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Sing together #39 in the back of the book. How can we think with such a prop as the Eternal God?
Behold the earth's huge pillars up and spreads the heavens abroad. Hymn #39 in the back of the book.
How can we?
Speak with such a frog.
And be thrown.
Alone here.
Is still we're done.
And straight under the.
How can we?
See Nothing.
And Christine from.
My friends.
Umm.
All right, I'm good. Yeah.
I'm telling my dream life.
And.
Rainbow.
Hebrews, chapter 2.
Hebrews chapter 2, verse one.
Therefore we ought to give them more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
Or if the words spoken by angels was steadfast in every transgression, and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape, if we need neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him? God also, bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles.
And the gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will.
We're on to the angels. Hath He not put in subjection the world to come whereof we speak? But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man that thou art mindful of him, or the Son of man that thou visitest him?
That made us timid a little lower than the angels. Thou countest him with glory and honor, and it set him over the works of thy hands. Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet.
For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under Him. But now we see not yet all things put under him, but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels.
Crowned with glory and honor, that he by the grace of God, should taste death for every man.
For it became Him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, and bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
For both he that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one. For which 'cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again I will put my trust in him. And again behold I and the children which God hath given me.
00:05:26
For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death where all their lifetimes subject to *******.
For verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made alike unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and a faithful high priest, and things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
For in that He himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able also to succor them that are tempted.
The remarked yesterday how that this book of Hebrews was written to Jewish believers.
And we can imagine how their brethren taunted them because Christianity was apparently a new religion and Judaism had been around for some 2000 years. And so we noticed in the first chapter that we don't have the authority of the apostle Paul mentioned. He's no doubt the one who wrote it. It's not even the Apostle Peter who writes this. He was the apostle to the circumcision, but rather the one who speaks.
Is none other than the Lord Jesus himself.
And so we had the dignity of his person.
In the first chapter, far superior to those of the prophets, in the 1St 3 verses far superior to angels, and verses 4 through 14. And then in the verses one through 4 of chapter 2, we have a parenthetical exhortation. There's actually five of these in the book of Hebrews, interestingly enough, but this is the first.
And the exhortation is the, uh, danger of neglecting the word from such an exalted personage, uh, as opposed to accepting the 2000 year old tradition of Judaism, there's a danger that they would neglect the word of God as given by this divine person, the Lord Jesus Christ. And then in chapter 2 as well, we can see in verses 5 through 9 or so, we get his exultation as the Son of Man.
And then in verses 10 through the rest of the chapter we get.
Four reasons for his humiliation. So in chapter one, the main theme is Jesus is the Son of God superior to the Old Testament messengers and as well as superior to angels. And then this parenthetical exhortation and then the Son of man. Jesus is the Son of man first in his exaltation, which is future primarily, and then from verse 10 on.
In his humiliation.
Chapter one, we see the Lord Jesus presented to us as the Son of God in chapter 2. The Lord Jesus is presented to us as the Son of man, and we have the Son of God coming, the Son of man to accomplish various things for the glory of God in chapter 2. But when we speak of the Son of man, we're really referring to verse five onward in this chapter, as Eric has already mentioned, in the 1St 4 verses are a parenthesis.
And as he said, there are five such parentheses in the epistle. Each of these are warnings against apostasy. There are warnings against apostasy. And that's what's really before us in these first four verses. I think it's important to see that the King James translation of verse one would lead you to think that we're not too late. Let go of or let's let the words.
That have been spoken, but it's more to do with the slipping away from the ground that we have taken as a Christian. And so the last three words of verse one.
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Should really read Les, lest we should slip away. Not that these things should slip away from our memories, but that we should slip away from the ground by which we have taken by making a Christian profession. And, uh, that's what he's really referring to. But it's important to see too, at the outset when we speak about apostasy, that there are really 2.
Kinds of departure from God.
Both are bad, but one is infinitely worse.
There's apostasy and there is backsliding. Backsliding is not the subject in Hebrews. It's apostasy. And apostasy is really something to do is to do with the the a person who has made a profession of faith, has taken Christian ground in some way by profession and has given it up as abandoned. It has turned from it. It is only something that a person who is.
Is not a child of God can do.
If a person is born of God, he will never turn into an apostate.
But backsliding is really something that Christians can and often do if they don't keep close to the Lord Jesus. And we have for every backslider the work of Christ as advocate. But as I say, backsliding and Christ as the advocate are not the subject of Hebrews. It is apostasy and Christ high priesthood that are before us in the epistle. So I think it's important to see that this is really a warning to those who have only made a mere profession. They're not real.
Of turning their back on that which they have professed and apostatizing.
And it's a very serious warning because there's no recovery for an apostate. There's no recovery for apostate. Chapter 6 tells us that there's no recovery for such a condition. And that's why he in. Later on, he uses the illustration of two unclean animals, the style returning to her, wallowing in the mud, the dog returning to its vomit, their unclean animals. The Jews would understand this.
And so they were never real. And I think it's very important to understand that that an A true believer will never apostasize. I wanna I wanna emphasize what Bruce has said. Hey, a believer may backslide and never be restored this side of glory, but they they are secure for eternity. I suppose Lot is a re is a an example of one who was a real believer. We know that from the New Testament. And Ivex is righteous soul from day-to-day.
But he never was restored, uh, in, in this life. But we're going to see lot another day. Now the Hebrew believers would understand what he was Speaking of too. Because you remember in the Old Testament when they went, came out of Egypt and went through the Red Sea, there were those who came out that were not real. And it's true, they were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all, as you viewed them on the Sinai side of the Red Sea, they all looked as if they were real from the, all outward appearances.
But God brought to bear circumstances in the wilderness that brought out their reality. And we find in First Corinthians 10, when their history is summed up, it says with many of them God was not well pleased and they fell in, in in the wilderness. They were not real, even though to all outward appearances they were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. And so the Hebrew believers knowing that, understanding that.
They could get the picture ver very clearly. And so as as been pointed out, it's uh, we're we're to take heed if they to the things that that that have been spoken in Son. If the word spoken in the Old Testament was by the angels was was true and unchangeable and had it its consequences if it wasn't followed, It is a far.
Far more serious thing to let slip to northeast, to not take heed to that which is spoken by God, God through the sun. It was serious not to listen to that which was spoken under the law, but more serious to not listen to what was spoken by God through His Son, and then, as he, as Bruce has pointed out, lest at any time, time we should slip away.
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The apostle recognized that he maybe have been writing to some who were not real at all who and his concern was that they would become apostate. Maybe I'll just say this too. We cannot judge who's apostate. I don't believe we may look at someone in in second Timothy, the apostle Paul said to Timothy, the Lord knoweth them that are his. I might look at you today and feel that you're a believer. I might look at you down the road.
And something has come in and I might have to say, well, if he was a true believer, he's certainly backslidden. But I cannot judge whether you were NE, you were just a professor or not. Only the Lord knows the true condition of the soul. Difference between apostasy and backsliding can be seen in two of the disciples of the Lord Jesus. Matthew 26 brings out both.
One is Peter. He was a backslider, He was restored. The other is Judith. He was an apostate and he never returned.
Over in the book of Acts we find in chapter 21.
We we just turned to that a minute. We can read it rather than trying to say it. I was when Paul came back to Jerusalem and.
He disclosed to them all that the Lord had done in to the Gentiles. And so James here says in verse 20.
Over read verse 19, and when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had brought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord and said unto him, Thou seest brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe, and they are all zealous of the law. Now I believe that's why the book of Hebrews was written for these Jews, right? But it's it what strikes me is that they are all believers, but they're zealous of the law. And and So what? What do you call these? Are they the back fighters or the apostles? Or are they just? Where are they standing?
These, these Jews here, because now it was through this influence that Paul really was influenced himself And, and uh, uh, later on and says, and they are all informed of these thou teaches all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses and so on. Read the rest of it yourselves. But I was just thinking that, uh, This is why the book of the Hebrews is really written for these kind of people. And, uh.
So.
To believe and yet to forsake like we are being saying that it's more serious really to to trifle with the grace of God that with the salvation of God that is forsaking grace than it is to forsake the law. So they're putting themselves in a very dangerous position and and I just point this out that that there is.
That danger in our own souls, I think we see it in in Christendom itself, where they are, they're taking on that.
Forsaking of the grace of God and turning more and more to that which is Jewish.
Our hearts are are dangerous. We can't rely on our hearts.
I'd like to go back to verse three that Eric introduced.
To get the connection specifically to the first chapter where God spoke in son and verse three, it says at which at first began to be spoken by the Lord. That's what we have. The Lord Jesus was the one that began the message that is carried on to this day from God through salvation. And then that word spoken by the Lord was confirmed under them by them which heard him. That is, there were those such as the apostles and others.
That heard him speak, listen to what he said and have passed it on. And then in verse four, God also bearing them witness, that is those who carried the word forward, that the word that the Lord himself began, umm, with signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit and so on. But I want to connect it with apostasy in this way.
The thought of apostasy connects itself with two things.
The authority of the one that has spoken, and the thing itself as to its importance to reality.
Umm, what I mean by this is that, just to use two rather earthy illustrations, suppose a minor clerk in a governmental office says something to you and you don't really accept it or believe it or not so sure the authority of it.
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But let's suppose that the same message was given to you by the President of the United States.
He represents the ultimate authority of the government, and if you refuse or accept and turn away from what he has said, then there is no higher authority to appeal to. The second aspect of it is again a rather earthy illustration. But suppose you go into a car lot to find a car, and the salesman presents the car to you and you look at it and you're.
No, not so sure.
And, uh, so he takes you to another nicer car and you look at that and no, and takes you to another and you get the point, I think. And finally he gives you the very, very best car.
On the lot.
And uh yeah, that's the one I want, but you try it a little bit.
And you decide no, don't like it, and you take it back.
And say, what else do you have? And he says, I have nothing else.
I have presented to you and gave you the very best and you've rejected it.
In picture it's a little bit of what it is to apostasize. God has given to man his best.
Very best from the very beginning, it wasn't sort of try this, if you don't like it, I'll give you something better. But in Christianity we have the very best that God could possibly give to us and by the highest authority, his Son.
And so if we accept it or profess to accept it, and then we turn away from it in rejection, it's impossible for us to be renewed to repentance, as it says later in chapter 6. Why? There's nothing possible to motivate us beyond that which God has already given. He's given it as his very best on the very highest authority. And if we turn from that.
Turn from it to our own eternal destruction.
We have that brought out in the 10th chapter in a very solemn way too, don't we, uh?
The 10th chapter of Hebrews in verse 26.
Or if we sin willfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.
That, uh, seems to be, uh, similar in expression that you have earlier in the chapter where it says there's means, uh, no more offering for sin. But there it is that the work is sufficient and complete. None other is needed. But here the Hebrews that profess Christianity and to turn away from that. Now to your point, there is no other sacrifice available, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fire indignation which shall devour the adversaries.
He that despise Moses law, and died without mercy.
Under two or three witnesses of how much sorer punishment suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy? Now there's three things noted here, who have trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, or a common thing, and hath been desperate unto the spirit of grace. So to profess Christianity, to profess Christ, and then to turn away from it, brought out in these three start terms, is to try to under foot the Son of God. And it was the rejection.
The abandonment of the Son of God and the blood of the covenant which would connect the law, of course, was sprinkled on the people on the altar, and so on, but it was the blood of animals here. They brought into that relative PLA place of blessing. The blood of the new covenant sanctified in an outward way to walk away from that, and then dusted unto the Spirit, not of the Spirit of God here, but the Spirit of grace in contrast with the law of Moses. To despise that you died without mercy, but to despise the spirit of grace, God and grace coming out to man.
There is only judgment remaining. We might say too, that Hebrews is The great point is the matter of preservation, not of restoration, that in Hebrew sin is fatal. In first John, if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. There is restoration available in the family of God, but the family of God relationship with the Father is not the subject of Hebrews, and so the great burden is that they would be preserved from sin.
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And the great sin that's brought out in Hebrews is the sin of apostasy and giving up and going back to the old order. So what a great as a blessing is greater in Christianity. So they're turning away from it. The judgment is far greater as well. And that's why, uh, in verse him 120 where it says, uh, oh, thou who did thy glory leave apostate sinners to retrieve was not quite accurate.
Because apostate sinners cannot be retrieved. We just established that.
But we don't take our doctrine from our hemology, and we can sing it with the spirit of grace.
I think it's helpful. We've mentioned how that the book of Hebrews is the great epistle of sanctification and sanctification is to be set apart for a holy purpose. So since Bill mentioned Hebrews 10, perhaps it would be good. We have the, there's three types of sanctification and I think it's helpful to see those in the book of Hebrews and we have all of them. Bill mentioned one of them, but we have all of them there in the second-half of Hebrews chapter 10.
The one he mentioned is in verse 29, those who were in an outward position of sanctification. And of course we can understand that. We can say, well, I, I was raised in a Christian home. I was raised in a country where Christianity isn't persecuted. That's an outward place of sanctification, or what sometimes is called provisional sanctification. It's merely outward. It's not vital, but it is a wonderful position.
And we can be very thankful for it. And people in that position may apostatize. Uh, they perhaps were raised in a Christian home. They made a profession of faith and then during their lifetimes, they gave it all up and turned against it. And that is apostasy, isn't it? But thankfully the book of Hebrews doesn't, doesn't end there. We also have the second type of, of, umm, sanctification. And I think it's remarkable.
When we look at the strong language that's used for what we might call positional sanctification or sometimes called absolute sanctification, that sanctification which cannot be lost. Look at the language, uh, in just a few verses ahead of time in verse 22, umm of of Hebrews chapter 10. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance. Again, notice the language here, the absolute language.
Are we, are we to live all our lives afraid that we might not be saved? No, look what it says. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession or the confession of our faith or hope without wavering, for He is faithful that promise.
Well, that's absolute sanctification.
Or what sometimes is called positional sanctification. That cannot be lost. We mentioned earlier on yesterday that in the book of Hebrews, what we have is a perfect work by the perfect Son of God to give the believer a perfect standing before God. That's what positional sanctification is. It's a perfect standing before God and it cannot be revoked. Thank God for that. So when we speak about apostasy.
We're not talking about losing positional sanctification. Once we're saved, we know we're saved for all eternity. I remember as a young person, we used to go to the jails there. Donnie Rule will remember that well in, uh, Columbus and I remember speaking with some people and the question came up, well, we can be saved and lost. So I was only a young teenager and I remember going to Toronto conference many years ago and met Brother Pirapado and uh, I said, brother Piropado, how do you answer people that that asked that question about being saved and lost?
And he looked at me and he said.
If I was saved when I was a lost rebellious Sinner, I'm not going to be lost when I'm a son of God. And that's always stuck with me. That's positional sanctification. It cannot be lost. Why? Because God is faithful. Look what it says in the end of verse 23. For He is faithful. That promise. He keeps us, and we can have full assurance. And maybe just an aside here, chapter 10 speaks of apostasy, chapter 6.
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And Hebrews speak of apostasy. There are also the two chapters that give us the strongest assurance of this positional sanctification. Turn with me, please, very quickly just over to chapter 6. And then we'll turn back briefly to chapter 10 to get the third type of sanctification. But in chapter 6, it speaks about how it's impossible. And this is in verse 4, Hebrews chapter 6. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift were made partakers of the Holy Ghost.
And have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come if they fall away.
Or apostasized to renew them again under repentance, seeing they crucified to themselves the Son of God and put him to an open shame. Well that's what our brother Don was speaking about when he said you have the best car, there's nothing better. But this is speaking about those who are only provisionally sanctified. Notice it only says enlightened. Well enlightenment isn't the same thing as new birth. It simply means that we have light from God.
Light from God regarding the truth. But how do we handle that truth?
Well, some turn their backs on it after professing it, but then look at the end of that 6th chapter and we get strong language of assurance.
In verse.
Uh, first, well, we'll start with verse 17, Wherefore God willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability. Immutability means that God is absolutely faithful. The immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath. That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us, which hope we have.
As an anchor of the soul brochure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil, whither the forerunner, the pilot is for us, entered even Jesus. He's in heaven now as proof that his work is perfect, made in High Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Notice the strength of the language there. It's impossible when we're positionally sanctified to lose that position.
But then in Hebrews 10, again, if we go back there just very quickly, we have the third type of sanctification. Provisional sanctification is outward only. It's an outward privilege. It may not be vital at all. As we know, positional sanctification is vital. It cannot be lost because God keeps us, because He is faithful, as we read twice now. But then there's a third type of sanctification that we get in verse 38 of Hebrews chapter 10.
Now the just shall live by faith. We know that's quoted three times in the New Testament.
As has often been mentioned in Romans, it's the just shall live by faith, because Romans is the great epistle of justification, how a man can be legally declared righteous in God's presence. But here and in that in Galatians, as we well know, it's the just shall live by faith, not by law, but by faith. But here, of course, the emphasis is now that just shall live by faith.
That's practical sanctification day by day walking, uh, in a, in a path that's pleasing to the Lord Jesus. Uh, and that's what we call practical sanctification. And that explain then one of the commentators said, I don't remember which one, but he says the Chapter 11 is really a commentary on that verse that just shall live by faith, the practical sanctification that so many of the Old Testament Saints displayed in their lives.
But in Hebrews here then we have those three types of sanctification, provisional, which is outward only positional, which is, are sometimes called absolute. It cannot be lost and then practical that which by God's grace, walking in communion with him, we walk day by day and we, uh, our, our state concurs more and more with our perfect standing before God.
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So just to move on a little better, we won't get through these precious verses that follow. But we can see very clearly, can't we, when we begin at verse 5, the parenthetical character of the 1St 4 verses of the chapter, Because at the end of chapter one, he has been Speaking of angels. And he ends there by saying they're ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation. And now he takes up the subject again. We've spoken of how.
The book of Hebrews is a book of contrasts, and here in this portion it's in contrast to the angels. The angels, as we've said, they were God's ministers in the Old Testament. They brought messages. Their messages were if they were heated, there was blessing, if they weren't, there was consequence. And now he goes on to speak again of angels. For under the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come whereof we speak.
Now the world to come here is not heaven, is it? It's the millennial scene. And so it's not angels that are going to rule in a coming day. No, it's man that's going to sit on the throne. You know, we, I think we mentioned the other day that one of the things we never read of angels is or two things. They're never crowned and they never sit on Thrones. They're never crowned and they never sit on Thrones. And it's true when you read the description of the millennial.
Seen from a heavenly standpoint, in the end of Revelation that there are the 12 angels there that are mentioned, but they're not sitting on Thrones. They're at the gate, standing at the 12 gates as again, God's ministers waiting to do his bidding. And they will have a part, no doubt, in the administration of things in the coming day. But it's God's man, the Lord Jesus. It says the King shall reign in righteousness and what else, brethren and Princess, shall rule in judgment.
And so it's man, isn't it? It's the Lord Jesus. He's going to be the one who's supreme. And as we go on in these verses, we're going to see that though he has his rightful place in heaven now, God will never be satisfied until his Son has his rightful place on planet earth in this world. Brethren that spit in his face on this globe where they set away with him, crucify him, took him outside the walls of Jerusalem and nailed him to a Roman gibbet, He's coming back to that very spot. He's going to come back not in loneliness and grace the way he came the first time.
Not wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a Manger, not Wheeling with his journey, sitting thus on the well, not us weary with his ministry and getting a few moments of sleep on the on the back of a boat. And someone had sat on a borrowed pillow in a borrowed boat. But now he's coming back in power and glory. So he has his rightful place now in heaven, but he does not have it on earth. And as we take up these verses, I trust, brethren, there's no thought even in corners of our hearts.
As to this being the reigning time now, and these verses that follow are gonna make it clear, we see not yet all things put under Him. We see Jesus where He is now because that's what Christianity presents to us. Christ not as He was, but as He is. But there is a day coming when He's going to take it all back as Creator and in redemption. But how wonderful that it's man, not the angels, but it's man that's going to rain in the coming day.
From verse five to the end of the chapter, we have 4 great reasons why the Son of God became the Son of man.
And it's beautiful to follow and trace that the first one is found in the opening verses other from verses 5 through at least 13. And that is to vindicate God regarding the fall of man and to begin a new race of man to which the purpose of God will be completed. You see, man was set up in this world to rule, but he fell and he's in a position of of of rules still, but he is not ruling in any way according to God's mind.
So we see Christ come into this world to take up the cause of the fallen man and to pay the price for fallen man, as it says in verse 9, to taste death for everything.
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And then to in resurrection, to begin a new race of men called the Sons of God, through which the purpose of God to rule will be completed. There is going to be a day when man will reign. In Millennium, as God purposed, there'd be a new race of men altogether under Christ the Head.
That's the first great reason. The second one is in verse 14, and that is to annul the devil's power of death. 14 and 15. Then the third great reason is to make propitiation for our sins. That's verse 17. Then fourth great reason is to become a sympathizing high priest. That's the last verse, verse 18.
And there's Eric has already referenced to a number of expositors that we have confidence in turning to a number of them lay out this chapter.
In that order, four great reasons why the Son of God became the Son of man.
And important to see that the first and foremost was for the glory of God. And everything that Christ has ever done and will do is first and foremost not for our blessing, not for the blessing of the creature. That's a wonderful aspect of things. But I believe to see it from God's perspective is what is really going to deepen our appreciation of the person of Christ. And that is to see first and foremost.
That it is for the glory of God, and interesting too. When you go on to Hebrews 10, Not only is God looking forward to the day when His Son will be vindicated on planet earth, but the Lord Jesus, as He is seated at the right hand of God, is thinking ahead to that day too. It says in the 10th chapter. Henceforth, expecting till His enemies be made his footstools, he's looking forward to that day too, when He will be vindicated here and have his rightful place.
Finally.
That's really the answer to the question what is man Yes.
Is it uh, first six is what is man that our mindful of him? People speak of God and they will look at the mess that man has made and what man is. So what a job God has done that man is what he is and speak against God and dishonor him because of man's failure. But God has shown us his thoughts in man in the person of his Son becoming a man.
And all that.
Is in the heart of God with respect to man is seeing God's honor, God's glory is vindicated, as just mentioned in the person of his Son as a man and it answers for us the question what is man and God goes on to glorify himself and man and says, well this man I have he had purpose, the Messiah for Israel, a man to rule over them.
And, uh, that man in Psalm 2, which is not this chapter, as the Messiah, he says, I'll give you the throne and he will have as Messiah, the throne in Israel. Here it expands that as Son of Man and he's, he's, uh, made over the works of his hands. And so in Psalm 8, where we have these verses quoted, it introduces the animals as well.
Beyond just mankind as being under His authority and we also know as Son of Man, God has said well, not only the things on earth.
Man and animals and created things, but the heavens as well. I'm going to put man in charge of my whole creation. And so man will rule over angels, man will rule over the universe and the person of the man that has so glorified God.
And so a Son of man, God has placed him over all created things in heaven and in earth, and has already been said in heaven in the presence of God. He sits at the right end of God in honor, but not yet with respect to the earth of the universe. But He will. And then we'll see what man is in the heart and thoughts of God in his fullest extent.
00:45:08
Genesis is the seed plot of the Bible.
And I think it's helpful when we, I've enjoyed the thought and I know many others have too, but we have an interesting contrast in, uh, in, uh, that, uh, verse in the Psalm 8, because there's two different words that are used in the Hebrew, as we're told that, uh, speak that, that are used for the word man that are translated man. I, I, I know there's more than that, but two main words. And as I say, Genesis is the seed plot of the Bible.
And one of the common names, uh, were Hebrew words for men is Adam.
And we know that Adam was put in this world, just as we've been saying, as the center of a lower, uh, creation. And that's why it says later on that he, he, uh, takes to death for not every man, but everything is the better translation because Adam was placed as a man, as the center of that lower creation. The angels never will, never will be. Uh, and we know that the first Adam sailed. And so we're looking forward to.
The last atom, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will take that place that was purposed.
For mankind. So that's the one word that's used for man. But the second word in Psalm 8 that's used for man is Enosh. And we have that in the 4th chapter of Genesis. Seth had a son, remember? Seth really in a sense took the place of Abel who was slain. Might just look at it if he's curious. It tells us that exactly in the Genesis chapter 4 and verse 25.
Uh, and Adam knew his wife again, and she bare a son. We know sorrow had come in by now, and called his name Seth. For God said, She hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom came slow and assessed to him also there was born a son, and he called his name Enoch. Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord, or call themselves.
By the name of the Lord.
That was the beginning of the godly seed. This is the second word that's used commonly in the Old Testament for man, It's Enoch. It's not like Adam, the dignified center of a lower creation, but it's man's fallen and spoiled and weak and yet dependent. So if we turn to.
Psalm 100 and 4044.
We get what man has done. We get these two words in contrast, and then we'll turn to Psalm 8 and get those two words again in contrast. They're not the same words in the original, but there's an intended difference. So in Psalm 144 and verse three, it says, Lord, what is man? That's Adam. If you look at the new translation, Mr. Darby points that out. Lord, what is man? That shall take us knowledge of him.
That's how man was originally established at the center of a creation, that dignified person or the Son of Man, Enoch, that thou maketh account of him. That's what happened to man in his own responsibility. He fell and became a weak preacher. But then the contrast in Psalm 8.
And again, I'd encourage any to look at the new translation. Mr. Darby points this out. It's very helpful to get the note there in Psalm 8. It's just the reverse order because there's a man that's coming to this world, and we know that man is the Lord Jesus Christ. So the quotation from our chapter is Psalm 8, verse four. What is man? That's Enosh week. Poor man. That's our mindful of him.
And the Son of Man, that thou visitest him, the Lord Jesus took us up his weak, failing creatures, and he's raised up the race of men again to the dignified place as the last Adam, the one that will bring in the blessing that we're reading about. It's a beautiful contrast. And I'd encourage, I know I give it out so feelingly, but I encourage brethren to look it up in the new translation. Mr. Darby obviously enjoys that contract.
So mankind started as Adam and we fell to a weak, uh, weak, uh, condition. The Lord Jesus Christ came into this world and took us up in our weak failing condition and has raised us up as the last Adam to, uh, a place of, uh, untold blessing, which will be known in the millennial condition. And that's what we have in our chapter. It's a quotation from Psalm 8, what we just read.
00:50:52
Not exactly the the thought of the chapter, but it connects itself and my school with it.
In verse nine we see Jesus.
The Word of God begins with the words in the beginning.
Word of God ends with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. It begins with God. It ends with the man Christ Jesus.
And we see both throughout the Scriptures and in the chapters before us, we have God in the person of the sun in chapter one, and we have him as man in this chapter. We're considering. And so when we see Jesus, we can see, if you will, all that God's thoughts toward us are from the very beginning in Genesis 11 to the very end of Revelation.
And uh, so there is God for us. But now in man, the blessing of God and brethren, He wants us to enjoy it from the first to the last, and to see it develop itself all in this person, the one that's before us this morning of Jesus, the Son of God.
And if we ever doubt God's satisfaction in what His Son accomplished here in this world, all we need to do is by faith look up into the open heavens and see where He is now, and not only where he is seated at the right hand of God, but as we have twice in these verses, he's crowned with glory and honor. And I just like to say a word about the word crowned here as we find it in this context.
Because in the New Testament, in all but three places, the word in the original for crowned is that which is earned or given as a reward. If we were to go back to Matthew 27, where we find the Lord Jesus crowned with a crown of thorns, it's the same word in the original because that's what the world rewarded the Lord Jesus with at the end of his perfect pathway. That was their estimation.
Of God's beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, they rewarded him, awarded him with a crown of thorns, and there he hung between heaven and earth as a spectacle for men and angels for all to see, rewarded with that which was part of the curse as we read back in the book of Genesis. But here now we turn from that scene and we look up into the open heavens and it's just as if God says this world awarded my son with a crown of thorns.
That which was part of the results of sin and the curse. But just look up now and see how I've rewarded him. I've crowned him with a crown of glory and honor. And just to complete this thought, go for a moment to Revelation chapter 19, where you have in the original a little different word for crown. Perhaps I could just say before I read this and comment on this that as I mentioned, there are three occasions.
Where the word for crown in the New Testament is a little different and all three are in the Book of Revelation.
We find in the 12Th chapter that Satan the dragon is crowned, and there he's crowned with seven crowns. In the 13th chapter, it's the beast that's crowned the political head, and he's crowned with 10 crowns. And those numbers are significant and so on. And we don't have, it's not our thought to go into that. Suffice is to say that the great usurper and the great pretender are crowned with a limited number of crowns.
00:55:04
But notice now what it says in the 19th chapter, and then I'll differentiate between the words chapter 19 and verse 11. And I saw heaven open. Notice that we've spoken of the open heavens to faith now. But there's a day coming when the heavens are going to open and this world is going to look up, brethren, and it throws my soul to think of it. They're going to look up and they're going to see heaven opened and the Lord Jesus coming, as we said, not in loneliness and grace, but in power and glory. And so he says, and and behold, a White Horse.
And the he that sat upon him was called faithful and true. And in righteousness he does judge and make war.
His eyes were as a flame of fire. Now notice this. And on his head were many crowns. Now the word here in Revelation is not that which is earned or given as a reward. Mr. Darby translates the word diadem, and it is that which is worn by right and title as by royal birth. Because when the Lord Jesus comes back to reign, He's coming. Who's right it is. He's coming because and to with the right to reign because of who He is. It's true that it will be on the basis of redemption.
But it's interesting again in Revelation that before he takes up his right and redemption in the 5th chapter, in the 4th chapter is his right hand title as to as creator. And both are important and vital to see if I can use this illustration. In the due course of things, Prince Charles will wear the crown of England. If things continue in their proper course, why will he wear the crown of England when his mother passes off the scene?
Because he's earned the title to be King of England? No, because he was born the Crown Prince of England. He's going to wear that crown by writing title. It's a beautiful to see that when the Lord Jesus comes back to reign in righteousness, he's not just crowned with one crown, he's crowned with many diadems. Why? Because there will be many aspects to the work in a future day.
And He will, there will be no question in the minds of those that look on as to His right entitle in that day. They questioned His right entitled the first time He came. But there will be no question in the coming day as to His right entitled to take up every aspect of the work. Well, that's future, but in the meantime, the heavens are open for us so we can look up and see how God has honored and rewarded His Son by giving Him a crown of glory now.
Mm-hmm, Like to make another comment about verse 9. The we see Jesus, the word Jesus. It's the name that is connected with you walk down the street of Nazareth. When he was living there, a person might have said hello Jesus to him as a man and we know it means Jehovah the Savior, but it is that name he carried in manhood in in humble way.
And I I make that comment because.
As Jesus.
As perfect man.
He doesn't take his right and crown.
He's without the Father's time, God's time and way, and it's his by right of birth. But we also see here a person that everything is to be subject to him, Everything.
Does he just take it? No, he doesn't.
It's God's time and it's as it were, God would say to the to him, now is the time.
And then he acts in power and glory and majesty to fulfill it. But brethren, he's also the meek and lowly in heart, one that is perfect manhood. He is totally, completely. Everything on earth is subject to him, or will be. But as man, he subjects properly himself. He's completely subject to God.
So we see the perfection of his person, as it says in Psalms 2. Ask of me, and I will give thee a heathen for thine inheritance. But it seems to me that he just waits.
01:00:08
It doesn't say give it to me now. He waits and he waits patiently. He wants you. He wants me in his presence. His great desire of his heart is that that we be with him.
And yeah.
Time for us collectively is in God's hands, and He waits patiently as we are to wait patiently for that moment. And so it's good for us to enter into His own heart in the perfection of His person as Jesus.
And Don, that's really the practical side of things, isn't it? And I, I, our time is almost gone. And there may be some sitting here who say this is wonderful, these are wonderful things to speak of and they are wonderful things to speak of. But we might ask ourselves, how does this apply practically in our lives now?
Yes, we look forward to that day when the Lord Jesus will have his rightful place. He doesn't have it now. We look forward to that day when we're going to be associated with him and reign with Him in righteousness. But as we've been saying, this is not the reigning time now. We look up by faith now and we see where he is. But how should this equation our lives now? Well, I was thinking as you were Speaking of what the Lord, of what it says of the Lord Jesus in the book of Peter.
It says who? When he was reviled, reviled not again when he suffered, he threatened not when the Lord Jesus walked here as man in lowliness and grace. He was misunderstood, He was reproached. He could say reproach has broken my heart. He suffered in every conceivable way. How could he do such a thing? Well, he committed himself to him, the judges righteously. He knew that God, what God was doing, was right.
And that there was a day coming when God would vindicate him. It hasn't happened yet. It has not happened yet here on planet earth. The Lord Jesus has not been vindicated. As we've said a number of times, He has not been given his rightful place. How long has the Lord Jesus been waiting for that 2000 years or so. That's a long time, isn't it? And as you say, what God desires for us. And in view of this.
Is that our hearts would be LED into the patience of the Christ as we get in the book of Thessalonians. Should we rise up now and seek to vindicate ourselves? Should we rise up now and seek to vindicate the Christian community at large? No, this is the time for us to go on following a rejected Christ, but looking forward to the day when He is going to have His rightful place. And if you and I can enter into that now.
In some measure, God's purposes, God's timing.
It's going to give us the proper character now of those who are followers of the one who one day is going to rain. And I know it's not the subject here, but in the 12Th chapter where Christ is brought before us for the 4th and last time as seated at the right hand of God there, He's seated as the object for faith as you and I passed through this world. We're to look up. We're the CGS us. We're to be occupied with him now. Why?
That we might straighten things out this side of the Kingdom, know that we might run with endurance the race that is set before us. Knowing that when that race is done and we're all safe home, then and only then is he going to come back and set things right. Not regards what we think is right or how we think it should be, but according to what God sees as right and His purposes for man and the blessing of man on the earth.
Yeah, I had turned to that first and the 2nd Thessalonians 2, Jim, and I think perhaps it's good to look at that verse because the translation is.
Obscures it doesn't it's good to look at the new translation, but I'd also like to read a verse from first Timothy chapter one because again, these things do have a great practical impact. Others verse again are are are good King James doesn't give us a sense of it very well, but in first Timothy chapter one.
Notice it says in verse four. I read from the new translation because it's so different. Umm uh, just the end of verse three that thou mightest enjoying some not to teach other doctrines.
01:05:03
Nor to turn their minds to fables and interminable genealogies which bring questions rather than notice this, rather than further God's dispensation, which is in faith. Well, that's what we need to get a hold of. What is God's dispensation right now? What is God doing right now? If I get a map out, if I, if I decide to go to a certain place and I go in the wrong direction, I'll never get there. If I want to go to San Diego and I turn N, I'm not gonna get to San Diego.
And so we have to understand the dispensational time in which we live, and that's what the apostle Paul was speaking about. So if we turn back a page, then the Second Thessalonians chapter 3, as I say, I turn to that verse that Jim quoted. But we want to get it clear because the translation is not real clear. And verse 5, Second Thessalonians 3 and verse five. But the Lord direct your heart.
Into the love of God. And then notice this last phrase and into the patience of the Christ. Our translation isn't quite so clear. It sounds like we're and the patients waiting of Christ we're looking for is coming. Well, that's true, but that's not the thought, is it? The thought is that God's dispensation right now is the patience of Christ. He's waiting for the crowning time. It's not yet. And we're to wait to the patience of Christ, and that affects our whole life.
Christendom is full of all kinds of programs to make this world a better place. That's not what the Lord's doing. Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. And he's, uh, undertaking, He's occupied with the church today. He's not occupied with the world. He's occupied with the church. And so the patience of Christ is, is a reflection, the practical reflection of this present dispensation.
Do we see #40 in the appendix?
#2 in the back.
Hail to the Lord, to anointed Gray Davis, Reiner's son, who went to the time of.
Poison.
The wrong.
He comes to dream of Christ.
Not where he done.
The before him on the mountain.
Shall be the hero of God.
And the righteousness.
In Fountain.
Rolling hill to valley.
01:10:48
Like we can saw.
Over 208.
Nsnoise. Stop praying. Nsnoise.