Introduction

The book of Hebrews is a letter written to Jewish Christians facing persecution, exhorting them to live by faith and persevere through trials. It is a theological epistle that presents the supremacy of Christ as  the ultimate revelation and mediator of God’s grace. The letter emphasizes Christ’s superior role as the fulfillment of Old Testament promises and the perfect High Priest. The author asserts that Christ's sacrifice established a new better covenant, once and for all, securing eternal redemption.

More than any book of the New Testament, Hebrews refers to God's promises (see 4:1; 6:12-13, 15, 17; 7:6; 8:6; 9:15; 10:23, 36; 11:9, 13, 17; 12:26). We continue to await the fulfillment of some of his promises.

The author of Hebrews writes much about faith, meaning faithfulness of one who holds firm or is reliable. He describes Moses and Jesus (2:17; 3:2, 5) as faithful; he also describes God as faithful in keeping promises (10:23). Further, faithfulness is our appropriate response to God's promises. Faith is not only a mental assent to the facts of the gospel; it involves patience (6:12, 15), endurance (10:36-39; 12:1–2), and holding firm (3:6, 14; 4:14; 10:23) trusting in God’s promises. Consider 11:1 and chapter 11 in general.