Study Desk

People who say these things show they are looking for a country of their own.

But they wanted a better country. And so God is not ashamed to be called their God. He has made a city for them.

Because of faith, Moses, after he was born, was hidden by his parents for three months. They saw that he was a beautiful child. They were not afraid of the king when he said that all baby boys should be killed.

He chose to suffer with God's people instead of having fun doing sinful things for awhile.

Any shame that he suffered for Christ was worth more than all the riches in Egypt. He kept his eyes on the reward God was going to give him.

Because the Jews had faith, the walls of the city of Jericho fell down after the Jews had walked around the city for seven days.

They walked around in deserts and in mountains. They looked for caves and holes in the earth to live in. They were too good for this world.

God had planned something better for us. These men could not be made perfect without us.

All these many people who have had faith in God are around us like a cloud. Let us put every thing out of our lives that keeps us from doing what we should. Let us keep running in the race that God has planned for us.

Remember that our fathers on earth punished us. We had respect for them. How much more should we obey our Father in heaven and live?

For a little while our fathers on earth punished us when they thought they should. But God punishes us for our good so we will be holy as He is holy.

None of you should fall into sex sins or forget God like Esau did. He had a right to get all Isaac had because he was the oldest son. But for one plate of food he sold this right to his brother.

You know that later he would have received everything. But he did not get it even when he asked for it with tears. It was too late to make right the wrong he had done.

For you have not come close to a mountain that you can touch. You have not come to worship where there is burning fire and darkness and storm and wind.

Jesus is there. He has made a way for man to go to God. He gave His blood that men might worship God the New Way. The blood of Jesus tells of better things than that which Abel used.

For our God is a fire that destroys everything.

So we can say for sure, "The Lord is my Helper. I am not afraid of anything man can do to me."

The head religious leader takes the blood of animals into the holy place to give it on the altar for sins. But the bodies of the animals are burned outside the city.

For there is no city here on earth that will last forever. We are looking for the one that is coming.

Pray for us. Our hearts tell us we are right. We want to do the right thing always.