Ezekiel 16:42-17:24; Hebrews 8:1-13; Psalms 106:13-31; Proverbs 27:7-9
Today is the 7th day of November. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian and it is great to be here with you for the next step forward in the Scriptures today. And I’m grateful, grateful that we can be together like this for the next step forward. This week we’ve been reading from the Good News translation. And, so, we’ll continue to read from that and pick up where we left off yesterday. Ezekiel chapter 16 verse 42 through 17 verse 24.
Commentary:
Okay. In the book of Hebrews today, we have a quotation from the book of Jeremiah, chapter 31, which we read very recently. And this happens to be the longest quotation from the Old Testament that is found in the New Testament. And in Jeremiah’s prophecy a new covenant is foretold. So, about 700 years later, as the writer of Hebrews is writing this letter, this passage from Jeremiah is quoted. And it’s all in the context of what we been talking about for several days. So, we spent some days talking about Melchizedek as part of a larger point that’s being made. And the point that’s being made is that Jesus is high priest, a priestly king who presides over a new covenant that had been foretold long ago. So, this letter is being written by Hebrews for Hebrews and referring to people and events and scriptural prophecy that are all Hebrew. So, this letter is written to devout Hebrews who understand what’s being talked about here. And they’re simply saying, look, a new covenant was for foretold a long time ago. We’re not just making all this stuff up. We’re not trying to make up a new religion. We’re trying to say, wake up and see what’s happening here. What we see in Jesus is the establishment of this new covenant that was foretold in our own Scriptures. We’re entering into a new era and is not just because we dreamed this all up. It’s because God foretold it and is now fulfilling it through Jesus, who is our new high priest who presides over this new covenant in heaven where there are no flaws. And everything that we’ve presided over, the covenant, the Torah, everything that we been doing, is flawed because we’re doing it and we are not perfect. And everything that we’ve been doing up until now has been a foreshadowing, a shadow of what is in heaven, or to quote Hebrews, ‘the work they do as priests is really only a copy and a shadow of what is in heaven’. So, what’s essentially being communicated here is, what we’ve been doing all along following this old covenant is a picture of what is to come. But God said after we continue to break the covenant over and over and over that a new one was coming. And now these centuries later it has come in the person of Jesus. And it’s not a shadow or a copy anymore. Jesus is the high priest presiding over this covenant in heaven where things are perfect. This is incorruptible and perfect - a better way, a more perfect way, a new covenant. And the result of that is unpacked in chapter 8 verse 13, ‘by speaking of a new covenant God has made the first one old and anything that becomes old and worn out will soon disappear’. And over the centuries since then many have thought, well, than the Old Testament doesn’t matter then we only should read the New Testament, but it’s a covenant is being talked about here, not the Scriptures. And we’ve gotten far enough into the year to understand that the Old Testament speaks very, very clearly soberly, truthfully, honestly, and lovingly into our lives. But just on a practical level, if we read the book of Hebrews without any Old Testament knowledge whatsoever, like, if we read this having no idea of the context and history, we wouldn’t even know what’s being talked about. Covenants, high priests, priests, old ones, new ones, prophecies being fulfilled – we would have no idea what’s going on. And I think the writer of Hebrews, while quoting from the book of Jeremiah at length as a proof text for what they are saying, shows us that there is a great value in understanding our context and history that is found in the Old Testament. Just a little bunny trail there. The theological point that’s being made in Hebrews is that Jesus is a high priest, presiding over a new covenant, and He does this from heaven, and it is perfect and is leading into a new chapter, a new era. And this will be further unpacked as we go forward. We’re just a little over halfway through the book of Hebrews.
Prayer:
Father, we thank You for this new covenant and Your welcoming of all people to partake of this good news. We are some of those people and we are grateful. We thank You that we have a high priest in heaven advocating for us. We love You, Jesus, and we worship and thank You. And we pray these things in Your name. Amen.
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Community Prayers and Praise Reports:
Hey, this is Jerry calling from Duluth Minnesota. I must say that the Daily Audio Bible, the Black Wing pencils, and a journal probably have saved my life. I’ve struggled with depression for many, many, many years and a particularly dark, dark time in the last six months and started new treatments in August. I got the journal on September 6th and started writing in it and it has made an incredible difference in my life. I just received print number 217 of the Global Campfire Initiative there by giving the $200 for the new app and so excited about the opportunity and the potential of the new app of reaching new people. And particularly would like to request prayer for my family. I have two daughters that are going through separation and divorce and one daughter whose husband is accused of molesting their 13-year-old daughter and facing criminal charges. So, I ordered five more of the journals for my wife and kids to give at Christmas time to try and hopefully encourage them to start writing out what’s happening in their life on a daily basis. Maybe not even on a daily basis, just as God prompts you to write. I encourage you to think of the Daily Audio Bible and order some of the journals and pencils for Christmas. They make great gifts. And encourage people to listen to the Daily Audio Bible in the year 2018 and change your life and perhaps…
Hey everyone, it’s Kristy from Kentucky. I know it’s been a long time since I’ve called, but it’s been a really hard…it’s been a hard couple of weeks. My precious daddy went home to Jesus two weeks ago today, which would have been October 21st and it’s just been very difficult. Losing mom in May…I shouldn’t say losing…but…having to say bye to her in May…and having to say goodbye to daddy two weeks ago has just been…it’s been very hard. But I know God is on the throne and He’s blessed me with two amazing parents. Momma was 86 and daddy was 90. And, so, I know that there’s so many people that have either never had a good relationship with their parents or they lost them early. And, so, I know how very blessed that I am. And I just praise God for their lives and for having a wonderful brother and now they’re all together. So, you know, I have to be happy for them, but it sure is hard being left. Anyway, I love you guys so much. Thank each of you for praying. All of those who have prayed, I haven’t been listening but I know in my heart because I have felt your prayers. I love each of you very, very much and I pray that you are having a most blessed and lovely day.
Hello Daily Audio Bible. This is Duane from Wisconsin. All praise and glory to God. I’m calling today for a prayer request and a heavy heart. I had told you for the last year or so that my nephew, Nicholas, who has brain cancer was in for treatment. And just couple months ago he finished his treatment and everything went fine. Well, the other day, on the 3rd, which would have been yesterday, he was taken to the hospital with fluid in his lungs and they found out he had a heart attack. So, he is in the ICU unit. His heart is only working at about 10%, so, things are not looking good. So, I’m asking if you would please pray for my nephew. His name is Nicholas. So, let’s pray please. Lord, I want to ask You that You would lift up Nicholas. We ask that You would place Your healing hand upon him, that You would do a miracle and heal him, be with the doctors and the nurses to guide them Lord, to give them some peace and comfort as well as his wife and his mother, my sister, and his family and friends. So, Lord, again, we ask that You please be with Nicholas. Give him peace, give him comfort, and if it would be Your will that You would heal him. I thank you all. Love you and God bless. Amen.
Hey DABbers. This is Slave of Jesus from North Carolina. Alright, Holy Spirit, let’s roll. I’m pumped today. Lord, we ask You to watch over Lee from New Jersey. Hey Lee, all I can tell you about anger…you know I used to struggle with that lust trap…and I’m not saying you struggle with that…but once I started having great victories in that…I had this bout of anger towards my family…I’d like be walking behind them…and want to physically want to strike their head. And I decided, hey, I need to deal with this the same way I deal with the lust. You know what I’m going to say. I went out there and got a Scripture…an anger Scripture - James 119. Be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to get angry. Said it every morning, said it every night. Just like dealing with the lust. Every time I got angry. Sometimes I would even start getting frustrated with my wife and I might even say that out loud in front of them. My daughter even knows that. We are sitting in the car and she even knows I’m angry. She’ll start saying it - quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to get angry. And then I had to get a patience one, Ephesians 4:2. So, then I said…you know what…I am going to preemptively deal with this. And I’d be walking up to my house and maybe there was some text during the day…and I knew there was going to be a battle…I’d say it out loud. But then sometimes I would just say it out loud before I walk into my house and start interacting with my family. So, hey brother, that’s what works for me. Lord, we ask You to watch over Jay from New Jersey. And Dimitri, first time caller, been listening for three years. I know, Dimitri, your marriage is struggling and that’s where I was four years ago. I wanted to give it all up. I didn’t care about the marriage. I didn’t care about that stuff. That’s the point where I turned and put everything, went all in, and God rewarded me with a great marriage and great family. Lord we ask You to watch over Drew in the Bay. Amen to his prayers over Lee’s depression. Love you all. Have a great day.