(Chapter 3:1-19)
As mentioned in the Introduction, chapters 3–10:18 focus on Christ as “the High Priest of our confession.” This has to do with His entrance into heaven to carry out His present service of intercession for us (Rom. 8:3434Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (Romans 8:34)), after having made expiation for sin.
Christ’s Priesthood—Manward and Godward
Chapters 1-2 have unfolded the glories of Christ as the Son of God and the Son of Man, and thus, have shown Him to be perfectly fitted to enter into service as our great High Priest. Having introduced Him as such, at the end of chapter 2, the writer now proceeds with the ministration of His priesthood in the following chapters. This is both manward and Godward.
As to the manward side (chaps. 3–7)—He succours (helps) those who are tempted (chap. 2:18), He sympathizes with those with infirmities (chap. 4:14), He grants grace and mercy to those in need (chap. 4:16), He has compassion on the ignorant and those out of the way (chap. 5:2), and He saves those who come unto God by Him (chap. 7:25).
As to the Godward side (chaps. 8–10)—He secures the new covenant and its blessing for Israel (chap. 8), He offers himself without spot to God as a supreme sacrifice to put away sin and thus purge the conscience of the believer (chaps. 9-10), and He presents the praises of the saints to God (chaps. 10:21; 13:15).
Both of these aspects of Christ’s priestly work are seen in chapter 2:17—“a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God.” “Merciful” pertains to our side of His priestly service and “faithful” has to do with God’s side.
A Brief Outline of Chapters 3-4
Before taking up the actual function of Christ’s priesthood in chapter 5, the writer touches on some preliminary things in connection with that office. A brief breakdown of chapters 3-4 are as follows:
The sphere in which Christ’s high priestly service is exercised—God’s house (chap. 3:1-6).
The circumstances which have called for it—the wilderness (chap. 3:7-19).
The rest to which the wilderness journey leads (chap. 4:1-11).
The provision which God has made so that we would be preserved from failing (chap. 4:12-16).
The Sphere of Christ’s High Priestly Service—the House of God
In chapters 3-4, the writer brings forward the two greatest leaders in the early history of the legal system—Moses and Joshua—and compares them to Christ. He shows, again, that Christ is in every way superior to them.
Chap. 3:1-2—He addresses these Hebrew believers as: “Holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling.” This is something altogether different from what they had known and had been a part of as Jews in Israel. They were once brethren in a national calling of God with earthly hopes and an earthly inheritance (Deut. 7:6-86For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. 7The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 7:6‑8)). But by receiving Christ by faith, they had been taken “out from” that earthly calling and made part of a new thing of God’s making—the Church (Acts 26:1717Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, (Acts 26:17)). Addressing them as such, they are viewed in their Christian position with a heavenly calling.
As Christians, they are asked to “consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus, who is faithful to Him that has constituted Him, as Moses also in all His house.” As mentioned already, considering Christ as “the Apostle” of our confession has been before us in chapters 1-2. Considering Christ as “the High Priest” of our confession is now what is before us in chapters 3-10:18.
Moses is introduced in verse 2 for the purpose of comparing his faithfulness to Christ’s (Num. 12:77My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. (Numbers 12:7)). This is seen in the words, “as also.” Christ was “faithful to Him (God) that appointed Him.” Thus, both were faithful.
The Threefold Superiority of Christ over Moses
Vss. 3-4—After the comparison, the writer proceeds to give three great contrasts between Christ and Moses: Firstly, Christ the High Priest of our confession is “counted worthy of more [greater] glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.” The “house” which Moses made and ministered in was the earthly tabernacle in the wilderness (Ex. 25-30). It was but a figurative representation, or “pattern,” of the house that Christ built and ministers in—which is the whole universe (chap. 8:2, 5; 9:23). The writer identifies it as “all things.” Thus, Moses served in a mere model of the real house. The sphere of Christ’s high priestly work, therefore, is incomparably greater. In order that no one would mistake who Christ the Builder of God’s house is, the writer adds, “He that built all things is God.” Thus, he identifies Christ as God, and immediately, this sets Him apart from Moses as far as the Creator is above the creature.
Vs. 5—Secondly, Moses’ ministry served as “a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after.” That is, it testified of “good things to come” (chaps. 9:11; 10:1), which things have been brought in by Christ. This, again, shows Christ to be greater than Moses.
Vs. 6—Thirdly, Moses was a “servant” in the house wherein he ministered, but Christ is “Son over His (God’s) house.” It hardly needs to be said that a son is greater than a servant. The prodigal son understood this difference, and said, “I am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants” (Luke 15:1919And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. (Luke 15:19)).
As to God’s house, the writer tells us that in these Christian times it has another meaning. He says: “Whose house we are” (NASB). Believers on the Lord Jesus Christ are viewed as being God’s spiritual house today. We are “built together for a habitation of God” (Eph. 2:2222In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:22); 1 Peter 2:55Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5)). By introducing believers as the house of God, we learn that we are in the sphere in which Christ’s priesthood is exercised.
The writer then says, “If we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end” (vs. 6b). He mentions this because there was a possibility of some apostatizing. On the other hand, those who were real would prove to be God’s house by holding fast. This shows that continuance in the path of faith is the evidence of one’s reality.
The Circumstances Which Call for Christ’s High Priestly Service—the Wilderness
Chap. 3:7-19—It is in the ways of God to test all profession. All who take the path of faith and thus identify themselves with the Christian position in this world will be tested as to their reality or the lack thereof. And there is no place like “the wilderness” to bring this out. We speak now of the wilderness in a figurative sense. Just as Israel passed through a great wilderness, on their way from Egypt to Canaan, which was fraught with dangers and enemies, and had their faith tried, believers on the Lord Jesus are also passing through a scene of spiritual danger and testing as they walk through this world on the path of faith. This time of testing and learning in our Christian experience can be referred to as our wilderness journey (Rom. 5:3-53And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Romans 5:3‑5); 1 Peter 5:1010But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. (1 Peter 5:10)).
Thus, the wilderness is where the reality of our profession is put to the test by the circumstances we meet. We prove the reality of our faith by our continuance in the path, regardless of the severity of the hardships in the way. Those same circumstances also manifest the true state of a merely professing believer; it will be evident in his drawing back from Christian ground, which is apostasy. This was what was happening with this company of Hebrews who had professed faith in Christ. The trials and persecutions that they were experiencing were proving that most of them had real faith, but sadly, those same trials and persecutions were also manifesting that there was an absence of real faith in some. Those who are false will eventually let go of their confession of faith in Christ and depart from the path.
In the latter half of chapter 3, the writer turns to speak of the wilderness circumstances which call for the exercise of Christ’s priesthood, which, if a believer avails himself of it (chap. 7:25), will hold him on course and help him to continue in the path “firm unto the end.”
Second Warning Against Apostasy
(Chapter 3:7–4:11)
The Danger of Unbelief
This leads the writer to give a second warning against apostasy. In a parenthesis (vss. 7-11), he quotes from Psalm 95 to bring before the Hebrews the seriousness of refusing to go on in the path of faith. This is the first of five quotes from that psalm. The circumstance to which the psalmist refers was Israel’s unbelief at Kadesh-barnea in what is called “the provocation” (Num. 13-14). The promised land was before them; all they had to do was to believe the Word of the Lord through Moses, and go in and take it. But they were filled with unbelief and refused. The children of Israel provoked the Lord to wrath by refusing to go into the land of Canaan which God had given them.
The Ten Temptations
Questioning whether the Lord was truly among them (Ex. 17:2, 72Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord? (Exodus 17:2)
7And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not? (Exodus 17:7); Psa. 78:19-2019Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? 20Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people? (Psalm 78:19‑20)).
Worshipping the golden calf (Ex. 32:7-147And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: 8They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 9And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: 10Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. 11And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? 12Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. 13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. 14And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. (Exodus 32:7‑14); Psa. 106:1919They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image. (Psalm 106:19)).
Lusting after Egypt’s foods (Num. 11:4-94And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? 5We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: 6But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes. 7And the manna was as coriander seed, and the color thereof as the color of bdellium. 8And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil. 9And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it. (Numbers 11:4‑9)).
The first five temptations were before the giving of the Law when Israel was still in a period of grace under God’s hand, and therefore, they were not made to feel the consequences of their sins. But the last five were after the giving of the Law, when the people were under the responsibility of their covenant relationship with the Lord (Ex. 24), and therefore, they had to bear the consequences of their sins in various strokes of governmental judgment from God.
By quoting Scripture, as the writer does here in chapter 3:7-11, he gave the Hebrews a warning that came straight from the Word of God. He identifies the speaker as “the Holy Spirit.” (He does not say, “As David saith....”) Thus, the first warning was from the Son (chap. 2:1-4), and now, this second warning is from the Holy Spirit. It could not be clearer that God was speaking to them! The gravity of this fact was calculated to soberize them. It is significant that in quoting the passage, the writer used the quote from Psalm 95 in the present tense. He says, “As the Holy Ghost saith....” This shows that even though it was written hundreds of years earlier, the Holy Spirit was still speaking through it. Such is the “living” Word of God (Heb. 4:1212For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)). He says, “If ye will hear His voice....” The use of “if,” here, brings in the condition of willingness and obedience.
Vss. 12-13—The writer then makes his application from the quotation: “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” His use of the word “brethren,” here, refers to the natural ties that he had with his fellow countrymen of “the stock of Israel” (Phil. 3:55Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; (Philippians 3:5))—not, as in verse 1, where it is used in reference to fellow Christians of “the household of faith” (Gal. 6:1010As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:10)). His point in this passage could not be clearer. The same sin of “unbelief” that marked Israel of old and led to their downfall in the wilderness could be theirs also! If they neglected the voice of God, their hearts would become “hardened through the deceitfulness of sin,” as was Israel’s in old times.
Two Kinds of Hearts
There are two kinds of hearts under consideration in the epistle to the Hebrews:
“An evil heart” of unbelief that departs from God (chap. 3:12). This is apostasy. W. Kelly translates “departing,” as “falling away,” an expression used elsewhere in Scripture to denote apostasy (2 Thess. 2:33Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (2 Thessalonians 2:3); Heb. 6:66If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. (Hebrews 6:6); Luke 8:1313They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. (Luke 8:13)). It is the same word used in 1 Timothy 4:11Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; (1 Timothy 4:1), in which J. N. Darby translates it as “apostatize.” As mentioned in the Introduction, apostasy is something that only a mere professing believer would do by renouncing Christianity. Thus, an evil heart of unbelief is not referring to backsliding, which a believer may do if he gets cold in his soul. (The weakness of faith in a believer is not the subject of the warnings in the epistle; all departure from God, in Hebrews, is apostasy.)
“A true heart” that draws near with full assurance of faith (chap. 10:22). This is something that a true believer will do when instructed in the truth unfolded in this epistle.
The fact that they were to “exhort one another daily” because of “the deceitfulness of sin” shows that we need to be together often. We can’t exhort one another if we seldom see one another! This shows that we are to watch for one another’s souls as our brother’s keeper.
Vs. 14—While the previous verses warn against apostasy, this verse encourages faith to carry on in the path. As stated already, believers in this epistle are seen as being part of the new creation race. As such, they are viewed as “sons” of God (chap. 2:10), as “brethren” of Christ (chap. 2:11), and as the “companions” of Christ (chap. 3:14). These terms denote our relationship with the Lord as Head of the race. (Our link to Christ, as the Head of His body, of which we are the members, is a different relationship and is not the subject in Hebrews.) The writer’s point here is that true believers will prove themselves to be such by holding on “stedfast unto the end.”
Vs. 15—The writer returns to the quote from Psalm 95 to emphasize another key word in it—“Today....” This shows that there was an urgency to hearing His voice and in responding appropriately and immediately.
Three Searching Questions
Vss. 16-19—In another parenthesis, the writer again speaks of Israel’s history in the wilderness to bring out the effects of the sin of unbelief. He asks three searching questions which emphasize the solemn fact that an evil heart of unbelief is easily deceived by sin, and that deceitfulness hardens the heart so that no reproof can touch it. Thus, the person whose heart has hardened becomes fixed in his course toward damnation. This is very solemn indeed.
Firstly, he asks, “Who was it, who having heard, provoked?” Was it just a few? No, it was the mass of the people—“All that came out of Egypt by Moses” (vs. 16). Likewise, all to whom he was writing were being tested in this way. And, if they did not respond in faith to God’s Word, they too could “provoke” Him to wrath.
Secondly, he asks, “With whom was He grieved forty years?” It was “them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness” (vs. 17). What the writer refers to here, goes beyond the day of provocation to take in Israel’s whole course in the wilderness. By the end of forty years, all who were of that generation who had despised the pleasant land had been “wasted out” from among them (Deut. 2:14-1514And the space in which we came from Kadesh-barnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, was thirty and eight years; until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host, as the Lord sware unto them. 15For indeed the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from among the host, until they were consumed. (Deuteronomy 2:14‑15)). They were dealt with by a stroke of God’s governmental judgment and died in the wilderness. Likewise, with these Hebrews, if unbelief was found in them, they could experience a similar stroke of divine judgment and also be taken away from the earth through death prematurely! This actually happened to thousands of them by the hand of the Romans in 66-70 A. D.
Thirdly, he asks, “To whom sware He that they should not enter into His rest?” It was those who “believed not” (vss. 18-19). Thus, the net result for all who did not believe was the forfeiture of God’s rest in the land of Canaan. This was the case with most of them. They never entered the land, and thus, they failed to reach that rest. Similarly, those among the Hebrews who would not believe would not enter God’s eternal rest! Whether then or now, “unbelief” is what keeps people from entering His rest. Mere profession is not enough to carry a person through to heaven and into the rest of God.