37. Word and Oath
I once listened to a preacher of large ego and small mind read Hebrews 8:1, “Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest…” His response to these words stayed with me, for I longed to know the opposite. Let me paraphrase. “What? I thought this was supposed to be summing up everything. Is this all there is?” The man had no knowledge of nor interest in JESUS.
Consider Jesus! CONSIDER JESUS!!! Know what “High Priest” means.
For the first time, I now realize just how much of the entire book of Hebrews presents to us the meaning of our High Priest. You see, even in teaching Hebrews 10:19-22 up until now, I have not placed “Having a vast High Priest” as the central CAUSE. The word can be translated either great or vast, both meanings are required, and both are infinite and absolute. How can people not place their foreheads upon the ground, silent inside of His presence? How can they not rise in overwhelming astonishment as He has carried them already back into God?
I see that I have taken us exactly into our next Gospel Verse.
The Penetration of Word. (Chapter 4) • 12 For the Word of God is living and energeoing and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating through as far as the dividing of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and is capable of judging the pondering and purposes of the heart. • 13 And there is no created thing unseen in His presence, for all are uncovered and laid bare to the eyes of Him to whom is our word of account [our story of self] in return.
This was always a terrifying threat to us! How could that be? We believed that this sword was coming to prove to us just how evil we really are, “uncovered and laid bare,” and that we had no defense, nor was any resolution ever offered to us, except this, that we better work hard at fixing ourselves. In short, Hebrews was always turned into anti-Hebrews.
What Jesus Wants. Why is Jesus, the Word God speaks, living and energeoing, always penetrating through everything inside in order to split us wide open? He wants one thing of us, no sufficiency in ourselves becoming all-sufficiency in God. Jesus has one enemy inside of us – pretending in all of its forms, including the wicked pretense of “fixing myself.”
The Lord Jesus has just taken me through the most important proving in my life, that I would give every emotion of distress and agony by which I once defined myself, being tricked into imagining “God against me,” to call each different anguish, “This is me, Father, given utterly to You, that Jesus and I together might be Your offering for Your Church.” My decades-long sin? – Not knowing Father always with me.
Give Yourself to God. Consider that propitiation means RESOLUTION. The sword does not come except to resolve the problem, which is you and me NOT giving all that we are to God. Jesus cannot resolve anything we refuse to give to Him and to the Father through Him.
12 Definition: The Word of God is Jesus come now as Life-Giving Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 15:45), Word that is continuously Living and Energeoing, penetrating into us, splitting us apart, opening us up – seeking and saving what is lost, finding our every holdout until we give all that we are to Him, that He alone might resolve all.
12-13 Covenant: Give yourself to God through Jesus, as you find yourself to be in every moment, especially your sin and your shame. Hide nothing, fix nothing, but give all to God.
Our Account. Our story of self, the account we give of our life every moment, is always our FIRST return to God. There is no such thing as a “future” account-giving. Today alone is the Day. The account we give comes out from the Word penetrating us – OR – that account will be coming out from the lostness we refuse to give to Jesus.
13 Definition: Every moment of our lives we live naked and open inside the presence of God, and every thought and word is right now the account we are giving in return. Today is the only Day, the day of judgment. The account we give comes out from the Word penetrating us – or – it comes from our refusal.
13 Speak Christ: To speak the same Word that is Jesus as our own story of self now made personal as us, nothing hidden, no sufficiency in self but all sufficiency in God, is to give to the Father the only return that pleases Him.
A Great and Vast High Priest. • 14 Having, therefore, a great and vast High Priest who has already passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, we should actively prevail in speaking the same word [that He is]. • 15 For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to share the same passion with our weaknesses, because He was tempted, according to all and in exactly the same way as we are, yet without ever disconnecting from God. • 16 For that reason, we should come with bold speaking to the throne of grace and favor, that we might receive mercy, and might find the timely assistance of grace, of God’s enabling presence always with us.
Paul defined “passed through the heavens” in Ephesians 4:10, it means that Jesus has become His Church. We speak Christ because Jesus fills us, His Church, with all of Himself.
Already Passed Through. Suddenly we can now see what this means. Our “great and vast High Priest” means that we are inside of Jesus in the return – ALREADY PASSED THROUGH! And because we have already passed through the heavens into God, we prevail in speaking the same Word that is Jesus.
It is in this context, then, that Jesus is already become just like us. When He places Himself into God, it is as a human just like us, having tasted of contempt for God, for self, and for others, yet in all, He still gave Himself to God for our sakes.
14 Speak Christ and Ruling Verse 6: We prevail in speaking the same Word that is Christ, this living and energeoing Word penetrating through all that we are, because Jesus has already carried us, as our vast and great High Priest, inside Himself in full return back into God.
Propitiation. You know, the definition of propitiation God has given us out from Psalm 22, HOW Jesus resolves the split between God and us, that definition now fits everything in the Bible – because it now becomes Jesus through us the same. Here are the words that SAVE. “Here am I, I and the children whom You have given Me. – We belong to You.” You see, verse 16, coming to the throne of grace, can be for ourselves, yes, but even more, it can be out from us for others, for that THRONE is each other’s hearts.
14-15 Definition: Jesus is our High Priest. Jesus alone cleanses us from all falling short (see Hebrews 1:3) by first receiving us into Himself in Gethsemane and then giving Himself to the Father with us inside of Him, “Here am I” (see Hebrews 2:13).
15 Covenant: Propitiation means resolving all differences between God and us, connecting us always together.
The Throne of Grace. I continue adding slides; this is so much. We must have a more specific understanding of this “Throne of Grace,” for this is clearly the Mercy Seat, the Throne of Heaven, our hearts.
16 Definition: The “Throne of Grace” is the Mercy Seat upon the Ark inside the Most Devoted Place. The Throne of Grace is where Jesus is seated at the right Hand of God, even our own hearts. The Throne of Grace is the authority Jesus possesses to join us with the Father and the Father with us in every moment. The Throne of Grace is God our Father ALWAYS with us.
14-16 Covenant: The “timely assistance of grace” is not something we “get from” God. There is only one moment of time, this moment Today. God with us every moment is Grace.
14-16 Ruling Verse 6: Jesus ascended above the heavens to dwell in His Church (see Ephesians 4:10), carrying us already inside Himself into God.
I Have Conceived You. (Chapter 5) • 5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but by the One who said concerning Him, “You are My Son, today, I have conceived you.” • 6 Even as also in another place He says, “You are a priest into the age, according to the order of Melchizedek.”
Hebrews is establishing from Scripture how we can call Jesus “High Priest,” even though He was not of the tribe of Levi. More on that later. Here we are looking at election. I have come to peace with God’s election, that He chooses and appoints only out from His thoughts concerning each, the meaning of, “I have conceived you.”
(Chapter 5) 5 Definition: What we are exists first in God’s thoughts as part of Himself. We are “conceived” as God speaks us inside of Jesus. Thus “election” is becoming what we already are.
Finding the Whole. The Spirit of God is bringing us out from the horrific, but ingrained habit of chopping Hebrews into small and isolated pieces. Every piece fits into the whole. What is the whole? We were given the whole. – Consider Jesus carefully as Apostle (Son out from God – Living and Energeoing Word entering into us) and as High Priest (resolution – return).
And the concept that explains the purpose of this entire section, from 4:11 to 7:28 is verse 7:25. – Wherefore also, Jesus is able to save into all salvation those approaching God through Him, always living into hitting the mark for them, for their sakes. The main point (8:1) is our active High Priest. Jesus as High Priest is the continuous, energeoing CAUSE of our return back into the Father, causing us to be just like Himself.
The One Who Lives. In establishing Jesus as our High Priest, Hebrews is also moving us deliberately towards the New Covenant.
Now, verse 6 is quoted directly from Psalm 110, the Psalm of the Victorious Messiah, which, along with Psalm 22, is the most referenced of Scriptures by New Testament writers. In fact, we can see that Psalm 110 is always coming out from Psalm 22, or we could say, from propitiation to eating up death for the sake of all. You have answered Me. – Sit at My right hand. – I will sing inside the Church. – Your people shall be willing in the day of Your power.
6 Covenant: Hebrews takes us directly to the New Covenant in Chapter 8, a Covenant that is “better” than the old. That New Covenant must have a New Priesthood, not of Levi, the one who dies, but of Melchizedek, the one who lives.
The Only One Who Saves. • 7 This One [Jesus], in the days of His flesh, offered, with loud crying and tears, both heart-felt prayers and an olive branch of peace towards the One able to save Him continuously out from death and was always heard because of His careful reverence, • 8 though being a Son, He learned submission to what was spoken by [giving thanks in] all the circumstances, good or bad, acting upon Him. • 9 And having been brought to the full completion [of devotion], He became the causation of and responsibility for age-unfolding salvation to all who are hearing Him.
This line also was much preached by Buddy Cobb, how we have to “get with the program” as Jesus did. I could not reconcile this verse, even after union with Christ, not until long into writing Symmorphy. Now, it’s simple and obvious.
7 Covenant: We do NOT save ourselves; God alone saves us.
Jesus in His Return. What is most important for us, however, is what comes before this passage, and what comes after, for its meaning is found entirely inside the Flow, as an essential part of the Whole. God is defining Jesus in His Return to the Father – with us INSIDE OF Him. Because – we MUST consider Him.
8 Definition: When we see Jesus, the Son out from God, we see Him showing us the Father, AND we see Him as the Pattern by which we ourselves are formed as sons out from God. Jesus could do nothing of Himself; we are just like Him. Jesus placed Himself into the Father’s keeping with all His soul, and so do we.
9 Covenant: Jesus’ task as our High Priest is to be for us that Devotion that lives inside of God, sharing all with Him, that is, Salvation unfolding as us every moment.
Out from Completion. (Chapter 6) • 1 Therefore, being released from the first words of Christ upon completion [of the fullness of Christ], we should bring forth and carry on; not laying again the foundation of turning our minds away from dead works, and [not laying again the foundation] of faith upon God…
When we did not know the Lord very well, the translation, “go on to perfection,” placed before us the knowledge that there is MORE, and that more is completion. Yet now we understand this passage as living turned around, that is, we take every next step out from Completion.
6:1 Kingdom: This does not mean “go on to perfection,” as most define perfection. Rather, we go forward out from completion. That means, having turned around inside of Covenant, we are about our Father’s business.
Seize Hold of God. • 13 For God, having made His promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater by which to swear, swore by Himself, 14 saying, “If assuredly there is good-speaking, then I will bless and speak good words into you, and if assuredly there is increase, then I will increase you.” 15 And thus, having waited patiently, Abraham obtained the promise. 16 For men swear by what is greater, and all their contradictions are limited by the establishment of the oath. In the same way, but more abundantly, • 17 God, intending with full determination to demonstrate to the heirs of promise His unchangeable purpose, He interposed it by an oath, • 18 so that through two unchangeable deeds [spoken word and sworn oath], in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might possess STRONG encouragement, having already fled for refuge to seize hold of hope found already there.
Making Everything Fit. Okay, this lesson is titled “Word and Oath.” Yet this Word and this Oath are part of the definition of “our Apostle and High Priest,” who is always defined as “living and energeoing.” Then we also see that this application from Abraham to us is the conclusion of 6:1 – that we go forth from Completion already all, being about our Father’s business.
I think I might now understand Hebrews. Let me explain. Hebrews is NOT taking us to “being saved,” as in, “entering in someday.” Hebrews is establishing the vast and great fact of our being already in full Covenant relationship with God through Jesus. And then, inside that constantly assumed fact, Hebrews is equipping us with what we NEED to be about our Father’s business, that God might offer us as His sons. And that, dear reader, now makes everything FIT for us.
The Promise and the Inheritance. Word and Oath are not given us to “save us.” Word and Oath are given us to equip us as sons out from God, just like Jesus. There is no thought in Hebrews of our “being saved,” but every thought concerning our being about our Father’s business, already utterly and continuously SAVED, Jesus connecting us with God utterly and continuously.
13-16 Covenant: Hebrews is not about our “getting saved.” Hebrews is about how, being already joined to the Father through Jesus every moment, we are now to be about our Father’s business, God through us into our world.
13-16 Kingdom & Ruling Verse 3: The Promise we have received from God as heirs of Abraham is the Spirit, that is, Abundance of Life always flowing out from us as Rivers. This is the Kingdom, our inheritance, our Father’s business.
Defining Word and Oath. 17 Definition: God’s unchangeable purpose is that Jesus would live in our hearts as every Word God speaks making us to be like Himself, that we together as His body might be about the Father’s business, setting creation free.
17-18 Definition: The accusation against God from the beginning is that God LIES! That the Word that God speaks is neither faithful nor True. This accusation causes all evil. God sent Jesus as His Word fulfilled, but knowing we needed more, God also SWORE an OATH. We stand upon Word and Oath!
18 Ruling Verse 6: Jesus has already carried us into God. Our hope, then, is that He also makes us to be just like Himself that we might give ourselves to God as His sons.
13-18 Covenant: The New Covenant, coming up in Chapter 8, is grounded upon a foundation more sure then we can know.
The Anchor of Our Soul. • 19 This strong encouragement we possess as an anchor of the soul [of the story we tell ourselves about ourselves], both certain and firm, which is presently entering into that Devoted of Devotions within the veil, 20 where Jesus as forerunner for our sakes has entered, having already become High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek…
19 Ruling Verse 6: “Presently entering” does not mean “have to enter – becoming someday.” It means LIFE. It means a continuous Flow of Life every moment. Nothing of God is static or dull, though all of God is Rest. By the time we get to Hebrews 10, a vast understanding will have been built.
19 Speak Christ: Our soul is our human person, the story of words in mind and heart, directed by our desires and colored by our emotions. Our story of self is anchored inside of God, and comes out from nowhere else, regardless of appearance.
What’s with Melchizedek? (Chapter 7) • 1 For this Melchizedek, King of Salem, priest of God most high… 2 to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth of all, being translated, ‘king of righteousness,’ then also, ‘king of Salem,’ which is ‘king of peace’; 3 without father, without mother, without genealogy; having neither beginning of days, nor end of life, and was made even like the Son of God, he remains a priest through continuous and unbroken time.
The writer of Hebrews is responding to the question coming from Psalm 110:4 , “What’s with Melchizedek?” – The Lord has sworn and will not relent, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” – This also is oath. It’s very simple, actually. Hebrews is placing the two covenants side by side all the way through, showing that the New Covenant is BETTER. The New is LIFE; the old is death.
Better. And here is a significant difference between the two. The old covenant is transactional and always fails, but the New Covenant is personal and has already accomplished all. I now see that the word “better” is used twelve times in Hebrews, always in reference to the New as “better” than the Old. The Greek word contains the very meaning as Hebrews defines it, that is, the New WORKS for God, and the old fails. And the new must begin with a different priesthood. Levi means “to be joined,” and Judah means “to praise.” Thus Jesus says through David, “I will sing praises inside the Church.”
7:1 Definition: Melchizedek is the one who lives, receiving all honor, standing in contrast to Levi as the one who dies in failure. Levi tries to ‘join’ us with God, but never succeeds; Jesus out from Judah sings ‘praises’ already inside His Church.
A Completely Different Source. • 11 Indeed, IF completion were through the Levitical priesthood, by which the people received the law, what need would there be for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek and not according to the order of Aaron? 12 Because the priesthood was changed, it is required that a change of law also take place. – 15 And it is even more abundantly evident that • another priest arises according to the same as Melchizedek, 16 who has not come into being according to the law of a fleshly commandment [the entire law of Moses], but [continuously] comes into being according to the power of an indissoluble, inseparable, and endless life.
The law, the entirety of the old covenant God made with Israel through Moses, cannot give life to anyone (see Galatians 3:21). It is the tree of death, and thus in contrast, the NEW must have a completely different Source.
Two Sources. The Spirit is clearly placing before us the metaphor of the two T/trees in the garden, two opposing S/sources for all the flows and doings of all human life, one of death and the other of LIFE. These two S/sources and their outflows are written all through the fabric of everything in the Bible.
11-12 Covenant: There are two sources, one of Life and the other of death. The flow out from both sources requires a priesthood and a law, whether Jesus who has already joined us with God or Levi who never can, whether the Law of the Spirit of Life inside of Christ Jesus or the law of sin and death, the old covenant through Moses (see Romans 8:2).
15-16 Life: Life is God, indissoluble, inseparable, and endless Life. Life is the continuous connection Jesus is between God and us, that we might LIVE, sharing every next step with our Father forever.
Defining “Better.” • 18 Truly, there is a setting aside, an annulment, a full cancellation of the preceding commandment [the entire law and old covenant through Moses] because of its weakness and uselessness – 19 indeed the law brought nothing to completion. In complete contrast, the bringing in of a better hope [does perfect and complete], through which we actively draw near to God [connecting with God in full immanence].
The Greek word used here for “better” places a massive qualification on our definition. It does not mean, “that one works okay, but this one works a bit better.” It doesn’t even mean that, “this one works a whole lot better.” “Better” means the New WORKS in all and the old FAILS in all. The New gives life, and the old puts to death. The New places us in God, and the old places those who refuse into the curse.
The Two Covenants. God hates the old covenant given through Moses, that’s why He tells us not to eat of it. By placing those calling themselves “Jews” in today’s world into the old covenant, Christian “Zionists” are CURSING Abraham.
18-19 Definition: The Greek word used for “better” does not mean, “the old works okay, but the new works a whole lot better.” It means the old fails in all, placing all into the curse and killing all, but the New is Jesus successfully joining us with God, who is our LIFE!
18-19 Covenant: God hates the old covenant because it NEVER saves but only kills. Anyone seeking to connect with God through law puts Jesus to death anew, inside their own souls. God has made it so very clear, there are two trees, two laws, two priesthoods, two sources, two rivers, two covenants, one to LIFE and the other to DEATH! Life is Jesus alone.
The Surety. 20 And not apart from an oath, 21 but with an oath, through the One saying, “Towards him the Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, ‘You are a priest into the age.’” • 22 By so much also, Jesus has become the surety, the security of a better and stronger covenant.
Again, “better” means a Covenant that gives Life in all abundance versus a covenant that curses all and kills. Surety, security, bond, proof, guarantee, certainty, confidence, pledge, agreement, guard, earnest, pact, refuge, shelter, vow.
Hebrews 7:22 comes directly out from Hebrews 3:6 & 14, Ruling Verse 7, our utter confidence in God inside every next step we take – as we are about our Father’s business. Confidence, being filled with faith in Jesus, pleases God.
A Better Covenant. God swore two oaths, the first to Abraham – “In blessing (Spirit and Life), I will bless you,” and the second to Jesus, “You are a Priest according to the order of Melchizedek.” The second oath causes the first oath to be ours. The second is the joining of Psalm 22 and Psalm 110, joining “giving ourselves to the Father” with “Victory now through us.”
22 Definition: Jesus is the “surety” of the Blood Covenant God has entered into with us. That means that our joining with the Father is absolute, continuous, and profound.
22 Covenant: The oath God swore to Abraham becomes the Promise of the Spirit of Life entering into us (see Galatians 3:14). The oath God swore to Jesus concerning His priesthood becomes our absolute return into the Father. The two oaths together become our Victory in all.
Entugchanó. 23 And truly those many who are become priests are prevented from continuing by death. • 24 But because Jesus abides and continues actively and completely into the age, He holds an unchangeable and permanent priesthood. • 25 Wherefore also, Jesus is able to save into all salvation those approaching God through Him, always living into hitting the mark for them, for their sakes.
Let’s now call Hebrews 7:25 the verse that defines the hoops in perfect alignment through which the arrow flies, entugchanó, hitting the target in the bull’s eye. If we do not know what the Target is, we cannot know the meaning of anything. The Target is many sons, just like Jesus, now about our Father’s business, God through us into our world. The Target is the offering of sons: “And I saw thrones and THEY sat upon them and judgment was given to them.
The Arrow Hits the Target. How, then, does the arrow, being about our Father’s business, hit the Target of sharing Hheart with God? Remember also that entugchanó is the action of our ministry out from God setting creation free (see Romans 8:23-27), just like Jesus in giving ourselves to the Father for the sake of others.
24 Covenant: Jesus, our Covenant Bond with God, is continuously living and energeoing as every Word fulfilled.
25 Definition: The Greek entugchanó means the arrow “hitting the target” in contrast to hamartia (sin), “not hitting the target.” Inside of Jesus, we are always connecting with God.
25 Ruling Verse 6: To “approach” means to take possession of all that God is towards us that we might be about our Father’s business. We approach boldly; we go forth in confidence.
Once for All. • 26 For He became for us just such a High Priest, devoted, innocent, undefiled, having been separated from all that was forfeit as caused by missing the mark, as caused by any disconnection from God. Having become higher than the heavens, • 27 He does not need, as the former high priests did, to offer up sacrifices for their own sins and then for those of the people; for this He did once for all, by offering up Himself. • 28 For the law appoints men of weakness as high priests; in complete contrast, the word of the oath, coming after that law, appoints the Son who has been perfected and made complete as High Priest into the [present and future] age.
In these three verses, we see that Hebrews is tying every part of the argument into its part in the central meaning going into the Covenant and Ruling Verse 6 – ONCE FOR ALL. Absolute and Profound, encompassing ALL.
Our High Priest. Okay, in Galatians, Paul argued that the law cannot affect the first OATH given to Abraham, and now Hebrews argues that the second OATH, coming after, also annuls the law.
26 Covenant: Jesus as our High Priest possesses no disconnection from God; therefore neither do we.
27 Covenant: This He did once for all, once for all, once for all, once for all, once for all. Believe it, by Word and by Oath.
28 Definition: “Weakness” under the law means utterly incapable of joining anyone with God. Just as Paul said that the Oath sworn to Abraham was unaffected by the law coming centuries later, so Hebrews says that the oath sworn to Jesus through David in Psalm 110 annuls the law and its priesthood. The point is our absolute Covenant Bond with God.
The Day of Atonement – Living Turned Around. Hebrews 10:20 is the Day of Atonement fulfilled in our lives.
A year ago, God put His hand upon that time in my life when we left Blair Valley and the move fellowship. I thought He was going to show me where I was wrong, that He might bring all resolution. He did just that, but completely backwards from what I had imagined. My sin was not knowing God utterly with me in all, and thus imagining that my life was anything other than God through me into my world.
Living turned around places us into a “reverse order,” that is, now every moment out from God, out from Oath already all, and every next step as the Word of our testimony, just like Jesus, going forth as the knowledge of God into every place. This is our only mind, the only way we live.
Let’s Pray Together. “God, our Father, Jesus has already carried us into You. We live nowhere else. Yet now, You send us out with Jesus into our every next moment inside our world. Father, You have caused us to share Hheart with You, You have offered us as Your sons for the sake of others. We give every particle of ourselves to you, the good, the not so good, and the awful, and You make all of it to be goodness and blessing for others, synergeoing together inside the Spirit.
“Father, we ask that You would seal us utterly in our minds, that this same mind of Jesus would be how we see all things, for we know that as You move through us into our world, we together humble ourselves for the sake of our Church. We belong to You, oh God, for the sake of all our Christian brethren, inside of Jesus’ name.”