Hebrews in Light of Grace (Part 5): Leviticus 26 and the Five Courses of Punishment

Hebrews in Light of Grace (Part 5): Leviticus 26 and the Five Courses of Punishment

The Neglected Foundation of Old Testament History

Leviticus is easily one of those books that believers dread coming across as they read through their Bibles. It feels like a rough, tedious read filled with measurements, sacrifices, and ritual details that seem far removed from modern life. Yet tucked away within this neglected book lies crucial information that acts as the key to understanding the rest of Scripture. When readers skip or ignore Leviticus, they end up completely lost when they arrive at Judges, Kings, and the Prophets.

Without this foundational knowledge, people even misunderstand the Gospels. Many assume that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John mark the sudden birth of Christianity, entirely detached from what came before. But when John the Baptist appears announcing One who will baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire, he is speaking directly to a nation formed under God’s law. The fire he speaks of is not a spiritual blessing to be begged for in a modern service; it refers to divine purging and judgment upon a nation that failed its covenant. The axe was laid to the root of the tree, and every tree bringing not forth good fruit would be cast into the fire. To understand why such warnings were declared, one must return to the structural foundation laid down in Leviticus 26.

Leviticus 26 outlines what is known as the five courses of punishment. These chastisements formed a direct part of the Mosaic covenant established between God and Israel. If Israel refused to keep the covenant and obey God's law, five distinct periods of divine correction would follow to chasten and reform them. Understanding these five periods provides the historical blueprint for everything that unfolds from Joshua through Esther. The entire history of Israel’s kingdom and their temporary blinding can be mapped precisely according to these five warnings.

God’s Blueprint for an Earthly Kingdom

Hebrews in Light of Grace (Part 3): The Historical Background of Hebrews

Hebrews in Light of Grace (Part 3): The Historical Background of Hebrews

The Need for Context in Scripture

When we approach any specific portion of Scripture without first understanding its historical and dispensational background, confusion follows very quickly. Hebrews is one of the clearest examples of this. It stands as the fifty-eighth book of the Bible, and it leans on the foundation already laid in the fifty-seven books before it. If isolated passages from Hebrews are lifted out of that larger line of revelation, it becomes easy to misread truths that are plainly established elsewhere in the Word of God.

To read Scripture accurately, a believer needs to recognize that God speaks across different time periods and to different groups of people. Every word of God is pure, plain, and right to those who seek truth, but spiritual clarity also requires us to respect the distinct settings in which God revealed His plan (Ps.12:6; Prov.8:8-9). That is why a faithful study of Hebrews must trace the movement of Scripture from creation through the calling of Israel, observing how God’s dealings develop across time. Without that context, someone could easily take a handful of verses from Hebrews and use them to challenge clear doctrines given to us for the present age of grace.

Two Realms, Man's Creation, and Earthly Dominion

The story of Bible history begins at the very start of creation. When God brought the universe into existence, He established two primary realms: the heaven and the earth (Gen.1:1). Scripture identifies the heaven as the location of God’s supreme throne, while the earth was fashioned to be His footstool (Isa.66:1). These were not empty spaces without meaning. They were filled with order, authority, government, and purpose.

Within these two realms, God established a complete system of rule. All things in heaven and on earth—visible and invisible, whether thrones, dominions, principalities, or powers—were created by Jesus Christ and for Him (Col.1:16). Every authority structure was originally designed to carry out the divine will and reflect the absolute glory of the Creator (Rev.4:11). This is also where the repeated biblical pattern of the number twelve becomes significant, as it appears in connection with governmental perfection: the twelve constellations, the twelve months of the year, the twelve tribes of Israel, and the twelve apostles who will sit on twelve thrones (Gen.49:28; Matt.19:28; Rev.21:12-14).

So from the beginning, Scripture presents creation not merely as a physical environment, but as a governed order under God’s throne.

Hebrews in Light of Grace (Part 2): Heaven, Earth, and the Heir of All Things

Hebrews in Light of Grace (Part 2):
Heaven, Earth, and the Heir of All Things

To grasp the depth of the Book of Hebrews, one must begin with the foundational blueprint of divine history established from the very beginning of Holy Scripture. The Word of God is not a disconnected collection of isolated books, nor can any single treatise be understood by human intellect alone. Truth is revealed when Scripture is compared with Scripture, allowing the full scope of God’s unfolding plan to illuminate each individual part.

As the fifty-eighth book of the Bible, Hebrews rests upon fifty-seven preceding books of divine revelation. Without a clear comprehension of the historical and covenantal backdrop leading up to this epistle, its contents remain obscure. The opening chapters of Hebrews rely heavily on the Old Testament, drawing extensively from the Psalms and the Prophets. Proper biblical interpretation requires examining not merely isolated verses or quotations, but reading several Psalms before and after to establish the complete context surrounding every statement.

Across the centuries, God operates as an eternal God dealing with mortal men who appear for a short time and vanish away. To execute His eternal work, He reveals His plan progressively across successive generations:

• Abraham: God delivers a specific portion of the divine promise to Abraham, who lives out his calling and dies in faith.
• Isaac and Jacob: The covenantal line continues as God deals directly with Isaac, and upon Isaac’s death, moves onward to Jacob.
• The Twelve Patriarchs and Israel: Following Jacob, God carries His purpose through the twelve patriarchs, growing them from seventy souls into a distinct nation brought out of Egypt.
• Moses and Joshua: God raises up Moses to lead the nation, and upon Moses’ death, hands the leadership mantle to Joshua.

Through these key historical highlights, God weaves together His overarching plan across time. This divine blueprint does not depend on human capability or spiritual performance, but on the absolute faithfulness of God. The unconditional promises made to Abraham regarding his seed stand unalterable, guaranteed entirely by the character of God regardless of Israel's historical failures.

The Fundamental Architecture of Creation

Hebrews in Light of Grace (Part 1): Israel’s Doctrine and Our Understanding

Hebrews in Light of Grace (Part 1):
Israel’s Doctrine and Our Understanding

God Spoke in Time Past

The book of Hebrews opens with a declaration that sets its foundation: “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son…” (Heb.1:1-2). This opening statement establishes that Hebrews does not introduce something disconnected or new. It builds directly upon what God has already spoken through the prophets in time past and through His Son during His earthly ministry.

The Bible is its own interpreter, built upon the principle of comparing scripture with scripture (Isa.28:10; 1Cor.2:13). It provides an all-sufficient, complete revelation that does not rely on human commentaries, encyclopedias, or private imaginations to be understood. As the fifty-eighth book of the Bible, Hebrews is preceded by fifty-seven books of divine revelation. It was not birthed out of thin air, nor can it be comprehended by jumping into its pages without a firm grasp of the scriptures that came before it. Understanding the word spoken in time past is mandatory to prevent the twisting of its contents.

The very first chapter of Hebrews bombards the reader with Old Testament passages, drawing directly from Israel’s sacred writings:

• Psalm 2:7 and 2 Samuel 7:14 in Hebrews 1:5
• Psalm 97:7 in Hebrews 1:6
• Psalm 104:4 in Hebrews 1:7
• Psalm 45:6-7 in Hebrews 1:8-9
• Psalm 102:25-27 in Hebrews 1:10-12
• Psalm 110:1 in Hebrews 1:13

These continuous citations demonstrate that Hebrews is saturated with Israel’s scripture. It addresses a people steeped in covenant history, pointing them toward the culmination of those promises in Christ. For those living under the dispensation of grace, recognizing this contextual framework is vital. Hebrews is Israel’s doctrine. It represents the continuation and fulfillment of their covenants and prophetic timeline. While Paul’s epistles reveal the distinct mystery doctrine given to the Body of Christ, studying Israel’s doctrine allows believers to rightly divide the word of truth (2Tim.2:15) and appreciate the structural harmony of God’s complete plan.

The Law and the Prophets

Rightly Dividing the Gospels: Why Jesus Came to Israel Alone

Rightly Dividing the Gospels: Why Jesus Came to Israel Alone

When Jesus sent forth the twelve, His words were unmistakably narrow in scope: “Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:5–6). Later, when pressed by the Canaanite woman, He declared with equal clarity, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). These statements are not incidental, nor are they to be softened by modern assumptions. They reveal the covenantal order of God’s plan, for Christ’s earthly ministry was directed exclusively to Israel. He came to confirm the promises made to the fathers, to fulfil the words of the prophets, and to call His people to repentance so that they might become the light through which the nations would be blessed.

The prophets had long foretold this order. Jeremiah 31:31 records God’s promise: “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah.” The New Covenant was not made with Gentiles, but with Israel and Judah alone. Likewise, Isaiah 49:6 speaks of the Servant who would first raise up the tribes of Jacob and then be given “for a light to the Gentiles.” The divine pattern was always Israel first, then the nations through Israel’s rise. This is why Jesus confined His earthly mission to His own people, for only in this way could the Scriptures be fulfilled and the covenant promises confirmed.

Yet the story does not end there. John tells us, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not” (John 1:11). Israel rejected her Messiah, and in that rejection the prophetic program was interrupted. Paul explains in Romans 11:7–8 that “Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.” In this blinding of Israel, God revealed a mystery hidden from ages past: that through the death and resurrection of Christ, salvation would now go directly to the Gentiles, apart from Israel’s covenants, through the preaching of Paul. To him was committed “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24), a message of justification by faith alone, whereby Jew and Gentile are united in one new body outside of the prophetic program. As Paul declares in Romans 11:13, “I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office.”

Thus, by right division we see the wisdom of God. Jesus’ earthly ministry was to Israel alone, in fulfilment of prophecy, but Israel’s rejection opened the door for the Gentiles to be saved by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ.

The Difference Between Covenant and Testament

The Difference Between Covenant and Testament

The Bible is a story of God's relationship with humanity, presented through two major frameworks: covenants and testaments. These frameworks reveal how God has interacted with His people at different times in history and highlight His unfolding plan of redemption. To properly understand the Bible, it is essential to distinguish between the Old Covenant, the New Covenant, and the New Testament. This article will clarify their differences, timings, and significance, while addressing how we as believers ought to understand and apply scripture in the right context.

The Old Covenant: Israel’s Conditional Agreement Under the Law

The Old Covenant was a formal agreement established between God and Israel, made at Mount Sinai, where God gave His Law and instructions to Moses for the nation. This covenant was conditional, meaning that the blessings God promised—such as material prosperity, land inheritance, and protection—depended on Israel's obedience to His commandments. The Old Covenant emphasized external compliance to a legal code and served as a way to teach humanity about God’s holiness and the sinfulness of mankind.

The blessings of the Old Covenant were tied to obedience, as outlined in Deuteronomy 28:1-14. These blessings included abundant crops, military success, and God's direct presence among the people. However, failure to obey led to curses, as described in Deuteronomy 28:15-68, which highlighted the consequences of turning away from God. The sacrificial system was central to the Old Covenant, as the blood of animals temporarily atoned for sin, providing a means for Israel to maintain fellowship with God.

OBS: ACTS - The Transition (Part 5 - Insights into the New Covenant)

OBS: ACTS, The Transition (Part 5) The focus is not so much on studying Acts, as it is on using the book to teach us about dispensation truths.

Acts 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

See the video lesson of this study here.

Insights into the New Covenant

OBS: ACTS - The Transition (Part 4 - To the Jews First)

OBS: ACTS, The Transition (Part 4) The focus is not so much on studying Acts, as it is on using the book to teach us about dispensation truths.

Acts 1:4 ... And, being assembled together with them, [He] commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. ...

See the video lesson of this study here.

All Jews had to be saved first!

The Faith Stream Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to ALL the seed.

OBS: God's Word is a Progressive Plan (Part.3)

OBS: God's Word is a Progressive Plan (Part.3)

This is Part 3 of the Series

Click here for Part 2

The huge gap between Jews and Gentiles

During the Old Testament and the Gospels, there was a HUGE gap (or difference) between the Jews and the Gentiles. The reason for this gap was not because the Jews were discriminatory but because it was God's command and part of His plan. God had a purpose for Israel and this we see very clearly if we look into the Bible from a 'big picture' or 'cover to cover' viewpoint.

Our Destination is Different from O.T. and Gospel Saints

Our Destination is Different from O.T. and Gospel Saints

Have you ever noticed that Old Testament and Gospel saints were NOT PROMISED HEAVEN as a destination? Instead they were promised an everlasting kingdom on earth. As a matter of fact, these saints never even had a concept of "going to heaven" when they died. The reason is because all through the Old Testament and prophecy it was spoken of a glorious new earthly kingdom; one which would be restored and refreshed as it was before.