I’m not in the habit of schlepping Bible commentaries with me in the car, but we were playing tourist, staying at an Airbnb with no more exciting plans than to sit in lawnchairs facing Moosehead Lake. For me, vacation means reading, and Amy Peeler’s commentary on Hebrews was at the top of my TBR pile. As confirmation that coincidence is a myth, my husband and I “just happened” to have reached the book of Hebrews in our 2024 plan to read through the New Testament. When you have stumbled into chapter seven with its references to Melchizedek, you’re pretty thankful that someone “just happened” to have packed a commentary along with the sunscreen.
With barely a thimbleful of scriptural information available as background, the mysterious Melchizedek holds sway over the chapter and demonstrates the amazing ability of the author of Hebrews to connect the dots between Old Testament shadows and New Covenant reality. The truth is exquisite, and the implications are breathtaking.
Melchizedek’s sudden entrance, his priestly and kingly roles, and his blessing of Abraham are all striking. Still, I was most fascinated by Peeler’s suggestion that the text implies an already-established relationship with Melchizedek. We have Abraham’s backstory, so I have never widened my lens to wonder what else God might be doing, whom else he might be engaging in his big, wide world with his big, wide love.
The author of Hebrews, dipping his paintbrush into what he knew of Melchizedek, reinforces the truth that Jesus, our King and Priest, has completely superseded the traditional priesthood, the shadow of the former now being replaced by the solid reality that had been pre-figured. Jesus was not of the tribe of Levi, but of Judah; not temporary but eternal; not a hopeless merry-go-round of many priests, but a “better hope through which we draw near to God” through a “better covenant” based on Jesus’ indestructible life.
It seems to me that this is the perfect setup for the magnificent truth of Hebrews 7:25:
“Therefore, He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”
Instead of Looking for Moose…
This is how we happened to be driving through the wilds of Maine combing the index of Peeler’s commentary on Hebrews for references to Melchizedek instead of watching for moose. By this time, I had already read the introduction, which is reassuringly accessible while offering fascinating insights into the book. For instance:
- Hebrews puts the trustworthiness of God on display through Christ’s work in securing eternal life and death’s defeat.
- Hebrews is a genre-bending book, for while we refer to it as the Epistle to the Hebrews, it is also a sermon “for those who have heard God speak and accepted the message.”
- Hebrews is the only text to say explicitly that Jesus is our mediator in a way that no other mediator has been or ever will be.
- Textual anonymity opens the door to delicious speculation. Peeler posits the usual candidates (Paul, Barnabas, Priscilla, Silas, and Apollos), but I’ve never heard anyone else suggest that the author might have been an individual known locally by a community of believers but otherwise unremarkable. Their identity has faded but their work has endured
- The author of Hebrews drives a solid stake into the ground on the faithfulness of God’s promises to Israel while maintaining an equal certainty of the “sole sufficiency of the offering of Jesus Christ.”
- Hebrews is meant to be heard rather than read and was intended to stimulate discussion among the hearers.
God Has Spoken
Amy Peeler has been shaped by her belief that the Bible is God’s good word. Her fresh insights and her explanations of the book of Hebrews’ relevance to everyday Christian living have resulted in a trustworthy guide for study and for faith formation.
The sovereign God has spoken. The anonymous author of the book of Hebrews was driven by this amazing truth. God is unrestricted in his ability to communicate with his people. All of our “impressions” from the words of others, the still small voice of the Spirit, and the “heavens declaring the glory of God” are subject to the filter of God’s revealed Truth. We will never exhaust its infinite riches.
God has spoken.
What will we do about it?
What Other Reviewers Are Saying
“Amy Peeler’s Hebrews is lucidly, beautifully written, excelling especially in rich theological reflection and an uncommon depth of pastoral good sense. Committed followers of our Great High Priest, rejoice! You will find here both an enjoyable read and much encouragement for enduring in the race of faith.”
—George Guthrie, professor of New Testament, Regent College
“Through this excellent commentary, Amy Peeler invites readers to see the vast wealth of this fascinating letter. Her readings are attentive and fresh, though carefully connected to the arguments of the book.”
—Madison Pierce, associate professor of New Testament, Western Theological Seminary
Has this post inspired you to dig a bit deeper into the book of Hebrews? I hope so! I’ve written a devotional series for YouVersion that lands on a few verses in each chapter with the goal of big-picture familiarity with this fascinating and complex book. CLICK HERE to access the plan.
Holding you in the light,
The Epistle to the Hebrews is “a sermon for those who have heard God speak and accepted the message…” ~Amy Peeler @albpeeler @eerdmansbooks #bookreview
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i just finished reading/writing out/speaking out loud this challenging book. I’ll be using the wisdom of your post as icing on the cake. Thank you, friend. God often speaks to me through your faith-filled words.
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It’s not every day that I get to review a commentary—and it’s not every commentary that’s as accessible as this one. We live in a remarkable age with so many resources available to us!
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That you immersed yourself into Amy’s book while driving through (what I can imagine) the beauty of Maine, says a lot! 🙂 When I arrive at Hebrews, as I read through the new testament this season, I look forward to having your You Version series as a guide!
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That’s so good to hear, Lynn. I’d love to hear your thoughts when you’re done!
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