Morning Musings-Enter Exhortation

   Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast...




Plonk!  The writer of Hebrews seems to have become satisfied with his elaborations and explanations of how Jesus is greater than angels, Abraham, Moses and even the Old Testament (OT) way of worship and relating to God and of how Jesus was and is the perfect sacrifice once for all sin for all people for all time (Hebrews 10:12) by the time he gets to Hebrews 10.  We will look at this chapter this morning.  Plonk, again!  He's got something else to say...

So now it is exhortation time.  The Hebrews' author says, see how superior Jesus is and this new way of relationship with Him is?  Don't give up.  Keep meeting together in this new way.  Hold on to that faith.  Do have full assurance of faith in Jesus Christ.

Besides a warning and exhortation to NOT keep on sinning deliberately, the recipients are encouraged to remember the earlier days of their acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Savior; how when persecuted and/or others were, how they stood along side of those who were persecuted and who even had had their possessions confiscated.  In those days they had joyfully pressed on because of the confidence they had of "better and lasting possessions" to come.  This would not be an easy thing yet they had "joyfully accepted" it.

And so they are spurred on:  don't throw all that away; persevere as it is all worth while, eternally worthwhile by comparison of earthly comforts and possessions.  Do the will of God and receive His promise that He will come soon.  

They are of "tough" stock they were told, so they don't "shrink back and neither are they destroyed."  Their faith ancestors were numerous and amazing.  We will see those of "hardy stock" in the Hall of Faith Fame coming up in chapter 11 of Hebrews.  

We too can take note of these and learn to persevere as they did.  Most of us don't have to face being eaten by lions or of having our things taken away or our personal freedom revoked,  but we do well to learn from these people of old and follow their faith.  Plonk!

Follow Their Faith

                                                                 ~ERC  2016~