Let’s read through the book of Hebrews one verse at a time in 2023. Every day explore a single verse and its cross references. AI-generated text draws the passages together. RSS feed.
It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.
These cross references all emphasize the idea of God's blessings. In Genesis, Isaac and Jacob are blessed by God, Joseph's sons are blessed, and David is blessed. In Numbers, the people of Israel are blessed. In 2 Chronicles, the people are blessed by the priests and Levites. In Luke, Jesus blesses his followers before ascending to heaven. Finally, in 2 Corinthians, Paul prays for the grace, love, and fellowship of the Holy Spirit to be with the people. All of these examples show that God blesses those who are inferior to Him, which is the main point of Hebrews 7:7.
| Passage | How It’s Related (AI-Generated) |
|---|---|
| Genesis 27:20-40: But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the Lord your God granted me success.” Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.” So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau's hands. So he blessed him. He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.” | Both passages illustrate the truth that the inferior is blessed by the superior. In Hebrews 7:7, this is stated as a general truth. In Genesis 27:20–40, this truth is illustrated in the story of Jacob and Isaac. Isaac, the superior in this case, blesses Jacob, the inferior, even though he initially does not recognize him. |
| Genesis 48:15-20: And he blessed Joseph and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day, the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” | Both passages demonstrate the principle of the superior blessing the inferior. In Hebrews 7:7, this is stated as a general truth, while in Genesis 48:15-20, it is demonstrated through Jacob's blessing of Joseph's sons. Jacob's blessing of Joseph's sons, especially the way he moves his hand from Ephraim to Manasseh, shows that the younger son was to be blessed more than the older, despite the tradition of the older son receiving the greater blessing. |
| Numbers 6:23-27: “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.” | Both passages emphasize the importance of God's blessings on his people. Hebrews 7:7 suggests that these blessings come from a superior source, God, and Numbers 6:23-27 shows how the blessings of God are expressed through the words of Aaron and his sons. The passage in Numbers outlines the specific words of blessing that are to be spoken over the people of Israel, emphasizing the importance of God's grace, peace, and presence in their lives. |
| 2 Samuel 6:20: And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants' female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” | Both passages address the concept of honoring and blessing. Hebrews 7:7 explains that the inferior is blessed by the superior, which is demonstrated in 2 Samuel 6:20 when David returns to bless his household. Michal, the daughter of Saul, is displeased with David's actions and criticizes him for dishonoring himself in the eyes of his servants' female servants. |
| 1 Kings 8:55: And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, | Both passages demonstrate the power of blessing from a superior to an inferior. In Hebrews 7:7, the inferior is blessed by a superior without dispute. In 1 Kings 8:55, King Solomon stands and blesses the assembly of Israel with a loud voice. This demonstrates his authority as the superior, and the power of his blessing on the inferior. |
| 2 Chronicles 30:27: Then the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came to his holy habitation in heaven. | Both passages discuss the idea of blessing. Hebrews 7:7 talks about how the superior blesses the inferior, while 2 Chronicles 30:27 describes the priests and Levites blessing the people. In Hebrews 7:7, the blessing is seen as being a result of the superior's authority, while in 2 Chronicles 30:27, the blessing is seen as a prayer to God that is heard in Heaven. |
| Luke 24:50-51: And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. | Both passages demonstrate Jesus' role as a superior figure who blesses those who are inferior. Hebrews 7:7 highlights how the inferior is blessed by the superior, while Luke 24:50–51 shows Jesus blessing his disciples by lifting up his hands before ascending into heaven. This passage also displays Jesus' power and authority as he departs from his disciples and is carried up into heaven. |
| 2 Corinthians 13:14: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. | Both passages relate to the idea of being blessed by God. Hebrews 7:7 speaks of being blessed by a superior, which in this case is God. 2 Corinthians 13:14 is a blessing from God, with the grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit being bestowed upon the people. |
Heavenly Father,
We thank You for Your great love and mercy towards us. We praise You for Your faithfulness to Your promises, as seen in Your blessing of Jacob and Joseph, and Your guidance of the people of Israel. We are grateful for the grace of Your Son Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
Help us to be humble, as we recognize the superiority of Your greatness. Grant us the strength to faithfully follow Your will, and the courage to face any challenges that come our way. Bless us with Your protection and peace, that we may live in joy and gratitude.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
This reading plan reads through a single verse each day, six days a week, paired with the most-popular cross references for the verse. AI-generated (and human-reviewed) text provides an opening thought and concluding prayer along with an explanation for how each cross reference relates to the verse. In 2023, this reading plan works through Hebrews one verse at a time. Every seventh day is a catchup day. Want more info? Try this blog post.
Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com.