Hebrews 2

Hebrews 2
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01.
Day all right.
With these words.
Organisms.
Who can bring us from our land, from the brave.
Therefore, we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard.
Less than anytime we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast in every transgression, and disobedience, received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed on to us by them that heard him? God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders, diverse miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will.
For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come wherever 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? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels. Thou promised him with glory and honor, and had sent him over the works of thy hands. Thus put all things in subjection under his feet, for and that he put all things in subjection under him? He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things but under him.
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels.
For the suffering of death, 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.
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And again, behold, I and the children got which God hath given me. For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself took 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 were all their lifetime 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 befooled him to be made like unto his brethren.
That he might be a merciful and 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 to succor them that are tempted.
Chapter again, Brother Dawn.
Like I said this morning.
In Hebrews chapter one we have the glories of the sun presented to us.
And as the Son, he is in every way superior to all others.
He has the first place.
In everything. And He's superior to the Angels in every way in which he is viewed in chapter One.
And even in his incarnation.
He has worshipped the angels, worship him, and he has spoken to as Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. But in contrast to that, in this second chapter, it's Jesus that is presented to us, the Son of Man.
Mentioned it before. It helps my own soul. But the first chapter he's presented to us in a way similar to the way he's presented in John's Gospel. He's presented to us as a man in John's Gospel, but there's no birth mentioned in John. It's the Word becomes flesh and dwells among us, and we behold his glory. And that's what we have in the first chapter here.
But when we come to the second chapter, it's more, can I say Luke's gospel that's presented to us. He is a divine person. He is holy in every respect, but he's presented to us as one that comes down in every way that he can to be made like unto us. Of course sin apart, but in the chapter he comes down that he might. Jesus the Son of Man might.
Have Brethren brought into association with himself.
And so he's made like unto us in that way that we might become in relationship to God as brethren. And so we as it says He he talks about bringing many sons to glory. He tastes death. He comes into the place where we are, and he takes that place lower or inferior to angels, as a creation. For man is a lesser creation than the angelic creation.
And so when he's viewed in that way, he comes right down to where we are. He tastes death for us, that he might bring us into association with himself before God. And so he says, my brethren. And in the midst of the church, he sings, praises. He leads our singing, and he brings us as many sons to glory. And So what a wonderful thing that this blessed person would stoop so low.
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That we might be brought so high.
That we.
Sinners might become the sons of God, that we might with him have a place before our God in nearness and in relationship to him. And if you think of it, in its Jewish setting, and for he was writing to Jewish believers. They never knew such a relationship to God. He was always someone that was at a distance, someone they could not come near to. And a Jew never said of himself in relationship to God my Father.
But this blessed person has brought us into a relationship with God that we might say, God is my father and I'm his child, and my Savior is going to lead me on to glory to my proper home there with my Father and with himself as the captain of my salvation.
Beautifully and concisely they put it something like this. The Son of God became the Son of Man, that the sons of men might become the sons of God. And that really sums up what we have in these two chapters, doesn't it?
Versus are a warning that we can.
Accept these things as doctrine and be completely straight as to them, without letting them penetrate into our hearts, and then it's possible to let them slip, or for us to, as it says Mr. Darby's translation, to slip away.
And that was the danger when in the beginning of the days of Christianity, there was such a tremendously marked movement of the spirit of God that.
Many souls were being saved by the thousands they were being saved in Jerusalem.
And when the apostle Paul went to Jerusalem, he was told, You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are that have believed in all are zealous for the law. So they're.
Were those who had outwardly endorsed Christianity and accepted it without being inwardly real with God. And that's always a possibility amongst those who profess to be the people of God. And so there's a real warning through all these epistles about that a real believer can never be an apostate, but a person who makes.
A profession of Christ.
Without reality.
May be a candidate to becoming an apostate, and it's a very serious thing and it refers to it in a number of places in this epistle to apostasy I just like to point out in chapter 10.
A verse that perhaps helps to understand it.
Verse 26.
Chapter 10. For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth.
There remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fire indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. Notice in verse 26 what was received was not.
Necessarily the truth. What was received was the knowledge of the truth. And a person who is not a real believer may have outwardly a knowledge of the truth without being real. And so it's a real searching thing and it's spoken of a number of places.
And people sometimes use these scriptures to show that a real believer could be lost. That's not the case.
A true believer, the Lord Jesus can never be lost. But there are those who perhaps we think are true believers, who are lost and who fall away and perhaps were never real at all. And that's the searching thing of verses like we have in the first part of this chapter too. And I just mentioned that sure, our purpose is to meditate on the person of Christ.
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And the verses that follow that.
It's important that we're worn.
In Hebrews is to.
Is to take up Christ. Is to take up Christ and then give him up and go back.
Sin willfully in Hebrews.
There are four no mores in the 10th chapter of Hebrews. One of them in the first. First is the three of them are all blessing, and the last one is final judgment, complete and final judgment the.
I see it.
The second verse, well, he's speaking about there. But then would they not have ceased to be offered because that the worshippers once purged, should have no more conscience of sin? No more conscience of sin? Well, how wonderful that is through the work of Christ.
He's been down here as he's gone to the cross.
He has shed that precious blood which has cleared all, cleared everything before God up there, all clear up there for the believer. And he has he has a clear conscience. His conscience is purged down here well then in the.
17th verse There he says, there are sins and iniquities. Will I remember no more. How wonderful that is through the work of that blessed one their sins, and Achilles no more.
And then on the 18th verse now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. That sin that offering of Christ there was once and for all.
No more, no more offering for sin. God has nothing more. There's nothing more to offer. God is completely satisfied, and we are satisfied as well. How blessed that is. But then when we get down to the.
When we get down to the 4th one, which I believe is in the.
26 Yeah, no more sacrifices, For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth.
There remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. He's really writing the Jews here, but it's good for us all.
But if we receive the knowledge has just brought us, Bob has been bringing out of the truth. But give up Christ and go back. Go back to Judaism. Go back. Give up Christ and go back. Then there's no more sacrifice for sins. Well, there's nothing more. God has nothing more than such a one. But.
Complete and final judgment.
The letter here to the Hebrew salvation is something that they look on to.
In other epistles we look at salvation as a present possession of eternal life that we have in our souls. But in Hebrews actually it goes on to the end of the ninth chapter, where it says there in the 28th verse of the 9th chapter. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Or Mr. Darby translates it the second time without sin 4.
Salvation. And so the end of this first chapter, this thought of salvation, is introduced into the epistle, he says in verse 14. Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
And so, he says, Aren't these Angel angelic hosts that you see They're ministers of God to the end of.
Those who are heirs of the salvation that's being brought to them. And so he says in chapter 2 and verse 3, how are we going to escape if we neglect this so great salvation that is for us? And then later down in the chapter, he says.
Verse 10 Bringing many sons to glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffering.
And so Christ is seen as one, Jesus is seen as one who has come, and he's the captain of our salvation, and He leads us on.
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To the end. And when he comes again from glory for us, it won't be to take up the question of sin at all, but it will be for our salvation that is to take us on into the glory. And so we see Him pictured. Or can I say we see this for those that who embrace him by faith.
They're taught to run a race, to go on with him in fellowship with himself. He's going to be our apostle and high priest to care for us and take for us. He makes provision for us on the journey.
All the way, as we see in chapter 4, He's there for us in the glory, but we're on earth, and for us the salvation is seen as that which takes us into the glory.
And will be safely home at the end of it. And so it's a terribly serious thing. In fact, this has been seen in chapter 6 and 10 for someone to embrace that faith, to start out, as it were, to follow the captain of their salvation.
And then to turn back and to say I don't want that, I'm going back to something else.
It's an awful thing if there's someone that sits in this room this afternoon in your heart and you said I have embraced Christianity, I've say that Jesus Christ is the Lord and the Savior, but then your life says something else and you say, but I want the world.
And so you leave. And if you start out in that path, the day may come when you say, oh, I used to believe that.
And now I have something else, and you give up the very profession that you once held.
As a Christian, and God has to say in principle, as he said to these Jews who were in danger of turning back and the writer urges, encourages them, don't dare think about it. Don't even let it enter your mind, as it were, that you would turn back from this, because if you do.
God has absolutely nothing to offer you.
He gave the best. He gave you a Savior in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, who shed His precious blood for you. And if you despise that, if you turn away from that, God has nothing else to offer for you, and you'll perish in your sins. And so it's important that once we embrace the Christian faith that we maintain that all the way home.
To the end. And when the Lord Jesus comes the second time, it won't be to take up the question of sins.
He did that the first time, but it will be to safely take home to the glory for salvation those who are his own.
You use the word embrace the Christian faith. I think that's pretty significant. And justice before we go on, we'll turn to a verse well known which which is along the lines of what has been brought out about the knowledge of the truth. Turn over to 2nd Thessalonians and Chapter 2.
And this very, very solemn passage about those that come to that point when all hope is gone because of their rejection of Christ. But it says this in verse 10.
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth, And that's very, very important. I want to, if I may be allowed, emphasize again what our brothers been saying sitting here this afternoon is a company of people who know very, very much more in their heads than perhaps many or most companies that would sow meat in the city of Saint Louis today.
These there are so many things that we know. The question is, do we love them? Is there love in our heart? Are we in love, embracing them? And so the Lord Jesus says, if ye know me, if you know about me, keep my commandments. If ye love me, keep my commandments. It's a matter of the heart, beloved young people. And for all of us, beloved brethren, it's a matter of the heart. And I can know ever so much.
And there be no love. And then in practice no embracing, really in love of the truth of the word of God.
Speaking to a young man one time, and he had professed to be a Christian. And there came a point in his life where there seemed there was no outward testimony or fruit for God. And I talked to him a number of times, and finally I said to him one time I said, if there's no desire in your heart to please the Lord and live for him, then I really question whether you were ever saved or not, because a true Christian will never fully apostatize.
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Norris has been already said, and we want to emphasize this, Nor will they ever lose their salvation. We've been saved from wrath through Him, and our salvation is securing Christ. But what a warning we have, because I believe it is possible nevertheless for a Christian, a true child of God, to get to such a point where we have to say in the language of Second Timothy 2, the Lord knoweth them that are His, and so we can't judge.
I didn't tell this young man he wasn't a Christian, I said. I wondered if he ever was because only the Lord knows the heart. Lot was won in the Old Testament who was a true believer. We know that from the New Testament because he was a righteous man. But there came, it came to such a point in his life that outwardly there was no testimony. So that he was so entangled with the things of Sodom that he had to be dragged out of Sodom. He didn't come under the judgment, but he had does it were be dragged out of Sodom. And I'm thankful that the New Testament confirms that Lot was a true believer. He was a righteous man.
But he had a lost life nevertheless. He had a saved soul, as another has said, but he had a lost life. And this is the warning to each one of us. If we're truly saved, we'll never lose our salvation. But, brethren, we need to take these things to heart and get them down into our souls. Because as we seek to enjoy the person and work of Christ as we have in these chapters, the enemy is going to be right there. He doesn't want you to grow.
He doesn't want you to have a deepening appreciation of the person and work of Christ. He wants to distract and detract from that one. He doesn't want you to have your eyes fixed on the man in the glory. He's going to be right there. And brethren, we're either progressing or we're regressing in our Christian pathway. And I was glad that Bob pointed out in Mr. Darby's translation. It's us who slip. We can slip. We're either.
Having as a result of the word of God being before us in these meetings, we're either growing in our souls as to a deeper appreciation of these things by the spirit of God, or we may get up from these chairs and we may go back. And if there isn't some progression in our lives, there's going to be a regression. So we're securing Christ if we truly belong to Him. But what warnings we have here?
But we can then in this chapter again turn our eyes up to the open heavens and see this one. And it was mentioned this morning, about that time, when the heavens will be opened to reveal Him coming forth, crowned, with many diadems coming, whose right it is to reign. But isn't it wonderful, brethren, that we can lift up our eyes now and see him crowned when the Lord Jesus was taken and put on trial? We find that in mockery and derision.
They crowned him with a crown of thorns, that which was a result of the curse, and they beat that crown into his blessed brow. And they said, Hail King of the Jews, did they believe he was the king of the Jews? Indeed they did not. It was said in utter mockery and derision. And they led him outside the walls of Jerusalem that had deteriorated to such a point that it had religion without Christ, because it is possible to have religion without Christ. And they had him nailed to a Roman cross.
Just go back to Matthew for a moment, I and notice those scriptures. There's something very significant there just to tie in with what we have here in our chapter.
The crown of thorns is mentioned in three of the four Gospels, but I'll read it in the gospel that is most Jewish in its character. That is where the Lord Jesus is presented as the Messiah, the King of the Jews, verse 28 of Matthew 27. And they stripped him and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had plotted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head and a Reed in his right hand. And they bowed the knee before him and mocked him, saying Hail King of the Jews.
And they spit upon him, and took the Reed and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, They took the robe off from him.
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And put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. Now if you notice the account in the other three Gospels, you'll find that you never read of them Removing the crown of thorns from his head, they take the robe off from him and put his own raiment on him.
And led him away to crucify him. But you do not read in scripture of them removing the crown of thorns.
And without being dogmatic, I would just suggest that perhaps, as they led him outside the city, and had him nailed to a Roman gibbet, that those that passed by on that occasion, and reviled him, and those that sat down and watched him suffer in his agony, saw him crowned with a crown of thorns. And that word for crown in Matthew 27 denotes that which is given as a reward.
In other words, brethren, this was the Jews estimation of their Messiah. This is what they rewarded him with at the end of his life. And not just the Jews, but this was the world's estimation of the Son of God. This was the world's estimation of the Lord of life and glory, because when his title was tacked up over his cross, it was written not only in Hebrew, but in Greek and Latin.
And perhaps the last glimpse this world got of the Lord Jesus was hanging on a cross in his shame, crowned with a crown of thorns. But now we come to our chapter and God says, you look up, and if this world crowned, him rewarded him with a crown of thorns. And the word is the same in the original here, that which is earned or given as a reward. God says, you look up and see where I've placed him. You see what I've rewarded him with. I've rewarded him with a crown of glory and honor if this world's estimation of the Lord Jesus.
Is a crown of thorns, God says, you look up and see my estimation of the one who glorified me on the earth and finished the work that I gave him to do. And brethren, I realized that this is not the reigning time Now outwardly, as we were saying this morning, but brethren, he wants us to look up and give him that place in our hearts now. When we were young people, we used to sing a hymn Lord of my life. I crown thee now.
Thine shall the glory be. God says I have given him his rightful place in heaven. He doesn't have it on earth, yet we see not yet all things put under him. But he says, I've given him that rightful place in heaven. Now you look up and thrown and thrown him in your heart and give him that rightful place in your life.
In these verses 5.
And six, introducing the subject of the Lord Jesus as the Son of Man, he says unto the angels, hath he not put in subjection the world to come wherever we speak? It's interesting that when you read the book of Daniel, that God controls the things in this world through the instrumentality of angels.
Today.
It's very interesting to see that in the book of Daniel. And so in high places of government, there are angelic hosts from on the part of God. There are angelic hosts on the part of the devil as well, to influence things according to their respective purposes. But the world to come is not to be put under angelic.
Control. It is to be put under the hand of man and it's interesting, this expression the world to come. Remember some time ago somebody asking another brother, do you think that the age of miracles is over? And the answer was no. The age of miracles is still future. And that's what we have in the day. When the Lord Jesus is going to come back, there are going to be tremendous signs of power.
And wonder on the part of the Lord Jesus. So it's not a matter now being occupied with those signs of power and wonder. There were something of that given at the beginning of the church age. But the age to come, the world to come is the day when there will be great miracles and signs of wonder. And it's the day when man is going to be in control of the.
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Whole world government under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He's going to take control in as a man, as the son of man. He's going to reign supreme here in this world. There is a man appointed brethren. Oh, isn't it wonderful? He's already on the throne above and he's going to reign supreme in this world. Our man is already been elected brethren. We don't have to worry about other elections yet. Then there's not going to be lasting peace in this world.
Until he reigns supreme.
They're going to give place to man, Give place to man. Angels have a place in the administration of the world now, but.
They're going to give place to to man Christ Jesus and ourselves. We're going to, we're going to reign with him. And it's wonderful though to think that angels are UN jealous.
They're not. They are. They're not jealous of the place that man's God has given man and wonderful creatures that they are. They rejoiced to do God's bidding as we we find they they serve the Lord, they rejoice to do His bidding, and they sing His praise. But it's wonderful that we're going to be caught up to meet the Lord near and we're going up. We're going to pass angels by.
And we're going to reign with him, and angels will rejoice.
The sea, the sea is there.
Is that right, John?
This is going to change, isn't it?
There that administration now under the Lord.
Under God. But in that day that administration is going to change and speak in the Son of Man reigning with us there. But a glorious day lies before us, and mostly we look up and we see one. We see Jesus.
This one fills our hearts, he feels.
The glory scene he was made a little lower than the angels, but now he's crowned with.
And in the first chapter we have.
This glorious one Christ, and the Son, in all His glories He's presented to He's presented, as it were, and with all His glories to us down here.
But in the second chapter he's presented is that we're up there. He's taken as that we're up there and all his, all His glories, and as the Son of Man. And the 8th chapter and the 8th of 8th Psalm question is asked the Spirit of God, What is man? What is man?
And then the Spirit of God goes off into into those all the glories, the glories of Christ. What is man that aren't mindful of him or the Son of man that don't visit us Him. Thou made us him a little lower than the angels. Thou crown us him with glory and honor. Thou descend over the works of thine hands and so on. And so we in the first chapter we have is that we're the wonderful truth coming down to us. And then in the second chapter is in the Son of Man. He's he's going up, we're going up to see him there in all his glory as the Son of man.
Think of the real.
It is we have in the light of.
Being.
There And when that blessed One says, Behold, I.
And the children which God hath given me.
That's one in kind, isn't it?
He's a man.
And he has that glory as a man, but we're going to be there in that glory with him. And he could say, behold I.
And the children which God had given me, how he will delight to present that which is dear to him, because of the sacrifice He made. He loved the Church, He gave it himself for him. He redeemed it, they might present it to himself.
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A glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle. But here he became a man, and he says in verse 11, for both he that sanctifying and they who are sanctified are all of one, for which 'cause he is not ashamed to call him brother. It's one in kind, isn't it? He's a man.
Just like all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Well, how short?
What is the glory of God? There will be no one in glory, but isn't just like Christ.
Such as the work of the Lord Jesus there on the cross. The work has already been done. That inward work in our souls has already been rocked by the Spirit of God in our souls. It'll never be, never be done again, never be more perfect than it is right now. But these bodies were going to be like him.
We're going to be like him, and so here we are.
One-of-a-kind here, just like Christ, wonderful God in that past eternity looked forward to having a people, a people upon which would answer to perfectly everything. That he is himself in his own nature and all the perfection of his nature. And how wonderful to think that he comes down here into this world and picks up poor sinners like we through the work of Christ.
Then through the shading of that precious blood, and he's bringing many sons under glory, and he's going to take us right into the very presence of God, and we're going to be just like Christ, an answer to every, to every everything that God is in himself.
Image of his son as we have in Robinson. Think of that God would have these children, his children, that he and he has no favorites.
Plus, the truth, isn't it? God does not have favorites. He loves all his children, and he's just waiting today when he has that family there. Perhaps we might say families, but they're going to be conformed Christ like him.
The heart of the Lord Jesus will never really be satisfied until he has his own in heaven with him. But we might add that the heart of God will never be really fully satisfied until his Son has his rightful place, not just in heaven. He has that now, but until he has it on earth. Because it was in this world that they crowned him with a crown of thorns. It was in this world where they crucified him and cast him out. And I believe that God is looking forward to that day when his Son will have his rightful place.
And be fully vindicated here on this, on this globe, we want to make two things very, very clear, perhaps brethren, before we move on. One is that, as we've said, and I trust, there's no thought even in corners of our hearts as to this being the reigning time. Now, I say this as a warning because I know there are those in various circles who propagate this thought today, that this is the reigning time and that we need to get involved in things down here, the politics and running of this world.
I said to a brother one time who was speaking in this way. I said, if you say that the reigning time is now, that is a slap in the face to the precious Lord Jesus. How can we look around at the condition of things in this world? We don't yet see all things put under him open sin and rebellion, abounding and iniquity and evil men and seducers, waxing worse and worse. And then to say that this is the reigning time now, this is not the reigning time. He's waiting for that time.
When he will take the throne of his glory and reign in righteousness, I'd like to make something else very clear in connection with what Bob said earlier, And that is that while this is not outwardly the reigning time, yet I believe, brethren, we find from Scripture that God is in full control of every situation, and men on the political forum today may feel that they are arranging everything according to their intelligence and their own devices. They're just puppets in God's hand. And what I've appreciated in this connection is reading the book of Esther.
Because we find that, as has often been pointed out, God is not mentioned specifically by name there in the book of Esther, and it seemed like things were completely out of control and that the people of God were going to be annihilated.
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And don't things seem out of control in this world today that men are just going their own way and arranging everything?
But we find as we read through the book that there was indeed one who was in control, Not outwardly, but we find that he was behind those scenes, like the puppeteer pulling those strings. Nothing was happening apart from that he was allowing it. And then when you come to the end of us there, isn't it beautiful that finally there's a man on the throne, A Jew, more to chaos, sits on the throne next to the king. And so there was a reigning time for and Mordecai sits there.
And brethren, that's the day we're looking forward. There is a day when he's going to be revealed and take the throne, But let's remember that now God is in control, and that doesn't that give us peace and confidence in our hearts tonight? If we had to look around and feel we were a moral force to change, had to help set things right down here, wouldn't that be pretty discouraging, brethren? But how can we sit here with things so out of control and outwardly speaking and wars and rumors of wars and men's hearts failing them for fear and looking for those things coming on the earth?
And yet we can sit here with the peace of God in our hearts. Because, brethren, we know there's one in control and one who's going to put his man on the throne at the end of it all.
You look at.
Let's go back to Genesis chapter one for a couple of verses.
Genesis chapter one and verse 26.
And God said, let us make man in our image after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air.
And over the cattle, and over all the earth. And over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
And so God created man in his own image. In the image of God created He them. Him, male and female created He them.
This is that man as he's placed on the earth, and he is given the responsibility by God to have dominion over that creation of which he is a part. And here we see Adam given that responsible place by God over this earth, at least over the creation itself, the animals, and so on. What happens?
He fails in his responsibility.
He disobeys himself his God and totally spoils.
The place of responsibility that he had for God over the earth and having the oversight of it. And we might look at the picture like that. And man often does, and he mocks God and he says look at what God did. Couldn't he manage better than that?
Look at his creature man, who was supposed to be over it all, and he sins and everything, after all the animals and so on, suffer as a consequence. And so we might ask that question, What is man that thou art mindful of him?
And the son of man, But thou visitest him.
Is God been dishonored in such a way that you might say he has to hang his head and say, well, I guess I failed in that experiment, No, no.
This second chapter is intended to make us see the answer to that question, for God introduces the man Christ Jesus.
Jesus comes, and here he lives, and he perfectly honors and glorifies all that God has in his heart and his thoughts concerning man.
And now in answer to that man and Adam had dominion over the fish and the creeping things and so on. But this man that we are looking at this afternoon is so honored God that he says I'm going to put him over all the universe.
He's going to have dominion over all this earth, that's true. But he's going to have, and he's going to reign over it in power and glory.
But he's going to pass angels by. They had administration in the heavens, But no, he said. The only right place for man, and before this man, before my soul, is to sit down at my right hand in the majesty on high and I'm going to put over this man everything that has ever been created, including all the starry heavens and all the angelic beings in their place before me. He's going to be in charge of everything as what is man.
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This man.
He glorifies God and he says besides that this man is going to bring sons.
Before Me. And when the work is done, they will be maintained by Him in perfection for eternity. No sin is going to spoil the creation of which He is the head, neither in the heavens nor in the earth. It's going to be a perfect creation, and He is going to be the head of it all. And so God answers for us what is man, that thou art mindful of Him? And the Son of man that thou visited Him?
Is he who died in God's own nature glorified and so?
To me, it's a wonderful thing we've been speaking. He's not reigning yet, and in one sense what we see in this chapter. He can I say from his perspective, not yet, not only because he waits God's time, but he's the captain of our salvation. We have been made the children of God. And what does he say he's going to do? Oh, he's going to have us there with himself. He says, Oh my children, they're going to go not just to earth that Adam had, but no man is now taken right up into the glory.
And there's going to be the whole family of God, the heavenly family, as well as the earthly family.
And God is now glorified and satisfied in man. And there are many sons being taken through the captain of their salvation on home, as it were, safe to the glory. And when we're there then he as it were, the time comes and he says now let's reign he to reign supreme, and we in association with him.
We've had quite a little angels, but an Angel never gets beyond the being servants, right? Angels were never made to rule. An Angel was never made to rule a name, never made the center of a of a of a vast scene of of bliss or blessing.
Angels are God's servants, but it's man that is made to rule.
God said in the as the beginning, our brother Dawn has been saying that let us make man, let them have dominion. Let them have dominion. And so God creates man and gives him a companion. And man is going, man is going to ruin. Well, no man lost that. He lost that place in his sin. But God, God, God's answer is always Christ. God's answer is always Christ. And Christ comes, comes forward and he's the man that's going to, he's the man that's going to reign and he's going to rule.
And angels will rejoice to see him there. And how wonderful he's going to rejoice to see you and me there too, reigning with him.
Eight of our chapter he says, thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. If you look at Psalm 8, that's the end of the quotation from Psalm 8 really starts in verse six and seven and eight of the first line or first two lines of verse 8. And then he makes the comment on that for in that he put all in subjection under him he left.
Nothing that is not put under him. Isn't that wonderful to get a hold of Indiana, our souls? Brethren, there is a man in the glory. Everything is under his control, even though perhaps not in an outward way. And I like to think that this really reaches to the edge of the day of God, because if you go back to First Corinthians 15, it uses that same quote from Psalm 8.
Through the Millennial day, this really brings us to the.
Time of the day of God. Let's read from verse 24, First Corinthians 1524. Then cometh the end. It's the end of the millennial day, when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet, and the last enemy that is to be destroyed.
Is death, for he hath put all things under his feet. That's the same quote from Psalm 8 But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is accepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God.
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May be All in all, that's the day of God.
And so it reaches through the whole millennial day this.
Verse eight? Really. In God's purposes, that's what is contemplated the whole Millennial day.
Really. When righteousness reigns, isn't it? That's the day of the Lord. Righteousness reigns. The day of God. Righteousness dwells, Does everything is in perfect harmony.
Gone well, as we learn from Philippians chapter 2.
That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow. It's at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
The glory of God the Father and beloved brethren, we're in this world.
Walking through this world now.
And we come under the lordship of Christ.
An old man can say that Jesus is.
The Lord, but by the Holy Ghost and owning Jesus as my Lord.
Changes my life. It sets aside my will that I might do that which would please him under his authority as my Lord Jesus Christ is Lord, and we can say personally, individually that He is our Lord, my Lord.
Never get far from the cross from beginning to end. And it's that at the name of Jesus. And where does that take us all times? Once the one who suffered upon the cross, he shall name shall be called Jesus, because he shall save his people from their sins. So it's the one who died upon the cross.
Jesus.
Again, isn't it? So we see Jesus, It's the vision of faith. And even though we don't see him with our natural eyes because of faith vision, it becomes so real, as if we were actually looking right up into the glory and seeing him and we. That's what it means. We see Jesus there. He is, brethren in highest glory, a real living man of flesh and bones.
God's right hand set everything set under his feet. It's all a settled matter as far as God's concerned. And down here in this world, there's still a lot of confusion. We don't see it openly, but he's there already. He occupies that place in that tremendous. Doesn't that give us peace as we walk through this world? Nothing can touch a child of God, but what he allows it? Absolutely nothing. That's every choice.
When we.
Jesus in his rightful place.
Up there, our hearts are flowed with a recognition of this glorious person there at God's right hand. I mean, he's so worthy.
And God delights for us to see beauty in his beloved Son, the darling of his bosom, he dear to the Father.
And he said, I love the Father. And when he said those words he said, arise, let us go. Hence I love the Father.
Arise, let us go. Hence he would do the will of God and go to the cross.
Love it. He's a person living now that God's right hand.
You, because you have loved me, father himself loveth you because you have loved me.
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How wonderful.
There's a things here too that I hope we can take a few minutes and consider. And that is that all of this exaltation and glory that we have been speaking about does not in any way take away from his high priestly character that's brought in here. And so, as a brother years ago used to remind us, the Lord Jesus suffered much in this world.
Not only to put our sins away, that was part of it, but he suffered in order that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest. And so that blessed man who sits up there, whom God has appointed head over all things, that one who is seated on the Father's throne, now, that one who is destined in the Father's time to take over the administration of this whole universe, nevertheless he is interested and has been through.
Every kind of suffering that a sinless man could go through in order that he could look down and identify and sympathize with you and me in everything that we go through down here.
And there's a him in the little flock Him book that we often sing that I think expresses it so very well. With joy we meditate. The grace of God's high priest above his heart is filled with tenderness.
His very name is Love. He, in the days of feeble flesh, poured out his cries and tears.
And though ascended feels afresh what every member bears. And sometimes maybe we say, well, no one knows what I'm going through. No one understands but we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted. Like us, we are yet without sin. And as our brother Bill has brought out, I don't believe he ever passes his own through anything in this world. That he is a man hasn't passed through himself.
So that he can fully enter in and sympathize with us in what we're passing through.
Did he know what it was to be hungry? Indeed he did. Did he know what it was to be weary? Indeed he did. He knew what it was to be thirsty. He knew what it was to be misunderstood. Sometimes when we're a little younger we feel misunderstood. The Lord Jesus was misunderstood. He could say to reproach hath broken mine heart. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And I think it's helpful to see too, brethren, that in the years that he walked here as the perfect man, he never got used to sin and its effect.
We get used to sin and its effects, and sometimes we even become callous to things. If we see something or go through something another number of times we kind of become callous. Not that we ever should, of course we aren't to become callous, but but that's the tendency in in a day of lowering standards, perhaps we little realize what sin is. Here's one who after 30 some years in this world, he never got used to sin and its effects. And then think of him in the garden as he anticipates that moment.
When he was going to be made sin for us, when he would bear the judgment of God, oh how it pressed on his holy soul. He had not got used to sin and its effects here in this world. And as he thought of that moment, when that cup of judgment would be pressed to his holy lips, he could sweat, as it were, great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Brethren, this is the person that we have living for us. He could have come as a full grown man, gone to the cross and accomplished eternal redemption.
But he didn't do that. He knew what it was to be a child. Are there children here this afternoon? The Lord Jesus was a child in this world. Are there young people? The Lord Jesus was a young person in this world. Some of us are men a little older. The Lord Jesus was a man here in this world. And I say again, though ascended, feels afresh what every member bears.
They used to impart why the Lord Jesus took a place a little lower than the angels.
That he might go through these things as the captain of our salvation ahead of us.
And then that he might safely bring us along the way to the entire, or shall I say, the intended end of it all. And so is it shows us in verse 9, and we see him made a little lower than the angels. And then in verse 10 it's it became him to do that all things were his. He had the right and the place to all the in itself and in his person and in the magic, the glory that belonged to him for such perfect life.
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And who he was? But no, it says in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their foundation perfect through sufferings. And so he experienced it all, and he goes on as it were ahead. And now then he says in verse 11, both he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, he set himself apart for us. Now he serves that place as our great high priest, and is this afternoon.
Laboring in that place, in that glory, that in the place of majesty. But he's laboring there this afternoon for us, that he might maintain us on the journey, that we might get safe home with himself. He's bringing many sons to glory. And so this afternoon he's he's at work doing that very thing for us. He set himself apart for that because we have been set apart for him.
By God. And he's going to take us all the way. So he says, I will declare thy name unto my brethren. Oh, isn't it a wonderful thing that even as we are here together, he makes our God known to us?
He declares him to us, our God, and we his children, and now He's at work, as it were, by the Spirit directing this afternoon according to the Word.
That as it says here to declare his name, Thy name unto my brethren, those ones that have been given to himself, and the ones that he's not ashamed to identify us with himself. There's no shame in the Lord Jesus. He looks at you and he says, you're mine. And I'm identified with you and as a man too, and I'm not ashamed of it. You're mine and I'm going to take you home. We're going to go.
I'm your captain. I'm the captain of your salvation, and I want to declare my God to you. And we're going to have a home together in that glory. Oh, it's a wonderful thing to recognize how low he went that he might take us so high.
I think of the extent his garments.
We think of it in the light of on his shoulders was 2 Onyx stones.
And another shoulder stands all of the names of the tribes of Israel.
We're there, weren't they?
We might see our place there too, as being secure, like the little lamb on the shoulders of the Shepherd.
But those Arnic stones?
Everybody on all those stones were equal, but then we have the breastplate and it's joined to those Onyx stones with chains of gold.
And on the breastplate was a great of the High Priest. All the stones were different.
And it tells us that he has a special place in his bosom, in his heart for each of us, and his caring is there in his bosom.
And the breastplate was bound to.
His body by a ribbon of blue.
So the heavenly.
And we see him, as we've already heard, as the captain of our salvation.
I won't let us down until he has his home. It wouldn't be for his glory, but for his glory. He'll have us there. And for his love he'll carry us there.
Hand to hand, then Garmadon before he went into.
Into the presence of God He had to have that all. We have to have the breastplate on. I had to have the the shoulder pieces on. They must have them on when going so. But our hyphen Aaron only went in once, once a year.
But our price, our high priestess, stands there before God continually, night and day. Our names are upon His breast. Speaking of the affection is the affections of Christ for us. And we're there in all the strength, and on his shoulders all His strength, and we're there before.
Were there before night and day. He's there for us. Yes. How wonderful.
The how hateful to God when you think of such a high priest as the son of God. How hateful to God must be. It must be to God to think that there is that down here on earth. A system where the of of of priests, of man, oftentimes many unsaved, who are going about and.
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Forgiving people of their sins.
What a statement I am that he makes in verse 13 when he says, Behold, I and the children which God hath given me. What a thing, brethren, that you're going to stand there, as it were, beside himself, and he's going to say, behold, I and the children that God has given me, that ought to give assurance. There's a lot that would exercise us in this chapter and in the chapters that follow in Hebrews, to go on in the path of faith, but.
This ought to give great confidence to our souls when we think of it.
He is triumphantly at the end, going to present us, as it were and say, look, behold, I and the children which God hath given me, you and I, are a gift of love from the Father to the Son. And he's not going to be embarrassed, he's not going to be ashamed. It's not going to be as it were at that time, as poor lowly sinners, but it's going to be as children of God.
Perfect before God, and as those that he will triumphantly declare, Behold I.
And the children which God hath given me.
Of Isaiah 53.
He shall see, he shall see of the travail of his soul.
And shall be satisfied he's looking at look at the redeem the.
And he's going to say.
He's content, he's satisfied. I shall see. He shall see the trail of his soul it cost him, but it's worth it, he says.
212 brother and it's beautiful.
Expression in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee, the Lord Jesus leading the singing. And it's beautiful to think of that when we come together.
He's declared the name of father to us, and now he is in the midst and he's singing.
To God his Father, Are our hearts in tune, Brother? Do we sing his praises?
I really feel a challenge in this dear brethren that we need to be exercised to sing his praise more. We don't praise him enough, just think when we see his face, see him face to face.
It's going to be automatic.
An eternal praise that flows from our hearts. And shouldn't it be more so that way now sometimes think when we come together to the Lords presence to remember Him.
Why the long pauses? We're thinking about ourselves. Thinking about ourselves will never produce praise.
And we need, Brethren, to think of him who is there in the midst.
And if you're thinking of him, it can't help but be but you'll praise him. Lord exercises. I really feel that sometimes the lack of praise is because we're occupied with what we are, and it'll never produce praise. Yes, our testimony has been failure, but brother, in our testimony is not to be thinking about ourselves. It's to be thinking about him, to be occupied with him.
The more you are occupied with him, the more praise is going to flow.
And I really believe we need to think about what it says in the 13th chapter of this epistle. It says, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God.
Continually fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. It should be the daily practice of our lives to praise him, praise him forever. May the Lord exercises, Brethren. It's it's almost seemed like an epidemic thing as you go around.
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To find long pauses in the breaking of bread meeting. What is wrong? Do we not understand in whose presence we are? What is hindering? Sometimes I think it's we're looking too much to specific brethren, and that's Judaism in principle. But it's brethren. It's to be occupied with that glorious man that will free our lips.
To praise him as we ought.
Not only that, Brother Bob, but sometimes you look around the meeting room when a hymn is being sung and there are a lot of silent lips. And I ponder this and it challenges my own heart. Does the person and work of Christ mean no more to us than when a hymn is given out? We sit there and we don't sing the hymn. I realize the response has to come from our hearts, brethren, but as we have these precious hymns before us in the meeting.
Do these hymns the truth that is conveyed in these hymns? Does it mean no more to us than to sit there in dead silence? And perhaps you'll just let me say a word to those of us who are parents. You know, singing has always been a way for the people of God to express their joy in the Lord and their appreciation of the truth. It begins with the redeemed people in Exodus chapter 15 and carries through to the fifth chapter of Revelation, where all the redeemed are there.
Praising him, do you know, I wonder if perhaps, and I can only say this to my own heart, but I wonder if perhaps there has been a neglect in teaching our children to sing and appreciate good scriptural hymns. My family's not here today, but I've appreciated a wife who, when our children learn to read, took the hymn book and in the meetings ran her finger and it takes energy, but ran her finger along the lines of the hymn and made the children open their hymn book. And a wife who appreciated in the home enough to those hymns enough.
To open the hymn book and to sing with the children and fathers and mothers. We can't expect our children at 12 years of age.
To open the hymn book and appreciate those hymns and sing them in meeting if they haven't seen us, appreciate those hymns if we haven't taught them to sing in the home. Well, I remember when I was a child and I I appreciate it. I remember singing in the home and if we went to call on some brethren on a Friday or Saturday evening, why, before you left the house, you gathered around the piano and you sang a few of these good scriptural hymns and we have a wonderful heritage of them.
But those are happy memories in my life, and I'm thankful for parents who taught their children to appreciate and to sing those hymns. Yes, it must come from the heart, but let's teach our children these hymns and let them see the joy in our hearts as we sing these hymns both in our homes and then when we come to the assembly.
One of the Lord's going to be doing when he comes, but we see the same home. He's going to be singing. He's going to lead. He's going to lead the singing that wonderful. He's going to lead them at lesson one who hung up on the cross for us in the glory. Now he's going to lead the singing.
Could I add A to all that has been said, but perhaps?
Add a slight word of caution and that is this and I trust this won't be misunderstood but.
I guess most of you know, and I think there are probably very few who enjoy singing more than I do, but there is a slight danger of turning the remembrance of the Lord into a hymn sing. And I know brethren in the past have mentioned this and I appreciated it very much both orally and in our written ministry, because there is a slight danger if I get occupied with hymns too much.
That I will perhaps give out that which is not the mind of the Spirit that goes far beyond the condition of the assembly at that time, and the only thing I would say is especially speaking to brothers who are in a position to take audible part.
It's far better to recognize our weakness and to get up on your feet and offer thanks according to what you have in your heart, than to seek to give out to him, which perhaps goes beyond what you have now. Of course, the Spirit of God will sometimes give us to give out of him. That lifts our hearts to certain heights, and I think that's what Brother Bob had in mind. At least I think so. Is that right? But at the same time, there is a danger, a slight danger of perhaps.
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Singing him after him, and not realizing, perhaps, that our hearts have a very limited understanding of it.
And it would be perhaps better to be LED of the spirit to get up and give thanks according to our capacity, because praise does not have to be limited to singing, although I enjoy the thought very much.
You sing 78.
Appendix.
Number 78 in the appendix.
I'm waiting for these.
Lord, thy beauty deceived Lord.
I'm waiting for these for like coming again.
Thou are gone over there, Lord.
The place to prepare, Lord thy house, I shall share at thy coming again.
78 in the appendix.
That's my grace, Lord.
They promised when I prayed, Lord.
Lord.
'S day.
And my cold day.
01:25:12
Your business.
In the Lord.
No love.
For me.
I started.
But I want to read.
The last three verses of #35 in the appendix.
Now he praises in the assembly. Now the sorrow all is past is the earnest of our portion. We must reach the goal at last. Yes, he praises grace, recounting all the path already trod we associated with him. God, our Father and our God join the singing that elitist loud to God our voices raised.
Every step that we have trodden is a triumph of His grace, whether joy, or whether trial. All can only work for good, for He healeth all who loves us, and hath bought us with His blood. It is finished. It is finished. Who can tell Redemption's worth? He who knows it leads the singing.
Full the joy as fierce, the wrath taken up in resurrection desert ways rehearsed above tell the power of God's salvation and his never failing love.