Daily Writing

Thursday, 30 August 2018

For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Hebrews 2:16

“For” is given to build upon what has been stated. The author has been speaking of the bondage and fear of death that men face and how Christ came, partaking in our same nature in order to free us from this bondage. Understanding this, he continues with “…indeed He does not give aid to the angels.”

Angels do not die; they are aeviternal beings. This means they have a beginning but no end. They are also not redeemable. They are either angels which serve in God’s heavenly hosts, or they are fallen and will be cast into the Lake of Fire for all eternity (see Matthew 25:41). No aid is given to angels because of this. However, man can be redeemed, and so Christ came in order to “take hold of” him (as the Greek reads) and to lead him by the hand to freedom from bondage. The word used is essentially a metaphor signifying rescue from peril. For the Lord to take hold of someone means exactly this, and this is what Christ came to do.

After this, he then says, “but he does give aid to the seed of Abraham.” As first, it seems curious that he says this, rather than “to the seed of Adam.” However, there are several reasons for using Abraham. The first is obvious, based on who is being addressed in this epistle – the Hebrews. Jesus entered into humanity through the line of the Hebrew people. Abraham was the first noted as a Hebrew in Genesis 14:13. He is also considered the father of their faith. The author is not excluding Gentiles here, but rather is identifying Christ with the people of faith as the psalmist does in Psalm 105:6 –

“O seed of Abraham His servant,
You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!”

In the Song of Mary in Luke 1:55, the same idea is expressed there. Mary was certainly only thinking of her people, Israel, when she said this. However, a father may have five children, loving them equally, but he may focus on one at a given time and another at a different time.

Secondly, though Paul uses the term “seed of Abraham” as indicating actual genealogy back to Abraham in Romans and 2 Corinthians, he also uses it as a genealogy established by faith in Galatians 3:26-29 –

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Thus, despite certainly talking about a literal genealogy back to Abraham here (as Matthew does in his genealogical record of Matthew 1), the author is not excluding the possibility of those not of the literal genealogy of Abraham from being included. Though it is not the intent of his words now, and it would be out of place to address all who are of the faith of Abraham (meaning Jew and Gentile) as being the seed of Abraham, it is still true that Abraham descended from someone who was not a Hebrew. He was further promised to be the father of many nations (Genesis 17:4). And so despite addressing the Hebrew people specifically, and making a point about helping them, Scripture also shows that the help provided to them implicitly (and even explicitly at times) applies to all who are willing to come to God through faith in Jesus.

Life application: It is important to remember who is being addressed in a particular book, or even a section of a book. Paul addresses the Jews at times in the book of Romans, and then he addresses Gentiles at other times. In Hebrews, the addressee is the Hebrew people, and it is from this perspective that the letter is being written. However, this does not negate inclusion of the Gentiles in what is being said. We need to be careful to ensure that what is said to the main addressee is understood, but we can also determine when Gentiles are included in the address – or at least when they are not excluded from the truth which is presented.

What a marvelous story of love and attention is found in Your word, O God. You have looked upon the people of the world and determined that we are worth saving, if we will just come to You on Your terms. We are to come not by deeds of our doing, but by faith in what You have done. By simple belief, confessing Jesus as Lord and believing that You raised Him from the dead, we have peace with You. How simple, and yet how difficult! Help us to put aside our pride and to trust only in what You have done. Amen.

Wednesday, 29 August 2018

…and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Hebrews 2:15

This verse is a part of a whole thought which started in verse 14. Together they say –

“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵ and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”

As is seen then, the author notes in the immediate context that the purpose of Christ taking on human flesh had two aspects to it, one following after the other. First, it was to make void (note commentary on previous verse) the power of the effective working of the devil. In accomplishing this, it would then “release those.” The word translated as “release” is a rare one, having been seen only once in Luke and once in Acts. This is its third and final use. It gives the sense of delivery or removal. Next, he identifies the previous state of those who have been released. It was those who had a “fear of death.”

What he is conveying is that humanity has always been afraid of death. We may ignore it, we may forcibly push it out of our minds, we may deny it, but the lingering fear of death is always there. And this fear is not only for ourselves, but it is also there for those we love. Further, the fear is there in various degrees, such as that of a long, painful, and lingering death. The reasons for fearing death are many. It means the end of the things we enjoy. It normally includes pain. It means that the body we have cared for and cherished will corrupt, putrefy, and breakdown. It means entering either into oblivion or into the presence of God. Either way, it means something completely different than that which we can now associate with. For these and other reasons, humans have a fear of death throughout “all their lifetime.”

From our earliest days, and throughout our entire lives, we are subject to this fear. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown goes so far as to say of this state that “Such a life can hardly be called life.” Man who is destined for death does not have true life. Our existence is vanity personified. The book of Ecclesiastes deals with this minutely.

The author then explains what this fear of death throughout our lives mean. He says by it we are “subject to bondage.” The Greek reads more literally, “subjects of bondage.” In other words, we are not simply liable to slavery, but rather we are completely captivated by it. This is the type of bondage we are in, a bondage which is completely captive to death. It guides everything we do in a very real sense. We look where we walk, we watch what we eat, we avoid certain places, and so on. Though it may not be at the forefront of our minds, it is always there in us because we are captive to it. But this is what Christ came to free us from. It is explained by Paul in Romans. First, it is a freedom from death itself; a granting of eternal life. Secondly, it is a freedom from fear of death, because death has no power over us (see 1 Corinthians 15:50-58).

Death is considered an entity. It is not the simple act of dying, but the fear which accompanies it, which is removed. This is how Paul states it in Romans –

“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” Romans 8:15-17

Life application: Unless the rapture comes and we are immediately translated to glory, we are all going to die physically. However, the death that we will face does not stand in victory over us. Instead, we stand in victory over it. Even in the act of physical death, we triumph. With our very last breath, we can still raise our hands to the Lord and cry out, “Victory!” Christ has prevailed; our physical death is merely a step into the eternal life He has secured for us.

Heavenly Father, life is one of bondage to the fear of death. It is an all-consuming and lifelong type of slavery. But in Christ, the bonds are broken and we are set free. We have victory over the foe, and we have the absolute assurance of life which is full, glorious, and eternal. Thank God for Jesus who has broken through and gone ahead of us, showing us the way back to You! Thank You, O God, for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tuesday, 28 August 2018

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, Hebrews 2:14

The words, “Inasmuch then,” take us back to take us back to verses 9 & 10. This becomes clear by the next words, “as the children have partaken of flesh and blood.” As already noted, Jesus became incarnate that he “might taste death for everyone.” The author builds upon that thought here. He notes that He did this thing, having “partaken of flesh and blood…” The Greek is reversed here. It actually reads “blood and flesh” as it is also found in Ephesians 6:12.

The life is in the blood, and thus without the blood, there would be no movement of the flesh. A war is being waged against man which necessitated Christ to come as a Man just as we are. Blood ran through His body and He walked among us as He waged His battle against the forces of evil. This is evidenced by the words, “He Himself likewise shared in the same.” John, right at the beginning of His gospel, stressed this point. In John 1:14, he said, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” He begins his first epistle with that same thought in 1 John 1:1-3.

The author continues next by saying that Jesus Christ came and shared in our humanity so “that through death…” The implication here is that Jesus Christ ultimately came to die. The author has already stressed that He “might taste death for everyone” (verse 1:10). He now says that the sharing in humanity looked to his death as the goal. It was not a mistake or something that merely might have taken place if needed, but that His death was the necessary and logical outcome of having come. It had to occur in order to accomplish that which needed to be done. As God cannot die, the incarnation was necessary. But even more, an angel could not be sent to accomplish this either, because angels cannot die either. They are spirit beings. They have a beginning, but no end. Only in the incarnation could what needed to be done actually come about. And this was that “He might destroy him who had the power of death.”

The wording is incorrect. It should say something like, “He might make ineffective, him who had the power of death.” The devil is not now destroyed, nor will he ever be. He won’t be removed from the scene until the time of the millennium (Revelation 20:3), and he won’t be cast into the Lake of Fire until after the millennium (Revelation 20:10). Even in the Lake of Fire, he will not be destroyed, but will continue on in eternal punishment. However, his power has been brought to nothing for the redeemed of the Lord. It is the devil who has “the power of death.” In dying, Christ was able to render that power ineffective. As He said at the grave of Lazarus –

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. ²⁶ And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.” John 11:25, 26

He was not speaking of physical death so much as spiritual death, which is separation from God. It is spiritual death that man experienced at the fall, and which has been inherited by all humans since then. Once a person believes in the work of Christ, they move from death to life. They can never again “die” meaning be separated from God. Christ’s physical death was necessary for this spiritual (and eternal) life to come about in men.

The author finishes up the verse with the thought that it is “the devil” who holds the power of death. Albert Barnes most eloquently explains the universality of the power of the devil –

“The palace cannot exclude him; and he comes unbidden into the cottage. He finds his way to the dwelling of ice in which the Esquimaux and the Greenlander live; to the tent of the Bedouin Arab, and the wandering Tartar; to the wigwam of the Indian, and to the harem of the Turk; to the splendid mansion of the rich, as well as to the abode of the poor. That reign of death has now extended near 6,000 years, and will travel on to future times – meeting each generation, and consigning the young, the vigorous, the lovely, and the pure, to dust. Shall that gloomy reign continue forever? Is there no way to arrest it? Is there no place where death can be excluded? Yes: heaven – and the object of the Redeemer is to bring us there.”

The devil possessed absolute power over death, and death came to all. Therefore, it was necessary that Jesus Christ should come and die for us. In doing so, He has broken the bonds of death, and He has released us from its terrifying power. This is the love of God, and the power of that love, as is found in Jesus Christ the Lord.

Life application: Who else has died for mankind that he might be redeemed from the power of death? None have done so because all were already consigned to the same fate. But God in Christ was not. Instead, He voluntarily gave up His life to free us from death. How should we respond to this fact? By hiding it away? By remaining timid about “offending?” By being callous towards those who still face the sad end we have been delivered from? By no means! We are to open our mouths and speak. Once physical death has overcome the spiritually dead soul, it will remain that way forever. Let us not ignore that horrifying possibility in our fellow man.

Lord God, Christ came to share in our humanity in order to render the power of the devil ineffective. Apart from Jesus, that evil serpent has full power over the fate of all men. But Christ has overcome! He has prevailed! And through Him, we are born again to new and eternal life. May we never remain silent about the truth of Jesus Christ. Apart from Him, all men will remain eternally separated from You. But in Him, we are united forever. Help us to be bold in our words of restoration and life as we speak out about Jesus. Amen.

Monday, 27 August 2018

And again:
“I will put My trust in Him.”
And again:
“Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.” Hebrews 2:13

The two clauses of this verse are probably both taken from Isaiah 8. The first one is similar to words spoken in 2 Samuel 22:3 and Isaiah 12:2, but as they are both cited in Isaiah 8, it is that passage which is probably on the author’s mind. He has simply quoted Isaiah 8:17 & 18 –

“And I will wait on the Lord,
Who hides His face from the house of Jacob;
And I will hope in Him.
¹⁸ Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me!
We are for signs and wonders in Israel
From the Lord of hosts,
Who dwells in Mount Zion.”

As can be seen, the surrounding words are messianic in nature, looking forward to His coming. The author clearly understood this, seeing Jesus as their fulfillment and applying the words to Him and to what is realized in His New Covenant. They are both to be taken as Jesus speaking about God, just as in the previous verse. Jesus has put His trust “in Him” meaning the Lord. As was seen in verse 1:13, this in no way diminishes the deity of Christ, it simply refers to Jesus’ who is both God and man. The citation in verse 1:13 was from Psalm 110 where the LORD (meaning Yehovah) was speaking to Adonai (“my Lord,” also meaning Yehovah). One was referring to God the Father and the other was referring to God the Son.

In both clauses of this verse from Hebrews, the words “And again” are used. Thus both are building on the same concept previously laid out, that of brotherhood. Understanding this, he first says, “I will put My trust in Him.” Jesus has put His trust in God; those who follow Jesus have put their trust in God. In this, the brotherhood is established because all are trusting the same heavenly Father. Christ trusted Him in the completion of His work; we trust in Him through the completion of Christ’s work. And so, the fraternal relationship is strengthened because the object of the trust is the same in both.

One can think of two sons stuck in a pit. The first is brought out directly by the father. In the case of the second, the father says, “I am going to get you out of this,” but the second son is in a deeper part of the pit, and so he uses his first son in the process of getting the second son out. Without the work of the first son, the second would never be retrieved, but both are saved. Both sons have trusted their father, and both have a common bond which unites them more firmly than ever before. This is the idea of the first clause.

The author then continues on with, “Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.” The original intent of the words in Isaiah is that Isaiah and his sons had become as signs and wonders to Israel. Isaiah means, “Salvation of the Lord.” He is typical of Christ. His sons are Maher-shalal-hash-baz which means, “Speed the spoil, hastens the prey,” and Shear-jashub which means, “A remnant shall return.” The Lord would judge Israel by hiding His face from them (Isiah 8:17), but a portion of them would be saved. Those whom He calls “brethren” are those who have trusted God’s work in Christ. This is why Isaiah and his sons are used. Their names were equivalent to what God would do to Israel. Thus, the three of them are as “signs and wonders” to the people.

Jesus is God’s Son. The “brethren” are children in relation to God because He has adopted them in Christ. However, they are also “the children whom God has given Me.” They are 1) sons of God; 2) sons of Christ who is the Lord, and 3) they are uniquely Christ’s brethren as well. This is why Christ is “not ashamed to call them brethren” (verse 2:11).

The key to understanding the entire passage as outlined so far is that Christ is both the Son of God, and that He is God. It is the deity of Christ that is on display here. Thus, He is “greater than the angels.” The author will continue to develop this in the verses ahead.

As a final thought, please continue to consider the context. The book is specifically written to the Hebrews. It is they who are being spoken to. Though the Gentiles are also sons of God through faith in Christ, it is important to continue to remember who is ultimately addressed in this book.

Life application: A cursory reading of these verses is enough to give a person the general idea of son-ship, brotherhood, and etc. However, a detailed study of them is really necessary to see the majesty of what God has done for us through the work of Christ Jesus. Be patient, contemplate carefully, and ponder deeply the words of God. In this, you will always be blessed with a fuller understanding of the intent behind the surface words which may at first seem difficult to grasp.

Heavenly Father, we were in a pit of our own making, and yet You came to get us out of it. Jesus voluntarily came to go into the pit and rescue us from it, all the while He trusted in You to deliver Him so that He could then deliver us. Through Him, we are restored to You as sons, and He has called us His brothers. What an amazing story is revealed in Your word. We thank You, O God, for what You have done for us in, and through, Christ our Lord! Amen.

Sunday, 26 August 2018

…saying:
“I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.” Hebrews 2:12

The words of this verse are a citation from Psalm 22, a messianic psalm which exactingly describes Christ’s Passion. The time on the cross was a time where the Lord called out to His Father in anguish. Verse 21 then says, “You have answered Me.” Immediately after that come the words of verse 22 which are cited here.

The author has shown that through Christ’s suffering, He has brought “many sons to glory.” In the completion of His work, Christ (speaking to the Father) says, “I will declare Your name to My brethren.” The obvious intent is that Christ is speaking of those He has redeemed as His “brethren.” The focus of the author is on the fraternal relationship between Christ and those He has redeemed. Christ is the One through whom God has now spoken to us (see Hebrews 1:2). He declares God’s name to the world, and those who receive His word are His brethren, and thus children of God (see John 1:12).

The idea of declaring God’s name is one of making Him known. The name identifies and explains the Being. Therefore, the intent is that God in the Old Testament, partially concealed, is being revealed in a more perfect way in the New. God has progressively revealed Himself in human history; and in the coming of Christ Jesus, the more complete and perfect revelation of Himself to the world is seen. The Son is the declaration, and thus the revealing, of God.

“My brethren,” then, is in the first and in the greater sense, humanity. But it is, from the standpoint of the Psalm itself, specifically His people within humanity – meaning the Jews. Christ is the incarnate Word of God. In His humanity, He speaks to His brethren – meaning other humans, and at first to His own (see John 1:11). But as noted already, it is even more specifically applied to those who actually receive that word. This is seen in the words, “In the midst of the assembly.”

The word is ekklésia. It signifies a called out assembly. Israel is a called out assembly. Christ came to and through Israel. However, as John 1:11 & 1:12 (both referenced above) proclaim –

“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. ¹¹ He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. ¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” John 1:10-12

And so in this, we can infer from the author’s train of thought a “from the general to the specific.” 1) Christ is a Human; He came to humanity. 2) Christ is a Jew; He came to the Jews – a called out assembly. 3) Christ is the Redeemer; He came for those He redeemed – a specific called out assembly. As the author is writing to the Hebrews, he is specifically speaking to those of Israel who have received Christ. However, it is already understood from the writings of Paul that the idea of being a child of God is not limited to Jews, but to anyone – Jew or Gentile – who has received Him. It is in this ekklésia, or called out assembly, that it is said of Christ towards God, “I will sing praise to You.”

These words are quite often attributed by scholars to Jesus having sung a hymn with the disciples at the Last Supper. This is incorrect. The words cited from the psalm follow after the Passion, not before. Christ is the praise of God. Whether this means Christ is actually the one who sings praises to God, or that it is those “in Christ” who do (being united to Christ), the singing of God’s praise is what occurs after the suffering and among those who have been redeemed — who are His brethren. It is because of the completed work of Christ that this comes about.

Life application: Hebrews is written to… the Hebrews. The author is speaking of matters which pertain to them. However, the truths apply to any who have been redeemed by the Lord. Hebrews is an instruction manual on Christ’s work in fulfillment of the Jewish Scriptures, and must be taken in that light. And so first and foremost it is given to the Jews, just as Paul’s epistles are first and foremost written to the Gentiles. Both Jew and Gentile are included in their truths, but the audience of address is significant in understanding the full intent of what is said.

Gracious, glorious, and marvelous are You, O God! Help us to never hold back a word or song of praise to You. Whether we are in ease and comfort, or stress and distress, we are still able to praise. And the praise can only elevate our comfort or lower our distress. Either way, it is a win-win scenario when we offer to You the praises that You are due. Praises to You forever and ever, O God. Amen.