• Hebrews 12:12-3:4
• The purpose of the book of Hebrews was to provide correction and forestay further apostasy.
• Hebrews 12:12-13 – Since the word of God is correcting you, respond! Don’t fall from grace (in this case, leave the New Covenant and return to the Old Covenant) like your brethren!
• Hebrews 12:14-17 – Don’t disregard the New Covenant like Esau disregarded his birthright. Esau found no chance to repent, just as we won’t if we don’t turn back to God before the end.
• Hebrews 12:18-20 – The kingdom they had come to was a heavenly kingdom – one that could not be shaken.
• Hebrews 12:21-24 – Angels here is probably better translated “messengers.” It may not be referring to celestial beings here.
  • Hebrews 12:24 – See Hebrews 10:22. The way they had been sprinkled with blood was by being baptized into Jesus’ death.
• Hebrews 12:25-29 – Our purpose in life is to serve God acceptably, in reverence and awe. But we can look forward to great blessings in God’s kingdom if we do!
• Hebrews 13:1 – Without brotherly love, we cannot see God. See I John 4:7-8; 5:1.
• Hebrews 13:2 – Lot was an example of this. He didn’t know the men he took into his house were angels.
• Hebrews 13:3 – Remember those that are in prison. As they have suffered for truth, you may suffer also.
• Hebrews 13:4 – God created the marriage relationship for man’s benefit.

Introduction

• Romans 12:18

We must be kind

• Romans 12:10-21 – We shouldn’t be trying to pick fights in the world.
• Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:12 – God commands us to be kind and forgive each other.
• Romans 14:13, 19; 15:1-2; 14:3 – Seek peace and try not to put stumbling blocks in front of others.
• Acts 15:1-2, 7, 22-23, 31 – There was great disagreement and debate, but the truth of the matter was found, and peace resulted.
• I Timothy 5:1-2; II Timothy 2:24-26 – Don’t ignore the problem but be kind in addressing it.
• Disagreement doesn’t mean you’re not a Christian!

But the sad fact is, God’s truth will always offend people.

• Matthew 15:2-3, 12-14 – People get offended at the truth! The most loving thing Jesus could do was correct them in their sin.
• Luke 11:42-46 – Jesus was accused of insulting them, but He refused to back down.
• Have we forgotten the definition of love and kindness?
• Ephesians 4:29-32
• Speaking the truth out of love is not sin, even if it gives offense.
• Ephesians 4:15, 5, 13-14; 5:3-6, 11-12 – There’s only one truth! It is worth standing up for!
  • Ephesians 5:11 – “expose”
    • See also Matthew 18:15; Jude 1:15; John 3:20; I Timothy 5:20; II Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:9, 13; 2:15; Revelation 3:9
• Galatians 5:14-16; 5:4, 7-8 – Paul told them about their error directly!
• Which book of the Bible could we read that would not offend people?

Agape – Love

• Matthew 22:36-40; I Corinthians 13:1-3; I John 4:7-8
  • Love should be the basis for our actions. If we aren’t acting out of love, we are wasting our time.
• II Samuel 13:1, 14-15
  • This was not true, benevolent love.
• John 3:16; 15:12-13; Romans 5:8; I Corinthians 13:1-8
  • Love is not just a human emotion. It emanates from God. God loves us in an unselfish way. The greatest love you can show is lawing down your life for another, which is exactly what Jesus did.
• Definition of love:
  • “Affectionate regard, benevolence” (Zodhiates)
  • “Deep concern for the wellbeing of another”
  • “Deep regard for others that is shown in action.” (David)
• John 13:34-35; 17:26
  • Showing love for others is an identifying mark of Christians. Jesus showed love in many positive actions (healing, teaching, weeping with the sorrowful, dying for our sins, etc.).
• Romans 13:8-10
• I John 4:7-11
• Love involves two things:
  • Initiative – people who love take the initiative in doing what is right. God took the initiative in showing love for us.
  • Sacrifice – be willing to sacrifice of yourself to show love for others.
• John 3:16-18 – Jesus laid down His life for us!
• Love acts. It is not just a feeling!

Introduction

• Exodus 12:12
• The plagues were specifically directed against the gods of Egypt, to show God’s power over them.
• Moses and the Gods of Egypt by John J. Davis
• The Egyptians had somewhere around 80 gods. Pharaoh himself was considered deity.
• Exodus 7:5 – It was important that the Egyptians would know about God and not just Israel.
• Exodus 8:19; 9:20; 18:11
• Numbers 33:4 – God had executed judgment on the Egyptian gods.

The ten plagues

1st plague – water to blood

• Exodus 7:17
• Egyptian gods:
  • Hapi – god of fertility
  • Khnum – guardian of the Nile sources
  • Osiris – god of the underworld
• Hymn to the Nile

2nd plague – frogs

• Exodus 8:3
• Egyptian gods:
  • Frogs themselves were deified.
  • Heqt – frog-headed goddess

3rd plague – gnats (lice)

• Exodus 8:16-18
• Egyptian gods:
  • Set – god of the desert
  • Priests – physical purity ruined

4th plague – flies

• Egyptian gods:
  • Uatchit – associated with one type of fly

5th plague – death of livestock

• Egyptian gods:
  • Cows were sacred
  • Hathor – goddess represented by cow
  • Apis bull – sacred bull – god Ptah
  • Mnevis – sacred bull – god Ra

6th plague – boils

• Exodus 9:8-12
• Egyptian gods:
  • Sekhmet – goddess of epidemics
  • Sunu
  • Serapis
  • Imhotep

7th plague – hail with fire

• Exodus 9:24
• Egyptian gods:
  • Nut and Hathor

8th plague – locusts

• Exodus 10:15
• Egyptian gods:
  • Isis and Seth – gods of crops

9th plague – darkness

• Exodus 10:22
• Egyptian gods:
  • Ra – god of sun, king of gods
  • Horus – another important sun god
  • Aten – the deified sun disc
  • Atum – god of the setting sun
  • Nut and Hathor – goddesses of the sky
  • Thoth – god of the moon
• A universalist hymn to the sun

10th plague – death of firstborn (people and cattle)

• Exodus 12:29-32
• Egyptian gods:
  • Pharaoh – son of Ra
  • Pharaoh’s son – born of the gods
  • Anubis
  • Min – god of procreation
  • Isis
  • Hathor
  • Apis bull – sacred, firstborn animal

Application

Do I give God the honor He deserves?

• Exodus 20:1-6
• God must be my priority!

Do I truly repent, or fake it?

• Exodus 8:8, 13-15
• Six times Pharaoh quickly turned back to his ways when the immediate panic was over.
• Do I forget God when times are good?

Have I accepted the salvation God offers?

• Exodus 8:22-23; 12:7, 12-13; I Corinthians 5:7; Romans 5:8-9

• Hebrews 12:1-11
• Hebrews 12:1-2 – The witnesses are those that were just described in Hebrews 11. We can only run with endurance if we look to Jesus. He authored and finished our faith through the written word. Jesus endured what He did because of the joy that was ahead of Him – the joy of the salvation for Christians. When we walk by faith, we produce joy in God.
• Hebrews 12:3-4 – Evidently some of the Hebrew Christians had suffered persecution but had not yet had to give their lives for the faith.
• Hebrews 12:5-11 – The idea in this context is of correction. God disciplines and corrects people by Hi word.