” So he's showing that the seventh day pictures the rest of God. It pictures the Kingdom. It pictures the time when all the earth will rest from the influence of Satan the devil and from the terrible things that have happened for six thousand years. So he said, “Therefore they shall not enter into My rest. They broke it. They didn't have faith. And they are not going to enter into My rest” – which, at that time, they were talking about the physical land of Judea. Since therefore it remains that some must enter it – the word must is not there –  there is no such Greek word as must – there are intense endings, but not the word must. So, in the plan of God, it remains that some are going to enter God's eternal rest. And those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience. Again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said “Today, if you will hear His voice Do not harden your hearts.”

So this seven verses has been leading up to what he really wants to say. He's been warning people: Do not have a hard heart, because you can lose out on the rest – on the reward that has been promised to us. And not only did God say it, but David also warned about it in one of the Psalms. So, in verse 8:

V-8-9 – For if Joshua had given them rest – or, if Joshua had led that first group of Israelites into a real Promised Land – then He – Jesus Christ – would not afterwards had spoken of another day – showing that David, many years later, was under the influence of God when He wrote about another day that a person could lose out on if they would harden their heart. The he says in verse 9: There remains, therefore, a rest for the people of God. He's referring back to verse 4, where He introduced the weekly Sabbath day. In verse 9, the word rest does not mean to repose, or to take a break, or to sleep. The Greek word is sabatismos. It means a keeping of the weekly Sabbath. Any good lexicon, or any honest commentary, will tell you that. The literal reading is there remains therefore a keeping of the weekly Sabbath for the people of God. Because he's simply saying, “That's why we keep the Sabbath – to remind us of what God has done and the purpose of that seven thousand years – the purpose of that tremendous Kingdom – that rest coming – that's been promised to us.

V-10 – For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works, as God did. Now the word for rest in verse 10 does mean repose. It does mean take a break. It says: For he who has entered –  or is keeping the Sabbath, is what he's referring to – entered his rest – in other words, has ceased from his works. So the word for rest in verse 10, truly is rest or repose or taking a break – not doing your normal daily work and daily efforts to earn, make money, sports, entertainment, whatever. So the rest for the people of God is keeping God's Sabbath. Then he says: Let us enter. For if you do that – if you are entering your rest – you should cease from your works even as God did.

Now verse 11 tells us there were some people in Jerusalem not keeping the Sabbath correctly. They were neglecting it.

V-11 – Let us, therefore, be diligent to enter that rest. That implies be diligent about the way you keep the Sabbath day. Be diligent about the way you keep the Sabbath. …lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. Is it possible that Sabbath keeping in God's church today has fallen off, drifted away, been neglected?

You know, when I first came into the church, you know what I used to hear about all the time – sermonettes, sermons, talking? I used to hear about something called the preparation day. Anybody ever hear of that? You don't hear about that anymore. I haven't preached about it. I'm as guilty as everybody else. But preparation day used to be getting ready for the Sabbath. Women made casseroles, lasagna – I love lasagna – and they’d put it in the fridge. All they had to do on the Sabbath is put it in the oven and that was it. My wife made sure I had the firewood in. I used to wash and vacuum the car Friday afternoon – after about noon, it was all about the preparation day. And we had the meal, basically, set so that at sundown – right then – the meal was done, put it away, and then guess what happened Friday evening after the sun was set? We read the Bible to our children. Can you imagine? But that was because we prepared. What happens now? Office closes at 4:30. I gotta get home, sun's going down, traffic jam on I-5, 205 is backed up, what do I do? So you listen to the radio, you get home after sundown, you're running around trying to find something to eat, and the firewood is not in, the gas is empty in the car – which I ran out of gas coming back from the river today. I thought I had enough but I didn't, so no excuses. I should have filled my car yesterday, but anyway…. So the preparation day is something that made the Sabbath somewhat special, and we've fallen down on that.

My guess is that Sabbath keeping has become a day of pleasure for many. A ragged attendance at church that's up and down and up and down is an indication of that – not just here, but nationwide. I think that what Paul wrote to this church is a mirror for all of us – that we ought to be diligent to enter that rest, lest we fall according to those examples of people who fell because of their disobedience. And then he says:

V-12 – The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.

We have some just incredible warnings – let's look over in chapter 5, and verse 12:

Hebrews 5:12 – For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. They'd been there for forty years. They'd been meeting every week. They'd been having time together. The church started with thousands and thousands of people in Jerusalem – the day of Pentecost, 3,000 men, who knows how many women. Several days later, thousands and thousands God added to the church daily such as should be saved. The size of the church in Jerusalem may have been up to 50-60,000 people. We don't know how big it was by the time 66-67 AD rolled around. But he said of those people, “You ought to be teachers, but you have neglected the basic truths – the first principles of the oracles of God – and you've come to need milk now and not solid food.”

V-14 – But solid food belongs to those who are of full age – they were full of age, but many had lost the basic truths – that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. So staying in shape as a Christian is kind of like staying shape physically. It requires exercise. It requires time, it requires effort. So then, he says again the word therefore. So since you ought to be teachers, and you’ve fallen down:

Hebrews 6:1-3 – Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ – which we had in chapter one – let us go on to perfection – let us go on to completion, as the word really means – not laying again – and he lists six basic truths here. And the way he says this is, “You really should know all of this, but I'm going to remind you anyway, because I think some of you have forgotten. So let's not lay again – let’s not worry about – these foundational principles, because after all, you all know them, right? You can all explain them, right? You can all live according to them, right? He says: …not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works – repentance from works that will cause the second death. We reflect on that every year before Passover – right? – in part of God's plan. …and of faith towards God – of living a life of faith – of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands – that God has a ministry that He’s called out, and servants – of resurrection of the dead – the dead are going to be resurrected – and of eternal judgment. Eternal judgment is essentially a choice. Eternal death, having died in the lake of fire or eternal life; serving in God's Kingdom and sharing in Christ's throne forever. But the death being eternal – the judgment being eternal – is a foundational doctrine. He says: This we will do, if God permits. In other words we believe the foundational principles behind and go on to perfection, if God permits.

And then, in chapter 6, we have the beginning of the strongest warning in the Bible. And it's repeated in chapter 10, because it was so important, and because God always follows His truth – His principle – of giving us two witnesses for anything that is important in the scriptures. He says:

V-4-6 – For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened – in other words, they understood God's truth – they were called – and have tasted the heavenly gift – which is the gift of truth – I think he's meaning here, we understand the “ah ha moment” – we understand God's plan and all that He is revealing to us – and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come – they’ve even tasted of God's power in helping them overcome sin – he says: if they fall away – and some indeed had fallen away or he would not have written this – it’s impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

What he describes in verses 4 and 5 are those who are going to be in the lake of fire. They tasted of the heavenly gift and rejected it. They were partakers of the Holy Spirit, but wanted to follow a different spirit. So he says, “If they fall away, the idea of second chance or third chance simply is not there.” Verse 7 says:

V-7-8 – For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it – and boy, we've certainly seen that in the last few months – and bears herbs or fruits useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. So God says He sends rain to the earth. His Spirit, His calling, His heavenly gift is a type of rain – or rain is a type of it. And when God sends His Spiritual rain, He expects  fruit. He says: “If it's cultivated, it receives a blessing from God,”  but if that plant bears storms and briers – inverse 8 – it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

So the lake of fire is for those, who God has once sent them spiritual rain and nourishment, they turn against Him and reject Him – will not obey – their end is to be burned – as Malachi says, “ashes under the feet of the righteous”. But Paul also was encouraging. He says:

V- 9 – Beloved – verse 9 – we are confident of better things concerning you. So there were a core of good people who were solid, who had grown, who were not going to fall away, who were not neglecting salvation, were not letting things drift away. We are confident of things concerning you – so in that that church, there was a core – though we speak in this manner…. He said, “I am speaking in a very warning manner to you, but we are confidant that you can make it. We are confident that you're doing to change.”  

Verse 10. For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown towards His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and you do minister. So he said continue doing those good things that you are doing. And verse 11: And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end. So he wanted them to continue, he mentions there, to the very, very end. Verse 12 says: Don't become sluggish – another way of neglecting salvation or saying falling away. Don’t become sluggish – or slothful – but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

And the next few chapters talk about the New Covenant, the role of Jesus Christ, the Priesthood. Let's go over to chapter 10, which is the next chapter with strong admonitions and warnings. Hebrews, chapter 10, gets even more specific - what Paul warns this church about, knowing they were about to undergo some very severe trials. He even says, “You have not yet resisted unto blood.” But the implication is you are going to be resisting unto blood soon. And we'll get to that. Hebrews, chapter 10, and beginning in verse 22:

Hebrews 10:22 – Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. If they were living in sin, they had an evil conscience. They needed to process to the place where they were washed with pure water and they were forgiven. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope…. We all made a confession at baptism. We confessed that Jesus Christ was our Savior, and also our soon-coming King – not just a Savior for this life, but our King in the next life. And Paul said: Let us hold fast that confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. God will always be faithful. He will never go back on His word. Then again, he mentions the importance of each other. And let us consider one another in order to stir up to love and good works…. Let us consider each other – how important it is…. If we had to go through some sort of fleeing to a place of safety, and walk across the rocks and the rivers and all of that, it would be nice to have a big crowd of people to go with you. Doing it alone would be a pretty big challenge. Notice verse 25: …not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some. So he's saying, “Some of you, in this older church, who’ve been around a long time, just don't see the importance of attending church as much anymore. You're not assembling together like you should.” Maybe they were afraid to drive their chariots after dark, or the traffic was tough in Jerusalem. (I'm just joking – kidding.) But, for whatever reason…maybe they didn't have their Internet that makes it so easy to sit home and just watch some sort of service online. But they had their own way of doing the same thing apparently. Maybe they got together and recited scriptures they knew from memory or whatever it might be. But Paul does say, “…the manner of some in Jerusalem” – this church that was about to have to leave and flee, leaving all they had behind – “the manner of some was to forsake the assembling of themselves together.” And that certainly is still true today. And he says: But exhort one another, so much the more as you see the Day approaching. So he said, “Look, it's important that we assemble together and exhort one another – talk about spiritual things, and the challenges we face, and the encouraging hope and truth that we have from God's word. The word day is in capitals. I don't know if he means the day of Jesus Christ's return or the day when they were going to have to leave everything behind and go out to a destroyed wreck of a little town called Pella. Verse 26:

V-26-29 – For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. He's restating what he said in chapter 6 – that there is a condition of the human mind where there is no longer a sacrifice for your sins – and he's warning them against ever getting to that place. But a certain fearful expectation of judgment… – remember when the demons told Jesus Christ, “Are You here to punish us before the time?” They have a fearful expectation of the judgment. They know what's coming and apparently that same thing is true on people who intentionally turn away from God and know they are going to be punished. Notice the punishment is ...fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries – the second time in the book where he says if we turn away from God and reject Him willfully that the punishment is fire. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses, but how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, and who counted the blood of the covenant, by which he was sanctified – now these are people who were sanctified; they were set apart; they understood what they were doing – a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? And then he ends in verse 31 – some of the strongest words ever said to a church, I would guess.

V-31 – It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God – meaning falling into His hands for punishment, because you have turned against Him. But then he says:

V-32-33 – But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings. That happened back in 31, 32 AD. Remember the sufferings under the man named Saul, the sufferings under several Herods, the sufferings under several Roman governors – prelates. So he says, “You were illuminated back then, but your love of the truth didn't matter.” You endured a great struggle with great sufferings. When Peter and John were beaten and put in prison, and then they were let out. what did they say? They said, “We're going to preach even stronger!” And the church went and got them into a room, and prayed together, and said, “Grant that Your servants might speak with all boldness”. They were not at all afraid of the Romans or the Jewish authority at that time. But apparently those things had changed over the years. So he said: But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings. Partly while you were made a spectacle, both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated. So Paul remembered those days. He never forgot what he had done to the church. So he said, “Remember those days, because those days are coming again.” In verse 35, he says:

V-35 – Therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. He said, “Remain confident. Don't cast it away, because you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. What more important advice could be given to an older church – a church that perhaps was not in decline, but certainly not in fabulous growth – but certainly needing endurance and needing to stay until the end. You who had endurance to the end shall be saved. And how many times, in Revelation, is it mentioned that those who endure until the end – or stay until the end – are the ones who are going to be saved. I think it's seven. Verse 38 says:

V-38 – Now the just shall live by faith. But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him. So drawing back is, once again, mentioned – drifting away, neglecting salvation. All of these warnings tell us something about the weaknesses of that church and what needed to be stirred up among them as they were getting prepared for going through a very terrible time in their history.

Chapter 12 simply mentions that sin that so easily besets us. Verse 1:

Hebrews 12:1-2 – Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. So he's getting a little more, kind of like, looking to the future here. Let's look to Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. Let's continue to make sure we are running the race with endurance.Then in verse 4:

V-4 – You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. But that time was coming. That time was coming when they would be leaving the city of Jerusalem. And since the Zealots wanted recruits, and since the Zealots felt that everybody should fight the Romans – we don't have much record of it – in fact we have very little – but the church, no doubt, suffered a lot of persecution. There may have been rocks thrown at them…who knows what – tomatoes – who knows what it might have been. They would have been publicly vilified and publicly criticized for not fighting – for not joining the Zealots. The Zealots were not easy on those who did not agree with them, or did not take up the fight along with them. And so when they left Jerusalem, during this time when the armies had been taken away and they had that small window of a few months before Vespasian came back, they would have suffered a lot of public humiliation and ridicule. So we end on chapter 13.

What is chapter 13? Chapter 13 is sort of the handbook of things for them to remember as they were fleeing Jerusalem, and as they were getting ready to leave that city, and go to their new home in a city that had been ransacked and destroyed by the Romans. But the Romans wouldn't be coming back, because there was nothing in Pella for them to come back for. So just like in Revelation, it says that God has prepared a place of safety for her, where she's protected for a time, time, and half a times, God apparently prepared the city of Pella – about 60 miles to the northeast of Jerusalem – as a place where the church could sort of hide out during that Jewish war that would last for about three – almost four – more years after they left. So here's a handbook of things they should remember – sort of like a bullet list, as you are gathering your things, and heading out of the city with your backpack and maybe your donkey – don't forget these things. Verse 1:

Hebrews 13:1-3 – Let brotherly love continue. Don't begin disagreeing with each other. Let brotherly love continue. It's so important to make sure you have that as you head to a new place to live. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. They'd be saying that the angels would be with them, and perhaps they would have a chance to sort of meet them in one of these occurrences, where the angels would look like people. But don't forget to entertain strangers. You don't know who they might be. Remember the prisoners, as if chained with them…. And there were Christians imprisoned in Jerusalem. There were Christians imprisoned all over the Roman Empire. Even Paul himself had been several times. …those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also. So he said, “Look, there are some who are going to be persecuted, some in prison. Don't forget those. Pray for them. Do what you can to help them.”

And then sort of – not out of character – but sort of as a different subject – but it is along the same line – he reminds them during this time of turmoil, this time of fleeing, to make sure that they did not commit adultery – that their marriages were going to be honorable. The translation in English is a little bit weak. In the Greek, it is a very strong declarative statement. Make sure your marriage remains honorable, among every way. In every way, make sure your marriages are strong. As we know when wars occur, morals break down. Much of the moral decline in our country we can trace back to it's roots during World War I and World War II. But he said:

V-4 – Make sure your marriage is honorable among all, and – it says – the bed undefiled. The Greek word actually means don't commit adultery – or don't commit porneo, or sexual sin, in any way. …but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. So he warned them of this very important subject, which, by the way, whenever the sins of the flesh, or the works of the flesh, are listed in the Bible, this is always first. Look in Galatians, look in Corinthians – that sexual sin…if you are able to live in accordance with God's seventh commandment, it seems like a test commandment that makes other obediences to God a lot more smooth. So make sure that our marriages are honorable and our actions are undefiled – we are not committing sexual sin. Very important for the church at all stages, but even more important perhaps in the stage in which we live.

V-5 – Let your conduct be without covetousness. So some of them may have had big houses. Some of them may have had nice chariots, may have had all sorts of possessions and clothes and jewelry. He said, “Don't worry about that. You're going to have to leave it.” Be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So the most important thing we have, which is God's Spirit and God's protection, will never leave us. So we may boldly say, “The Lord is my helper. I will not fear what man can do to me?” – again quoting the Old Testament – quoting a Psalm that says, “I will not fear what man can do to me, because I have faith in God.” It's easier to say than do when you're escaping your city, and just barely having what you have on your back, and heading out to a place you've never heard of before.

Then he says in verse 7:

V-7-8 – Remember those who rule – or have the guide – over you, who have spoken the word of God to you. So during this time of turmoil, it was important for them to remember their ministry – remember those who had been ordained by Jesus Christ to teach them. It says: who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. Jesus Christ said He would never leave us, and part of that understanding is that we would always have a ministry – God would leave us a ministry to teach us and take care of us – whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. There were always Levites. There were always priests in ancient Israel. And God will always have a ministry for His church. Verse 9:

V-9-12 – Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. And certainly during any time of war, any time of tumult, any time of people on the run, Satan the devil is always there with various and strange doctrines. And of course, much of what was being pushed on them and trying to be coerced on them at that time was every form of going back to Judaism and temple worship. And those doctrines – those ideas – are still with us today from time to time. For it is good that the heart be established by grace – in other words, understanding what we've been forgiven of – understanding God's grace and His unmerited – on our part – gifts that He's given to us. …not with foods, which have not profited those who have been occupied with them – foods meaning spiritual things that would be fed to you. We have an altar – Jesus Christ – from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. So those who were trying to force Judaism and circumcision and all the various temple worship items on them as part of Christianity, he simply said, “They have no right to eat, or to partake, of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.” If they want to go back to Judaism, they have to go completely back. They cannot mix it in with Christianity. For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Jesus Christ was a sin offering therefore, He had to be sacrificed outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify – or purify the people – be the sin offering for all people – with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. He had to be taken outside the city gate to Golgotha to be sacrificed. Then he says in verse 13:

V-13-14 – Therefore let us go forth to Him…. Let us also go out of the gates of the city. So he's telling them, “You are going to have to flee. You are going to have to leave Jerusalem” – even though they had been there since the church was started in 31 AD. That was their home. They thought Christ was going to come back and reestablish Jerusalem. They would never have to leave. The whole idea of leaving Jerusalem must have been almost anathema, but certainly very painful to them. We must go outside the camp, bearing His reproach. You are going to be persecuted as you leave, just like Christ was. And indeed, they were. And he says: For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. So Jerusalem was not going to be their continuing city in 68 AD. The continuing city that we live in is not going to be a continuing city either. The continuing city – the one to come – is the New Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven. And that's going to be something we can all look forward to and have a part in.

Then he says:

V-15 – Therefore – because we have a continuing city, not a temporary one – by Him, let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God – that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks in His name. So he's telling them, even though they are going to be enduring some very terrible things – that they would be obeying God to the point of blood, that they would be bearing His reproach, that they would be leaving their homes and their city, and that this older church, that had grown spiritually weak and decrepit, needed to be woken up, and they needed to be teachers, and they needed to be no longer neglecting salvation. He said to them, “Therefore, what you need to do, as you do all these things, is to offer the sacrifice continually of praise to God in the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name for all that we have.”

Our church is very similar. The times in which we live reflect the 68, 70 AD time, when this church at Jerusalem went through some very terrible things and had to flee. Therefore the advice is the same to us. Let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God – that is, the fruit of our lips, and always give thanks to His name.