Hebrews

Thursday, 25 April 2019

…and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. Hebrews 12:19

The author now continues with the awesome display of the Lord which was witnessed on Mount Sinai, beginning this verse with, “and the sound of a trumpet.” That is recorded in Exodus 20:18 –

“Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet.”

Next, he says, “and the voice of words.” That is recorded in Deuteronomy 4:12 –

“And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice.”

The two thoughts together (the trumpet and the voice) are again noted in Scripture as being ascribed to the Lord Jesus –

“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, ¹¹ saying, ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.’” Revelation 1:10, 11

In this, it is obvious that the Lord (Jehovah) of the Old Testament is the same as the Lord (Jesus) of the New.

Next, the author says, “so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore.” This is found in Exodus 20:19 –

“Then they said to Moses, ‘You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.’”

The sound of the voice of the Lord was so overwhelming that they feared they would die if they heard anything more from Him directly. The idea being conveyed is that the words of law bring death. However, the words of grace bring life. Everything about the New Covenant, which came through Christ’s blood, is superior to that of the Old.

Life application: In giving the Ten Commandments on Sinai in the way He did, the Lord was checking the people’s hearts. By giving this display, later challenges could be held in only one of two ways – 1) faith that the same God who they heard and saw could handle any trouble, or 2) disobedience and rejection of the God whose power they had seen. As Moses said to them, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” Exodus 20:20

When the times of testing came, did they pass? The answer is, “No.” Israel repeatedly failed in this regard, and so their bodies fell in the wilderness during thirty-eight years of wandering, until that entire generation had perished. The same Lord came and presented Himself in human form in the person of Jesus. The people again failed to accept the word of the Lord and come to Him. In this, they went into an exile which has only ended in modern times. And even now, they still do not believe in the One who came to purify them from all unrighteousness. Pray for Israel – that eyes would be opened. The Lord is calling out to them, just as He has since their inception.

Lord God, if you were displeased with those who saw Your glory on Mt. Sinai and rejected it, how much more then when we… when we reject the display of Your glory in the Person of Jesus Christ. May we never fail to have faith during our times of testing. Given us wisdom in our minds and fortitude in our hearts to cling to our Lord. In His name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, 24 April 2019

For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, Hebrews 12:18

What seems like an unlikely transition, the author now goes from the account of Esau to the reception of the Law of Moses at Mount Sinai. But he has not changed his focus at all. The word, “For,” demonstrates that he is still referring to what he said earlier. In verse 14, he says, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” It is exactly this thought that he is conveying now.

Before the giving of the Ten Commandments, this was seen in Exodus 19 –

“‘“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. ¹¹ And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ¹² You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. ¹³ Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.”’” Exodus 19:10-13

The people had to be consecrated and thus “holy” in order to “see the Lord,” which is what it says in verse 20 of that chapter with the words, “Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai.” At this time the people were utterly overwhelmed by the awesome display their eyes beheld. That will be partly described in the verses ahead, and Moses’ reaction will also be revealed by the author. The entire display was both remarkable and fearful to the people.

The author’s words now begin to relay the thought that, “If that was so overwhelming, how much more remarkable is that which has occurred in the coming of Christ, who is the Lord.” This thought will continue through the rest of the chapter. However, and with that understanding, he now says, “For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched.”

That is speaking of Mount Sinai. It is a physical mountain that could be touched, seen, climbed, etc. In contrast to that is the risen and now ascended Lord who is the same Lord who descended on Mount Sinai. When He came to Sinai, even though the mountain could be touched, once He came, it could no longer be touched (as noted in Exodus 19:12 above). This was then reiterated to Moses several times before the ending of the chapter.

The mountain could be physically touched, but it could no longer be so touched when the holiness of the Lord came upon it. If this is the case with Sinai, how much more so with “touching” that which the Lord has now sanctified. The contrast is between Sinai, meaning the Law of Moses, and Mount Zion, meaning the New Covenant.

The author then continues with, “and that burned with fire.” This was the state of Sinai. It burned with fire, as described in the chapter. And then the author says, “and to blackness and darkness and tempest.”

The superlative words describe what occurred at Sinai. They show the awesome nature of the Lord who had come to give His people the law which would be for the conduct of their lives, and which would guide their interactions with the Lord for 1500 years. However, that law ended, and the interaction which occurred through that law ended with it. The author will continue referring to this event, using the words of Exodus, to build up his case concerning the absolute exceeding majesty of what occurred in Christ in comparison to that majestic display which occurred at Sinai.

Life application: The enormity of the display at Sinai demonstrated the severity of what was to come. God was ensuring that what the people heard, they would never forget. The law was to be taken as the holy word which it is, and from the perfectly holy God who spoke it. It can be assumed that any infraction of the words to come would carry a terrible penalty simply by the display that accompanied it. And so it was, as testified throughout the rest of the Old Testament. The law brought fear, and the law brought death. Such is the harshness of the law. Thanks be to God for grace and mercy which came through Christ Jesus our Lord!

Lord, when we read difficult passages that show the severity of violating Your word, help us to keep them in context and to remember what they are teaching us and why. In the end, we all deserve death and condemnation, but You sent Jesus to take our place. How thankful we are for grace and mercy instead of law and punishment! Thank You for Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Tuesday, 23 April 2019

For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears. Hebrews 12:17

This refers to Esau and what is said of him in the previous verse –

“…lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.”

Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of red soup. After this, Isaac wanted to bless Esau before his death (the blessing and the birthright are not the same occasion, but the importance of them in the lives of the sons is connected by the surrounding circumstances). In his desire to bless him, Isaac asked Esau to prepare a meal of wild game. While Esau was out hunting, Jacob came in by deception (Isaac was blind) and received the blessing.

No sooner had Isaac blessed Jacob than Esau came in with the meal he had prepared, expecting to be blessed. However, that was no longer possible. As Isaac said to him concerning Jacob, “I have blessed him—and indeed he shall be blessed” (Genesis 27:33). The blessing came upon Jacob, and Esau “was rejected.”

The Lord had rejected the line of Esau, just as Esau had rejected his birthright. Though this was known to the Lord even before it occurred, it still had to be played out in the stream of time. After Isaac’s statement, Esau’s reaction came in a mournful cry –

“When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, ‘Bless me—me also, O my father!’” Genesis 27:34

This is what the author of Hebrews refers to when he says, “though he sought it diligently with tears,” but the context of the author’s words is that the tearful plea was rejected, “for he found no place for repentance.”

This is a phrase unique in Scripture. To understand what it means, one must understand the meaning of “repentance.” It simply means, “to change one’s mind.” Throughout the years, it has been common to tie “repentance” in with “salvation,” as if the two are somehow connected. Other than “repentance about who Jesus is,” this is incorrect. In this, the faulty interpretation of these words is that “he found no place for being saved.” That is wholly inaccurate.

The meaning of what the author is saying is that even with his change of mind, the act could not be undone. Vincent’s Word Studies says –

“The words place of repentance mean an opportunity to repair by repenting. He found no way to reverse by repentance what he had done. The penalty could not be reversed in the nature of the case.”

This is why Isaac said, “indeed he shall be blessed.” The blessing was transferred and Esau could not repair this by changing his mind. Charles Ellicott states it as, “He ‘found no place of repentance;’ that first act (Genesis 25:33) could not be recalled, but brought with it a loss which nothing could retrieve.”

The verse has nothing to do with salvation or loss of salvation. It is simply an explanation of what the effects of living in an ungodly manner can be. This is true with the saved and the unsaved. A common saying which fits the intent of the verse is, “You made your bed, now lie in it.” You may have a change of mind about what you did in the past, but “O so sorry. There is no place left for changing your mind. The matter is already settled.”

Life application: Although the account of Jacob and Esau may seem unfair towards Esau because of Jacob’s deceit, remember that it was deserved. As the author of Hebrews said, Esau was “profane.” God did not author the deceit which occurred, but He allowed it to meet a good end. Jesus Himself, therefore, descended from the line of Jacob and not that of Esau. If you feel wronged in some way, could it be that you have failed to live for God and you are now reaping what you have sown? Be careful never to blame God for misfortune, but rather look for and understand His hand of providence in all things.

Lord, give us wise and discerning hearts to understand our place in Your plan of redemption. Let us not fight bitterly over what we have or what we don’t have, but let us bring You glory through accepting our lot and position in life, while at the same time working to better ourselves in an honest manner which glorifies You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Monday, 22 April 2019

…lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.  Hebrews 12:16

The author continues now with examples of a person becoming defiled which was mentioned in the previous verse. He gives two examples, which are connected in one thought in this translation. It probably should separate them by saying, “lest there be any fornicator, or profane person like Esau.” Only the word “profane” should be tied to Esau, unless the author is tying Esau’s selling of his birthright in with the thought of selling himself off as if a prostitute. That would be highly unusual to speak of him in this way.

What seems more likely is that, as is consistent in the epistles, sexual immorality is being condemned. Such actions are not holy, and they bring defilement upon a person. Assuming it is a separate category, he then introduces the “profane person like Esau.”

Esau is frowned upon in Scripture, and his failings are noticeable even from a cursory read of the Bible. But even more, his descendants after him would continue to be a problem. This all started with Esau’s negative attitude about what is important. As the author says of him, “who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.”

The account is found in Genesis 25. He was hungry, and he gave up his honored birthright for a simple bowl of stew. This led to other problems in his life, but all of this was known in advance. When the twins were in their mother’s womb, she received a prophecy about the futures of these two sons –

“Two nations are in your womb,
Two peoples shall be separated from your body;
One people shall be stronger than the other,
And the older shall serve the younger.” Genesis 23:23

This is how it came to be in the history of their descendants. But, of note, is the blessing pronounced upon Esau later –

“Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth,
And of the dew of heaven from above.
⁴⁰ By your sword you shall live,
And you shall serve your brother;
And it shall come to pass, when you become restless,
That you shall break his yoke from your neck.” Genesis 27:39, 40

Isaac prophesied that Esau would break Jacob’s yoke from his neck. What this means is rather involved. In short, the yoke of Jacob is the Law of Moses. Speaking of the descendants of Edom (who is Esau), known as the Idumeans in the New Testament times, we find in the writings of the Jewish Historian Josephus that about 129 BC John Hyrcanus –

“…subdued all the Idumeans; and permitted them to stay in that country, if they would circumcise their genitals, and make use of the laws of the Jews; and they were so desirous of living in the country of their forefathers, that they submitted to the use of circumcision, and of the rest of the Jewish ways of living; at which time therefore this befell them, that they were hereafter no other than Jews.”

In other words, the descendants of Esau were assimilated into Israel, and they came under the Law (the yoke) of Moses – which Jacob’s descendants were under. Eventually, these people (meaning the Jews who included the converted Idumeans) were exiled for having rejected Christ. However, at a point future to us now, they will cast off this yoke, come to Christ, and be saved.

Israel is back in the land, and the ancient prophecies of these two men and their descendants are ready to be fulfilled in their entirety.

Life application: What is of value to you? A person may be the manager of a large corporation and make millions of dollars a year, and another person from his school may be a blue-collar worker. When they get together from time to time, the millionaire may brag about his house, cars, and vacations. The blue-collar worker, however, brags about the Lord in his life. Which of the two is in the more favorable position? In the end, there is only one thing that truly matters. Why sell off that which is of the highest value for a bowl of soup? The things of this world will all perish. But Christ, and His love for those He has redeemed, will go on forever. Come to Christ and be granted the greatest Gift of all!

Lord, help us to learn from the lessons we read in the Bible. Help us to see the importance of a life which is dedicated to You, and then to hold fast to that, applying it to our lives and never deviating from Your precepts. Everything else is temporary and it will pass away. But Your word, O God, is eternal. May we hold fast to it now and forever. Amen.

Sunday, 21 April 2019

…looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; Hebrews 12:15

The author just admonished his readers to “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” The verb was active and imperative. He now continues with that by saying, “looking carefully.” It is a present participle, active. “You are to do this and continue doing it. Keep looking carefully!” And there is a reason for this. The reader is to continue observing the body “lest anyone fall short of the grace of God.”

The verb is, again, a present participle, active. It more rightly says, “lest anyone be falling short of the grace of God.” This isn’t speaking of someone who has become a believer and who has apostatized and thus lost his salvation. Rather, it is speaking of someone who has been saved and is in the continued process of not matching his life with the grace he has received.

In other words, it is someone who is failing to do what is said in the previous verse. He is not pursuing the peace or holiness to which he has been called. Nothing is said of losing his salvation. It is simply one failing to live up to that salvation. Those in the church should be looking carefully for such a failing “lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble.”

The verb here is, again, a present participle, active. A root is something out of sight. It is buried and not something we even think about. But with water and the right conditions, the germination process takes place, and the root begins to sprout. Likewise, within the church, there may be one who fails to pursue peace and holiness. The bad root begins to come alive and it perniciously begins to produce a bitter plant which causes trouble. From there, the result is obvious. The author says, “and by this many become defiled.”

It is exactly what Paul warns about in his epistles, and it is what is warned about by the other apostles as well. Paul gives the remedy for someone who springs up in this manner in 1 Corinthians 5, saying, “put away from yourselves the evil person.”

In that Chapter, Paul doesn’t question the person’s salvation. In fact, he argues for it. But he understood what having such a person remain among the congregation would do to the health of the body. The same idea is seen here. The author is looking out for the good of all by having all be on the lookout, at all times, for any action which would disturb the peace of the body, or which lacks holiness within the body.

Life application: Being around a bitter person is like putting a bitter herb in a pot of stew. Everything gets tainted. And so it is in church bodies, our families, and with our social contacts. When a bitter person is allowed to influence the party, the party is ruined. Isaiah actually marks bitterness in a person as one of the great sins of existence –

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20

Just as a person who calls evil good, so is the person who takes what should be sweet (Christian fellowship for example) and makes it bitter. Be wary of your own heart and watch for bitterness in others lest it cause trouble and by it many become defiled.

Thank You Lord that the reminders in Your word are so helpful in our daily walk. Keep our thoughts attuned to Your grace and how we should live in response to it. Also, keep us from bitterness which defiles. May we be a pure and holy people, set apart for Your use. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.