Yesterday, Today and Forever

Hebrews is a book of riddles. Recent scholarship has arrived at an impasse over difficulties and apparent contradictions within the argument. A new look at Hebrews is needed. This book examines the use of Psalm 95 in Hebrews. The psalm recalls a narrative world and renews an exhortation that reoccurs throughout Israels history. Hebrews takes up this summons and the story behind it (Heb 3-4, 10-12) to urge its audience to be faithful. This exhortation unites Gods people past and present (Heb 1, 13). The results of this study are applied to the new covenant (Heb 8) and reveal that a reexamination of common assumptions about Hebrews are necessary. A review of the history of interpretation shows that while assumptions about Hebrews have an early beginning, they have not gone unchallenged.