Hebrews (written)

Friday, 7 September 2018

…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. Hebrews 3:6

The author now contrasts Moses of the previous verse to Christ here. Moses was a servant “in all His house.” This is speaking of Moses serving in God’s house. In contrast to that is Christ who is “as a Son over His own house.” The translation is not good. The word “own” should not be supplied. The Greek reads, “over the house of Him.” The word “Him” is speaking of God. The rendering should be, “but Christ as a Son over His house.” “His” is speaking of God. And so, speaking of God’s house, we can see the contrast –

Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant
…but Christ as a Son over His house

As has already been stated, this in no way diminishes the deity of Christ. He is fully God and fully Man. However, Christ the Man is what is being highlighted here. The Son of God is over the house of God. And what is that house? The author continues with the answer by saying, “whose house we are.” The author speaks in the plural, including himself and all others who are the house. The true house of God consists of the people of God. It is our fixed condition. This is referred to by both Paul and Peter elsewhere –

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, ²² in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22

“Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, ⁵ you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:4, 5

As you can see, the term “we” is being applied to the house of God cumulatively. An individual is not the house of God, he is a “member” in it, a living stone. And so, after noting that the people of God are, in fact, the house of God, the author then says that this is so “if we hold fast.” Again, he speaks in the plural. It is speaking of the people of the house. This is a theme which the author uses in Hebrews in order to keep the audience strong in the faith that they profess.

He then continues with, “the confidence.” The word “confidence” is a compound word formed from pas, or “all,” and rhésis, or “speech.” Thus, it is “a proverb or statement quoted with resolve” (HELPS Word Studies). It then is a witness to something that deserves to be taken seriously. After this he adds in, “and the rejoicing.” The Greek word speaks of a boasting which focuses on the object of the boasting. If it is in the Lord, it is positive. If it is in self, it is negative.

The author then says, “of the hope.” The hope is the rest of God (verse 3:11) as the house of God. One cannot hope for what one does not anticipate. The hope of the house, meaning the people of God, is a belief that the promises of God for His house will be realized. Thus, the confidence and rejoicing are in this rest that has been granted to the people of God, and which has come through the work of Christ. This hope is what we (plural) are to possess “to the end.” We are not to allow our confidence to waiver, nor are we to allow our rejoicing to falter. They are the evidences of the salvation of the people of the house, and they are what mark each as a member of the house of God, over which is the Son.

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 hope being expressed by the audience. One cannot hold fast to something when they are dead; only the collective can. The author’s examples of this which lie ahead show that this is speaking of a whole group, not merely individuals striving for salvation.

This entire clause, “if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end,” is wrongly assumed to indicate one can lose his salvation, as if simply losing our confidence and rejoicing in the work of the Lord is sufficient to condemn us. Actually, the opposite is the case. It is saying that those (plural as indicated) who do have true faith, which is grounded in boasting and confidence, will keep that to the end, showing that they are God’s house (as it says, “whose house we are”). If it were not so, God would have no house, nor could He have one until the very end.

The words are similar to what Paul says in Colossians 1:23 where he says, “if indeed.” The idea is, “If, as I presume.” There is a needful warning for the people of God, but the author does not anticipate failure. Rather, he refuses such a notion.

To think of what is going on, we can look to Israel in their relationship with the Lord. The Lord has promised to maintain Israel forever as a people. However, Israel as a people has often lost its confidence and rejoicing in the Lord. Despite this, they are still the Lord’s, and He has faithfully preserved them. The same is true with each individual in Christ. The Lord will never reject Israel collectively, and He will never reject those individuals who have faith in Christ. He is asking that his audience maintain their confidence as a whole. Christ is over the house (of who we collectively are), and we are to retain the confidence and rejoicing in that unto the end. In the case of the immediate context, the author is writing to the Hebrew believers.

Although this is getting a bit ahead, to show that this is not speaking of a loss of salvation, the coming verses will speak of disobedience and rebellion which lead to not entering God’s rest (verse 3:18). However, verse 4:3 says, “For we who have believed do enter that rest.” Therefore, those who have believed have entered into God’s promise. The words here, and to come, are speaking of those who have not believed. This will be explained again as the verses continue.

Life application: If we accept the words of salvation as an axiom – that we are saved by grace through faith, and that we are sealed as a guarantee – then we should be confident in that and rejoice in that, together with all the people of God’s house. All who have accepted Christ are individuals who then collectively make up the house of God. The house exists, and so we are to be confident in that. Our individual failure to maintain this confidence will not negate the fact that the house exists.

Lord God, thank You for the assurance of salvation You have granted to those who have been saved by You through the work of Christ. And thank You that this salvation is guaranteed from that moment on. You have given us a deposit until the time of our redemption, the Holy Spirit. No fear here! Knowing that we are sealed, we can be confident in the hope we profess. What Your word says is truth. Thank You for this wonderful assurance. Amen.

Thursday, 6 September 2018

And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, Hebrews 3:5

This verse makes explicit that which was already inferred. Taken together, the previous verse and this one say –

“For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. ⁵ And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward.”

The word kai, or “and,” which begins verse 5 is given to continue developing the thought which has already been put forth, and which started in verse 3:2. The “house” referred to is the Old Covenant. The author is telling us that “Moses indeed was faithful.” Moses carefully executed his duties and responsibilities under the covenant which was given through him. But he is, in fact, only a servant of the house. He did not build it, nor was he the head of it. Throughout the law, it is constantly repeated, “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying…” The Lord built the house; Moses responded to the command of the Lord, executing his assigned duties as instructed.

The faithfulness of Moses is of high note, and he is thus honored for it, but that honor extends only to the execution of his duties and not to the planning of what was to be done by the Lord who prepared all things in advance. And those things that were planned by God, and then faithfully executed by Moses, were “for a testimony.”

The meaning of this is that they contained truths which would be revealed. A testimony speaks out about a matter. The Lord organized and prepared all things, and then He spoke to Moses who then recorded those things. This made the will of God known to the people. But which people are being referred to? The question is important to consider because the final words of the verse state that they would be a testimony “of those things which would be spoken afterward.” Note that the word “afterward” is italicized. It is thus inserted.

There are two views on what this means. One view is that it merely speaks of those things which pertained to the time when the law was given, and for the people of that dispensation. Hence, Moses received instruction, and he passed on to the people those instructions. His faithfulness was as a testimony of those things which would be spoken to him and for the people who would then receive it. As Albert Barnes states, “The sense is, Moses was a mere servant of God to communicate his will to man.”

The second view is that Moses’ faithfulness was a testimony to things spoken which were coming in a later dispensation. In other words, the Law was pointing forward to the Dispensation of Grace. Vincent’s Word Studies states, “The meaning is that Moses, in his entire ministry, was but a testimony to what was to be spoken in the future by another and a greater than he.” This view is supported by the fact that Deuteronomy 18:15, which speaks of a coming Prophet like Moses, was fulfilled in Christ, as is noted in Acts 3:22, 23.

As the participle is in the future sense, the second option is surely on the author’s mind. It is true that Moses was faithful as a servant, and his faithfulness was a testimony to the people who then received the word through him. That continued on throughout the dispensation of the law. However, the law itself only pointed to Christ. It pointed to Him explicitly in passages such as Deuteronomy 18:15; it pointed to Him implicitly in countless types and shadows; and it pointed to him by revealing truths which the law failed to resolve, as is explained in minute detail by Paul in Galatians 3.

The law which was received by Moses anticipated something better. Moses was faithful as a servant under the law which was given (built) by the Lord. The New Covenant is that better thing which the law anticipated, and the same Lord (Christ Jesus) is the builder of that New Covenant. In this, the supremacy of Christ over Moses is seen; and in this, the supremacy of the New Covenant over the Old is also seen.

The author of Hebrews is carefully leading his Hebrew audience to an understanding that the law is not an end in and of itself. Instead, it, and its servant Moses, both looked forward to the New Covenant. A new dispensation, built on better promises, would come from the Builder of all things.

Life application: The law pointed to Christ Jesus. In the coming of Christ Jesus, the law is annulled. As this is true, why would anyone want to go back under the law? The end-purpose of the law is to lead man to Jesus. In Him, full access to the very throne of God is realized for the people of the world. Let us never fall back on the law which keeps us from access to that throne of grace!

Glorious God, thank You that we have full access to Your throne of grace through the shed blood of Christ. He is our Mediator, and He never fails in this role. When we come to You through Him, our prayers are heard. We can have every confidence that You will handle them according to your infinite wisdom, and You will respond according to what is best for us. May we hold fast to this truth always. Amen.

Wednesday, 5 September 2018

For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. Hebrews 3:4

It has been noted by scholars that this verse, if omitted, would not leave any loss in the train of thought, and so it appears perplexing as to why the author would simply restate the same words in the passage. However, this actually isn’t the case. The word “built” which is used twice in this verse, is the same word which was also used in the previous verse, and which signifies “to prepare” or “form.” It includes everything associated with the materials, arrangement, etc. This is the job of the architect –

“For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. ⁴ For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God.”

It is obvious from verse 3 that Jesus was the builder of the house in which Moses served in (meaning the Old Covenant). The author now simply assumes the deity of Jesus which has already been revealed in several ways in the previous two chapters. He is the incarnate LORD (Yehovah) of the Old Testament. Using this as an axiom, he now says, “For every house is built by someone.”

Moses did not build his own house. He was a servant in the house which had been built by Yehovah. Now there is a New Covenant (a new house) which has been built. This house, too, has been built by the same Lord, meaning Yehovah, who is the Son. This is revealed in verse 3:6. With this understanding, the author now says, “but He who built all things is God.”

The author is not making a distinction between God and Jesus, as if Jesus is not God. Rather, he is uniting the two by showing that God, in Christ, is the Builder of all things. The same thought is expressed elsewhere by Paul where he uses the idea that God is in Christ, such as in 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19 –

“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”

God and Christ are One; Christ is the means by which God has done these things. Whether it is judging the secrets of men (Romans 2:16); allowing man to die to sin (Romans 6:11); expressing the gift of salvation (Romans 6:23); demonstrating His love (Romans 8:39); reconciling the world to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:18, 19); or accomplishing all other acts of His glory, including the building all things, it has been done through Christ. What we now see in this verse then is the confirmation of what was stated in the analysis of the previous verse when citing Vincent’s Word Studies –

“The point of the whole, however, is that Moses was a part of the O.T. system – a servant in the house; while Christ, as one with God who established all things, was the founder and establisher of both the Old and the New Testament economies.”

Without the inclusion of these seemingly unnecessary words, a logical connection to God in Christ may have been missed. However, by including it, the thought is brought to full light, even if it should already have been inferred from the nature of Christ. The idea then fits harmoniously with the thought of “the Word” as Jesus is referred to elsewhere. Jesus it the Word of God. It is through the Word that God created all things according to John 1:3. It is Jesus the Son who created all things according to Colossians 1:16. It is God in Christ, who is the Son, who is the Builder of all things here. Each term is given to show a unique aspect of Christ – be it Word, Son, or Christ, etc. – but they are all the same, they are all JESUS.

Life application: Do you have a nose? Go to the mirror and look at it. Is it on your face? From a proper interpretation of Scripture, it is as obvious as that nose on your face that Jesus is God. When people like the Jehovah’s Witnesses come a’knocking, tell them, “Take a hike, Henry Heretic. I follow the Lord God Almighty; I follow Jesus.” Don’t allow anyone to misdirect You from the glory of what God has done in Christ – the Word of God; the Son of God.

Heavenly Father, You are glorious in all that You are. If the beauty, splendor, wisdom, and marvel that we see in the creation is so magnificent, how much more glorious are You, from whom these things came? The house is not greater than the builder, nor is creation greater than the Creator. How gloriously splendid You are, O God. And so we praise You now and forever. Dwell in our praises, O God. Amen.

Tuesday, 4 September 2018

For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. Hebrews 3:3

“For” expands on the thought of the previous verse. It said there that Christ Jesus “was faithful to Him who appointed Him.” Moses was then immediately introduced by saying that he “also was faithful in all His house,” meaning “God’s house.” The logic is that if Moses was faithful in all of God’s house, he was still faithful as a servant of God (as will be seen by the term “servant” in verse 3:4). With this understanding, we come to grasp what the author intends with the use of “For.” “For this One” refers to Christ Jesus. It is He who “has been counted worthy.”

The idea of being counted worthy ties again to His having been faithful to “Him who appointed Him.” Initially, it appears that He is on the same level as Moses. If Moses was faithful to God, and Jesus was faithful to God, then both are counted worthy to the same degree, right? No. The thought continues, “For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses.”

How can this be? To this point, nothing has been said of Him that would justify this, and yet the estimation is made nonetheless. Both were appointed by God, both were faithful, and yet Christ Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses. The idea of “glory” here is that He is worthy of more honor and dignity than that of Moses. This could cause consternation with a Jewish audience, because Moses, and the law which came through him, was considered the foundation of Jewish life. At the end of Deuteronomy, this is said of Moses –

“But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, ¹¹ in all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, before Pharaoh, before all his servants, and in all his land, ¹² and by all that mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.” Deuteronomy 34:10-12

The man Moses was thus held in the highest esteem. To now speak of Jesus as being worthy of greater glory thus necessitates a sound and reasonable explanation. And so one is next provided beginning with, “inasmuch as He who built the house.” God is the Builder of the House, but here Christ Jesus is said to be the One who “built the house.”

The Greek word used signifies “to prepare” or “form.” This would include everything associated with the materials, arrangement, etc. This is the job of the architect. He lays out the plans, determines how much brick, piping, wood, etc are to be used. He then shows where those things go, even to the minutest detail. The word used so far has only been found four times in the three synoptic gospels when referring to John the Baptist preparing the way for the coming of the Lord. He was setting up and arranging Israel to be ready for Christ to accomplish His mission. In the case of Christ, it is He who has done all the preparation for the building of the house. It is because he built the house that He “has more honor than the house.”

It seems (but such is not the case) that the author has confusion of thought, equating Christ Jesus with God – God built the house over which Moses presided. But Jesus is the builder of the house. There is no confusion. Rather, it is then an explicit reference to Jesus’ deity. As Vincent’s Word Studies says, “The point of the whole, however, is that Moses was a part of the O.T. system – a servant in the house; while Christ, as one with God who established all things, was the founder and establisher of both the Old and the New Testament economies.”

Moses was a servant in God’s house, but he was a servant to Christ Jesus, and thus Christ Jesus is worthy of more glory, because He is God. The only reason why someone would deny this obvious conclusion is that they would come to the text with a presupposition that this cannot be what the author is saying. However, the next verses will bear out that this is exactly what is being said.

Life application: There are those who hold to the Law of Moses as binding today. However, if one understands that Christ Jesus is the Author of the Old Covenant, and that He has now authored a New Covenant in His blood, thus annulling the first, then it becomes clear that we are no longer under the Old. And such is the case. However, the author of Hebrews had to first demonstrate that Jesus is the Author of both. In doing so, what He has done in no way diminishes the Law of Moses, but rather exalts it in Him and for us. He accomplished for us what we could not do ourselves. Stand firm on the idea that we are not under the Old, but under the New. To reinsert the Law of Moses is to diminish what Christ has done, and it is demeaning to Him.

Lord God, You have freed us from the bondage of the law, and You have given us freedom in a New Covenant. Thank You for our Lord Jesus through Whom You did this wonderful work. How grateful we are that we are freed from condemnation, and we are now set on a path to glory which can never be removed again. When we receive Christ Jesus, we are guaranteed eternal life! Hallelujah for what You have done! Amen.

Monday, 3 September 2018

…who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. Hebrews 3:2

The word “who” here is speaking of Jesus who was just referred to in verse 3:1. However, this is a present participle, and so “who was faithful” doesn’t convey the meaning of what the author is saying. It is more appropriately rendered “is faithful,” or “being faithful.” We aren’t asked to merely “consider” Him as Jesus the Person, but to think of Him in His faithfulness to God and on our behalf. It is of Jesus that we rightly say, “being faithful to Him.” “Him” here is speaking of God.

Jesus was faithful to God from whom He came. In the eternal mind of God, a plan was set forth to accomplish the redemption of man. There is nothing arbitrary or haphazard in this plan. God determined what would come about, and it is He “who appointed Him.” This is now speaking of God appointing Jesus. God arranged that Jesus would be the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, as noted in the previous verse. It was God’s determination that Jesus would come from Him, uniting with humanity (the incarnation). In this, Jesus would perform all that was necessary to sanctify His people, making them acceptable to God once again. After that, He would continue on as the Mediator of this New Covenant. It is an eternal service of God.

Finally, in this verse, the author then brings in a new comparison, that of Moses. He says, “as Moses.” Moses was looked to as the highest and greatest example of a humble, faithful messenger of the Lord. The books of Moses, time and time again, carefully record his faithfulness in accomplishing the tasks set before him. He was chosen as the human deliverer of the people. He was set in the role of their lawgiver. He was faithful to receive the word of God and to pass it on as it was received. And he even performed priestly functions before the appointment of Aaron as the high priest of the covenant. In these things, he “also was faithful in all His house,” meaning Moses was faithful in God’s house. The comparison is made in these words – Moses was faithful; Jesus is faithful.

In this chapter, Moses will be mentioned four times. The comparison here is then as Moses was the messenger (apostle) sent by God on behalf of His people, so Jesus is the Apostle who was likewise sent. Later, the comparison of Aaron (as high priest) to Jesus (as High Priest) will be made, but the author is slowly and methodically showing the supremacy of Christ in all ways. In that of Moses, it is a high challenge as well as a sensitive one. Moses was, and indeed still is, revered as one of the greatest figures in Jewish history.

Abraham was the father of the faith; Moses was the great deliverer, lawgiver (messenger of the covenant), and leader of God’s people; David was their great king. The author must carefully not diminish the greatness of such people while at the same time show the supremacy of Jesus in all ways. He shall accomplish this because Jesus was the source of these figures’ faith, and He is the anticipated realization of everything they spoke of and hoped for. These men were not looking to be exalted in themselves, but to exalt the Lord through His coming Messiah.

Life application: If you speak to a Jew about the Law of Moses and degrade the person of Moses in the process, you will alienate that person immediately. When speaking of Jesus, it is necessary to show that He was the hope and anticipation of everything spoken by, and about, these men. In properly conveying this, there is a chance he will realize this and call on the One that these great men of faith only pointed to.

Lord God! There are great figures of faith in Scripture such as Abraham, Moses, and David. These men are remembered for their own faithfulness within Your plan, but they and their lives were only markers which pointed to the coming Messiah. What they did, and what they said, all looked in anticipation of Him. And He has come. In the Person of Jesus, all of their hope and all of the typology is realized. Thank You that we possess what they only anticipated. Thank You for Jesus our Lord. Amen.