The Old Testament in the Book of Hebrews Introduction and Chapters 1-4

Fulfillment (vs. Replacement)

The new covenant is a fulfillment rather than replacement of the old covenant. This isn’t written to Gentile Christians and telling them they are better than the Jews and thus emptying the Old Testament of meaning. It is written to Jewish Christians, telling them not to turn back now that they have Christ, and thus is it filling the Old Testament with meaning.

For Hebrews, it is recommended that you consult the Tree of Life version, New Testament for Everyone, or The Voice (all at Bible Gateway) alongside your regular Bible translation.

Theme of Perfection/Maturity The same Greek word means “perfection” or “maturity”; it refers to progression toward an end goal. This is a major theme throughout Hebrews. In Hebrews, Jesus (7:28) and the heavenly realm (9:11) represent the “perfect,” or the completion and fulfillment. What is on earth is a sketch and shadow of the heavens (8:5; 10:1); the earthly points toward the heavenly, but it is not the “perfection” or fulfillment. Jesus, as a human being, was made perfect/mature through his testing and suffering (2:10; 5:9); because of this, he is now seated at the right hand of God (1:3, 13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2), as our intercessor (7:25) and perfect High Priest (that is, his sacrifice was the fulfillment/completion or “perfection” of the sacrificial system, and his eternal priesthood is the fulfillment or “perfection” of the high priesthood; see esp. ch. 7-10). The law and sacrifices of the old covenant could not make us perfect/mature/complete, but Jesus can through his own sacrifice (10:14). He is the one who perfects our faith, or brings it to maturity (12:2). We should endure in the faith and strive for maturity/perfection (5:14; 6:1). Our ancestors in the faith are an example of patient endurance and striving for mature faith; they held on to their hope and faith, although they did not receive the fulfillment of God’s promises, so that the promises would remain open for us (11:39-40; cf. 6:15).

Themes/Structure There are two main themes intertwined throughout this book: (1) Jesus and the greater covenant that he brings; (2) warnings and exhortations for the audience to endure in the faith

Better (Than) Heb. 1:4 (angels); 6:9; 7:8, 19 (hope), 22 (covenant); 8:6 (covenant, promises); 9:23 (sacrifices); 10:34 (possession); 11:16 (country), 35 (resurrection), 40; 12:24 (blood) better than the angels better than Moses better than Aaron better than Melchizedek guarantee and mediator of a better and new covenant (7:22; 9:15) in the better tabernacle (9:11) better ministry, enacted through better promises (8:6) better sacrifices (9:23) better than sacrifices, high priesthood, old covenant

Hebrews is full of comparisons, especially showing how Jesus and what he represents is better than what we find in the Old Testament.

Chapters 1-2

Hebrews starts out by comparing Jesus to God, not in a better than sense, but showing how Jesus is “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (1:3).

Jesus is superior to the angels, and his name is superior to theirs. (1:4)

Heb. 2:2: In Jewish tradition of that day, it was understood that angels were present at Mt. Sinai when Moses received the law, and they were mediators of the covenant by giving the law to Moses.

Summarizing Hebrews 1-2

God -- Jesus God God -- Jesus Angels Angels Angels Humans Humans -- Jesus Humans

Chapters 3-4

The next major comparison is with Moses and the exodus.

Moses Jesus faith in God’s house faithful to the one who appointed him (God) we are the house builder of house greater than house; God is the builder Moses was a servant in God’s house Jesus is the Son over God’s house

Heb. 3:7-11 quotes from Ps. 95, about the exodus. See also Exod. 17:1-7

The author picks up several ideas from this passage and repeats them and elaborates on them: “today,” hearing God’s voice, rebelling, God’s anger, perishing in the wilderness. This serves in two ways for the audience of Hebrews. (1) It is a cautionary tale, not to follow in the footsteps of the Israelites by also rebelling against God. (2) Because God says in the psalm, “they will never enter my rest,” that means there is a promise of rest that is yet to be completely fulfilled, so that promise still remains open for the audience of Hebrews. In chapter 4, the author then builds on this idea of rest.

In chapters 1-2, Jesus was better than the angels, also he humbled himself beneath them for a while in order to be exalted to the right hand of God. In chapters 3-4, Jesus is better than Moses and Joshua, finally bringing God’s people into the fulfillment of sabbath rest that God built into creation and designed for us. Jesus is the leader of a new exodus, not only leading us out of something (out of sin), but also leading us into something (into God’s rest).

This idea of open and unfulfilled promises will continue in later chapters in the book. The idea is that God began certain things in the Old Testament, or he made certain promises, but those things were not completed or fulfilled before Christ came. In that sense, many of the things we see in the Old Testament point us forward to Christ. That doesn’t mean that Christ renders those things obsolete; it means that he brings them to their fullness and therefore gives them greater meaning.