1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
The first two chapters of Hebrews have shown from the Old Testament Scriptures that Jesus Christ is God the Son. Yet, He walked this earth as any human being. Why did the Savior need to be both God and Man? First, He needed to be God in order to have the power to save us; that is the law of superiority (Luke 11:22). A carpenter may build or repair a house, but a house cannot repair itself. Man could in no wise save himself. A greater, more powerful Being was required to wrest Mankind from Satan’s dungeons. Some groups like the JW’s reject that Jesus is God, which is an absurdity on both logical and Scriptural levels.
On the other hand, Jesus chose to become flesh and blood in order to link Himself with Man – suffer the same temptations, endure the same natural impulses, experience the same challenges of life. And He did that to the maximum, choosing to be born into a simple, poor family and living always without the comforts and riches that His true identity could have demanded.
Jesus is the Apostle and High Priest of the Gospel. These are beautiful titles with profound meanings in the Kingdom of Heaven. Christ is Apostle because God sent Him to earth to minister salvation (Rev 5). He is High Priest because He constantly ministers before the Father for the sins of the people (Rev 8:1-6). We will encounter the latter title often in the book of Hebrews, but this is the only time in the Scriptures that Christ is called the Apostle of our profession (homologia – 2Cor 9:13; 1Tim 6:12; Heb 10:23).
The Old Testament people of God, the Jews, were to be His holy people (Lev 20:26; Deut 7:6), but they did not live up to that calling. Through the prophets and kings, God implored His chosen people to sanctify their hearts in His Truth, but they refused Him again and again. However, the Spirit predicted a coming day when God’s people would be holy in truth (Is 62:12; Eze 39:7). These are the authentic holy brethren, partakers of heavenly calling. The words would have resonated loud with the Jewish Christians in the church of Jerusalem.
Consider our Leader, Christ Jesus. In the next verses, the Apostle will compare the ministry of Moses to that of Christ.
2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. 3 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. 4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. 5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; 6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Jesus Christ is the Author, Apostle, High Priest, Leader and Builder of the new House of God (Gal 6:10; Eph 2:19). In comparison, Moses can rise only to the level of being a faithful Leader and honorable servant in the old House of God (an allusion to His affirmation in Numbers 12:7). This truth speaks loudly to all who hold the Old Testament above the New. Moses was a good and faithful house-servant, but Jesus is the first-born son over His own house (v6). In the Jewish mind, Moses was greatest prophet, for God’s covenant came to them by him. In fact, they used “Moses” and “the Law” synonymously (Mark 12:26; Luke 16:29). In truth however, God was the Author of the Old Testament and Moses only the mediator. Not so with Jesus Christ, for He is the very Author of the New Testament. Being God Himself, He is the builder of all things (v4, Heb 1:2; Col 1:16) and therefore Lord of the house of Moses too (v3, Mat 12:8). The Apostle John also made this comparison: The Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17).
The conclusion of this argument elevates the New Testament, authored and revealed by Jesus Christ, far above the Old (Heb 10:20). God has sent His Son from heaven and commanded all to hear Him (Mat 17:5). His faithful, perfect life makes full proof of His ministry (2Tim 4:5). Unfortunately, some groups and families go back into the Old Testament and subject themselves to simple, physical rules and rites that have no benefit in mortifying the deeds of the flesh (Col 2:20-23). Moses is a type of Christ (see note for Mat 5:1) and therefore subservient to Him. While Moses led Israel out of their bondage in Egypt unto the land of promise, Jesus leads the new Israel out of their bondage to Satan, self and sin unto the eternal land of the angels – a heavenly calling beyond our comprehension.
The Apostle tacks on a warning to all who profess to be part of the house of Christ. You must “hold this hope firmly unto the very end” (v6, 2Thes 2:15; 2Tim 1:13; Heb 10:23; Rev 2:26; Rev 3:11). This warning will be repeated a few verses later, after the sobering example of the children of Israel in the wilderness journey (Heb 3:14). The importance of finishing well cannot be over-emphasized! The evangelical gospel is all about starting out well, but a partial gospel peddles false hope. The Scriptures are filled with warnings to remain faithful unto Him that has called us. He that endures unto the end shall be saved (Mat 24:13; Mark 13:13). As one king said unto another before venturing out into the field of battle, “Let not him that puts on his armor for the battle boast as the one who takes it off afterwards” (1Kings 20:11).
7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
These verses quote Psalms 95:7-11, which describe the wickedness of the children of Israel as they journeyed from Egypt to Canaan. Again and again the people sinned against God, in spite of His miraculous deliverance and provisions for them. By their constant grumbling, complaining and demanding that Moses provide food and water (Ex 17:1-7) they tempted God ten times (Num 14:22). “Give us water, or else we will return to Egypt,” they demanded. “Is the Lord among us, or not?” Later, Moses warned, Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted Him in Massah (Deut 6:16). Jesus quoted this verse when Satan came to tempt Him in the wilderness (Mat 4:7).
In his epistle to the Corinthians, Paul expanded on the sad example of Israel in the wilderness (see notes for 1Cor 10). Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents (1Cor 10:9). Christians tempt God today by demanding that He answer their prayers instead of humble petitions, by expecting God to keep them from sin in spite of remaining in a wicked environment, and by making their allegiance to Him contingent upon an action on His part. I am disturbed by these kind of prayers: “God we know you are going to heal Tim. We believe in you. In the name of Jesus, we command this sickness to leave his body…” The Scriptures say, This is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us (1John 5:14). Humility, deferring to the will of God, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Asking God for something outside of His will is tempting Him.
The Rest that God denied Israel was the land of Canaan (Deut 1:34-36), but the Rest that He will deny the unfaithful of the New Covenant is Heaven (Heb 4:1). A hardened heart is one that has heard His voice, but refuses to yield up its will. It signifies rebellion, not deception (cf Acts 19:9; Rom 9:18).
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
The warning in these verses is to take all precaution against developing an evil heart of unbelief (apistia). The literal translation is “unfaith,” for the Greek word is a direct antonym of “faith” (pistis). See, for example, Jesus’ statement in Mat 17:20. Unbelief implies doubting the veracity of something, but Israel did not doubt the veracity of God. Nor did they doubt that God could provide for their needs, after all, they had seen His miraculous works for 40 years. They did doubt, however that He would provide for them – at least according to their way and timing. So they demanded meat to eat, but NOW. They quickly grew impatient when water became scarce, complained constantly about their hardships, soon tired of eating only manna, and reminded themselves often of the leeks and garlics they had enjoyed in Egypt. And perhaps their two biggest sins: making and worshipping the golden calf, and calling for a new captain to lead them back to Egypt after the 10 spies wicked report.
Therefore, their example is not directed to those who do not believe in God, but to those who do believe, but act unfaithfully. “Take heed, brethren, that you do not allow to grow within you an evil, unfaithful heart that causes you to depart from God by living impatiently, grouchily, unfaithfully.” In this context, apistia as an antonym of pistis (faith) is consistent with the New Testament teaching that true, saving faith is a synergy of the mind with action, a belief backed by works. Some scholars attempt to define faith as nothing more or less than fervent believing with the mind. Yet that idea does square with the present example, nor with the Biblical meaning of faith. We admit that in generic definition, “believing” might be equivalent to faith, but the faith that is effective to the saving of man’s soul is more than simply believing that Jesus Christ exists and is able to save (cf Heb 4:2; James 2:19). The Israelite example is one proof of that assertion.
Actually, the book of Hebrews is particularly convincing that “faith” cannot be entirely synonymous with “belief.” The Faith that saves is a multi-faceted jeweled star – hearing, believing, submitting, obeying, walking, working, holiness and perseverance (see notes Heb 11:1-2). It is called the faith more than 40 times in the New Testament (ie Jude 1:3; Titus 1:13). The Word was preached to Israel and they heard it; they saw the mighty works of God in constant manifestation. However, they responded unfaithfully, their actions were contrary to their part of the covenant. The lesson is for us today.
Faith, hope, and love make up the triad of virtues that will endure beyond the grave (1Cor 13:13), yet to fully unlock their meanings it is helpful to study their sub-components. In a famous sermon, Jonathon Edwards divided love into 7 parts using the colors of the rainbow as an illustration. The same can be done with faith and hope.
13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
God has limited Man to an amount of time called “Today” in which to be saved. Behold, now is the day of salvation (2Cor 6:2). The children of Israel had their era of the Old Covenant, but Today is the times of the Gentiles (Luke 21:24), the Age of Grace (Acts 17:30), the New Covenant of Jesus Christ (Heb 12:24). The Kingdom of God is come nigh unto you (Mat 12:28; Luke 10:9). The admonition is time-urgent; we must exhort one another daily while there is still time, and so much the more as ye see the day approaching (Heb 10:25). To exhort is a duty of all the brethren: to encourage, admonish, beseech, counsel, entreat, warn, implore and comfort. Preach the Word! In season and out of season; reprove, rebuke and exhort according to all sound doctrine (2Tim 4:2).
Sin is deceitful for two reasons. First, because it is never satiated. It is ever thirsty for more, more, more. A little more wine, a little more money, a little more pleasure, a little more anger, a little more bitterness. The one who yields to sin becomes a slave to Satan and unrighteousness (Rom 6:16-23). The words of the song are true, “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, slowly but surely taking control.” A man who gives rein to the desires of the flesh is on the path to being ruled by Sin unto death. Second, sin is deceitful because it hardens the heart to its sinfulness. Repeated sin slowly cauterizes the conscience until the mind is deceived into believing that it isn’t even sin (1Tim 4:2). It is very difficult for these to recover themselves out of the snare of devil, for the bonds of sin are many and strong (2Tim 2:25-26; 1John 1:8).
The truth of this verse falls upon some in our own church pews. Covetousness, gossip, pride, slander, greed, unforgiveness, sedition, anger – these often hidden sins are deeply deceitful and many are dominated by them. Awake to righteousness and return to the way of truth (1Cor 15:34), for the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23). See note for Romans 7:11.
The deceitfulness of sin. It is a subtle, sinister slide into hell. Not one giant leap usually, but several devious little steps. 1) entertaining fleshly thoughts and discontentments of the spirit. 2) allowing some of those temptations to result in acts of sin. 3) hardening the heart in unrepentant, excusatory attitudes. 4) distrusting God to wisely administer the activities of your life. 5) full-blown apostasy in falling away from God and rejecting the Spirit of grace. Then is the mind wholly reprobate and the conscience seared such that it no longer will sense good and evil.
14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. 17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
Here is how we can know that we are saved: by continuing to hold steadfast to Christ and faithfully do His commandments unto the end (1John 5:2). Note that we do not become partakers of Christ at the beginning, but at the end – if we remain steadfast. Jesus says, Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life (Rev 2:10). Of course, we do receive the seal of the Spirit when we first confess Christ, but the glorification of the body and soul must await the end, when each man’s faith will be weighed and counted (Heb 9:27). This verse repeats verse 6, which also teaches the requirement of persevering unto the end (Mat 24:13). Calvinism’s “eternal security” is disproved again and again by the book of Hebrews. Faithfulness to Christ must follow mouth profession of Christ.
The word partakers (metochos) means to be a participant, companion or associate (see Heb 1:9; Luke 5:7). There are several variations in the Greek, such as Eph 3:6, 2Cor 6:4; 1Cor 10:17; Heb 5:13. The word confidence (hupostasis) is also worthy of deeper study (see Heb 11:1; 2Cor 11:17).
The sad example of the children of Israel shows what happens to those who do not hold fast to the profession of our faith (Heb 10:23). They hardened their hearts against God and provoked Him with impatient demands, discontented murmurings and wicked acts. In blunt detail, Psalms 106 describes the rebellions of the Jews against God; therefore He lifted up His hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness (Ps 106:26). And the final straw was their awful threat to choose from among them a new captain and return to Egypt (Num 14:1-5). Then God required them to wander 40 years in the wilderness, until all those beyond the age of accountability had died. They would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land, but their children would (Num 14:26-30).
Verse 15 returns the topic to Ps 95:7-11 (see Heb 3:7-8), showing that all of the disobedient Israelites who provoked God died in the wilderness. The Levites apparently did not rebel, nor did two outstanding men who did enter Canaan because of their faithfulness to God (Num 14:24; 32:12). Caleb and Joshua lived through the wilderness wandering and 40 years later arrived at the Jordan once again. Caleb, by that time an old man, was still brave in the Lord. He could have been excused the petition for a peaceful, less difficult inheritance in Canaan, but no, he wanted the land of the Anakim, the giants! And they conquered them by the hand of their God (Josh 14:6-15).
18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
On account of their unbelief (see note Heb 3:12) the children of Israel were denied entrance into Canaan, the land of rest that God had promised to them through Abraham and Moses. They had believed not (apeitheo); they had an evil heart of unbelief (apistia). The newer translations (NIV, NKJV, NASB) read that they disobeyed. The close relationship of faith with obedience is evident in both testaments. Throughout the Septuagint, apeitheo means to be disobedient or rebellious (ie Ex 23:21; Deut 9:7; Pro 24:21); and is sometimes translated similarly in the New Testament (ie Rom 2:8; 1Pet 2:7).
The stark words at the close of this chapter warn again of the grave peril of having a profession of Christ (v1) but living unfaithful to Him (v12). If we are truly holy brethren (v1) and so members in the pure and unblemished body of Christ (Eph 5:27), then our lives, hearts and bodies will also be holy, sanctified and meet for the Master’s use (2Tim 2:21). The false doctrine of imputed righteousness (Jesus imputing His holiness to the unholy) is struck down by the stern language in this passage of Scripture. A believer who lives a life of sin will not enter into His rest. Those who claim to believe that Christ has been righteous in man’s place and that his own dedication to righteous living is nothing but filthy rags in the eyes of God have dreadfully deceived themselves (2Pet 2:13).
Unfortunately, this heresy has exploded in the evangelical world. “Works” is now a negative word, it can only to be used in a derogatory sense. Meanwhile, “Holiness” and “Righteousness” can only be used to describe the Divine. “Grace” means freedom to live according to desires of the flesh, and “Faith” has nothing to do with man’s will and decision-making. It is the Gospel upside down! Why does God everywhere plead with Man to receive His mercy, when according to the false teachers it is actually impossible for Man to refuse it? Why does He everywhere exhort the Believer to persevere, when according to Calvinism it is impossible for him to fall away? This sounds exactly like the doctrine that Satan first preached to Eve: Yea, hath God said that? Nah, listen to me, for ye shall not surely die…ye shall be as gods (Gen 3:1-5). I refer the reader to Adam Clarke, who has made similar observations upon this chapter.