The Epistle To The Hebrews
Stanley Bruce Anstey
Table of Contents
Introduction: Hebrews
This is one of four inspired epistles that were written to establish Jewish converts in the truth of Christianity. These epistles (Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter)—sometimes called “The Hebrew Christian Epistles”—deal specifically with things that concern believers who come from a background of Judaism.
The epistle to the Hebrews deals with the struggle involved in a Jewish believer’s leaving Judaism for Christianity. Having been raised in the long and rich heritage of Judaism, which had been given to them by God through Moses, it is understandable why they would have a difficulty in letting go of it. Their consciences had been formed to embrace the Judaistic way of approach to God; and to give it up made them feel as though they were violating their consciences. What they needed to understand was that the very same God who had established Judaism long ago was now calling them out of it because He had something better for them with His Son in Christianity. The writer of the epistle calls this “the new and living way” of approaching God (Heb. 10:20). Nonetheless, if the things that are presented in this epistle are understood properly, and acted on in faith, they would deliver the Jewish believer from that system and establish him firmly in the Christian way.
Why Leave Judaism?
To a Jew whose mind is ensconced in Judaism, the whole idea of leaving that God-ordained religion is unthinkable. He asks, “Why would anyone want to leave that which God has established as being the right and proper way for men to approach Him in worship? It would be disobedience!” The answer is twofold:
Firstly, because those Judaic sacrifices, forms, and rites had served their purpose as being a “pattern” of the “good things to come,” which have now been fulfilled in the coming of Christ (chaps. 8:5; 9:11; 10:1). The benefits that flow from His finished work on the cross are not only for Christians, but also for Israel and the Gentile nations who will be blessed in His coming millennial kingdom (See Collected Writings of J. N. Darby, vol. 27, p. 385.) Hence, there is now no need for the “shadow” of these things in Judaism when we have “the image itself” (chap. 10:1).
Secondly, God has called a new heavenly company of believers into existence (the Church) that is separate and distinct from Israel, and which has no need for the outward forms and rituals in its approach to God. Before the foundation of the world was laid—and therefore, before God called Israel into a covenant relationship with Himself—He purposed to call this heavenly company of believers out of the world and to give them a heavenly destiny with Christ. God did not reveal this in Old Testament times, but waited for redemption to be accomplished in Christ’s death on the cross. After that, God sent the Spirit to disclose this secret in what the New Testament calls “the Mystery” (Rom. 16:25; 1 Cor. 4:1; Eph. 1:8-10; 3:3-11; 5:32; 6:19; Col. 1:5, 25-27; 2:2-3).
The calling and formation of the Church would be a completely new concept to Jews, because it is something that is outside the scope of revelation given to them in the Old Testament. The formation of the Church at this present time does not in any way upset God’s promises to bless Israel according to what their prophets taught. God will keep His Word to them and will bless them on earth in Christ’s millennial kingdom. In contrast to this, the Church’s sphere of blessing, in Christ, is heavenly. Hence, in the coming kingdom, there will be two spheres of glory and blessing for redeemed men—“in heaven” and “on earth” (Eph. 1:10).
Jews and Gentiles who believe the gospel of God’s grace today are sealed with the Holy Spirit and are thereby made part of this new heavenly company. Since their calling and destiny is to dwell eternally with Christ in the heavens (1 Cor. 15:48-49; 2 Cor. 5:1; Eph. 1:3; 2:6; 6:12; Phil. 3:20; Col. 3:1-2; Heb. 3:1; 8:1-2; 9:11; 10:19-22; 11:16; 12:22; 13:14; 1 Peter 1:4), they have been given “a new and living way” to approach God in worship within “the holiest”—the immediate presence of God (Heb. 10:19-22). This is a spiritual thing (John 4:23-24) as opposed to Israel’s worship which was predominantly an outward order of forms and rituals. This is because Israel’s worship was designed for an earthly company of people with an earthly calling and destiny; whereas Christian worship is a heavenly thing designed for a heavenly company of people. In many ways, these are contrasting orders. Since Christians stand in the presence of God with this incredible liberty to “draw near,” within the veil of the true sanctuary in heaven (Heb. 8:1-2; 10:19-22), they do not need a system of forms and rituals and a caste of priests to approach God in worship. This being the case, believers on the Lord Jesus who come from the background of Judaism are exhorted, in this epistle, to leave that earthly order for “the new and living way” in Christianity, because, as to their position before God, they are no longer Jews, but Christians. (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11)
In a coming day, when the kingdom of Christ is established, the outward order of worship in Judaism will be used again on earth, by redeemed Israel, to commemorate the great sacrifice of Christ on the cross—which they will gladly accept (Ezek. 43-46). But today, for the heavenly company (the Church), that earthly system of approach to God is simply not necessary—in fact, it is a hindrance to Christians (Heb. 5:11-14). Hence, Jews who receive Christ as their Saviour (and are thereby made a part of the Church) are exhorted in this epistle to go “without the camp” of Judaism unto Christ who is presently outside of that system (Heb. 13:13).
The idea of leaving Judaism is not something exclusive to the writer of Hebrews. The Lord Jesus Himself taught that when He would be rejected by His own nation, He would lead “His own sheep” (true believers) out of the fold of Judaism and into the “flock” of Christianity wherein they would be linked together with “other sheep”—Gentile believers (John 10:1-16). This is something that He did not do during His life and ministry on earth, but only after all efforts of the Holy Spirit to call the nation to repentance (through the apostles) had failed (Acts 1-7). It was only after Christ’s formal rejection by the leaders of the nation, demonstrated by their stoning of Stephen (Acts 7), that He began His work of leading believers out of the Jewish fold.
The Cost of Leaving Judaism
Such a step, however, was (and still is) a costly thing for Jewish Christians. When a person left the faith of his forefathers for the Lord Jesus, he was considered an apostate (Acts 21:21 – “apostasy from Moses”). He would be “excommunicated” from the congregation (John 9:34 – marginal reading), and thereafter, persecuted by his fellow countrymen (Heb. 10:33-34). Oftentimes the person’s family would have a mock funeral for him and disinherit him! In some cases, leaving Judaism would lead to martyrdom (Acts 22:4).
Every conceivable effort would be made to convince the one who had stepped away from Judaism into Christianity to renounce Christ and to return to Judaism. Strong arguments would be used to persuade the person of his so-called “mistake.” The Jews would proudly point to the heritage that they had in Judaism. They had the writings of their prophets (the Scriptures), the ministry of angels, great leaders such as Moses and Joshua, an inheritance in the land of Canaan that flowed with milk and honey, the Aaronic priesthood, the sacred sanctuary where God Himself dwelt, the covenant of Law which morally was holy, just, and good, and the venerated service of God carried out through an elaborate array of rituals and sacrifices and offerings. The unbelieving Jews would ask the deserter, “Why would you want to leave such a rich heritage for a new religion that has nothing to show for it, but a table in an upper room with bread and wine on it?” To the Jew who held tightly to Judaism, it was senseless.
The unbelieving Jews would ask, “What does Christianity have in comparison to all this which we have in Judaism?” This epistle affords the Jewish believer with a definitive answer to this taunt. The divinely inspired writer proceeds to hold up one venerated thing after another that distinguished the Jews’ religion, and compares it to what we have in Christianity, and in every case, he shows that Christians have something far superior in Christ. He presents:
The superiority of the Son to the prophets (chap. 1:1-3).
The superiority of the Son to the angels (chaps. 1:4–2:18).
The superiority of the Son to Moses, the mediator (chap. 3:1-19).
The superiority of the Son to Joshua, the military commander (chap. 4:1-16).
The superiority of Christ’s priesthood to Aaron’s priesthood (chaps. 5-7).
The superiority of the New Covenant to the Old Covenant (chap. 8:1-13).
The superiority of Christ’s one sacrifice to the sacrifices on the Great Day of Atonement (chaps. 9–10:18).
The superiority of access into the presence of God through the blood of Christ (chaps. 8:1-6; 9:8; 10:19-22).
The great point made in the epistle is that Christ is superior to all the forms and rituals of Judaism. As the reader will notice, the characteristic word throughout the book is “better” (chap. 1:4; 6:9; 7:7, 19, 22; 8:6; 9:23; 10:34; 11:16, 35, 40; 12:24).
Eternal Things in the Epistle
It is interesting that all through the epistle the Spirit of God seeks to attach the reader’s heart to heavenly and eternal things, rather than to what is earthly and temporal. J. N. Darby said, “The reader will remark how anxiously, so to speak, the Epistle here attaches the epithet ‘eternal’ to everything. It was not a temporary or earthly ground of relationship with God, but an eternal one; so of redemption; so of inheritance. Corresponding to this, as to the work on earth, it is once for all. It is not unimportant to notice this as to the nature of the work. Hence the epithet is attached even to the Spirit” (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, footnote, p. 335 – Loizeaux edition). These are:
“Eternal” salvation (chap. 5:9).
“Eternal” judgment (chap. 6:2).
“Eternal” redemption (chap. 9:12).
“Eternal” Spirit (chap. 9:14).
“Eternal” inheritance (chap. 9:15).
“Eternal” covenant (chap. 13:20).
In addition to this, the writer also uses other terms and expressions to indicate eternal things:
The Son’s throne is “forever and forever” (chap. 1:8).
He is a Priest “forever” (chap. 5:6; 7:21).
The Son is perfected “for evermore” (chap. 7:28)
The Son sits “forever” at God’s right hand (chap. 10:12).
Believers are perfected “forever” (chap. 10:14).
The Writer of the Epistle—Paul
The epistle is anonymous. The King James Version (KJV) states Paul the Apostle as being the writer, but the title wherein this is stated is not divinely inspired—though most Bible teachers agree that the KJV is correct. This has been deducted from a statement that the Apostle Peter made in his second epistle. He says that an epistle had been written by Paul to the Jews, which he classes among the “Scriptures” (2 Peter 3:15-16). What other epistle could he be referring to other than this one? If it is not this epistle to the Hebrews, then Peter was referring to a divinely inspired epistle of Paul that has been lost! This would mean that God has not preserved all of the Scriptures for us—which is something that Christians unanimously do not accept.
There are also certain internal evidences within the epistle that point to Paul being the author. For instance, the extensive use of Jewish figures and the many quotations from the Old Testament Scriptures show that the writer is purposely trying to gain the ear of those to whom he is writing by favouring their tendencies, without compromising the truth. This is a principle on which Paul acted in his ministry. He said, “Unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I that might gain the Jews” (1 Cor. 9:20). Also, the way in which Timothy is spoken of suggests that it is Paul (Heb. 13:23).
It may be asked that if he is the writer, why did he not introduce himself in his normal fashion, as in his other epistles? There are two or three reasons. First, Paul didn’t mention his apostleship here, in writing to his Hebrew brethren, because his apostleship was exclusively for his work among the Gentiles. He was “the apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13; 15:16; Gal. 2:8). He had no authority to address his fellow countrymen as an apostle. Peter’s apostleship, on the other hand, was for his work among the Jews (Gal. 2:7-8). This does not mean that Paul couldn’t address his Jewish brethren; it just means that if and when he did, he couldn’t do it with apostolic authority.
A second reason why he didn’t mention his apostleship was because the burden of the Spirit of God in the epistle is to present Christ as the great “Apostle” of our confession (Heb. 3:1). For Paul to bring in his apostleship might have been confusing and distract from that objective. Thus, he would have his readers to understand that the message in the epistle was coming from a greater Apostle than himself—the Lord (chaps. 1:2; 12:24-25). Paul, therefore, happily remains in the background in order to bring Christ to the forefront in a more pronounced way.
A third reason might be that if the epistle, which was written to believing Jews, fell into the hands of unbelieving Jews, and they knew that its author was Paul, they would never have read it. They would have dismissed the whole thing immediately because they saw him as a renegade from Judaism.
A Mixed Multitude—Five Warnings Against Apostasy
The epistle was written primarily to the remnant of the nation who had believed the gospel and had received Christ as their Saviour. However, it is evident from the warnings included in the epistle, that it appears some were there among this company who were merely professing believers and were not real at all. Such may have been attracted by the outward blessings connected with Christianity (the mighty signs and miracles, etc.) but sadly, they didn’t have real faith in Christ. It was, therefore, a mixed company.
The Jews who had taken the Christian stand were experiencing persecution from their unbelieving countrymen, and under this duress, they were getting weary and doubtful in the path. Some were tempted to give up and return to Judaism. For those who were merely professing believers, to draw back from Christianity would prove to be apostasy. Apostasy is the formal abandoning of the faith that a person has professed. This is something that only a merely professing believer could and would do. It is a very solemn thing, for once a person apostatizes from Christianity, there is no hope of him turning around in repentance. Scripture says that to recover such a one is “impossible” (Heb. 6:4-6). Since there were some among their number who were in danger of apostatizing, through the course of the epistle the writer gives five distinct warnings against drawing back from Christian ground and returning to Judaism (chaps. 2:1-4; 3:7–4:11; 5:11–6:20; 10:26-39; 12:16-27). In these warnings he explains, in no uncertain terms, the fatality of such a step and encourages them to go on in the Christian path with true faith, rather than to “draw back unto perdition” (chap. 10:39).
Some Christians think that these warnings teach that a believer can lose his salvation if he turns away from the Lord. They point to similar passages such as: Matthew 7:21-23; 12:43-45; 13:5-6, 20-21; 24:13; 25:26-30; Mark 3:28-30; Luke 22:31-32; John 15:2-6; Romans 11:22; 1 Cor. 9:27; 15:2; Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:26-29; 12:14; 2 Peter 2:1, 20-21 to support their argument. However, a closer look at these passages of Scripture shows that they are not speaking of real believers on the Lord Jesus Christ, but of merely professing believers who apostatize from the Christian faith. The problem that many have that leads to this mistaken conclusion, is that they don’t know the difference between backsliding and apostasy. Both of these things refer to a person’s departure from God, but one (apostasy) is infinitely worse than the other. A real believer may backslide, waver in his convictions, and walk at a distance from the Lord, but he will not abandon the faith and denounce Christ, which is apostasy.
It may be asked: “Why would these warnings concerning apostasy be stated in Scriptures that are written to believers, if they have no application to believers?” The answer is that the divinely inspired writers of the New Testament were, on many occasions, addressing a mixed multitude of real and merely professing believers, as is the case in this epistle. Thus, their remarks included warnings for any who were merely professing faith in Christ, who were moving among the real believers. Such remarks were intended to reach the consciences of these people and to awaken them as to their need of being saved. They are thereby warned that if they abandon the Christian faith, which they were professing to believe, they would be lost forever! Continuance, therefore, is the best and most certain guarantee of one’s reality (chap. 3:6).
The Two Kinds of “Ifs” in Scripture
Hebrews is a “wilderness” epistle. That is, the saints are seen on earth under testing, walking in the path of faith with Christ in heaven before them as their goal. The wilderness epistles (1 Corinthians, Philippians, Hebrews, 1 Peter, etc.) are marked by having “ifs” in the text.
In fact, there are two kinds of “ifs” in Scripture which are quite different: the “if” of condition and the “if” of argument. The “if” of condition assumes that there is a possibility of failure in the path, resulting from a person not being real or from faith in the righteous breaking down in some way. These are the kinds of “ifs” that are found in the wilderness epistles. The “if” of argument, on the other hand, has to do with the writer’s laying down certain facts in his presentation, and then building on those facts to make a certain point. When this is the case, the word “since” could be substituted for “if.” It has been often said that Ephesians has no “ifs” of condition. In that epistle, the saints are not viewed as being tested on earth, but rather, seated together in heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 2:6). Colossians, on the other hand, has both: there is an “if” of condition in chapter 1:23 and there are “ifs” of argument in chapters 2:20 and 3:1. Hebrews also has both kinds of “ifs.”
The Epistle’s Application to Christendom
While the epistle was written to Jewish believers to help them get free from Judaism, we must not think that it has no application to Gentiles who have believed the gospel. The Christian profession, historically and at large today, has not understood the heavenly calling and character of the Church, and has imagined that it is some sort of adjunct to Israel. Christians generally, have misunderstood the instruction of Hebrews 9:8-9, 23-24, which teach that the Old Testament tabernacle system is a figure of the true sanctuary in which Christians now worship by the Spirit. Instead of seeing it as a figure, they have used the tabernacle as a pattern for their churches, and have borrowed many things in a literal sense from that Judaic order for their places of worship and their religious services. Thus, they have entirely missed the point that God does not want a mixture of these two different orders of worship (Heb. 13:10).
The following is a list of some of the things that have been borrowed from Judaism in the formation of denominational and non-denominational church groups:
The use of literal ornate temples and cathedrals for places of worship.
A special caste of ordained men who officiate on behalf of the congregation.
The use of musical instruments to aid worship.
The use of a choir.
The use of incense to create a religious atmosphere.
The use of robes on the “Ministers” and choir members.
The use of a literal (non-sacrificial) altar.
The practice of tithing.
The observance of holy days and religious festivals.
A registry of names of persons in the congregation.
It is true that many of these Judaic things have been altered somewhat by these church groups to fit a Christian context, but these places of worship still have the trappings of Judaism. In fact, sadly, this Jewish order has permeated the Church. Much of it has been around in Christianity for so long that it has become accepted by the masses as God’s ideal. Most people today think that it is good and right to have this Judeo-Christian mixture. Unfortunately, the mixing of these two orders of worship has destroyed the distinctness of each, and what has resulted from the mixture is something that is not real Judaism, nor is it real Christianity. Both have been spoiled (Luke 5:36-39).
What has happened, to a large extent, is that Christendom has joined “the camp” of earthly religion from which believers have been called out (Heb. 13:13). F. B. Hole said, “The importance of this epistle for the present hour cannot be exaggerated. Multitudes of believers today, though Gentiles, and hence in no way connected with Judaism, are entangled in perverted forms of Christianity, which consist very largely in forms and ceremonies and rituals, which in their turn, are largely an imitation of that Jewish ritual, once ordained of God to fill up the time until Christ came” (Hebrews, p. 1).
Since Christendom has become permeated with Judaistic principles and practice, this epistle has an important practical application to everyone in the Christian profession who names the name of the Lord. It calls believers to “go forth” unto Christ “without the camp” because He is not connected to that order of things at this time (Heb. 13:13). This means that we are to dissociate ourselves from Judaistic principles and practice wherever they are found, whether they are in formal Judaism or in quasi Judaeo-Christian places of worship. Sadly, this call is largely misunderstood and generally unheeded by Christians.
A Brief Overview of the Epistle
The epistle has two main parts: a doctrinal section, followed by a practical section. As in most epistles, the practical exhortations are based on the doctrinal truth that has been taught.
Doctrinal
(Chapters 1–10:18)
This section has two parts which correlate with the two ways in which Christ is presented in the epistle—as “the Apostle and High Priest of our confession” (chap. 3:1). He is seen as an “Apostle” in chapters 1-2 and He is seen as our “High Priest” in chapters 3-10:18. An apostle is one who has been sent out from God for a particular purpose, and a priest is one who has gone into God’s presence to intercede for those in need.
As an “Apostle,” Christ has “come out from God” to reveal Him and to accomplish redemption (John 16:28a). As such, He is shown to be infinitely superior to the two great messengers that God used in Judaism—the prophets and angels.
As a “High Priest,” Christ has gone into the presence of God to engage in His present service as our Intercessor (John 16:28b; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 4:14). He has gone there with a ministration that is both manward and Godward:
Manward—succouring (helping) those in need (chap. 2:18), sympathizing with those who have infirmities (chap. 4:14), granting grace and mercy (chap. 4:16), having compassion on the ignorant and those out of the way (chap. 5:2), and saving them in a time of need (chap. 7:25).
Godward—securing the new covenant (chap. 8), offering Himself without spot to God as a supreme sacrifice to put away sin (chap. 9-10), and presenting our praises to God (chaps. 10:21; 13:15).
Practical
(Chaps. 10:19–13:25)
This section contains practical exhortations based on the truth that has been presented in the doctrinal part of the epistle. There are seven main groups of exhortations centering around the words, “Let us.” (chaps. 10:22, 23, 24; 12:1, 28; 13:13, 15).
Christ Superior to the Prophets: Hebrews 1:1-3
(Chapter 1:1-3)
Christ, the Apostle of Our Confession
This great thesis begins with the writer magnifying Christ. As mentioned in the Introduction, in chapters 1-2, He is presented as the “Apostle” of our profession. He is seen as having come from God to accomplish the will of God for the glory of God. In these chapters, He is compared to the two greatest kinds of messengers that the legal system had—the prophets and angels. In every way He is shown to be infinitely superior.
The Glories of Christ as the Son of God and the Son of Man
In these opening chapters, the glories of Christ are viewed in two ways:
As the Son of God—emphasizing His deity (chaps. 1:1–2:4).
As the Son of Man—emphasizing His perfect humanity (chap. 2:5-18).
There is a type of these two sides of Christ’s Person in “the ark” of the tabernacle system (Ex. 25:10-16). It was made of two materials: “pure gold,” which typifies His divinity, and “shittim wood” (“incorruptible wood” – the Septuagint version), which typifies His perfect humanity. In Hebrews 1 we have the pure gold, and in Hebrews 2 we have the shittim wood.
The Purpose of Magnifying the Greatness of Christ
Perhaps the strongest and most convincing argument that the Jews would put before a person who wanted to leave Judaism is the fact that God Himself had ordained it. He delivered it to the nation of Israel by the hand of Moses and by “the disposition of angels” (Acts 7:53). Their argument is that since the greatest Authority in the universe appointed this system of worship, no person on earth should think of altering it. The unbelieving Jews would press this point upon those who were contemplating leaving Judaism, and would tell them that they were being persuaded to “apostatize from Moses” (Acts 21:21) by Christian preachers who had no authority to teach such things. Such a step, they would say, was an act of disobedience and rebellion, and essentially, was turning away from God Himself!
This, of course, would be terribly upsetting to the Jewish believers whose consciences had been formed by the demands of that legal system. However, if they understood that the God who gave Israel the religion of Judaism was the very same Person who was now calling them out of it, they would respond more confidently to the call. Hence, chapters 1-2 are devoted to establishing the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is God in the Person of the Son, and that it is He who is speaking to them about leaving Judaism for something better in Christianity. He is the divine Speaker throughout the epistle.
The Word Spoken by Christ is Greater Than That of the Prophets
Vs. 1—The first word in the epistle is “God.” It is the only book in the Bible that begins in this way. It immediately brings us face to face with the Person who is speaking in this epistle. It is not a prophet, nor an angel, nor an apostle of Christ, but God Himself in the Person of the Son. Since there could be no greater Person in the universe, the reader is to take what is about to be stated with much gravity.
The writer informs us that while God has communicated to His people Israel through some mighty messengers in times past, He has now spoken in a far greater way. He says, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by [in the Person of] His Son.” “Prophets” (vs. 1) and “angels” (vs. 4) were the two great messengers in the Jewish economy who God used to communicate to His people. The Jews proudly pointed to these messengers as a mark of the nation having God’s favour, and it is true. No other people on earth have had such a distinguished means of communication from God (Deut. 4:7). However, the point that the writer is making here is that with the coming of Christ (His first advent), God has spoken to His people “in Son.” This is an infinitely greater means of communication than that through prophets and angels. It is not merely that God has sent a greater Messenger in Christ, but that God Himself has come to the nation to speak to them in the Person of the Son! If the Jews felt privileged to have such exalted messengers as prophets and angels come to them from God, they ought to have felt doubly privileged to have had a “visitation” from God Himself! (Luke 1:78; 19:44)
In “time past” God had spoken to His people “in divers manners” (in different ways) “by the prophets”—through dreams, through visions, through an audible voice, etc.—but now “in the end of those days” of prophetic communication, He has spoken “in Son.” This was in two ways: firstly, when the Lord was here on earth (chap. 2:3), and secondly, at the time of the writing of this epistle He was speaking from heaven (chap. 12:25).
A Digression
To properly grasp what is conveyed in this passage, we need to note the digression that occurs from chapter 1:2 (after the word “Son”) to the end of the chapter, wherein the Holy Spirit leads the writer to unfold the glory and greatness of Christ’s Person, before going on with a warning from Him in chapter 2:1-4. This is done to give emphasis as to WHO it is that is speaking, and thus, to bring what is said home to their hearts and consciences with greater force. If we follow the thread of the argument by skipping over the digression, it will read: “God” has “spoken to us in the Person of the Son...for this reason we should give heed more abundantly to the things we have heard.” The point here is that since the importance of anything that is said depends upon the greatness of the person who has said it, they, therefore, ought to listen more earnestly to what is being said in this epistle because it is God Himself who is speaking!
A Sevenfold View of Christ’s Glory
Vss. 2-3—As mentioned, the purpose of the digression is to magnify the glory and greatness of Christ. The writer, therefore, turns to ascribe many wonderful attributes of deity to Him, and thus distinguish Him from all others as the Son of God. Seven things in particular are stated that prove His superiority to all the prophets who ever lived and spoke for God:
The Heir of All Things
Firstly, Being the Son, He has been “appointed Heir of all things” (vs. 2). The inheritance is comprised of every created thing. This simple statement tells us that it all belongs to Him! No prophet, regardless of how distinguished he might have been, ever had such a thing given to him. This immediately sets the Son apart from all prophets. When Christ rises up to redeem His inheritance in a coming day (Eph. 1:14), He will share it with us because we are “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ,” and thus, we will reign over it together (Rom. 8:17; 1 Cor. 3:21-22). But that is not the point the writer is making here—His emphasis is on Christ’s worthiness to have the inheritance on account of who He is.
The Creator of the Universe
Secondly, “He made the worlds” (vs. 2). (The “worlds” is a Jewish expression for the universe – J. N. Darby Trans. footnote.) Again, a prophet might reference the creatorial works of God in his communications to the people, but he would not dare to claim to be the creator of it. The fact that Christ created the universe (John 1:3; Col. 1:15-16) attests to His deity, for Scripture clearly states that God created the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1, etc.).
The Effulgence of God’s Glory
Thirdly, Christ is “the effulgence” or shining forth of God’s glory (vs. 3). Thus, He is the great Revealer of God (John 1:18). This is something more than a testimony being borne by a prophet concerning God; it is the actual outshining of God Himself, which is something that could only be done by a divine Person. Thus, all the moral and spiritual qualities of God shine forth in Him. It is not a mere reflection of God, as Moses reflected the glory of God on his face, but the very attributes of God coming out in display. H. Smith said, “The Son has drawn near to us in a way that makes it possible for us to see God displayed in all His attributes” (The Epistle to the Hebrews, p. 8).
The Expression of God’s Substance
Fourthly, Christ, the Son of God, is not just the Revealer of God—He is God! (vs. 3) All the essential attributes of deity are in Him personally. He is the very “expression” of God’s “substance.” It would be blasphemy for any prophet to claim such attributes, and none have dared to do so.
The Upholder of the Universe
Fifthly, Christ, the Son of God, is also the Sustainer of the universe (vs. 3). That is, He keeps the whole creation going from day to day. Thus, He is not only the Heir of “all things” and the Creator of “all things,” but He is also the Upholder of “all things.” Scripture states, “By Him all things subsist” (Col. 1:17). He does this, we are told, “by the Word of His power” (Psa. 147:15-18; 148:8).
The Purifier of Sins
Sixthly, Christ “made by Himself the purification of sins” (vs. 3). That is, He has settled the whole question of sin by the sacrifice of Himself. As a result, sin has been “put away” before God judicially (chap. 9:26), and one day it will be “taken away” out of the creation entirely (John 1:29). Needless to say, this is something that no prophet or priest in the Mosaic system ever did, or ever could do. Those Old Testament sacrifices on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16) signified the carrying over of the sins of the people year by year (Ex. 30:10; Lev. 16:34; Heb. 9:7, 25; 10:3). They could not put away sin, nor could they purge a believer’s conscience, as does the perfect sacrifice of Christ (chaps. 9:14; 10:1-2). The KJV says, He “purged our sins,” which is not a correct translation. It restricts the scope of His work of purification to believers’ sins, whereas the work here is general, touching every aspect of sin’s presence in the creation (chap. 2:9).
We are told that Christ did this “by Himself.” J. N. Darby said, “The Greek verb here has a peculiar form, which gives it a reflective sense, causing the thing done to return into the doer, throwing back the glory of the thing done upon the One who did it” (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, on Hebrews 1:3 – footnote). Thus, Christ’s finished work on the cross was done by Himself and for Himself, but the emphasis in the verse is not so much on what He did—great as that is—but WHO did it. Noting this, Mr. Darby said, “The purging of our sins is spoken of by the way, and then we hear of His glory on high” (Collected Writings, vol. 27, p. 388).
The Exalted One at God’s Right Hand
Seventhly, having completed the work of purgation, the Lord ascended into heaven and “set Himself down” on the “right hand of the Majesty [greatness] on high” (vs. 3). By virtue of who He is, He could enter the true sanctuary in the heavens and set Himself down on the throne of God! J. N. Darby commented: “He could sit down on the throne of God, and not soil it” (Collected Writings, vol. 27, p. 339). Satan, as “the anointed cherub,” attempted to do that very thing and was immediately expelled from heaven (Isa. 14:12-15; Ezek. 28:11-19), but when Christ ascended to the throne, all heaven rose up to crown Him with glory and honour (Heb. 2:9). Being who He was, He stepped into the presence of “the majesty on high” and wasn’t out-classed by the glory of God that shone there—it was His place by right because He is God! No prophet will ever sit in such an exalted place. Christians are said to be seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6), but they, too, will never sit at God’s right hand; that place is reserved for Christ alone. He sits there because of WHO He is.
Summary
To summarize the attributes of the Son of God, He is:
The end of all history—being “Heir of all things.”
The beginning of all history—having “made the worlds.”
Beyond all history—being “the effulgence” of God’s glory and “the expression of His substance.”
Throughout all history—as “upholding all things.”
The One Sacrifice for all history—having made “purification of sins.”
Above all history—as sitting “on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
Christ Seated at God’s Right Hand in Four Ways
It is significant that Christ is seen seated at God’s right hand four times in this epistle. When the heavens were “opened” for Stephen to look into, he saw Christ “standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56). The Lord was standing at that time because opportunity was still being extended to the Jews to receive Him as their Messiah, even though they had rejected and crucified Him. He stood there ready to return to earth to set up the kingdom, as stated in the writings of the Old Testament prophets, if they would but repent and be converted (Acts 3:19-20). But they would not have Christ and sent Stephen to heaven with the message: “We will not have this Man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14). It was only after this that God judicially set the nation aside and began a new departure in His ways towards the Gentiles (Acts 15:14) to call believers out of them to be part of an entirely new thing—the Church of God. The epistle to the Hebrews, being written some years after the stoning of Stephen, gives us another glimpse into heaven, and we see Christ not standing, but seated at God’s right hand. This shows that God was no longer reaching out to the nation on covenant lines as He once did, and the opportunity to have Christ return to earth as the Messiah of Israel and set up the kingdom had now been rescinded. Those things have been suspended for an undisclosed amount of time.
From the periodical, The Remembrancer: “JESUS is still standing because until the rejection by Israel of the testimony of the Holy Ghost, He did not definitively sit down, waiting for the judgment of His enemies. Rather, He remained in the position of High Priest standing....the Jews having done the same thing with regard to the testimony of the Holy Ghost that they did to JESUS, having (so to speak) in Stephen sent a messenger after Him to say, ‘We will not have this Man to rule over us,’ Christ definitively takes His place seated in heaven, until He shall judge the enemies who would not that He should reign over them. It is in this last position that He is viewed in the epistle to the Hebrews....This, it appears to me, is the reason why He is seen standing. He had not definitively taken His place as seated for ever (or ‘in perpetuity’)—eis to dienekes (Heb. 10:12), on the heavenly throne until the testimony of the Holy Ghost to Israel of His exaltation had been definitively rejected upon earth” (The Remembrancer, vol. 18, pp. 158-160).
Christ is mentioned as being seated at God’s right hand for four different reasons:
In chapter 1:3—He sits there on account of the greatness of His Person—as the Son of God.
In chapter 8:1—He sits there on account of His present work of intercession—as our High Priest.
In chapter 10:12—He sits there as having victoriously finished the work of atonement—as the great Redeemer.
In chapter 12:2—He sits there having walked the path of faith perfectly—as the Object for faith.
We can see from what has been before us concerning the greatness of Christ in relation to the prophets of Israel, that in reality, since He is God “in the Person of the Son,” there is no real comparison at all. Christ is an infinite Person, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, whereas the prophets are but mere men! In fact, the greatest of all the prophets said, “One mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose” (Luke 3:16).
Christ Superior to Angels: Hebrews 1:4-2:18
(Chapters 1:4–2:18)
The writer now moves on to the second kind of messenger in the old Judaic economy—angels. The nation of Israel has had a rich history of angelic interventions and communications. The Jews regarded this ministry of angels very highly, and saw it as a mark of God’s favour on them, and they were quite right in believing this. They assumed that if one were to leave Judaism, he would be stepping away from this incredible ministry. However, the writer shows that this is not true. He indicates here that angels also minister to those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (vs. 14). A quick survey of the book of the Acts confirms this (Acts 1:10-11; 5:19; 8:26; 10:3-7; 12:7-10; 12:23, etc.).
The Jewish Tendency to Exalt Angels
The Jews had a tendency of exalting and extolling angelic beings. So highly esteemed was the ministry of angels among the Jews that there was one sect (the Essenes) that went beyond Jewish orthodoxy and actually worshipped them. Paul alludes to this error in Colossians 2:18-19. It was necessary, therefore, to speak of Christ’s superiority over angels to dismiss any question as to them being on par with Him. Angels are surely a higher order of created beings than prophets (who were but men), but lest anyone should think that angels were anything close to being equal with Christ, this next section puts that idea to rest beyond any doubt.
In the first section, the writer of the epistle has stated seven things that set Christ apart from the prophets as being infinitely superior (chap. 1:1-3). Now, he quotes from seven passages of Scripture to show that He is also infinitely superior to angels (chaps. 1:4–2:18).
As Son, He Has a Superior Place and Name
The first quote is from Psalm 2:7. It refers to when Christ came into the world as a Man. He had “a place” in God’s house and “a name” that set Him apart as being superior to angels (vs. 4). The writer says, “Being made [taking a place] so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art My Son, this day I have begotten Thee?” (vs. 5a) His point here is that angels are but servants in God’s household, whereas Christ is the Son! H. Smith said, “Christ has a place and a name far above angels. Psalm 2:7 is quoted to prove that coming into the world, Christ takes a place much better than that of the most exalted created beings” (Hebrews, p. 10).
At no time has God ever called an angel, “My Son.” This term denotes the special relationship that Christ has with the Father, as the eternal Son of God. (Note: He does not say, “This day I have begotten Thee; Thou art My Son,” but phrases it in the reverse order: “Thou art My Son, this day I have begotten Thee?” Christ is declared to be the "Son" before the "day" He became a Man. Hence, His Sonship is eternal.) Angels are referred to as “sons of God” in the Old Testament (Gen. 6:2, 4; Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Psa. 8:6), but never as the Son. The expression “sons of God” is not used in connection with the angels after Christ rose from the dead, because in rising from the dead He became the Head of a new race of men (Col. 1:18; Heb. 2:10; Rev. 3:14) who are now designated as “the sons of God” (Rom. 8:14). These believers are also called Christ’s “brethren” (Rom. 8:29; Heb. 2:11-12) and Christ’s “companions” (Heb. 3:14). Thus, angels are no longer the highest order of God’s created beings; this new race of men—new creatures in Christ—is superior to them (Gal. 6:15; 2 Cor. 5:17). It is not that angels have been demoted, or that they are less capable than they once were, but rather, that this new race (believers on the Lord Jesus Christ) has been elevated above them. Nor are the angels jealous of this change.
As Son, He Has a Special Place in the Affections of the Father
A second passage is quoted from 2 Samuel 7:14, to emphasize that Christ also has a special place in the affections of the Father that angels do not have: “I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be unto Me a Son” (vs. 5b). This was originally said of David’s immediate son, Solomon, but the terms and length of his kingdom that the prophet describes clearly point to great David’s greater Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 1:1; 15:22; 21:9). At no time has God ever addressed an angel in such terms of relationship and endearment. Angels are never said to be loved, or that they love, but in contrast to this, the Son dwells “in the bosom of the Father” and basks continually in the enjoyment of His love! (John 1:18)
As Firstborn, He Is the Object of Angelic Worship
A third Scripture is brought forward: “When He brings the Firstborn into the habitable world, He says, And let all God’s angels worship Him!” (vs. 6). This is a quote from Psalm 97:7. The logic in this point is irrefutable; if the angels worship Him, then He is obviously greater than they. Psalm 97 refers to the Appearing of Christ (His second advent) when He comes in judgment to set the world right. He will intervene from heaven at that time as a glorified Man, and He will be worshipped by the angels as a glorified Man!
The fact that Christ receives worship from men (Matt. 2:11; 8:2; 9:18; 15:25; 20:20; 28:9, 17; John 9:38; Rev. 5:9, etc.) and angels (Psa. 97:7; Rev. 5:11-14) proves His deity, for all worship from God’s creatures is to be given to God alone (Matt. 4:10; Rev. 22:8-9). Scripture strictly forbids the worship of any other, for all such is idolatry (Ex. 20:3-5).
As Creator, He Made the Angels to Serve Him
The writer brings forward a fourth Scripture from Psalm 104:4: “As to the angels He says, Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire” (vs. 7). Thus, angels are creatures of Christ’s making! He is their Creator! This verse tells us why they were made—to be His “ministers” (servants). Hence, Christ is so far above angels as to His Person that it is incomprehensible to even think of comparing Him to them.
As God, He Has a Throne, a Sceptre, & a Kingdom
A fifth Scripture is then quoted from Psalm 45:6: “But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom” (vs. 8). In this passage Christ is addressed as “God.” What could attest more clearly to His deity? If He is God, then angels are surely inferior to Him.
As with Psalm 97, Psalm 45 also has to do with Christ’s Appearing. When He comes to publicly rule over the world, He will establish a kingdom that will continue “for ever and ever”—that is, for as long as time will run. Again, the writer’s point here is unmistakably clear; no angel has ever had a “throne,” a “sceptre,” or a “kingdom.” Angels are servants in Christ’s kingdom and are happy to be such, but they never rise to a status higher than that.
Moreover, this psalm states that Christ “loved righteousness and hated iniquity,” and therefore, God “anointed” Him with “the oil of gladness.” This is a reference to the Holy Spirit coming to rest on the Lord at His baptism (Matt. 3:16). It set Him apart from His “fellows [companions],” which were Jewish brethren who were being baptized at that time. Loving righteousness and hating iniquity shows that Christ is morally and spiritually fitted to rule the world, for He will rule in “equity” (Psa. 98:9). Angels have not been thus prepared because they are not destined to rule.
As Lord (Jehovah), He Is the Unchangeable One
A sixth passage is quoted from Psalm 102:25-27. It shows Christ’s eternality in comparison to created things. “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands: they shall perish; but Thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the Same, and Thy years shall not fail” (vss. 10-12). The point here is that the things of this material creation will be “changed,” but Christ will never change for He is “the Same”—the unchangeable One. Those material things will one day “perish” (2 Peter 3:10), but He will “remain [continue still].”
As Lord (Adonai), He Has a Sovereign Right to Reign
A seventh passage is quoted, from Psalm 110:1, to show that by virtue of who He is, Christ has a sovereign right to reign supreme in the world to come. The writer says, “But to which of the angels said He at any time, Sit Thou on My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool?” (vs. 13) Christ has been invited to sit on the “right hand” of God until the day that His enemies are put down. This is a place in which no angel has ever been invited to sit; it sets Him apart as being their Superior.
As to the angels, the writer adds that they have no higher role than that of “ministering spirits” sent forth by the Lord as His servants to care providentially for “the heirs of salvation.” These are those who would be saved by His grace (vs. 14).
Summary
To summarize the foregoing, in the process of magnifying the greatness of the Person of Christ, the writer has predicated things of Him that are only said of God Himself. This emphasizes His deity.
He is the Son of God (vss. 4-5a).
He has a special place in the affections of His Father (vs. 5b).
He is the Object of angelic worship (vs. 6).
He made the angels to be His servants (vs. 7).
He is addressed as God, having a throne, a sceptre, and a kingdom (vs. 8).
He is Jehovah, the Same, and the Unchangeable One (vss. 10-12).
He has a sovereign right to sit at God’s right hand (vs. 1).
First Warning Against Apostasy
(Chapter 2:1-4)
The Danger of Slipping Away from the Word Spoken by the Son
Vs. 1—After a long digression from chapter 1:2b to the end of that chapter (wherein the writer speaks of Christ’s glories), he brings us back to the word spoken by the Son. He says, “For this reason, we should give heed more abundantly to the things we have heard, lest in any way we should slip away.” The great danger for some among the Hebrews was that of slipping away from the Christian ground which they had taken and returning to Judaism. Such would be apostasy. The writer uses the word “we” here, not to denote believers on the Lord Jesus Christ, but those who were of Jewish stock, of which the writer includes himself. (This is characteristic of the Hebrew Christian epistles—Hebrews, James, and 1 & 2 Peter, though there may be some exceptions.)
Vs. 2—The writer makes a comparison between “the word spoken by angels” in the giving of the legal covenant (Acts 7:53) and the word that was “spoken by the Lord” when He came to the Jews at His first advent. He asks them to consider that if the angels’ word in the Law against offenders was “stedfast” (it could not be repealed and overturned), and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward,” how much more severe would the judgment be if they neglected the word spoken by the Lord who is an infinitely greater Person! How could they possibly “escape” the certain judgment that would fall upon them if they turned back? Thus, Christ’s word is superior to that of angels.
He says, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” The “great salvation” which the Lord announced in His earthly ministry is not the eternal salvation of the soul announced in the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24), as commonly thought, but a temporal deliverance for the nation from their enemies. At that time, the Jews were captive to the Romans who ruled over them in their own land, and they were very much in need of this kind of deliverance. The Lord Jesus was sent from God as God's "Horn of Salvation" for the nation’s deliverance (Luke 1:68-71). He came preaching "deliverance to the captives" who were under the Roman yoke (Luke 4:18-19). This was one of the outward blessings promised to the nation in the gospel of the kingdom which the Lord announced (Matt. 4:23; Mark 1:14). Upon His entry into Jerusalem, the people cried “Hosanna” (which means “Save now!”) and expected great things from Him in that way (Matt. 21:15). But the leaders led the people to reject Him, and this great salvation from their enemies was, therefore, postponed. Had the Jews received Christ, He would have saved the nation by releasing them from their bondage. The nation would have averted its destruction in 70 A.D. and would have been blessed of God as promised in the writings of their prophets.
The writer also says that the promise of this temporal salvation from their enemies was “confirmed” to the people by the apostles (Heb. 2:3; Acts 3:19-21) and also by the “witness” of God Himself in the miracles that accompanied the preaching of that gospel (Heb. 2:4; Acts 3:6-10; 5:15-16, etc.). Thus, the nation “tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come” (Heb. 6:5).
This “great (national) salvation” spoken of in Hebrews 2:3, couldn’t be the spiritual salvation of “souls” announced in the gospel of the grace of God today (1 Peter 1:9; Acts 16:31, etc.), because it says that it was “first” spoken by the Lord when He was here on earth. The gospel that the Lord preached was the gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 4:23; Mark 1:14). That message presented Him as the King and Messiah of Israel who would come to the nation in its time of need and save them from their enemies, and then set up His kingdom in power and glory. It was not until after the Jews formally rejected Christ, and sent a man (Stephen) to God with the message, “We will not have this Man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14; Acts 7:54-60), that the gospel of the grace of God went out to the world (Acts 11:19-21; 13:46-48; 15:14; 20:24; 28:28).
Regarding this point in Hebrews 2:3, H. Smith said, "In its strict interpretation, the salvation of which the writer speaks is not the gospel of the grace of God as presented today; nor does it contemplate the indifference of a sinner in [neglecting] the Gospel. Yet an application in this sense may surely be made, for it must ever be true that there can be no escape for the one who finally neglects the Gospel. Here it is the salvation which was preached by the Lord to the Jews, by which a way of escape was opened to the believing remnant from the judgment about to fall on the nation. This salvation was afterwards preached by Peter and the other apostles in the early chapters of the Acts, when they said, 'Save yourselves from this untoward generation.' This testimony was borne witness to by God with 'signs and wonders, and divers miracles.' The Gospel of the Kingdom will again be preached after the Church has been completed" (The Epistle to the Hebrews, pp. 12-13).
J. N. Darby also said, "It is the preaching of a great salvation made by the Lord Himself when on earth; not the gospel preached and the Church united after the death of Christ. This testimony, consequently, goes on to the Millennium without speaking of the Church, a fact to be noticed not only in these verses but in the whole epistle." (Collected Writings, vol. 28, p. 4)
The Importance of the Death of Christ
Chap. 2:5-18—The writer’s remarks to the Hebrew company as a whole are continued here with the theme of Christ’s superiority over angels. As mentioned earlier, the great point in chapter 1 is to magnify the glories of Christ as the Son of God. Now in chapter 2, the writer brings out the glories of Christ as the Son of Man. The chapter exults in His death—seeing it as it truly is—a triumph for God and man. This was important for the Jews to understand because they had been conditioned to think of death as being a thing of defeat. The hope of every Jew was to live forever on earth in “the world to come”—the Millennium (Psa. 133:3; Isa. 65:22; Dan. 12:2; Mark 10:17; Luke 10:28). Death signalled defeat in their minds. They could not accept the idea that their Messiah would die, even though their own Scriptures stated that He would (Psalm 16:10; 22:15; Isa. 53:8-9; Dan. 9:26). Hence, they needed to see that Christ’s death and resurrection was really a victorious thing that accomplished much for the glory of God and for the deliverance and blessing of man.
Four Reasons Why Christ Became a Man, Suffered, and Died
This being the case, the writer proceeds to present four great reasons why Christ became a Man, suffered, and died. (See The Collected Writings of J. N. Darby, vol. 21, pp. 383-385; vol. 23, p. 255; vol. 28, pp. 41-42; Notes and Jottings of J. N. Darby, p. 240.) If He was to accomplish great things for God and man through death, He must of necessity become a Man. The writer, therefore, presents Christ in this chapter as “the Son of Man,” which emphasizes His humanity. The underlying message that the Spirit of God would have us to get from these four points is that they are things that no angel could do. This, again, confirms Christ’s superiority over angels.
First Reason
1) CHRIST CAME TO VINDICATE GOD REGARDING THE FALL OF MAN AND TO BEGIN A NEW RACE OF MEN THROUGH WHICH THE PURPOSE OF GOD WOULD BE FULFILLED
Vss. 5-13—The writer explains that God has purposed that “the world to come” (the Millennium) would be under the rule of man. This is something that was never said of angels. God made angels to serve but not to rule. Hence, the writer says, “Unto the angels hath He not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak” (vs. 5). The only creature that He ever made to rule was man. However, the fall of man has rendered him quite incapable of ruling in any proper sense (Eccl. 7:29). In his fallen state, he is not fit for the purpose for which he was created. If God were to use man in his fallen state to rule the world to come, he would only spoil it as he has done with this present world. Thus, the entrance of sin has seemingly frustrated God’s purpose for man.
The writer of the epistle then quotes from Psalm 8 to show that God would meet this dilemma by having Christ come and take up manhood for the glory of God. He would become a Man and assume the liabilities that the first man has incurred by going into death and making expiation for sin. In rising from the dead, Christ would become the Head of a new creation race of men which would be well able to rule in the world to come, as God has purposed. This is the first great reason why Christ became a Man.
Vs. 6—The Psalm says, “What is man that Thou art mindful of him?” The Psalmist wonders at the grace of God that would take up with men. The word here for “man,” in the Hebrew, is “Enosh.” It denotes man’s weak, frail state—implying his fallen and degenerated condition. We are indeed very thankful that God has been mindful of our fallen race. He could have "thought only of Himself, and gathered unto Him His spirit and His breath, and all flesh would perish [expire] together, and man would return to the dust" (Job 34:14-15). God would have been just in doing this, but we as a race would have been lost forever. The writer continues his quote of Psalm 8, saying, “ ... Or the son of man that Thou visitest him.” This refers to God's visit to the human race in mercy in the Person of the Son (Luke 1:78). Instead of thinking only of Himself and leaving us to perish in our sins, “God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son” that we might not perish (John 3:16). But here, let us note that the Psalmist uses a different word for “man,” in the Hebrew, from what he had previously used. Here it is “Adam,” which does not carry the connotations of “Enosh.” This means that when Christ would visit the human race by becoming a Man, it would not be in the degenerated “Enosh” state. Thus, in His incarnation, He would partake in manhood (spirit, soul, and body), but not in fallen manhood. We see from this how carefully the Word of God guards Christ’s sinless humanity. The Lord Jesus did not have a fallen sin-nature, as the rest of Adam’s descendants do; He had a holy human nature.
Vss. 7-8a—In becoming a Man, Christ condescended to take a place “a little lower than [inferior to] the angels” because men are an order of beings in God's creation that are inferior to angels. In chapter 1:4, the writer said that Christ is “so much better than the angels.” These statements do not contradict each other; one emphasizes His deity and the other His humanity. Thus, in coming down to take up with mankind, the Lord passed angels by and took upon Him the seed of Abraham (vs. 16). Being a Man, He accepted creature limitations (though not a creature Himself) and walked through this world in lowly dependence and obedience to His Father. The Psalm does not speak of His death, but passes over it to tell us of His present position as ascended on high—“Thou crownedst Him with glory and honour.” The Psalm also says, “And didst set Him over the works of Thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under His feet.” Being that this is a millennial psalm, this hasn't happened yet. It refers to God's intention to have man to rule over the world to come in the Person of Christ. In that day, He will publicly have dominion over all as a glorified Man.
Vs. 8b—The writer breaks off quoting Psalm 8 at this point because that psalm views Christ's dominion as being limited to "all things" on earth and in the sea. The Old Testament does not go beyond the earthly side of the reign of the Messiah. However, the New Testament reveals that Christ's dominion will be over a far greater range of things, including things in heaven (Eph. 1:10; Phil. 2:10). Therefore, under inspiration, the writer adds, “He left nothing that is not put under Him.” This goes beyond the scope of Psalm 8 and embraces the whole universe. Since this is yet in the future, he states that the public display of this is not presently seen in the world—“but now we see not yet all things put under Him.”
Vs. 9—While we do not see Christ publicly reigning over the universe yet, the eye of faith sees Him “crowned with glory and honour” at the right hand of God. This is where He is now as a glorified Man. The writer goes on to tell us why Christ was made a little lower than the angels—it was "for the suffering of death." This is also something that Psalm 8 does not mention. It shows that by stepping into man’s place and becoming a Man, Christ assumed the liabilities that came with it. Hence, His becoming a Man was to “taste death for every thing.” This is the broadest aspect of Christ’s work on the cross. It is that which took care of the whole outbreak of sin and the havoc that it has wrought in the creation. This shows us how far-reaching the effects of sin have been; it has not only touched Adam’s race, but also the whole lower creation under him. Hence, Christ did not die only for men, but also for what sin has wrought in the creation.
If Christ, as a Man, is to reign over the inheritance—which includes every created thing in heaven and on earth—He must obtain the right to it by His purchase on the cross. This is why it says that Christ tasted death for "every thing." He bought “the field” (the whole world—“the cosmos”); this includes men as well as things (Matt. 13:38, 44). Hence, He paid the price for the right of possession to the whole world and all in it.
Vs. 10—If God, "for whom are all things, and by whom are all things," is to have His purpose fulfilled by having the creation under the rule of man in the world to come, it would have to be through a new race of men. But, in order for this new race to exist, it first must have a Head. Colossians 1:18, states that when the Lord Jesus Christ rose “from among the dead,” He became the "beginning" (and thus Head) of this new creation race (Rev. 3:14). The writer of Hebrews refers to this, stating that if God was going to bring "many sons" (a new race of men) to "glory," the “Captain [Author]” (the Lord Jesus Christ) would first have to be made "perfect." This refers to Christ’s resurrection and glorification (Luke 13:32; Heb. 5:9). It shows that there had to be a glorified Head before there could be a glorified race under Him. All who have believed the gospel, and are thus “in Christ,” are part of this “new creation” race (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15; Eph. 2:10). While Christ is presently glorified, the new race under Him has not yet been brought to glory—that is, been brought to a glorified condition. This change awaits the moment of the Rapture (Phil. 3:21; 1 Thess. 4:15-17).
The amazing thing about this is that when Christ rose from the dead and ascended into the heavens as a Man, He passed angels by a second time, and took manhood to a place far above angels! We are told that when He entered the heavens as a Man, He sat down in a place “far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come” (Eph. 1:20-21). (Principalities and powers, etc., are angelic beings.) Thus, the Head of this new race is in a place above angels, and since believers are “in Christ” (2 Cor. 5:17), they are in that place too! This means that there is now a whole race of men under Christ that is superior to angels! The first order of man was made a little lower than the angels, but this new race of men under Christ is not a little higher than angels—it is “far above” angels! Men in this new race are now the highest order of God’s creatures. We are of that new order of manhood now. Presently, it does not appear to be so because we still are in our bodies of humiliation (Phil. 3:21), which are part of the old order of manhood, but “as we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly” (1 Cor. 15:49; 1 John 3:2). That is, there is a day coming when we will be glorified like Christ (Rom. 8:17, 30) and will thus be suited to reign with Him in the world to come.
Note: it was the will of God that Christ would be made perfect “through sufferings.” This refers to what He passed through when He walked in this world. These were not the Lord’s atoning sufferings, but the sufferings which prepared Him to be our High Priest. He is now able to sympathize with His people who are passing through suffering and trial in the path of faith because He has felt the same (vs. 18).
Vs. 11—The writer goes on to show how perfectly those of the new creation race are suited to Christ. He says, “He (Christ) that sanctifieth and they (Christians) who are sanctified are all of one.” This refers to those of the new race being of the same nature and kind as Christ Himself. “All of one,” is not referring to the oneness of the body of Christ, nor is it speaking of the oneness in the family of God, but of our oneness of kind with Christ in the new creation. Thus, Christ and His brethren are of one set and kind.
An example of the oneness of kind is shown when Adam’s wife was brought to him. He had seen all of the various kinds of creatures pass before him; each was “after his kind” (Gen. 1:21, 24-25). There was, however, none found among them that were of Adam’s kind, and thus, all such were unsuited to him. But when God brought the woman to Adam, he saw one who was of his own kind, and said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh” (Gen. 2:23). Far be the thought, but had Adam been forced to take one of the other creatures to be his wife, he would have been ashamed, but when God gave him the woman, which was of his kind, he was overjoyed. Similarly, we are "one" in kind with Christ in this new order of humanity, and therefore, entirely suited to Him. Hence, He “is not ashamed to call them brethren.”
It is important to note, however, that while He is not ashamed to call us “brethren,” the Word of God never says that we should call Him our “Elder Brother,” or other such terms of familiarity. Let us remember that He is “the Firstborn among many brethren” (Rom. 8:29). As such, He has a place of preeminence among the others in the new race and there is a special glory that belongs to Him alone—which is what “Firstborn” indicates. It is a “glory” that we will behold, but it is not shared with us (John 17:24). The Lord’s words to Mary indicate this special place that belongs to Him. He said, “I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God” (John 20:17). He did not say “our” Father and “our” God, but mentions Himself in relation to His Father and His God separately from that of believers, showing that He has a place of distinction in the new creation race. This being the case, we must be careful not to speak to Him, or of Him, in terms of familiarity.
Vss. 12-13—Three quotations from the Old Testament Scriptures are cited to show Christ’s full identification with His brethren in this new relationship. While Christ must be distinguished as the preeminent One in the new creation, these quotations serve to prove how thoroughly the Sanctifier and the sanctified are bound up together.
The first Old Testament quotation is from Psalm 22:22: “I will declare Thy name unto My brethren; in the midst of the assembly will I sing Thy praises.” The word “assembly,” in this verse, is not referring to the Church as elsewhere in the New Testament (Matt. 16:18, etc.). If it was speaking of the Church, then the Church is found in the Old Testament—but this contradicts Romans 16:25; Ephesians. 3:3-5; Colossians 1:24-26. The word “assembly,” in Psalm 22, is referring to the whole heavenly company of saints from Old and New Testament times who will be raised and glorified in a coming day. J. N. Darby remarked, “The assembly is not found in the Epistle to the Hebrews, save in an allusion to all comprised in the millennial glory in chapter 12” (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, on Hebrews 1-2). His translation footnote on Hebrews 9:11 states something similar: “The Epistle to the Hebrews, though addressed to Christians on most precious subjects, does not enter into the proper church standing: it once refers to the church as in heaven in chapter 12” (full notes version). See Collected Writings of J. N. Darby, vol. 10, p. 245.
The point of the quotation is not to teach that the Church is seen in the Old Testament, but to show that after redemption would be completed, the theme of praise from Christ and the redeemed would be one in intelligence as to what He accomplished in His death. J. N. Darby said, “Verse 12 is a quotation from Psalm 22:22, where Jesus, in resurrection, takes the place of Leader of the praise of His brethren. Our songs should therefore ever accord with His. He has passed through death for us; and if our worship expresses uncertainty and doubt instead of joy and assurance in the sense of accomplished redemption, there can be no harmony but discord with the mind of heaven” (Collected Writings, vol. 27, p. 343). The Lord leads the praise of the redeemed today in these Christian times when the saints are assembled together because He and the redeemed are one in their theme of praise, if they are in communion with Him.
The second quotation is from Isaiah 8:17 (the Septuagint version): “I will put My trust in Him.” Having become a Man, Christ has accepted creature limitations (though not a creature Himself) and thus, lives in expressed dependence upon God. Since He will remain a Man for eternity, He will forever have a place of subjection to the Father along with His brethren.
The third quotation is from Isaiah 8:18. “Behold I and the children which God hath given Me.” Again, this is quoted for the sake of the principle involved; it does not teach that we are Christ’s children. We are “the children of God” (John 1:12; Rom. 8:16; 1 John 3:1), and as such, we are “joint-heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17). This quotation shows that the Sanctifier and the sanctified are one in nature, having the same life.
Thus, we are one with Him in our praise to God, in our dependence on God, and in our having the same life and nature.
In summary, this passage (vss. 5-13) shows that God has been fully vindicated regarding the fall of man, and that His purpose concerning the dominion of man in the world to come will be accomplished through a new race of men under Christ. All this is something that no angel could accomplish, and thus, Christ’s superiority over them is herein distinguished.
Second Reason
2) CHRIST CAME TO ANNUL THE
DEVIL’S POWER OF DEATH
Vss. 14-15—The writer moves along to give a second reason as to why Christ became a Man and died—it was to annul the devil's power in death. He says, “Forasmuch 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 [annul] him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.”
Prior to the death and resurrection of Christ, Satan wielded “the power of death” over men by making them afraid of what lay beyond death. He used the fear of death (“the king of terrors” – Job 18:14) to his advantage and held men in bondage and fear. Satan’s power of death does not mean that he has the power to take a person’s life. He cannot go about killing whomsoever he chooses; only God holds the power of life and death in His hand (Dan. 5:23; Job 2:6). No one dies without Him allowing it. The power of death that Satan has used on men is the dread power of death—its element of fear.
The good news is that Christ has not only borne our sins in His own body on the tree as our Sin-bearer (1 Peter 2:24), but He has also gone into death and robbed the devil of his power to terrify the child of God with death. He now stands victoriously on the other side of death declaring, “I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell [hades] and of death” (Rev. 1:18). Thus, Christ has conquered death by loosing its “pangs” or fear element (Acts 2:24 — W. Kelly’s Translation) for the enlightened believer who faces death. He went down into “the dust of death” to conquer it (Psa. 22:15) and has left but “the shadow of death” for the child of God to pass through (Psa. 23:4). We may be called to pass through the article of death, but its “sting” has been taken away; we can face death without fear (1 Cor. 15:55).
The KJV says that the Lord died to “destroy” the devil, but it should be translated, “annul.” (See also 2 Timothy 1:10). The devil, clearly, has not been destroyed; he is still doing his evil work today of deceiving men, etc. His destruction will not occur until after the Millennium has run its course, when he will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10). What this 14th verse is telling us is that the devil’s power to terrify believers has been annulled, or cancelled. Satan, generally, leaves unbelievers undisturbed as they go along life’s path into a lost eternity. Sold under his deception, many look at death without alarm, even though immediately after they pass through it, there is sheer torment for them (Luke 16:22-23). The Psalmist notes this, stating, “They have no pangs until death” (Psa. 73:4 – ESV). Similarly, the Lord taught that Satan (“the strong man”) does everything he can to keep “his goods” (lost persons) “in peace” (Luke 11:21).
Note: by Christ’s becoming a Man in order to win this victory over Satan, there are two different words used in verse 14 which are used to guard His sinless humanity. When it speaks of the "children," it says that they are “partakers” of flesh and blood. The word in the Greek translated “partakers” (koinoneo), means a common, equal sharing in something. In this case, their sharing in humanity. This is true of all men; they all fully partake in humanity—right down to having the sin-nature. However, when it speaks of Christ’s becoming a Man, the Spirit of God leads the writer to use a different word. He says that He “took part” (metecho) in the same. This word in the Greek indicates a sharing in something without specifying to what degree the sharing goes. Therefore, while Christ became a Man fully (in spirit, soul, and body), His sharing in humanity did not go so far as to take part in man’s fallen state, because He did not have a fallen sin-nature.
Vs. 15—He goes on and says, “And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Those who experienced this deliverance could not be the Old Testament saints, as many have supposed. They lived hundreds, or even thousands of years before Christ won this victory by dying and rising from the dead. They lived in fear of death and they died in that state of bondage, and never got deliverance from it in their lifetime. Of course, once they passed through the article of death, they would immediately be at “peace” and in a state of bliss (Isa. 57:1-2). All such are rejoicing now with the Lord in their disembodied state. But these, of whom the writer speaks, got deliverance from this fear through Christ's death and resurrection. They would have to have been alive on earth at the time when He rose from the dead. This would have to be the believing remnant of disciples, the first generation of believers in the Church. They were Jewish believers on Old Testament ground as to their understanding, and thus, they lived in "fear of death." However, they learned through the gospel of Christ’s victory over Satan's power in death (2 Tim. 1:10), and thus, were delivered from those fears. When they were later called upon to go through death as Christians, they could face it without fear. In fact, all who believe on Christ, after His death and resurrection, and who have been enlightened by the gospel as to these things, have this same confidence.
Again, this shows Christ’s death to be a triumphant thing, not a defeat. And, it is something that no angel could do.
Third Reason
3) CHRIST CAME TO MAKE
PROPITIATION FOR OUR SINS
Vss. 16-17—The third reason that Christ became a Man and died was to "make propitiation for the sins of the people." This, of course, refers to His “one sacrifice for sins” on the cross to save those who would believe (chap. 10:12). To accomplish this, Christ would have to be “made like unto His brethren”—that is, to become a Man. (This is not referring to His brethren in the new creation race as mentioned in verses 11-12, but rather, His fellow countrymen of natural relationship—the Jews.) He took "hold of the seed of Abraham" and became a Man in that lineage for the purpose of going to the cross to make propitiation. Propitiation is the Godward side of Christ's work on the cross that meets the claims of divine justice in regard to sin and sins, and thus, vindicates God’s holiness (Rom. 3:25; 1 John 2:2; 4:10).
The KJV says that Christ made “reconciliation for the sins of the people,” but this is a mistranslation. It should read, “propitiation for the sins of the people.” A holy God, as our God is, will never reconcile Himself with sin! (This mistranslation is also found in Leviticus 16:20.) Christ’s work in making propitiation is, again, a triumphant thing, and something that an angel couldn’t do.
Verse 17 introduces us to Christ’s priesthood for the first time in the epistle. Coupling this verse with Romans 8:34, we learn that there are two functions in His priesthood:
Making propitiation for sins of the people—a one-time work.
Making intercession for His people—an on-going work.
Similarly, the Old Testament high priests had a two-fold function in their office: Firstly, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would don his holy “linen” garments and offer a sacrifice (a sin offering) outside the sanctuary at the brazen altar (Lev. 16:6, 9). This is a type of Christ’s death on the cross to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Then, after offering a sacrifice to make atonement for the people, the high priest would go inside the sanctuary and change into his garments of “glory and beauty” wherein he would minister before the Lord. This is a type of Christ’s present service on high in the presence of God interceding for His people who are passing through this world. Verses 17-18, show Christ to be the anti-type of these two things.
Fourth Reason
4) CHRIST BECAME A MAN IN ORDER
TO BE A SYMPATHETIC HIGH PRIEST
Vs. 18—The fourth reason Christ became a Man and died was so that He could be a sympathizing High Priest. The writer says: “For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour [help] them that are tempted.” In passing through this world to the cross, Christ suffered being tempted in every way that a righteous man could be tempted, thus qualifying Him to be “a merciful and faithful High Priest.” Being thereby fitted through sufferings to the office of high priesthood (vs. 10), Christ presently intercedes for His people as they pass through the same evil world through which He passed. Being a Man, He is fully able to enter into the sorrows and trials of His people because He has felt the same. He succours (helps) them in His sympathies, and grants according to His perfect wisdom, “mercy and grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). Thus, through His high priestly intercession we are enabled to stand in the time of temptation and trial. However, all this necessitated the Son of God becoming a Man and suffering. And again, this is something that angels cannot do. They are not men and have not walked in the path of faith, nor have they been tempted with troubles in connection with life on earth. They, therefore, cannot enter into our sorrows and minister the comfort and encouragement that we need in times of trial.
Summary
Thus, Hebrews 2:5-18, presents four great reasons why the Son of God became the Son of Man. Each of these things that the writer has touched upon could only be accomplished by Christ becoming a Man, suffering, dying, and then rising again. Being who Christ is—God “in the Person of the Son”—there is really no comparison between Him and angels. He is an eternal and infinite Person, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, whereas the angels are but creatures that He made to be His servants!
Christ Superior to Moses: Hebrews 3
(Chapter 3:1-19)
As mentioned in the Introduction, chapters 3–10:18 focus on Christ as “the High Priest of our confession.” This has to do with His entrance into heaven to carry out His present service of intercession for us (Rom. 8:34), after having made expiation for sin.
Christ’s Priesthood—Manward and Godward
Chapters 1-2 have unfolded the glories of Christ as the Son of God and the Son of Man, and thus, have shown Him to be perfectly fitted to enter into service as our great High Priest. Having introduced Him as such, at the end of chapter 2, the writer now proceeds with the ministration of His priesthood in the following chapters. This is both manward and Godward.
As to the manward side (chaps. 3–7)—He succours (helps) those who are tempted (chap. 2:18), He sympathizes with those with infirmities (chap. 4:14), He grants grace and mercy to those in need (chap. 4:16), He has compassion on the ignorant and those out of the way (chap. 5:2), and He saves those who come unto God by Him (chap. 7:25).
As to the Godward side (chaps. 8–10)—He secures the new covenant and its blessing for Israel (chap. 8), He offers himself without spot to God as a supreme sacrifice to put away sin and thus purge the conscience of the believer (chaps. 9-10), and He presents the praises of the saints to God (chaps. 10:21; 13:15).
Both of these aspects of Christ’s priestly work are seen in chapter 2:17—“a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God.” “Merciful” pertains to our side of His priestly service and “faithful” has to do with God’s side.
A Brief Outline of Chapters 3-4
Before taking up the actual function of Christ’s priesthood in chapter 5, the writer touches on some preliminary things in connection with that office. A brief breakdown of chapters 3-4 are as follows:
The sphere in which Christ’s high priestly service is exercised—God’s house (chap. 3:1-6).
The circumstances which have called for it—the wilderness (chap. 3:7-19).
The rest to which the wilderness journey leads (chap. 4:1-11).
The provision which God has made so that we would be preserved from failing (chap. 4:12-16).
The Sphere of Christ’s High Priestly Service—the House of God
In chapters 3-4, the writer brings forward the two greatest leaders in the early history of the legal system—Moses and Joshua—and compares them to Christ. He shows, again, that Christ is in every way superior to them.
Chap. 3:1-2—He addresses these Hebrew believers as: “Holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling.” This is something altogether different from what they had known and had been a part of as Jews in Israel. They were once brethren in a national calling of God with earthly hopes and an earthly inheritance (Deut. 7:6-8). But by receiving Christ by faith, they had been taken “out from” that earthly calling and made part of a new thing of God’s making—the Church (Acts 26:17). Addressing them as such, they are viewed in their Christian position with a heavenly calling.
As Christians, they are asked to “consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus, who is faithful to Him that has constituted Him, as Moses also in all His house.” As mentioned already, considering Christ as “the Apostle” of our confession has been before us in chapters 1-2. Considering Christ as “the High Priest” of our confession is now what is before us in chapters 3-10:18.
Moses is introduced in verse 2 for the purpose of comparing his faithfulness to Christ’s (Num. 12:7). This is seen in the words, “as also.” Christ was “faithful to Him (God) that appointed Him.” Thus, both were faithful.
The Threefold Superiority of Christ over Moses
Vss. 3-4—After the comparison, the writer proceeds to give three great contrasts between Christ and Moses: Firstly, Christ the High Priest of our confession is “counted worthy of more [greater] glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.” The “house” which Moses made and ministered in was the earthly tabernacle in the wilderness (Ex. 25-30). It was but a figurative representation, or “pattern,” of the house that Christ built and ministers in—which is the whole universe (chap. 8:2, 5; 9:23). The writer identifies it as “all things.” Thus, Moses served in a mere model of the real house. The sphere of Christ’s high priestly work, therefore, is incomparably greater. In order that no one would mistake who Christ the Builder of God’s house is, the writer adds, “He that built all things is God.” Thus, he identifies Christ as God, and immediately, this sets Him apart from Moses as far as the Creator is above the creature.
Vs. 5—Secondly, Moses’ ministry served as “a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after.” That is, it testified of “good things to come” (chaps. 9:11; 10:1), which things have been brought in by Christ. This, again, shows Christ to be greater than Moses.
Vs. 6—Thirdly, Moses was a “servant” in the house wherein he ministered, but Christ is “Son over His (God’s) house.” It hardly needs to be said that a son is greater than a servant. The prodigal son understood this difference, and said, “I am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants” (Luke 15:19).
As to God’s house, the writer tells us that in these Christian times it has another meaning. He says: “Whose house we are” (NASB). Believers on the Lord Jesus Christ are viewed as being God’s spiritual house today. We are “built together for a habitation of God” (Eph. 2:22; 1 Peter 2:5). By introducing believers as the house of God, we learn that we are in the sphere in which Christ’s priesthood is exercised.
The writer then says, “If we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end” (vs. 6b). He mentions this because there was a possibility of some apostatizing. On the other hand, those who were real would prove to be God’s house by holding fast. This shows that continuance in the path of faith is the evidence of one’s reality.
The Circumstances Which Call for Christ’s High Priestly Service—the Wilderness
Chap. 3:7-19—It is in the ways of God to test all profession. All who take the path of faith and thus identify themselves with the Christian position in this world will be tested as to their reality or the lack thereof. And there is no place like “the wilderness” to bring this out. We speak now of the wilderness in a figurative sense. Just as Israel passed through a great wilderness, on their way from Egypt to Canaan, which was fraught with dangers and enemies, and had their faith tried, believers on the Lord Jesus are also passing through a scene of spiritual danger and testing as they walk through this world on the path of faith. This time of testing and learning in our Christian experience can be referred to as our wilderness journey (Rom. 5:3-5; 1 Peter 5:10).
Thus, the wilderness is where the reality of our profession is put to the test by the circumstances we meet. We prove the reality of our faith by our continuance in the path, regardless of the severity of the hardships in the way. Those same circumstances also manifest the true state of a merely professing believer; it will be evident in his drawing back from Christian ground, which is apostasy. This was what was happening with this company of Hebrews who had professed faith in Christ. The trials and persecutions that they were experiencing were proving that most of them had real faith, but sadly, those same trials and persecutions were also manifesting that there was an absence of real faith in some. Those who are false will eventually let go of their confession of faith in Christ and depart from the path.
In the latter half of chapter 3, the writer turns to speak of the wilderness circumstances which call for the exercise of Christ’s priesthood, which, if a believer avails himself of it (chap. 7:25), will hold him on course and help him to continue in the path “firm unto the end.”
Second Warning Against Apostasy
(Chapter 3:7–4:11)
The Danger of Unbelief
This leads the writer to give a second warning against apostasy. In a parenthesis (vss. 7-11), he quotes from Psalm 95 to bring before the Hebrews the seriousness of refusing to go on in the path of faith. This is the first of five quotes from that psalm. The circumstance to which the psalmist refers was Israel’s unbelief at Kadesh-barnea in what is called “the provocation” (Num. 13-14). The promised land was before them; all they had to do was to believe the Word of the Lord through Moses, and go in and take it. But they were filled with unbelief and refused. The children of Israel provoked the Lord to wrath by refusing to go into the land of Canaan which God had given them.
The Ten Temptations
The “provocation” at Kadesh was the tenth time Israel had tempted the Lord in the first two years of their wilderness journey (Num. 14:22). These are:
Not trusting the Lord at the Red Sea concerning Pharaoh’s army (Ex. 14:11-12; Psa. 106:7).
Questioning the wisdom of the Lord in leading them into the wilderness (Ex. 15:24).
Asking for bread to fulfill their lust (Ex. 16:2; Psa. 78:18).
Trying to gather the Manna on the Sabbath day (Ex. 16:27-28).
Questioning whether the Lord was truly among them (Ex. 17:2, 7; Psa. 78:19-20).
Worshipping the golden calf (Ex. 32:7-14; Psa. 106:19).
Complaining against the Lord (Num. 11:1-3).
Lusting after Egypt’s foods (Num. 11:4-9).
Criticizing their leader—Moses (Num. 12:9).
Despising the pleasant land (Num. 14:1-5; Psa. 106:24-25).
The first five temptations were before the giving of the Law when Israel was still in a period of grace under God’s hand, and therefore, they were not made to feel the consequences of their sins. But the last five were after the giving of the Law, when the people were under the responsibility of their covenant relationship with the Lord (Ex. 24), and therefore, they had to bear the consequences of their sins in various strokes of governmental judgment from God.
By quoting Scripture, as the writer does here in chapter 3:7-11, he gave the Hebrews a warning that came straight from the Word of God. He identifies the speaker as “the Holy Spirit.” (He does not say, “As David saith....”) Thus, the first warning was from the Son (chap. 2:1-4), and now, this second warning is from the Holy Spirit. It could not be clearer that God was speaking to them! The gravity of this fact was calculated to soberize them. It is significant that in quoting the passage, the writer used the quote from Psalm 95 in the present tense. He says, “As the Holy Ghost saith....” This shows that even though it was written hundreds of years earlier, the Holy Spirit was still speaking through it. Such is the “living” Word of God (Heb. 4:12). He says, “If ye will hear His voice....” The use of “if,” here, brings in the condition of willingness and obedience.
Vss. 12-13—The writer then makes his application from the quotation: “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” His use of the word “brethren,” here, refers to the natural ties that he had with his fellow countrymen of “the stock of Israel” (Phil. 3:5)—not, as in verse 1, where it is used in reference to fellow Christians of “the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10). His point in this passage could not be clearer. The same sin of “unbelief” that marked Israel of old and led to their downfall in the wilderness could be theirs also! If they neglected the voice of God, their hearts would become “hardened through the deceitfulness of sin,” as was Israel’s in old times.
Two Kinds of Hearts
There are two kinds of hearts under consideration in the epistle to the Hebrews:
“An evil heart” of unbelief that departs from God (chap. 3:12). This is apostasy. W. Kelly translates “departing,” as “falling away,” an expression used elsewhere in Scripture to denote apostasy (2 Thess. 2:3; Heb. 6:6; Luke 8:13). It is the same word used in 1 Timothy 4:1, in which J. N. Darby translates it as “apostatize.” As mentioned in the Introduction, apostasy is something that only a mere professing believer would do by renouncing Christianity. Thus, an evil heart of unbelief is not referring to backsliding, which a believer may do if he gets cold in his soul. (The weakness of faith in a believer is not the subject of the warnings in the epistle; all departure from God, in Hebrews, is apostasy.)
“A true heart” that draws near with full assurance of faith (chap. 10:22). This is something that a true believer will do when instructed in the truth unfolded in this epistle.
The fact that they were to “exhort one another daily” because of “the deceitfulness of sin” shows that we need to be together often. We can’t exhort one another if we seldom see one another! This shows that we are to watch for one another’s souls as our brother’s keeper.
Vs. 14—While the previous verses warn against apostasy, this verse encourages faith to carry on in the path. As stated already, believers in this epistle are seen as being part of the new creation race. As such, they are viewed as “sons” of God (chap. 2:10), as “brethren” of Christ (chap. 2:11), and as the “companions” of Christ (chap. 3:14). These terms denote our relationship with the Lord as Head of the race. (Our link to Christ, as the Head of His body, of which we are the members, is a different relationship and is not the subject in Hebrews.) The writer’s point here is that true believers will prove themselves to be such by holding on “stedfast unto the end.”
Vs. 15—The writer returns to the quote from Psalm 95 to emphasize another key word in it—“Today....” This shows that there was an urgency to hearing His voice and in responding appropriately and immediately.
Three Searching Questions
Vss. 16-19—In another parenthesis, the writer again speaks of Israel’s history in the wilderness to bring out the effects of the sin of unbelief. He asks three searching questions which emphasize the solemn fact that an evil heart of unbelief is easily deceived by sin, and that deceitfulness hardens the heart so that no reproof can touch it. Thus, the person whose heart has hardened becomes fixed in his course toward damnation. This is very solemn indeed.
Firstly, he asks, “Who was it, who having heard, provoked?” Was it just a few? No, it was the mass of the people—“All that came out of Egypt by Moses” (vs. 16). Likewise, all to whom he was writing were being tested in this way. And, if they did not respond in faith to God’s Word, they too could “provoke” Him to wrath.
Secondly, he asks, “With whom was He grieved forty years?” It was “them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness” (vs. 17). What the writer refers to here, goes beyond the day of provocation to take in Israel’s whole course in the wilderness. By the end of forty years, all who were of that generation who had despised the pleasant land had been “wasted out” from among them (Deut. 2:14-15). They were dealt with by a stroke of God’s governmental judgment and died in the wilderness. Likewise, with these Hebrews, if unbelief was found in them, they could experience a similar stroke of divine judgment and also be taken away from the earth through death prematurely! This actually happened to thousands of them by the hand of the Romans in 66-70 A. D.
Thirdly, he asks, “To whom sware He that they should not enter into His rest?” It was those who “believed not” (vss. 18-19). Thus, the net result for all who did not believe was the forfeiture of God’s rest in the land of Canaan. This was the case with most of them. They never entered the land, and thus, they failed to reach that rest. Similarly, those among the Hebrews who would not believe would not enter God’s eternal rest! Whether then or now, “unbelief” is what keeps people from entering His rest. Mere profession is not enough to carry a person through to heaven and into the rest of God.
Christ Superior to Joshua: Hebrews 4
(Chapter 4:1-16)
In the fourth chapter, the writer presents another contrast. He compares Joshua, the great military leader in Israel’s history, with Christ our great spiritual Leader. Joshua brought the children of Israel into their promised rest in Canaan, which was an earthly and temporal portion of blessing. It could be, and sad to say was, forfeited some years later. Christ, on the other hand, is bringing believers on into God’s eternal rest. This is something which is spiritual rather than material and can never be forfeited! The contrast here is incalculable, and therefore, sets Christ apart from Joshua immeasurably.
The Rest to Which the Wilderness Journey Leads
Chap. 4:1-11—After closing the parenthesis at the end of chapter 3, the writer resumes his words of warning in connection with the dangers of apostasy that faced the Hebrews. He tells them that they needed to “fear” lest any lacked faith and came short of entering God’s “rest.” This shows that there was a real danger of some of them not reaching that divine end and ending up eternally lost.
The “rest” of God of which he speaks in this chapter is a future thing. It is not an epitaph on a tombstone. Nor is it a present rest which the Lord gives from the burden of law-keeping to those who come to Him (Matt. 11:28-29). Nor is it a rest in our souls resulting from knowing that the Lord is in control of all the circumstances in our lives (2 Thess. 1:7; Isa. 26:3). Nor is it a rest for our tired bodies resulting from busy service for the Lord (Mark 6:31). As mentioned, it is a future thing which the saints will reach in the Millennium. J. N. Darby said, “In chapter 4, the rest of God is left vague in its character in order to embrace both the heavenly part and the earthly part of the Lord’s millennial reign” (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, on Hebrews 4). The rest of God will eventually extend into the Eternal State. W. Scott said, “The term ‘His rest,’ in Hebrews 3-4, in its fullest application refers to the Eternal State” (An Exposition of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, p. 416).
Verse 2 Says, “For indeed we have had glad tidings presented to us, even as they also.” That is, we have been the objects of God’s glad tidings, as were the children of Israel in times past. But this does not mean that both have been given the same message of good news. We have received the gospel of the grace of God which was only begun to be preached after redemption was accomplished (Acts 20:24). The good news that Israel received in the wilderness was “the word” that the spies brought back to the people at Kadesh concerning the goodness of Canaan (Num. 13:26-27; Deut. 1:25). The danger that the writer is pointing out here is that as the “report” which Israel heard in that day of provocation was “not mixed with faith,” and therefore, did not “profit them,” so also might be the case now with the gospel that we have heard.
Vs. 3—He says, “For we which have believed do enter into rest.” His point here is that the believer, and the believer only, will enter into God’s rest. He deducts this from Psalm 95 by reasoning from the reverse of what it says. If those who do not believe will not enter in, then it is only those who do believe who will. F. B. Hole states that this is a Hebrew idiom common to that language.
Vss. 4-10—The writer then goes about to prove, from Scripture, that the true rest of God is still coming in the future. Canaan’s rest into which Joshua brought Israel is really a foreshadow of God’s eternal rest. He emphasizes this here because the Jews thought that God’s rest was Canaan, and nothing more. He says, “The works were finished from the foundation of the world, for He spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all His works.” This is a quote from Genesis 2:2. He brings this in to show that from the beginning of creation God has had before Him an ultimate rest. From it we learn that there are two things that characterize His rest. One is His satisfaction in what He has accomplished and the other is His cessation from work. J. N. Darby stated that with the fall of man there now exists a condition wherein “holiness cannot rest where sin is, and love cannot rest where sorrow is.” Since God can only rest in that which satisfies His love and holiness, it is clear that He has not entered upon His rest yet. There, therefore, remains a rest ahead when the Eternal State is reached, when God will cease from His work (Rev. 21:6 – “It is done!”). Until then, He cannot be satisfied so long as sin exists in the world, and He has been working toward His divine end ever since sin’s entrance (John 5:17).
Vss. 5-6—The writer refers to Psalm 95 again. He says, “And in this place again, If they shall enter into My rest.” As mentioned, this is a Hebrew idiom based on the actual quote. His emphasis here is on the word “shall,” which points to the future. It shows that God’s ultimate rest is yet to come.
Vss. 7-10—The writer refers to Psalm 95 yet again; this time he emphasizes the fact that the writing of the psalm was a “long time” after Joshua led Israel into Canaan. In the psalm, David spoke of people who were in danger of not entering God’s rest (Psa. 95:11). What rest could he be referring to if Israel had already been brought into their rest by Joshua hundreds of years before? The writer’s reasoning is that if Joshua had “given them rest,” why would David “afterward have spoken of another day” of rest? (The KJV says, “Jesus” here, which is the Greek form for “Joshua.”) His conclusion is that “there remaineth, therefore, a rest to the people of God” which is yet to come. In verse 10, he reminds the Hebrews that the great characteristic of this rest is that there will be a complete cessation from toil. He who enters it will rest eternally with God (vs. 10).
Vs. 11—Since there is definitely a rest to come, the writer exhorts the Hebrews to “use diligence to enter into that rest, that no one may fall after the same example of not hearkening to the Word.” This has to do with making sure that their faith was real, and proving it by continuing in the path. Using “diligence,” is stated in the aorist tense in the Greek, meaning that it should be a once-for-all-time decision to go on in the path.
In chapters 3-4, he has mentioned three rests:
Creation’s rest—marred by sin.
Canaan’s rest—forfeited by unbelief.
Eternal rest—sure to be reached by those who have faith.
The Threefold Provision of God to Help Us Reach His Rest
Chap. 4:12-16—The writer goes on to speak of the provision that God has made for us so that we wouldn’t fail to reach His rest. He mentions three great things:
The Word of God
(Vss. 13-14)
The first is “the Word of God.” It profits every person who handles it with an “honest and good heart” (Luke 8:15). In this passage, the Word of God is mentioned in connection with correction, which if taken to heart, will be for our preservation in the wilderness path. W. Kelly said, “The Word of God is the needed correction, as we see it here” (The Epistle to the Hebrews, p. 73). The writer proceeds to give some of its outstanding features in this connection:
The Word of God is “quick [living].” This means that it is spiritually alive. When used by the Spirit of God, it gives life and light to souls (John 6:63; Psa. 19:8; Psa. 119:130).
The Word of God is “powerful [operative].” There is nothing that can hinder its working; it always accomplishes what God sends it to do (Isa. 55:11). No man or devil is able to stop it.
The Word of God is “sharper than any two-edged sword.” Everyone who uses it will find that it has a double application. The moral and spiritual issues which it addresses will apply to others as well as to ourselves; it cuts in both directions.
The Word of God is “penetrating.” If we allow it to search us (Psa. 139:23-24), it will pierce into the deepest part of our beings and divide between what is soulish in us from what is spiritual. (The writer speaks of “joints and marrow” in a figurative sense to indicate the inner part of our being.) It detects and exposes, and thus, makes us aware of deep-seated motives in our hearts that we would otherwise not be conscious of. We learn from this that the “soul and spirit” are closely connected and difficult to distinguish. This being the case, many have been moved by their soulish emotions in some matter and imagine that it is a spiritual thing. For example, we might be thinking about taking a certain step in life which we fully believe is based on spiritual motives. But when a principle from the Word of God is brought to bear on the matter, it brings to light that such a step is really born of natural and fleshly motives, and is not something spiritual at all. Thus, the Word of God strips away all pretense and superficial profession and exposes the hidden tendencies in our hearts that we may not know existed.
Lastly, the Word of God is a “discerner [judge] of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The Greek word translated “discerner,” in the KJV, can be translated “judge,” as in the W. Kelly translation. Thus, the Word not only detects and exposes hidden evils in our hearts—it condemns every evil that it exposes! It is the same word in the Greek from which we get our English word “critic.” Men, in their ignorance, dare to criticize God’s holy infallible Word, but really, they should be letting it criticize them. Thus, the Word of God judges us; we do not judge it!
The writer goes on to say, “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened [laid bare] unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (vs. 13). He brings this in to show that if we allow the Word of God to search us and to judge us as it should, it will give us a conscious sense of having to do with God concerning those things which His Word has detected. Every upright person will, therefore, take God’s side against the evil in his heart and will judge that which is inconsistent with His holiness. Evils that would surely derail the believer, if left to develop, are thus “nipped in the bud.” Consequently, we are able to avoid a multitude of snares that would surely cause us to stumble in the path if they were not thus exposed and judged. This exercise may be painful and humbling, but it is God’s way of preserving us. It shows that our hearts are exceedingly deceptive and not to be trusted (Jer. 17:9; Prov. 28:26). This exercise of judging ourselves puts us in a right state to profit from the next provision that God has given us in the next couple of verses.
The Priesthood of Christ
(Vss. 14-15)
The second thing God uses to preserve us in the path is the priesthood of Christ. The writer says, “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession [confession].” He calls the Lord Jesus Christ a “great High Priest.” There has been a long succession of high priests in Israel’s history, but none of them were ever said to be great. This in itself distinguishes Christ from all the others. He has “passed through the heavens” to carry on His priestly service in the immediate presence of God in the heavenly sanctuary above (Heb. 8:1-2; 9:24). This also separates Him from those Old Testament priests, for no priest in that economy has ever ascended into heaven to minister! Aaron passed through the outer court of the tabernacle, through the holy place, into the holiest of all once a year, but the tabernacle wherein he served was a mere model of the true sanctuary into which Christ has entered and abides as our High Priest (Heb. 8:5).
The writer’s use of the Lord’s earthly name “Jesus,” emphasizes the fact that He is a real Man who knows what it is to walk in this world. As a result, He can fully relate to our circumstances as men on earth. The Lord is also called “the Son of God” here. This emphasizes His divinity and means that He has all the attributes of deity. These two names of the Lord indicate that He is both human and divine, and they qualify Him to be our High Priest. Thus, we have One no less than God Himself (in the Person of the Son) as our High Priest! With such a Person on high to intercede for us (Rom. 8:34) and to help us in our earthly journey (Heb. 2:18), we are exhorted to “hold fast our confession.” As mentioned earlier, continuance in the path is the greatest way to prove our reality. Our “confession” is not merely a confession of Jesus as our Saviour; it is the confession of our whole heavenly calling (Heb. 3:1). This is not to be given up for earthly religion, which is what the Hebrews were tempted to do.
Vs. 15—He says, "We have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin [sin apart]." This shows that Christ is fully able to sympathize with us because He is a Man who once lived down here in this world and was tested and tried as we are. The writer mentions two kinds of trials that we encounter on the road to our eternal rest—infirmities and temptations. J. N. Darby confirmed this and said, “Temptations and infirmities are not the same thing” (Collected Writings, vol. 23, p. 291). The difference is:
Infirmities are trials connected with our physical bodies.
Temptations are trials connected with our souls and spirits.
Infirmities are sicknesses, maladies, and other challenges in connection with our physical beings, resulting from what sin has done in the creation generally (Luke 13:11-12; John 5:5; Rom. 8:26; 2 Cor. 12:5, 9; 1 Tim. 5:23, etc.). The Lord did not have infirmities, for His body was holy and could not be affected by the corrupting effects of sin (Luke 1:35). Hence, He was never sick. Mr. Darby stated, “Unlike the Jewish priest of old, Christ was not encompassed in any sense with infirmity” (Notes & Jottings, p. 256). Some have mistakenly thought that infirmities are human needs, such as hunger, thirst, and tiredness, etc.—which the Lord surely experienced (John 4:6, 7, 31-33). But these are not infirmities. W. Kelly said, “There is a notion too prevalent among theologians and their followers that the blessed Lord Himself was compassed with infirmities. Where is such a statement warranted in Scripture? Do they call it an infirmity for a man here below to eat, drink, sleep, or feel the lack of these things? ....None assuredly should predicate of Christ what Scripture does not” (Christ Tempted and Sympathizing” pp. 45-46).
Even though the Lord didn’t have infirmities personally, He nevertheless can be “touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Matt. 8:17). This shows that He did not need to experience sickness in order to sympathize with us when we are sick. He sympathizes with us and intercedes for us as our High Priest regarding our weaknesses. But let us note; weaknesses are not sins. The Lord will never sympathize with our sins; He grieves over us when we allow sins in our lives, but He will not sympathize with our sins. Thus, He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but not with our sins.
Temptations, on the other hand, are things such as: suffering reproach, oppression, and rejection, having problems in life that press on our spirits and produce sorrow and discouragement, etc. These are things that particularly afflict the soul and spirit (1 Cor. 10:13; James 1:2, 12; 1 Peter 1:6). The Lord was surely tempted with these kinds of temptations. In fact, He was tempted with every test with which a righteous man could be tested—as the writer states: “in all points tempted as we are.” The J. N. Darby Translation footnote renders this phrase—“according to the likeness of the way in which we are tempted.” Hence, He sympathizes with us in our temptations (trials) from having experienced them Himself.
In connection with the temptations that the Lord passed through, the writer makes an exception in the words, “Yet without sin,” or, as the J. N. Darby translation renders it, “sin apart.” In stating this, he alludes to the fact that there are two classes of temptations to which men are subjected, one of which the Lord did not partake in. These two kinds of temptations are:
Outward temptations and testings in which one's faith and patience are tried. These are external trials which the enemy seeks to use to turn us aside from our heavenly calling. All such are holy trials (James 1:2-12).
Inward temptations that result from having a sin-nature acting in us. All such are unholy trials (James 1:13-16).
The writer’s point in saying “sin apart,” in connection with the Lord’s temptations, is to emphasize the fact that while He did experience the first class of outward temptations, He didn’t experience the second class of sinful temptations because He didn’t have a sin-nature (1 John 3:5). The KJV, unfortunately, says: "yet without sin," which makes it appear as though the writer meant that the Lord kept Himself from sinning in His life. While it is certainly true that the Lord did not commit sins (1 Peter 2:22), that is not the point that is being made in the verse. As mentioned above, the phrase should be translated "sin apart." This means that the temptations which He endured were not in the class of temptations that have to do with the sin-nature. This, as we have already stated, is because He didn’t have a sin-nature.
J. N. Darby said, "There are two kinds of temptations; one is from without, all the difficulties of Christian life; Christ went through them and He has gone through more than any of us; but the other kind of temptation is when a man is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Christ, of course, never had that" (Notes and Jottings, p. 6).
Weaknesses in our spirits, souls, or bodies are not sin (Matt. 26:41), but if we let those things get us into a bad state of soul, it can produce sin in our lives, and Satan will try to take advantage of our low state and turn us aside in the path. It is, therefore, important to maintain a good attitude when we are tempted (James 1:2). Hence, we have a High Priest who can sympathize with us in all of our holy trials, but He will not sympathize with our sins.
The Throne of Grace
(vs. 16)
The third provision that God has given us for our wilderness journey is the throne of grace. The writer says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Knowing that we have a great High Priest interceding for us on high, we are encouraged to bring our life’s situations and problems to God in prayer. The access that we have on account of accomplished redemption and Christ having ascended into the presence of God as our High Priest is far greater than anything that the priests in Judaism knew. We are invited to come “boldly” into God’s presence with our petitions. This is something that the priests under the legal covenant could not do. They went into the holiest once a year with blood, and did so with trepidation. Moreover, their entrance there was to avert God’s judgment; we enter His presence to court God’s favour! These contrasts are significant.
When we approach God with our prayer requests, we must keep in mind that we may not always have the mind of God in connection with the things for which we ask, and therefore, He may deny some of our requests. This is alluded to in the words “mercy” and “grace.”
“Mercy” is relief granted in connection with a trial we may have by being taken out of it by the good hand of God.
“Grace” is support granted in a trial which God does not see fit to take us out of.
For example, we might be in a certain trial and make a request to be taken out of it. And since we are asking for something that is according to His will (1 John 5:14), He lifts us out of it—and we are, of course, thankful for it. Thus, we receive “mercy” in connection with the trial. In another situation, we may request to have a particular trial lifted from us, but it is not the will of God—at least at that time. In this case, He doesn’t take us out of it, but rather, He gives us “grace to help” in that “time of need,” and by it, we are carried through the trial. Thus, granting mercy has to do with God’s taking us out of our trial, and granting grace has to do with His sustaining us in our trial.
There is an incident in Acts 12 That illustrates these two things. Herod incarcerated two of the Lord’s apostles (James and Peter) and had every intention of killing them. James was given grace to go through the ordeal and was martyred, but Peter was granted mercy and was liberated from the prison by the angel of the Lord.
Christ's Priesthood Superior to Aaron's: Hebrews 5-7
(Chapters 5–7)
Having introduced the priesthood of Christ in chapters 2:17-18 and 4:14-16, the writer now brings it into full focus. In the next few chapters he compares the much venerated priesthood of Aaron to the priesthood of Christ. He shows, in a number of ways, that Christ’s priesthood is far superior.
A Brief Outline of Chapters 5-7
A brief outline of these chapters is as follows:
The greatness of the Person who fills the office—Christ, the eternal Son of God (Heb. 5:1-10).
Christ’s priesthood is after the order of Melchisedec’s priesthood, which was superior to Aaron’s (Heb. 7:1-28).
Christ ministers in the true sanctuary, in heaven, in connection with the new covenant, with better promises based on accomplished redemption (Heb. 8:1-13).
The “one sacrifice” Christ offered to make atonement for sin (Heb. 10:12) is infinitely greater than the continual sin-offerings that the high priests in Israel offered yearly on the Day of Atonement (Heb. 9:1–10:18). Christ’s sacrifice “put away” sin (judicially) before God (Heb. 9:26) and obtained “eternal redemption” for believers (Heb. 9:12). It has also effected, for believers, the present privilege of access into the immediate presence of God (Heb. 10:19). The sacrifices which the Aaronic priesthood offered did none of these things.
Qualifications for Priesthood
In this 5th chapter, the writer takes up Christ’s fitness to be our High Priest. He shows that the various qualifications necessary for one to be a priest have been fully met in Christ. In fact, due to the greatness of His Person, He far exceeds every requirement! The writer touches on three main things in connection with Christ’s fitness for this office (See The Collected Writings of J. N. Darby, vol. 7, p. 259.)
The first qualification is that a priest had to be “taken from among men” (vs. 1). That is, he must be a man who has lived and walked in this world, and thus, knows from experience what it is to pass through sufferings, trials, and tribulations common to men. This is necessary because the work which a high priest is called to do, in sympathizing and helping people in their circumstances of life, requires that he would be able to relate to them by having felt similar things. Thus, the writer says, “Being able to exercise forbearance towards the ignorant and erring, since he himself also is clothed with infirmity” (vs. 2).
The second qualification is that he had to be “ordained,” or appointed, to this work (vs. 1). Thus, the office of priesthood is not something that a person chooses as a vocation in life. He has to be selected for that service by none other than God Himself. The writer states, “No man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron” (vs. 4). Thus, a person has to be “called of God” to such a work. Israel’s history bears record that those who aspired to that office, but were not ordained of God, were judged unsparingly for their presumption (Num. 16).
The third qualification is that the priest had to have “gifts and sacrifices for sin” to offer to God (Heb. 5:1; 8:3; 9:9). This is a reference to the various kinds of offerings mentioned in Leviticus 1-6. These offerings are divided into two categories:
“Gifts” are burnt offerings, meal offerings, and peace offerings (Lev. 1-3). These are freewill (voluntary) offerings that typify worship. The Hebrew word is “Corban,” which means to present a gift (See J. N. Darby Trans. footnote on Leviticus 3:1).
“Sacrifices for sin” are sin offerings and trespass offerings (Lev. 4:1–6:7). These were obligatory offerings that typify what is necessary for a soul’s restoration to communion with God.
One marked contrast, which the writer is quick to point out among these things, is that those Aaronic priests had to make an offering “for sins” for themselves (vs. 3; Lev. 16:11). This, of course, is something that Christ did not need, for He is sinless.
Having stated these three qualifications for priesthood, the writer shows that Christ has completely met this criteria, and thus, He is more than qualified to be our great High Priest. Hence, the writer says, “So also Christ glorified not Himself to be made an High Priest.”
Vs. 5—Firstly, as to being a Man, God said, “Thou art My Son, today I have begotten Thee.” This is a quote from Psalm 2 referring to the incarnation of Christ. It confirms that He has become a Man in every sense—spirit, soul, and body. This means that He is fully able to sympathize with us because He has felt the very things which we feel. Christ, however, was not “clothed with infirmity” as the Aaronic priests were. As “Son,” He is in the office of high priest in the competency of His own Person.
Vs. 6—Secondly, as to His appointment to the office of priesthood, the writer quotes from Psalm 110 to confirm this. God said, “Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec” (vs. 6). This statement shows that Christ has been appointed to that office by God Himself. He did not take that honour to Himself as something that He chose; God installed Him in that office upon His rising from the dead. Unlike the priests of the Aaronic order who died and the office was passed on to someone else, Christ is a priest after this Melchisedec order “forever.”
Vss. 7-8—Thirdly, as to Christ having “somewhat also to offer” (chap. 8:3), the writer answers this by stating, “Who in the days of His flesh, when He offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears, unto Him that was able to save Him from [out of] death.” This is a reference to His prayers in Gethsemane. He did not ask to be saved from going into death, for that was the very reason for which He came in being the ultimate sacrifice for sin. His prayers had to do with being raised “out of death,” which is resurrection. The writer adds, in a parenthesis, that He “was heard in that He feared [because of His piety].” God answered His prayers and raised Him from the dead.
In becoming a Man, there were things that the Lord experienced that He never experienced before. One of which was obedience. As Son in eternity past, He was the Commander of everything in the universe. He did not know what it was to be obedient, having never been in a position to obey before. At His incarnation, He took Manhood into union with His Person, and in doing so, He accepted the subordinate position of being a Man—which involved living in obedience to God. This was a new thing to Him, and thus, He learned by experience what it was to be obedient. The writer says, “Though He were Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.” The passage teaches us that, in spite of His being the Son, in becoming a Man He had to learn obedience like every other man. This does not mean that He went through a process of trial and error in His learning experience, but rather, that He learned from experience what it was to obey. Unlike other men, His obedience was perfect; there was no trial and error in it.
Vss. 9-10—He not only offered up “prayers and supplications” that were answered in resurrection, but He also made the supreme sacrifice for sin and “offered Himself without spot to God” (chap. 9:14), whereby He “put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (chap. 9:26). And “having been perfected” (raised from the dead), He “became the Author of eternal salvation” to all who “obey” His call by the gospel. Again, this is something that no Aaronic high priest ever could do.
These things show that Christ has fully met every requirement to His being our great High Priest. And thus, He has been “called of God” to that office “after the order of Melchisedec.” The writer has much to say concerning the Melchisedec priesthood of Christ, but before doing so, he feels it incumbent to digress to give another solemn warning against apostasy.
Third Warning Against Apostasy
(Chapters 5:11–6:20)
The Danger of Spiritual Immaturity
The writer pauses to give an important warning against apostasy in chapters 5:11–6:20. This digression, like the other digressions concerning apostasy in the epistle, can be viewed as a parenthesis. (See J. N. Darby’s Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, on Hebrews 6.)
Vss. 11-12—The writer realized that the subject concerning Melchisedec’s priesthood might be hard for the Hebrews to understand and traced the problem to their spiritual immaturity. They had been hindered in their spiritual growth and this brought forth a rebuke as follows: “Of whom (Melchisedec) we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles [elements of the beginning] of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.” They were slow to understand the Christian revelation of truth, and this was because they had been hindered by their old Jewish associations. They were clinging to the weak and beggarly elements of Judaism (if not in practice, at least in heart), and this made it difficult for them to enter into the simplest principles of Christianity. A governmental judgment of blindness had been cast over that earthly religion (Judaism) which had been invoked by the Lord Himself when He was on the cross (Psa. 69:22-23). For them to remain in fellowship with that religion, meant that they would inherit the blindness that came with it. This, evidently, was beginning to have its effect among them. Compare also 2 Corinthians 3:14-16.
Thus, the writer viewed the Hebrews as spiritual infants, needing to learn the basic elements of the gospel all over again. The Corinthians had been stunted in their growth and were considered “babes” on account of their carnality (1 Cor. 3:1). These Hebrews were also considered “babes,” but it was on account of their legality (Heb. 5:13). They needed to be re-instructed in things which he calls “the first principles [elements of the beginning] of the oracles of God.” These are the elementary teachings of Christ in connection with His being the King and Messiah of Israel. It is the line of truth that came out in His earthly ministry before the cross—essentially that which is found in the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). W. Kelly said, “These [things] qualified as ‘the beginning of the oracles of God,’ and mean what God gave in Christ here below, short of His redemption and His heavenly place, with the gift of the Spirit, which lend Christianity its true distinctive character” (The Epistle to the Hebrews, p. 97). He also said, “What is really meant here in ‘the word of the beginning of Christ,’ is that which was revealed in the days of His flesh and in due time recorded as His ministry in the Gospels” (The Epistle to the Hebrews, p. 101).
The fact that the Hebrews needed to be taught these first principles “again” indicates that they had regressed. They had known and had accepted that the Lord Jesus was the Messiah, but somehow they had become confused about those things and seemed to be questioning it As a result, they needed to be taught those things all over again. This shows that if we don’t go on in the truth that God has given us, we will go back from it. If we don’t progress, we will regress. The Hebrews were hesitating, and things were getting clouded in their minds, and it would eventually cause them to go back on their previous convictions.
Vss. 13-14—The writer goes on to say, “For every one that useth [partakes of] milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat [solid food] belongeth to them that are of full age [grown].” He makes an interesting correlation here between “milk” and “meat.” If milk answers to the truth in the Gospels, as we have noted, then meat is the full revelation of the truth of Christianity, as found in the epistles. These two things (milk and meat) are distinguished by the Lord in John 14:25-26. He called the truth in His ministry “these things,” and He called the truth that would come out after the Spirit came “all things.” The latter refers to the full revelation of truth in Christianity. The writer doesn’t speak disparagingly of milk—he recognizes that it has its place in the developmental stages of growth in the soul, but it is clear from the way he speaks of meat that it is what he really desires for the saints.
Then he says, “Even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” In this statement, he alludes to how a person passes from taking only milk to being able to take in meat. That is, how one makes spiritual progress and becomes a full grown (mature) Christian. It is accomplished by the frequent handling of the truth, as he says here—“by reason of use.” This means that if we apply ourselves in the learning of the Christian revelation, we will be rewarded with an understanding of it. The Gospels present kingdom truth, but they do not unfold Christianity. Christianity did not even begin until there was a Man in heaven (Acts 1) and the Spirit of God had been sent down to indwell believers (Acts 2). See John 7:39. The epistles were written from this perspective and give us our full Christian position. This means that if a person focuses on the Gospels to the neglect of the truth in the epistles, he will be stunted in his spiritual growth. Therefore, we ought to give good heed to the truth in the epistles; it is our foundation. It is what establishes us in the Christian faith.
By adding, “To discern both good and evil,” he shows that growth and progress in spiritual things is not merely having an intellectual understanding of the truth—one’s moral discernment in practical things will develop as well. This is important; it shows that the truth ought to have a moral effect on us. Not only should we have a grasp of the truth (intellectually), but it should have a grasp on us (morally). This, he says, comes through being “exercised” about the truth that we learn.
Going on to Perfection
Chap. 6:1-3—Having addressed the danger of spiritual regression, the writer exhorts the Hebrews to “go on unto perfection.” The word translated “perfection” here, in the Greek text, is the same root word used in chapter 5:14 for “full age [growth].” Thus, by exhorting them to go on to perfection, he was referring to them getting established in the “meat” of the Christian revelation of truth. This, as we have stated, is found in the epistles—particularly Paul’s epistles.
At the same time, he discourages them from going back to the Old Testament position in Judaism, from which they had come. They needed to “go on” from the kingdom principles which the Lord taught in His earthly ministry—“the word of the beginning of the Christ”—to “full growth” in Christianity. These Hebrew believers were, so to speak, on a bridge that stretched from Judaism to Christianity. They needed to get off the bridge, not by going back to the Old Testament system of Judaism, but by going forward to the full revelation in Christianity. If they stayed where they were, on the bridge, somewhere between Judaism and Christianity, it would hinder their spiritual growth and they would remain babes. The great danger of spiritual immaturity is that a person in that state is liable to misunderstand some point of truth and assume that it is error, and reject it. This shows that there are negative ramifications to remaining simple in the truth. It is acceptable to be a babe in spiritual things if one is a new convert, but it is not God’s will for us to remain in that state (Eph. 4:14).
By saying “leaving the word of the beginning of the Christ” he did not mean that they should abandon the teachings in Christ’s earthly ministry, nor did he mean that we should give up the elementary truths of Christianity for “the deep things of God” (1 Cor. 2:10). God would never encourage us to give up Christ’s teachings, nor would He encourage us to let go of the foundations of Christianity. The thought of “leaving,” here, is to go on from the truth that they had received in Christ’s ministry.
Six Things that Characterize Old Testament Judaism
He mentions six things that characterized Old Testament Judaism which they were not to go back to because those things had been superseded by the “good things” that had come in through the death and resurrection of Christ (Heb. 9:11; 10:1). He says, “Not laying again:”
1) “The Foundation of Repentance From Dead Works”
(vs. 1)
This is a reference to what the children of Israel did on the Day of Atonement when afflicting their souls in repentance (Lev. 16:29). He calls this “dead works,” because the whole sin question for believers has been fully settled in the finished work of Christ on the cross. The Christian’s sins have been put away forever; they are not merely covered for another year as in the Old Testament ritual on the Day of Atonement. Hence, there is no need for this practise now.
2) “Faith Toward God”
(vs. 1)
This refers to the orthodox Jewish understanding of God as the “one LORD” (Deut. 6:4). It was faith in God without knowing and distinguishing between the three Persons in the Godhead (the Trinity), for that truth had not come to light in Old Testament times. Such a revelation required the coming of Christ into the world to declare the Father (Matt. 11:27; John 1:18). To return to the partial revelation of God that the Old Testament saints had was to disregard the light that we have now in Christianity, and essentially, to denounce it as being false.
3) “The Doctrine of Washings”
(vs. 2)
This refers to the ceremonial washings that marked Judaism, which signified the holiness required to approach God in worship. All such outward cleansing is not necessary in Christianity because we have been made “holy” through the finished work of Christ (1 Cor. 6:11; Eph. 1:4; Col. 1:22; Heb. 3:1). (The KJV says, “Baptisms,” but it should be translated “washings.” The writer is not speaking of the ordinance of baptism.)
4) “Of Imposition of Hands”
(vs. 2)
This refers to the ritual connected with the Judaic offerings (Lev. 1:4; 3:2; 4:4; 16:21, etc.). This practice signified the offeror’s identification with the offering that he presented at the altar. However, since Christ’s one sacrifice is the fulfilment of those Jewish offerings, they no longer need to be offered, and therefore, this practise is not needed either. (It does not refer to the laying on of hands in the early Church as recorded in Acts 6:6; 8:17; 9:17, etc.)
5) “Of Resurrection”
(vs. 2)
This refers to the limited understanding that the saints in Old Testament times had in connection with resurrection. They knew of resurrection in a general sense. This is seen in Martha’s statement to the Lord, which is considered to be the orthodox Jewish understanding of resurrection (John 11:24). However, the gospel has brought “life and incorruptibility” to light (2 Tim. 1:10), and we now know that there are two resurrections of two completely different orders (John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15, etc.). There will be a resurrection “from among the dead” of “the just,” followed by the resurrection of “the unjust”—with one thousand years between them. For these Hebrews to return to the limited understanding of resurrection as the Old Testament saints had, would be turning their backs on the truth that had been brought to light through the gospel.
6) “Of Eternal Judgment”
(vs. 2)
This refers to the Jewish understanding of judgment at the last day (Job 19:25; John 11:24). Again, the gospel has also brought to light many more details concerning eternal judgment, as found in the New Testament, and we can now speak more definitively about it. To turn ones back on what has been revealed in Christianity concerning this subject is to disregard that superior revelation.
Note: the writer does not ask the Hebrews to deny these things because they were all true and were things given by God. He was telling them to “go on” from them and to receive the fuller revelation of the truth that has come to light in Christianity. To go back to the limited revelation of truth on these subjects, as found in the Old Testament, is to question whether we have truly had a revelation from God in the gospel. It is apostasy. Hence, his word to them was not to go back, but to go on. He adds, “This will we do, if God permit” (vs. 3). God certainly “desires” that all men would be “saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4), but oftentimes this does not happen because people refuse to participate with Him in exercising personal faith and being diligent.
Five Great Outward Privileges Connected With Christianity
Vss. 4-6—This leads the writer to speak more specifically of the danger of apostasy. He mentions five outward privileges that Christianity has brought into the world. He says, “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and 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 shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame.” At first glance, it may seem as though he is referring to privileges that belong to those who have received Christ as their Saviour, but really all five of these things are that which a person could partake in without being saved! By outwardly identifying oneself with the Christian company, a person without divine life (a merely professing believer) can participate in and experience these things. The point that the writer is making here is that being identified with the Christian testimony is of great advantage, but it also makes one very responsible. He speaks of certain outward privileges that such a person has:
1) Being “enlightened”
A person becomes enlightened through hearing the truth presented in the gospel; it gives him an understanding. It does not mean that he has believed the gospel and has received Christ as his Saviour. Enlightenment is not new birth and salvation. However, being enlightened makes one very responsible, for God holds a person responsible for the degree of light that he has been given, and he will be judged accordingly (Luke 12:47-48).
2) Having “tasted the heavenly gift”
This refers to the Christian revelation of truth—“the faith which was once delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). It is that “good deposit” of truth that we are to hold fast (2 Tim. 1:14; Rev. 3:11). A person could come into Christian meetings where these heavenly truths are expounded and taste of those things in an outward way by hearing about them. (Note: “tasted” implies sampling something without necessarily ingesting it.)
3) Being made “partakers of the Holy Spirit”
He does not say that a person is indwelt with the Spirit, but rather that he “partakes” of the Spirit. The Spirit not only resides in believers on the Lord Jesus Christ, but He also dwells among believers in the house of God (John 14:17; Acts 2:1-4). An unbeliever, or a merely professing believer, can come in among Christians where the Spirit of God is working and in an outward way partake of the things going on among them. In this way, he partakes of the Spirit without being saved and sealed with the Spirit. Note: the word in the Greek text translated “partakers” here, is metecho, which indicates a sharing in something without specifying to what degree the sharing goes. The writer does not use koinoneo—the usual word for partaking that indicates a full common sharing in a thing. Hence, the partaking in this verse refers to a superficial or partial sharing. (Compare the use of these two Greek words in chapter 2:14.)
4) Having “tasted of the good Word of God”
This refers to hearing the Scriptures expounded in meetings without specifying whether the truth which was taught was actually received in faith. Again, tasting indicates a superficial thing. A person can hear and understand truth from the Word of God, without receiving it and believing it.
5) Having tasted of “the powers of the world to come”
This refers to the miracles that had been done in the Christian circle that a person could see, and even experience. It is quite possible for a mere professor to have been healed by these miraculous powers whilst among Christians.
Falling Away—Apostasy
Vs. 6—Having listed some of the outward privileges connected with the coming of Christ into the world (His first advent), the writer warns the Hebrews of the seriousness of slighting these things and returning to Judaism, which would be apostasy. Picking up the thread of things from verse 4, He says, “For it is impossible for those....if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame.” Falling away, is apostasy (Luke 8:13; 2 Thess. 2:3; 1 Tim. 4:1; Heb. 3:12). It is a formal abandoning of the faith that a person once professed. In this case, it is turning away from the Christian revelation of truth, after having embraced it.
An apostate is different from a rejecter of the gospel. A rejecter is one who has never professed to believe the gospel, but an apostate has at one time professed to have believed it. Apostatizing from the faith is something that only a lifeless, merely professing believer would do. To go back and get reinstated in the synagogue and all that it stands for, would be to agree with those in that position who have rejected and crucified the Lord Jesus. The person who does this, in essence, is crucifying the Son of God all over again! How solemn this is. Such a step is so final that there is no recovery from it! Once a person apostatizes, there is no hope of him turning around in “repentance.” F. B. Hole said, “You will notice that the word here is ‘impossible’ and not ‘improbable’.” Judas Iscariot is an example. Even though he was not exposed to the full light of Christianity, because the Spirit had not come yet, nevertheless, he saw and participated in the things outlined in verses 4-5—but sadly, he turned away from them to his own damnation.
A true believer will not apostatize. He may backslide and walk at a distance from the Lord, but he will not abandon the faith. If true believers get away from the Lord, Scripture usually speaks of their departure as “stumbling” (2 Peter 1:10 – W. Kelly Trans.; 1 John 2:10; Jude 24), rather than falling. Hence, believers may stumble, but they don’t fall, in the sense of apostatizing. W. Scott put it succinctly: “For backsliding there is a remedy; for apostasy there is none” (Doctrinal Summaries, p. 44). Many Christians don’t know the difference between backsliding and apostasy, and often confuse the two things. They will take Scriptures that refer to merely professing believers who are in danger of apostatizing and imagine that those Scriptures are referring to real believers. And thus, it has led many to the mistaken conclusion that a believer can lose his salvation if he sins and turns away from the Lord. But this erroneous idea denies the eternal security of the believer, which Scripture clearly states (John 10:28-29, etc.).
Vss. 7-8—The writer appends a figurative illustration to his warning to prove that partaking in outward blessing does not convert a person. “For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God. But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.” This illustrates the two kinds of hearts there are among men. One is likened to a good piece of ground and the other to bad ground. Both receive the rain that God gives, but one piece yields fruit and the other worthless briers—which are only useful for kindling a fire (a symbol of God’s judgment). Likewise, the “good ground” in the true child of God will bring forth fruit for God (Luke 8:15), but the bad ground in a merely professing believer will be evident by his turning away from the faith, and his end will be judgment.
Encouragement to “Go On” in the Path of Faith
Vss. 9-10—The remaining verses in this parenthesis express the writer’s confidence that the vast majority of those to whom he was writing were real believers, and therefore, are words of encouragement for them. He was persuaded that they would manifest their reality by continuing on in the path of faith. He says, “But beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.” By saying this, he assured his readers that in sounding his warning concerning apostasy, he was in no way casting doubt on the reality of their conversion. He was convinced that there had been a real work of God in them, and by saying, “But beloved...” he distinguished them from those among them who might apostatize.
The “things that accompany salvation” are those unmistakeable signs in a person’s life that give evidence of the fact that he truly has divine life—that he is really saved. These would be things such as: obedience to God, love for the Lord Jesus, love for the Lord’s people and a desire to be with them, etc. Such are the “vital signs” of divine life that prove a person has truly “passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). In this passage, the writer mentions three such things that are often found together in Scripture that accompany a person’s conversion. They are: “love” (vs. 10), “hope” (vs. 11), and “faith” (vs. 12). See also 1 Thessalonians 1:3.
The writer focuses particularly on their love for the saints. He says, “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have showed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” These Hebrew believers had demonstrated a genuine love for the Lord’s people, and he reminds them that God had not forgotten this and would reward them accordingly for their service for the Lord’s name. This must have been encouraging words for them.
Vss. 11-12—His desire was that they would continue on in the path with perseverance—to keep doing what they had been doing, for it was pleasing to the Lord. His concern was that “each one” of them would be exercised about this. This shows that going on for the Lord is an individual thing (Matt. 16:24 – “If any man come after Me...”). He wanted them to go on steadfastly until their “hope” in Christ was realized in their being glorified together with Him. This hope before the believer far transcends all that the Old Testament saints looked for. They were not to be “slothful” in this, but to be “followers” of those who have gone before in the path and who “through faith and patience inherit the promises.” This again shows that continuance in the path is the greatest proof of a reality.
God’s Word—A Sure Foundation on Which Faith Can Rest
Vss. 13-15—Since faith needs a solid foundation of authority upon which to rest, the writer sets before them the surest thing in the universe—God’s infallible Word. God always keeps His Word (1 Kings 8:56; 2 Tim. 2:13); faith can rest on it and not be disappointed. The writer points to the “promise” and the “oath” that God made to Abraham as an example of how surely He keeps His Word. Even though the circumstances which Abraham and his wife were in were nigh impossible—being a long time past the age of bearing children—God kept His Word by performing a miracle, and they had a son, as was promised. It shows that God will keep His Word, no matter what—even if it means that He has to perform a miracle to do it!
After receiving a son and being tested by being asked to lay him on the altar, God made an oath that He would also give Abraham a posterity through his son—Isaac. The “promise” to have a son was made in Genesis 12:1-3 and confirmed in Genesis 13:14-16; 15:1-6 and 17:15-22, but the swearing of the “oath” was made in Genesis 22:16—“By Myself have I sworn, saith the LORD.” The writer states that in making the oath, since God “could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself.” He quotes Genesis 22:17, giving the essence of the oath: “Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.” Thus, the promise was in connection with Abraham’s having a son, and the oath was in connection with Abraham’s having a posterity through his son.
Having been given the promise, Abraham “patiently endured” for many years, but at last “he obtained the promise” and received a son through Sarah—just as God had said. (Hebrews 11:13, is not a contradiction of this. It says, “All these (including Abraham) died in faith, not having received the promises.” The difference is that those promises were in connection with the inheritance, whereas this promise had to do with Abraham having a son and obtaining a posterity through him.) The application here is obvious. The Hebrew saints needed to have the same kind of faith and patience that Abraham had, and to go on in the path that the Christian revelation of truth marks out—even though it may look foolish to those who have no faith. Abraham had to endure the same.
Vss. 16-17—As to the oath, in human affairs, men swear by one who is greater than themselves. They “swear,” and thus make an “oath,” and it ends “all strife [dispute]” in matters. So “God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability [unchangeableness] of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath.” In reality, if God has given His Word, no one needs anything more, because it is “impossible for God to lie.” Giving His Word is enough; it does not need to be reinforced with an oath. But in condescending to human weakness, God added an oath for Abraham and the heir’s sake to assure them of what He had promised. Thus, Abraham had a double assurance.
Vss. 18-20—The writer then shows that these same two things (the promise and the oath) can be applied to all who are Abraham’s children by faith. Since the “heirs of promise” are not only Isaac, Jacob, etc., but all who by faith are the children of faithful Abraham (Gal. 3:7-8, 29), we too can rest on these same “two immutable [unchangeable] things” in connection with our hope in Christ.
He brings this lengthy digression to a close by stating that God has gone a step further by giving a personal guarantee for the fulfillment of the promises in that Christ Himself has entered the sanctuary above. In the Levitical economy the high priest entered the holiest only as a representative. He entered there alone, and none could follow. But Christ has entered there as a guarantee, and as a result, a whole race of men can now follow Him there. J. N. Darby said, “This assurance has received a still greater confirmation. It entered into that within the veil, it found its sanction in the sanctuary itself, whither the Forerunner had entered, giving not only a word, an oath, but also a personal guarantee of the promises, and the sanctuary of God as a refuge for the heart; thus giving, for those who had spiritual understanding, a heavenly character to the hope which they cherished; while showing, by the character of Him who had entered into heaven, the certain fulfilment of all the Old Testament promises, in connection with a heavenly Mediator, who, by His position, assured that fulfilment; establishing the earthly blessing upon the firm foundation of heaven itself, and giving at the same time a higher and more excellent character to that blessing by uniting it to heaven, and making it flow from thence” (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, on Hebrews 6).
Four Figures Used to Describe the Sure Hope We Have in Christ in the Heavenly Sanctuary
The writer uses four figures to emphasize the sure hope we have in Christ by His entry into the heavenly sanctuary. While we wait for our physical entry there when we will be glorified, we can enter that heavenly sanctuary now in spirit for worship and prayer (Heb. 10:19-22). In a coming day we will enter there bodily.
A City of Refuge
(vs. 18)
Firstly, the believer is seen as having “fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.” This is an allusion to the cities of refuge to which a guilty person could flee for shelter from judgment (Deut. 19:1-13; Josh. 20:1-9). The person would be safe there for as long as the high priest lived (Josh. 20:6). The good news for us is that Christ has “an unchangeable priesthood;” He will never die again, for He “ever liveth to make intercession” for us in the sanctuary! (Heb. 7:24-25) Thus, we are assured of our eternal safety from judgment.
An Anchor
(vs. 19)
Secondly, the “hope” we have in Christ, in the heavenly sanctuary, is as “an anchor” cast in that port to which we are travelling. It is “both sure and stedfast,” thus assuring us that we will reach that destination at last.
A Forerunner
(vs. 20)
Thirdly, Christ is our “Forerunner” who has gone ahead to make all preparations in view of us arriving there in good stead. The fact that Christ is our Forerunner guarantees that we will enter the place where He is. The entrance of our Forerunner is a pledge that where He now is, we shall also follow Him by-and-by.
A High Priest
(vs. 20)
Fourthly, Christ has gone into the heavenly sanctuary as our “High Priest” having a priesthood that is “after the order of Melchisedec.” It is an eternal priesthood with a twofold function. In history, Melchisedec brought a blessing from God to Abraham, and he took tithes from Abraham to present to God (Gen. 14:18-20; Heb. 7:1-2). This signifies the ministering of God’s blessing, not only to Abraham, but to all who are his children by faith, and it also signifies the bringing of their worship to God. Since blessing from God to the redeemed will be eternal and the worship offered to God by the redeemed will also be eternal, this necessitates having a Priest to minister these things from and to God eternally. This is what we have in the priesthood of Christ. The writer proves this by quoting Psalm 110 again: “Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec” (Heb. 5:6; 6:20; 7:17).
Upon rising from the dead, the Lord has been installed in the office of His Melchisedecian priesthood. But the present function of His priesthood today is after the pattern of Aaron. As our great High Priest, the Lord lives today in the presence of God to make intercession for us, and thus, helps us through the wilderness to our heavenly destination. However, when He appears, He will cease from this intercessory work and will enter into the function of His priesthood after the Melchisedec order. Hence, he is in that office today but is not functioning in it as such. But when He comes, our hopes in Him will be realized. We will be glorified with Him in a public display during His kingdom reign as a King and a Priest.
Thus, Christ has entered within the veil of the heavenly sanctuary in four different ways and for four different reasons—all of which are calculated to give the believer a sure hope. He is there as our Refuge from judgment, as our Anchor guaranteeing our safe arrival there, as our Forerunner preparing all for us there, and as our High Priest interceding for us on the way there. These things surely were an encouragement for these Hebrew believers to continue on in the Christian path, and they should be to us as well.
Christ’s Priesthood “After the Order” of Melchisedec’s Priesthood
(Chapter 7:1-28)
Having mentioned Melchisedec again in chapter 6:20, the thread of the writer’s argument now returns to where his digression began at chapter 5:10. His dissertation in chapter 5 had to do with the superiority of Christ’s priesthood over Aaron’s. In returning to this subject, he uses a slightly different method of argument from what he has been using in the epistle up to this point. Instead of comparing Christ to prominent personages in the Levitical system, he contrasts Melchisedec’s priesthood with Aaron’s and shows that it is superior. And then he points to Psalm 110 which states that Christ’s priesthood would be “after the order” of Melchisedec’s priesthood. The conclusion he draws is simple: if Melchisedec’s priesthood is superior to Aaron’s, then Christ’s priesthood is also superior to Aaron’s.
Melchisedec—A Type of Christ
Chap. 7—Melchisedec is only mentioned three times in Scripture—historically in Genesis 14, prophetically in Psalm 110, and doctrinally in Hebrews 5-7. The first three verses of chapter 7 form one unbroken sentence. What lies in this sentence is all that is known about Melchisedec, so far as what Scripture records of him.
These verses show that Melchisedec is a type of Christ in two ways:
Firstly, he held a double office of “king” and “priest” (vs. 1). That he was a king is indicated by his name—“being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace” (vs. 2). That he was a priest is indicated by the fact that he blessed Abraham and took tithes from him as a “priest of the Most High God.” The prophet Zechariah states that the Messiah of Israel would have both offices also. When He reigns in His millennial kingdom, He will “sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a Priest upon His throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both” (Zech. 6:12-13; Psa. 110:1-7; Rev. 8:3-5 and 19:16).
Secondly, the way in which Melchisedec is presented in Scripture—being “without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life”—also makes him an excellent type of Christ (vs. 3). The writer is not saying that Melchisedec didn't have a father or a mother, but that he is introduced without Scripture giving us any details as to his genealogy (Gen. 14). It is not recorded who his father and mother were, nor is there any mention of his birth and death. The Spirit of God portrays him in this way so as to present him (typically) as being an eternal person, and thus, an apt type of Christ, the eternal “Son of God.”
Arguments That Show That Melchisedec’s Priesthood is Superior to Aaron’s
The writer proceeds to bring forth a number of proofs that are interwoven throughout the chapter to show that Melchisedec’s priesthood is superior to Aaron’s, and at the same time, he correlates Melchisedec’s priesthood with Christ’s.
Melchisedec’s Priesthood Involved a Dual Office of King & Priest
(Vss. 1-3)
As mentioned already, Melchisedec had a unique priesthood involving two offices: he was both a king and a priest. He held both a sceptre and a censer. No Aaronic priest could claim that. In Israel these offices were always separate from each other; there was not a man among them who was great enough to have both. On one occasion, a king (Uzziah) dared to perform a priest’s work, and took a censer into the temple to offer incense—and immediately God smote him with leprosy! (2 Chron. 26:16-21) For him to assume such a role was presumptuous. Yet Melchisedec held both offices, and that, with God’s approval! This shows that he was personally greater than the Aaronic priests, and had a priesthood that was of a higher order than theirs.
Aaron’s Priesthood Paid Tithes to Melchisedec Through Abraham
(Vss. 4-5)
The writer then shows that the personal dignity of Melchisedec was such that the Aaronic priesthood paid tithes to him through Abraham. He says, “Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.” In verses 9-10, he explains how the Levitical priesthood did this. He says, “As I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, paid tithes in Abraham. For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.” This fact shows again that the Aaronic priests were inferior and subservient to Melchisedec.
Aaron’s Priesthood Was Blessed by Melchisedec in Abraham
(Vss. 6-10)
The writer brings forth another point: “But he (Melchisedec) whose descent is not counted from them (the Aaronic priests), received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him (Abraham) that had the promises. And without contradiction [gainsaying] the less [inferior] is blessed of the better.” The fact that Melchisedec blessed Abraham shows that he was in a position above Abraham, and thus, was greater than Abraham. Since “the sons of Levi” were, so to speak, in Abraham’s loins at that time, they were also blessed of the greater. This again shows that Melchisedec’s priesthood was greater than Aaron’s.
Aaron’s Priesthood Lacked Perfection
(Vs. 11)
The writer then points to the fact that Scripture speaks of another Priest arising with a new priesthood “after the order of Melchisedec” (Psa. 110:4). In referring to this psalm, his emphasis is on the word “order.” It pointed forward to a time when a new order of priesthood would be established. His reasoning is that if the Aaronic priesthood were perfect, there would be no need of another order of priesthood to come. He says, “If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the Law), what further need was there that another Priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?” This fact proves that the Levitical priesthood lacked perfection and completeness, and shows that that system was inherently imperfect. The Levitical priesthood lacked perfection in what it could do. It could not bring those priests into the immediate presence of God—within “the holiest” (Heb. 9:7-8). Nor could the sacrifices they offered make “the comers thereunto perfect” as to their conscience, in taking away their sins judicially (Heb. 10:1-4). Thus, Psalm 110 indicates that God had a change of priesthood in mind. He would bring in another priesthood which would accomplish what the Aaronic priesthood could not do.
Aaron’s Priesthood Was Transitory, Whereas the Melchisedecian Order Is Eternal
(Vss. 12-19)
The weakness of the Aaronic priesthood demanded a change, and this meant that there would be “a change also of the law” that governed it (vs. 12). The writer mentions this because the Jews had a difficulty in accepting that Christ could be a priest because He was not from the tribe of Levi. The Law stated that the priests of that order had to be from Aaron’s family lineage. The writer recognizes this and says, “For He (Christ) of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.” (Vss. 13-14) He then explains that since Christ’s priesthood is “after the similitude of Melchisedec” (vs. 15), who didn’t come into office through genealogy, so also did Christ not come into His office by family lineage. This new priesthood is not governed by that old legal requirement.
He then states that the new priesthood—which is “not after the Law of a carnal commandment” that requires that a priest must be from the family of Aaron—is “after the power of an endless [indissoluble] life” (vs. 16). Hence, the qualification for this new office in priesthood is not in a person’s having the right genealogy, but in his having an endless life. He must be eternal! To support this, the writer points to Psalm 110 again; this time with an emphasis on the word “forever.” He says, “For He testifieth, Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec” (vs. 17). Who could fill this requirement but Christ? The Old Testament priests surely couldn’t; “they were not suffered to continue by reason of death” (vs. 23). Hence, the Melchisedecian order of priesthood is not passed down from ancestors, nor is it transferred to descendants, and it will not be interrupted by death. Since it is underived, untransferable, and eternal, the permanence of this priesthood is assured (vs. 24).
Thus, the bringing in of Christ’s priesthood necessitated “a setting aside of the commandment going before for its weakness and unprofitableness (for the Law perfected nothing)” (vs. 18). The commandment of Moses as to priesthood, therefore, has been set aside, but the moral import of the Ten Commandments has not; it still has its moral application to saints (Rom. 13:8-10) and to sinners (1 Tim. 1:9-10). As mentioned, there was “weakness” with that Aaronic order because the priest, being subject to death, could not continue in that office (vs. 23). It was also “unprofitable” because it could not set the comer thereunto in the presence of God with a purged conscience. In contrast, he says, “But the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God” (vs. 19). This is a reference to the new and living way by which we approach God in Christianity (chap. 10:19-22). Christianity is viewed here as a “hope,” because while we have our blessings now (Eph. 1:3), we have not yet arrived at our heavenly destiny in a glorified state. Such is still ahead for us as a hope (a deferred certainty) that will be realized when the Lord comes at the Rapture.
Christ’s Priesthood After the Order of Melchisedec Is by an Oath
(Vss. 20-23)
The writer moves along to another point—God established Christ’s Melchisedecian priesthood with the swearing of “an oath.” This was not done in connection with the Aaronic priesthood. God did not swear to Aaron that his priesthood would continue forever. He says, “And inasmuch as not without [the swearing of] an oath He (Christ) was made priest: for those (Aaronic) priests were made without [the swearing of] an oath, but this He with [the swearing of] an oath.” Psalm 110 is again quoted to prove this. This time it is with an emphasis on the word “sworn”—“The Lord has sworn, and will not repent of it, Thou art a Priest forever according to the order of Melchisedec.” Being sworn into office, there is no possibility of Christ’s eternal priesthood being revoked or superseded by another priesthood, as in the case of the Aaronic priesthood. This shows that it is of a higher order.
The writer then shows that this priesthood having come in with an oath from God also is a “surety of a better covenant” (vs. 22). The blessings of the new covenant are, therefore, certain. He will speak of this more fully in chapter 8.
The Personal Perfection and Greatness of Christ as High Priest
(Vss. 26-28)
The final point the writer touches on is the fact that Christ is perfectly suited to be our High Priest, far more so than any Aaronic priest. On account of Who He is, being both divine and human, Christ is infinitely more than able to save us from every spiritual danger and foe in the path of faith. The writer says, “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost [completely] that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” We can see from the context here that he is not speaking of the salvation of our souls from the penalty of our sins, but of salvation in a practical sense. This aspect of salvation flows to us from His life of unbroken intercession at the right hand of God (Rom. 8:34). Believers are held on course and kept from failing through His mighty intercession. But note, this is not an automatic thing. God wants participation from us if we are to be saved in this way. We must “come unto God by Him.” This refers to expressing our dependence upon Him in prayer. Herein lays the problem with many of us. While the Lord is well “able to save” us from these dangers, oftentimes we neglect to come to God in prayer, and thus, we don’t get His help from on high, and failure in the path results.
As to Christ’s suitability, the writer says, “For such an High Priest became us.” He became a Man, and thus knows what it is to walk here in a world that is full of trials and temptations. He is now at God’s right hand as our High Priest. This leads the writer to speak more definitively of Christ’s moral and spiritual fitness to intercede for us on high. He is:
“Holy”—His help will be consistent with all that God is in holiness. He will not compromise with sin, nor excuse it in attempting to help us in the pathway (vs. 26).
“Harmless”—He will never ask something for us that will harm us spiritually or otherwise (vs. 26).
“Undefiled”—He remains undefiled in spite of the defiling nature of some of our temptations which He handles on our behalf (vs. 26).
“Separated from sinners”—In the place where resurrection has set Him, He is set apart from sinners and is not serving as a Priest for them; He is there on our behalf (vs. 26).
“Become higher than the heavens”—He is in a position of ultimate power, above all of our spiritual enemies, and He uses that power on our behalf according to His perfect wisdom and love (Matt. 28:18). Hence, there is not a difficulty in the whole universe which He is not able to deal with (vs. 26).
He does not need “to offer up sacrifices for His own sins” as did the Aaronic priests when they erred in their priestly function because He is absolutely sinless (vs. 27). Being such, He will never make a mistake in what He asks for us.
He did not have “infirmities” as did the Aaronic priests, but stands in the presence of God to intercede for us with “the swearing of the oath” as “the Son,” and thus, is “perfected for evermore” as our great High Priest (vs. 28).
These things show how perfectly the Lord is suited to be our High Priest and to minister to us “mercy” and “grace to help in time of need” (chap. 4:16).
Thus, having established that Christ’s priesthood is after the order of Melchisedec’s priesthood, the writer has proceeded to show from the Scriptures, in a number of points, that the Aaronic priesthood is inferior to Melchisedec’s. This then leaves us with the obvious conclusion that Christ’s priesthood is therefore superior to Aaron’s.
Christ's Ministry Superior to Aaron's: Hebrews 8
(Chapter 8)
The New Sanctuary
In chapters 5-7, the writer has set forth Christ’s new order of priesthood. Now in chapter 8, he speaks of the heavenly “sanctuary” wherein Christ ministers (vss. 1-5) in connection with the “new covenant” which He will make with Israel (vss. 6-13). Upon entering the 8th chapter another change occurs. Up to the end of chapter 7, we see Christ our High Priest presented largely on the side of our need in the wilderness conditions through which we pass. In chapter 8, we come to the other side of His priesthood—He is “a Minister of the sanctuary” (vs. 2). This side of things has to do with our coming to God as worshippers, rather than our getting through the wilderness. Hence, what is before us in chapters 8:1–10:18 is truth concerning Christ’s priesthood relating to our approach to God in worship.
Vs. 1—He begins by saying, “Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum [chief point]: We have such an High Priest who is set [has sat down] on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty [greatness] in the heavens.” That is, the substance of what has gone before as to Christ’s priesthood can be headed up in the following statement: we have a High Priest who is presently serving at God’s right hand.
The writer speaks of Christ as a seated Priest! Again, this was something different from what the Hebrews knew in Judaism. The priests of the Aaronic order always stood. There were no chairs in the tabernacle, or in the temple, upon which they could sit. This fact signifies that the work of those priests was never done. The sacrifices that they offered had to be repeated over and over (Heb. 10:11). (In a time of failure and departure, Eli had a seat just outside the doorpost of the tabernacle, but this was not God’s order – 1 Samuel 1:9; 4:13, 18.) In chapter 1:3, we were told that Christ went into heaven and sat down at the right hand of the greatness on high by virtue of who He is—the Son. Here, in chapter 8, He is seen seated there in connection with what He is presently doing as our High Priest. He carries on His high priestly ministry of intercession from a seated position. This was something altogether new and different.
Vs. 2—We are then told that this place where Christ exercises His high priestly service is “the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man”—in heaven. In saying “true,” he did not mean that the earthly tabernacle was something false and untrue. There was nothing false about the earthly tabernacle. He meant that the place where Christ ministers is the real sanctuary where God dwells. The tabernacle that Moses built in the wilderness, wherein the Aaronic priests served, was really a “representation” (a life-sized model) of the real sanctuary in heaven. Exodus 25:40 is quoted in a parenthesis, in verse 5, to prove this.
This point is significant. If Christ is now serving as a priest in the heavenly sanctuary, then there could be no earthly sanctuary now that is owned of God, as there was in Judaism. The Lord explained this to the woman at the well. He said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain (Gerizim) nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father” (John 4:21). The Christian world has missed this point entirely and has built so-called “places of worship” on earth. Men have erected church cathedrals and buildings as holy places for prayer and worship. However, all such places are really a mixture of Judaism and Christianity, and this does not meet God’s approval (Heb. 13:10).
A More Excellent Ministry
Vs. 3—The introduction of a new priesthood exercised in the heavenly sanctuary, implies a change also in the sacrifices which the Priest offers. The writer explains this, saying, “For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this Man have somewhat also to offer.” The priests in the Levitical system had certain offerings which they presented at the altar (Lev. 1–6:7), but since Christ is the fulfilment of those gifts and sacrifices, there is now no need for them to be offered (chap. 10:18). However, our High Priest does have “somewhat to offer.” He presents to God the prayers and praises of the saints (Heb. 13:15; 1 Peter 2:5)
To all our prayers and praises
Christ adds His sweet perfume,
And love the censer raises,
These odours to consume.
L.F. #114
The Lord also intercedes for us from His heavenly seat (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25). An example of His intercession is found in the Lord’s prayer in John 17. Even though it was before He ascended, John writes his Gospel from the perspective of being outside of time, and thus, sees the Lord as ascended. Thus, while Christ’s priesthood is not after the order of the Aaronic priesthood, He exercises His ministry after the pattern set forth in Aaron’s ministry.
Vss. 4-6—As previously mentioned, verse 5 is a parenthesis. To follow the gist of the writer’s argument it is helpful to read the passage by passing over verse 5—going from verse 4 over to verse 6. He says, “For if He were on earth, He should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the Law....But now hath He obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the Mediator of a better covenant which was established upon better promises.” Thus, the Lord was not a priest when He walked here in this world. It would have interfered with the order of the Levitical priesthood that was in operation at that time, for Judaism was not then set aside. However, the Lord’s earthly pathway and its experiences prepared Him to be a Priest, but He did not enter into His priesthood until He ascended to God’s right hand. Having taken His place on the throne above (Psa. 110:1), God swore Him into that office (Psa. 110:4).
Verse 5 indicates that the tabernacle was a “representation” of the heavenly sanctuary. The Lord said to Moses, “See, saith He, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount.” We might ask: What exactly did Moses see? In a word, he did not see spiritual things, but a pattern of the vessels he was instructed to make. Since the tabernacle was a representation of the true sanctuary above, it is clear that God did not intend for it to be a permanent thing. It was “a shadow of good things to come” that was given to Israel provisionally until the time when Christ would come (Heb. 10:1).
The New Covenant
Vs. 6—Thus, the Lord is a High Priest with “a more excellent ministry” than that which the Aaronic priests had. His position as High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary is such that He has also become “the Mediator of a better covenant which was established upon better promises” (Heb. 8:6; 9:15; 12:24). As Moses was the mediator of the old covenant (Gal. 3:19), so Christ is the Mediator of the new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34). (The function of a mediator is to reconcile, the function of an advocate is to restore, and the function of a priest is to sustain. Christ is seen in the New Testament in all three roles – 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 John 2:1; Hebrews 4:14-15).
The new covenant is “better” because it is established on “better promises.” In making the old covenant, the people made the promises. They said, “All that the LORD hath spoken we will do” (Ex. 19:8; 24:3). But in establishing the new covenant, the Lord has made the promises—and this put its conditions on an altogether different footing, for He never fails to keep His Word. Thus, the first covenant is characterized by the people promising: “We will ... .” On the other hand, the new covenant is characterized by the Lord promising: “I will....”
The blessings under the old covenant were conditional. Inheriting them depended upon the people doing their part (Luke 10:28). The characteristic phrase in connection with it is: “Thou shalt....” (Ex. 20). But this was the weakness of the first covenant; since the blessings it promised were contingent upon human performance, the whole thing broke down on account of the people failing to do their part. How different things are in connection with the new covenant! The characteristic phrase of the new covenant is the Lord’s saying, “I will....” It contains unconditional promises that will be carried out by the Lord Himself. Those blessings, therefore, are steadfast and sure. Hence, the great difference between the covenants is: the old covenant lays out what man must do, whereas the new covenant tells us what God will do.
Vss. 7-8—With the Aaronic priesthood, if it was perfect, there would be no need of bringing in another priesthood (chap. 7:11). He says, “If the first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.” His point here is that by the fact that there needed to be a “second” covenant, it proves that the “first” would not continue. His logic is simple and clear: the announcement that the Lord was going to make a new covenant means that the first covenant would not continue. If the old had been perfect, God would not have promised to bring in a new one. (It is important to understand that the new covenant is not brought into the discussion to teach that it has been made with Christians, which is a common error, but to prove that the first covenant would become obsolete.)
Note: he doesn’t say that the first covenant was at fault; he says, “Finding fault with them....” The fault was with the Israelites who were under that first covenant; they failed to keep its conditions. The Law was “weak through the flesh” (Rom. 8:3). Again, this does not mean that there was something wrong with the Law, but that it couldn't produce anything good out of the flesh because that material was altogether bad. Hence, there is nothing wrong with the Law; it is “holy, just, and good” (Rom. 7:12); the problem is with the flesh.
The New Covenant Will Be Made With Israel, Not With the Church
In verses 8-13, the writer recites the terms of the new covenant in full. It is a quote from Jeremiah 31:31-34. It begins with: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” (vs. 8). This is significant. The Lord very clearly states that the covenant will be made “with” Israel and “with” Judah. In no place in Scripture does the Lord say that the new covenant will be made with the Church, yet this has been a common error among Christians for centuries. It is an old error of Reformed (Covenant) Theology.
The fact that the new covenant is called “new” shows that it will be made with those who had the “old” covenant (Israel). Similarly, you wouldn’t speak of making a “new” deal with someone whom you had never had any previous dealings with. You wouldn’t say to him, “Let’s make a new deal.” This would only be said to someone with whom you already had a deal, and thus, you were proposing a new contract to replace the old one. Likewise, the Church was never under the old covenant. It didn’t even exist when the old covenant was made; it began on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). So, the Lord isn’t speaking of making a new covenant with the Church.
Furthermore, the new covenant with Israel has not been made yet; it is a future thing. The context of Jeremiah 31 shows this. The terms and blessings of the covenant are laid out at the end of the chapter and will come into effect after the remnant of Israel is repentant and restored to the Lord. This hasn’t happened yet.
It is argued by those who think that the new covenant is made with Christians, that since the drinking of the cup at the Lord’s Supper symbolizes fellowship with the blood of Christ, and it is called “the blood of the new covenant” (1 Cor. 11:25), they conclude that the covenant has been made with Christians. They reason, “Why would the Lord ask Christians to have fellowship with something that was not for them?” As a further proof, they will point to Paul’s statement of him and his co-workers being “new covenant ministers” (2 Cor. 3:6). These servants of the Lord were Christians! In their minds, these things prove that the new covenant has indeed been made with Christians.
However, a closer look at Matthew 26:28 and 1 Corinthians 11:25, shows that the emphasis in the Lord’s Supper is on our fellowship with the “blood,” not on “the new covenant.” The new covenant will be made with Israel and enjoyed by them in a future day, but the benefits which the blood has accomplished are enjoyed now by Christians, without us being under the covenant. It may be asked, “Why mention the covenant in the Supper at all if it has no application to Christians?” The answer is, because it was instituted at the Passover, which is distinctly Jewish.
As to 2 Corinthians 3:6, it is true that Paul called himself and those who worked with him, “New covenant ministers.” But it is to be noted that he quickly qualifies what he is saying by adding: “Not of letter, but of spirit.” The “letter” of the new covenant refers to the literal fulfillment of its conditions in a coming day when a remnant of Israel will be saved and brought into the kingdom (Rom. 11:26-27). To apply it in “letter” to the Church is to say that it has been made with the Church, which is not true. Paul ministered the “spirit” of the new covenant, which is grace. He taught Christians that the spiritual blessings of the covenant were theirs through grace, even though they were not formally connected with it—and this is so because of the power of the blood. H. Smith said, “If the letter of the new covenant is confined to Israel, the spirit of it can be applied to Christians” (The Epistle to the Hebrews, p. 45). In 2 Corinthians 3:6, Paul goes further, and says, “For the letter kills.” That is, if he (or we) applied the new covenant to the Church according to the letter, it would destroy the heavenly character of the Christian’s calling, and would destroy the distinction between Israel and the Church.
Thus, Christians have been blessed on new covenant principles, without formally being under the new covenant. The gospel we preach in Christianity is not the new covenant, but it is of the new covenant order, which is grace. The three great spiritual blessings of the new covenant are:
The possession of divine life through new birth (vs. 10).
An intelligent relationship with the Lord (vs. 11).
The knowledge of sins forgiven (vs. 12).
These new covenant blessings are the most elementary spiritual blessings that believers have. They will be the portion of all God’s children. However, in Romans, Colossians, and Ephesians, Paul unfolds the fullness of our blessings which are distinctly Christian. The scope of these blessings are much higher in character and in substance than what Israel will have under the new covenant, and all these are said to be “in Christ” at the right hand of God.
Vs. 13—The writer concludes by saying, “In that He says new, He has made the first old; but that which grows old and aged is near disappearing.” Thus, the first covenant is viewed as old, but at the time of the writing of the epistle that earthly system connected with the old covenant had not yet disappeared. The temple in Jerusalem and its service was still in operation, though no longer owned of God (Matt. 23:38). “The feasts of the LORD” (Lev. 23:4) were no longer viewed as such, but rather, as feasts of “the Jews” (John 2:3; 5:1; 6:4; 7:2, etc.). That whole earthly system was “near disappearing” because in a matter of a few short years the city and the temple would be destroyed by the Romans (Psa. 69:24-25; Dan. 9:26; Matt. 22:7; Luke 21:21-24). This happened in 70 A.D. Let it be said again, the writer’s purpose in introducing the subject of the new covenant is not to teach that it has been made with Christians, but to show that the old covenant would become obsolete.
To summarize chapter 8, the writer has shown that Christ’s ministry as a High Priest is superior to Aaron’s because:
He officiates in the true sanctuary—heaven itself (vss. 1-5).
He officiates in connection with a better covenant that is established on better promises (vss. 6-13).
Christ's Sacrifice Superior to the Sacrifice on the Day of Atonement: Hebrews 9-10:18
(Chapters 9–10:18)
We come now to the pinnacle of the great contrasts in the epistle—the superior sacrifice of Christ. The sacrifices offered in Old Testament Judaism were provisional. They served the purpose of pointing forward to the time when Christ would come and offer Himself to God as the ultimate sacrifice for sin (chap. 9:26). His one great sacrifice is the fulfilment of all those animal sacrifices that had been offered on the Jewish altar (chap. 10:1, 11-12). The particular sacrifice in the Jewish rituals that is before the writer in these two chapters is the sin offering on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:1-34; 23:26-32). The sacrifices on that day were considered to be the greatest of all the sacrifices that were offered in their calendar year.
The Earthly Sanctuary & Its Carnal Ordinances
Vss. 1-7—The writer says, “The first (covenant) therefore also indeed had ordinances of service, and the sanctuary, a worldly one. For a tabernacle was set up; the first, in which were both the candlestick and the table and the exposition of the loaves, which is called Holy; but after the second veil a tabernacle which is called Holy of holies, having a golden censer, and the ark of the covenant, covered round in every part with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, and the rod of Aaron that had sprouted, and the tables of the covenant; and above over it the cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy-seat; concerning which it is not now the time to speak in detail. Now these things being thus ordered, into the first tabernacle the priests enter at all times, accomplishing the services; but into the second, the high priest only, once a year, not without blood, which he offers for himself and for the errors [sins of ignorance] of the people.” The first five verses of chapter 9 are a quick overview of the earthly sanctuary. Then, in verses 6-7, the writer gives a description of the main “services” performed by the priests in that system—particularly that which took place on the Day of Atonement.
The pattern that he refers to is that of the tabernacle in the wilderness, not the temple that Solomon built in the land of Canaan. This is evident by the fact that he mentions “the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded” being in the ark; whereas, when the ark was placed in the temple those two things were removed (2 Chron. 5:10). Using the pattern of the tabernacle in the wilderness to teach his point is in keeping with the context of the epistle, being that it is a wilderness book wherein the Christian is seen on a spiritual pilgrimage to heaven.
The writer mentions ten things that marked that earthly system: three in the “Holy” (the sanctuary) and seven in the “Holy of holies” (the innermost part of the tabernacle wherein was God’s presence). One thing that stands out is that the incense altar is not mentioned, but the “golden censer,” which the priests used at that altar, is! Furthermore, he speaks of the censer as being in the Holy of holies! This is interesting and instructive. It shows that he understood that the proper place of worship (which the incense altar and golden censer represent) is in God’s immediate presence—something unknown in Judaism, but the believer’s privilege in Christianity. This indicates that it is not God’s intention that His redeemed should worship Him at a distance, outside the veil (Heb. 10:19). The court (Ex. 27:9-21) is not mentioned here because the subject in Hebrews is the believer’s approach to God inside the sanctuary. The court has to do with the believer’s testimony before the world outside.
The writer notes that the sacrifices offered on that day only covered “sins of ignorance” (vs. 7 – J. N. Darby Trans. footnote; Lev. 4:2; Num. 15:22-29)—which the KJV calls “errors” of the people. The legal system provided no remedy for “presumptuous sins” (Num. 15:30-36; Psa. 19:13). This fact is another proof of the weakness of that system. At best, those sacrifices could only cover certain sins—and such were only for a year at a time through the rituals on the Day of Atonement and the “forbearance of God” (Rom. 3:25). Those sacrifices could not “take away” sins before God (Heb. 10:3-4) as did the one sacrifice of Christ (Heb. 9:26; 10:12-17).
The Great Lesson the Tabernacle Layout Teaches
Vss. 8-9—In verse 5, he says that it was “not now the time to speak in detail” of these things (as to their typical significance) because his purpose in mentioning the layout of the tabernacle was to show that it teaches the great lesson that access into God’s presence has been closed on account of sin. “The Holy Spirit” was “signifying that the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing.” Since the things in the tabernacle are “figurative representations of the things in the heavens” (vs. 23), the Spirit is teaching that there is no access for man into God’s presence on account of the barrier that sin has created. The presence of the “veil” (Ex. 26:31-35), which the writer calls “the second veil” (vs. 3), restricting entrance into the Holiest, indicated this. The Aaronic priests could enter the Holy place and minister, but they had no admittance into the Holy of holies—except for the High Priest, once a year, with blood from a victim. This clearly teaches us that man cannot come to God directly; he must approach Him through a mediator, and that through the blood of a sacrifice.
Thus, the message the Holy Spirit is communicating, in the type of the tabernacle, is that access into God’s immediate presence had not been opened while the tabernacle was “yet standing” and owned of God. This was a clear proof of the insufficiency of the sacrifices of that legal system. They could not make the worshipper “perfect” in the sense of cleansing his conscience from guilt (vs. 9), nor did they open the way into the presence of God. (The KJV says that it couldn’t make “him that did the service” perfect, which would refer to the priest, but it should read, “him that worshipped...” which is referring to the offerer.) Those sacrifices were instituted by God, and were not an attempt to perfect the believer, but rather, to point forward to “the good things” that would come in through Christ, which would perfect the believer (vs. 11).
As long as the tabernacle was standing, and owned of God, there could be no direct access into His presence. Such required a greater sacrifice that could, once and for all, put away sin (vss. 11-12, 26). Until sin had been dealt with in a sacrifice that satisfied the claims of divine justice, there would always be a distance between God and man. Therefore, approaching God in worship, until such time, would have to be through a system of rituals and ordinances that only kept man at a distance from God. H. Smith said, “Under such a system God was shut in and man was shut out. The Jewish system could neither open heaven to us, nor could it fit us for heaven” (The Epistle to the Hebrews, p. 48).
The tabernacle with the veil rent is “an image [figure] for the present time” when the way into the Holy of holies has been opened (Heb. 10:19-22). Christians generally, and historically, have not understood that the Old Testament tabernacle system is a figure of the true sanctuary in which Christians now worship by the Spirit. Instead of seeing it as a figure, they have used the tabernacle as a pattern for their churches and have borrowed many things in a literal sense from that Judaic order for their places of worship and their religious services. In doing so, they have entirely missed the point that God does not want a mixture of these two drastically different and contrasting orders (Heb. 13:10).
Vs. 10—The writer clearly states that the outward rituals of Judaism (“meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances”) were a provisional thing, given to Israel “until the time of setting things right [rectifying]” (W. Kelly Trans.). They were not intended to be used indefinitely in the way in which they were given to them. “The time of setting things right” not only refers to Christianity now, but also to the time when the new covenant will be made with Israel. J. N. Darby said, “Certain things were imposed on them until the time of reformation. Christ came, ‘an High Priest of good things to come.’ What does that refer to? Some may find a difficulty as to whether ‘to come,’ refers to what was future for the Jews, while that tabernacle was standing, or to what is now future. I believe both. All was new in Christ. It was to come on a new foundation. The basis is laid for the entire and perfect reconciliation of man with God.” (Collected Writings, vol. 27, p. 385)
The Superior Sacrifice of Christ
Vss. 11-28—The writer now contrasts the service that occurred in the tabernacle on the Day of Atonement with what Christ accomplished in His death on the cross. Thus, the greatness of Christ’s finished work is dwelt on here with some detail.
Looking at this passage with a cursory glance, we see that the two chief things performed on the Day of Atonement have had their fulfilment in Christ. Firstly, there were sacrifices offered for the sins of the people. This has had its fulfilment in Christ’s death on the cross (vss. 11-22). Then, the high priest entered the holiest with the blood of the sacrifice. This has had its fulfilment in Christ’s ascension into heaven after He rose from the dead (vss. 23-28).
J. N. Darby outlines what is before us in this passage by stating, “Here then are the three aspects of the result of the work of Christ: the immediate access to God, a purged conscience, and an eternal redemption.” He adds a fourth item by including an eternal inheritance (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, pp. 331, 334 – Loizeaux edition). These are the main points in the chapter.
It Has Given the Believer Immediate Access to God
Vss. 11-12—The writer begins his grand treatise on the greatness of Christ’s sacrifice and the blessings which it has brought to believers by stating that Christ has become the “High Priest of the good things to come.” He serves in this capacity in “the better [greater] and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands,” which is heaven itself. In a short parenthesis at the end of verse 11, he says, “That is to say, not of this building [creation].” Thus, he makes it clear that he is not referring to a literal sanctuary in this material “creation” in which the priests offered the “blood of goats and calves,” but to the true (real) sanctuary—“the holy of holies” in heaven. The writer says that Christ, after rising from the dead, has entered there “once for all” as a glorified Man. This is monumental; for in doing so, He has opened “the way into the holiest” for the new race of men under His headship. (The KJV says that He entered “the holy place,” but it should be translated, “the holy of holies,” which is the immediate presence of God. The veil was rent in the Lord’s death, so when He entered the heavenly sanctuary, He was in the immediate presence of God – Hebrews 10:20).
The Lord entered the heavenly sanctuary, we are told, “by His own blood.” Note: the writer does not say that the Lord entered there with His own blood. Some have imagined that the Lord actually took His blood up to heaven as a token of His finished work, but this is misinterpreting the type (Lev. 16:13-14; Heb. 9:7) and is carrying it beyond what the New Testament teaches. The Lord made propitiation on the cross, not in heaven. “By” His own blood means that He entered the presence of God in heaven by virtue of the efficacy of His sacrifice.
The great point the writer is making here is that “the way into the holiest”—which was “not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing” (vs. 8)—has now been opened by Christ’s entrance there as a Man. Christ’s appearing in heaven “before the face of God” (vs. 24) is an everlasting witness that heaven has been thrown open to the believer. By virtue of Christ’s blood, the believer has access into the true holy of holies in heaven. The writer does not dwell on that privilege here (which is taken up in chapter 10:19), but simply states the fact that Christ has opened the way into the heavenly sanctuary. This is something that all the blood that flowed from the Jewish altar could not do.
It Has Obtained Eternal Redemption
Vs. 12—The second great thing accomplished by Christ’s finished work is that He has “obtained an eternal redemption” for all who believe. Redemption has to do with being set free from the judgment of our sins, from sin, from Satan, and from the world. The KJV adds the words, “for us.” But those words are in italics and this means that they are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied by the translators for what they thought would add clarity. Unfortunately, it narrows the application of eternal redemption to Christians, which misses the point. Christ’s great redemptive work is for all who have faith—including Israel under the new covenant and the believing Gentile nations in the Millennium. The fact that it is said to be “eternal” means that this great blessing continues forever. This stands in contrast to the blood of the sacrifices offered in the Levitical system on the Day of Atonement. The blood of those sacrifices only secured an annual atonement, whereas the blood Christ’s sacrifice obtained eternal redemption. The value of His sacrifice, therefore, is immeasurably greater than the sacrifices in the Levitical system.
Thus, not only has heaven been opened to the believer, but every hindrance to him being there has been righteously met and removed by the eternal redemption secured through Christ’s finished work.
It Purges the Conscience of the Believer
Vss. 13-14—The third thing which the writer focuses on that distinguishes Christ’s sacrifice from all of the Old Testament sacrifices, is that it purges the conscience of the believer. This has to do with the full weight of sin’s guilt as an accusing load being lifted off the believer’s conscience. It is a once-for-all thing that occurs when a person rests in faith upon the finished work of Christ, and is thereupon, sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13). This is something that was not known under the legal system, and as a result, the Old Testament saints always carried with them a conscience of sins (1 Kings 17:18; Psa. 25:7, 11, 18, etc.). They did not know the eternal forgiveness of sins (Acts 13:39; Eph. 1:7, etc.) which was first announced after redemption was accomplished (Luke 24:47). This has to do with the believer having a conscious understanding that his sins are judicially gone before the eye of God. The only kind of forgiveness that the Old Testament saints knew, in their day, was the governmental aspect (Lev. 4, etc.).
To emphasize the great blessing of a purged conscience, the writer points to a striking contrast between the sacrifices in the Levitical system and the sacrifice of Christ. In the legal system, “the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean” with water (Lev. 16; Num. 19) prepared the children of Israel to approach God in worship. But those things merely purified their “flesh” (their physical bodies) in a ceremonial sense. In contrast to that, the writer asks, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve [worship] the living God?” Thus, the blood of those animal sacrifices purified the flesh of the worshippers under the old covenant, but the blood of Christ purges the conscience of the believer. Those Jewish rituals made the worshippers in that system ceremonially clean, but Christ’s finished work makes believers judicially and eternally clean. Moreover, those Judaic rituals had to be repeated yearly to keep Israel in good standing with God, whereas the purging of the believer’s conscience is a once-for-all thing.
The three Persons of the Godhead are mentioned in verse 14 in connection with the purging of the believer’s conscience. For Jewish believers who were once in the Judaic system, this purging of their conscience was “from dead works.” This was mentioned earlier in chapter 6:1 and refers to the exercise that the children of Israel went through each year on the Day of Atonement in afflicting their souls in repentance (Lev. 16:29). Such works are now a “dead” thing for the Jewish believer who rests in faith in Christ’s finished work. His sins are not merely covered for another year—they are gone forever! (1 John 3:5) Since Christ has accomplished redemption, such a practise is now no longer needed.
The KJV says, “to serve the living God,” but it should be translated, “to worship the living God.” Approaching God through a caste of priests in a system of rituals was regarded as a “service” in that old economy (Rom. 9:4; Heb. 9:6). In contrast to this, Christians approach the Father by the Holy Spirit, on the ground of the finished work of Christ; it is not regarded as a service in Scripture, but true “worship” (John 4:23-24). Thus, being set free in conscience, the believer in this dispensation becomes a worshipper of God.
Having a purged conscience is different from having “a good conscience” (1 Tim. 1:19). As mentioned earlier, a purged conscience affords the believer with an understanding that the eternal judgment of his sins has been taken care of in the atoning work of Christ. His conscience is, thereby, silenced forever as to this matter. A good conscience, on the other hand, has to do with the believer maintaining a good state of soul through self-judgment as he walks here on earth. Having a purged conscience does not mean that the believer will no longer be conscious of sinning if he fails in the path. “No more conscience of sins” (chap. 10:2) does not mean, “No more consciousness of sins.” If a Christian allows an evil thought, word, or deed to go unjudged, he will lose a good conscience. It is, therefore, quite possible for a person to have a purged conscience, and at the same time, not have a good conscience.
It Has Secured an Eternal Inheritance
Vss. 15-17—The fourth great thing accomplished in Christ’s sacrifice is the securing of an “eternal inheritance” for believers. Christ, “the Mediator of the new covenant” (Heb. 8:6; 9:15; 12:24), “by means of death,” met the righteous requirement necessary to put away “the transgressions under the first covenant.” Romans 3:25, tells us that the judgment of those transgressions was held in abeyance through the forbearance of God, and when Christ came, He bore the just judgment of those sins in His atoning work on the cross. But more than this, Christ’s death also secured for “the called” (believers) “the promise of the eternal inheritance.”
The word “inheritance,” is used in two ways in the New Testament: to indicate the created things of this universe over which we will reign with Christ (Eph. 1:11, 14, 18; Col. 3:24), and also to indicate the believer’s portion of spiritual blessings in Christ (Acts. 26:18; Col. 1:12; 1 Peter 1:4). Since the material things of this creation are not eternal (they do not last forever but will be burnt up at the end of time – 2 Peter 3:7, 10), the aspect of the inheritance before us in this passage must be our spiritual blessings, because it is said to be “eternal.” Hence, those who believe have now received, not just the promise, but what has been promised—the eternal inheritance of spiritual blessings.
In a parenthesis in verses 16-17, the writer explains that in a similar way among men a will, or “a testament,” only comes into “force” through “the death of the testator.” That is, the one who made the will must die before its conditions come into effect. (The Greek word is rightly translated as “testament,” in the KJV, because he is speaking of it as a will. Elsewhere, it should be translated “covenant,” which is a different thing.) The writer’s point here is that the eternal inheritance of spiritual blessings has come to us through Christ’s death.
It Has Laid the Foundation for the Cleansing of Heavenly Things
Vss. 18-28—Another thing that Christ’s sacrifice has secured is the laying of the foundation for the future cleansing of the universe from the effects of sin. John the Baptist referred to this when he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). This is something that is yet to happen.
When the first covenant was “inaugurated,” everything connected with the tabernacle was sprinkled with blood. Moses sprinkled “the altar” (Ex. 24:6), “the book” which contained the terms of the covenant (not mentioned in Exodus 24), and “all the people.” He also sprinkled “the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.” (These latter two things were not in existence at the inauguration of the first covenant in Exodus 24; the tabernacle and its vessels had not been made yet. Therefore, this had to have been done sometime later.) The sprinkling with blood purified the tabernacle in a ceremonial sense. The writer adds, “And almost all things are by the Law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission” (vs. 22). Thus, every aspect of remission (forgiveness) under the old covenant could only be done by an animal’s life being forfeited and its blood being shed. He says “almost all things” because there was an exception. In Leviticus 5:11-13, there was an allowance made for a poor man to bring a meal offering (which had no blood) in place of a sin offering, and it would be accepted for him, and thus, the man would be forgiven. This typifies a person being brought into blessing through simple faith, even though he doesn’t have a clear understanding of the finished work of Christ, of which His blood is a token. This would include children and those like Cornelius (before he met the Apostle Peter – Acts 10) who have faith but have not had the gospel explained to them.
The writer then explains that as it was necessary for these “figurative representations [copies – W. Kelly] of the things in the heavens” (Ex. 25:40) to be “purified” by the sprinkling of blood from animal sacrifices, so also must the whole universe (of which the tabernacle is a replica) be purified by the “better sacrifices” in Christ’s death (vs. 23). (W. Macdonald states that the use of the plural, in describing the one sacrifice of Christ, is a figure of speech known as “the plural of majesty.”) This is a reference to the broadest aspect of Christ’s death, which the writer has already mentioned in chapter 2:9. Christ not only died to put away the sins of all who would believe, but He also tasted death for “every thing.” This is because the presence of sin and Satan in the universe have defiled it (Job 15:15; 25:5), and thus, it needs to be cleansed. Christ has paid the price for its cleansing in His death on the cross, and He will one day cleanse away every trace of sin in the creation. This will not take place until the Eternal State is reached and the last enemy (death) is destroyed (1 Cor. 15:26). Thus, while the blood of bulls and goats purified the figurative representations of the heavenly sanctuary, Christ’s blood is the means by which He will cleanse the heavenly places.
Three Appearings
Vss. 24-28—The writer then summarizes the foregoing points in three different appearings of Christ—in the past, in the present, and in the future.
Firstly, Christ has “appeared” (His first advent) for the purpose of settling the whole question of sin once and for all by the sacrifice of Himself. Our writer says, “But now once in the consummation of the ages He has been manifested [appeared] for the putting away of sin by His sacrifice” (vs. 26). Thus, Christ came into the world to deal with the whole outbreak of sin in the creation. As mentioned, His atoning death on the cross has laid the foundation for its complete removal (John 1:29). “To put away sin” is a comprehensive statement. It includes the sins of believers (1 John 3:5), but goes beyond that to take in all the effects and bearings that sin has wrought in the creation. J. N. Darby said, “What is the meaning of Hebrews 9:26, ‘Christ put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself?’ I believe that it extends to the new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. So also, ‘The Lamb of God which beareth away the sin of the world.’ The work that accomplishes it is done, but the power is not yet put forth” (Collected Writings, vol. 27, p. 198). W. Kelly said, “The day will come when the new heavens and the new earth will display the reconciling power of Christ’s sacrifice, for every trace of sin will then have vanished from the world. And this is the full force of John 1:29, as of our verse 26 also” (The Epistle to the Hebrews, p. 178). Thus, sin has presently been put away before God in a judicial sense in Christ’s atoning death, but in a coming day it will be put out of the universe, at which time the heavens and the earth will be “purified” (vs. 23).
“The consummation of the ages” refers to the closing up of the forty centuries (the number of divine testing in Scripture) wherein man in the flesh has been tested by God. This period has run from the fall of man to the cross of Christ. The testing has been brought to a close because man in the flesh has proved in every way to be an utter failure. As a result, God has put an end to that whole order of fallen manhood and has “condemned sin in the flesh” in the death of Christ (Rom. 8:3). He has now begun a new race of men through Christ in resurrection in whom He will accomplish His purpose to glorify Christ in the world to come.
Secondly, Christ now appears in heaven before God, for us, where He carries on His high priestly intercessory service (vs. 24). The writer says, “Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence [before the face] of God for us.” The writer repeats what he has already stated in verse 11—that Christ did not enter the man-made sanctuary on earth, which was only a pattern of “the true,” but into the heavenly sanctuary itself. Thus, He represents us before God. Since He will remain there forever as a Man, our position before God can never change! His work of intercession there is exercised on behalf of believers with a view to saving them, in a practical sense, from spiritual dangers in the path of faith (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25).
Thirdly, at the Rapture, Christ will “appear” out of heaven to deliver believers from the havoc that sin has wrought on earth (violence, sickness, suffering, sorrow, death, etc.) by taking them out of it to the Father’s house in heaven (vs. 28). Presently, believers on the Lord Jesus Christ have to walk through the corrupting circumstances that sin has caused because the creation has not been “purified” yet, and this has cast them on the Lord for His high priestly help (vs. 23). Their hope is to be taken out of this corrupted scene altogether when Christ comes (Jude 21) before He undertakes to cleanse it through judgment. Thus, we do not look for better and rosier conditions in the Church, nor do we look for better and rosier conditions in the world—we “look for Him” to come. This is the normal Christian hope. Hence, the Lord’s coming “the second time” is viewed as a “salvation” which believers eagerly wait for, if they are in a right state of soul (Rom. 5:9; 8:23-25; 13:11; Phil. 3:20).
(Until that moment, God has made a provision for us to escape “the corruption that is in the world through lust” by being “partakers of the divine nature” in a practical sense (2 Peter 1:4). That is, being born again, we have the capacity to enjoy divine things—the very things that God Himself enjoys. When we are thus occupied, we partake in what His nature enjoys and we have fellowship with Him. By being taken up with those heavenly things, the attractions and temptations of sin that surround us on every side lose their power over us, and thus, we escape those corruptions.)
Verse 26, refers to the side of Christ’s atoning work known as propitiation (Rom 3:25; Heb. 2:17; 1 John 2:2; 4:10). It has to do with the vindication of God’s holy nature by rendering a full satisfaction to the claims of divine justice concerning the outbreak of sin. Verse 28, refers to the other side of Christ’s atoning work—substitution. This has to do with Christ’s taking the believer’s place in judgment, and bearing “our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). J. N. Darby said, “In Hebrews 9:26, 28, we get two things: to ‘put away sin’ and ‘sins borne,’ just as we get the sin-offering and the scape-goat on the day of atonement (Collected Writings, vol. 21, p. 198).
Verse 27, is a solemn reminder that on account of sin man is destined to die (Rom. 5:12), and after death there will be a recompense for his personal sins in divine judgment. The writer states this clearly: “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” In verse 28, he hastens to say that this danger of judgment has been turned aside for all who believe. However, it is to be noted that He has not borne the sins of all men, but of the “many” who believe. Those who will not believe will bear the judgment of their sins. Hence, “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many,” and as a result, they will “not come into judgment” (John 5:24; Rom. 8:1).
Verse 28, is a correlation between the Day of Atonement and the great work of Christ in atonement. In Israel, when the high priest went into the Holiest with blood, on that day, the people stood without waiting for him to reappear. There might have been some trepidation on their part, for he may have entered there in some wrong way, which would result in his immediate death. However, upon his re-entry into the court, the people could breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that all was well. In a similar way, Christ has gone into the heavenly sanctuary by virtue of His blood, and believers (“them that look for Him”) are now waiting for Him to reappear “the second time without sin” for their “salvation.” The difference is that we are waiting for the Lord without any trepidation or fear of what may have happened to Him. The testimony of Scripture gives us the assurance that He “ever liveth” in the presence of God “to make intercession” for us (Heb. 7:25). And, “as He is” accepted in the presence of God, “so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17).
When the Lord comes the second time (the Rapture) it will be “without sin.” That is, when He comes, it will not be to settle the question of sin because it was dealt with and settled to the glory of God at His first advent. His second coming will be for the final salvation of believers—the taking of them home to heaven in a glorified state (Phil. 3:21). Note: they are not looking for death, the common portion of men, but “for Him” to come. Thus, there are some who will not keep man’s universal appointment with death.
The Believer Perfected
Chap. 10:1-18—In chapter 9, the writer spoke of the blood of Christ purging the conscience of the believer (vs. 14), now in this chapter, he returns to explain how it is obtained. Thus, the tenth chapter is the summing up (or conclusion) of the things presented in the ninth chapter. It sets before us the way in which the believer is fitted for the presence of God, and thus enabled to enter the heavenly sanctuary with holy boldness as a purged worshipper.
The doctrinal part of the chapter (vss. 1-18) has three parts in connection with the great sacrifice of Christ. All three Persons of the Godhead (the Trinity) are seen involved in securing the blessing of salvation for the believer:
The will of God—the source of our blessing (vss. 1-10).
The work of Christ—the means by which we are blessed (vss. 11-14).
The witness of the Spirit—brings us into the conscious knowledge of our blessing (vss. 15-18).
Thus, these verses teach us that the will of God has been accomplished by the work of Christ on the cross, and the witness of the Spirit gives us an intelligent understanding of it. J. N. Darby summarized it as follows: “I was full of sin; someone was needed to think about me, someone was needed to do the thing required, and then someone to tell me the effect...there is 1St the will of God—‘by which will,’ etc., 2nd, the work whereby it is done—‘by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all...’ 3rd, there is the knowledge of it given to me” (Collected Writings, vol. 27, p. 386).
The Will of God
Vss. 1-10—In summary of the foregoing chapter (9) the writer shows that with the coming of Christ (His first advent), the sacrifices in the Levitical system have been superseded by His one great sacrifice. Hence, the “shadow of good things to come” has given place to the actual substance it represents in Christ’s finished work. In Old Testament times, the light of God was shining upon Christ, and all the forms and ceremonies, including the weekly Sabbaths, were but shadows cast by Him. Since He Himself has come and thus fulfilled those types, they have given place to the actual substance. This being the case, the Levitical system with its forms and rituals has served its purpose in pointing forward to Christ, and it is now no longer needed.
The tabernacle system was a “figure” (chap. 9:9) and a “shadow” (chap. 10:1) of spiritual things in the heavens, but it was “not the very image” of those things. By stating this, the writer makes it clear that we shouldn’t think that every vessel and piece of furniture in the tabernacle necessarily has a counterpart in the heavens. Such ideas lead to mystical interpretations.
The main point in the opening verses of chapter 10 is that the sacrifices offered in that earthly system could not actually “take away sins” before God, nor could they “make the comers thereunto perfect” as to their conscience. In fact, those sacrifices were not given for that purpose. As mentioned, they were given to point forward to the time when Christ would come as the ultimate “sacrifice for sin” (Isa. 53:10; Rom. 8:3; 2 Cor. 5:21).
In contrast to the inability of those many Old Testament sacrifices which could not perfect a believer, the writer says that the worshipper in Christianity is “once purged” by simple faith in Christ’s finished work. By receiving Him as Saviour, the believer is purged forever! This never needs to be repeated! The practical result of this great blessing is that the believer has “no more conscience of sins.” As alluded to in our remarks on chapter 9:13-14, he who has a conscience of sins lives in the dread that God will one day bring him into judgment for his sins. To have no more conscience of sins is to have had that dread of judgment removed forever through understanding that the question of our sins has been settled righteously, by God in the sacrifice of Christ, and that we will never come into judgment. As mentioned in chapter 9, having a purged conscience is a blessing Christians have that Old Testament saints under the Levitical system didn’t have.
The writer reasons that if those sacrifices offered on the Day of Atonement did put away sins before God, then they would have “ceased to be offered” (vs. 2). But since they were continued “every year,” it is clear evidence that they did not accomplish this. The Old Testament ritual on the Day of Atonement covered their sins (the meaning of “atone,” in the Hebrew language) by virtue of the forbearance of God (Rom. 3:25), but that ritual could not take away sins. The blood of “bulls,” which made a yearly atonement for the priests in that system (Lev. 16:6-14), and blood of “goats” which made a yearly atonement for the rest of the children of Israel (Lev. 16:15-22), simply could not take away sins. Such could only be accomplished through Christ’s death (1 John 3:5). F. B. Hole said, “The Old Testament sacrifices were like a promissory note. They had value, but it lay in that to which they pointed. They were but paper; the sacrifice of Christ alone is like fine gold. In Leviticus, their relative value is pointed out. In Hebrews we find that their value is only relative and not intrinsic. They can never take away sins. Hence, in them God had no pleasure, and the coming of Christ was a necessity” (Hebrews, p. 42).
The Jews, however, refused to accept that Christ was the grand fulfilment of the shadow. They clung to the outward forms and rituals of Judaism even though the very substance of which those things spoke had been fulfilled. It was willful ignorance. To prefer the Law to Christ is like preferring a picture of someone to the person represented in the picture! In regard to the Hebrews who had professedly taken the Christian stand, it is hard to understand how anyone would want to leave the reality in Christ and go back to the copies. Or, why anyone would want to leave a perfect High Priest serving in the heavenly sanctuary and return to a failing priest who served in the earthly sanctuary. Yet this was, evidently, a temptation to some of the Hebrews.
Vss. 5-7—Since the blood of bulls and goats could not satisfy the claims of divine justice in regard to sins, it was God’s will that an acceptable sacrifice would be made to accomplish this at some point in world history. The writer quotes Psalm 40 to show that it was in the counsel of God before the foundation of the earth that Christ would come into the world as the divine Sin-bearer, and by His one sacrifice, settle the question of sin for the glory of God and for the blessing of man. He says, “Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith, Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not, but a body hast Thou prepared Me.” This means that the Lord came with a full understanding that the claims of divine justice could not be satisfied by those Levitical offerings, and to be man’s Sin-bearer, He would have to become a Man. Thus, a human “body” was prepared for Him by God, which He took at His incarnation (Luke 1:35). And “through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ,” a sacrifice was made that put away sin “once for all” (vs. 10)
“A body hast Thou prepared Me” is a quote from Psalm 40:6, in the Septuagint version (a Greek translation of the Old Testament Scriptures from the third century B.C.), as also are the other Old Testament citations in the epistle. We might wonder why the Spirit of God would lead the writer to quote it as such when its rendering in the Hebrew Scriptures is, “Ears hast Thou prepared Me.” However, in writing New Testament Scripture, it is the Spirit’s prerogative to alter that which He Himself originally inspired in the Old Testament, for He is the divine Author. Similarly, if we were to observe one of Rembrandt’s paintings, and in contemplating it, we thought that it would look better if we added a few touches of paint here and there to it—such a thing would be totally unacceptable. However, if Rembrandt himself were to walk in and look at his work, and decide to add a touch of paint to his painting, it would be acceptable because he is the original artist. Likewise, the divine Author of Scripture has every right to render a certain text differently in the New Testament. They don’t contradict each other, because to have “ears” is to have a “body.” Psalm 40:6, emphasizes Christ’s obedience as a Servant, hence, it is appropriately rendered “ears.” Hebrews 10:5, emphasizes Christ’s giving Himself as a sacrifice, and there it says “body.”
The statement: “In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast had no pleasure” (vs. 6) would be particularly difficult to accept for Jews ensconced in Judaism. They knew that those offerings were given by God and that He was pleased when they were offered. They were a “sweet savour unto the LORD” (Lev. 1:9, 13, 17, etc.). Any idea of God not being pleased with them would be a hard thing for a Jew to swallow. However, being that this is a quote from their own Scriptures (Psa. 40:6), the Jews are forced to admit that this was not some strange idea that the writer of the epistle invented. Their own Scriptures stated that there would come a time when those offerings and sacrifices would no longer be “required.” This can only be explained by the coming of the Messiah and the offering of His great sacrifice, as many passages of Scripture attest.
Vs. 7—Psalm 40 is quoted to show that Christ is the grand fulfilment of all those sacrifices. It describes His devotion to the performance of God’s will: “Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me), to do Thy will, O God.” The “book” is not the Bible, but rather, a figurative reference to the counsel of God concerning Christ’s coming into the world to make atonement. In quoting the Psalm, the Spirit of God purposely leaves out the words, “I delight.” This is because Psalm 40, in its primary interpretation, has to do with Christ’s death as the ultimate burnt offering. As the burnt offering, the doing of God’s will was something that the Lord delighted in—even if it meant going into death. However, the subject in Hebrews 9-10 is Christ’s sacrifice as the sin offering in which He was “made sin” (2 Cor. 5:21). As the ultimate sin offering, He suffered untold agonies under the judgment of God when He bore our sins in His own body on the tree. Those atoning sufferings were no delight to Him, but He remained on the cross in obedience to God’s will in order to put away sin. Thus, the phrase, “I delight” is dropped when the psalm is applied to the sin offering.
In verses 8-9, Psalm 40 is quoted a second time, but for a different reason. On this occasion, it is in connection with the removal of the whole Levitical system. The writer mentions the four main offerings in Leviticus 1-6 as the sum of the Levitical system, and then speaks of Christ’s coming into the world to take it away. This shows that the sacrifice of Christ was the consummation and closing up of the Levitical economy. Thus, Psalm 40 is quoted for two reasons: in connection with Christ’s coming into the world to take away sins once and for all (vss. 4-7), and also, in connection with His coming to take away “the first” order of approach to God (the Levitical system). This latter point was necessary in order to “establish the second” order under the new covenant. Simply put, the second could not be established while the first was still functioning.
Vs. 10—The great result of God’s will being done is that we “have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” By virtue of this great work of Christ, God has set apart (the meaning of sanctification) believers for eternal blessing.
The Work of Christ
Vss. 11-14—The writer then focuses on the finished work of Christ; firstly, in what it accomplished for the glory of God, and then, as to what it accomplished for the blessing of the believer.
As to God’s side, He says, “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: but this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever [in perpetuity] sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool.” Christ’s “one sacrifice” so completely satisfied the claims of divine justice in regard to sin that He had every right to sit down on the right hand of God. In fact, after the work was done, God invited Him to sit there—“Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool” (Psa. 110:1). This shows that the claims of divine justice were more than satisfied; God was glorified by the work that Christ accomplished on the cross.
The contrast between the sacrifices that the Levitical priests offered and the great sacrifice of Christ couldn’t be greater. In offering those Old Testament sacrifices the priest’s work was never done. It was an unfinished work. Those sacrifices had to be repeated over and over. The fact that there was no chair among the pieces of furniture in the tabernacle signifies this. Hence, the writer says, “Every priest standeth daily ministering....” In the 1500 years that the Levitical system was in place and operating, many thousands of animal sacrifices were offered—but none of them, nor all of them combined, could “take away sins.” In contrast to this, after offering His one sacrifice, Christ “sat down in perpetuity” at God’s right hand, thus signifying that the work of atonement was finally accomplished. Thus, Christ’s work on the cross is a “finished” work (John 19:30). The contrasts abound here. Those priests stood; this Man sat down. They offered often; He offered once. Their sacrifices covered sins for another year; His sacrifice takes away sins eternally.
The KJV says that He sat down at God’s right hand “forever,” but this could be misleading if we take the word in its ordinary sense. It would mean that He will never again rise up from God’s throne. But this is problematic because Scripture says that He will rise up and come again to take us to heaven, and afterwards, judge the world in righteousness. A better translation says “perpetuity.” This means that in connection with expiation for sin, He is seated there uninterruptedly; He will never need to rise up and deal with sin again. His work on the cross has settled the sin question. Thus, perpetuity has a sense of finality connected with it. Psalm 110:1 is then quoted—“Henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool”—confirming that Christ indeed will one day rise from the throne of God to come back and judge the world.
When the heavens were “opened” for Stephen to look into, he saw Christ “standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56). This does not contradict Hebrews 10:12. The Lord was standing at that time for a different reason. Opportunity was still being extended to the Jews to receive Christ as their Messiah. He stood there ready to return to earth to set up the kingdom, as stated in the Old Testament prophets, if they would but repent and be converted (Acts 3:19-20). Here, in Hebrews 10, the subject is Christ’s finished work in atonement. He is seated at the right hand of God because the work is done. The fact that He is seated here, tells us that the offer to Israel to have the kingdom at that time had been rescinded.
Vs. 14—Having spoken of what the work of Christ has done for the glory of God, the writer then speaks of the immediate effect that His work has on the believer. He says, “For by one offering He has perfected in perpetuity the sanctified.” The “sanctified” are those whom God has set apart for blessing—believers. They need perfecting as to their conscience if they are going to stand in liberty in God’s presence as worshippers. This comes through understanding and believing in Christ’s finished work. It is a grand fact indeed that as long as Christ sits at God’s right hand in “perpetuity” (vs. 12), the believer is perfected in “perpetuity!” (vs. 14) The one is contingent upon the other. A perfect work has been done by a perfect Person to make believers perfect. This perfecting of the believer’s conscience is something that those who had faith under the old covenant did not have. (There is another aspect of perfection which believers will get when the Lord comes at the Rapture [Phil. 3:12; Heb. 11:40; 12:23]—their glorification [Rom. 8:17, 23, 30; Phil. 3:21]. However, that is not the subject here.)
The Witness of the Spirit
Vss. 15-18—The witness of the Spirit is mentioned next as being the means by which the believer knows that he has been blessed through Christ’s finished work. The writer says, “Whereof the Holy Ghost [Spirit] also is a witness.” The witness of the Spirit is not some warm feeling that He creates in the believer’s heart—as some say, “I have a burning in my bosom”—but what He has said in the Scriptures. The way in which we know that we are “sanctified” (set apart to God for blessing) and “perfected” through Christ’s death is by our accepting by faith what the Spirit has declared in the Scriptures regarding believers.
The aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work which the writer is referring to here is not His indwelling—though that is certainly true of every believer in this dispensation (1 Thess. 4:8; Eph. 1:13; 4:30; etc.). Note carefully: he says that the Spirit’s witness is “to” us, not in us. Thus, it is stated facts which the Spirit has made in the Scriptures, not subjective feelings produced in us. We should not be looking to our feelings to get assurance of our blessing, for our emotions and feelings are ever changing. It is what the Spirit of God has “said before” in the Word of God that will alone give us this assurance. (Romans 8:16, speaks of the Spirit’s witness being “with” us, and 1 John 5:10, speaks of the witness being “in” us—but these are different aspects that are not in view here.)
By saying “before” (vs. 15), the writer is referring to what the Holy Spirit wrote aforetime in Jeremiah 31 Concerning the spiritual blessings of the new covenant. Since this is one of the Jewish-Christian epistles, the blessings in view are particularly the new covenant blessings, rather than the distinctive Christian blessings “in Christ” mentioned in Paul’s epistles (Eph. 1:3). These new covenant blessings are not exclusive to Christians, but they are the common property of all God’s children who believe on Christ—including the redeemed remnant of Israel and believing Gentiles in the millennial day to come (Rev. 7). Since the terms of the new covenant have been quoted at length in chapter 8, the writer does not see it to be necessary to quote them again here. Hence, he abbreviates them, emphasizing one particular blessing—“their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” “Sins” are the deeds that we have done and “iniquities” are the evil disposition of our hearts (Psa. 41:6; 66:18; 78:37-38; Isa. 32:6; 59:7; Matt. 23:28; Acts 8:22-23). This shows that God has taken up our whole case—from the conception of our evil deeds in our hearts to the actual acts—and has dealt with it completely in the atoning work of Christ. Thus, He not only removes our sins from our consciences, but He also removes every remembrance of them from His mind!
Let us note that he puts no qualification on the kind of sins that are forgiven here, as was the case under the legal covenant. Under that system, only “sins of ignorance” could be forgiven (Heb. 9:7), and only in a governmental way. In contrast to that, the sins that the one sacrifice of Christ can forgive—and forgive eternally—are not only sins of ignorance, but presumptuous sins too! “The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all [every] sin” (1 John 1:7). How wonderful this is indeed, for none can claim to have only sinned ignorantly!
Many people think that the statement, “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more,” means that God forgets the believer's sins. However, to "remember no more" is not the same as forgetting. We might use catchy clichés such as, "Our sins are forgiven, forgotten, forever," but this is inadvertently attaching a human weakness to God’s dealings with our sins. The truth is that God has a righteous basis upon which He has acted to put away our sins—the finished work of Christ. On that basis, He can consciously remove them from His thoughts, as to eternal judgment, because the price has been paid for them in the death of Christ. This is a divine act of righteousness, not a human weakness of forgetfulness. To attach human weakness to God in regard to this question implies that He has dealt with our sins in a slipshod manner. Taken literally, it does not give the believer any real confidence that his sins have been dealt with properly. If God has forgotten them, maybe He will remember them again someday! And then what? Someone wrote to J. N. Darby asking about this in connection with Hebrews 10:17. He replied, "It is not as if God forgot the things, but He does not remember them—hold them in His mind—against them in any way" (Letters, vol. 3, p. 371).
The judgment seat of Christ shows that God still has a record of our whole lives, including our sins. At that time, both the “good” and the “bad” things in our lives will be reviewed. This will include things done before we were saved, for the review will be of things done in our bodies, and we were surely in our bodies before we were saved (2 Cor. 5:10). This review could not be done if God were to delete parts of our lives from His memory. The simple answer is that He still has knowledge of what we are and what we have done, but based on the efficacy of Christ’s finished work, He will not remember them for judgment any more.
Vs. 18—The conclusion of this whole discussion regarding Christ’s superior sacrifice, which the writer has carefully followed through chapters 9-10, is that since there is now eternal “remission” of sins in Christ’s atoning work, there is, therefore, “no more” need of the Levitical sin offerings to be sacrificed. They are obsolete.
This statement brings the doctrinal part of the epistle to a close.
Practical Exhortations: Hebrews 10:19-39
(Chapters 10:19–13:25)
We now enter upon the practical part of the epistle. Based on the truth taught in the foregoing chapters, the writer exhorts believers in connection with their privileges and responsibilities in the house of God. There follows in this practical portion of the epistle seven groups of exhortations indicated in the words, “Let us....” (Chaps. 10:22, 23, 24; 12:1, 28; 13:13, 15).
Every Christian is Constituted a Priest
The great result of believers being “perfected” by the finished work of Christ (vs. 14) is that all such are constituted priests. The Apostle Peter and the Apostle John confirm this (1 Peter 2:5, 9; Rev. 1:6). Without stating it in actual words, it is obvious by the language the writer uses and the figures he applies to believers that he views them as priests—so much so, that he does not see it necessary to state that fact.
Firstly, our priesthood is implied in the statement, “Having a Great Priest over the house of God” (vs. 21). The existence of a Great Priest supposes that there is a company of priests under Him.
Secondly, the writer exhorts us to function as priests and to “draw near” into God’s presence in the heavenly sanctuary (vs. 22). This would only be said to those who are priests.
Thirdly, figures taken from the consecration of the Aaronic priests are applied to believers on the Lord Jesus Christ in type. He speaks of our “bodies” being “washed with pure water,” which was done to Aaron’s sons (Ex. 29:4; Lev. 8:6). Then, he speaks of us being “sprinkled” with blood, which was also done to Aaron’s sons (Ex. 29:19-20; Lev. 8:24). Thus, the priesthood of believers is implied throughout the passage.
The New and Living Way of Access into the Holiest
Chap. 10:19-22—Since all believers are priests, we are exhorted, “Having, therefore, brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a [the] new and living way, which He hath consecrated [dedicated] for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; and having a Great Priest over the house of God, Let us draw near....” This first exhortation views believers on the Lord Jesus as a company of priests having privileges and liberties that the Old Testament priests did not have. We are, therefore, encouraged to avail ourselves of this incredible liberty of access into God’s presence and to “enter into the holiest” with “boldness” in the spirit of prayer and praise. This great privilege is ours due to the efficacy of “the blood of Jesus”—a token of His finished work.
The Lord has entered the heavenly sanctuary “by” virtue of His blood (chap. 9:12), and now we can enter there “by” virtue of His blood (chap. 10:19). He has entered bodily; we enter in spirit. Since it is not possible for us in the present condition of our bodies to go up to heaven literally, it is obvious that the writer means that this is to be done in spirit, for true Christian worship is in “spirit” and according to the new revelation of “truth” (John 4:23). In the old Levitical economy people surely prayed and worshipped God, but they didn’t have the understanding of acceptance (a Christian blessing), and thus the liberty that the finished work of Christ gives to believers. The result was that they were kept at a conscious distance from God. This is signified in the tabernacle system by the fact that the people worshipped outside the sanctuary (Luke 1:10).
Vs. 20—The writer calls this means of approach into God’s presence “the new and living way.” It is “new” because it is not an alteration or an addendum to the old Judaic order, but an entirely new thing. Christendom, historically and presently, has not understood this. Church services everywhere are composed of a mixture of Christian worship and the old Jewish order of worship. The result is a hybrid of these two contrasting orders, which are neither truly Jewish, nor truly Christian. This quasi Christian-Judaic order is not at all what God intends for those redeemed by the blood of Christ. In fact, He decries the idea of mixing the two orders (Heb. 13:10).
This new order of worship is also called “living,” because a person needs to have a new life (through new birth) to participate in it. In the Old Testament Judaic order, a person did not need to have divine life to enjoy the sights and sounds and the grandeur of the temple worship; he could participate in it without being born again!
This new and living way has been “consecrated [dedicated] for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh.” This simply means that in order for us to be able to draw nigh into God’s presence as purged worshippers, the veil (a figure of Christ’s body) had to be rent. That is, Christ had to die. Thus, it was not His perfect life as a Man that opened the way for us into God’s presence—it was His death. Also, this privilege which we have has cost God the giving of His Son. Knowing this ought to cause us to treat it with great appreciation. Our liberty of access is not so much a blessing as it is a privilege based on our blessings.
Vs. 21—To encourage us to enter into God’s presence, the writer reminds us that in the Lord Jesus Christ we have “a Great Priest over the house of God.” As a “High” Priest, He is there to help us by interceding for us, but as a “Great” Priest, He presides over the house of God, and thus, has the responsibility of all that goes on in the house. This corresponds with the role that Aaron had in the old Levitical order in bearing “the iniquity of the holy things” in “all the gifts” (offerings) which the children of Israel brought to God (Ex. 28:36-38). He wore “a mitre [turban]” which had a gold plate on it with the words inscribed: “HOLINESS TO THE LORD.” If any of the children of Israel inadvertently brought something in their offerings that was not according to the due order, Aaron would bear the iniquity of it, but not the offeror. This was given to encourage the people to come with their offerings. Likewise, in the new and living way, we have a Great Priest who handles all our prayers and praises, and presents them to God perfectly (Heb. 13:15; 1 Peter 2:5). And, if we offer something in our worship that is not according to the truth, He takes care of it, and removes what is not acceptable. (Compare Leviticus 1:15-16.) Having a Great Priest over the house of God serving in this way should encourage us to respond more freely to the exhortation to “draw near” and offer our praise and worship. We can do it with confidence, knowing that we have this failsafe.
Vs. 22—The writer then mentions four things that fit the believer for approaching God as a priest; two have to do with our standing before God and two have to do with our state.
As to our standing, we have our “bodies washed with pure water.” As mentioned already, this is a figure taken from the washing of the priests at their consecration (Ex. 29:4). It typifies the cleansing which we have as a result of being born again (John 3:5; 13:10; 15:3). The Spirit of God has applied the water of the Word of God to our souls and has thereby communicated a new life to us. The result is that we are “clean every whit” because that new life is holy (John 13:10). We also have our “hearts sprinkled.” This is another figure taken from the sprinkling of the priests with blood at their consecration (Ex. 29:20-21). It typifies the judicial cleansing we have through faith in the finished work of Christ—of which His blood is a token. This results in the believer having a purged conscience. (Heb. 9:14; 10:2) Hence, the believer on the Lord Jesus Christ has a double cleansing, signified by the two divine cleansing agents that flowed from the Lord’s side on the cross—the water and the blood (John 19:34).
In John 19:34, the “blood” is mentioned before the “water,” because it is recording the historical fact; whereas in 1 John 5:6-8, the water is put before the blood, because it is referring to the order of its application in the lives of men. One is God's side and the other is mans. Before the eye of God the blood must come first. It is required in order for men to be blessed. All of God's workings by His Word and His Spirit in new birth are dependent upon, and are in view of, Christ entering the world to pay the price for sin—of which the blood speaks. J. A. Trench said, "'One of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water' (John 19:34). This is the historic order, and in it the blood comes first, as the basis for everything for God's glory and our blessing. In the order of application to us, as John in his epistle (1 John 5:6) puts it, the water comes first: 'This is He that came by water and blood...and it is the Spirit that bears witness'" (Scripture Truth, vol. 1, p. 22).
The writer then mentions two practical things that are necessary for the believer to function in God’s presence as a priest. He speaks of the need of having “a true heart,” which is a heart that has judged itself (1 Cor. 11:28, 31). Conversely, a heart full of guile that covers its true state is not a true heart. Thus, we need to have a “true” heart when approaching God in worship (Heb. 10:22) and an “honest” heart when reading His Word (Luke 8:15). The writer also mentions having “full assurance of faith.” This is not referring to the assurance of salvation, but the confidence that we have in approaching God in faith because we have a double cleansing and we have judged ourselves.
Hence, the first two things (“bodies washed” and “hearts sprinkled”) make us priests and the second two (“a true heart” and “full assurance of faith”) make us priestly. The first two are connected with our position before God and the latter two have to do with our state of soul. The latter two may explain why there are occasions when only a few brothers exercise their priesthood audibly in a meeting—some of the priests present may not be in a priestly state to do so. The answer is not to set up a caste of men to do the public praying, etc., as done in Christendom, but to judge ourselves so that the Spirit of God will be free to lead us in the meetings in public prayer and praise.
Holding Fast the Confession of Our Hope
Vs. 23—The next exhortation has to do with persevering with our public confession of the faith in a world that is opposed to it. He says, “Let us hold fast the confession of the hope unwavering.” A bright “hope” of reaching the glorified state with Christ above had been set before these Hebrew saints. They were not to let go of that hope, for “He is faithful who has promised.” (See verses 36-37.) The fact that there would be such an exhortation given to these Hebrew believers, shows that they were under tremendous pressure to draw back from the Christian position they had publicly taken.
That this exhortation follows the previous exhortation to “draw near” gives us the key as to how we will be able to “hold fast.” If we truly avail ourselves of our privilege to draw near into God’s presence, we will receive the spiritual strength and conviction that will enable us to face opposition in the path. If believers waver, it is usually because they have neglected their privilege to draw near into God’s presence.
Provoking One Another to Love and Good Works
Vss. 24-25—The next exhortation addresses the need for mutual encouragement. He says, “Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.” This shows that we not only need to draw near to God, but we also need to draw near to “one another.” In times of persecution and temptation to draw back, there is a particular need for fellowship and encouragement among the saints.
We need the mutual support of fellow-believers, but we will not have it if we don’t keep with “the footsteps of the flock” (Song of Sol. 1:8). Since we are our “brother’s keeper” (Gen. 4:9), we have a responsibility to watch over one another’s state, and to warn, if necessary, when one begins to stray (Prov. 24:11-12). However, this will be difficult to do if we neglect to assemble together for ministry and fellowship (Acts 2:42). Hence, the writer goes on to say, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting [encouraging] one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Forsaking the gathering together of the saints is a sure sign of waning affections. It usually precedes a person’s leaving the assembly altogether. The following things are tell-tale signs that usually accompany those who leave the assembly:
Signs That Usually Mark Those Who Leave the Assembly
They begin to attend fewer and fewer meetings.
They dwell on the short-comings of the saints, concluding that there is no love there.
There is a lack of separation from the world in either its secular or religious aspects—at the same time, accusing those who walk in separation of being legal.
They claim that they are not getting fed at the meetings—meetings that they usually do not attend.
They are easily offended.
Their doctrine as to the one gathering center becomes altered to open the door for them to justify their departure.
In view of this tendency to draw back, the writer emphasizes the need of “encouraging one another, and so much the more,” as we “see the day approaching.” There is a great need for doctrinal truth to be ministered among the saints, for it is the means by which we are established (1 Tim. 4:16; 2 Tim. 2:15), but this exhortation shows that we mustn’t neglect practical ministry; it encourages the saints to go on. As we get closer to the “day” when the Lord will appear to set the world right through judgment (Isa. 26:9), there will be an increased need for this kind of service in the house of God. Things will continue to get morally and spiritually darker until that moment. In fact, the darkest moment in world history will be just prior to the day when Christ appears (Matt. 24:29-30). Apostasy in the Christian profession has already begun (1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Thess. 2:7), and therefore, encouraging one another is that much more needed. While true believers cannot apostatize, they can get swept along by the current of apostasy working in the Christian profession and begin to give up certain principles and practises that they once held. This is a real danger.
As mentioned, the “day” the writer is referring to here is the Appearing of Christ. Mr. Darby said, “The ‘day’ spoken of here is not the catching up of the Church, but the Appearing” (Collected Writings, vol. 27, p. 400). W. Kelly said, “As responsibility is here in view, it is ‘the day’ or Appearing of the Lord that follows, when our fidelity, or lack of it, will be manifested” (The Epistle to the Hebrews, p. 191). S. Ridout said, “Those saints whose eyes were anointed could say, ‘The end of all things is at hand.’ They knew that Christ had appeared in the end of the world [Heb. 9:26]; that soon the day would come when His enemies would be placed beneath His feet [Heb. 10:13]; and as they saw that day approaching, they stirred one another up all the more. What shall we say, then, we who live centuries later? How much nearer is that day for us!” (Lectures on the Book of Hebrews, p. 207)
Fourth Warning Against Apostasy
(Chapter 10:26-39)
The Danger of Sinning Willfully
The writer suspends his exhortations (“Let us....”) to warn of the danger of apostasy once more. In the latter half of chapter 10, he warns against apostasy (vss. 26-31), but he also encourages those with faith to press on (vss. 32-39). In the eleventh chapter, he continues to digress by giving examples of those who lived by faith in Old Testament times, before resuming his exhortations in chapter 12:1.
Vss. 26-27—He says, “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.” The willful sin which he is referring to here is apostasy—the predominant sin throughout the epistle. As mentioned already, the apostasy the Hebrews were in danger of was the renouncing of the Christian faith and returning to Judaism. It is only something that a false professor who has never been saved would do.
This verse (vs. 26) is not referring to a backsliding Christian who sins and thus loses his salvation, as commonly thought, because Christians cannot lose their salvation (John 10:27-28, etc.). The person in view here is someone who has “received the knowledge of the truth,” and thus, has been enlightened by it. But note: it does not say that he has believed it. Receiving the truth, and believing the truth, are two different things. Some think that the word “we,” in this verse, indicates that he is speaking of Christians, and accordingly, that the writer includes himself. However, as mentioned earlier, the use of “we” in the epistle is usually referring the writer’s fellow countrymen who were Jews, as is the case here.
Neither is this verse speaking of a sinner who rejects the gospel. Rejecting the gospel can surely be classed as a sin, but it is not the sin in view here. This person is far more responsible than the sinner who rejects the gospel. He has embraced the gospel outwardly and has professed to have believed it, and then has thrown it all overboard. In chapter 6, the writer makes it clear that there is no recovery from this willful sin of apostasy. Where could there be found a sacrifice for the sins of an apostate? God has set aside the Judaic sacrifices and the apostate himself has turned his back on the sacrifice of Christ! There, therefore, remains “no more sacrifice for sins” for such a person. There is nowhere that he can go and no sacrifice to which he can turn. He is doomed. J. N. Darby said, “His [Christ’s] one sacrifice once offered was the only one. If any who had professed to know its value abandoned it, there was no other sacrifice to which he could have recourse; neither could it ever be repeated. There remained no more sacrifice for sins” (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, on Hebrews 10). All that is left for an apostate is “a certain fearful expectation of judgment” (vs. 27). Such a person makes himself an “adversary” of the truth, and consequently, he will be devoured by the wrathful judgment of God.
Vss. 28-31—To show the seriousness of apostasy, the writer compares this willful sin with sin of presumption in the old economy and shows that it is something far “worse.” Under the Law, the person who presumptuously disregarded a simple injunction was executed “under two or three witnesses.” A case in point was the infraction of the man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath day (Num. 15:30-36). He was stoned to death, because he did it presumptuously! It was not a sin of ignorance for which a sin-offering could be applied and the person could be forgiven governmentally (Lev. 4:2; Num. 15:27-29; Heb. 9:7). The writer then says, “Of how much more sorer [worse] punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under-foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy [common] thing, and hath done despite unto [insulted] the Spirit of grace?” (vs. 29) If there was no remedy for a presumptuous sin under the Law, how much more so in the case of an apostate who sins presumptuously (willfully) against the grace of God!
To emphasize this, the writer mentions three terrible things in this verse that an apostate does when he renounces the Christian faith and returns to Judaism.
Firstly, he treads “under-foot the Son of God!” Thus, he does not mildly reject Christ—he decidedly rejects Him in the most derogatory way. Such a manner of rejection is an affront to the greatness of His Person.
Secondly, he counts “the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing.” By taking Christian ground, a merely professing believer is outwardly sanctified in what Bible teachers call “relative sanctification.” (See also Romans 11:16; 1 Corinthians 7:14, and 2 Timothy 2:21.) Being set apart in this way does not mean that a person is saved, but that he is in a favoured position through his identification with the Christian company. The “blood of the new covenant” was shed at the cross (Matt. 26:28). Christ’s work there laid the foundation for the making of the new covenant with Israel in a coming day. In the meantime, His blood sanctifies all who make a profession of faith in Him in this outward way. To renounce the profession one has made is to treat “the blood” of Christ as “an unholy thing.” This is a shocking disregard of that which is exceedingly precious in the eyes of God and in the eyes of all who have been redeemed by it! (1 Peter 1:18)
Thirdly, the apostate has “insulted the Spirit of grace”—the divine Person who has come from God to convey many wonderful truths to us and to bestow many wonderful blessings on us.
Needless to say, to be guilty of these things is far more serious than being guilty of gathering sticks on the Sabbath day! If severe judgment was executed against an offender under the Law for such a simple offence, it will surely be meted out against a person who does these terrible things. Thus, the judgment will be in proportion to the seriousness of the sin.
Vss. 30-31—While we naturally grieve over such brazen unbelief, we must refrain from judging all such who apostatize. The apostate must be left to God to deal with. Hence, the writer gives us a cautionary word: “Vengeance belongeth unto Me, I will recompense, saith the Lord.” And again, “The Lord shall judge His people.” His closing word of warning is, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” This solemn statement was calculated to speak to the conscience of any who were merely professing believers, who were contemplating withdrawing from the Christian company and returning to Judaism.
Three Things We Must Not Lose Sight Of
Chap. 10:32-39—The closing verses of the chapter are full of encouragement for those who were real believers. They were experiencing persecution from the unbelieving mass of the nation. Under this pressure, they were getting weary and doubtful in the path. It was imperative that these brethren would continue with endurance in the path of faith. To encourage them to this end, the writer goes on to set three things before them which they were not to lose sight of. If these things were kept burning brightly before their souls, they would surely be motivated to carry on in the path. These three things will do the same for us.
We Have “A Better and an Enduring Substance”
Vss. 32-34—“Call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. For ye had sympathized with prisoners, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.”
The first thing that the writer would not have them lose sight of was the great spiritual possessions that they had in Christ. These blessings and privileges are exceedingly precious, and are far above anything that the Jews had in Judaism. In fact, they are the highest conferred blessings that God has ever given (or ever will give) to any of His creatures! Thus, through grace, Christians have a special place before God which all others in His blessed family do not have, through their link with Christ by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Hence, they are called “the assembly of firstborns” (Heb. 12:23 – W. Kelly Trans.). (The term “firstborn” refers to having the pre-eminence over others.) Christians could not be more blessed (Eph. 1:3).
These Hebrew believers once had a right perspective on these spiritual things when they were first “illuminated [enlightened]” and saved by the gospel, and they needed to be recalled to that mindset. Hence, he says, “Call to remembrance the former days ... .” When they first set out on the Christian path, they understood that their portion in Christ was something special and considered it a privilege to be counted worthy to suffer for those things. As a result, they happily “endured a great fight of afflictions.” When they were publicly shamed by their fellow countrymen, being “made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions,” they accepted it without retaliation, because they understood that it was all part of suffering for Christ. Even when their “goods” (material possessions) were plundered by the ill-will of others, they took those setbacks “joyfully.” The reason why they were able to endure those things in such a remarkable way was that they knew that they had “a better and an enduring substance” in Christ. As a result, they saw those things to be worth living for and worth suffering for.
But sadly, being bombarded with opposition, they were becoming discouraged in the way and were losing their original convictions. Hence, came this exhortation from the writer. His remedy for them was to return to their original mindset which they had as new Christians—but not to return to Judaism. They needed a re-set in their convictions by having a fresh look at what had been put into their hands. Then they would once again realize that it was a great privilege indeed to have been given those precious things.
Likewise for us, there is nothing that will motivate us to go on in the path of faith, with conviction, more than realizing what has been put into our hands. If we take a moment to recount our many blessings in Christ, which set us apart from all other blessed creatures of God, we will see at once that we have truly been given something special. It is an understatement to say that it is a privilege to be a Christian.
The Lord Is Coming Very Soon
Vss. 35-37—“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a [very] little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry [delay].” The second thing that these Hebrew believers were not to lose sight of was that the Lord was coming soon—in “a very little while.” And, He would be bringing a special reward with Him for those who have done “the will of God” (Rev. 22:12).
Bringing the Lord’s coming in, as he does here, was surely calculated to motivate these dear believers to carry on in the path until that moment, for to faith, it was not far off. Likewise, the imminence of His coming ought to motivate us to carry on in the path. If they were to look for the Lord to come in their day, how much more should we who live many centuries later. It will not be long now! The KJV says “tarry,” but it should read “delay.” The Lord has tarried (waited) for nearly 2000 years because it has not been the Father’s time to send Him. But when that time comes, He won’t delay to come and take us home. (Compare Psalm 19:5.)
Drawing Back Displeases the Lord
Vss. 38-39—“Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” The third thing that these dear brethren were not to lose sight of was that, if they chose to draw back in the path of faith, it would displease the Lord.
In these verses, the writer speaks of “drawing back,” which “any man” (believers included) can do, and “drawing back to perdition” (apostasy) which only merely professing believers can do—by renouncing their profession of faith in Christ. Both of these things have to do with departure, but one (apostasy) is infinitely worse. As mentioned earlier, real believers cannot apostatize from the faith, but they can be affected by the current of apostasy moving in Christendom in these latter times (1 Tim. 4:1), and can give up certain principles and practices that they once held.
Every person who is contemplating drawing back in the path—even if they think that it is just a little—needs to be reminded that in doing so, they bring into the equation the possibility of the chastening of the Lord. He loves His people, and He will not allow them to go on in a path of unrighteousness or compromise without exercising discipline in their lives to bring them back (Heb. 12:5-11; Hos. 2:6-7). Thus, drawing back in the path often brings unwanted trouble in our lives, and therefore, should not be seen as an option. Life in the path of faith is difficult enough without us bringing additional problems into our lives through our carelessness and disobedience.
The only logical thing for us to do is to carry on in the path and seek grace from God to endure the difficulties and troubles that come from living in obedience to His Word. The writer quotes from Habakkuk 2:4, to show that “the just” must “live by faith,” for it is normal for the child of God, regardless of what dispensation he lives in, as the next chapter (11) shows. Hence, there is the need to “pass the time of your sojourning here in fear,” knowing that if we displease the Lord in some way, it may “invoke” our Father to bring forth a governmental judgment in our lives to correct us (1 Peter 1:17).
A Parenthesis-the Path of Faith: Hebrews 11
(Chapter 11:1-40)
Thus far in this epistle the writer has taught the Hebrew believers to let go of the outward forms of earthly religion which they had in Judaism for something better—the new and living way of approach to God that has been brought in through Christ. This is entered upon by faith. In fact, everything in Christianity is to be done on the principle of faith—“for we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7). Therefore, to step away from Judaism, a system of sights and sounds and outward rituals, for the new and living way in Christianity which is largely a spiritual thing, would require faith. In this chapter, he shows that walking by faith should not be seen as a new thing, because the saints from the beginning of time have lived by faith. From the outset of world history, what has pleased God in those who have come to Him is that they did so by “faith” (vs. 6). This being the case, these Hebrew believers were called to live by faith in the new position which they had taken in Christianity.
He then proceeds to give a long list of Old Testament saints who lived and died in faith, and thus, met with God’s approval. The Spirit of God goes behind the activities of these faithful ones and shows the distinguishing marks of faith that propelled them through life. They serve as examples of the kind of faith that the Hebrew believers were to have. Chapter 11, therefore, demonstrates the great principle upon which the heavenly man moves—faith.
The chapter can be viewed as a parenthesis; the exhortations (“Let us...”) resume in chapter 12:1.
What Faith Does
Vss. 1-3—The first three verses are introductory. He begins by saying, “Now faith is the substantiating of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” This statement does not exactly define what faith is, but rather, what faith does. (Perhaps John 3:33 would better define what faith is—“He that hath received His testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.”) Faith makes “things hoped for” as real as if we had them in our hand now. It gives us “conviction” regarding unseen spiritual things; thus the things of God become as real to us as though we saw them with our natural eyes. In fact, every eternal thing that we have, and will ever have, is acquired by faith—everything else will pass away. The “elders” in past ages obtained a good “report [testimony]” through living by faith, and so will we today.
Verse 3 says, "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." This shows that faith gives us to understand things that lie outside the comprehension of the natural mind, for he states clearly, here, that what is seen does not take its origin from things that appear to our natural eyes.
The writer’s mention of the Word of God being used in the framing of the worlds points to Genesis 1:3—“And God said....” (See also Psalm 33:6.) This is a reference to the reconstruction of the earth and the heavens outlined in Genesis 1:3-31. The word "framed" in the Greek ("katartizo") means "repaired," or "mended" (Strong’s), or "to put in order again" (Liddell and Scott), or “adjusted” (Nestle). The same word is translated "mending," in the KJV in Matthew 4:21 and Mark 1:19. And it is also translated "restore," in Galatians 6:1. Hence, this verse indicates that God mended or restored that which He had previously created. The fact that it needed mending shows clearly that it had gotten into a chaotic state (which Genesis 1:2 describes), for God did not create the earth in that state (Isa. 45:18).
Having stated a few introductory remarks regarding faith, the writer now points to various aspects of faith which characterized the Old Testament saints and which should be replicated in Christians treading the path of faith. The rest of the chapter (vss. 4-40) is divided into three groups of Old Testament saints:
Antediluvian saints (vss. 4-7)—These illustrate faith that draws near to God on the ground of an acceptable sacrifice, and thus escapes the judgment coming upon this “present evil world” (Gal. 1:4; Rom. 5:9). They demonstrate faith that saves.
Patriarchal saints (vss. 8-22)—These illustrate faith that lays hold of “the world to come” (Heb. 2:5), and thus, lets go of this present world to walk as strangers and pilgrims through it. They demonstrate faith that sees.
Israelitish saints (vss. 23-40)—These illustrate faith that is willing to endure rejection and persecution from this present evil world because it has laid hold of greater things, which it considers worth suffering for. They demonstrate faith that suffers.
Thus, these Old Testament saints illustrate faith that saves, faith that sees, and faith that suffers. These are three things needed to live the Christian life in a world that is opposed to God and Christ. It is interesting to note that there are no failures recorded in the chapter. It is not that these saints didn’t fail; we know that their lives had many imperfections. However, the Spirit of God does not focus on that, but rather, on the blessedness which their faith caused them to live for—which is the unseen things of God. Many positive things about these Old Testament saints could have been stated here, but the writer is led to select certain things that were particularly applicable to the situation which these Hebrew believers were facing. The names of sixteen Old Testament saints are mentioned (half of them are from the book of Genesis), but many more are implied without being named. Each one of these saints exhibit the great underlying principle that the prophet Habakkuk stated: “The just shall live by faith” (Hab. 2:4; Heb. 10:38).
The Antediluvian Saints
Vss. 4-7—In the first three saints recorded here, we see faith that sets the individual believer in a right relationship with God. These examples illustrate faith that draws near to God on the grounds of an acceptable sacrifice, and thus escapes judgment. This is where a life with God begins.
Abel
(vs. 4)
Abel is an example of the divine understanding that faith gives, and accordingly, he brought “a more excellent sacrifice.” He knew that he was a sinner and that God is a holy God who cannot pass over sins. Abel, therefore, came to God on the ground of a sacrifice, and a victim died as a substitute in his place. No doubt, he had learned what was acceptable to God from the original sin of his parents in the Garden of Eden, whereupon an animal’s life was forfeited in order to cover them with coats of skin (Gen. 3:21). Abel’s sacrifice spoke of the death of Christ and what it accomplishes for the glory of God and for the blessing of those who believe. Thus, his faith illustrates how a sinner can find favour with God and be saved.
Enoch
(vss. 5-6)
Enoch’s faith shows that those who come to God in faith have a wonderful ending to their life—they are taken into the very presence of God in heaven! As we know, Enoch was “translated that he should not see death” (Gen. 5:22-24). This will not happen to all who believe, for many have died in faith and will be resurrected, but all believers will go to be with the Lord. What happened to Enoch illustrates the proper hope of the Church—to be raptured away from the earth at the coming of the Lord without seeing death (1 Thess. 4:17). This is called the “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13). It is what these Hebrew believers were to look forward to. The writer says, “He (Enoch) had this testimony, that he pleased God.” The writer, therefore, concludes that he must have had faith, for, he says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”
Noah
(vs. 7)
Noah’s faith led him to respond to the warnings of God and to prepare for judgment that was about to fall on the world by availing himself of the shelter that God appointed in the ark. The “things not seen yet,” refers to the rain which had not fallen before. Noah believed God and built the ark, and in doing so, he “condemned the world,” for it told the story that judgment was coming. Similarly, these Hebrews needed to find shelter through faith in the one sacrifice of Christ, and thus, to be safe from the judgment of their sins. Many had done so, but there were some, it seemed, who had not.
The Patriarchal Saints
Vss. 8-22—This second group of saints are the “fathers” of the nation of Israel (Acts 26:6; Rom. 9:5; 11:28; 15:8, etc.). They are called “the patriarchs”—beginning with Abraham (Heb. 7:4) and running down through to the twelve sons of Jacob (Acts 7:8). As mentioned, this group of saints illustrates faith that lays hold of the world to come, and consequently, lets go of ambitions in this present world. This, in turn, makes them willing to walk as strangers and pilgrims through it.
Abraham
(vs. 8)
Abraham illustrates faith that responds to God’s call, even though it was a call to something that he couldn’t see with his eyes. He was “called to go out into a place” of blessing that was promised to him. His faith led him to respond, and he “went out, not knowing whither he went.” This may have looked foolish in the eyes of those who observed his steps, but it was the will of God. The writer mentions this point because it was the very thing that the Hebrew believers needed to do in principle. Abraham had to leave his former position in Ur of the Chaldees and go out to a new place which he had not seen. Similarly, they had heard the call of God in the gospel to go out from their former position in Judaism to Christ, even though there was very little to see outwardly in Christianity.
Vss. 9-10—Abraham’s faith led him to go to a land that had been promised to him, and he and his posterity (“Isaac and Jacob”) were happy to live there as strangers and pilgrims. Even though the land of Canaan had been given to him for an inheritance, Abraham did not attempt to take possession of it by dispossessing the people there, but lived in it in separation from those people. What sustained him was his faith. He had his eye on something unseen. The writer tells us that “he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God.” This, we are told in chapter 12:22, was “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.” What Abraham knew of heavenly and eternal things we are not told, but they had captured his heart and caused him to walk in a different path from other men.
Not only did those unseen things capture Abraham’s heart, he succeeded in passing on the convictions of his faith to his posterity. This is evident by the fact that they also “dwelt in tents”—a characteristic sign of a pilgrim. This was a marked contrast to Ishmael and his posterity. They built for themselves “towns” and “castles” and appointed some as “princes” (Gen. 25:12-18). Being content to live in a tent shows us that Abraham had no intention of settling down in this scene, nor had he any desire to distinguish himself in the world. Similarly, with these Hebrew believers who were struggling with their ties in Judaism; if the magnitude of their spiritual blessings in Christ were grasped, those things would cause them to let go of the outward things of earthly religion.
Sara
(Vss. 11-12)
Sara illustrates faith that trusts God in spite of natural impossibilities. Her confidence was in God’s Word. God had promised Abraham and Sara a son, and they believed Him. He was good to His Word, and Sara “received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age.” Likewise, having put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, these Hebrew believers could count on Him to help them overcome impossible difficulties in the path of faith.
Vss. 13-14—The writer then summarizes what characterized the faith of these patriarchs and sets it before the Hebrew believers as a model for their faith. He says, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises.” This doesn’t contradict chapter 6:15 which states that Abraham received the promise. These verses are speaking of two different things. Chapter 6:15, is referring to Abraham receiving of a son and having a posterity through him; here in chapter 11, it is promises in connection with the inheritance in Canaan. Also, the “all” that the writer refers to in this verse, is all those in this group of patriarchal saints. If he were referring to all mentioned thus far in the chapter, he would be contradicting what he said about Enoch who didn’t die. His point in stating this is that the faith of these old saints led them to start on a path, and their convictions concerning it were so deep that they continued on in that path to the very end of their lives—they didn’t turn back. They lived and died for what their faith saw. Likewise, the Hebrew believers needed this kind of faith and conviction concerning the step they had taken in coming to Christ, and to persevere in it.
What propelled these men and women through life was their faith. Their faith saw the things that were promised by God, even though those things were “afar off” in time. They were “persuaded” of them and “embraced” them in their hearts, and as a result, they lived a life that “confessed” what their hearts were engaged in. The writer says that those who move on such lines “show clearly” that they are living for another “country,” and not for this world. Those dear old saints looked beyond things that are seen and embraced unseen things, and it produced a practical effect in their lives that made them walk as “strangers and pilgrims” through this present evil world.
Vs. 15—The writer adds, “Truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.” That is, if they allowed their minds to dwell on the old country from which they had come (Mesopotamia), it would have had the effect of pulling them back to it in heart—and where the heart goes, the feet will follow. It wouldn’t be long before they would return to that land. But they didn’t do that; they kept their eyes and their hearts on what had been promised to them, and it motivated them to continue in the path of faith. This served as a cautionary warning for these Hebrew believers who were under pressure to return to Judaism. If they kept their thoughts on the old days in the temple and their connections there, etc., it would have a negative effect on them, and it would eventually draw them back into it. Therefore, it was important for them to follow the example of the patriarchs and to keep their minds fixed on what they had in Christ (Col. 3:1-2).
Vs. 16—The faith of those old saints acted as a spiritual telescope which brought heavenly things into view. They trusted God’s Word as to the promises and desired “a better country,” which was “heavenly,” and thus, God approved of their faith. He was “not ashamed to be called their God” and happily identified Himself with them. They will not be disappointed; God has “prepared for them a city” above, and they will reach it in the day of their resurrection. Until then, their disembodied souls and spirits are with Christ above (Phil. 1:23).
Vss. 17-19—Abraham is mentioned again to show that God tests faith. In fact, all who take the path of faith will be tested sooner or later. Abraham was told by God to offer up his son, Isaac—the very one he had waited so long to have and through whom the promises would be fulfilled. Humanly speaking, to do this didn’t make sense, but Abraham did not allow what he didn’t understand to hinder his obedience to God. And as a result, it says, “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac.” The test for him was whether he would be willing to let go of that which was very dear to his heart in order to obey God. As we know, he came through the test marvellously. He would have killed Isaac had the Lord not intervened (Gen. 22:10-12). A thousand things may have passed through his mind as to why God would want this, but Abraham went forward without acting on his own thoughts and preferences, and obeyed God.
The writer goes on to tell us how Abraham was able to pass the test of his faith; he believed that “God was able to raise him (Isaac) up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.” This was quite remarkable, for up to that time in history there had been no known record of anyone rising from the dead. Even though Abraham didn’t actually slay Isaac, He was given credit for believing in resurrection, and in a sense, he “received” Isaac from the dead figuratively. The writer was led by the Spirit to set this incident before the Hebrews as an example for them to follow. The matter they were facing, concerning leaving Judaism for Christianity, was definitely a test of their faith. They dearly loved their heritage in Judaism, but were they willing to let go of it to obey God? Would they put God’s will before their own natural desires? Abraham did, and he was their great example.
Isaac
(vs. 20)
The writer passes on to Isaac’s faith. He says, “By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.” In this, Isaac is an example of one who walks in the light of the future, when the promises would be realized. Likewise, the Hebrew believers were to have Isaac’s foresight and live in view of the Christian “hope” (chap. 10:23). Looking forward in faith is a healthy thing for the pilgrim walking by faith; it keeps his heart and mind on “things to come,” and away from things of this world.
Jacob
(vs. 21)
There really wasn’t much in Jacob’s early life that was of faith, but as he passed through various circumstances and the disciplines God appointed for him, he grew spiritually with his age. In his latter days, he manifested an intelligence that faith gives to a believer. In fact, of all the patriarchs, it is only said of him that he “worshipped!” He did it “leaning upon the top of his staff.” He then “blessed both the sons of Joseph” with an intelligence that showed that he understood something of the end of the first order of man in the flesh and the introduction of a new order that was going to come—by crossing his hands “wittingly” when blessing them (Gen. 48:5-14). It is difficult to know just how much of this Jacob really understood, but it is something that the Hebrew believers would do well to follow. The whole order of worship in Judaism, which accommodates the first man, had been set aside for a new order of things after the new man in Christ. They needed to accept this fact.
Joseph
(vs. 22)
Joseph is another example of faith that looks onward to the future: Instead of looking back to his glory days in Egypt, he looked on to the glory of Israel in the land of Canaan, and showed where his heart was by giving “commandment concerning his bones.” He understood that he would not be alive to see it, but he wanted his bones to be buried in that place which his faith had laid hold of.
The Israelitish Saints
Vss. 23-40—The saints in this third group illustrate faith that is willing to endure rejection and persecution from the world because it has laid hold of greater things. These saints demonstrate faith that suffers.
Moses’ Parents
(vs. 23)
Moses’ parents (Amram and Jochebed) refused to follow the mass of the Israelites in Egypt who were ordered by the king to put their male children to death in the river (Ex. 1:22). Their faith led them to stand apart from their brethren in this, and to hide their son from Pharaoh. Their faith led them to go against what was considered the thing to do in that day. They fully understood that this could bring them into suffering, and even death, but they were “not afraid of the king’s commandment” and did what God wanted them to do. Again, the Hebrew believers needed to follow this example of faith and have the courage to do the will of God by standing apart from the mass of their Jewish brethren who had taken a position against Christ—even if it brought them into suffering.
Moses
(Vss. 24-28)
Moses’ faith exhibits this same willingness to accept suffering on account of doing the will of God. The writer says, “By faith Moses, when he was come to years [had become great], refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible.” As was the case with the patriarchs in verse 13, there was a moral order to Moses’ exercises in faith which led him to quit his position in Egypt. Providence had put him in Pharaoh’s court, but faith led him out.
Having a view of the divine “recompense of reward,” Moses was able to form a correct estimation of “the treasures of Egypt,” which were but vain things. This led him to cast his lot in with the suffering and afflicted people of God. This is quite amazing; he gave up a significant position in Egypt, and “the pleasures of sin” that went with it, to identify himself with God’s suffering people. He chose to suffer with them! What made him do it? He “esteemed” (considered) the reproach connected with the children of Israel to be “greater riches” than the treasures of Egypt! The writer points out that this reproach was of the same character as “the reproach of Christ” which the Hebrew believers were facing. F. B. Hole asks, “If Egypt’s glory is not to be compared to the reproach of Christ, how will it look in comparison to the glory of Christ?” (Hebrews, p. 53) The writer tells us that Moses was able to endure the hardship that came with that position of reproach because his faith saw “Him who is invisible,” and this motivated him.
The lesson in this for the Hebrew believers was that they, too, needed to keep their eye on “Him who is invisible.” To the faithless person, this is ridiculous. He asks, “How can you look at something invisible?” But faith sees invisible things (2 Cor. 4:18). Even though Christ has gone back to heaven and is no longer in physical sight, keeping our eye of faith on Him, and on what we have in Him, gives us the endurance we need to continue in the path. The Hebrew believers needed to realize that the reproach of Christ which they were bearing at the hands of their unbelieving brethren was a privilege (Acts 5:41; Phil. 1:29). The step their faith had led them to take in identifying themselves with Christ would be recompensed (rewarded) in a coming day.
The Children of Israel
(Vss. 29-30)
The writer then points to the situation which the children of Israel were in, which led to their miraculous passage through the Red Sea. They were being chased by Pharaoh and his army, and there was nowhere for them to turn. Straight ahead was the Red Sea and on either side were impassable mountains! Their predicament seemed hopeless, but God stepped in and delivered them by opening a way through the sea, which “the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.”
The encouragement these Hebrew believers were to take from this was that even though their situation seemed quite impossible, God was in it, and He would make a way through the persecution, etc. They needed to have the faith that the children of Israel had and continue following God’s leading. A lesson they could take from this incident is that God knows how to take care of His people’s persecutors.
Then, having entered the land of Canaan: “the walls of Jericho fell down” before the children of Israel (vs. 30). (It is of note that Israel’s 40-year wilderness journey is passed over entirely.) The writer tells us that the walls fell on account of their faith! Again, seemingly impossible circumstances were overcome by simply trusting God, the God of circumstances.
Rahab
(vs. 31)
The writer moves on to Rahab—a Gentile believer. She looked ahead and saw judgment coming, and in faith abandoned the position she was in by identifying herself with the new thing that God was doing in the land with the children of Israel. Rahab is brought in because her situation, in principle, was similar to the Hebrews. Like her and her people, judgment was coming upon the Jews, nationally. This was on account of their rejection of Christ (Psa. 69:22-28; Matt. 22:7; Luke 12:58-59; 1 Thess. 2:14-16). A literal destruction was about to fall on the nation by the Roman armies, and this judgment was not far off! It actually fell in 70 A.D. which was about 7 short years after the epistle was written. Hence, there was not much time for these Jewish believers to linger in Jerusalem. The prudent thing was to do as Rahab did and abandon their former position which had God’s judgment on it and identify themselves with the Christian company by going “without the camp” (Heb. 13:13).
Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthae, David, Samuel & the Prophets
(vs. 32)
The writer then groups a number of other Old Testament saints together and tells us that “time” would not allow him to speak of them in any detail. These men are known in Scripture for their weaknesses and failures as much as they are for their faith. The encouraging thing to see here is that even though their faith was imperfect, God approved of their actions in faith and helped them to succeed. Thus, even though our faith may be weak and we may have failed in the path, God still approves if and when we act in faith. So, it is not about how much faith we have as it is in whom our faith rests. Seeing these ones mentioned among the faithful Old Testament saints should encourage all of us.
The Power and Endurance of Faith
Vss. 33-40—In the closing verses of this 11th chapter, the writer refers to a number of other saints anonymously, perhaps to save “time.” He places them in two groups:
Those who were delivered from their trying circumstances through the mercy of God. Their stories illustrate the power of faith (vss. 33-35a).
Those who were not delivered from the adverse circumstances they faced, but were granted grace to go through them. Their stories illustrate the endurance of faith (vss. 35b-38).
Those Delivered Through Mercy
Vss. 33-35a—As to the first group of saints, the writer says, “Who through faith subdued kingdoms” (i.e. Joshua), “wrought righteousness” (i.e. Hezekiah), “obtained promises” (Solomon & Israel – 1 Kings 8:56), “stopped the mouth of lions” (Daniel), “quenched the violence of fire” (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego), “escaped the edge of the sword” (i.e. Jeremiah), “out of weakness were made strong” (Samson), “waxed valiant in fight” (the Maccabees – Dan. 11:32), “turned to flight the armies of the aliens” (Gideon’s army), “women received their dead again by resurrection” (the poor woman of Sarepta & the rich woman of Shunem). As mentioned, these examples illustrate the power of faith that works to deliver the saints of God from their trials.
Those Not Delivered, but Granted Grace
Vss. 35b-38—The writer then says, “And others....” This brings us to the second group of saints who were not delivered from their difficult circumstances, but their faith caused them to triumph in their trials—even more brightly than the first group. God gave them the grace to go through their trials triumphantly, even if it led them to death (James 4:6). What heads the list of these worthy saints is those who “were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection.” That is, these dear believers were offered deliverance from their persecutors, if they would compromise. Had they recanted, they would have been set free. But their faith would not accept deliverance on those terms, and it led to their death. However dark it may have been for them in those trying circumstances, their future is assuredly bright. They will obtain “a better resurrection” at the coming of the Lord (the Rapture).
He says, “And others had trial of cruel mockings” (i.e. Nehemiah – Neh. 4:1-3) and “scourgings” (the officers of the children of Israel – Ex. 5:16), “moreover of bonds and imprisonment” (Joseph, Micaiah, Jeremiah, etc.), “they were stoned” (Zechariah – 2 Chron. 24:21), “they were sawn asunder” (Isaiah), “were tempted” (i.e. Job), “were slain with the sword” (Uriah – Jer. 26:23), “they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins” (Elijah), “being destitute, afflicted, tormented” (prophets in the time of Elijah – 1 Kings 18:4; 19:10). The writer then adds, in a parenthesis—“of whom the world was not worthy.” This is surely true. This group of saints illustrates the endurance of faith. They looked like losers that were defeated by their enemies, but really, their lives were triumphs of faith. Heaven has the record straight and God will declare it in the day of Christ.
Vss. 39-40—In summary, he says, “These all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise.” This “good report” was true of all the saints in the chapter. They did not live to see the kingdom of Israel’s Messiah, but they lived and died in faith, and thus, they all had God’s approval. They have missed nothing, for they will have their part in the heavenly side of the millennial kingdom when they are resurrected (Dan. 7:18, 22, 27 – J. N. Darby Trans.; Matt. 13:43; Heb. 12:22-24).
By using the pronouns “us” and “they,” the writer distinguishes the portion of blessing that the Old Testament saints had from what Christians have. He says, “God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.” This shows that God has different portions of blessing for the various groups of believers in His large family. They are not all blessed the same—some have a heavenly portion and some have an earthly portion (Eph. 3:15). Contrary to the mistaken teaching of Reformed (Covenant) Theologians, God’s family does not just consist of the Church (Christians)—which they think is made up of all believers from the beginning to the end of time. There are Old Testament saints who will be resurrected with a heavenly portion of blessing (“the spirits of just men made perfect”) and then there are Christians (“the Church of firstborn ones”) who also have a heavenly portion of blessing, but distinctly different and far superior to what the Old Testament saints have (Heb. 12:23 – W. Kelly Trans.). Our verse (40) clearly indicates this distinction, calling our Christian portion “some better thing.” This is on account of our unique connection with Christ by the indwelling Holy Spirit, which makes us His body and bride (Eph. 5:30-32; Rev. 19:7). Then, there will also be the redeemed remnant of Israel (Rev. 7:1-8) and the believing Gentiles (Rev. 7:9) who will both populate the earthly side of the millennial kingdom. These saints will have an earthly portion of blessing in connection with Christ, Israel’s Messiah.
The fact that the Christian company is referred to as “firstborn ones” (which indicates preeminence), shows that the Church has a place in God’s large family that is superior to the others (Heb. 12:23 – W. Kelly Trans.). They have been singled out for special blessing by God’s sovereign grace, not because they are better than the others in His family, but because God has purposed to display “the glory of His grace” and “the riches of His grace” before the world (Eph. 1:6-7; 2:7) and they are simply the trophies of His grace.
Verse 40 also indicates that the Old Testament saints will be raised at the same time as the New Testament saints who have died in Christ. He says, “That they without us should not be made prefect.” Being “made perfect” refers to our bodies being glorified. The saints of God have not been perfected in this way yet (Phil. 3:12), which occurs at the Lord’s coming—the Rapture (Phil. 3:20-21).
Two Means God Uses to Encourage Us to Pursue Christ: Hebrews 12
(Chapter 12)
The practical exhortations (“Let us....”) now resume. The writer says, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset [entangles] us, and let us run with patience [endurance] the race that is set before us. Looking [off] unto Jesus the Author [Leader] and Finisher [Completer] of faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” In chapter 11, we have seen various elements of faith exhibited in the lives of the Old Testament saints, but now in chapter 12, the writer turns our attention to Someone who is far greater than all of them put together—Christ Himself. It is like a person passing through a museum of fine art. He examines and appreciates the various paintings as he walks through the halls, but then he comes upon the master-piece that surpasses all of the others. Similarly, the Old Testament saints exhibited certain admirable aspects of faith, but often with some weakness, and even failure. But when we come to Christ, we see all the aspects of faith exhibited perfectly. He is set before us in this chapter as an Object for our faith and as an Example for our feet in our earthly pathway.
Since the Hebrew believers were in danger of growing weary in the path and sinking under the pressure of their trials, the writer is led by the Spirit to speak of two great things that God employs to motivate us to pursue after Christ:
1) We are drawn by the attractiveness of Christ in glory (Vss.1-4).
2) We are driven by the trials of life which God uses as disciplines in the training of His children (Vss. 5-11).
These two things could be distinguished as: wooing and weaning. The first engages our affections and the second chastens our spirits. These are needed things for the pilgrim in the path of faith.
Running the Race With Endurance
Vs. 1—The exhortation in this chapter is to “run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Thus, the path of faith is viewed as a “race” which we are to “run with endurance.” Running implies spiritual energy and endurance implies perseverance. These are two necessary elements for successful running. If we are believers on the Lord Jesus Christ, we are in the race. However, all who are in the race may not be running, due to the lack of energy and perseverance. Thus, every Christian needs to understand at the outset that the path of faith is not a sprint, but a long distance race which carries on for the duration of our lives.
The writer begins by reminding the Hebrew believers that they were surrounded by “a great cloud of witnesses.” These are the Old Testament saints mentioned in chapter 11. They are not witnesses in the sense of spectators. That is, they are not up in heaven looking down on us, watching what we are doing. The saints who have died and have gone on to heaven are not glorified yet. They are there in their souls and spirits, but not in their bodies, which await resurrection. Hence, they do not see what is transpiring on earth (Job 14:21; Eccl. 9:5). The Old Testament saints are witnesses in the sense that they bear record to the fact that a person can live successfully by faith, on earth, with God’s approval. These witnesses are there to encourage us by their example. They have walked the path of faith before us and have reached the goal. They have faced all kinds of opposition in the way and by faith have overcome those obstacles. Thus, they stand as proof that the path of faith can be walked to the glory of God.
Since there are many hindrances to running the race, we are told to “lay aside” everything that would impede our progress. The two main hindrances the writer mentions are: weights and sins. These must be shed if we wish to run the race with success. Similarly, when a runner prepares for a foot race, he sheds everything superfluous that will impede him. We need to do the same in this spiritual race.
A “weight” is something that is not morally wrong in itself, but nevertheless, it holds us back in the race. The particular weight which the writer likely had in mind here is the trappings of earthly religion in Judaism. But it could be any earthly pursuit that captivates our hearts’ attention and demands our time and energy. Even though such a thing may not be sinful, it tends to distract us from Christ in glory and it brings our thoughts and minds down to the earth. Whatever it may be, it needs to be laid aside. Similarly, a runner does not enter a foot race with a heavy pair of boots and a knapsack on his back. It is not because those things are against the rules of the race, but because they will weigh him down. Note: removing weights in our lives is something that God does not do; it is something that He wants us to do.
We might add that the exhortation here is to lay aside “every” weight, because there could be a number of things in our lives that weigh us down. Our tendency is to spare the object that is most dear to us and to lay aside something else, and then, to content ourselves in having done the will of God. But it’s usually the thing that is the dearest to us that is the heaviest weight in our life, and what needs to be dealt with foremost. This exercise challenges us and reveals where our affections really lie. Since our hearts are deceptive (Jer. 17:9), we may not even realize that there is a weight in our life. Similarly, a person may not feel a weight when he is sitting, but when he rises and starts running, it becomes evident. Hence, the simplest way to discover a weight in our life is to run—to put forth energy in following Christ seriously. It has been suggested that there are three tell-tale signs that indicate the presence of a weight in our life:
We are uneasy about the thing and lack peace concerning it.
We find ourselves defending it and arguing for it when it comes up in conversation.
We go around looking for people—particularly older, so-called “spiritual” brethren—who will tell us that it’s not wrong to have it.
The writer also mentions that “sin” must be laid aside. The “sin which doth so easily beset us,” which he speaks of here, is not a certain besetting sin which we may have that often defeats us, but the principle of sin (which is lawlessness or doing our own will) at work in our lives. Nothing will hinder us more quickly than self-will; it must be judged. The great sin in the epistle to the Hebrews is “unbelief,” which if not judged by a person who is a mere professing believer, will lead to apostasy (Heb. 3:12).
Vs. 2—To overcome these hindrances and have the energy needed to run the race with endurance, the writer points us to Christ in glory as the Object of our faith. The laying aside of weights and sin are not enough to ensure success in the path of faith. Though such exercises are necessary, they are negative things that will not sustain the believer in the path. Faith must have an Object to pursue. Hence, the writer says, “Looking off unto Jesus.” The J. N. Darby Translation footnote says, “It means, looking away from other things and fixing the eye exclusively on One.” Looking at Christ where He is on high fills the heart with things which belong to that sphere. This, in turn, acts as a positive power in our lives and energizes us to pursue those things, rather than what is merely earthly. Thus, while Old Testament saints are an encouragement to us in the path, they are not our object. Note: he does not say, “Look to the witnesses.” We have them as examples behind us, but Christ is the Object that God sets before us and to whom we are to look. In this, we have a distinct advantage over the Old Testament saints. They didn’t have Christ on high as an Object, as we do. He had not yet come in their day, and therefore, was not sitting at God’s right hand for them to look to and pursue in faith.
As to Christ being our Example, He walked the path of faith perfectly, from the beginning to the end of His life, and thus, He is truly “the Author and Finisher of faith.” What motivated Him in the path was “the joy that was set before Him.” His joy was twofold: Firstly, it was His joy to do the will of God for the glory of God (Psa. 40:8; John 4:34). This He did to perfection. As a result, and as a mark of His approval, God raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand (Psa. 110:1; Phil. 2:9-11). Secondly, the Lord looked on to the moment when He would be united with the Church (His body and bride), for which He gave Himself in death (Eph. 5:25-27), and this also filled His heart with joy. This prospect sustained Him in the path and enabled Him to endure “the cross” and despise the “shame.” It is unlikely that the writer would be referring to Christ’s work on the cross to make atonement, because he is setting Him before us as our Example, and we surely cannot follow Him in making atonement. His death on the cross here is more in connection with Him being a righteous Martyr. In this, He is an example of endurance. He persevered in obedience to God’s will in spite of all the opposition and completed His course, and is now “set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Vss. 3-4—The writer says, “Consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving [wrestling] against sin.” He would have us to contemplate the incredibly difficult circumstances which the Lord endured at the hands of sinners. He went to the limit in doing the will of God. He “resisted unto blood.” That is, He refused to turn away from doing God’s will, and it cost Him His life! He would rather die than disobey! What a Model He is for us!
The Hebrew believers were to “consider Him” in this, because they hadn’t as yet been called to go that far. Similarly, in following the Lord’s example, we are to live and serve God with the thought of pleasing Him (Heb. 13:21), and one day hearing the Lord say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant...enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matt. 25:21). We need to have this kind of commitment to the will of God, even if it means that our life ends in martyrdom.
The Disciplines of a Loving Father
Vss. 5-11—The other means that God uses to keep our feet in the path is the trials that we encounter in life. The trials of life are used by Him to produce a twofold effect in us; both have the glory of God and our blessing in view.
On the one side, God takes the trials of life, and with marvellous wisdom, love, and skill, weaves them into His training of our spirits. It has been rightly said that God has more to do in us than through us (in service). He uses those trying and difficult things to bring to light certain aspects of the flesh that might be working in us which we are not conscious of. Thus, we are given an opportunity to judge these things, and as a result, to become “partakers of His holiness” (vs. 10). On the other side, God uses the same trials to conform us to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29). Through the heat of trials He produces Christ-likeness in us. Thus, the moral features of Christ—compassion, gentleness, meekness, humility, etc.—are formed in us.
God has purposed to fill heaven with persons who are just like His Son, and thus this work of moral conformity is necessary. Like the sculptor, who at the unveiling of one of his works (a statue of a lion) was asked how he produced such a magnificent piece of art; he replied, “I just chipped away everything that didn’t look like a lion!” Similarly, God is working in each of His children with the image of His Son before His eye, and He is chipping away everything in them that does not resemble His Son. Thus, the sufferings and the trials that we go through in the way are being used by Him to knock the rough edges off of us, and at times this can be painful. However, if the finished product is that we are made more like Christ, then these sufferings that are “for a little while” are worth it (1 Peter 5:10).
The side of things that is particularly before us in this chapter is the former—the removing of fleshly things in our spirits and our ways, whereby we become practically more holy. Bible teachers call this “Practical or Progressive Sanctification.” We need to keep in mind that we are in the school of God, and as such, we are under His divine training—just as a loving father trains his child (Job 36:22). His objective with us is to make us into suitable companions for His Son. He loves us so much that He will not leave us in the moral state in which He first saved us. Thus, His school has a lot to do with effecting moral change in believers. Moreover, God wants us to participate with Him in this work. If we are willing to cooperate and be exercised about our walk and ways, the process will be successful.
This being the case, the writer explains the divine purpose behind this work. He says, “Ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence; shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (vss. 5-11). Thus, we see that God is seeking to produce “the peaceable fruit of (practical) righteousness” in us.
Two Ways Not to React
Vs. 5—He begins by speaking of two ways in which we are not to react when a trial comes into our life, for if we react wrongly, we will not profit from it. Firstly, we shouldn’t “despise” it (vs. 5a). This refers to making light of the trouble and dismissing it as being nothing at all. We may shrug off the trial and say, “It happens to a lot of people; it’s no big deal,” but in doing this we will miss what God has for us in it. Then secondly, we shouldn’t “faint” under it (vs. 5b). This refers to getting downcast and losing heart, and consequently, giving up. This reaction will often result in complaining, which, in essence, is questioning the wisdom of God’s ways with us—and this is never a good thing.
The Corrective Dealings of God
Vs. 6—God uses both chastening and scourging in His divine training. These are slightly different things. Chastening is correction connected with the removal of character faults that we might have; it has not to do with any particular sin in our life. Scourging, on the other hand, is correction connected with positive sins that we may be going on with in self-will. It is a direct governmental judgment which God appoints to bring us to repentance, which when reached may be lifted (See Collected Writings of J. N. Darby, vol. 26, p. 261-262.).
Three Necessary Things in Order to Profit From Trials
Vss. 6-11—The writer proceeds to touch on three things that are necessary to “profit” from our trials.
Firstly, we need to understand that divine love is behind everything that comes into our lives. Hence, he says, “Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth” (vs. 6). Let us never forget that the hand that holds the rod of correction has a nail-print in it! We might not understand the why and the wherefore of what is happening in our life, but we can be sure that the hand that smites is moved by a heart that loves. Truly God has our good in view in all that He allows in our lives, for “His way is perfect” (Psa. 18:30). We can be assured, therefore, that He hasn’t made a mistake in what He has allowed to happen to us. Without this confidence in God, it is unlikely that we will profit much from our trials.
Secondly, he says that we need to be “in subjection to the Father of spirits” (vs. 9). This refers to a spirit of submission that bows under the mighty hand that has “appointed” the trial in our life (Job 23:14). It is willingness on our part that allows Him to do His work in us, as clay in a potter’s hand. Having a submissive spirit is our way of acknowledging that His wisdom and His ways with us are right and good, and that we accept that He knows what is best for us. Struggling against a trial manifests an unjudged spirit which will not profit from the trial. Note: He is called “the Father of spirits.” This means that He is the divine Trainer of our spirits, and as such, He is seeking to form a right spirit in us. This shows that He is not just interested in what we do, as far as right or wrong is concerned; He is also interested in our attitude. This is what we see in Daniel—he had “an excellent spirit” (Dan. 5:12; 6:3).
Thirdly, we need to be “exercised” about what transpires in our life. When a trial comes our way, we should not say, “How can I get out of this?” But rather, “What can I get out of this?” In times of trial we need to search our hearts and review our lives, and ask the Lord to show us what He is seeking to teach us (vs. 11). Elihu encouraged Job to do this in his trial. He besought him to say to the Lord, “That which I see not teach Thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more” (Job 34:32). If the Lord shows us something in our lives that is inconsistent with His holiness, we are to judge it and carry on in the path of faith (1 Cor. 11:31). In this way, we become “partakers of His holiness” (vs. 10).
Encouragement to Go On in the Path of Faith
Vss. 12-15—With Christ before our souls (vss. 1-4) and God working for our good behind the scenes in all that comes into our lives (vss. 5-11), the writer goes on to give some simple encouragements to go with his foregoing remarks. He says, “Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees.” “Hands hanging down, etc.,” is a description of someone who is discouraged. This was evidently the state of some of the Hebrew saints at that time. His remedy is simple; lift up the hands that hang down. Lifting up “hands” (figuratively speaking) has to do with prayer (1 Tim. 2:8). “Knees” are also associated with prayer (Acts 9:40; 20:36; 21:5; Eph. 3:14). Hence, he encourages them to pray. James speaks similarly: “Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray” (James 5:13). Getting into God’s presence in this way re-vitalizes our spiritual power and helps us to beat discouragement. We re-charge our spiritual batteries there and get renewed energy to go on in the path.
Vs. 13—Then he says, “Make straight paths for your feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.” This shows that in times of discouragement we need to be especially careful of what we do and where we go, because if our feet wander, even a little bit, our bad example could stumble others. Thus, we need to keep our feet in the path more now than ever. We cannot make “straight paths” for other people’s feet, but we can look after where our feet go, and thus, be careful not to discourage others. Evidently, there were some among these Hebrew believers who were clearly having difficulty in their walk, whom he styles as “lame” (figuratively speaking). These were especially vulnerable. His desire for them was that they would not be turned out of the way, but rather, be “healed.” If the stronger ones walked in a straight path after the Lord Jesus, it would be an encouragement to the weaker ones, and perhaps, it would lead to their healing.
Vs. 14—They were to “follow peace with all men, and holiness [sanctification], without which no man shall see the Lord” (vs. 14). This, again, is practical sanctification. The context of chapter 12 indicates that seeing the Lord in the way he speaks of it here is with the eye of faith, as mentioned in verse 2. (See also chapter 2:9.) Thus, if we are not careful to follow practical holiness in our lives, we will lose sight of Christ above and will surely drift in our souls. Practical sanctification is one of three indispensable things mentioned in the epistle. They are:
Without “the shedding of blood” there is no remission of sins (chap. 9:22).
Without “faith” it is impossible to please God (chap. 11:6).
Without “holiness” no man shall see the Lord (chap. 12:14).
Note: “peace” and “holiness” are found together here. If they are separated, it will be a false peace, because we cannot (rightly) have peace at the expense of holiness.
Vs. 15—He adds, “Looking [watching] diligently lest any man fail [lack] of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.” This shows that if we lose our enjoyment of the things that the grace of God has brought to us, and get into a bad state of soul, we will likely cause trouble by spreading our unhappiness among our brethren. A “root of bitterness” is some complaint or dissatisfaction that grows underground (so to speak) in a person’s soul. But then after some time, it comes out and affects others. A person who is bitter in this way will usually go around looking for those who are of a kindred spirit, and he will pour his complaints into them. The result is that “many” are “defiled.” Judas Iscariot is an example of this. His complaint of Mary anointing the Lord with a pound of spikenard (which he thought was a waste) was a root of bitterness that affected the other apostles, and they got carried away with it by criticizing her too (John 12:3-8). This being the case, the writer counsels the Hebrew believers to watch diligently against such a thing rising up in their midst and to be careful not to allow themselves to be influenced by it.
Fifth Warning Against Apostasy
(Chapter 12:16-27)
The Danger of Not Hearing God’s Voice From Heaven
Vss. 16-27—The writer digresses one last time to warn against apostasy again. This time it is in connection with refusing to hear God’s voice from heaven.
He has spoken of the “lame,” now he turns to speak of the “profane.” This is a different class of persons. As we have already mentioned, one who is lame is a spiritually weak believer whose walk is impaired in some way, whereas a profane person is merely a professing believer who will eventually apostatize. He shows here that an apostate will usually be known by immorality and/or profanity in his life. He mentions Esau as an example of the latter. It is not said that Esau was a fornicator, but it does say that he was a profane person. J. Flanigan said, “It is neither implied nor proven here that Esau was a fornicator” (What the Bible Teaches, Hebrews, p. 265). W. Kelly said, “It might take a variety of forms; and here we have specified carnal impurity and profanity, both intolerable where God is and is known: Of the latter evil Esau is the instance, who for one meal sold his birthright” (The Epistle to the Hebrews, pp. 245-246).
Profanity is treating divine and sacred things as though they were common. Esau proved his profanity by trading his birthright for a common meal! (Gen. 25:29-34) He was willing to barter away his blessing in exchange for a moment of gratification! It shows us what he thought of his birthright. The writer then says, “For ye know how that afterward, when he would [desired to] have inherited the blessing, he was rejected (for he found no place of [for] repentance), though he sought it carefully [earnestly] with tears.” The word “afterward” in this verse refers to a time later in Esau’s life when his father Isaac was an old man and wanted to bless his sons before he died. As we know, his brother Jacob snuck in and deceived his father and stole the blessing from him (Gen. 27). When Esau realized what had been done, he tried, but could not find a way to bring about “repentance”—that is, a change of mind (the meaning of repentance) in what his father had pronounced concerning the blessing. Even though Esau “sought it earnestly with tears,” he could not reverse the outcome; the blessing had been invoked upon his brother Jacob (Gen. 27:38). His tears were over the missed blessing; they were not because he was a repentant man in regard to his sinful life. He wept, not because he was a sinner, but because he was a loser. W. Kelly said, “It was not repentance that Esau earnestly sought with tears, but the blessing which his father had wished away wrongly” (The Epistle to the Hebrews, p. 246).
The implications here are obvious. If the merely professing believers among the Hebrews yielded to the temptation of getting momentary relief from the suffering that they were experiencing by going back to Judaism, they would forfeit privileges which they would never get back—even if they were to seek them again with tears! This, as the writer has taught several times in the epistle, is because it is impossible to renew to repentance an apostate who turns back in this way. If they apostatized, they would become losers like Esau.
The Two Systems Contrasted—Law and Grace
Finally, the writer sets the two systems of Law and grace side by side and asks the Hebrews to contemplate which one they would rather have. These systems could be summarized by two mountains—Mount Sinai (vss. 18-21) and Mount Zion (vss. 22-24).
Vss. 18-21—The legal covenant is described first. Mount Sinai is where the Law was given, and it represents the whole system of Judaism given by God through Moses. The writer rehearses the solemn scene of its inauguration, surrounded with darkness, fire, lightning, thunder, smoke, trumpets signalling warning, etc. These things symbolized the fact that the God with whom they were entering into a covenant relationship with was unapproachable on mere human terms. If either man or beast accidently touched the mountain, they would have to be stoned to death! (Ex. 19:13) (The KJV adds that all such would be “thrust through with a dart,” but this phrase has very little support from the Greek manuscripts and really shouldn’t be in the text.) The people stood before God in fear. Presenting Himself in this legal character, they were absolutely terrified of meeting Him. Even the mediator (Moses) was afraid, and said, “I exceedingly fear and quake!” The whole scene was something that would strike terror in the heart of the sturdiest warrior.
The God of the old covenant was a God to be feared—a God of judgment. The terms of this legal relationship with Him were: “Do this and do that, or you’ll be judged!” He demanded obedience, and if the people failed to obey, it meant condemnation and death for them. Accordingly, Paul called the old covenant a “ministration of death” and a “ministration of condemnation” (2 Cor. 3:7-9). Needless to say, a relationship with God on these terms is not very inviting. Being confronted with this visible display of God’s power and majesty, the people backed off and asked Moses to go to Him in their stead, which Moses did (Ex. 20:21).
Again, the implications here are obvious. In reminding the Hebrews of the severity of the legal system, without actually saying it in words, the writer was asking them whether they really wanted to go back to that. Did they really want to have a relationship with God on those terms? It’s similar to what Paul said to the Galatians who were wanting to be under the Law. He asked them, “Tell me, ye that desire to be under the Law, do ye not hear the Law?” (Gal. 4:21) Clearly, they were not seeing the legal system as it truly was, and it shows that they were getting blinded by the governmental judgment that was over that system (Psa. 69:23; 2 Cor. 3:14-15). Thankfully, since these Hebrew believers had taken Christian ground by professing to believe on the Lord Jesus, the writer could say, “Ye are not come unto the mount” Sinai.
What They Have “Come unto” Through Grace
Vss. 22-24—He then proceeds to recount what they have “come unto” through what grace has wrought in Christ. It is a vast system of blessing, not just for Christians, but for all the children of God—some of which will have an earthly portion of blessing and others heavenly blessings (Eph. 3:15). He mentions eight things here. Eight is a number that suggests a new beginning. Thus, there will be a whole new order of things for the heavens and the earth in the Millennium (Isa. 65:17; 66:22). The J. N. Darby Translation footnote states: “The words ‘and’ give the division of the subjects very distinctly here.”
1) “Zion”
This is earthly Jerusalem under the influence of the grace of God, when the Lord arises to restore and bless the believing remnant of Israel. Psalm 132:13-14, says that the Lord has chosen Zion as His resting place on earth. In that coming millennial day, He will dwell there, and it will be the administrative center of the earth (Psa. 48:1-3; Jer. 3:17; Ezek. 48:35; Zeph. 3:5). It will also be the center for moral and spiritual teaching (Isa. 2:1-3; Mic. 4:1-2) and the center of worship for all nations (Psa. 99:1-9; Isa. 56:7; Zech. 14:16).
2) “The City of the Living God, Heavenly Jerusalem”
This takes us to the heavenly side of things. It is the city where the heavenly saints from Old and New Testament times will dwell. It is not the city that the Apostle John describes in Revelation 21:9–22:5, which he calls “new Jerusalem” (Rev. 3:12; 21:2, 10). New Jerusalem is symbolic of the Church in its administrative role in the world to come. This city (“heavenly Jerusalem”) is that which Abraham looked for “whose Builder and Maker is God” (Heb. 11:10). W. Scott said, “We beg the reader’s careful attention to the distinction between the “new Jerusalem” of the Apocalypse, which is the glorified Church, and “heavenly Jerusalem” spoken of by Paul (Heb. 12:22). This latter, unlike the former, does not refer to people, but is the city of the living God, an actual city, the location of all the heavenly saints. It is the same [city] that is referred to in the previous chapter, for which saints and patriarchs looked (Heb. 11:10-16)” (Exposition of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, p. 421). Concerning heavenly Jerusalem, W. Kelly comments, “We now leave earth behind and by faith behold the city for which Abraham looked, as God prepared it for such as were pilgrims and strangers on earth, the city which hath the foundations, whose maker and builder is God. It is the seat of glory in the heavenly places for the holy sufferers with Christ who shall also be glorified together.” (The Epistle to the Hebrews, p. 249)
3) “The Myriads of Angels, a General Assemblage”
“The myriads of angels, a general assemblage.” (W. Kelly Trans.)—This refers to the “ingathering” (KJV) of the angels, at which time they will be placed under the administrative ordering of the heavenly saints who will be glorified. Scripture indicates that the government of “the world to come” (the Millennium) will be in the hands of men (Heb. 2:5). Presently, the earth is under the jurisdiction of angels, who act for God directly in the execution of His providential dealings with men. But after the present dispensation of grace comes to a close and the Church is called away to heaven, the angels will be gathered in and dismissed from their present position and role. At that time, the government of the earth will be placed in the hands of the heavenly saints. Angels will still carry out God’s providential dealings on earth, but in that day, it will be through the administrative ordering of the glorified heavenly saints, with the Church having a special role in it.
This is depicted in Revelation 4-5. The “four living creatures” represent (symbolically) the attributes of providential power in the execution of judgment on the earth. These are not actual creatures, but emblems of God’s infinite ability to govern the earth providentially. They are described as “a lion” (power), “a calf” (firmness), “a face of a man” (intelligence), and “a flying eagle” (rapidity of execution). In Revelation 4, these living creatures are seen merged with the angels, and are viewed as one in acting for God in His government of the earth. But in Revelation 5, when the Lamb takes the book, “the four living creatures” are seen separated from the angels and merged with the “elders” (redeemed glorified men), and they function as one company. This change indicates that the administration of the earth will be transferred into the hands of glorified men (Luke 19:16-19; Rom. 8:17; 2 Tim. 2:12; Heb. 2:5; Rev. 21:9–22:5).
4) “The Assembly of Firstborns”
“The assembly of firstborns [or firstborn ones] enrolled in heaven” (W. Kelly Trans.)—This is the Church of God in its final dwelling place in the heavens. The way in which the KJV translates this verse, one could easily conclude that “the firstborn” spoken of here is Christ. Many hymn writers have made this mistake. Christ is certainly referred to as the “Firstborn” in Scripture (Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:15, 18; Heb. 1:6; Rev. 1:5), but this passage is not referring to Him. The word in the Greek is in the plural and denotes a company of “firstborns,” and thus, could be translated “firstborn ones.” As mentioned above, it is the Church, which Christ loved and gave Himself for (Matt. 16:18; Eph. 5:25-27). Those who compose the Church are called firstborns because they have a place of preeminence above the other blessed persons in God’s family. (In Scripture, “firstborn” signifies one who is first in rank having the preeminence over all others – Exodus 4:22; Psalm 87:27; Jeremiah 31:9.)
Paul’s epistles disclose the special blessings that the Church has which the other children in God’s family do not have. They alone have the blessing of Sonship in relation to the Father (Rom. 8:14-16; Gal. 1:1-7; Eph. 1:4-5), and they alone are members of the body of Christ through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:12-13; Eph. 3:6). This special company has been singled out by God’s sovereign grace, not because they are better than the others in His family, but because God has purposed to display “the glory of His grace” and “the riches of His grace” before all in the world to come (Eph. 1:6; 2:7). He is going to show the world what His grace can do. To demonstrate it, He has taken the worst sinners from among the Gentiles, and through redemption, has put them into the highest possible place of blessing and favour that His love could provide! In the coming day of display (the Millennium) all the world will wonder at such marvellous grace; and the world will “praise the glory of His grace” (Eph. 1:6, 12, 14). (The writer has mentioned two assemblies in this passage: a general assembly of angels, and the specially called out assembly of believers on the Lord Jesus Christ – the Church of God).
5) “God the Judge of All”
This refers to God’s judicial glory being publicly displayed in the Millennium. In that day, God will not only be known in grace but He will also be known in judgment, for He will “judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained” (Acts 17:31; Psa. 72:1-2; Psa. 99:4; Isa. 11:1-4; 32:1).
6) “The Spirits of Just Men Made Perfect”
These are the Old Testament saints. The fact that they are said to be “perfect,” which is the result of being resurrected and glorified, shows that the writer is viewing things as they will be in the Millennium. These saints will also have a heavenly place in the kingdom (Dan. 7:18, 22, 27 – J. N. Darby Trans.).
7) “Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant”
This brings us back down to the earth; it shows again that the writer has the Millennium in view, for the new covenant will not be made with Israel until then. The fact that he uses the Lord’s manhood name “Jesus,” and not other names such as Jehovah, etc., shows that in that day Israel will acknowledge that that lowly Man whom they rejected and crucified long ago is their Messiah. And, in doing so, they will be restored and will enjoy the new covenant blessings (Jer. 31:31-34).
8) “The Blood of Sprinkling”
This refers to Christ’s blood. It is the basis for all blessing in the world to come—both in heaven and on earth. He mentions it in contrast to Abel’s blood, who was murdered by his brother (Gen. 4). Abel’s blood was sprinkled on the earth and cried aloud to God for judgment to be executed on the offender—Cain. In contrast, the blood of Christ has been sprinkled (symbolically) on the “mercy seat” above (Rom. 3:25), and instead of crying for vengeance, it cries for pardon for those who shed it! The implications here are again obvious. Like Cain, who was guilty of killing his brother, the Jews are guilty of killing Christ (Acts 3:14-15). But even though they have killed Him, God has long before devised a way to forgive the guilty nation through the very blood which they shed! (1 John 1:7) Thus, the Jews can have their national sin “blotted out,” if they will but “repent” and be “converted” (Acts 3:19), which many will do in a coming day.
In describing these eight things, the writer has taken us up a mountain (so to speak), from the earth to the heavens and back down to the earth again. “God the Judge of all,” being the summit.
His point in presenting this vivid picture of the two systems side by side is that if any Jew who had taken Christian ground was really thinking of returning to Judaism, he needed to weigh what he would be giving up under God’s grace, and also, what he would be returning to under the Law. If these things were understood properly, any desire that one might have of returning to Judaism would surely be abandoned. Sinai, confronts us with legal commandments, judgment, and condemnation. Zion, on the other hand, presents us with grace that has secured heavenly and earthly blessing for all who believe, which far outreaches anything Israel ever had under the first covenant. The decision as to which of these one would want to live under ought to be simple and straightforward.
A Final Appeal
Vss. 25-27—The conclusion he draws for the Hebrews is clear—don’t refuse the voice that was speaking from heaven. The writer says, “See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused Him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven.” If there was no escape from judgment for those who disobeyed the voice of God who spoke on earth in the giving of the Law (Ex. 20), how much less would anyone escape the judgment that will fall on those who refuse God’s voice that was speaking to them from heaven!
The holiness of God’s judgment, symbolized in the shaking of Mount Sinai, will be nothing in comparison to the shaking that is coming. The coming shaking will be of everything in earth and in heaven! He quotes from Haggai 2:6 to confirm this: “Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.” This will occur when the Lord causes the material creation to pass away after the Millennium has run its course (Heb. 1:10-12; 2 Peter 3:10). Thus, there is going to be a removal of all things made in this present creation—a dissolution of everything that the flesh could lean upon. The writer’s point in stating this is that since Judaism is of the first creation, it too will be removed. Thus, for those clinging to that earthly religion, they needed to realize that it is all going to be dissolved some day, because the material creation will not continue. But even before that, in the very near future from the time when the epistle was written (63 A.D.), the Romans were going to come in and destroy the city and the temple (70 A.D.). Many thousands of Jews would be killed and thousands more would be taken captive. There would be no way to carry on with Judaism then because it would all be wiped out! On the other hand, the spiritual things which grace has brought in through Christ “cannot be shaken,” and thus will “remain.”
Closing Exhortations: Hebrews 12:28-13:25
(Chapters 12:28–13:25)
The practical exhortations (“Let us...”) resume again at chapter 12:28. This final part of the epistle has two groups of exhortations: those pertaining to the believer’s personal life and those pertaining to the believer’s assembly life.
Exhortations Regarding the Believer’s Personal Life
(Chapters. 12:28–13:6)
The exhortations and encouragements in this series of verses address the appropriate lifestyle that should characterize holy brethren with a heavenly calling (Heb. 3:1).
Thankfulness
(Vss. 28-29)
He says, “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace [be thankful], whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire.” Thus, having something so much better in the new and living way of approach to God in Christianity (Heb. 10:19-22), the writer would have them to realize this fact and to “be thankful” for it, and thus, to respond by serving Him “acceptably” in this very favoured position in which they had been set. To return to Judaism would not be serving God acceptably. For all those who were entertaining the idea, he says, “Our God is a consuming fire” who judges all that is contrary to Him.
Brotherly Love
(vs. 1)
He then says, “Let brotherly love continue.” They had started well in their early days as Christians and lived in an atmosphere of love (Acts 2:44-47); they now needed to “continue” in it. Thus, he says, “let,” because being born of God, Christians have a new life and nature that naturally loves (1 John 5:1). All we need to do is to “let,” or allow the divine nature in us do what it does naturally—which is to love (1 John 4:19). This exhortation is needed because we can get in the way of our divine nature expressing itself by allowing fleshly feelings of dislike for some of our brethren hinder the outflow of our love.
Hospitality
(vs. 2)
One way love will express itself is in “hospitality.” Our homes should be open to our brethren to promote Christian fellowship. The “strangers” mentioned here are fellow brethren in the Lord from different areas who were travelling through that region. These brethren may have been running from persecution and were hard-pressed and in need of food and shelter. Gaius was commended by John for doing this, and especially so for those who were out serving the Lord (3 John 5-7). Christian fellowship in our homes is an important way to promote the health of the assembly locally. He adds that some have “entertained angels unawares.” This may be a reference to Abraham and Sarah. Abraham was certainly aware that the men who visited him were angels and one of them was the Lord Himself. But Sarah didn’t seem to understand this, and when she heard Him say that they were going to have a son in their old age, she laughed in doubt (Gen. 18).
Sympathy
(vs. 3)
He then says, “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them.” This is another way in which love can express itself—by showing sympathy to those who had been imprisoned for their faith and “ill-treated.” To “remember” them is not merely calling them to mind and praying for them, but actively reaching out to them by visiting them, if possible. This is what Onesiphorus did in Paul’s case, and Paul said that it “oft refreshed” him (2 Tim. 1:16-18). Such are deprived of fellowship and really appreciate it.
He adds, “As being yourselves also in the body.” This is not a reference to our connection with one another in the (mystical) body of Christ, as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:26. (The body of Christ is not in view in Hebrews.) It is, rather, the connection that we have with one another through being in our physical bodies. We can sympathize with their sufferings because we are in the body too, and thereby know what it is to suffer physically. These Hebrew believers could very well end up being imprisoned for their faith and be in the same situation, so while they were still free, they were to show their sympathy to those who were bound in this way.
Moral Purity
(vs. 4)
Marriage is to be held in respect and maintained in purity. Violation of the marriage tie through adultery will be visited by God’s governmental judgment “for fornicators and adulterers will God judge.”
Contentment
(vs. 5)
“Let your conversation [conduct] be without love of money [covetousness], and be satisfied with your present circumstances; for He has said, I will not leave thee, neither will I forsake thee.” This exhortation addresses the need to cultivate contentment in the present circumstances of life in which God has placed us (Phil. 4:11; 1 Tim. 6:8). We have temporal needs but they are not to be met by covetous dealings. “The love of money” has been the ruin of many (1 Tim. 6:9-10). Christians are to work with their hands, and the Lord has promised to supply all their needs (1 Thess. 4:11; Phil. 4:19). Note: He supplies what we need, not necessarily what we may want.
Courage
(vs. 6)
Finally, he says, “So that, taking courage, we may say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid: what will man do unto me?” This is a quote from Psalm 118:6. With the Lord on their side, they were not to fear the persecution connected with taking the Christian stand. The last part of verse 6 is really a question and could read: “If [since] the Lord is my helper, what can man do to me?” This is how Psalm 118:6 renders it.
Exhortations Regarding the Believer’s Assembly Life
(Vss. 7-25)
As mentioned, the second group of exhortations pertain to their collective privileges and responsibilities.
Remember the Christian Leaders Who Have Gone on Before
(Vss. 7-8)
In stepping away from Judaism, the Hebrew believers might have thought that the writer was asking them to turn their backs on their long heritage in that religion. But he doesn’t say that. Abraham, Moses, David, etc. were still to be valued by them on account of their faithfulness, as chapter 11 indicates. What they needed to see was that they now had a Christian heritage of valued leaders as well, whom they were to remember.
This company of Hebrew believers had leaders who had taught them the Word of God, which they were to value and to look to for spiritual help and encouragement. Hence, the writer says, “Remember your leaders [guides] who have spoken to you the Word of God; and considering the issue of their conversation [conduct], imitate their faith. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and to the ages to come.” The fact that he says, “Who have spoken to you...” (past tense) indicates that these Christian “leaders” had gone on to be with the Lord and were no longer on earth. J. N. Darby said, “In exhorting them (ver. 7) to remember those who have guided the flock, he speaks of those already departed in contrast with those still living (ver. 17)” (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, on Hebrews 13:7; see also Collected Writings, vol. 27, pp. 321, 413). Even though they had gone to be with the Lord, their faith had left a legacy of Christian character and courage for those in future generations to “imitate.” Stephen (Acts 7) and James (Acts 12) would be examples of such ones, perhaps Judas, Barsabbas, and Silas, were others (Acts 15:22). These were “leading men among the brethren.” Some of these leaders may have been in oversight in a local assembly, but W. Kelly points out that that is not the force of the word used here. It is leaders in a general way (The Epistle to the Hebrews, p. 261).
Note: he says, “Imitate their faith.” He doesn’t say that they were to imitate their mannerisms, or their idiosyncrasies, or the way in which they spoke publicly in ministry. To do that is making oneself a clone of these dear servants of God, which is not God’s will. Just as one star differs from another star in glory (1 Cor. 15:41), God would have us all to shine in our own individual way. It was their “faith” that they were to imitate (1 Cor. 11:1; Eph. 5:1). These leaders, who had gone on before, were a testament to the fact that walking by faith in the Christian path can be done victoriously.
The “issue” (or substance) of their conversation (manner of life) was “Jesus Christ.” Christ was the goal in everything those men had pursued in life. It is the reason why they went on in a straight course. These Hebrew believers were to consider this and follow their example by making Christ the Object and Center of their lives. The writer adds that Christ is “the same yesterday, and today and to the ages to come.” That is, times may change and those who have served their generation by the will of God have “fallen on asleep” (Acts 13:36), but Christ is always there for each new generation to look to, for He never changes.
Guard Against Strange Doctrines That Mix Judaism With Christianity
(Vss. 9-10)
The next exhortation warns against the danger of getting “carried away with various and strange doctrines” that would mix Judaism with Christianity. All such Judaizing teaching opposes the principles of Christian grace and has no place in the present economy. Such teachings usually focus on trying to produce a higher standard of holiness in believers through legalism, which doesn’t work. Hence, the writer says, “It is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.” He uses “meats” here, as a figure for the outward ordinances of earthly religion (Heb. 9:10). His point is straightforward and clear: Christians who have adopted Judaistic principles have not profited from it spiritually.
He goes on to say, “We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.” This “altar” is not the brazen altar, nor is it the golden altar in the old economy, but what is symbolic of “the new and living way” of approach to God in true Christianity (Heb. 10:19-22). To “eat” at this altar symbolizes participating in the spiritual worship offered in Christianity (1 Cor. 10:18). This 10th verse teaches us that those who want to hold on to Judaism should not be allowed to participate in the true Christian way of approach to God. To do so would be mixing the two orders, which is something that God does not want.
As mentioned on pages 18-20 in the Introduction of this book, Christendom is permeated with Judaistic principles and practises. It is truly a mixture of Judaism and Christianity. Since this is so, those who wish to attend and partake in the so-called “worship services” in the churches of Christendom, and at the same time want to be in fellowship at the Lord’s Table where Christians seek to worship according to the new and living way, should be told that they have “no right” to eat there. Accordingly, they should not be permitted to do so. The reason is simple: God does not want a mixture of the two things.
Go Forth to the New Meeting Place Outside the Camp
(Vss. 11-14)
In these verses, the writer mentions a meaningful ritual connected with the sin offering that has had its fulfilment in the death of Christ—“the bodies of those beasts” which were offered were consumed with fire in a place “outside the camp” (Lev. 4:12). As the fulfilment of this, the Lord Jesus “suffered without the gate” of Jerusalem (John 19:20). He was cast out of the system of Judaism by its wicked leaders and died there as a criminal. But in being cast out of that system, God has made Christ the new gathering center for those who receive Him as their Saviour. The effect of Christ’s death outside of Judaism was to “sanctify the people with His own blood” in a relative or external sense (chap. 10:29). That is, it laid a new ground upon which believers are to gather in separation from Judaism.
This being the case, the writer exhorts: “Therefore let us go forth unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach.” It has been often asked, “What exactly is ‘the camp?’” It is an expression that denotes Judaism and its related principles and practises. Thus, verse 13 is a formal call to all believers in that Judaic system to sever their connections with it by going forth to the Lord Jesus who is outside of it. He is the new Meeting Place—the Christian’s gathering Center (Matt. 18:20). This is not a geographical location as in Judaism (i.e. the temple at Jerusalem), but rather, a spiritual ground of principles upon which God would have Christians to meet together for worship and ministry.
Since the Christian profession has become permeated with Judaistic principles and practice, and a mixture of the two systems exists almost everywhere, this call to go forth unto Christ, “without the camp,” has a very practical application to us in Christendom. The principle is simple: believers are called to separate from Judaism—regardless of where it may be found, or in what form it may be in. It could be in formal Judaism (a synagogue) or in quasi Judaeo-Christian places of worship (the churches of Christendom). This call to separate from Judaism has led exercised Christians to dissociate themselves from the churches in Christendom, wherein this mixture exists, and to meet simply in the name of the Lord Jesus (Matt. 18:20). (Compare 2 Timothy 2:19-21.)
Some Christians who are defensive of the Judaeo-Christian mixture in the church systems will say that “the camp” refers strictly to formal Judaism, and nothing more. Any extraction thereof, in their minds, is not considered the camp. However, if this reasoning were correct, then Jewish believers who have been called to separate from the camp do not really need to separate from the synagogue, because even the strictest sect of Judaism today is but an extraction of the true Scriptural Judaism which God gave through Moses. Even when the Lord was here on earth it had become wildly distorted by the interpretations and the traditions of the elders. It is only that much more so today. This argument, therefore, is surely false, and only insisted upon to avoid a practical application being made to church-goers. It is true that many of the Judaic things in these churches have been somewhat altered to fit a Christian context, but those places of worship still have the trappings of Judaism in principle. In fact, if we were to ask them for Scripture for many of their church practices, they would freely point to Old Testament Judaism as their model. A lot of the present Judaeo-Christian order has been around in Christianity for so long that it has become accepted by the masses as God’s ideal. What has happened, to a large extent, is that Christendom has joined the “camp” of earthly religion, which is the very thing that this 13th verse calls believers out of.
The writer adds that as the Lord went outside the camp to bear our judgment as the ultimate sin-offering, we must now go outside the camp to Him, and in doing so we will bear His “reproach.” Thus, meeting around the Lord outside the camp has reproach connected with it because this new ground of gathering is a rejected thing. Therefore, we must be prepared to endure suffering in connection with it. The reproach that these Hebrew believers were feeling came primarily from those in the camp. And, believers who separate from the Judaistic principles in the churches of Christendom will also find that reproach will come primarily from those in the church systems who will not separate from that mixture. The Apostle John called people who take this quasi Judaeo-Christian ground, “Them which say they are Jews and are not, but do lie” (Rev. 2:9; 3:9).
The writer adds that “here” on earth “we (Christians) have no continuing city,” as the Jews had in Jerusalem (vs. 14). Instead, he says, “We seek one (a heavenly city) to come.” Thus, there is no earthly headquarters in Christianity. Hence, the new Christian place of worship is:
Inside the veil as to our spiritual privileges (Heb. 10:19-20).
Outside the camp as to our ecclesiological position (Heb. 13:13).
Exercise Our Priestly Privileges
(vs. 15)
Having taught that all Christians are priests with liberties that exceed anything the Aaronic priests had in Judaism (Heb. 10:19-22), the writer now exhorts us to exercise our priestly privileges in praise and prayer. He says, “By Him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks [confessing] to His name.” This is a spiritual sacrifice which Christians can offer in the immediate presence of God. It is done “by Him” (see also 1 Peter 2:5), which is an allusion to Christ as our Great Priest presenting our worship to God with perfection (Heb. 10:21). Note: there is no mention of this praise being offered with the aid of the outward appliances of orchestras and choirs, etc., because true Christian worship “is in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). That is, it is a spiritual thing produced in the hearts of believers by the Holy Spirit (Phil. 3:3). True Christian worship will manifest itself in “the fruit of our lips” and will be done as “confessing His name,” because we should take no other name than that of the Lord Jesus (Matt. 18:20).
Use Our Material Resources to Support the Christian Testimony
(vs. 16)
The writer then speaks of another kind of Christian sacrifice—communicating out of our material possessions in a monetary way. He says, “Of doing good and communicating [of your substance] be not forgetful, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” Thus, our material resources, if used to promote the Christian testimony, are viewed as a sacrifice for His name. This kind of a sacrifice can be made on an individual level (Gal. 6:6), or on a collective level as from an assembly (Phil. 4:14-16). The principles of such giving are laid out in 2 Corinthians 8-9. The fact that he says “forget not,” shows that it can be overlooked.
Obey and Submit to the Leaders
(vs. 17)
He gives a further word here as to their “leaders [guides].” These were alive and doing their work among the saints at the time of the writing of the epistle, unlike those in verse 7 who had died and were with the Lord.
He says, “Obey your leaders [guides], and be submissive; for they watch over your souls as those that shall give account; that they may do this with joy, and not groaning, for this would be unprofitable for you.” The KJV translates “leaders,” as “them that have the rule over you.” See also 1 Thessalonians 5:12 and 1 Timothy 5:17. This is an unfortunate rendering, and could convey the thought that there is some sort of official hierarchy in the Church that rules over the saints—i.e. the clergy, which is an unscriptural, man-made office.
These “guides” have been raised up of the Holy Spirit to care for the flock (Acts 20:28). They “watch” over the saints as overseers. They have experience with God, having walked in the path for some time, and thus, they can be a help to the saints in spiritual matters. This shows that the sheep which have gone outside the camp to Christ will not be left without shepherding care. Without the confines of that legal system, there will be the danger of enemies and sheep straying, etc., but these guides will guard and instruct the flock in these practical matters. At times we might resent their interaction with us and see it as meddling in our personal lives, but if we are submissive and try to follow the spiritual advice that they give, we will be helped in the path. They must give an “account” to the Lord as to how they have cared for the flock. Their desire is to do it “with joy, and not with grief [groaning].”
Pray for the Servants of the Lord
(Vss. 18-19)
It is to be noted that the writer touches on the three spheres of privilege and responsibility in the house of God. Verses 15-16 pertain to the exercise of priesthood; verse 17 has to do with the office of oversight, and now in verses 18-19, we have the sphere of gift. As servants in the exercise of their spiritual gifts, he says, “Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.”
The fact that the writer asks these Hebrew believers to pray for him, but has not identified who he is, might seem a little unusual. The natural response would be, “Pray for whom?” But he assumes that they know who he is—which most, if not all expositors, believe was Paul. More specifically, his prayer request is for his release from prison so that he might be “restored” to them, and thus, be enabled continue his public ministry among the saints, surely points to his being the Apostle Paul (vs. 19).
Things That Characterize the New Christian Meeting Place
Summarizing the foregoing exhortations regarding the new center of gathering in Christianity, the writer has touched on various things that characterize that ground:
It is a ground on which the Lord Jesus Christ is the Center of gathering—“unto Him” (vs. 13a).
It is a ground that is “without the camp,” thus, it is free of Judaistic principles and practises (vs. 13b).
It is a ground that bears the “reproach” of Christ (vs. 13c).
It is a ground that has no earthly headquarters—“no continuing city” (vs. 14).
It is a ground where Christians have liberty to worship “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24) with “the fruit of our lips,” without the aid of the outward appliances of orchestras and choirs etc., that characterize earthly religion.
It is a ground upon which love is seen in action, and where believers communicate to one another out of their material resources (vs. 16).
It is a ground where shepherding care is exercised, without official appointment to that work or prior training in the schools of men (vs. 17).
It is a ground where prayer is wont to be made (vss. 18-19).
His Doxology
(Vss. 20-21)
In closing, the writer invokes God to help the Hebrew believers to reach spiritual maturity. He says, “Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting [eternal] covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever, Amen.” His desire was that God’s great power, which had been demonstrated in the raising of the Lord Jesus from the dead, would be operative in effecting spiritual growth in them. (“Perfect,” signifies full growth.) And this, he desires, would be manifested in their performance of the “will” of God, which would be “well-pleasing in His sight.” The context of the epistle strongly suggests that he is referring to their complete separation from Judaism under the old covenant, and an understanding of what they had acquired through “the everlasting [eternal] covenant.”
His Final Salutation
(Vss. 22-25)
Knowing that there could be a negative reaction to what he had laid out in the epistle, he adds a gentle word of encouragement: “I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words” (vs. 22). His desire here is that they would allow what he has presented to them to sink down deeply into their hearts, and that they would respond appropriately.
He reminds them that “Timothy” had been “set at liberty” (vs. 23), and that he could be a help to them in understanding the truth that he has communicated in this epistle.
He encourages them to “salute” (greet) all of their “leaders.” This promotes peace among brethren. He closes with: “Grace be with you all, Amen.” (vss. 24-25).