Hebrews — “Be Confident!”

Reading Warren Wiersbe, I understand how my kids feel when I glance into a closet and pull out the basketball they “can’t find.”  It was there all along, but they just didn’t see it.  In his writing Dr. Wiersbe pulls outlines and alliteration out of Scripture — rather than imposing them upon the text — and I realize, too, that it was there all the time.  I just hadn’t seen it.

There’s a class on Hebrews in my future, and since I have a profound respect for that book [Shall we be honest and just admit that I’m intimidated by it?], I’m beginning my studying early with Warren Wiersbe’s Be Confident (part of the “Be Series” with over four million books in print).  Dr. Wiersbe calls me out on my uneasiness and offers reassurance that Hebrews has a clear message, and “there is no reason why you and I should not understand and profit from it.”  He got me started on that positive train of thought with his overview of five characteristics of the epistle to the Hebrews:

1. It Is a Book of Evaluation — Using the word “better” thirteen times, the word “perfect” fourteen times, and emphasizing Christ’s eternal nature, the writer of Hebrews emphasizes that “Jesus Christ and the Christian life He gives us are better because these blessings are eternal and they give us a perfect standing before God.”
2. It Is a Book of Exhortation — We’re not to be intimidated by the warnings in Hebrews, but to be formed by them in our devotion to God’s Word.
3. It Is a Book of Examination — Using the word “established” eight times in Hebrews, the author reveals that the only secure foundation for life is faith based on God’s Word.  Hebrews asks, “In what are you trusting?”
4. It Is a Book of Expectation — Focused on the future, Hebrews turns the believer’s eyes to the world which is to come.  As A.W. Tozer said, “Every man must choose his world.”
5. It Is a Book of Exaltation — Jesus is superior to the prophets both in His person and in His work.  He is God’s final revelation.

I see now that for all the very same reasons that Hebrews is a challenging book to read and to study, it is likewise an important book to understand and to apply.   Be Confident strikes a lovely balance between formal, outlined structure and informal, anecdotal accounts.  In addition to stories based on historical figures, Dr. Wiersbe shares from his years of pastoral and counseling ministry.

Unraveling the mysterious Melchizedek, rightly revealing that the “five terrible warnings” found in Hebrews are truly for exhortation and encouragement, and always demonstrating scriptural reasons for confidence in living the Christian life, Be Confident is a resource for teachers as well as a reference for questions that arise in personal study.  A thorough study of the book of Hebrews is an invitation to enter fresh heights (and depths) of worship as we ponder Christ, His superior person, and  His superior priesthood.

This book was provided by David C Cook in exchange for my review.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Looking for more resources on Hebrews?  I’ll be using Lifeway’s Group Bible Study Guide on Hebrews and HeBrews a Better Blend by Leah Adams over the next several weeks to prepare for teaching a class on Hebrews with my husband at our church.

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