Daily Text and Bible Reading: Friday, December 19 [Press play below]

1.1 Long ago God spoke to our forefathers by means of the prophets on many occasions and in many ways.
1.2 Now at the end of these days he has spoken to us by means of a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the systems of things.
1.3 He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact representation of his very being, and he sustains all things by the word of his power. And after he had made a purification for our sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
1.4 So he has become better than the angels to the extent that he has inherited a name more excellent than theirs.
1.5 For example, to which one of the angels did God ever say: “You are my son; today I have become your father”? And again: “I will become his father, and he will become my son”?
1.6 But when he again brings his Firstborn into the inhabited earth, he says: “And let all of God’s angels do obeisance to him.”
1.7 Also, he says about the angels: “He makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.”
1.8 But about the Son, he says: “God is your throne forever and ever, and the scepter of your Kingdom is the scepter of uprightness.
1.9 You loved righteousness, and you hated lawlessness. That is why God, your God, anointed you with the oil of exultation more than your companions.”
1.10 And: “At the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands.
1.11 They will perish, but you will remain; and just like a garment, they will all wear out,
1.12 and you will wrap them up just as a cloak, as a garment, and they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will never come to an end.”
1.13 But about which of the angels has he ever said: “Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet”?
1.14 Are they not all spirits for holy service, sent out to minister for those who are going to inherit salvation?
2.1 That is why it is necessary for us to pay more than the usual attention to the things we have heard, so that we never drift away.
2.2 For if the word spoken through angels proved to be sure, and every transgression and disobedient act received a punishment in harmony with justice,
2.3 how will we escape if we have neglected so great a salvation? For it began to be spoken through our Lord and was verified for us by those who heard him,
2.4 while God joined in bearing witness with signs and wonders and various powerful works and with the holy spirit distributed according to his will.
2.5 For it is not to angels that he has subjected the inhabited earth to come, about which we are speaking.
2.6 But in one place a certain witness said: “What is man that you keep him in mind, or a son of man that you take care of him?
2.7 You made him a little lower than angels; you crowned him with glory and honor, and appointed him over the works of your hands.
2.8 All things you subjected under his feet.” By subjecting all things to him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Now, though, we do not yet see all things in subjection to him.
2.9 But we do see Jesus, who was made a little lower than angels, now crowned with glory and honor for having suffered death, so that by God’s undeserved kindness he might taste death for everyone.
2.10 For it was fitting that the one for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the Chief Agent of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
2.11 For both the one who is sanctifying and those who are being sanctified all stem from one, and for this reason he is not ashamed to call them brothers,
2.12 as he says: “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you with song.”
2.13 And again: “I will put my trust in him.” And again: “Look! I and the young children, whom Jehovah gave me.”
2.14 Therefore, since the “young children” are sharers of blood and flesh, he also similarly shared in the same things, so that through his death he might bring to nothing the one having the means to cause death, that is, the Devil,
2.15 and that he might set free all those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death.
2.16 For it is not really angels he is assisting, but he is assisting Abraham’s offspring.
2.17 Consequently, he had to become like his “brothers” in all respects, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, in order to offer a propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the people.
2.18 Since he himself has suffered when being put to the test, he is able to come to the aid of those who are being put to the test.
3.1 Consequently, holy brothers, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest whom we acknowledge—Jesus.
3.2 He was faithful to the One who appointed him, just as Moses also was in all the house of that One.
3.3 For he is counted worthy of more glory than Moses, since the one who constructs a house has more honor than the house itself.
3.4 Of course, every house is constructed by someone, but the one who constructed all things is God.
3.5 Now Moses was faithful as an attendant in all the house of that One as a testimony of the things that were to be spoken afterward,
3.6 but Christ was faithful as a son over God’s house. We are His house if, indeed, we hold on firmly to our freeness of speech and the hope of which we boast down to the end.
3.7 Therefore, just as the holy spirit says, “Today if you listen to his voice,
3.8 do not harden your hearts as on the occasion of provoking to bitter anger, as in the day of testing in the wilderness,
3.9 where your forefathers put me to the test and tried me, despite seeing my works for 40 years.
3.10 This is why I became disgusted with this generation and said: ‘They always go astray in their hearts, and they have not come to know my ways.’
3.11 So I swore in my anger: ‘They will not enter into my rest.’”
3.12 Beware, brothers, for fear there should ever develop in any one of you a wicked heart lacking faith by drawing away from the living God;
3.13 but keep on encouraging one another each day, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you should become hardened by the deceptive power of sin.
3.14 For we actually become partakers of the Christ only if we hold firmly down to the end the confidence we had at the beginning.
3.15 As it is said, “Today if you listen to his voice, do not harden your hearts as on the occasion of provoking to bitter anger.”
3.16 For who heard and yet provoked him to bitter anger? Was it not, in fact, all those who went out of Egypt under Moses?
3.17 Moreover, with whom did God become disgusted for 40 years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the wilderness?
3.18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter into his rest? Was it not to those who acted disobediently?
3.19 So we see that they could not enter in because of lack of faith.
4.1 Therefore, since a promise of entering into his rest remains, let us be on guard for fear someone among you seems to fall short of it.
4.2 For we have also had the good news declared to us, just as they had; but the word that they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.
4.3 For we who have exercised faith do enter into the rest, just as he has said: “So I swore in my anger, ‘They will not enter into my rest,’” although his works were finished from the founding of the world.
4.4 For in one place he has said of the seventh day as follows: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works,”
4.5 and here again he says: “They will not enter into my rest.”
4.6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter into it, and those to whom the good news was first declared did not enter in because of disobedience,
4.7 he again marks off a certain day by saying long afterward in David’s psalm, “Today”; just as it has been said above, “Today if you listen to his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
4.8 For if Joshua had led them into a place of rest, God would not afterward have spoken of another day.
4.9 So there remains a sabbath-rest for the people of God.
4.10 For the man who has entered into God’s rest has also rested from his own works, just as God did from his own.
4.11 Let us therefore do our utmost to enter into that rest, so that no one may fall into the same pattern of disobedience.
4.12 For the word of God is alive and exerts power and is sharper than any two-edged sword and pierces even to the dividing of soul and spirit, and of joints from the marrow, and is able to discern thoughts and intentions of the heart.
4.13 And there is not a creation that is hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and openly exposed to the eyes of the one to whom we must give an account.
4.14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold on to our public declaration of him.
4.15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tested in all respects as we have, but without sin.
4.16 Let us, then, approach the throne of undeserved kindness with freeness of speech, so that we may receive mercy and find undeserved kindness to help us at the right time.
5.1 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed in their behalf over the things relating to God, so that he may offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
5.2 He is able to deal compassionately with the ignorant and erring ones, since he too is confronted with his own weakness,
5.3 and because of that he must make offerings for his own sins just as he does for those of the people.
5.4 A man does not take this honor of his own accord, but he receives it only when he is called by God, just as Aaron was.
5.5 So, too, the Christ did not glorify himself by becoming a high priest, but was glorified by the One who said to him: “You are my son; today I have become your father.”
5.6 As he also says in another place, “You are a priest forever in the manner of Melchizedek.”
5.7 During his life on earth, Christ offered up supplications and also petitions, with strong outcries and tears, to the One who was able to save him out of death, and he was favorably heard for his godly fear.
5.8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.
5.9 And after he had been made perfect, he became responsible for everlasting salvation to all those obeying him,
5.10 because he has been designated by God a high priest in the manner of Melchizedek.
5.11 We have much to say about him, and it is difficult to explain, because you have become dull in your hearing.
5.12 For although by now you should be teachers, you again need someone to teach you from the beginning the elementary things of the sacred pronouncements of God, and you have gone back to needing milk, not solid food.
5.13 For everyone who continues to feed on milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is a young child.
5.14 But solid food belongs to mature people, to those who through use have their powers of discernment trained to distinguish both right and wrong.
6.1 Therefore, now that we have moved beyond the primary doctrine about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying a foundation again, namely, repentance from dead works and faith in God,
6.2 the teaching on baptisms and the laying on of the hands, the resurrection of the dead and everlasting judgment.
6.3 And this we will do, if God indeed permits.
6.4 For as regards those who were once enlightened and who have tasted the heavenly free gift and who have become partakers of holy spirit
6.5 and who have tasted the fine word of God and powers of the coming system of things,
6.6 but have fallen away, it is impossible to revive them again to repentance, because they nail the Son of God to the stake again for themselves and expose him to public shame.
6.7 For the ground receives a blessing from God when it drinks in the rain that frequently falls on it and then produces vegetation useful to those for whom it is cultivated.
6.8 But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is rejected and is near to being cursed, and in the end it will be burned.
6.9 But in your case, beloved ones, we are convinced of better things, things related to salvation, even though we are speaking in this way.
6.10 For God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and the love you showed for his name by ministering and continuing to minister to the holy ones.
6.11 But we desire each one of you to show the same industriousness so as to have the full assurance of the hope down to the end,
6.12 so that you may not become sluggish, but be imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
6.13 For when God made his promise to Abraham, since he could not swear by anyone greater, he swore by himself,
6.14 saying: “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.”
6.15 So after Abraham had shown patience, he obtained this promise.
6.16 For men swear by someone greater, and their oath is the end of every dispute, since it is a legal guarantee to them.
6.17 In this same way, when God decided to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath,
6.18 in order that through two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to the refuge may have strong encouragement to take firm hold of the hope set before us.
6.19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, both sure and firm, and it enters in within the curtain,
6.20 where a forerunner has entered in our behalf, Jesus, who has become a high priest in the manner of Melchizedek forever.