Letter to the Hebrews, a mysterious manuscript with no official authorship, introduces comparisons between many people and events of the Old Testament Scripture and Jesus, in order to elevate the latter as superior in many aspects. Although it is unclear who exactly the author’s audience is, the tone of voice is familiar and addresses the reader as someone the writer is familiar with. Additionally, the author is someone who is acquainted with the Apostles and their teachings.
In the first insight, the author begins discussing Jesus as the best line of communication with God. The author compares Jesus to angels, and in doing so, directs the readers to understand the superiority of Jesus’s messages as God’s word (King James Bible, 1769/2017). This aspect of Hebrews is vital to becoming aware that the son of God is the most important messenger. The author explains this by recalling the Torah delivered by the angels and its meaning. The author specifies that if the people of Israel accepted the words delivered by Angels, the son of God has even more valuable information.
In the second insight, the author directs the letter to describing Jesus as hope for the new creation by comparing Him to Moses. Moses is known to have built the Tabernacle, while the author explains that Jesus is not only the creator of a tent but of everything in existence (King James Bible, 1769/2017). The author also recalls the rebellion against Moses and that those that rebelled had lost entry to the promised land. In a similar manner, the author hints that rebelling against Jesus may lead to being kept out of God’s new creation.
Prior to Jesus, animal sacrifices had to be made daily and yearly on the day of atonement. Jesus’s sacrifice was done once and would last forever, as it was sufficient to atone for the sins of the entire world (King James Bible, 1769/2017). As such, the author implies that rejecting Jesus’s sacrifice would be rejecting God’s offer of forgiveness.
It was the author’s aim to depict Jesus as God’s most important messenger, the hope for new creation, a priest that is with flaws and a sacrifice that is permanent. As such, the author invites the reader to consider the importance of Jesus in their own lives. The scripture motivates the reader to keep faith during hardships and to remember Jesus as a priority. In my own life, it reminds me to value Jesus over material goods, advancing in my career or studies and a convenient lifestyle.
Reference
King James Bible. (2017). Cambridge University Press. (Original work published 1769).