Study Desk

At the same time God added his witness to theirs by performing all kinds of miracles and wonders and by distributing the gifts of the Holy Spirit according to his will.

God has not placed the angels as rulers over the new world to come—the world of which we speak.

Instead, as it is said somewhere in the Scriptures: "What are human beings, O God, that you should think of them; mere human beings, that you should care for them?

and made them rulers over all things." It says that God made them "rulers over all things"; this clearly includes everything. We do not, however, see human beings ruling over all things now.

It was only right that God, who creates and preserves all things, should make Jesus perfect through suffering, in order to bring many children to share his glory. For Jesus is the one who leads them to salvation.

He says to God, "I will tell my people what you have done; I will praise you in their meeting."

He also says, "I will put my trust in God." And he also says, "Here I am with the children that God has given me."

This means that he had to become like his people in every way, in order to be their faithful and merciful High Priest in his service to God, so that the people's sins would be forgiven.

My Christian friends, who also have been called by God! Think of Jesus, whom God sent to be the High Priest of the faith we profess.

He was faithful to God, who chose him to do this work, just as Moses was faithful in his work in God's house.

Every house, of course, is built by someone—and God is the one who has built all things.

Moses was faithful in God's house as a servant, and he spoke of the things that God would say in the future.

do not be stubborn, as your ancestors were when they rebelled against God, as they were that day in the desert when they put him to the test.

There they put me to the test and tried me, says God, although they had seen what I did for forty years.

My friends, be careful that none of you have a heart so evil and unbelieving that you will turn away from the living God.

This is what the scripture says: "If you hear God's voice today, do not be stubborn, as your ancestors were when they rebelled against God."

With whom was God angry for forty years? With the people who sinned, who fell down dead in the desert.

When God made his solemn promise, "They will never enter the land where I would have given them rest"—of whom was he speaking? Of those who rebelled.

Now, God has offered us the promise that we may receive that rest he spoke about. Let us take care, then, that none of you will be found to have failed to receive that promised rest.

We who believe, then, do receive that rest which God promised. It is just as he said, "I was angry and made a solemn promise: ‘They will never enter the land where I would have given them rest!'" He said this even though his work had been finished from the time he created the world.