Historical Setting Cont.

Daniel is written in two languages, not just one. The Book is written in Hebrew and in Aramaic:

Daniel 1:1 - 2:4a-Hebrew language
Daniel 2:4b - 7:28-Aramaic language
Daniel 8:1 - 12:13-Hebrew language




Author:
This book bears the simple title, ”Daniel,“ not only because he is one of the chief characters portrayed in the book but more so because it follows a custom (though not a consistent one) of affixing the name of the author to the book he wrote. Little is known of Daniel’s family background. From the testimony of his contemporaries he was known for his righteousness (Ezek. 14:14, 20) and his wisdom (Ezek. 28:3). He is mentioned in these passages with Noah and Job, who were historical people, so Daniel was also a historical person, not a fictional character.
Daniel was born into the royal family and was of noble birth (Dan. 1:3, 6). He was physically attractive and mentally sharp (1:4). He lived at least until the third year of Cyrus, that is, till 536 b.c. (10:1). Therefore he must have been a young man when he was taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar in 605 b.c. (In 1:4 Daniel was one of the ”young“ men of Israel.) If he were 16 when captured, he was 85 in Cyrus’ third year.

Characteristics:
The prophecy of Daniel is the first great book of apocalyptic literature in the Bible. The Greek word apokalypsis, from which comes the English ”apocalypse,“ means an unveiling, a disclosing, or a revelation. Though all Scripture is revelation from God, certain portions are unique in the form by which their revelations were given and in the means by which they were transmitted.
Apocalyptic literature in the Bible has several characteristics: (1) In apocalyptic literature a person who received God’s truths in visions recorded what he saw. (2) Apocalyptic literature makes extensive use of symbols or signs. (3) Such literature normally gives revelation concerning God’s program for the future of His people Israel. (4) Prose was usually employed in apocalyptic literature, rather than the poetic style which was normal in most prophetic literature.
In addition to Daniel and Revelation, apocalyptic literature is found in Ezekiel 37-48 and Zechariah 1:7-7:8. In interpreting visions, symbols, and signs in apocalyptic literature, one is seldom left to his own ingenuity to discover the truth. In most instances an examination of the context or a comparison with a parallel biblical passage provides the Scriptures’ own interpretation of the visions or the symbols employed. Apocalyptic literature then demands a careful comparison of Scripture with Scripture to arrive at a correct understanding of the revelation being given.

Date:

537 B.C.

If Daniel is the author as the book claims, then it written after the Babylonian captivity when Daniel and other young men were taken captive to Babylon in 605 when Nebuchadnezzar subdued Jerusalem. But for various reasons, this date has been disputed with many critics arguing that Daniel is a fraudulent book which was written in the time of the Maccabees in the second century B.C. rather than the sixth century B.C. Concerning the arguments against the authorship of Daniel in the sixth century Ryrie writes:
The first attack on the traditional sixth century B.C. date for the composition of the book came from Porphyry (A.D. 232- 303), a vigorous opponent of Christianity, who maintained that the book was written by an unknown Jew who lived at the time of Antiochus Epiphanes (175-163 B.C.). This view was widely promoted by scholars of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries for the following reasons: it is alleged that Daniel could not have made these predictions, since they were accurately fulfilled and could therefore have been written only after the events occurred; Persian and Greek words used in the book would have been unknown to a sixth-century Jewish author; the Aramaic used in 2:4-7:28 belongs to a time after that of Daniel; and there are certain alleged historical inaccuracies. In answer, we observe that predictive prophecy is not only possible but expected from a true prophet of God. Since Daniel lived into the Persian period, he would have known Persian words. The presence of Greek words is easily accounted for, since one hundred years before Daniel, Greek mercenaries served in the Assyrian army under Esarhaddon (683) and in the Babylonian army under Nebuchadnezzar. Recent discoveries of fifth century B.C. Aramaic documents have shown that Daniel was written in a form of Imperial Aramaic, an official dialect known in all parts of the Near East at that time. Alleged historical inaccuracies are fast disappearing, especially with the information provided by the Nabonidus Chronicle as to the identity of Belshazzar (5:1) and with evidence that identifies Darius the Mede with a governor named Gubaru (5:31).
In addition, how can the use of relatively few Greek words be explained if the book was written around 170 B.C., when a Greek-speaking government had controlled Palestine for 160 years? One would expect the presence of many Greek terms. Also, the Qumran documents (Dead Sea Scrolls), dated only a few decades before the alleged second-century writing of Daniel, show grammatical differences that indicate they were written centuries, not decades, after Daniel. Further, the scrolls of Daniel found at Qumran are copies, indicating that the original was written before the Maccabean era.70

Date, Author arguments synopsis:

ARGUMENT 1: Daniel was not listed among the famous Israelites by Ecclesiasticus 44:1ff. Since this document was in existence by 180 B.C., Daniel must have lived at a time later than 180 B.C.
RESPONSE: Among the Qumran discoveries were manuscripts and fragments from the Book of Daniel. “Since the [Qumran] community was itself Maccabean in origin, it testifies to the way in which Daniel was revered and cited as Scripture in the second century B.C.” 7 Harrison points out that Ecclesiasticus not only omits any direct reference to Daniel, but also to Job and all the Judges except Samuel, as well as Kings Asa and Jehoshaphat. Mordecai and even Ezra himself are also omitted.8 Harrison further points to allusions to Daniel by this same author (Ben Sira) in some of his other writings. He alludes to Daniel in Maccabees (1 Macc. 2:59ff.), Baruch (1:15-3:3), and Sibylline Oracles (III, 397ff.).9

ARGUMENT 2: In the Hebrew Text of the Old Testament, the Book of Daniel is not included in the second section (the prophets), but in the third (the writings).10 This shows that Daniel was not considered one of the earlier prophets. The book must therefore be a later work.
RESPONSE: In the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) Daniel is listed with the prophets, indicating the translators, like Jesus, accepted Daniel as one of the prophets. Daniel was not a typical prophet like Isaiah or Jeremiah. His ministry was more like that of Joseph. Both were interpreters of dreams in a foreign land. Inclusion among the writings does not indicate anything about the date of the book. Job, for example, is included among the writings and is generally regarded to be a very old book.

ARGUMENT 3: The language of the Book of Daniel argues for a late date. Certain Persian and Greek words are used which originated later than the 6th century B.C. The Aramaic used in Daniel is “late” in form.
RESPONSE: Each individual language argument falls apart under scrutiny. The more we learn about the language of Daniel’s day, the more critical arguments collapse.11

ARGUMENT 4: Daniel was incorrect when he wrote (1:1) that Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest of Jerusalem occurred in the “third year of Jehoiakim” because Jeremiah spoke of it as being in the “fourth year” (Jeremiah 25:1, 46:2). Daniel’s error can be explained by the fact that he did not live in those days but wrote at a later time.
RESPONSE: It should first be noted that Daniel did not say Nebuchadnezzar defeated Jerusalem in the third year of Jehoiakim, but only that he took certain people captive to Babylon. Secondly, the Palestinian method of reckoning the number of years of a king’s reign from the time of his accession differed from that of the Babylonian method. The Babylonian method did not count the year of a king’s accession; the Palestinian method did. Thus, Daniel (by the Babylonian method) spoke of the event as being in the third year of Jehoiakim’s reign, and Jeremiah (by the Palestinian method) as being in the fourth.12
I differ with the presuppositions and premises of the critical scholars not only because of the basis of their arguments, but because of the implications of their views. I differ not only with “where they are coming from” but also with “where they are going.” Consider some implications of the critical view of Daniel. If their arguments are true, then these implications must be faced:
(1) The critical view of Daniel makes Scripture merely human, denying its divine and supernatural character. By eliminating the supernatural element from prophecy, one removes the divine. The critical view believes God did not speak through Daniel, men did.
(2) The critical view of the Book of Daniel makes “Daniel” a fictional character, not a real person. This means that the piety of Daniel (and his three friends) was fictional and that there is no real link between the practical piety of Daniel and his prophecies.
(3) The critical view of Daniel legitimizes falsehood by employing a fabricated story to teach the truth. One of the purposes of divine prophecy is to reveal the truth while exposing falsehood. The critical view makes the prophecy of Daniel a falsehood. How then can it proclaim God’s truth?
(4) The critical view of Daniel, by inference, demeans all biblical prophecy. If the divine revelation of future events is rejected in Daniel, then we must reject it elsewhere in the Bible as well. The prophecies of the Bible pertaining to the future to which we presently look for hope and comfort, cannot be a supernatural revelation of the future and thus are worthless. To reject Daniel because it is prophecy is to reject all prophecy.
(5) To accept the critical view of Daniel is to demean the rest of the Scriptures, the authors of Scripture, and our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Kraeling said it. We have a high view of Daniel because Jesus did. But if such a view of Daniel is wrong, then all those who have esteemed Daniel highly were wrong, including our Lord. If the Book of Daniel is less than our Lord thought it was, our Lord must be less than we have thought Him to be. Our view of Christ will either determine our estimation of Daniel, or our (critical) estimation of Daniel will diminish our view of Christ.

Notes:

2 The New Testament in Greek and English, published by the American Bible Society in 1966, lists in its index of quotations (pp. 897-907), every chapter of Daniel as being quoted in the New Testament. It also shows that most of the books of the New Testament quote the Book of Daniel. While not every New Testament book cites Daniel, virtually every New Testament author does, including all the gospel writers, Paul, Peter, James, Jude, and the writer to the Hebrews. One-hundred-thirty-three New Testament references were listed here, citing 68 references in Daniel.

Kraeling, who holds this view, represents it in these words:
For the Christian reader Daniel is a prophetic book. This is because he is called a prophet in the New Testament (Matt. 24:15) and because of the profound influence, especially of the visions, on Jesus and early Christianity. In our English Bible the book of Daniel follows Ezekiel. Not so in the Hebrew Bible, where it stands not among the prophets but among “the Writings.” From the standpoint of the book’s own suppositions the author (at any rate of the visions) was a man living in the time of the Chaldean and Persian kings. But this, in the view of all critical scholars, is a masquerade. Since prophecy, as we have seen, was virtually outlawed in the second century B.C., the idea came up to publish predictions under the name of some wise man or prophet of long ago. The pattern was provided by ancient Egyptian tales of wise men or seers who prophesied to a ruler about what would happen in the future—how his dynasty would end in social chaos and be replaced by a new one bringing blessing to the country. Jewish authors took over the pattern but gave it a new importance by providing a finale consisting of judgment over a current empire that had trodden down their people and the coming of the kingdom of God or of the Messiah. Thus was born the apocalyptic literature of which Daniel is the oldest specimen.4

http://www.christian-thinktank.com/qwhendan3a.html

http://www.tektonics.org/guest/danielblast.html

http://www.tektonics.org/af/danieldefense.html#early

Daniel J. Boorstin has said: "The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance--it is the illusion of knowledge."

Daniel-Historical Setting and Preface

Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, fell before the assault of the forces of Babylon and Media in 612 b.c. Under the leadership of Ashur-uballit. Some Assyrians fled westward to Haran, from which they claimed authority over all of Assyria. Nabopolassar, the king of Babylon, moved in 611 b.c. against the Assyrian forces in Haran. The next year, 610 b.c., Babylon, allied with Media, attacked the Assyrians in Haran. Assyria withdrew from Haran westward beyond the Euphrates River and left Haran to the Babylonians.
In 609 b.c. the Assyrians sought the help of Egypt, and Pharaoh Neco II led an army from Egypt to join Assyria. Josiah, the king of Judah, hoping to incur favor with the Babylonians, sought to prevent the Egyptians from joining Assyria and met the Egyptian army at Megiddo. Josiah’s army was defeated and he was killed in this attempt (2 Kings 23:28-30; 2 Chron. 35:24).
Pharaoh Neco proceeded to join the Assyrians and together they assaulted Babylon at Haran but were unsuccessful. Assyria seems to have passed from the scene at that time, but conflict continued between Egypt and Babylon.
In 605 b.c. Nebuchadnezzar led Babylon against Egypt in the Battle of Carchemish. Egypt was defeated, and Carchemish was destroyed by the Babylonians in May-June of that year. While pursuing the defeated Egyptians Nebuchadnezzar expanded his territorial conquests southward into Syria and toward Palestine. Learning of the death of his father Nabopolassar, Nebuchadnezzar returned from Riblah to Babylon in August 605 to receive the crown. Then he returned to Palestine and attacked Jerusalem in September 605. It was on this occasion that Daniel and his companions were taken to Babylon as captives. Perhaps Nebuchadnezzar considered them hostages to warn the people in Judah against rebellion. Or the young men may have been taken to Babylon to prepare them for positions of administrative leadership there if Nebuchadnezzar should have to return to subjugate Judah. Returning to Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar reigned for 43 years (605-562).
Nebuchadnezzar returned to Judah a second time in 597 b.c. in response to Jehoiachin’s rebellion. In this incursion Jerusalem was brought in subjection to Babylon, and 10,000 captives were taken to Babylon, among whom was the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezek. 1:1-3; 2 Kings 24:8-20; 2 Chron. 36:6-10).
Nebuchadnezzar returned to Judah a third time in 588 b.c. After a long siege against Jerusalem the city walls were breached, the city destroyed, and the temple burned in the year 586. Most of the Jews who were not killed in this assault were deported to Babylon (2 Kings 25:1-7; Jer. 34:1-7; 39:1-7; 52:2-11).
The restoration of the Jews back to their land was made possible when in 539 b.c. Cyrus overthrew Babylon and established the Medo-Persian Empire. Having a policy to restore displaced peoples to their lands, Cyrus issued a decree in 538 that permitted the Jews who so desired to return to Jerusalem (2 Chron. 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4). About 50,000 Jewish exiles returned to the land and began to rebuild the temple. This was in keeping with Daniel’s prayer (Dan. 9:4-19). The temple was completed in 515 b.c. (Ezra 6:15). (See the chart ”The Three Returns from Exile,“ in the Introduction to Ezra.) From the first subjugation of Jerusalem (605 b.c.) until the Jews returned and rebuilt the temple foundation (536) was approximately 70 years. From the destruction of the temple (586) until the temple was rebuilt (515) was also about 70 years. So Jeremiah’s prophecy about the 70-year duration of the Babylon Exile was literally fulfilled (Jer. 25:11-12).
Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-c1985). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (1:1325). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Unit 9/10 - Chapter 13: Announcements & Benediction

I. Introduction - Like title says, two main themes in Ch. 13

A. Announcements
B. Benediction
C. "the Preacher" has finished his main theme of his sermon - i.e. superiority of new covenant in Christ

II. Announcements - Moves from theoretical to practical. 4 Ways of demonstrating Christ's love

A. Hospitality - show mutual love, "philadelphia", brotherly love

1. Not only to those you know but also to strangers
2. "for by doing that some may have entertained angels without knowing it"
3. Am reminded of our friend John who comes to our potlucks.

B. Ministry with the Wounded

1. Has to do with the prison ministry and care of victims of abuse and torture
2. Many christians were imprisoned in very poor conditions and dependent upon charity of others for survival.
a. "The Christians became so notorious for their help to those in prison that, at the beginning of the fourth century, the Emperor Licinius passed new legislation that no one was to show kindness to sufferers in prison by supplying them with food and that no one was to show mercy to those starving in prison." (Barclay, p. 227)
b. Recall Paul' s plea to come quickly or he might not survive the winter (II Timothy 4:9,20)

C. Sex and Money

1. Keep yourself pure in marriage
2. Be content with what you have and don't be acquisitive - "What is inventive about this is, first, the suggestion that the love of money is not so much the product of greed as it is the fear of abandonment, and two, the intriguing theological claim that when Jesus Christ grasps our one handin love it frees us to open up the clenched other one and let the money go." (Long, p. 144)

D. Worship and Service - apparently some members were getting off track. Appears to be two main features to the problem.

1. Some in the congregation were confusing grace with regulations. Still were thinking adherence to food regulations and laws was path to purity. The preacher suggests this is due to a failure of nerve.
a. Suggests they need to be bold, "leave the old tent with its ineffective sacrifices"
b. Take the "bold approach to the heavenly sancturary made possible in Christ."
2. Congregation has a problem with the public side, the outside dimension of the Christian faith.
a. minister to people
b. "Our sacrifices are praising God, confessing God's name in public, doing works of mercy, and sharing what we have with others, --in other words, right out there in public view we are to worship, evangelize, empathetically serve the needy, and exercise generosity to others." (Long, p. 145)

III. Benediction

A. Closes with summarization of key theological messages and greetings to congregants
B. Key theological messages

1. God is a god of peace
2. Who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ
3. The great sheperd of the sheep
4. By the blood of the eternal covenant
5. Make you complete in everything good, so that you may do his will
6. Working among us that which is pleasing in his sight.

Bibliography

Barclay, William. The New Daily Study Bible - The Letter to the Hebrews. London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002

Harrison, Everett F. Interpretation Bible Studies. Louisville: John Knox Press, 2008

Long, Thomas G. Hebrews, Interpretation - A Bible Commentary for Preaching and Teaching. Louisville: John Knox Press, 1997

Hebrews - Ch. 12 (Unit 9)

I. Introduction

A. Why is the Christian Life So Hard?
B. Limping towards the Finish Line
C. A Field Trip to Zion
D. Zion Revisited

II. Why is the Christian Life So Hard

A. Preacher responds to congregations bewilderment re. hardships of Christian life

1. Remember the Example of Jesus - Jesus suffered but endured on his way to ultimate victory
2. Provides a framework of meaning for their suffering - uses analogy of parents disciplining their children. Why should we think of God's strict rod of correction as a good thing?
a. Sure sign we are God's children - only children who go undisciplined are unloved
b. We can recognize God's pattern from our own family upbringing - as we grow into adulthood we can recognize the wisdom of our parents' discipline
c. End result of God's discipline is worth the pain - grow up to be more like God

B. Important to note Preacher makes no claim that all suffering comes from God as punishment

III. Limping Towards the Finish Line

A. Preacher uses analogy of marathon runner - something I can relate to:)

1. Preacher isn't talking about elite runners at the front of the race
2. Rather, he is talking about the recreational athletes at the back of the pack
a. "God's race is not the Olympics; it is the Special Olympics, and runners who are 'lame', that is encumbered in so many ways are encouraged to get out on the track and to 'make straight paths for your feet'" (Long, p.135)
b. Must run through pain...leads to healing. Staying on sideline just makes the injury worse.
3. Runners at the back of the pack look out for each other. If someone gets hurt, they stop to help. It's not about your time; its about your experience during the race.
a. Preacher says Christians should be like runners at the back of the race...looking out for them.
b. "We are to try to make peace to the best of our ability with everyone in the community and act towards others in the everyday relationships of life in the holy ways of mercy and justice that we have seen in Jesus." (Long, p. 135)

B. Preacher now brings up Esau

1. Calls him 'morally corrupt'.
2. Short term focus - cost him his birthright
3. Preacher is telling them - finish the race. Don't let the temporary pain distract you from your goal.
4. Running buddy's favorite saying, "Pain is temporary, pride is forever."

IV. A Field Trip to Zion

A. Preacher uses popular and successful marketing strategy to sell people on continuing down the path to Mt. Zion (new covenant) - Describes Mt. Zion in detail allowing congregants to picture it in their mind...paradise

B. Also describes Mt. Sinai (old covenant) - fearsome place. Human beings come to Mt. Sinai as perpetually unclean sinners. Thus, holiness of God at Mt. Sinai is terrifying.

C. Preacher reminds them of the good news. They're not at Mt. Sinai, they're at Mt. Zion. What do they find?

1. City of the Living God
2. Citizens of the city are angels and 'firstborn', those who have gone on to their glory before them
3. The Judge and the Acquitted
4. Jesus and the Sprinkled Blood - "On Mt. Zion, by contast, there is the 'sprinkled blood' of Jesus offered 'once for all', blood that purifies the 'conscience from dead works to worship the living God." (Long, p.139)

V. Zion Revisited

A. God of Mt. Sinai and Mt. Zion are one and the same; holy and awe-full, a purifying fire of perfect judgment.

B. Further surprises - there is only one mountain with two paths. Mt. Sinai and Mt. Zion are one and the same, the dwelling of the holy God.

C. "What makes the difference is not the destination, but the path; Mt. Sinai is transformed into Mt. Zion--if we go there with Jesus." (Long, p. 140)


Bibliography

Barclay, William. The New Daily Study Bible – The Letter to the Hebrews. London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002

Harrison, Everett F. Interpretation Bible Studies. Louisville: John Knox Press, 2008

Long, Thomas G. Hebrews, Interpretation – A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. Louisville: John Knox Press, 1997

Sunday October 18th

REMINDER: We did not complete Unit 8 last week. Thus, tomorrow we will continue in Unit 8 by studying Chapter 11.

Hebrews - Ch. 10:19 - 11:40 (Unit 8)

The Practical Consequences of His Superiority

I. Introduction - three major themes in the lesson today.

A. The Worship of the New Covenant (10:19-25)

B. Discussion on Sin and Judgement (10:26-39)

C. Faith (11:1-40)

D. Keep in mind overriding message of entire book of Hebrews - stay the course; do not fall away.

II. The Worship of the New Covenant

A. Having spent 3 1/2 chapters hearing the why new covenant with Jesus as High Priest is better than the old covenant, congregants logically want to know, what do we do in response.

B. "the Preacher's" answer is WORSHIP!

C. Preacher turns from theology to practical exhortation

D. How do we get ready for authentic worship?

1. Go to worship as a community. Travel to place of true worship together as brothers and sisters in Christ
2. Come to worship baptized and forgiven. Because "Our bodies washed with pure water", means we come fully assured of God's acceptance, "with a true heart in full assurance of faith".
3. Come hoping and holding onto the promises of God
4. Come not only to pray and sing, but also praising God with deeds of compassion and mercy. That is prodding others along on the right path.
5. Come, gathering with other Christians, in ordinary sanctuaries. "Whenever Christians cluster together for worship we walk through the doorway of an ordinary building, an 'earthly tent', and find ourselves in the company of heaven singing praises with the heavenly hosts." (Long, p. 107)

E. Sin and Judgement. Beginning in v.26 "the Preacher" changes course once again and begins preaching on result of sin. Difficult passage, several factors must be considered to fully understand.

1. Speaks very harshly. Must be made clear. "the Preacher" isn't talking about everyday sin. Rather, he is speaking specifically about apostacy. Re-read v26,27 - "if we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth..."
2. "the Preacher" is addressing very practical and urgent pastoral problem. Members of his congregation are disheartened, want to give up, go back to old life.
3. "the Preacher's" real goal isn't to generate fear but to offer encouragement. This will be become more apparent in next section when he talks about faith.

III. The Great Cloud of Witnesses

A. Faith (11:1-3)

1. Begins by defining faith, "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen"
2. Probably most famous line of scripture in book of Hebrews
3. Not the full, complete definition of faith. Rather, "the Preacher" uses this abbreviated version to make his point.
a. "But faith as 'the assurance of things hoped for' is not just inward confidence, it is also an outward actuality." (Long, p. 113)
b. "What the naked eye can see, of course, is a world of suffering and setback, violence and hardship. Given the harsh realities of the world, faith is the ability to see with the inner eye, to see what can not be seen with the natural eye." (Long, p. 114)

B. Faith's Hall of Heroes

1. Not random, chronological listing of OT believers who had faith in God
2. List contains 4 separate groups of believers. First 3 exhibit one of 3 virtues which define faith. Fourth is a listing of people and events exhibiting a mixture of those 3 virtues.
3. Three Virtues
a. Righteous
b. Step Out in Faith
c. Tested by Suffering
4. Righteous (Abel, Enoch, Noah)
a. people who obeyed and thus pleased God
5. Step Out in Faith - i.e., journeyed obediently in faith (Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob)
a. some of whom did not received God's earthly promise before receiving his heavenly promise
6. Tested by Suffering (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses)
a. "To be sure, some forms of human suffering seem, even to the eyes of faith, to be random, chaotic, and meaningless. But faith sometimes has a different view, seeing suffering as a fire that forges steel or as a tilling of hard ground into the soil of compassion." (Long, p. 119)


Bibliography

Barclay, William. The New Daily Study Bible – The Letter to the Hebrews. London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002

Harrison, Everett F. Interpretation Bible Studies. Louisville: John Knox Press, 2008

Long, Thomas G. Hebrews, Interpretation – A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. Louisville: John Knox Press, 1997

Unit 7 - Hebrews Ch. 9:1 - 10:18

Must start with an apology...am going to the TCU vs SMU football game this afternoon. Thus, my notes will be brief.

JESUS CHRIST PROVIDES THE BETTER COVENANT AND THE BETTER PROMISES

I. Overview

A. Chapters 9 and 10 repeat some of the concepts introduced by "the Preacher" in ch. 7 & 8.
B. Also covers new ground in explaining Jesus role in the new covenant.
C. "the Preacher" also provides a brief glimpse back into early worship of the Hebrews in the wilderness and the tent temple.

II. Old Sanctuary (Ch. 9:1-5)

A. "the Preacher describes the old sanctuary. Seems like he is leading his congregation on a tour.

B. The point in all of this is to show the congregation that despite all of the extravagance the old tabernacle pales in comparison to God's real temple. Heavenly temple will be described in Chapter 12.

C. He also wants to "contrast what happened--or failed to happen--in the old tabernacle with what happens through the priestly ministry of Jesus." (Long, p.93)

III. Actions of the Old Priests (Ch. 9:6-10)

A. "the Preacher" first describes the daily activities of the priests in the outer chamber.

B. Then describes High Priests activities in the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement

C. Purpose of this section is to remind the people of the short-comings of the old priesthood and its method of worship.

1. People have no direct access to God. Old covenant is based on keeping the law and having priest atone for the sins of the people by offering sacrifices.
2. People want to feel God's presence. "Like all other human beings, what the members of the Preacher's congregation really want is an encounter with the living God; they want to go into the holiest sanctuary, to have access to God's mercy and forgiveness." (Long, p.95)

IV. The Greater and Perfect New Sanctuary (Ch. 9:11)

V. The Actions of the New High Priest (Ch. 9:12-15)

VI. Purification through Death: Old Covenant (Ch. 9:16-22)

VII. Purification through the death of Christ (Ch. 9:23-28)

VIII. Benefits of the Priestly Ministry (Ch. 10:1-18)

Bibliography

Barclay, William. The New Daily Study Bible – The Letter to the Hebrews. London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002

Harrison, Everett F. Interpretation Bible Studies. Louisville: John Knox Press, 2008

Long, Thomas G. Hebrews, Interpretation – A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. Louisville: John Knox Press, 1997