We don’t know who wrote the letter to the Hebrews. In the past people often assumed it was Paul, but the letter itself never says so. In all his other letters he immediately identifies himself; but there is no identification at all in this letter. Moreover, its style is quite different from what we have in the letters we have that bear Paul’s name. Scholars have proposed Barnabas, Priscilla, and Timothy, but in the end we can only say we do not know who wrote it. Whoever it may have been, the author of Hebrews was concerned that we would understand the gospel, and stay faithful to its message.

Because faithfulness is not automatic. It’s easy to fall away. That change of heart might happen as a sudden rebellion, as when the Israelites did back in ancient times, during the Exodus (which was already ancient times, when Hebrews was written): “when your ancestors put me to the test, though they had seen my works” (Hebrews 3:9). That’s pretty dramatic. Yet it isn’t always so stark and immediate, is it? More often the danger seems to be that we will gradually slack off, little by little becoming more distant from our earlier devotion. “Therefore we must pay greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it” (Hebrews 2:1).

So: don’t harden your heart. That’s what the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart” (3:7-8; again in 3:15, and again in 4:7; quoting from Psalm 95:7-8): this recurring refrain urges us to respond in faithfulness, rather than turning away either by rebelling suddenly or by letting our ardor gradually wane.

Instead, recognizing that Jesus can fully “sympathize with our weaknesses” (4:15), we can be deliberate about drawing nearer in those hard times, instead of drifting away. “Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (4:16).

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We turn to you, O Lord. Even though we so often turn away, we turn to you now. Even though we so often turn slack, we turn to you now. We need your mercy: we need your help. Grant us boldness in drawing near to you: and grant us faithfulness, grant us steadfastness of heart, to love and serve you day by day, and forever.