These Hebrew Christians then, were to consider the Apostle and High Priest of their profession—Christ Jesus. Their own position is set before them in the terms, “holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling.” They were set apart, separated brethren; separated from the mass of the Jewish nation from whom Jehovah was hiding His face. They were set apart for heaven now; made partakers, or companions, of the heavenly calling; delivered out of the spiritual Egypt, the world, and from Satan its prince, and journeying in company with Christ their Heavenly Leader, on to the rest of God; as Israel under the leadership of Moses and Aaron to the earthly Canaan.
Christ is contrasted with Moses at the beginning of Hebrews 3, gloriously taking His place as worthy of more honor. In Hebrews 5 He is contrasted with Aaron. Christ was faithful to Him that appointed Him, as also Moses in all His house. But Christ builded the house of God, whilst Moses was only part of the house, so the former was worthy of more honor than was Moses; for every house was builded of some person, but He that builded all things was God. Moses verily was faithful in all the house of God, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; but Christ, as Son over God’s house, whose house Christians were if they held fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. The nation of Israel are the, looked at here as the house of God. Moses was part of that house, and a servant in it, but Christ was the Builder and Son over it. The separated remnant had taken the place of the nation of Israel on earth as the house of God, and Christ was the manifested Son over it now. It was no longer an earthly Leader leading the nation across a literal wilderness to the earthly Canaan, but a heavenly Christ leading the house of God across a spiritual wilderness, on to the rest of God. But then those really only belonged to the house who held fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end; that is, of being partners with Christ in all His glory (comp. ver. 14). It is the millennial rest that is spoken of, with which the Hebrews would be familiar with from their own prophets, but they are called out from the mass of the nation which was unfaithful to have a part with Christ in it, and they would be made partners with Him if they held fast their calling, yea, were made so now by faith.
(Ver 7) Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith (Ps 95:7), Today, if you will hear His voice harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, and in the day of temptation in the wilderness; when your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation and said, They do always err in their hearts and they have not known My ways. So I sware in My wrath, They shall not enter into my rest. Therefore these professing Christians were to take heed by the example of their forefathers of an evil heart of unbelief, departing from the living God; they should exhort one another whilst it was called today, lest they should be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, for they had been made partners (footnote: The Greek word means a companion, associate (see Eph. 1:9, 2:14; 3:1, 14; 12:81For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, (Ephesians 3:1)
14For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, (Ephesians 3:14)). The professing Christian in the Hebrews is looked at as an associate, a companion with Christ -Eph. 3:1414For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, (Ephesians 3:14), as also with the Holy Ghost -Chap 6:4. This is more than being justified. The proper understanding of this word greatly helps to explain the position of the Christian in this Epistle. The translation in the authorized version “partakers” is unhappy.) with Christ, if at least they held fast the beginning of their confidence steadfast to the end. Some of their forefathers did provoke, yet not all who came out of Egypt by Moses. Sin and unbelief were the two great causes of provocation. On account of the former the sinner’s carcasses fell in the wilderness. On account of the latter they never entered the land of Canaan. The example of Israel is held up as a warning to these professing Christians. They were in danger of leaving their heavenly Leader, and of going back to Moses and the prophets; hence the warnings and exhortations. To go back to Moses would be to go back to bondage, doubts, and fears; to cleave to Christ would be to hold fast their confidence, it must be cleaving to Him as their heavenly Leader that confidence would continue.
Unbelief and revolt against their heavenly Leader was what they were specially warned against here, from the example of Israel. Six hundred thousand men or more were delivered from Egypt and led across the wilderness by Moses, but all except Caleb and Joshua refused to enter the land, not believing the promises, and consequently, because of that and sin committed afterwards, fell in the wilderness. Oh, the terrible nature of unbelief! Christian, are you standing up for doubts and fears? Are you saying in your heart, It is presumptuous to be too sure of the glory? Beware of this evil heart of unbelief. It is departure from the living God. What you are exhorted to do in this chapter is to hold fast the confidence of the hope firm to the end, which is the very opposite of doubt, and to fear lest the promise being given of entering into God’s rest, any should think for one moment (Eph. 4:11I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, (Ephesians 4:1)) of coming short of it. The point is not fearing the coming short of the rest, but fearing the thought of coming short of it. The thought of coming short is what they are warned against. It was the evil heart of unbelief departing from the living God. What God had promised He must perform. His promises were unconditional and therefore to be believed.