Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from Heb 3.1 and following. Indeed, the epistle to the Hebrews has been called “the epistle of open heaven.” And who do we contemplate in heaven? Jesus, both apostle -that is, the spokesman of God to men – and high priest: the spokesman of men before God. Writing to hebrew Christians, the author will show based on their history how Jesus brings together and surpasses in his person the glories that the Jews venerated: those of Moses, Joshua, Aaron … But we cannot come to know the Lord without discovering by contrast the perversity of the natural heart. God calls him “an evil heart of unbelief” and reminds us that he is at the root of all our miseries. “They always go astray in their hearts” (Mark 7.17-23). That is why anyone who hears the voice of the Lord (and who would dare to say that he has never heard it?) is solemnly invited three times not to harden his heart (Hb 4.1-10). We generally limit this exhortation to the gospel of the cross. But don’t we Christians have the opportunity every day to hear the voice of the Lord in His Word? Let us be guarded from any form of hardening, whatever today His demands may be for us!
For God’s rest on the seventh day, after the work of creation, was soon troubled by man’s sin. And since then “until now,” the Father’s work with that of the Son has not ceased for redemption (John 5:15-18). But here we learn: That God always has in sight His rest. That this one is coming and is not to be confused with the establishment of the people in Canaan under Joshua. Israel will enjoy rest in the land of the millennium, and the Church will taste it in heavenly glory. That if God wants to share his rest with his creature, not everyone will enter it. As in the past in the wilderness, unbelief and disobedience close access to the promise. John 3. 36 also shows us that the one who disobeys is confused with the one who does not believe. For to do God’s work is to believe in the One He sent (John 6:28-35). Alas, it was true of Israel as of multitudes today: “the word they heard served them no purpose, not being mixed with faith…” (Rom 10:12-17). Thus, it’s obedience to the Lord that allows us to enter now into the work of His grace and prepares us to share tomorrow also the rest of His love (Zep 3:14-18).
The first verse is the conclusion of what was presented in the first two chapters. Indeed,we have seen in it the infinite glory of the Person of the Son above the angels, and then his incarnation. Having become a man, he comes to speak to us as an apostle or envoy of God. Having participated in flesh and blood, on the condition that his own were, he suffers and dies to deliver them; then we see him, the Son of man, crowned with glory and honor at the right hand of God, waiting for all things to be put under his feet. And finally, as a man again, he is a merciful and faithful high priest who, having suffered, being tempted, is able to help those who are tempted. It is therefore under this dual character of apostle and high priest that we have to consider Jesus, and it is remarkable that he is presented to us here under his personal name.
It’s that he is the apostle and the high priest of our confession or profession, that is, of Christianity. The Hebrews confessed or professed to be Christians. This is the terrain where the sacred writer always takes them. The profession, however, might not be real in all, hence the warnings that abound in the epistle; however, they are supposed to be sincere. They had to consider Jesus where he is now – at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Thenwe find a third character of Christ: he is, like Son, established on his own house. And in this office he is presented in comparison with Moses, whose greatness the Hebrews could have claimed as a servant of God, based on the testimony of Jehovah in Nombres 12. 7. But the comparison also brings out the contrast. For Moses was faithful as a servant throughout the house of God – the house of Israel of which he was the liberator and lawgiver. His character as such was faithfulness to God, whose orders he carried out and enforced and whose words he reported to Israel. But Christ is faithful as Son,not asservant, faithful to the One who established him as an apostle and high priest. He is on his own house – the Christian house. This is not the Church as a body, but everything that professed the Christian faith. Moreover, Christ is God,another glory that shows his infinitesuperiority over Moses. “And we are his house,”says the author of theepistle, always placing himself among the Hebrew believers to whom he speaks. It is indeed the house of God, but viewed from the point of view of administration rather than as God’s dwelling.
“We have become the companions of Christ” is the precious and glorious privilege of the true Christian. These companions are already named in Hb 1. 9. They share in his life and will share in his glory. They walk in the path he spawned and where he walked and will arrive at the same goal. Only, as they are mixed with a professing people, there is a restriction: “If at least we hold firm until the end the beginning of our assurance”. This place of companions of Christ is ours, if we hold firm to the end the assurance that the reception of Christianity gives in the beginning. This in no way affects the safety of the true believer.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
Jesus and Moses :
- Spiritual themes to consider
-The purpose of discipline Dt 8:5 Recognize in your heart that Jehovah your God chastises you as a man chastises his child.
-The ancient story Dt 32:7 Reminds you of the old days, Review the years, generation by generation, Ask your father, and he will teach you, Your old men, and they will tell you.
-The end of life Dt 32:29 If they were wise, this is what they would understand, and they would think about what would happen to them.
-The blessings of Providence 1 Sam 12:24 Fear only the Lord, and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; for see what power He displays among you.
-The wonderful works of God Jb 37:14 Job, be attentive to these things! Still consider the wonders of God!
-God’s wonderful interest in man Ps 8:4-5 When I contemplate the heavens, work with your hands, The moon and the stars you have created: 5 What is man, so that you may remember him? And the son of man, so that you may take care of him?
-The disappointment produced by the life of the world Ag 1:5-6 Thus now speaks the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways carefully! 6 You sow much, and you collect little, You eat, and you are not satiated, You drink, and you are not quenched, You are clothed, and you are not hot; The salary of the one who is hired falls into a pierced bag.
-The Lessons of Nature Mt 6:28-29 And why worry about clothing? Consider how the lilies of the fields grow: they do not work or spin; 29 however, I tell you that Solomon himself, in all his glory, was not clothed as one of them.
-The incomparable life of Christ Hb 12:3 Consider, in fact, the one who has endured such opposition against his person on the part of sinners, so that you may not tire of your soul discouraged.
- Good time to seek God
Ps 32:6 May every pious man pray to you at the right time! If great waters overflow, they will not reach it in any way. Ps 95:7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, the flock that his hand leads… Oh! if you could listen to his voice today! Is 49:8 Thus saith the Lord: In the time of grace I will answer you, and on the day of salvation I will rescue you; I will keep you, and I will establish you to deal with the covenant with the people, to raise up the country, and to distribute the desolate inheritances; 2 Cor 6:2 For he said: In the good time I have answered you, On the day of salvation I have rescued you. Now is the favorable time, now is the day of salvation.
- Daily assignment
-The harvest of manna Ex 16:4 The Lord said to Moses: Behold, I will rain bread for you from heaven. The people will come out, and pick up, day by day, the necessary quantity, so that I may put them to the test, and see whether they will walk, or not, according to my law. Ezr 3:4 They celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles, as it is written, and they offered day by day holocausts, according to the number ordered for each day.
-The reading of the Word Ne 8:18 One read in the book of God’s law every day, from the first day to the last. The feast was celebrated for seven days, and there was a solemn assembly on the eighth day, as ordered.
-The fulfillment of the vows Ps 61:9 Then I will sing your name unceasingly, fulfilling my vows every day.
-Prayer Ps 145:2 Every day I will bless you, and I will celebrate your name forever and in perpetuity.
-The importance of watching Pr 8:34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, Who watches over my doors every day, and who guards the poles!
-To take up his cross Lk 9:32 Peter and his companions were appesant by sleep; but, having kept themselves awake, they saw the glory of Jesus and the two men who were with him.
-The exhortation Hb 3:13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it can be said: Today! that none of you may harden by the seduction of sin.
- Divine discontent because of sin
Nb 11:1 The people murmured and this displeased the Lord’s ears. When Jehovah heard him, his wrath was ignited; the fire of the Lord was lit among them, and devoured the end of the camp. Ps 2:5 Then He speaks to them in his anger, He frightens them in his fury. Ps 60:3 O God! you have repelled us, scattered us, You have irritated you: lift us up! Isaiah 59:15 The truth has disappeared, and he who departs from evil is stripped away. -The Lord sees, with an indignant gaze, that there is no more righteousness. Mk 10:14 Jesus, seeing this, was outraged, and said to them, Let the little children come to me, and do not prevent them from doing so; for the kingdom of God is for those who resemble them.
From all the above, we note thatwe depend on God at every moment, and He will be faithful to the end; but we have to stand firm until the end. The epistle is thus filled with exhortations and warnings to which we have to pay serious attention. For thepeople had come out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses. They had all heard God’s voice, and yet they revolted against Him and irritated Him. For forty years God’s indignation against them remained, and according to his judgment, because of their sin, their bodies fell into the wilderness (Nomb. 14. 22, 23, 29, 32). They did not enter into the promised rest; their disbelief prevented them from doing so. The warning applies to those who, professing Christianity, allow themselves to be discouraged and, out of disbelief, do not stand firm to the end. This had a more direct application to the Hebrews, who had set out to receive Jesus as the promised Messiah, but whom the difficulties of the way, trials and persecutions, seemed to discourage. They are therefore exhorted to hold firm by faith the promised hope, and to be careful that, abandoning it, they do not enjoy at the end of God’s rest. They take advantage of the warnings given to all professants, and make sure to stand firm until the end of the race. Our prayers are with you all.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow “the power of the word of God.”
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.