Study Desk

Those who heard the Good News first did not go into His rest. It was because they had not obeyed Him. But the promise is still good and some are going into His rest.

Our Religious Leader understands how weak we are. Christ was tempted in every way we are tempted, but He did not sin.

There is much we could say about this, but it is hard to make you understand. It is because you do not want to hear well.

But if they turn away, they cannot be sorry for their sins and turn from them again. It is because they are nailing the Son of God on a cross again. They are holding Him up in shame in front of all people.

But if it gives nothing but weeds, it is worth nothing. It will be hated and destroyed by fire.

Melchizedek was not even from the family group of Levi but Abraham paid him. Melchizedek showed respect to Abraham who was the one who had received God's promises.

Jewish religious leaders receive one-tenth part. They are men and they all die. But here Melchizedek received one-tenth part and is alive.

The Law was given during the time when Levi and his sons were the religious leaders. If the work of those religious leaders had been perfect in taking away the sins of the people, there would have been no need for another religious leader. But one like Melchizedek was needed and not one from the family group of Aaron.

God did not make such a promise when Levi's family group became religious leaders. But when Christ became a Religious Leader, this is the promise God made, "The Lord has made a promise. He will never change His mind. You will be a Religious Leader forever."

But Jesus lives forever. He is the Religious Leader forever. It will never change.

But Christ has a more perfect work. He is the One Who goes between God and man in this new and better way. The New Way of Worship promises better things.

The New Way of Worship will not be like the Old Way of Worship I gave to their early fathers. That was when I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. But they did not follow the Old Way of Worship. And so I turned away from them.

But Christ came as the Head Religious Leader of the good things God promised. He made the way for man to go to God. He was a greater and more perfect tent. He was not made by human hands and was not a part of this earth.

When a man wants to give his money to someone after he dies, he writes it all down on paper. But that paper is worth nothing until the man is dead.

The tent to worship in and the things inside to worship with were like the things in heaven. They were made clean by putting blood on them. But the things in heaven were made clean by a much better gift of worship.

For then Christ would have had to die many times since the world began. But He came once at the end of the Old Way of Worship. He gave Himself once for all time. He gave Himself to destroy sin.

But Christ gave Himself once for sins and that is good forever. After that He sat down at the right side of God.

Because Abel had faith, he gave a better gift in worship to God than Cain. His gift pleased God. Abel was right with God. Abel died, but by faith he is still speaking to us.

Abraham was too old to have children. But from this one man came a family with as many in it as the stars in the sky and as many as the sand by the sea.

These people all died having faith in God. They did not receive what God had promised to them. But they could see far ahead to all the things God promised and they were glad for them. They knew they were strangers here. This earth was not their home.