Readings:
Jeremiah 24-25
Hebrews 1

Jeremiah 24-25

We start out with another example and analogy by God. It can be a little confusing but there were two separate sieges of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, the first one ending with the elites being exiled and a puppet being placed on the throne, the second one came when that puppet king decided he didn’t want to be under Nebuchadnezzar’s thumb anymore and revolted, leading to the destruction of Jerusalem and the exiling of whoever was left. After this first exile Jeremiah is taken and shown two baskets of figs as an analogy of God’s promise to restore Judah back to the promise land.

The next chapter is a flashback to before Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem and Jeremiah has warned the people for years but they refused to listen. He prophesied that they’ll be taken into captivity but after 70 years Babylon will be destroyed and they’ll return home. And it’s not just Jerusalem being judged, but all nations will have to answer for the evil they’ve done throughout the ages.

Hebrews 1

We begin reading the letter to the Hebrews, this is a very important letter in the New Testament (not that any are unimportant) in that it has clear cut examples of the typographical figures we see in the Old Testament and what they mean to us in the new covenant.

The book has no known author, as they never identify themselves or sign the letter like Paul usually does, but lots of theories. The eastern church almost universally held to a Pauline authorship, while the west was slightly mixed with more of the fathers agreeing than not. To me there’s no reason to doubt Paul wrote this letter, but since it’s unsigned and the church hasn’t declared it dogmatically, I remain open to other possibilities.

The date of the letter is much easier to settle if we agree on Paul being the author. If written by Paul then it would have to be from before the mid 60s when he’s traditionally thought to have been martyred in Rome, and even if it was written by someone else I would still believe a pre AD 70 dating because it often speaks of the temple as though it were still standing.

Although it’s never specifically addressed to any named audience, it can be assumed through the content of the letter that it was intended for Jewish converts to Christianity that were living in or near the Holy Land. With the major themes of the letter being the Priesthood of Jesus Christ and the new covenant in his blood.

The letter opens with a contrast and comparison between the past and the present. In days of old God had sent prophets to speak to his people and to guide them, but now he has sent a Son. That is one of the fundamental differences between the old and new covenants. Every part of the old covenant is fulfilled and surpassed in the new, it is all remade and glorified.

“In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son.” Christ, the Son of God made man, is the Father’s one, perfect and unsurpassable Word. In him he has said everything; there will be no other word than this one. St. John of the Cross, among others, commented strikingly on Hebrews 1:1-2: In giving us his Son, his only Word (for he possesses no other), he spoke everything to us at once in this sole Word – and he has no more to say. . . because what he spoke before to the prophets in parts, he has now spoken all at once by giving us the All Who is His Son. Any person questioning God or desiring some vision or revelation would be guilty not only of foolish behavior but also of offending him, by not fixing his eyes entirely upon Christ and by living with the desire for some other novelty.

CCC 65

The writer also sets out to establish the foundation that Christ as son is greater than all the other beings in the created universe. This includes angels, who are just below God in the hierarchy of the universe. So if angels are just below God, and Jesus Christ is far and away higher than them, then that means he’s on the same level as God. This is trinitarian teaching before the word was coined. There may have been some sort of angel worshiping heresy that the writer was trying to refute, or he was just trying to establish the divinity of Christ in his opening.

Tomorrow Readings:
Jeremiah 26-28
Hebrews 2