Daily Writing

Sunday, 28 October 2018

…but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned. Hebrews 6:8

This verse is set as a contrast to what was said in the previous verse. That said, “Land that drinks in the rain…”

The rain was likened to the word of God. Although not evident in some translations, which incorrectly show a distinction between the land in the two clauses, the land in this clause drinks in the same rain as in the first clause. This is evident by the words, “but if it.” The subject “land” hasn’t changed. Despite this, the soil is bad – whether rocky, full of clay, full of sand, etc. – it simply doesn’t absorb it. And so it is with people who hear the same word and yet the yield is completely different. This group hears the word and simply rejects it. Like the good land which receives the rain, this land is also explained in the same general manner by Jesus in the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:4-23. In this case, the land bears “thorns and briers.”

The terminology goes all the way back to Genesis 3. There we read in the curse upon Adam, “Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you” (Genesis 3:18). This land has received the same rain as the previous land. It has received the same care of cultivation as well. And yet it only produces that which came from the curse, thorns and briers. The result of the curse, which came upon man at the very beginning for his disobedience, is produced in the unproductive land and thus it is “rejected and near to being cursed.”

What more can be done to such an unproductive piece of land? To spend time on it would be futile. To invest more money and resources on it would be a waste. The result would be a piece of land which is not only unproductive concerning a good harvest, but which would actually be counter-productive by sending forth a bad harvest. There would be just one remedy: Its “end is to be burned.” The symbolism of the burned land is found in the words used by Moses in Deuteronomy 29 –

“The whole land is brimstone, salt, and burning; it is not sown, nor does it bear, nor does any grass grow there, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in His anger and His wrath.” Deuteronomy 29:23

The context of this verse from Deuteronomy is the curse of the Lord upon Israel. This is explicit before the verse, and it is repeated again after it with these words –

“Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against this land, to bring on it every curse that is written in this book. ²⁸ And the Lord uprooted them from their land in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.” Deuteronomy 29:27, 28

Understanding this, it is the same audience that Moses was speaking to in Deuteronomy that the author of Hebrews is again speaking to, meaning the Hebrew people. Though any such example is given for the Gentile-led church to learn from, it is the Hebrew people who are the subject of the matter. The people are being warned that they have been given abundant rain, and they have been carefully cultivated, but what they produce will result in what happens to them?

Unfortunately, they produced (as a collective whole) thorns and briers. Because of this, the curses of the covenant did fall on them. They were scattered and destroyed for two thousand years. However, the words of the covenant also promise restoration at some point. That time has begun. The prophets foretold of the time when they would again be in the land and they would be given the chance to produce a proper harvest. This is why Hebrews is placed after the Gentile-led church age epistles. Though written to the first-century Jews, God knew that they would produce a bad harvest, and be cursed. However, after the church is taken out at the rapture, things will change. The tribulation period will refine them, and they will come out at the end of it by calling on Jesus and acknowledging His New Covenant.

Life application: Though this is addressed to the Hebrew people as a collective whole, those in the Gentile-led church age can learn the same lesson concerning individual salvation. For those who receive the word and produce a good harvest, they will receive their just reward. For those who reject it, a great Day of Judgment is coming. It says in Revelation 20:15, “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Make the right choice today, while you still can. Drink in the water, cultivate your soil properly, and receive blessing from God.

Thank you Jesus that you have given us the chance to bear fruit for You. What we deserve is destruction, but you graciously took our sin and nailed it to the cross, if we will only believe. Help us to make that choice and then to glorify you through changed lives throughout all our days. Amen.

Saturday, 27 October 2018

For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; Hebrews 6:7

The author now adds in a thought to complement what he said in verses 6:4-6 by beginning with, “For.” From there he says, “the earth which drinks in the rain.” The word “land” instead of “earth” carries the idea more fully. It is probably Deuteronomy 11 that the author was thinking of when he said this –

“…but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, ¹² a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year.”

What the author is doing here is using an agricultural term to make a spiritual application. This is something that occurs at other times in the Bible. He is equating people who hear the word with the land which “drinks in” the rain. When it hasn’t rained in a long time, the ground gets hard and dry. It forms such a crust that heavy rains wash over it as if it is concrete. However, a little bit will be absorbed. As the rains continue to come, the land will drink in the water, just as someone who hears the word of God will drink it in, absorbing it and making it useful. This is why he says, “that often comes upon it.”

The more the word is heard, the more it will be accepted into the mind of the hearer, just as the rains are more accepted as the grounds become slowly saturated with the waters. If a few Jews receive the water, they cannot be fully productive. As the word continues to come, more and more will receive it until they, as a people, are productive in the way that is being spoken of here. As with the previous verses, the author is speaking to the collective group of people. And so here we see a contrast to the words of verse 6:4 concerning those who were “once” enlightened. The waters may have come once, but they washed away, never sinking into the land and allowing it to become productive. This is what the author is warning against. Israel has received the water once in Christ’s coming, but will they allow the water of the gospel, His New Covenant, to sink in?

Understanding his thoughts concerning this, he next says, “and bears herbs.” The word is unique in the Bible, botané. One can see where our term “botany” come from. It signifies any vegetation which rises out of the earth, including grass, grains, fodder, and the like. It is this vegetation, which springs forth from the well-watered soil, that is “useful for those by whom it is cultivated.” These words show that, in the reception of the abundant rain, there is nothing lacking on the part of those who work the land. Everything is provided by God.

The author is asking the people to consider his words. They are the land. They are being equated to the land in the same type of manner as Jesus did in Matthew 13:4-23. If they will allow the word to come upon them, they will be brought to a state where it will sink into them and make them productive. In them will be a harvest. In the same manner as the productive land, it will be they who receives “blessing from God.”

Again, the terminology goes back to the Old Testament. God promised to bless the land for the sake of the people in Deuteronomy 7:13 (and elsewhere) when they were right with Him. He is again asking, through the author of Hebrews, that they be right with Him, receive His word, and become useful and productive in His New Covenant. Paul uses this same idea in 1 Corinthians concerning those in the church –

“For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.” 1 Corinthians 3:9

As the Gentiles are “God’s field,” so the author here is now asking the Hebrew people, who are also “God’s field,” to receive His word and become useful again. There is a great danger in not doing so, and which will be explained in the words to come.

Life application: It is those who hear the word, apply it to their lives, and bear fruit for the kingdom that will receive “the blessing of God.” If you go to church, read daily devotionals, or feel “religious” in some sense, and yet have never accepted God’s word as authoritative in your life, you will be unable to produce a crop which is useful. All of our actions in life are meant to bring glory to God. It is only by living in this manner that you can expect to receive His blessings. Think on this and apply the teachings of Scripture, that you receive, to your life.

Lord God, may we gratefully receive the life-giving waters you provide. We ask that they produce a rich and abundant crop in our lives, a crop which will be useful to You and which will bring the honor and glory to You that You alone are due. This we pray in the name of Jesus our Lord. Amen!

Friday, 26 October 2018

…if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. Hebrews 6:6

This verse concludes the lengthy thought that began in verse 6:4. The author now begins with, “if they fall away.” There is no “if” in the Greek. This insert is based on a presupposition that the entire thought is hypothetical, but one which could not be expected to occur in reality. The words say, “and (then, or having) fallen away.” The verb is in the aorist tense. However, though “if” is not included in the thought, it is still, in a sense, a hypothetical postulation.

From verse 6:4 until this point, the author has not said that such a thing has occurred, but he is proposing that it could and then stating what the results would be. In this case, and understanding that, at a specific time, there was a falling away in this proposal being submitted. Despite having tasted and participated in what was offered through the Holy Spirit (through gift and word – the word of God comes through the Holy Spirit as well, just as 2 Peter 1:21 notes), they fell away. However, though the wording is not hypothetical in the sense that there is no “if,” Albert Barnes insightfully notes –

“The word rendered ‘fall away’ means properly ‘to fall near by anyone;’ ‘to fall in with or meet;’ and thus to fall aside from, to swerve or deviate from; and here means undoubtedly to ‘apostatize from,’ and implies an entire renunciation of Christianity, or a going back to a state of Judaism, paganism, or sin. The Greek word occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It is material to remark here that the apostle does not say that any true Christian ever had fallen away. He makes a statement of what would occur on the supposition that such a thing should happen – but a statement may be made of what would occur on the supposition that a certain thing should take place, and yet it be morally certain that the event never would happen. It would be easy to suppose what would happen if the ocean should overflow a continent, or if the sun should cease to rise, and still there be entire certainty that such an event never would occur.”

And so, if this were speaking of an individual, it does not necessarily indicate that the person had somehow lost his salvation. However, as noted in 6:4, the entire set of verses is referred to in the plural. This is not speaking of individuals, but of the collective group; the Hebrew people. It is a warning that in the rejection of the Lord, after they had tasted the heavenly gift, and after they had tasted the good word of God, they would be considered as having fallen away. It is the same collective type of thought which occurred earlier in Hebrews where the people failed to believe, and they collectively did not enter into God’s rest.

If it were to occur that this group of people fell away, it would be impossible “to renew them again to repentance.” The “repentance” speaks of turning the mind of the people once again to what they had already turned their minds to. Many in the collective had believed, but eventually, the people as a whole turned from this belief in (or about) Christ. They had been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, etc. To be renewed, in fact, implies that they had once been endowed with this tasting of Christ; some were followers of the Messiah. The verb here for renew is now in the active voice. What this is telling us is that it is impossible for men. However, as seen from Jesus’ words of Matthew 19:26, what is impossible with men is not impossible for God. There can be no contradiction in Scripture, and so this must be considered. Nothing that a man does to renew this group will be possible. But the truth is that nothing any person does can bring a person to salvation in the first place. Apart from God’s specific revelation of Himself, salvation is not possible. God has brought man to salvation through Christ. A man cannot save himself. The same is true with this verse here concerning Israel. As Vincent’s Word Studies notes –

“He merely puts his own hypothetical case, and says that, in the nature of such a case, the ordinary considerations and means which are applied to induce men to embrace the gospel no longer appeal to the subjects supposed. He contemplates nothing beyond such agencies, and asserts that these are powerless because the man has brought himself into a condition where they can no longer exert any power. Whether God will ever reclaim by ways of his own is a point which is not even touched. Destruction of the faculty of spiritual discernment is the natural outcome of deliberate and persistent sin, and the instrument of its punishment.”

It should be noted that Scripture never shuts the door on forgiveness to anyone who repents, nor does it shut the door on Israel as a collective (see Romans 9-11). Therefore, when such a falling away occurs, as long as the condition lasts, a renewal is impossible. The words in no way mean that such a renewal is impossible, but that it cannot occur while the person (or the group) is living under an old economy which has found its fulfillment in Christ (through the New Covenant). As Cambridge notes, “There can, he implies, be no second ‘Second Birth.’ The sternness of the passage is in exact accordance with Hebrews 10:26-29 (comp. 2 Peter 2:20-21); but ‘the impossibility lies merely within the limits of the hypothesis itself.’”

“…since they crucify again.” The Greek, as is translated by the Berean Study Bible, more closely reads, “and then having fallen away– to restore them again to repentance, crucifying in themselves the Son of God and subjecting Him to open shame.” It does not say, “again,” twice. Rather, it is only used once in relation to “repentance.” As far as the word, “crucify,” the verb is a present participle; and thus the Berean Study Bible is correct in saying “crucifying.” It has the intent of “crucifying as they are doing.” It does not imply an absolute apostasy, but one which is continuous. The tense of the verbs went from past to present. Such is the case with Israel today. They are “crucifying” the Lord through their rejection of Him.

The temple was standing; a future temple will stand. To observe temple rites, and then to come to Jesus who is the fulfillment of all of those types and shadows; and then to return to the same temple rites which only prefigured Him, would be to reject what God has done in Christ. He died for the sins of the world. Therefore, the cross of Christ is no longer available to them because it no longer has the meaning they once assigned to it.

The author then continues with, “…for themselves.” This is a reflexive pronoun, dative, third person, plural. The term should read, “in themselves,” or, “to themselves.” As Cambridge notes, “This is what is called ‘the dative of disadvantage’ – ‘to their own destruction.’” There is no human remedy for sin forgiveness, and the temple rites which looked forward to Christ are, in fact, a human remedy to this person. Only God can forgive, and that through Christ, who is “… the Son of God.” To take this course of action would then lead to the final words of the verses, “…and put Him to open shame.” What is the purpose of Christ’s cross if one retreats to what only looked forward to that cross? It is a shameful act which would, in turn, bring discredit upon the Lord who voluntarily took on the very sin which the temple rites could not expiate. This is what Israel did. After tasting His goodness, they shunned Him and returned fully to temple worship. To this day, they are looking to re-establish that temple worship once again.

What is seen here is a merely theoretical possibility within the teaching of the church – both of individual salvation, and of the salvation of God’s people, Israel, collectively. It is not speaking of God’s omnipotence which saved and sealed a person in the first place, and who redeemed Israel and promised that He would never forsake them. God does not make mistakes. It is a lesson of warning. As Cambridge states –

“In the face of sin—above all of deliberate wretchlessness—we must remember that ‘God is not mocked’ (Galatians 6:7), and that our human remedies are then exhausted. On the other hand to close the gate of repentance against any contrite sinner is to contradict all the Gospels and all the Epistles alike, as well as the Law and the Prophets.”

In other words, there is no finality revealed in these three verses. Everything in Scripture testifies to the forgiveness of God in Jesus Christ which is by grace through faith. The author’s warning is that for one to assume that going back to the temple rites will make that person holy (or more holy), or bring them nearer to God, is completely contradictory to the work of Christ itself. Further, the words of the author in verse 9 actually presuppose that this is, in fact, a hypothetical situation which is being spoken of, and thus it is a doctrinal treatise for the church to read and learn from, and for the nation of Israel, as a whole, to do the same. Until they, as a collective whole, come to Christ, they can find no way of being restored to God. Those things of the Old merely looked forward to the New.

Life application: Hebrews 6:4-6 are speaking first and foremost about Israel collectively. It is a statement that they cannot be saved by going to God through temple rites and services. The point of Daniel 9:24-27 (and all prophecy concerning this issue – even from the mouth of the Lord Jesus) is that Israel would try to do this and fail; but in the end, they will realize who Jesus is, they will call out to Him, and they will find collective salvation at that time. And you… have you believed in Jesus but let your heart go astray since then? Return to the Lord, knowing that He will receive you because He has already received you.

O Lord, may those around us who have heard about the glory of Your cross never attempt to replace it with something inferior. Rather, instill in them the knowledge that Calvary is all-sufficient for the atonement of every sin ever committed and that nothing else will do. Amen.

Thursday, 25 October 2018

…and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, Hebrews 6:5

The author now continues his same line of thought which began in verse 6:4. He begins with “…and have tasted the good word of God.” Again, to taste is to experience. The good word of God is the gospel message of Jesus, the Messiah of the Hebrews (who are the recipients of this epistle), and all of the sound doctrine which pertains to this word. It is an acceptance of the truth of Jesus the Messiah as Scripture testifies to.

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The language here speaks of the Hebrew people having tasted this good word of God. First, while the temple was still standing, the Jews had this taste and yet, as a people, they were adamantly remaining under the sacrificial system of temple worship. In the first century, these people had both the Old Testament and any word which was then in circulation – either orally or written – which confirmed Jesus’ ministry and spoke of how the Old was fulfilled in the New. By hearing and understanding this word, they could taste and understand its goodness. Adding in the demonstrable proofs of the apostles which testified to the fulfillment of their Scriptures in Jesus, they had surely tasted the good word of God.

Similarly, in the future, another temple will be built. When that comes, will the nation wholly return to the temple worship, or will they hear the voice of the two witnesses and of the 144,000 who are chosen to direct them to their long-missed Messiah?

“…and the powers of the age to come.” The wording here is different than in Hebrews 2:5, though some translations make them the same in the English by saying “the world to come.” Hebrews 2:5 speaks of the inhabited world; here it is speaking of a cycle of time, and thus an age. In the end, they both look forward to the same thing: a taste of which was given to the Hebrews at Pentecost, and which will also be the case after the rapture of the church, and during and after the tribulation period. There will be notable gifts of the Spirit then as there was at the beginning.

Charles Ellicott states, they “were as truly anticipations of a future age of glory as was the ‘heavenly gift’ an anticipation of the ‘heavenly fatherland.’” These Hebrews had experienced these “powers of the age to come.” These powers most especially indicate the promised time when Jesus will return to rule the nations and “He will rule them with an iron scepter…” (Revelation 2:27).

The Jewish people had seen or heard of this power demonstrated in the resurrection – the very proof that Jesus is God. These points would have been made known to those who received this letter – that Jesus both fulfilled the role of Messiah and would return again in that capacity at some point in the future. To have an understanding of these wonderful tenets and then to reject them for an inferior system would not only make no sense, but it would also show a complete lack of faith in God’s provision which came in the Person and work of Jesus.

Life application: What proofs would make you believe the good news of Jesus Christ? Paul says in 1 Corinthians that “Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness.” The Jews were given many signs, and the Bible is filled with wisdom for anyone who is willing to search it out. However, of all of the documented signs, and of all of the wisdom found there, the reader is still left with one tenet which cannot be done without. That tenet is faith. The reader, or hearer, of the Bible must come to God in faith. Have you simply trusted the word of God and, by faith, received Jesus? This is what God would ask of you. Have faith, believe, and be saved!

Glorious God Almighty, it is remarkable that Jesus claims to be the only way to be reconciled to You. But what is even more incredible is that You have allowed any way at all to be reconciled to You. How marvelous is Your gift of Jesus Christ our Lord. Praise be to You in the highest, O God, for our Lord Jesus. Amen.

Wednesday, 24 October 2018

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,  Hebrews 6:4

To understand what is stated here, the context must be considered. The letter is written to Hebrew Christians, not to the Gentile-led church. The letters of Paul which are prescriptive for the dispensation of grace are found from Romans to Philemon. Secondly, the temple was standing at the time of the letter to the Hebrews as can be determined from other verses within the letter. Thirdly, the layout of the Bible reveals that by placing Hebrews where it is, it is actually specifically directed to the Hebrews of the end-times, after the church age. The letters of Hebrews, James, and Peter all come after Paul’s letters, and are all specifically directed to end times Jews. The study is long, but when seen laid out, it does become clear. With this understanding, the words of this verse are not directed to the Gentile-led church age, nor to individual salvation. Paul’s letters clearly and definitively show that one cannot lose their salvation. As nothing in Scripture contradicts another passage, then the context must be understood to show what is being relayed. With this knowledge at hand, the words can then be properly evaluated.

“For it is impossible.” The words themselves call to mind the words of Jesus in Matthew 19:26, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” However, some things are, in fact, impossible with God. He cannot violate one of His own attributes. He is righteous and He cannot, therefore, commit unrighteousness. Such is the case with all of His attributes. What Jesus was referring to were things which are not logically or morally impossible for God. Such is the case with spiritual matters like salvation. Man cannot save himself through his own merits, but man can be saved through the merits of Christ.

“…for those.” The words are not in the singular, but are rather in the plural, “those.” This will continue throughout the next three verses. It is speaking about a collective whole.

“…who were once enlightened.” This is a metaphor which is used in Hebrews 10:32 where it is again in the plural. There it applies in a general manner to all who are addressed. Here it is speaking of a certain group who have been enlightened. From this, the words will explain what that enlightenment means.

“…and having tasted.” To “taste” something in Scripture is to experience or understand that thing. In Hebrews 2:9, Jesus “tasted” death for everyone. He experienced death, but it was also something that was, at least in the case of believers, something that could be tasted vicariously. Some will never taste death because He died on our behalf (see 1 Thessalonians 4:17).

“…the heavenly gift.” There is a parallelism with the words here, and the words of chapter 2. In verse 3, it speaks of salvation (tasted); and in verse 4, it speaks of gifts of the Holy Spirit (the heavenly gift). The heavenly gifts, those of the Holy Spirit, are the proof of salvation. These were imparted to the Jews of Acts 2. In verse 2:38, Peter, while speaking to the Jews of Israel (not the Gentile-led church) promised that they would likewise receive the gift of the Holy Spirit by repenting and being baptized in the name of Jesus. This is something that occurred differently (in order and in requirement) in Acts 8 with the Samaritans, and in Acts 10 with the Gentiles in Caesarea. The author of Hebrews is writing to this same group of people, the Hebrews, to instruct them in how to properly understand what reception of this gift then means to them as a collective group.

“…and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit.” They (the collective whole, but not necessarily every one of them) tasted of the gifts of the Spirit because they had partaken of the Holy Spirit. Those who so tasted can only mean true believers. When we partake of something, we participate in that thing. The Holy Spirit is the Gift, and the Gift itself is what bears the heavenly quality.

This is the state of things so far in the first of these three rather complicated verses. “Those who have tasted the heavenly gift” are those who have understood the message which they heard – whether they collectively accepted it or not. They have, in their mind, all the knowledge sufficient to be saved through the work of Jesus Christ. Theirs is no longer a problem with comprehending the message, but the collective heart hasn’t been touched – something which must occur.

Those “who have shared in the Holy Spirit” are those who have seen the effective power of God displayed in the lives of the converted among them. They may have personally witnessed the miracles and power of Jesus and/or the apostles, or they may have seen the power of the Holy Spirit demonstrated in the conversion of another – they “have shared in” this experience. This does not necessarily mean that all of those in this collective have received the Holy Spirit personally.

Life application: When reading the Bible, it is good to pay attention to the context. Who is being addressed? Under what circumstances are the words being written? Are the words speaking about individuals or a group of people? Does the verse stand alone, or is it a part of a greater whole? Keeping things in context is a great way of keeping you from forming a pretext. Stop, think, read commentaries by sound theologians, and ask the Lord to direct you as you consider what is being said.

Heavenly Father, how wonderful it is to have shared in the gift of the Holy Spirit. By faith in Christ, and what He has done, we are granted Him as the guarantee of our redemption. In You, a guarantee is more than just words. It is an absolute assurance that will never be walked back on. Thank You for the surety we possess, even when we fall short in our walk toward glory. Amen.