Beginning
God Spoke Through His Son
1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets. He spoke to them many times and in many different ways. 2 And now in these last days God has spoken to us through his Son. God has chosen his Son to own all things. And he made the world through the Son. 3 The Son reflects the glory of God. He is an exact copy of God’s nature. He holds everything together with his powerful word. The Son made people clean from their sins. Then he sat down at the right side of God, the Great One in heaven. 4 The Son became much greater than the angels. And God gave him a name that is much greater than theirs.
5 This is because God never said to any of the angels,
“You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.” Psalm 2:7
Nor did God say of any angel,
“I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son.” 2 Samuel 7:14
6 And when God brings his firstborn Son into the world, he says,
“Let all God’s angels worship him.”[a] Psalm 97:7
7 This is what God said about the angels:
“God makes his angels become like winds.
He makes his servants become like flames of fire.” Psalm 104:4
8 But God said this about his Son:
“God, your throne will last forever and ever.
You will rule your kingdom with fairness.
9 You love what is right and hate evil.
So God has chosen you to rule those with you.
Your God has given you much joy.” Psalm 45:6-7
10 God also says,
“Lord, in the beginning you made the earth.
And your hands made the skies.
11 They will be destroyed, but you will remain.
They will all wear out like clothes.
12 You will fold them like a coat.
And, like clothes, you will change them.
But you never change.
And your life will never end.” Psalm 102:25-27
13 And God never said this to an angel:
“Sit by me at my right side
until I put your enemies under your control.”[b] Psalm 110:1
14 All the angels are spirits who serve God and are sent to help those who will receive salvation.
Our Salvation Is Great
2 So we must be more careful to follow what we were taught. Then we will not be pulled away from the truth. 2 The teaching that God spoke through angels was shown to be true. And anyone who did not follow it or obey it received the punishment he earned. 3 The salvation that was given to us is very great. So surely we also will be punished if we live as if this salvation were not important. It was the Lord himself who first told about this salvation. And those who heard him proved to us that this salvation is true. 4 God also proved it by using wonders, great signs, and many kinds of miracles. And he proved it by giving people gifts through the Holy Spirit, just as he wanted.
Christ Became Like Men
5 God did not choose angels to be the rulers of the new world that was coming. It is that future world we have been talking about. 6 It is written somewhere in the Scriptures,
“Why is man important to you?
Why do you take care of the son of man?[c]
7 For a short time you made him lower than the angels.
But you crowned him with glory and honor.
8 You put all things under his control.” Psalm 8:4-6
If God put everything under his control, there was nothing left that he did not rule. But we do not yet see him ruling over everything. 9 But we see Jesus! For a short time he was made lower than the angels. But now we see him wearing a crown of glory and honor because he suffered and died. Because of God’s grace, he died for everyone.
10 God is the One who made all things. And all things are for his glory. God wanted to have many sons share his glory. So God made perfect the One who leads people to salvation. He made Jesus a perfect Savior through Jesus’ suffering.
11 Jesus, who makes people holy, and those who are made holy are from the same family. So he is not ashamed to call them his brothers. 12 He says,
“Then, I will tell my fellow Israelites about you.
I will praise you when your people meet to worship you.” Psalm 22:22
13 He also says,
“I will trust in God.” Isaiah 8:17
And he also says,
“I am here. And with me are the children that God has given me.” Isaiah 8:18
14 These children are people with physical bodies. So Jesus himself became like them and had the same experiences they have. He did this so that, by dying, he could destroy the one who has the power of death. That one is the devil. 15 Jesus became like men and died so that he could free them. They were like slaves all their lives because of their fear of death. 16 Clearly, it is not angels that Jesus helps, but the people who are from Abraham.[d] 17 For this reason Jesus had to be made like his brothers in every way. He became like men so that he could be their merciful and faithful high priest in service to God. Then Jesus could bring forgiveness for their sins. 18 And now he can help those who are tempted. He is able to help because he himself suffered and was tempted.
Jesus Is Greater Than Moses
3 So all of you, holy brothers, should think about Jesus. You were all called by God. God sent Jesus to us, and he is the high priest of our faith. 2 And Jesus was faithful to God as Moses was. Moses did everything God wanted him to do in God’s family. 3 A man who is the head of a family receives more honor than others in the family. It is the same with Jesus. Jesus should have more honor than Moses. 4 Every family has its head, but God is the head of everything. 5 Moses was faithful in God’s family as a servant. He told what God would say in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as a Son who is the head of God’s family. And we are God’s family if we hold on to our faith and are proud of the great hope we have.
We Must Continue to Follow God
7 So it is as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today listen to what he says.
8 Do not be stubborn as in the past
when you turned against God.
There you tested God in the desert.
9 For 40 years in the desert your ancestors saw the things I did.
But they tested me and my patience.
10 I was angry with them.
I said, ‘They are not loyal to me.
They have not understood my ways.’
11 So I was angry and made a promise.
‘They will never enter my land of rest.’”[e] Psalm 95:7-11
12 So brothers, be careful that none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart. This will stop you from following the living God. 13 But encourage each other every day. Do this while it is “today.”[f] Help each other so that none of you will become hardened because of sin and its tricks. 14 We all share in Christ. This is true if we keep till the end the sure faith we had in the beginning. 15 This is what the Scripture says:
“Today listen to what he says.
Do not be stubborn as in the past
when you turned against God.” Psalm 95:7-8
16 Who heard God’s voice and was against him? It was all those people Moses led out of Egypt. 17 And whom was God angry with for 40 years? He was angry with those who sinned, who died in the desert. 18 And whom was God talking to when he promised that they would never enter and have his rest? He was talking to those who did not obey him. 19 So we see that they were not allowed to enter and have God’s rest because they did not believe.
4 Now God has left us that promise that we may enter and have his rest. Let us be very careful, then, so that none of you will fail to get that rest. 2 The Good News was preached to us just as it was to them. But the teaching they heard did not help them. They heard it but did not accept it with faith.[g] 3 We who have believed are able to enter and have God’s rest. As God has said,
“So I was angry and made a promise.
‘They will never enter my land of rest.’” Psalm 95:11
But God’s work was finished from the time he made the world. 4 Somewhere in the Scriptures he talked about the seventh day of the week: “And on the seventh day God rested from all his work.”[h] 5 And again in the Scripture God said, “They will never enter my land of rest.”
6 It is still true that some people will enter and have God’s rest. But those who first heard the way to be saved did not enter. They did not enter because they did not obey. 7 So God planned another day, called “today.” He spoke about that day through David a long time later. It is the same Scripture used before:
“Today listen to what he says.
Do not be stubborn.” Psalm 95:7-8
8 We know that Joshua[i] did not lead the people into that rest. We know this because God spoke later about another day. 9 This shows that the seventh-day rest[j] for God’s people is still coming. 10 For anyone who enters and has God’s rest will rest from his work as God did. 11 So let us try as hard as we can to enter God’s rest. We must try hard so that no one will be lost by following the example of those who refused to obey.
12 God’s word is alive and working. It is sharper than a sword sharpened on both sides. It cuts all the way into us, where the soul and the spirit are joined. It cuts to the center of our joints and our bones. And God’s word judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts. 13 Nothing in all the world can be hidden from God. Everything is clear and lies open before him. And to him we must explain the way we have lived.
Jesus Is Our High Priest
14 We have a great high priest who has gone into heaven. He is Jesus the Son of God. So let us hold on to the faith we have. 15 For our high priest is able to understand our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way that we are, but he did not sin. 16 Let us, then, feel free to come before God’s throne. Here there is grace. And we can receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it.
5 Every high priest is chosen from among men. He is given the work of going before God for them. He must offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He himself is weak. So he is able to be gentle with those who do not understand and who are doing wrong things. 3 Because he is weak the high priest must offer sacrifices for his own sins. And then he offers sacrifices for the sins of the people.
4 To be a high priest is an honor. But no one chooses himself for this work. He must be called by God as Aaron[k] was. 5 So also Christ did not choose himself to have the honor of being a high priest. But God chose him. God said to him,
“You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.” Psalm 2:7
6 And in another Scripture God says,
“You are a priest forever,
a priest like Melchizedek.”[l] Psalm 110:4
7 While Jesus lived on earth, he prayed to God and asked God for help. He prayed with loud cries and tears to the One who could save him from death. And his prayer was heard because he left it all up to God. 8 Even though Jesus was the Son of God, he learned to obey by what he suffered. 9 And he became our perfect high priest. He gives eternal salvation to all who obey him. 10 And God made Jesus high priest, a priest like Melchizedek.
Warning Against Falling Away
11 We have much to say about this. But it is hard to explain because you are so slow to understand. 12 You have had enough time so that by now you should be teachers. But you need someone to teach you again the first lessons of God’s message. You still need the teaching that is like milk. You are not ready for solid food. 13 Anyone who lives on milk is still a baby. He knows nothing about right teaching. 14 But solid food is for those who are grown up. They are mature enough to know the difference between good and evil.
6 So let us go on to grown-up teaching. Let us not go back over the beginning lessons we learned about Christ. We should not start over again with teaching about turning from acts that lead to death and about believing in God. 2 We should not return to the teaching of baptisms,[m] of laying on of hands,[n] of the raising of the dead and eternal judgment. 3 And we will go on to grown-up teaching if God allows.
4 Some people cannot be brought back again to a changed life. They were once in God’s light. They enjoyed heaven’s gift, and they shared in the Holy Spirit. 5 They found out how good God’s word is, and they received the powers of his new world. 6 And then they fell away from Christ! It is not possible to keep on bringing them back to a changed life again. For they are nailing the Son of God to a cross again and are shaming him in front of others.
7 Some people are like land that gets plenty of rain. The land produces a good crop for those who work it, and it receives God’s blessings. 8 Other people are like land that grows thorns and weeds and is worthless. It is about to be cursed by God. It will be destroyed by fire.
9 Dear friends, we are saying this to you. But we really expect better things from you that will lead to your salvation. 10 God is fair. He will not forget the work you did and the love you showed for him by helping his people. And he will remember that you are still helping them. 11 We want each of you to go on with the same hard work all your lives. Then you will surely get what you hope for. 12 We do not want you to become lazy. Be like those who have faith and patience. They will receive what God has promised.
13 God made a promise to Abraham. And as there is no one greater than God, he used himself when he swore to Abraham. 14 He said, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”[o] 15 Abraham waited patiently for this to happen. And he received what God promised.
16 People always use the name of someone greater than themselves when they swear. The oath proves that what they say is true. And this ends all arguing about what they say. 17 God wanted to prove that his promise was true. He wanted to prove this to those who would get what he promised. He wanted them to understand clearly that his purposes never change. So God proved his promise by also making an oath. 18 These two things cannot change. God cannot lie when he makes a promise, and he cannot lie when he makes an oath. These things encourage us who came to God for safety. They give us strength to hold on to the hope we have been given. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and strong. It enters behind the curtain in the Most Holy Place in heaven. 20 Jesus has gone in there ahead of us and for us. He has become the high priest forever, a priest like Melchizedek.[p]
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.