My daughter read “Animal Farm” in middle school. Luckily she had a teacher who could unpack the symbolism and interpret the text in such a way that she understood and enjoyed the Orwell classic. Sometimes it takes a little extra study to understand the things we read in Scripture, too. Shane & Shane’s rendition of “Before the Throne of God Above” sends us from Hebrews to the Old Testament and back to learn more about Jesus as our Great High Priest.
Pack your bags with a few nuggets of information mined on this week’s podcast before you journey into the book of Hebrews for yourself.
On this episode I discuss:
- Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture – our Bible Interaction Tool Exercises this week are:
- Read in context
- Listen to an audio version of the text
- Consult outside resources
- Start with God/Jesus
- Make a list
- Compare and contrast
- The 30 Day Music Challenge – ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE
- Sneaking in a hymn because of the great truths repeated in every line
- The author and the original title of the hymn – Hymnary.org
- Getting distracted studying about Jesus as our advocate in 1 John 2:1-2
- Reading the entire text of Hebrews to place your detailed study in context
- How “high priest” is mentioned 17 times in the book of Hebrews, making the priesthood of Jesus Christ a central theme
- Consulting outside resources to learn more about the role of the high priest – GotQuestions.org and Warren Wiersbe’s Commentary on Hebrews
- Learning about the role of the high priest in the Old Testament (specifically duties on the Day of Atonement) – Leviticus 16
- Starting with Jesus as we approach the text (instead of ourselves)
- Making an ongoing list of characteristics we discover about our Great High Priest
- Comparing and contrasting the high priests of the Old Testament and our new covenant High Priest
Check out the official audio version on YouTube below.
More Than a Song Playlist
Additional Resources
- Lyrics and Chords – WorshipChords.com
- What was the Biblical role of the high priest? – GotQuestions.org
- The High Priest’s Purpose – Ligonier.org
- Jesus the Priest – Ligonier.org
- The Day of Atonement – BibleProject.com
This Week’s Challenge
Read Hebrews for yourself. Try listening to an audio version of the entire text while keeping your attention on each mention of “high priest.” Read Leviticus 16 to get clear on what was required of the high priest on the Day of Atonement. Make a list of characteristics you learn about your Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, who can provide complete salvation because of His perfect offering.
