Come With Me To Mount Hebrews

It has been a month since I've written on this blog. During that time my wife and I took a wonderful trip to Alaska to visit several families of cousins. And what a awesome experience it was. In addition to the joy of seeing these people once again, we had a renewed sense of wonder at the vastness and beauty of God's creation. The entire state is dominated by Mt. McKinley or in the native Alaskan tongue, Denali (Koyukon Athabaskan for "The High One"), at 20,320 feet above sea level, the largest mountain on the North American continent. Here's a photo that I took from a field near the home of cousins Kathy and Rick.

As you can see, that huge mountain dominates the landscape. Because it is so high, it is often clouded, but on this particular evening the clouds had dissipated and the mountain became very visible. The sign in front points to the fact that Rick maintains a field of grain set aside especially as a sanctuary for cranes. 

All that got me to thinking about the wonder of God's revelation. What He has revealed in Christ dominates all of human history. This fact is particularly lifted up in the Epistle to the Hebrews where the writer begins his letter with these words: 

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high . . .  - Hebrews 1:1-3 ESV

• God has spoken to us by His Son 

• Heir of all things 

• Creator of time and the universe 

• The Radiance of God's glory 

• The exact Imprint of God's nature 

• Upholder of the universe 

• God's Right Hand on high

• Purifier for all  sins

Over the next months I want to spend some time gazing upon that Revelation through the eyes of the writer of this wondrous epistle. Some long ago suggested that the Apostle Paul wrote it, but such a claim (inserted in some manuscripts) is uncertain. At best we can say it was written to believers who were well established in the Old Testament Scriptures. Those Scriptures, the history of the Children of Israel and the religious rites they practiced all point to Jesus, the Messiah or Christ. He is the Fulfiller of all God has spoken by the prophets of old. 

I invite you to join me on this new journey—not to Alaska, but through the wondrous terrain of the Epistle to the Hebrews and to the awesome mountain of His revelation in Christ.