“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. 1:50.
THE Epistle to the Hebrews is God’s message to a people to whom He had often spoken. It was a closing appeal. They were warned of the solemn consequences of turning away from Him that spoke from heaven. In the opening verses they are reminded of the times and manners in which He had previously spoken.
Their history is probably very much like yours, my reader. The first time they heard His voice they begged that they might not hear it again. They tried to keep God at a distance. They feared and trembled, but still did not want to hear His voice. Do you remember how you tried to get away from the sound of His voice when He spoke to you the first time?
But if Israel did not want to hear the voice of God, God wanted to bless Israel, and so He sent His servants one after another.
Isaiah, like a faithful gospel preacher, told them that from the crown of their head to the sole of their foot they were a mass of moral corruption; but added, “Come now, and let us reason together, said the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isa. 1:1818Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)).
Then further on, with trumpet voice, He announces, “Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isa. 55:11Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. (Isaiah 55:1)). How tenderly He invites them to “Hear,” in order that their souls might “live.” Alas! they turned away, their ears grew heavy, their heart waxed fat, they would not listen.
Maybe, my reader, eyes are weeping, and hearts are breaking, in secret over you. It is hard to go down to perdition trampling under foot a mother’s tears and a sister’s breaking heart. You have probably heard many a gospel appeal. Many a servant of the Lord, Isaiah-like, has told you of your condition, and proclaimed God’s salvation; and whilst you have been hardening your heart, and steeling your conscience as you listened, someone has been pouring out tear-bedewed petitions from a sorrowing heart at the thought of your sinful life, and hard and impenitent heart.
“But,” you say, “why think of me? I am quite as good as others. I mix and mingle with the people of God.” Listen to Ezekiel, the next servant, as he comes forth, and announces the fact that God had lingered before withdrawing His glory from the people, who would not hear. God’s glory was now standing on the threshold, ready to depart. “Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women:... and begin at MY SANCTUARY” (Ezek. 9:66Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. (Ezekiel 9:6)). How solemn is Ezekiel’s tale!
Of what does he speak? What is the burden of his message? Death I ah, death! A serious thing for you, my reader, if you have never been heartbroken and conscience-stricken about your sins, much less have sighed and cried for all the abominations done in the city. Death I “Fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth.”
Suppose the messenger, Death, should visit you tonight, and you should die in your sins, what then? It will be in vain for an Ezekiel to plead for you with an “Ah! Lord God!” The reply may come, “Mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head”; and the messenger may return to his Master, and report the matter, saying, “I have done as thou hast commanded me” (Ezek. 9:1111And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me. (Ezekiel 9:11)).
Would that be an end of your history? If that were all, you might carelessly say, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” But there is something after death! Turn with me to the next book, Daniel. There we get that which awaits every unsaved, unrepentant soul, ―JUDGMENT.
“The Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool: His throne was like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him: the judgment was set and the books were opened” (Dan. 7:9, 109I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 10A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. (Daniel 7:9‑10)).
Yes, judgment―eternal judgment―awaits every rejector of the grace and love of God. You will notice two companies associated with the throne; one company is occupied with the most blessed service―ministering, serving, waiting upon the Ancient of days, whereas the other company is in the most awful position, standing before the JUDGE, whilst the books containing the record of their sins are opened.
I had a friend who accompanied a judge as he went on circuit. Was my friend afraid when he heard the Judge’s voice? No. Why? Because he was ministering to him. It was otherwise with the prisoners as they appeared in the dock. They were afraid as they listened to that voice on which their sentence depended.
If you should pass into eternity tonight would you be found, when the judgment is set, ministering TO THE JUDGE, or standing before Him?
Isaiah had spoken of grace, Jeremiah of compassion and long-suffering, Ezekiel announced the sentence of death, whilst Daniel described judgment with its terrors.
How did the people treat God’s messengers? They took His servants, beat one, and killed another. But, oh what infinite mercy, He sent other servants, more than the first. I do not go over the messages of these other servants. Time fails.
The centuries roll by, and last of all God sent His Son, saying, “They will reverence My Son.”
“They will reverence My Son!!” What a word! All heaven reverenced Him, the seraphim veiled their faces as they cried, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts.” All heaven was delighted to do His bidding, so God sent His only begotten, His well-beloved, saying, “Maybe they will reverence Him.”
Thus, in the closing days of Israel’s sad history, God visited His people in the person of His Son, spoke to them, not now in the thunders of His voice of majesty from the fire and smoke of Sinai, but in the tender, gracious tones of the Son of man who came into this world to seek, and to save the lost.
Listen to His gracious voice. “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)). Surely now they will come. Surely they will hear His voice, the voice of that Man who spake as no other man ever spake.
Come with me to the Mount of Olives. Look at the Holy One who sits there, gazing with tenderest compassion upon the city spread beneath His eye. How He thinks of the many, many times He―Jehovah, Jesus, Emmanuel―had spoken to them; and as He recalls their indifference, those pathetic utterances of despised affection and unheeded love fell from His lips: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (Luke 13:34, 3534O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! 35Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. (Luke 13:34‑35)). How desolate! No Saviour’s voice, no pleadings or inviting’s any longer. The Father’s last, best, and greatest Messenger rejected, the most glorious and gracious message unheeded.
In vain He had cried in that great day of the feast, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink” (John 7:3737In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. (John 7:37)). In vain He had proclaimed, “He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life” (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)). In vain He warned them, “While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light” (John 12:3636While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them. (John 12:36)).
Their eyes were blinded, their hearts were hardened, and “Jesus did hide Himself from them.” Awful condition, the Saviour hidden, and the people blinded, and their death-knell sounded, “Ye shall die in your sins!”
It matters little, my reader, as to your surroundings where you die. You may have a luxurious mansion, many sorrowing friends, and every comfort this world can give; or you may be a desolate being in an attic, without a friend. All this will be of very little moment to you the instant after your exit from this world; but to die in your sins will make a difference to you throughout eternity.
But where will the marvels of grace end? Instead of executing the judgment upon Israel at once, God still lingers in grace; and this Epistle to the Hebrews is a message from the earth-rejected, heaven-received Saviour.
He now speaks from heaven; speaks the closing word of grace, just as, in the Epistle of James, He speaks the word of judgment. James tells us the Judge is at the door. Hebrews tells us the Saviour is at the door.
How the Spirit of God delights to extol the Saviour, and to declare His excellences. Let us gaze for a moment at a few of the glories connected with this wonderful Saviour.
“Heir of all things.” How often men forget that everything in this world belongs to Christ. He is the Creator, the Heir, and the Upholder of all things. Thus the world began through Christ, is sustained by Christ, and reserved for Christ. The air we breathe, the sun which shines upon us, the earth we tread, owe their existence and continuance to Him, who in grace was called Jesus of Nazareth. The One who is the brightness of God’s glory, and the exact expression of His substance, is the One who was nailed to Calvary’s cross!
Why does the Spirit of God make so much of the glories of Christ? I will tell you. It is the glory of His person which gives luster to His work. A short time since, I passed through a certain town. The bells were ringing, flags flying, bands playing, and people on horse and foot all moving in one direction. Why all this stir? we asked. “A stone was to be laid in a public building.” But surely the laying of a stone is no great matter? No! The Prince of Wales was coming to lay it. I discovered that it was the person who made all the difference, for any bricklayer in the town could have laid the stone, and none would have thought it worth their while to turn out to watch him; but here all were on the tiptoe of expectation to see His Majesty’s eldest son.
So, in a far higher way, He who is seated at the right hand of God is a most glorious, wonderful Person, and the Spirit of God delights to celebrate His glories, but there is one glory mentioned in this lovely catalog in Hebrews 1. that is of infinite importance. The glory of being the Purger of our sins belongs exclusively to Christ; it is His alone today, was His on “The cross, and will be His throughout eternity. Listen then, my reader, to this wonderful fact: the WORD who created is the Saviour who died. The unique dignity of being Purger of sins is exclusively Christ’s. Tell me, when Christ was creating the world, did you help Him to give the stars their brilliancy, or to tint the lilies? No, you reply, I was not there to do it. Neither were you when, on the cross, He became the Purger of your sins. Look at these two words,
“BY HIMSELF.”
Precious words. Would that they were engravers on the heart and embedded in the conscience of every anxious soul. “BY HIMSELF!!” How that shuts all others out. How it secures the glory wholly for Christ. Listen! Hear! Believe! Receive the message of the One who speaks from heaven! He purged our sins by Himself.
Take care you do not turn away from Him. Take care that you do not beg not to hear His voice any more. Your prayer may be answered on earth; but remember if you turn away now, in eternity you will hear that voice again, saying, “Depart from Me, ye cursed”! banishing you forever from His presence.
“Until I saw the blood, ‘twas hell my soul was fearing;
And dark and dreary in my eyes the future was appearing,
While conscience told its tale of sin,
And caused a weight of woe within.
But when I saw the blood, and looked at Him who shed it,
My right to peace was seen at once, and I with transport
read it;
I found myself to God brought nigh,
And ‘ Victory’ became my cry.”
H. N.