Reformed Reflections

Many Christians have avoided the Epistle to the Hebrews since they have found it either too difficult or too uncomfortable. Hebrews calls for some knowledge of the Old Testament and, in particular, of the symbolisms relevant to the sacrifices and priesthood.

However, Christians must not neglect this Epistle. Through careful and prayerful reading, they will benefit from it. Its message is specially meaningful in our frenzied times. When the Epistle to the Hebrews was written, the times were unsettled and dangerous. Society was in turmoil. Hebrews was penned to encourage believers in their faith, to stimulate their walk with the Lord, to point them to the sureties in Christ. Everything may appear to be changing, but Christ never changes. He is always the same. Dr. Wiersbe writes: "One of the major messages of Hebrews is, be confident! God is shaking things so that you may learn to live by faith on the permanence of the eternal and not on the instability of the temporal."

The writer remarks in his preface: "You may not agree with all my interpretations and applications. But if you are a Christian I am sure you will agree that our ever-living High Priest in heaven is able to see us through these difficult and demanding days." This is true.

Some disagreements should not deter us from using the book. It provides an excellent, and well-written, devotional study. It is designed for either personal or group study. A Leader's Guide with helps and hints for teachers and visual aids is available too.

Dr. Wiersbe is not only a prolific writer, he also is a speaker for the "Back to the Bible" broadcast.

Johan D. Tangelder