A Warning to Pay Attention

2 So we must pay more careful attention to what we have heard. Then we will not drift away from it. 2Even the message God spoke through angels had to be obeyed. Every time people broke the Law, they were punished. Every time they didn’t obey, they were punished. 3Then how will we escape if we don’t pay attention to God’s great salvation?

The Lord first announced that salvation. Those who heard him gave us the message about it. 4God gave witness to it through signs and wonders. He gave witness through different kinds of miracles. He also gave witness through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He gave them out as it pleased him.

Jesus Was Made Like His Brothers

5God has not put angels in charge of the world that is going to come. We are talking about that world. 6There is a place where someone has given witness to it. He said,

“What is a human being that you think about him?

What is the son of man that you take care of him?

7 You made him a little lower than the angels.

You placed on him a crown of glory and honor.

8 You have put everything under his control.” (Psalm 8:4–6)

So God has put everything under him. Everything is under his control.

We do not now see everything under his control. 9But we do see Jesus already given a crown of glory and honor. He was made a little lower than the angels. He suffered death. By the grace of God, he tasted death for everyone. That is why he was given his crown.

10God has made everything. He has acted in exactly the right way. He is bringing his many sons and daughters to share in his glory. To do so, he has made the One who saved them perfect because of his sufferings.

11The One who makes people holy and the people he makes holy belong to the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. 12He says,

“I will announce your name to my brothers and sisters.

I will sing your praises among those who worship you.” (Psalm 22:22)

13Again he says,

“I will put my trust in him.” (Isaiah 8:17)

And again he says,

“Here I am. Here are the children God has given me.” (Isaiah 8:18)

14Those children have bodies made out of flesh and blood. So Jesus became human like them in order to die for them. By doing that, he could destroy the one who rules over the kingdom of death. I’m talking about the devil. 15Jesus could set people free who were afraid of death. All their lives they were held as slaves by that fear.

16It is certainly Abraham’s children that he helps. He doesn’t help angels. 17So he had to be made like his brothers in every way. Then he could serve God as a kind and faithful high priest. And then he could pay for the sins of the people by dying for them.

18He himself suffered when he was tempted. Now he is able to help others who are being tempted.

Jesus Is Greater Than Moses

3 Holy brothers and sisters, God chose you to be his people. So keep thinking about Jesus. He is our apostle. He is our high priest. We believe in him.

2Moses was faithful in everything he did in the house of God. In the same way, Jesus was faithful to the One who appointed him.

3The person who builds a house has greater honor than the house itself. In the same way, Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses. 4Every house is built by someone. But God is the builder of everything.

5Moses was faithful as one who serves in the house of God. He gave witness to what God would say in days to come. 6But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. We are his house if we continue to come boldly to God. We must also hold on to the hope we take pride in.

A Warning Against Unbelief

7The Holy Spirit says,

“Listen to his voice today.

8 If you hear it, don’t be stubborn.

You were stubborn when you opposed me.

You did that when you were put to the test in the desert.

9 There your people of long ago put me to the test.

For 40 years they saw what I did.

10 That is why I was angry with them.

I said, ‘Their hearts are always going down the wrong path.

They have not known my ways.’

11 So in my anger I took an oath.

I said, ‘They will never enjoy the rest I planned for them.’ ” (Psalm 95:7–11)

12Brothers and sisters, make sure that none of you has a sinful heart. Do not let an unbelieving heart turn you away from the living God. 13But build one another up every day. Do it as long as there is still time. Then none of you will become stubborn. You won’t be fooled by sin’s tricks.

14We belong to Christ if we hold firmly to the faith we had at first. But we must hold to it until the end. 15It has just been said,

“Listen to his voice today.

If you hear it, don’t be stubborn.

You were stubborn when you opposed me.” (Psalm 95:7, 8)

16Who were those who heard and refused to obey? Weren’t they all the people Moses led out of Egypt? 17Who was God angry with for 40 years? Wasn’t it with those who sinned? They died in the desert. 18What people did God promise with an oath that they would never enjoy the rest he planned for them? Wasn’t it those who didn’t obey?

19So we see that they weren’t able to enter. That’s because they didn’t believe.

God’s People Enter His Sabbath Rest

4 God’s promise of enjoying his rest still stands. So be careful that none of you fails to receive it.

2The good news was preached to our people long ago. It has also been preached to us. The message they heard didn’t have any value for them. They didn’t combine it with faith. 3Now we who have believed enjoy that rest. God said,

“When I was angry I took an oath.

I said, ‘They will never enjoy the rest I planned for them.’ ” (Psalm 95:11)

Ever since God created the world, his work has been finished.

4Somewhere he spoke about the seventh day. He said, “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.” (Genesis 2:2) 5In the part of Scripture I talked about earlier God said, “They will never enjoy the rest I planned for them.” (Psalm 95:11)

6It is still true that some will enjoy that rest. But those who had the good news preached to them earlier didn’t go in. That was because they didn’t obey.

7So God again chose a certain day. He named it Today. He did that when he spoke through David a long time later. As it was said earlier,

“Listen to his voice today.

If you hear it, don’t be stubborn.” (Psalm 95:7, 8)

8Suppose Joshua had given them rest. If he had, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9So there is still a Sabbath rest for God’s people.

10God rested from his work. Those who enjoy God’s rest also rest from their work. 11So let us make every effort to enjoy that rest. Then no one will fall into sin by following the example of those who didn’t obey God.

12The word of God is living and active. It is sharper than any sword that has two edges. It cuts deep enough to separate soul from spirit. It can separate joints from bones. It judges the thoughts and purposes of the heart. 13Nothing God created is hidden from him. His eyes see everything. He will hold us accountable for everything we do.

Jesus Is the Great High Priest

14We have a great high priest. He has gone up into the heavens. He is Jesus the Son of God. So let us hold firmly to what we say we believe.

15We have a high priest who can feel it when we are weak and hurting. We have a high priest who has been tempted in every way, just as we are. But he did not sin. 16So let us boldly approach the throne of grace. Then we will receive mercy. We will find grace to help us when we need it.

5 Every high priest is chosen from among men. He is appointed to act for them in everything that has to do with God. He offers gifts and sacrifices for their sins. 2He is able to deal gently with those who have gone down the wrong path without knowing it. He can do that because he himself is weak. 3That’s why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins. He must also do it for the sins of the people.

4No one can take that honor for himself. He must be appointed by God, just as Aaron was.

5Even Christ did not take the glory of becoming a high priest for himself. God said to him,

“You are my Son.

Today I have become your Father.” (Psalm 2:7)

6In another place he said,

“You are a priest forever,

just like Melchizedek.” (Psalm 110:4)

7Jesus prayed while he lived on earth. He made his appeal with loud cries and tears. He prayed to the One who could save him from death. God heard him because he truly honored God.

8Jesus was God’s Son. But by suffering he learned what it means to obey. 9In that way he was made perfect. Eternal salvation comes from him. He saves all those who obey him.

10God appointed him to be the high priest, just like Melchizedek.

A Warning Against Falling Away

11We have a lot to say about that. But it is hard to explain it to you. You learn too slowly. 12By this time you should be teachers. But in fact, you need someone to teach you all over again. You need even the simple truths of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food.

13Anyone who lives on milk is still a baby. That person does not want to learn about living a godly life. 14Solid food is for those who are grown up. They have trained themselves with a lot of practice. They can tell the difference between good and evil.

6 So let us leave the simple teachings about Christ. Let us grow up as believers. Let us not start all over again with the basic teachings. They taught us that we need to turn away from doing things that lead to death. They taught us that we must have faith in God. 2They taught us about different kinds of baptism. They taught us about placing hands on people. They taught us that people will rise from the dead. They taught us that God will judge everyone. And they taught us that what he decides will last forever.

3If God permits, we will go beyond those teachings and grow up.

4What if some people fall away from the faith? It won’t be possible to bring them back. It is true that they have seen the light. They have tasted the heavenly gift. They have shared in the Holy Spirit. 5They have tasted the good things of God’s word. They have tasted the powers of the age to come. 6But they have fallen away from the faith. So it won’t be possible to bring them back. They won’t be able to turn away from their sins. They are losing everything. That’s because they are nailing the Son of God to the cross all over again. They are bringing shame on him in front of everyone.

7Some land drinks the rain that falls on it. It produces a crop that is useful to those who farm the land. That land receives God’s blessing. 8But other land produces only thorns and weeds. That land isn’t worth anything. It is in danger of coming under God’s curse. In the end, it will be burned.

9Dear friends, we have to say these things. But we are sure of better things in your case. We are talking about the things that go along with being saved.

10God is fair. He will not forget what you have done. He will remember the love you have shown him. You showed it when you helped his people. And you show it when you keep on helping them.

11We want each of you to be faithful to the very end. We want you to be sure of what you hope for. 12We don’t want you to slow down. Instead, be like those who have faith and are patient. They will receive what God promised.

God Keeps His Promise

13When God made his promise to Abraham, he took an oath to keep it. But there was no one greater than himself to take an oath by. So he took his oath by making an appeal to himself.

14He said, “I will certainly bless you. I will give you many children.” (Genesis 22:17) 15Abraham was patient while he waited. Then he received what God promised him.

16People take oaths by someone greater than themselves. An oath makes a promise certain. It puts an end to all arguing. 17So God took an oath when he made his promise. He wanted to make it very clear that his purpose does not change. He wanted those who would receive what was promised to know that.

18God took an oath so we would have good reason not to give up. We have run away from everything else to take hold of the hope offered to us in God’s promise. So God gave his promise and his oath. Those two things can’t change. He couldn’t lie about them.

19Our hope is certain. It is something for the soul to hold on to. It is strong and secure. It goes all the way into the Most Holy Room behind the curtain. 20That is where Jesus has gone. He went there to open the way ahead of us. He has become a high priest forever, just like Melchizedek.