Hebrews (written)

Monday, 17 September 2018

For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Hebrews 3:16

The author now asks a question based on the words of the psalm that he just cited. Those words implored his Hebrew audience, that if they hear the voice of the Lord, to not harden their hearts as they did in the rebellion, meaning the time in the wilderness. It is based on the idea of it being Today. Obviously, he is telling them that Today is the Day. The voice of the Lord is calling. If, in fact, they hear, they need to respond differently than those who the psalm speaks of.

Now he asks “For who, having heard, rebelled?” It is an obvious question that requires an answer from the audience – both individually and collectively. Why is this so? Because he then answers the question for them, saying, “Indeed, was it not all.” He speaks of the entire congregation as a whole, not merely as individuals. It is already known that Joshua and Caleb did not harden their hearts, and they both entered Canaan. Further, Moses appeared with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, clearly showing that he is a saved person. Thus, this cannot be speaking of salvation, but of entering God’s rest as a group of people.

With this understanding, we can see the error of the KJV which makes this verse a statement rather than a question, by translating this passage as, “For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.” It would be utter nonsense to say, “For some,” when speaking of over six hundred thousand men (plus their families) when only two adults entered into Canaan. Further, it is shown, quite clearly, that Joshua and Caleb did not enter the promised rest because the passage is speaking of the collective whole (see verse 4:8), not individuals. Rather than a statement, the Greek forms a question – “For who, having heard, rebelled?” This is confirmed then by the word “all” in the next clause.

The entire congregation (all) are “who came out of Egypt.” The author is clearly speaking of the collective whole that was led by Moses. Again, as stated in previous verses, the entire passage is taking the thought of the Hebrew people rebelling against the Lord, and thus not entering into His rest. Any individual that believes in Christ will enter that rest (verse 4:3), but when the collective rebels, the rest is denied to it. This is why the psalmist again sets another day, calling it Today. Israel has a Day in which they must believe as a whole before they can, as a whole, enter God’s rest. Jesus said as much in Matthew 23 –

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! ³⁸ See! Your house is left to you desolate; ³⁹ for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” Matthew 23:37-39

After Jesus completed His work, were there Jews who believed? Obviously so. Acts testifies to this, and the author is one of them. Who is Jesus referring to then? He is referring to the collective whole as represented by their leaders who He calls “Jerusalem.” Jerusalem is the seat of power. The leaders in Jerusalem represent the whole, just as Moses represented the whole in the wilderness.

Life application: These verses are completely misunderstood because 1) the audience is not properly identified. It is the Hebrew people who are being spoken to. And, 2) the audience is taken as individuals, when in fact it is speaking to the whole about a matter which affects the whole. God has promised rest to His people (of whom the Gentiles are included). However, that rest for Israel is yet ahead for them as a people. Individuals enter God’s rest through belief, but the nation of Israel also enters into that rest as a whole through belief. It is the latter which is being referred to now.

Heavenly Father, Your word tells us that for those who trust in Christ, a state of rest is entered into. The work of God is to believe in the One You have sent, Jesus. He is our rest, and He has accomplished the work which grants us that state. All You ask us to do is to believe. What a gift! May many come to understand that the work is complete and that the rest is assured, all because of faith in Jesus. Thank You for what You have done through Him! Amen.

Sunday, 16 September 2018

…while it is said:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” Hebrews 3:15

It can be seen from these words that verse 14 is actually a parenthetical and explanatory thought. Taken together and placing parenthesis around it will show this –

“…but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (¹⁴ For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,) ¹⁵ while it is said:

‘Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.’”

The author again cites Psalm 95, and his focus is once again on “Today.” The call is made, and it is one which requires a response. Through the psalmist, the Lord is looking back to the events of the past and showing what the results of the hardening of the heart through unbelief will be. He then sets a new day, based on those words, calling it Today. On that day, whatever day it is, and even unto the consummation of the event, the onus is on those appealed to, meaning the Hebrews, to not harden their hearts.

The Lord spoke to Israel and they rebelled, temping and testing Him. Christ now speaks again Today. The gospel has been proclaimed, and it must be responded to in order for Israel to enter their rest. Again, this is not to be applied individually. The words “you” and “your” are plural. It is true that salvation is something that occurs to individuals, and each who is saved is assured God’s rest, but that is not what is being spoken of here. Rather, it is speaking not of an individual rest, but of corporate rest for Israel.

This is certain because of verse 4:3 which speaks of those who have believed as entering into their rest. Each individual is a part of the whole. Out of all of the people who were 20 and above who came out of Egypt, who was it that entered Canaan? Only Joshua and Caleb. But even those who were younger, and who went in with them, did not enter God’s rest. This will be explained in Chapter 4 as well.

Life application: Chapter 4 will speak of the seventh day after creation, the day of God’s rest. This is the day which is anticipated for God’s people, a time of rest from their labors. It is a time where the ideal of Eden is realized. That ideal is man living in harmony with the Lord. For those who are looking forward to that, there is one way for it to come about, which is by faith. The unbeliever will have no part of God’s rest. What happened to Israel in the wilderness was given as a warning to people now. Believe God, and enter His rest. As God’s provision is in Christ, then we are to believe in Christ. In that belief, we enter God’s rest. When Israel believes in this provision, they will enter into the millennium, the seventh day of rest.

Lord God, Your word says that at some point, Christ will return and set up a thousand-year kingdom on earth; but before that day comes, there will be times of immense disaster and cataclysmic destruction on earth. This self-inflicted wound will come because we – as a species – simply fail to believe. For those who have trusted Christ, the promises of salvation are assured. For those who have not, bad times lie ahead. Help us to get this word out so that many may believe and be saved. Amen.

Saturday, 15 September 2018

For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, Hebrews 3:14

The words here have a similar ring to the words of verse 3:6. Both are in the plural (we), both include the conditional “if,” and both speak of “the end.” Putting them side by side will show this –

3:6 – but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

3:14 – For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 

Understanding this, we see that verse 3:14, like verse 3:6, is not a verse which speaks of an individual possessing and keeping his salvation. The words speak of the collective body being 1) Christ’s house, and 2) partakers of Christ.

“For we have become” are words directed to the Hebrew audience. “For” is given to explain what was just said about exhorting one another lest there be a hardening of one of the group. “We have become” asserts a fact. There was a point at which they had gone from one state to another. The tense is perfect, the mood is indicative, the voice is active – “We are become.” The audience has “become partakers of Christ.”

As the author is speaking to the Hebrews, he is making the statement that the Jewish people have become partakers with Christ. The word “partakers” signifies companionship and sharing in something. There is a partnership which has been enjoined through the union. It is the same word given in verse 3:1 which says, “partakers of the heavenly calling.”

They are included in all of the rights and benefits which are granted to the Messiah, which He bestows upon them as His people. This is the same as the group who were brought out of Egypt. They had become the people destined for entrance into Canaan. However, because of the failure of the people through unbelief, that right was taken from them and another generation took their place. The same is true with the Hebrew audience here. They had become partakers with Christ. Everything that was promised to them would be granted to them. However, there is a caveat. The author goes on to say, “if we hold the beginning of our confidence.”

Indeed, it is a conditional thought – “We have become… if.” This is speaking to the whole, just as it did of those who were in the wilderness. If there was not a collective positive response, there would not be a granting of the benefit. The Cambridge commentary notes that the word “beginning” here “does not here imply anything inchoate or imperfect, but is merely in contrast with ‘end.’” The Pulpit Commentary then explains the thought with, “Go on as you began.” The Hebrews had been selected, Messiah had come, they carried the ball from there. If this confidence continued, they would indeed be and remain “partakers of Christ.”

The Greek word translated as “confidence” here is not the same as in verse 3:6. There, it was a boldness; here, it is an assurance. It is that which gives substance to something, as if in a guarantee. Understanding this, the author finishes up his thought. The Hebrews were to hold fast to their confidence (their assurance) “steadfast to the end.” Like in verse 3:6, the word “end” here is telos. This is not speaking of the end of life, as if in a termination. It is “the point into which the whole life of faith finally gathers itself up” (Vincent’s Word Studies).

Thus, this is speaking not of an individual faith which must be maintained, but the collective faith being expressed by the audience. One cannot hold fast to something when he is dead; only the collective can. There is no “individual” reference being made here. Rather, it is the Hebrew people who are being addressed as a community who are being instructed on entering God’s rest. And his focal point for this state is the awesome day known as “Today.” Again, as after 3:6, the author will provide an example of the collective loss of a right when he speaks of the group of people who were denied entry into Canaan, meaning the “rest” which was promised to them.

As before, this is not speaking of individual salvation, but a state which belongs to the whole. The question is, did the Hebrew audience of this epistle hold fast to the confidence in a manner which was “steadfast to the end”? No! Israel as a whole failed to do so, and the church went from Jewish-led, to Gentile-led. They did not, as a group, remain partakers of Christ.

However, as has been noted before, the letter to the Hebrews is placed after the Gentile-led church-age epistles. It is a clue tied to the dispensational model. Israel was set aside, the Gentiles assumed control, but Israel will again be the focus of God’s attention. Because of this, there is yet hope for them! After the removal of the church, the attention will again be directed towards Israel. At that point, the words here will also again apply to them. If they meet the conditional “if” of these verses, they will enter their rest, meaning the millennium. The book is written, and it shows that they will, in fact, do so. Until then, there is individual salvation, but Israel as a whole is not yet again included in what is stated here concerning Today.

Life application: Though the doctrinal truths of the book of Hebrews apply to whoever is reading it, there is an intended audience to whom the author is specifically speaking – the Hebrew people. Ripping them out of the context, and then shoving the Gentile-led church into these verses, does a disservice to what is being said. It also leads to misdirected theology and people who believe they can lose their salvation. This is not the intent of what is being alluded to here.

Lord God, help us to keep our interpretation of biblical passages in their intended context. In doing so, we will be sound in our theology, able to answer questions properly, and we will certainly avoid perceived contradictions which otherwise arise. Above all, help us to not make the error that the church has replaced Israel. If we can get this one precept right, everything else rightly and logically finds its place. Help us to remember this! Amen.

Friday, 14 September 2018

…but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:13

The word “but” is given as a contrast to what was just said. The author spoke of any one of the congregation as having an “evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.” In order to keep that from occurring, he offers sound and practical advice, which is to “exhort one another daily.” The word “exhort” here means to build up and encourage one another, to give comfort, and to console. The theme is found throughout the writings of Paul, such as in 1 Thessalonians 4:18. There he says to “comfort one another.”

The idea here is to not be like those in the wilderness, and to grumble and complain about how bad their situation was, and how much better it was before He brought them out of Egypt. It was as if God had made a mistake by bringing them out, and He became the object of their blame. If such a root of bitterness were to arise, others were to encourage him in an attempt to quell the bitterness. From there, he says, “while it is called ‘Today.’” A literal rendering of the Greek would be, “as long as the Today is proclaimed.” The word “Today” is prefixed by a definite article, setting it off as a particular moment in time.

The thought brings the reader back to verse 3:7 which said, “Today if you will hear His voice.” There was a day when the voice of God was heard. It was disregarded, and so God, through the Psalmist, said again, “Today if you will hear His voice.” The author of Hebrews, citing this many, many centuries later again says, “Today if you will hear His voice,” and he tells them that daily the Today is proclaimed. But the word “while” indicates that it is a set time. Someday, the Today will be gone. Today is the day. It is a day when God’s voice can be heard, and it is a day when salvation can be found. It is reflective of Paul’s words of 2 Corinthians 6 –

“We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ² For He says:
‘In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.’
Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:1, 2

Grace is offered Today. It is Today then that the reader is to exhort one another concerning this offering, as the author then says, “lest any of you be hardened.” The word “you” is in the emphatic position which is intended to contrast the reader of Hebrews with the fathers. He is specific that what happened to them should not be repeated. The hardening he refers to is what was stated in verse 3:8 – “Do not harden your hearts.” He will continue to explain this, and then he will restate it again in verse 3:14. It is obvious that he fully expects this possibility to arise, because there has already been the example set in Israel during the wilderness wanderings. The hardening happened, and it was “through the deceitfulness of sin.”

In the Greek, there is an article before “sin.” It is “through the deceitfulness of the sin.” Here, sin is personified. It is as a living force that creeps in and steals away the softened heart, causing it to harden. The specific sin spoken of is that of the previous verse, unbelief. The Hebrew audience is asked to encourage one another, and to do so while it is “Today,” because there may be those who simply refuse to believe. The deceitful enemy is there before them, and they must ensure it is challenged until a state of belief exists. If they believe, they will enter God’s rest (verse 4:3), if they fail to believe, they will not (verse 3:19).

Life application: For the believer in Christ, we are sealed with God’s Holy Spirit as a guarantee of the eternal life which is promised. But that only comes through belief. Apart from belief in the finished work of Christ, there is nothing we can do, and there is nothing we can give to God, which will bring us to salvation. The author is building his argument for his Jewish audience, preparing them for the decision. Will they choose Christ, or will they go back to temple worship? Though Hebrews was written to the first century Jews, while the temple was still standing, its placement in Scripture shows that the words are directed to the Jews of the end times, when there will be another temple standing. What path will they choose? The author exhorts them to not be caught up in the deceitfulness of the sin of returning to the temple service.

Heavenly Father, You have placed the sun and the moon in their orbits, and You have dug out the pits of the oceans. Birds fly through the expanse of the sky, and monkeys swing in the trees. Everything has a place, and all things work according to Your purposes. Why does such obvious wisdom fail to spark the mind of man? Why do we turn from it and say it was all just time and chance? Lord, help us to understand Your presence, and to acknowledge You for Your acts of glory. Great are You, O God, and greatly are You to be praised. Amen.

Thursday, 13 September 2018

Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; Hebrews 3:12

The words of this verse now resume the “Therefore” of verse 3:7. Everything since then has been parenthetical – “Therefore…Beware, brethren…” Understanding this, the word “Beware” is given as a warning based on what came before the “Therefore.” In verse 3:6 it says, “whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.” Now, as a warning concerning that, he warns his audience to beware, and then says, “brethren.” He is speaking to his Jewish audience who are in the same situation as were the Hebrews of old. It is they who were referred to in the examples provided from Psalm 95.

The principle of unbelief has been exactingly established. They saw the great and awesome works of God, and they still turned their heart from him in unbelief. The author knows the past, and he is warning so that the pattern will not be repeated in those he is writing to. However, he then says, “lest there be.” The words are in the indicative mood signifying that it is not merely possible that it could happen, but that there is a reason for thinking it will be so. If the past is a good judge of what will happen again, then it seems such will be the case.

From there he says, “in any of you.” In these words, he is not only appealing to the group, but also individually. There is the group who is to be watchful, but there is the need to look at each person within the group and ensure that they not fall into unbelief. If it appears this is the case, then they are to take the advice that will be provided in the coming verse. For now, the “any of you” is speaking of having “an evil heart of unbelief.”

One can see the words of verse 3:8 being repeated here. There it said, “Do not harden your hearts.” Now that is being repeated to the audience. In essence, he is saying, “lest there be in any of you – as will most likely be the case based on past experience – an evil heart of unbelief.” And why would he assume that? It is because of what followed in verse 3:10, “They always go astray in their heart.” Instead of accepting that God is in control, relying on His provision, and remaining faithful, they departed from him. Their hearts were evil, and they lacked faith that He would, in fact, fulfill His words to them.

In their unbelief, their heart was considered evil because it led them to depart “from the living God.” The living God is now set apart from all other gods which are mere lifeless idols. He is alive, and thus He is aware. As He is aware, He knows of the needs of His people, and He will provide according to the promises He has made to them. Not one of them shall fail. However, if their heart is one of unbelief, as the living God, He is not unaware of their turning. In such a case, He will bring judgment on them, just as He has done in the past.

What needs to now be understood is that “the living God” is being equated to “Christ as a Son over His own house” of verse 3:6. The turning away from the Lord in the Old Covenant is equated to turning away from Christ in the New. To do this is to leave oneself exposed to the same wrath of God that befell those who tested and tried the Lord in the past.

Again, it needs to be considered what is being spoken of concerning God’s rest. Moses was not allowed to enter Canaan because of the sin of unbelief in striking instead of speaking to the rock. And yet we know that Moses is a saved person. The “rest” then was something that was anticipated in Canaan, and it is based on Creation (God rested on the seventh day). This needs to be remembered to understand what is coming in the verses ahead, especially as the author moves into the next chapter.

Life application: Faith is what God looks for in His faithless creatures. He asks His people to believe His promises, and to hold fast to them. We cannot expect anything beyond what He has promised though. For example, God has promised His people heaven where all things will be made new, including no more pain. But this is not heaven. We cannot expect to live in this current life free of pain. Our faith is to look forward to the promises while enduring the present which may be lacking what is only to be realized in the future.

Heavenly Father, help us not to question Your goodness as we face pains, tears, and loss. You have promised a day ahead when such things will be behind us. But that day is not yet here. Until then, we will experience all kinds of temptations and trials. And so help us to look in faith to that more perfect time, and to endure this current life without losing heart in Your sure promises. They will come to pass. Until then, help us to remain strong in our faith. Amen.