Hebrews Chapter Twelve
1. Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
Because we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, we have put off every hindrance and the easily entangling sin; with endurance let us run the race of life that is set before us (literal).1
Witnesses is from the Greek martus, from which we get our word martyr; however, within this context it does not follow the thought of martyrdom, but of those who have experienced trials and have been approved by the Lord.2 Indeed, the writer has just elaborated on those whose faith in the Lord accomplished mighty things, those who died rather than compromising their faith in the Lord, and those who simply led a life that was deprived of comforts in order to remain faithful to the Lord. The OT saints, to whom the writer has referred, accomplished great things because they followed Jehovah’s instructions; these, who made Him their top priority in all things, were accounted to be of greater worth than the world (Hebrews 11:38; Luke 14:33); therefore, they are described as being the approved of the Lord (witnesses).
Cloud (nephos), in this case, simply tells us that there are a host of witnesses who are surrounding us.3 It’s not that these OT witnesses are hovering around us as we go through life, but rather that their exploits for the Lord, a product of their faith in Him, have been recorded for our instruction, encouragement, and enlightenment. Because we have such a host of faithful examples, the writer boldly proclaims that we (he includes himself in this) have set everything aside that would detract from our lives with the Lord: anything that would impede our growth in the Lord (hindrance), and that which would serve to draw us away from Him (easily entangling sin). We need to understand that what might prove to obstruct our spiritual growth may not be wrong, or sinful, in itself, but because it proves to have a negative impact on our walk with the Lord, it must be laid aside. In addition, we must lay aside (put off) all of those little things that can cause us to sin – that which draws our focus away from the Lord. 22. “… put off [same Greek word] concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24). Until we have put the new man on, we have not really removed the old man; once we are wearing the new man of God’s righteousness and holiness, we must then continually account the old man as being dead (Romans 6:11) – it is not a one-time action, but a daily challenge that everyone who desires to follow the Lord must face! The OT saints provide us with many examples of an enduring faith in the Lord.
Having put off every hindrance and tempting sin, we are commanded to live for the Lord with endurance. The writer uses the illustration of an athletic race to make his point: we are to persevere in the race that is set before us. A runner must keep two things in mind in order to qualify as the winner of a race: first of all, there are rules that govern the race, and a violation of those rules will cause him to be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:24), and secondly, the course of the race has been predetermined and must be followed (he is not free to run wherever he wants). As this is applied to the life of faith in the Lord, we understand the need for a strong commitment to the Lord: a faith that will remain unto the end (Matthew 24:13; Hebrews 3:14).
Race is from the Greek agon, and its use here is not from its primary meaning; it means a gathering of people, but especially those who come together for games, then it is used to refer to the place of such a gathering, even more specifically to the struggle and conflict of the games, and finally, within a general and illustrative application, to any struggle or trial of life.4 The writer uses its affiliation with an athletic contest (specifically a foot race) to clarify that we are participants in the race, but we did not establish the rules, nor did we design the course; therefore, we must run very carefully the course of our race that has been set before us. “For we are the workmanship of Him [God], created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God did prepare beforehand so that we will walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10, literal).5 This is the course of the race that is set before us: in Christ, God has prepared a work for us to do, we must simply persevere in what He has arranged for our good.
2. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Fixing our eyes upon Jesus, the Founder and Finisher of the faith, Who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, disregarded the humiliation, and He did sit to the right of the throne of God (literal).6
The writer makes it clear that we will persevere in the race that God has laid out for us by fixing our eyes upon Jesus. Fixing our eyes is from one word in Greek: aphorao, which means to look away from everything else and to focus our undivided attention on one Person (in this case).7 With our eyes firmly focused upon the Lord Jesus, we have established the precursor to a successful race.
It is at this point that modern Evangelicals fail, including those who appear to be leaders within the movement. Rather than a singular focus upon the Lord, the average Evangelical remains entirely centered on a theology or a preferred preacher, while their leaders follow the dictates of their favored theology or philosophy. A singular focus on the Lord Jesus means that His Word, the Scriptures, takes priority over everything else, and is the foundation for all interpretation (allowing Scripture to explain Scripture). Evangelicalism turns this around so that a preferred theology or philosophy becomes the foundation for interpreting God’s Word: i.e., man’s thinking takes priority over God’s Word. Most Evangelical leaders would deny this, yet their understanding of Scripture has been processed through the grid(s) of their particular theology. A grid may be something as broad as dispensationalism, or as defining as Reformed, Baptist, or Catholic doctrine. It is unfortunate that almost everyone will apply these filters to their interpretation of Scripture without any thought.
A singular focus on the Lord Jesus, as the writer encourages, will ensure that everything is measured according to the standard that God has given to us: His Word! The relevance of John’s words cannot be overstated: “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try [examine] the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).8 This examination can only be carried out with the revealing light of God’s Truth and His Spirit as our guide; unless our focus is on God’s Truth (the Lord Jesus Christ, John 14:6), our conclusions will be false, and God will number us among the false prophets of the day. A prophet is generally someone who speaks for God, and so a false prophet is someone who claims to speak for God but has no understanding of His truth, or someone who professes confidently, but without a knowledge of His Word.
The writer identifies Jesus as the Founder and Finisher of the faith that we have when we are in Him. The faith that we have is based upon the work of the Lord Jesus upon the cross and His resurrection that, together, bring an end to sin and new life in Him. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1); “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (1 John 5:7); as Jesus descends from heaven to face the armies of the Antichrist, we are told that His name is “the Word of God” (Revelation 19:13b). The pre-incarnate Jesus, as part of the eternal Godhead, is called the Word. Paul wrote: “[God] Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Timothy 1:9); the grace of God was given to us in Christ Jesus before everlasting times (literal)9 – before creation, God’s grace had already been given to humanity in Christ (the Word). The essence is this: before God created man, it had already been determined that the Word would come to bring God’s grace to a sinful mankind; the plan of salvation was in place before creation began. Indeed, Jesus (the eternal Word) is the Founder of the faith that we, as humanity, can have in Him for making salvation from sin possible; the Word came to this earth, and Jesus became the Finisher of that faith – what a finish: cleansed from sin and a new life in Him!
As the Finisher of the faith, Jesus endured the cross. As the Son of God, Jesus knew His purpose for coming to earth as a man (John 12:27), yet, as the Son of Man, He struggled with the awful price that needed to be paid for sin (Matthew 26:39). Crucifixion was a notoriously painful and slow death for its victims, and, within Rome, it was reserved for slaves, rebels and the worst of criminals; within Jewish custom, anyone who was hung upon a tree was considered to be cursed of God (Deuteronomy 21:22-23). Jesus, the eternal Word, “7. made himself of no reputation [literally, emptied Himself, He set His heavenly glory aside], and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:7-8).10 The humiliation of Jesus began with His birth in Bethlehem (God confined to a body of flesh), and ended with His crucifixion as a criminal; even though crucifixion was offensive to the Jews (being a sign of God’s curse upon the individual), they insisted upon that form of death for Jesus (Mark 15:12-14). However, crucifixion was not the cause of Jesus’ death; after committing His spirit (the breath of life) to His Father, He died (Luke 23:46). It was for the final payment for sin that Jesus willingly gave His life; it was not uncommon for the victims of crucifixion to remain alive for two or three days upon the cross, yet Jesus was crucified and died within a six-hour time frame (Mark 15:25; Luke 23:44-45).11 Because the Jews could not leave a body on the cross overnight (Deuteronomy 21:22), it became the custom that an iron bar was used to break the legs of the crucified so that they would then die from suffocation almost immediately; this did not happen to Jesus (John 19:32-33).
Jesus endured the cross and the tremendous humiliation that it was for Him as eternal God, and He did so because of what lay beyond it. The cross was the means by which He paid the price for sin in order to open to humanity a full cleansing from sin, and, thereby, He became the Head of the ekklesia of the redeemed – the Shepherd of one flock (Colossians 1:18; John 10:16)! For His willing sacrifice, Jesus has been given a name that is above all names (Philippians 2:9), He has been crowned with glory (Hebrews 2:9), and, in the New Jerusalem, it is His glory that will be its light (Revelation 21:23). Jesus (the Word), having been a part of the eternal plan to bring salvation to a sinful humanity, understood the blessed state that would be His after this time of suffering, and so He endured the cross, knowing that, on the other side of it, He would be part of an everlasting family: “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Hebrews 2:11). The Son of God, the eternal Creator of all things (including all of humanity, who are made in His image), calls those whom He has redeemed out of sin, His brethren – His family! Since He takes joy in this relationship that came at such a great cost to Him, then our faithful obedience to Him can be our only loving response; the sacrifices that we may be called upon to endure, are not worthy to be compared to what He endured for us. We, in turn, must look beyond any suffering that we might be called to bear and behold the glory that will be ours, with Him, if we remain faithful to Him unto the end (Matthew 24:13).
The writer reiterates that Christ sat to the right of the Father in heaven (Hebrews 1:3; 8:1; 10:12) – that place of favor!
3. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
For carefully consider Him, Who against Himself endured such hostility by sinners, so that ye are not wearied in your souls [and] become discouraged (literal).12
The writer issues a command to think very carefully about the Lord Jesus, Who endured such suffering from the hands of His created beings – those who were made in His image! Such consideration needs to include the fact that Jesus came from the glories of Heaven into this world: eternal God (the Word) joined to a body of flesh, born into a working family, and among sinners who, for the most part, refused to acknowledge Him as the Son of God (Philippians 2:7)! Yet, He went beyond that and died under the burden of all sin in order to become the payment for the sins of humanity (Philippians 2:8); He went from heavenly glory to bearing the sins of the world while being nailed to a Roman cross. We will never be able to comprehend the full measure of the price that He paid for the redemption of the few who have found, or will find, the Narrow Way to life (Isaiah 1:9; Matthew 7:14); the Message of truth has never been widely accepted, nor will those who hold to the Lord ever become popular. Jesus said: “24. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. 25. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub [Matthew 12:24], how much more shall they call them of his household?” (Matthew 10:24-25). Peter expressed it this way: “12. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13. But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings … 14. If ye be reproached [reviled] for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified” (1 Peter 4:12-14).13 Indeed, those who are faithful to the Lord (obedient to His Word) will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12), yet there is a caution to be noted in this as well: being reviled must come as a result of holding firmly to the name of Christ. “For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God” (1 Peter 2:20).
The writer follows the theme that he introduced in v. 2 (fix your eyes on the Lord Jesus), with a charge to give careful consideration to the Lord and what He suffered in order to bring redemption from sin to mankind. As we ponder all that the Lord endured, we are to come away encouraged in heart to persevere for Him. Notice that the weariness is not specifically physical (although that can sometimes be a contributing factor), but an exhaustion of the mind that often comes through being overwhelmed by what we are facing. It is as we turn our attention to the Lord, and all that He endured for us, that our eyes are once again lifted to focus upon Him. He told us: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b). It is that eternal perspective that will lift our hearts, even as we live in a world that is fraught with trials, troubles, and distresses.
4. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
In your struggle against sin, ye have not yet resisted to the point of blood (literal).14
The writer observes that, in their opposition to sin, his readers have not been required to do so to the extent of it costing their lives. Unlike many of the OT saints who followed the Lord and died rather than disown Him, these followers of the Lord Jesus had not yet been called upon to die for Him. Those two words (not yet) imply that it is not outside of the realm of possibility that for some, martyrdom lay ahead. To the elder of Pergamos, Jesus noted that he remained faithful even during the time when one from among their group was killed for his faith (Revelation 2:13); within a scant thirty years (from the writing of Hebrews to that of Revelation15), the killing of one of the Lord’s own is recorded. In the following two centuries, Rome escalated the persecution against Christians, and the blood of the Lord’s martyrs flowed; however, at this time, resistance against sin had not yet included the shedding of their blood.
5. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
5. Nevertheless, ye have completely forgotten the exhortation that is spoken to you as to sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s correction, nor become weary by His reproof; 6. for whom the Lord loves, He corrects, and chastises every son whom He receives” (literal).16
The writer quotes from Proverbs 3:11-12 in order to remind his readers that the Lord is actively involved in the guidance, discipline and growth of those who seek to follow Him. He has just reminded them that they have not yet withstood sin to the point of bloodshed, and now he places this struggle within the context of God’s correction and their maturity.
“11. My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: 12. For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth” (Proverbs 3:11-12).
The writer follows the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures; despise (KJV) is from the Hebrew ma’as, which means to reject or refuse.17 The Septuagint translators used a form of this Hebrew word (ma`asa) to arrive at oligorei, which means to esteem lightly.18 Although there is a distinct difference in the intensity of these thoughts, making light of the Lord’s correction is, at its heart, a rejection; although it may appear to be more nonchalant, it is a refusal to be corrected by the Lord – even if the individual may not openly made that declaration. Either way, the Lord’s correcting work falls upon an unwilling heart.
Faint (KJV) is from the Greek ekluomai, which is also found in the LXX, and speaks of being weary, faint, or discouraged.19 However, the Hebrew word that is shown as weary in Proverbs is qus, which means to loathe something, to abhor or dread it – something that induces nausea and vomiting.20 If we refuse the Lord’s correction, then it would be expected that we would also come to dread His attempts to help us to grow in Him. Although the Greek rendering of this Hebrew word is quite different, it does express the end result of rejecting the work of the Lord in our lives: since we refuse to be corrected by Him, the only consequence is that we will become exhausted under the burden of refusing to follow His leading. We will either repent and learn from His correction, or we will depart from Him into apostasy.
Correction means that what is wrong is being made right, but the Hebrew word (in Proverbs) means to face someone with their failure (reproof ).21 Whether correction will take place is largely dependent upon whether the individual will accept the chastening (KJV) or correction of the Lord, or reject it. Loathing the Lord’s reproof indicates that there is a refusal to face the fact that a violation of His will has taken place; He shows us our failure, but it sickens us to be reminded of it, rather than leading us to repentance before Him.
The second verse (Proverbs 3:12) places the correction and reproof into a familial context, so that we are better able to understand the work of the Lord in our lives. The Lord’s correction comes as a product of His great love for us, even as a father will correct his children because he loves them and desires that they learn and grow by his loving correction. The writer will use this to elaborate further on the Lord’s desire for our growth in Him.
Again, the writer follows the LXX, which omits the illustration of the father bringing correction to the child with whom he is pleased, and adds the thought of severe chastisement (scourgeth in the KJV).22 A willing heart that accepts the Lord’s correction does not expect the correction to stop, but understands that it is given to bring maturity, and comes from a heart of love. The father who refuses to correct his children is permitting childish folly to flourish in them (Proverbs 22:15); unless we learn through correction, we will become a bane to society, which is why our “correctional facilities” are full! The writer of Proverbs likens the Lord’s correction to that of a loving father who delights in his children and desires to see them grow and mature. Proverbs introduces the earthly illustration of the heavenly discipline in the final phrase, it includes the earthly example of the father, but does not include the thought of scourging. This latter comes from the LXX, which some assume to be based upon an older Hebrew text, which has since been lost, rather than the Masoretic Text that has survived. Whatever the case, the thought of severe punishment (scourgeth) does not have a Hebrew source for support, and really doesn’t fit with the context.
7. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
If ye are enduring discipline, God is dealing with you as with sons; for who is a son whom a father is not disciplining? (literal).23
Chastening (discipline) is from the Greek word paideia; although it primarily means discipline, it also speaks of instruction and training; discipline is not the end, but a means toward a greater goal: maturity. Discipline and correction are essential elements of teaching, for without them, proper instruction could not take place. Therefore, if we persevere through the Lord’s discipline, then we are assured that He is dealing with us as with sons – His sons!
The writer launches into the earthly illustration of the correction that comes from the Lord; an earthly father disciplines his children (instructs and trains them) in how they are to live. It is only reasonable then to assume that God will also seek to instruct His children in how to live before Him in righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24).
8. But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
And if ye are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then ye are illegitimate children, and not sons (literal).24
The writer proceeds to draw a conclusion to what he has just expressed; since every father, out of his love for his children, will discipline (instruct, train, correct) them, then if you receive no discipline from the Lord, there is only one reason: you are not His child. Instruction from the Lord is to be accepted as being common to everyone who is His child, just as it is (or should be) with an earthly father.
Therefore, we must clearly understand what it means to be His child. Jesus taught Nicodemus that unless someone is born anew, he is not able to see the kingdom of God (John 3:3b, literal).25 He explained that unless someone is born from water and spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:5b, literal).26 First of all, we must understand that someone refers to a person, a living human being; Jesus says that anyone who desires to see, or enter into the kingdom of God, must be born anew, or, more explicitly, be born from water and spirit. From this we discern that unless something new takes place within a person, he will neither see nor enter into God’s kingdom. The testimony of John the Baptist helps to clarify this matter for us: “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me … shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost [Spirit], and with fire” (Matthew 3:11). To the Ephesians, Paul explained it this way: “22. That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man [this is repentance; entering into the waters of baptism] … 24. And that ye put on the new man [the Spirit of God enters bringing new life; being raised out of the waters of baptism], which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24). In order to become a child of God, there must be a turning away from the life that has been lived (repentance), and a turning to God, at which time the Spirit of God enters the individual in order to instruct him in the way of Truth (John 16:13). “[God] Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13). We understand that to become a child of God requires a turning from a life that was not pleasing to Him, and a turning to Him in new life by His Spirit.
After becoming His child, we must expect His correction as we, through the guidance of His Spirit, learn what it means to live in a manner that his pleasing to Him. Turning to God is the expression of our faith (an active believing) in the Lord, and Jesus made it very clear that obedience must then follow. “23. If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me” (John 14:23-24). Keep is from the Greek tereo, which means to observe, not visually, but in obedience;27 obedience to the Lord is an expression of our love for Him, and must accompany our faith in Him.
The writer declares that if we do not experience the Lord’s discipline, then we are not His sons. Yet, within the broader community of Evangelicalism, there is a general sense that life on this earth is good: we acknowledge God, secure our salvation, and wait for heaven. Such a person holds a “form of godliness” but the Spirit is missing (2 Timothy 3:5); there has been no repentance, only an effort to add the concept of God to his life in order to appear as being godly – such a person is not a child of God. There is only one Way to the Father, and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ; He is the Narrow Way to life, and only a few will find Him (Matthew 7:14). Most Evangelicals know about Jesus, but that is not the Way to life; without repentance (a turning from what has been), and a living faith in the Lord, you cannot be a child of God.
9. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
Furthermore, the fathers of our flesh we have [as] instructors, and for whom we have respect; will we not much rather become subject to the Father of the spirits, and live? (literal).28
The KJV translators turned a Greek noun into a verb: corrected; the word is a form of the word discipline that we have just considered. The Greek word includes discipline, instruction, training, education, etc., except that, as a noun, it refers to the ones (our fathers) who administer this discipline.29 The writer is elaborating on the illustration of our fathers training us in a manner that reflects, at least to some degree, the discipline that comes from the Lord. In this life, our fathers bear the responsibility to instruct and correct us so that we will become responsible members of society; in other words, they seek to train us in a way that will be for our long-term benefit. As we were raised under such discipline, we had respect for our fathers; they were not perfect, yet we held them in honor.
From this the writer concludes that, since we honored our imperfect fathers who sought to equip us for life, would it not be reasonable that we should live to submission to the Father in heaven, and thereby live? Subjection (become subject to) is from the Greek hupotasso, which is a military term that means to rank under;30 in this case, it identifies our place of submission to the Father – we live in obedience to Him! Notice that the writer links both subjection and live to the Father. It is as we abide in that place of submission to the Father that we will live. In John’s Gospel, we are told that these have been written so that ye believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that those who are believing have life through His name (John 20:31, literal).31 Life only comes through Christ (John 14:6), and being in Christ is only possible when we are living in obedience to Him (John 15:10).
The writer uses the phrase: Father of spirits as the contrast to our fleshly fathers. There can be no doubt that Father refers to God, yet this is the only place where this phrase is used. The Greek pneuma can be used to refer to many things: the wind (the moving of air; John 3:8), breath (James 2:26), the immaterial part of man (the soul; Romans 8:16), a person’s attitude (Galatians 6:1), demons (Matthew 8:16), angels (Hebrews 1:13-14), God (John 4:24), and the third Person of God (1 John 5:7).32 In this instance, the word is in its plural form, which reduces the possibilities of it being the inner man (since the context is plural), demons or angels; the latter two do not fit the context, so we must consider this to be a reference to God as our Father in Christ (there is no other way for God to become our Father). The essence is this: since we submitted to our earthly fathers, and respected them for their discipline and instruction, then it is much more fitting that we learn from the Lord Who has purchased us out of sin through Christ, and is preparing us for adoption as His children (Ephesians 1:4-5).
We understand that the soul of man is eternal (Genesis 2:7), a distinguishing difference from all other created life. Those whose names are found in the Book of Life, will be welcomed into an eternity with the Lord (Revelation 21:27); those whose names are not found there are destined for an eternity in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:15). There is an eternal destiny for all of humanity: those who enter the Narrow Way to life (the Lord Jesus Christ), will enjoy the glories of heaven with Him forever. It is to these few (Matthew 7:14) to whom God is a Father, and, like unto our earthly fathers, He will train us to live for Him. As we leave the training ground of this life, and have remained faithful to Him, then our souls will abide with Him until the day when our bodies will be raised in glory, united with our spirits, and we will be with the Father of our spirits forever.
However, much like earthly children, the writer of Hebrews has made it very clear that we are quite capable of rebelling against our heavenly Father, and thereby entering a state of apostasy from which there is no recovery (Hebrews 3:12; 6:4-6). We must be continually alert, lest Satan deceive us into turning away from the Lord (1 Peter 5:8). Jesus assured us of His protection from outside attacks (John 10:27-28), but He also warned us to not be deceived (Luke 21:8) – deception comes when we change our minds about the Lord, and turn away from Him to embrace false teaching (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
10. For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
For, indeed, they, for a little while, did discipline at their own discretion, but He for [our] advantage, so as to share in His holiness (literal).33
Our fathers disciplined us for a small portion of our lives, according to their best judgment; however, they worked from a very limited perspective, and so it is possible that their discipline was sometimes inappropriate. By contrast, the Lord has full knowledge of all things, and is able to instruct us to our eternal advantage: so that we will come to share in His holiness.
We have already considered Paul’s explanation of our need to put off the old man and to put on the new man, created by God in His righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24). The Body of Christ (ekklesia), comprised of those who are in Christ, is described as being holy (Ephesians 5:27; Colossians 1:22), and Peter commands us to become holy in all behavior, just as He is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). The discipline that the Lord brings into our lives is to help us to grow in His holiness; we are holy before the Lord through the sacrifice of Christ (sometimes referred to as our standing), but we have much yet to learn about such holiness being expressed in this life (our state). It is our submission to the Lord that will ensure that we remain in Him, and produce fruit that is in keeping with being His disciples (John 15:5, 8).
11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
And, indeed, all discipline, for the present, appears not to be of joy but of grief, yet afterwards it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (literal).34
Discipline, by its very nature, is not a time of joy and gladness, and, depending on its nature, can actually be a time of sorrow. Keep in mind that discipline, as it is used here, includes correction, training, punishment and instruction; its goal is to bring someone from immaturity to maturity. However, that does not change the fact that even the discipline of the Lord that is given for our benefit, can be difficult. The writer assures us that if we will accept His discipline and learn from it, then it will yield the righteousness and holiness that characterizes the new man (Ephesians 4:24).
Earlier, we read: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus looked beyond the suffering that He would endure upon the cross, to redeemed sinners being eternally with Him; so we must look past the correction and instruction that we endure, to the righteousness and holiness that it will produce within us. Jesus promised that living for Him in this world would be fraught with many tribulations (John 16:33), but if we learn from them through the guidance of His Spirit, then we will enjoy the benefits that He has in mind for us.
Notice that the fruit of righteousness is described as being peaceable. Peace stands in contrast to war, conflict, and anxiety. Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). Leave and give are in the indicative mood: they are presented by Jesus as a statement of fact;35 He tells us that we have a peace that is from Him, and so we do not need to become unsettled or fearful. However, such calm in the midst of His discipline and the tribulations of this life can only come from Him; moreover, it will only come when we are living faithfully and obediently for Him. Jesus taught: “31. Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32. (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:31-33). In practical terms, Jesus declares that our focus must be on the things of God, not consumed by the things that we need in this life – all things that God, our Father through Christ, knows that we need. As we rest in Him, His peaceful righteousness will shine through us (Romans 8:4).
12. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 13. And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
12. Wherefore, strengthen the hands that have become weakened, and the knees that have become paralyzed; 13. And make straight paths for your feet, so that the lame legs will not become dislocated but, rather, be healed (literal).36
Wherefore provides a link to what has come before; namely, those who belong to the Lord will experience His discipline as He works to raise us to spiritual maturity in Him. Such discipline will often be difficult, yet we know that He has our best in mind, despite the challenges. The writer calls upon his readers to strengthen: it is in the active voice (a work for the readers to do) and imperative mood (it is given as a command).37 It is from the Greek anorthoo, which primarily means to rebuild, or restore what has fallen, and then to straighten, or to set upright; metaphorically, when it is applied to people it means to strengthen what has become weakened.38
The command is to strengthen the weakened hands and the knees that won’t work – to restore them to full function again. It seems that the writer is making a reference to Isaiah 35:3 – “Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.” Weak is from rapheh, a Hebrew word that is used to speak of discouragement and fear; similarly, feeble (kashal) describes knees that are tottering and unstable, usually because of weakness or weariness.39 Strengthen (chazaq) means to make strong, or to encourage; confirm only appears here as a translation of the Hebrew ‘amats, which is very commonly translated in the book of Joshua as good courage or courageous (e.g., Joshua 1:6).40 Both strengthen and confirm are in the imperative – they are commands; it is understood that we must be aware of those who need encouragement to steady their walk with the Lord, and then to provide it for them. Paul expressed this to the Galatians: “Carry each other’s burdens, and so fulfill the Law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2, literal).41 What is required (carry is in the imperative mood) is a mutual care for one another within the ekklesia, so that we will remain firm in our commitment to the Lord and steady in our walk with Him. It is through caring encouragement and help that our weakened hands will be made strong, and our knees that are paralyzed will function once again.
Then the writer goes on to speak of straight paths. Straight (from the Greek orthos) speaks of that which is not crooked, or, metaphorically, of that which is right.42 Paul used the compound word orthotomeo (orthos is included) to describe how we are to accurately teach God’s Word: we are to cut a straight path so that we understand and teach His Word correctly (2 Timothy 2:15) – we must not be influenced by traditions or theologies.43 This straight path must follow the restricted Way to Life that is the Lord Jesus (John 14:6); we must hold a steady course through this life: faithfully following the Lord under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and looking only unto Him. It is as we walk this straight path to life that we will become an encouraging (and strengthening) example for others.
It is not that we are to devise a straight path for our feet, for that Path is already established in the Lord Jesus; however, we must ensure that nothing hinders our walk with Him. “26. Ponder [to level, or make smooth] the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. 27. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil” (Proverbs 4:26-27).44 We must be sure that the track that we follow through life, is without anything that would inhibit our walk with the Lord. Earlier, the writer declared that we have put off every hindrance because of the witness of the OT saints, which then permits us to persevere on our journey with the Lord (Hebrews 12:1). We are not only to remove everything that would hinder our walk with the Lord, but the writer of Proverbs cautions against bending, or turning, either to the right or left. If we have cleared the track of all that would inhibit our walk with the Lord, then we must guard against turning aside from the Way. There are two roads in life: the broad road that leads to destruction, and the narrow Way that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14). Jesus said: “… he that shall endure [faithfully and obediently persevere] unto the end, the same shall [this is the one who will] be saved” (Matthew 24:13, literal in italics).45 Notice that faithful obedience must continue unto the end, or else salvation will not be awarded; we must remove everything that would hinder our progression on the Way to Life, and we must keep our eyes fixed upon the Lord, for only then will we remain stable and steady in our walk with Him. Turning away from this track to life can begin by simply failing to be obedient.
Straight paths speaks of a life with the Lord that receives His approval, and, as we carefully encourage and support those who are on the same journey, we will faithfully walk the pathway that has been prepared for us by the Lord (Ephesians 2:10). On this Way that has been made free of all hindrances, our lame legs will be healed, and our walk will become increasingly steady.
For the readers of this letter, a steady walk will mean not being enticed to follow the traditions of the Jews. For us, today, it will mean that we are strong in God’s Word, and will not be easily influenced by eloquent preachers who teach a gospel that is not fully supported by the Scriptures. “And I exhort you, brethren, notice those who, without regard for the teaching that you have learned, are causing dissensions and [laying] snares to sin, and turn away from them” (Romans 16:17, literal).46 Their activities will separate us from one another, but, more seriously, from the Lord and His Word (whether dissension or sin); we must be alert!
14. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Strive for peace with everyone, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord (literal).47
Strive for (follow) is from the Greek dioko, which means to pursue something/someone with haste and tenacity.48 When it is used within the context of hostility, it is most frequently translated as persecute; here it is a command (imperative mood) to pursue peace with everyone with haste and tenacity. However, we all know that not everything that you strive for will be obtained, and that holds true in this case as well. Indeed, we may seek to live peaceably, but that is not always possible. Paul understood this, as well: “out of you, if possible, live at peace with all men” (Romans 12:18, literal);49 in other words, strive for peace; do not be the source of contention. Nevertheless, he includes the phrase if possible, which means that it will not always be possible to be at peace with everyone; when peace requires a compromise of God’s Word, then it is not possible to be at peace with everyone – our peace with the Lord must supersede all!
In the OT, we find the phrase, slow to anger, used eight times: six are attributed to Jehovah, and two to a man who is wise. “The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy” (Psalm 145:8); “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city” (Proverbs 16:32). Being long to anger (the Hebrew behind slow to anger) will go a long way to keeping the peace with others, and it follows the Lord’s example toward sinful humanity.50
The writer makes a very interesting shift in thought; and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. He first commands that we make every effort to live peaceably with everyone, and then he adds the command to strive for holiness, because without holiness we will not see the Lord. In effect, he has summarized the Ten Commandments: the last six express our efforts to live at peace with all men; the first four show how we are to live in holiness before God. The writer has carefully presented Jesus as the new and living way that has been opened to us through His death and resurrection (Hebrews 10:19-22), and now reminds his readers that there is a work to do: strive for peace with men, and holiness before the Lord! The foundation for this work is an abiding faith in the Lord Jesus (Hebrews 10:23-24), which can be expressed only through our obedience to Him. Jesus summarized the Ten Commandments this way: “37. … Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38. This is the first and great commandment. 39. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:37-39). The first commandment is to love God; obedience to that first command will ensure that whatever follows will flow from that right relationship with God. Holiness only comes through obedience; the children of Israel were to wear fringes on their garments so “that ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God” (Numbers 15:40) – yes, the Hebrew indicates that there is a progression from obedience to holiness.51 “Blessed [are] those who are doing His commandments, so that the right to the tree of life will be theirs, and by the gates they will enter into the city [New Jerusalem]” (Revelation 22:14, literal).52 Obedience to the Lord’s commands is a present activity (present tense doing) that has heavenly implications: it will (future tense) provide access to both the tree of life and the New Jerusalem. That is the normal and anticipated result of obeying the Lord; however, Jesus explained that it is only the one who remains obedient (despite oppression) unto the very end who will be saved (Matthew 24:13) – it is not sufficient to be obedient for a while, or from time-to-time, and this is supported by the Greek grammatical structure of Revelation 22:14.53 The Greek includes a little word ina, which introduces the results of obeying His commands (in this case), and I have shown it as so that; hence, as already noted, the doing, or obeying, is in the present tense, meaning that it must be a continual action as long as we are alive, and only then will it result in access to the tree of life and the New Jerusalem.
15. Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 16. Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
15. See to it, lest anyone be excluded from the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness appearing should cause trouble, and, through this, many should be defiled; 16. Lest someone [be] a fornicator or ungodly person, as Esau, who for one meal did sell his birthright (literal).54
See to it is from the Greek episkopeo, which is used of the oversight responsibilities of the elders in a local ekklesia (1 Peter 5:2); the word for bishop is very similar (episkope), and speaks to their need to provide spiritual supervision within a congregation. Episkopeo is used here to identify the responsibility that we all bear for our own spiritual welfare, and it carries an intensive element that emphasizes the need to exercise diligence. Then too, it is in the present tense (it is a continual action), and imperative mood (a command that we are to heed).55 It is very common for professing Christians to blindly follow the teachings of someone for whom they have respect; it is true, the teacher, preacher or elder of a congregation bears a great responsibility to ensure that those under his care hear the truth, but that, in no way, absolves the one being taught of his responsibility to test everything against God’s Word (1 John 4:1).
The writer explains that the need for continual diligence in our walk with the Lord is so that we will not find ourselves outside of the saving grace of God. As we noted in our consideration of the previous verse, it is only through our obedience to the commands of God that we, by His grace and the working of His Spirit, are able to grow in His holiness. Therefore, it is very important that we live in obedience to Him, and that we do so with constant vigilance and diligence, else we will not be saved. Jesus said, “If My commandments ye do obey, then ye will remain in My love …” (John 15:10a, literal);56 He identified obedience as being the key to remaining in His love – the branch abiding in the Vine. The branch that does not abide in the Vine, will be cast out and burned (John 15:6): since obedience is the only way to remain in the Vine, then it is also evident that without it we will be cast out and burned. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and obedience to His Word, work together to open the gates of heaven; obedience is the expression of our love for the Lord, and it is how we must work out the salvation that He promises to the faithful (Philippians 2:12).
However, the writer’s concern goes beyond the spiritual destiny of the individual to the spiritual welfare of all of those around him. The root of bitterness speaks of a plant that produces a fruit that is inedible or poisonous; used figuratively (as here), it refers to someone whose heart is not right with the Lord, and through his attitude and actions he not only disturbs the peace within the congregation, but causes real spiritual harm to those about him. Part of the diligence that we are to exercise concerning our own spiritual welfare, is the continual testing of the words of professing Christians against the standard of God’s Word. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but examine the spirits whether it is from God because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1, literal).57 Notice that the Greek says to examine the spirits (plural) to determine if it is (singular) from God; there are many prophets, both true and false, but the spirit of the false prophets is one (Satan), even as the Spirit of the true prophets is also One (the Spirit of God). It is only as we exercise great diligence in examining the spirits under the light of God’s Word that we will be able to determine the spirit that is present.
According to John, we must not believe anyone until we have taken the time of examine their teaching against the Word of God; it is important to note that the testing must be carried out using God’s Standard, and not man’s theologies. Theologies are man’s interpretation of what he thinks that God is saying, and so they are inevitably filled with bias and finite thinking; the Standard for testing the spirits must be the unchangeable Word of God. Even though we might feel inadequate to test the words of those who have “studied” the Scriptures for many years, and have many impressive degrees, if we are a child of God, then we have the Spirit to help us evaluate what we are hearing or reading, and therein lies our advantage. Someone may study for a life time, but if their studying is always under the framework of a theology, then they have missed out on discovering the full truth of God.
Twice Paul used the phrase, a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump (1 Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 5:9), by which we understand that a little cause can bring great effects. In this case, a small error in doctrine can lead to many being influenced into following it into apostasy. To some it may have appeared to be insignificant, but an error will never remain alone and irrelevant – Satan (the spirit behind the error) will see to that! It only takes one rotten apple to destroy a whole basket of good apples; unless the rotten apple is found and removed, its influence will be felt by all of the apples around it. How will we be able to protect ourselves from doctrinal error, unless we examine all that we hear and read under God’s Light? John declares that without a careful testing, we will fail.
The purpose for such careful attention to our spiritual welfare, is so that the local assembly will be free of those who are defiled by spiritual error. If the Word of God is the Standard by which everyone is measured, then any error will be identified and removed before it is able to cause a problem. It is to prevent someone like Esau from being a part of our congregation; notice that the writer identifies Esau as being a fornicator and ungodly. Fornicator is used within the context of spirituality, and not physically. Christ is identified as the Head of the ekklesia, those called-out ones who are His children (Ephesians 5:23); therefore, when we are born again from above by the Spirit of God, we become a part of Christ’s Body – we are spiritually married to Him. “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:17); we are joined to the Lord. However, if we turn to follow some attractive error, then we have committed spiritual fornication against the Lord, to Whom we are married. Without repentance, such a person enters the irreversible state of apostasy (as we have seen in Hebrews 6 and 10). Esau was the firstborn son of Isaac and so held the birthright, which he sold to his brother for a meal; he also turned his back on the faith of his fathers, Abraham and Isaac, by first marrying two Hittite women, and then a descendant of Ishmael (Genesis 26:34; 28:9). The descendants of Esau (known as the Edomites) were a pagan nation, and became the enemies of Israel as they journeyed to the Promised Land (Numbers 20:21), were fought against by Saul (1 Samuel 14:47), and subdued by David (2 Samuel 8:14).
It is very clear that Esau followed the ways of the world of his day: he was ungodly (without regard for Jehovah), and willfully turned away from the God of his heritage (fornicator). The reason that we are to be vigilant regarding our spiritual health, is that unless we hold tenaciously to the Lord and His ways, we will be lured into the world and be like those who hold little regard for the Lord – becoming like Esau.
17. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
For ye know that even afterwards, desiring to receive the blessing, he was rejected; for no possibility of repentance was found, even though he sought it with tears (literal).58
Know is from the Greek oida, which means to know; however, in this case it is the word ’íste, which is a second-person, plural perfect form of oida, and can be in either the imperative (command) or indicative (a statement of fact) mood.59 The writer is presenting Esau’s failure to his Hebrew audience as being factual (indicative)60 – they were all familiar with the lives of Jacob and Esau.
“36. And he [Esau] said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away [deprived me of; not true, Esau willingly sold his birthright (Genesis 25:31-33)] my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? 37. And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son? 38. And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept” (Genesis 27:36-38). It seems that Esau had little regard for the birthright that he sold to Jacob until his father was nearing the end of his life; perhaps he hoped that his father would restore his birthright by means of his death-bed blessing. Before the twins were born, the Lord declared to Rebekah: “Two nations are in thy womb [Edom and Israel], and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger [2 Samuel 8:14]” (Genesis 25:23). What we are not told is whether Rebekah shared this with Isaac; if she did, then Isaac chose to ignore it, particularly since Esau became his favored son. We will never know how the Lord would have fulfilled His promise had Rebekah not taken it upon herself to make sure that Jacob received Isaac’s blessing.
Esau would have been fully aware of the promise that Jehovah had made to Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 12:3; 26:4), yet he held no regard for the promise or for Jehovah. He lived for the moment (selling his birthright for food because he was hungry), and married pagan women (a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah, Genesis 26:35); Abraham had meticulously maintained a separation from the pagan cultures around him, but Esau chose to join himself to them. Esau lived in a state of spiritual fornication (having turned away from the God of Abraham and Isaac), and was truly ungodly (embracing the pagan culture that was around him). Because he was such, he lost his birthright, the blessing of his dying father, and the favor of the Lord; yet, in the things of this world, he did prosper, and became a mighty nation of people with a hatred for Israel – Esau’s hatred for Jacob was perpetuated by his descendants in the nation of Edom.
There is a sobering lesson for us in Esau. Isaac carried the promise from Jehovah of a Blessing Who was to come for the whole world (all the nations [peoples] of the earth, Genesis 26:4).61 Esau may not have been the one chosen to carry that promise forward, but he could have placed his faith in Jehovah Who had made the promise – it has always been open to everyone. He was undoubtedly well aware of the God Whom Isaac served, yet his life tells us that he rejected Him; the writer of Hebrews tells us that by the end of Isaac’s life, repentance was not available to Esau. He did not seek to be cleansed before the Lord; what he sought with tears was his father’s end-of-life blessing – there was no thought of repentance before the Lord. Within a life that is lived in rejection of the Lord, there comes a point in time when repentance is no longer possible. Esau knew about the Lord, yet he rejected Him in his desire to live without any restraints. Isaiah wrote this concerning Israel: “But they rebelled [were disobedient], and vexed [grieved] his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them” (Isaiah 63:10).62 Rejection and rebellion hold disobedience in common; both Esau and Israel had some knowledge of what the Lord required, yet they chose to live according to the dictates of their own minds – “… every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6b). The writer clarifies that repentance from disobedience is not always possible, and he uses Esau as an example.
Consider another example: Noah and the people of his day. “And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days [the time until his destruction] shall be an hundred and twenty years” (Genesis 6:3).63 Noah preached the righteousness of Jehovah for 120 years (2 Peter 2:5), yet when the Lord closed the door of the ark upon Noah and his family (Genesis 7:16), no possibility of repentance was found for the people on the outside. When the judgment of the Lord began to fall upon the earth as rain (something that had never happened before), there was no more access to the salvation that the Lord had provided. Even if they had begged for entrance, the door was closed; Jesus used this as an illustration of when He will come in the clouds to gather His own (the rapture; Matthew 24:29-31, 37-39). Jesus’ harvesting of the earth will take place immediately prior to the vials of God’s wrath being poured upon the earth; during this time of God’s judgment of those who are still on the earth, there will be no opportunity for salvation – that day was closed with the rapture (Revelation 15:7-8).
However, Esau’s case is just a little bit different: the impossibility of repentance for him was not because God was about to judge the world, but simply that he had rejected the Lord for so long that his eternal destiny was already established. “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a worthless mind, doing what ought not to be done” (Romans 1:28, literal).64 To acknowledge God, means that we recognize Who He is, which, in turn, requires that we live in submission to Him; unless we are obedient to the Lord, we do not truly acknowledge Him as God. In essence, a life of disobedience to the Lord (a sign of rebellion), will lead to a mind that is no longer able to entertain any thought of submitting to Him. This was Esau: he had lived in rebellion to the Lord for so long that God withdrew from him (He abandoned him to a worthless mind) so that there was no possibility of repentance. Esau had no desire for the Lord; what brought him to tears was that he felt that he had been robbed of his father’s blessing – his focus was entirely on this life.
Within modern Evangelicalism, there is a delusion that has been carefully crafted by Satan, and it is being propagated by his religious messengers: a prayer for salvation will eternally secure your place in heaven. Jesus told us that, as the Word of God goes forth, it will be received in one of four ways: 1) it will not be understood, and the devil will whisk it away before it can be given another thought; 2) it will land upon a rocky heart, where it will spring to life but die when a difficulty arises; 3) it will fall into a weedy heart, where it will begin to grow but then be choked to death by outside distractions; 4) it will fall into a tender heart, where it will grow, mature and produce a harvest (Matthew 13:18-23). Sadly, in our day, most Evangelicals will probably never hear the Word of God in its fullness; because their preachers and teachers do not understand His Word correctly, they fill their listeners’ ears with theology and philosophy that bears some of the language of Scripture, but lacks Biblical integrity. By most, the Word of God is not understood, yet they remain content to leave their Bibles closed and accept the words of their favored preachers – the devil has removed the Seed, and they are left with a theology that is based upon an inaccurate view of God’s Word. Because they have been convinced that they could never correctly understand the Scriptures on their own, they are dependent upon the “professionals” to teach them God’s truth; instead, they are fed a steady diet of theology that includes enough truth to make it believable, but not enough to bring life. Hence, Evangelicals do not live according to God’s Word, nor are they concerned about their disobedience to the Lord because they are convinced that their heavenly destination has been secured.
Here is the sobering truth that the writer of Hebrews has uncovered: there comes a time when the one who is living in perpetual disobedience to the Lord will have no possibility of repentance. Esau was raised in a “Christian” home where Jehovah was honored, and, without a doubt, he was well aware of his father being a chosen ancestor of the Blessing to come, yet he rejected it all and followed the broad way to destruction (Matthew 7:13). Since disobedience is an evidence of rebellion, and since Evangelicals are notoriously disobedient to God’s Word, they are no different from Esau. If they have never known the truth of God (and most have never heard it), then they are following the pattern of Esau: not acknowledging the Lord (disobedience is the evidence), in which case, there will come a time when He will give them over to a worthless mind, and they, too, will have no possibility of repentance. Considering the Evangelical landscape today, that is a very sobering thought!
18. For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 19. And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: 20. (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: 21. And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)
18. For ye did not come to a mountain that can be touched and that did burn with fire, and to obscurity and darkness, and a tempest, 19. And the sound of a trumpet, and the sound of words, which those who heard, begged that the Word not be brought to them. 20. For they could not bear the command: and if a beast touch the mountain [it] will be stoned, or shot with an arrow, 21. And, the sight being so frightful, Moses said, “I am very fearful, and trembling” (literal).65
The writer rehearses the experience of the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai, with the reminder that this was not what they went through when they came to Christ. Deuteronomy 4:11 – “And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness [the LXX shows this as skotos, darkness], clouds [LXX – gnophos, obscurity or gloom], and thick darkness [LXX – thuella, tempest, or a wind storm].”66 The Lord’s purpose for this demonstration to the children of Israel, was that they would hear His words, fear Him all of their days, and teach this fear to their children (Deuteronomy 4:10). Although the presence of God upon Mt. Sinai instilled fear within the people, their history tells us that they did not remember that fear for very long, and certainly not for all of their days.
It was at Mt. Sinai that Jehovah spoke the Ten Commandments to the children of Israel, which were the terms of His covenant with them (Deuteronomy 9:10), and to this, the people responded to Moses: “Speak thou with us, and we will hear [obey]: but let not God speak with us, lest we die” (Exodus 20:19).67 The people heard God’s voice, and begged Moses to speak His words to them, with the commitment that they would be obedient to the Lord’s words; at that moment, they had a great fear of Jehovah, yet it was not many days later that they built a calf of gold and declared it to be their god.
The Lord commanded that any beast that touched the mountain was to be put to death, but, beyond that, He also stated that any person who so much as touched the border, or the extremity, of the mountain was to be put to death (Exodus 19:12). The people’s fear of Jehovah was very real, and Moses said that they needed to retain that fear so that they would not sin (Exodus 20:20). Alas, how soon we forget! They were overwhelmed with fear, and kept well away from the mountain (Exodus 20:18); however, this fear soon dissipated, and their next fear was that Moses was lost to them – and Jehovah with him (Exodus 32:1).
Although there is no Biblical reference to Moses’ being fearful and trembling at this time at Mt. Sinai; we do note that all of Israel trembled at the lightning and very loud sounds that came from Mt. Sinai as the Lord descended to it (Exodus 19:16), and surely Moses, too, would have trembled. The difference would be that Moses knew the Lord, and, therefore, his fear would have been mingled with faith in the Lord; the people only knew the Lord through Moses, they did not know Him personally. Consequently, when Moses did not come down from the mount within what they deemed to be a reasonable time, they panicked: Moses was gone, and so Jehovah, the God of Moses, was also gone.
22. But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
But ye have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the God Who is living, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels (literal).68
The writer draws a contrast to the experience of the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai. As the Lord descended upon Mt. Sinai, we are told that there were thunders, lightnings, the mount was covered by a thick cloud and there came a very loud sound of a horn (Exodus 19:16); this was all in an effort to instill within the hearts of the children of Israel a lasting fear of Jehovah (Deuteronomy 4:10). As we noted earlier, it didn’t work.
Historically, Mount Zion was the location of the city of David, the site of the temple, and the dwelling place of God.69 Mt. Sinai was the place where God came down in power before Israel, and where the tabernacle pattern was given to Moses; it was a place that instilled a momentary terror within the hearts of the children of Israel. Mount Zion speaks of peace with God: the priests attended to the spiritual needs of the faithful, and taught the Law of Moses so that they could live in harmony with the Lord – “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined” (Psalm 50:2). Mount Zion, or Zion, is often used to refer to the city of Jerusalem: the location of the Jewish temples, and where King David reigned over Israel.
The writer’s audience would have been very familiar with the glory of Mount Zion, the hub of their former Jewish faith and the location of their magnificent temple; they would also have understood that Jerusalem was the place in which the living God had chosen to dwell (1 Kings 11:36). However, there is a quick shift from what his readers might have expected; he identifies this Mount Zion as being the heavenly Jerusalem, and not the city that was still standing in Israel. At this time, the difficulty that many Jews had was to relinquish their ties to the Mosaic traditions because all of the physical aspects of it were still in place: the temple was still standing, the priests were still at work, and the Jewish religious leaders were undoubtedly doing their utmost to present a front that it was business as usual. Yet Jesus died, tearing the temple veil in half (Matthew 27:50-51); He rose again, and also raised the OT saints (Matthew 27:52-53); He ascended to heaven, taking the OT saints with Him, where He sat to the right of the Father (Acts 1:9; Ephesians 4:8; Hebrews 1:3). Jesus made a single and full payment for sin (Hebrews 9:26), thereby rendering the temple, the priesthood, the sacrifices, and all of the rest of the Mosaic Law (the Old Covenant) fulfilled and ended (Hebrews 8:13). Even if they were able to accept that Jesus’ death and resurrection ended the priesthood and sacrifices, there were still numerous traditions that had become ingrained into the very fiber of their beings – some of which had come from the Lord through Moses (many, many more were devised by years of religious leaders seeking to suppress the people and secure their positions of authority). In an effort to assist his readers in making this significant shift in thinking, the writer reminds them that they are now looking to a heavenly Jerusalem – they needed to turn away from the physical and focus on the spiritual.
Notice that the heavenly Jerusalem is identified specifically as the city of the God Who is living. The earthly Jerusalem was no longer the dwelling place of God; the temple veil had been torn to signify that access was now open to God – not through the priests and the veil, but through Jesus having paid the full price for sin. Through faith in Christ, the dwelling place of God upon this earth is now in individuals who are living in faithful obedience to Him (1 Corinthians 3:16), and we are looking forward to the heavenly New Jerusalem, where the throne of God is (Revelation 22:3), and where He will dwell with His redeemed ones (Revelation 21:3).
One final note is that they are also coming to myriads of angels; the Greek murias is in the plural, which means countless thousands, or an innumerable host.70 These are the angels who are called ministering spirits, and who are used by the Lord to minister to us in ways that we will not understand until we are forever in the presence of the Lord, and His angels (Hebrews 1:14).
What a contrast between Mt. Sinai and Mount Zion! Mt. Sinai: God was present on the top of the mountain in obscurity, darkness and storm, with the sound of a horn and thunders, causing the mountain to quake (Exodus 19:16-19); out of this God provided the Ten Commandments, and the Mosaic Law with its numerous regulations, sacrifices and priestly requirements. Mount Zion: through faith in Christ, the Spirit of God comes to abide within, and the Ten Commandments are written upon our hearts and placed into our minds. Yet the similarities are also worth noting: both rest upon the Law of God (the Ten Commandments), and Mt. Sinai was, and Mount Zion is, dependent upon faithful obedience to the Lord in order to be effective. The former rested upon the faith of the individual in the God Who promised redemption; the latter rests upon a personal faith in the God Who came and fulfilled the promise that He had made. The focus of both “faiths” is upon the Lord Jesus Christ – the Promised One, and the One Who came! It is the same faith!
23. To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
To joyous celebration, and the assembly of the firstborn who have been registered in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and the spirits of the righteous who have been made complete (literal).71
The list continues of what awaits those who come to Mount Zion, and the first is joyous celebration. We’ve just read that innumerable angels will be present there; “… I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke 15:10). One sinner who accounts himself to be dead to sin and alive unto God, brings great rejoicing among the countless hosts of angels.
We also come to the assembly of the firstborn. Earlier, our attention was drawn to Jesus being the Firstborn of the Father (Hebrews 1:6), and we looked at the implications of the Greek word prototokos as it was used regarding Jesus. We find the same Greek word here, except that it has one difference: it is now in its plural form. The writer also noted: “For both he that sanctifieth [Jesus, the Son of God] and they who are [being] sanctified [His faithful ones] are all of one [of God]: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Hebrews 2:11).72 Jesus, as the Son of God, is willing to call His faithful ones brethren, His family: the Creator (the Sanctifier) identifying with His creatures (the sanctified)! The hope that we have is that, at His coming, we will be raised in immortality (1 Corinthians 15:50-53). “Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we will be, but we know that, when He has appeared, like Him we will be, for we will see Him just as He is” (1 John 3:2, literal).73
However, in the phrase that we’re considering, firstborn is not singular (so as to refer to Jesus), but plural. This is not a reference to Jesus (as we saw in Hebrews 1:6), but to those who have been made perfect through Him. We understand that the OT saints have been raised in their glorified bodies (Matthew 27:52-53), and were taken to heaven when Jesus ascended to the Father (Ephesians 4:8). The OT saints who had faith in the promise of Jehovah that Jesus would come, and lived faithfully for Him, were resurrected in their glorified bodies when the penalty for their sins was paid by Jesus and He rose from the dead. “And I looked, and behold a Lamb Who stood upon Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred forty-four thousands who have the name of His Father written upon their foreheads” (Revelation 14:1, literal). This 144,000 (first identified in Revelation chapter seven as being twelve thousands from each of twelve tribes of Israel) is not to be thought of as a restrictive number, but rather an indication of the completeness of the OT saints whom Jesus took to heaven. The number twelve is considered to represent completeness or perfection, and so twelve thousands from twelve tribes is merely an emphasis of that completeness. These OT saints are the firstborn (plural) of the Lord Jesus: they were the first to have their sins completely cleansed, and so they received their glorified bodies and the Father’s name on their foreheads. The assembly of the firstborn is a gathering of the OT saints in heaven, the first to receive Christ’s full cleansing, and those whose names have been written into the Book of Life (registered in heaven).
As we come to Mount Zion, we come to God, the righteous Judge. “And he [the Lord] shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness” (Psalm 9:8). As we have already seen, upon a person’s death, the Lord makes a judgement regarding the eternal destiny of that individual (Hebrews 9:27) – everyone who has ever lived will face the judgement of the Lord. The unrighteous are being held in Hades pending the day when they will stand before God at the Great White Throne judgement, where they will come to understand the basis for the Lord’s condemnation (Revelation 20:11-12).
Finally, we come to the spirits of the righteous who have been made complete. To the Corinthians, Paul explained that while we are in our bodies, we are not in the presence of the Lord; if we are faithful to the Lord, He is abiding within us, but we are not with Him in heaven, and, likewise, when we leave our bodies behind, we are then present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). It is when He returns in the clouds that our spirits, being absent from the body and present with Him, will be united with our bodies in immortality (1 Corinthians 15:52-53). Therefore, as we come to Mount Zion, we come to a joyous celebration among the angels, to an assembly of the OT saints in their glorified bodies, to the Lord Who redeemed us, and to the spirits of the righteous who have been redeemed from sin and are now complete, awaiting that day when they, too, will be re-united with their bodies at the harvest of the righteous (the rapture), and have the Father’s name in their foreheads (Revelation 22:4). What a day that will be!
Yet the warning of the writer of Hebrews echoes in our minds: “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12). As we come to faith in Christ, we come to Mount Zion with the tremendous promise of the joy that awaits us in Christ, but we have also come to understand that this is only for those who remain faithful (obedient) to the Lord in all things. “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him” (Isaiah 64:4). Jesus provided us with the key: “If My commandments ye do obey, then ye will remain in My love …” (John 15:10a, literal).74 Once again, we must face the absolute essential nature of our obedience to the commands of the Lord, including the Ten Commandments!
24. And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
And to the Mediator of the New Covenant, Jesus, and to sprinkled blood that speaks more effectively than that of Abel (literal).75
A mediator is someone who stands between two parties who are at odds with one another, in order to bring about a reconciliation.76 Paul notes: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5), which clarifies that Jesus is the only Mediator between God and humanity. The writer of Hebrews identifies Jesus as being the Mediator of the New Covenant, which tells us that the tool of mediation that Jesus uses is the New Covenant. It is sin that stands between God and humanity, and the OC provided a means of temporarily appeasing God’s wrath against sin through the priesthood and sacrifices. David provided us with this Messianic prophecy: “The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4); the Promised One would be a priest, not after the pattern of Aaron, but according to Melchizedek – this is a promise of a shift away from the Mosaic Covenant. Jeremiah spoke of the Lord making a New Covenant that would replace the OC that Israel, as a whole, had never been able to fully follow. The writer has already declared the NC to be better than the previous one – the Law of Moses (Hebrews 8:6); the most significant improvement is that Jesus paid the full price for sin through His one sacrifice, and so the OC was fulfilled and ended in Him! It is also new in the sense that God now places His Spirit within us, and writes His Law upon our hearts: like the OC tabernacle/temple, His Spirit and His Law are abiding within His holy sanctuary (1 Corinthians 6:19)!
Jesus, the One Who paid the price for the sins of humanity, is the Mediator of this New Covenant that is made between God and men; as God, He mediates with the full authority of God. Therefore, we must pay particular heed to the terms of this NC as declared by Jesus. 1) God must be our top priority. “… seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things [the necessities of life] shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). This is a call to relinquish to Him all that we might hold dear in this life, so that we are free to turn our attention to Him alone (Luke 14:33; Hebrews 12:2). 2) Not surprisingly, we must live according to the terms of the NC, and, again, Jesus helped us to know them. He identified the foundation for us: “If ye are loving Me, then ye must obey My commandments” (John 14:15, literal).77 However, He did not leave it there lest we fail in our determination of what His commands really are.
Consider His response to a religious lawyer of the Jews who sought to catch Him in His words: “35. Then one of them [Jewish religious leaders], which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting [testing] him, and saying, 36. Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38. This is the first and great commandment. 39. And the second is like unto [just as great as] it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets [literally, all the Law and the prophets are dependent]” (Matthew 22:36-40).78 Jesus identified two commands from the Lord that summarize all of the OC, the teachings of the prophets, and the Ten Commandments. We’ve already noted that the OC was built upon the Ten Commandments that the Lord wrote upon tables of stone at Mt. Sinai, and it also forms the basis for Jesus’ two summarizing commands: 1) how to love the Lord with all of your heart, soul and mind is expounded in commands one through four, and 2) how to love your neighbor is expressed in commands five through ten. Therefore, when Jesus says that we must obey His commandments, we can begin with these Ten that form the foundation for both the OC and the NC! Under the OC, God wrote the Ten Commandments upon two tables of stone, and they were kept in the Holy of Holies within the tabernacle and temple; with the NC, God now writes these same commandments upon our hearts and places them within our minds (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10) – they are still within the temple of God, the abiding place of His Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16)!
Most Evangelicals today have casually accepted the teaching that the Ten Commandments have been removed by Christ along with the Mosaic Law – they consider them to be one package. However, there is a very significant difference: God wrote the Ten Commandments upon two tables of stone (Exodus 31:18), while the rest of the Mosaic Law came through the medium of angels, and were written upon whatever was used in Moses’ day (Galatians 3:19). The Ten Commandments form the foundation for the OC, but they are not a part of it; they are also essential to the NC, for they are placed within the one who comes to Christ by faith (Hebrews 10:14-16). Paul understood that the Commandments had not been removed, for he makes specific reference to Commands 6 through 10 as fulfilling our love for our neighbor (Romans 13:8-10); we cannot express our love for our neighbor however we choose – it must be according to how God has declared it to be. If the Commands had been removed by Christ, then Paul wouldn’t have specifically named these five! There is an attempt among many to take Jesus’ two summary commands (love God, and love your neighbor) and make them whatever they want them to be, while ignoring the fact that God has already told us how we are to express our love for Him and for our neighbor. God has prepared a work for us to do (Ephesians 2:10), but we will only accomplish it by obedience to Him – certainly not by doing what is right in our own eyes.
Because we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, we have put off every hindrance and the easily entangling sin; with endurance let us run the race of life that is set before us (literal).1
Witnesses is from the Greek martus, from which we get our word martyr; however, within this context it does not follow the thought of martyrdom, but of those who have experienced trials and have been approved by the Lord.2 Indeed, the writer has just elaborated on those whose faith in the Lord accomplished mighty things, those who died rather than compromising their faith in the Lord, and those who simply led a life that was deprived of comforts in order to remain faithful to the Lord. The OT saints, to whom the writer has referred, accomplished great things because they followed Jehovah’s instructions; these, who made Him their top priority in all things, were accounted to be of greater worth than the world (Hebrews 11:38; Luke 14:33); therefore, they are described as being the approved of the Lord (witnesses).
Cloud (nephos), in this case, simply tells us that there are a host of witnesses who are surrounding us.3 It’s not that these OT witnesses are hovering around us as we go through life, but rather that their exploits for the Lord, a product of their faith in Him, have been recorded for our instruction, encouragement, and enlightenment. Because we have such a host of faithful examples, the writer boldly proclaims that we (he includes himself in this) have set everything aside that would detract from our lives with the Lord: anything that would impede our growth in the Lord (hindrance), and that which would serve to draw us away from Him (easily entangling sin). We need to understand that what might prove to obstruct our spiritual growth may not be wrong, or sinful, in itself, but because it proves to have a negative impact on our walk with the Lord, it must be laid aside. In addition, we must lay aside (put off) all of those little things that can cause us to sin – that which draws our focus away from the Lord. 22. “… put off [same Greek word] concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24). Until we have put the new man on, we have not really removed the old man; once we are wearing the new man of God’s righteousness and holiness, we must then continually account the old man as being dead (Romans 6:11) – it is not a one-time action, but a daily challenge that everyone who desires to follow the Lord must face! The OT saints provide us with many examples of an enduring faith in the Lord.
Having put off every hindrance and tempting sin, we are commanded to live for the Lord with endurance. The writer uses the illustration of an athletic race to make his point: we are to persevere in the race that is set before us. A runner must keep two things in mind in order to qualify as the winner of a race: first of all, there are rules that govern the race, and a violation of those rules will cause him to be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:24), and secondly, the course of the race has been predetermined and must be followed (he is not free to run wherever he wants). As this is applied to the life of faith in the Lord, we understand the need for a strong commitment to the Lord: a faith that will remain unto the end (Matthew 24:13; Hebrews 3:14).
Race is from the Greek agon, and its use here is not from its primary meaning; it means a gathering of people, but especially those who come together for games, then it is used to refer to the place of such a gathering, even more specifically to the struggle and conflict of the games, and finally, within a general and illustrative application, to any struggle or trial of life.4 The writer uses its affiliation with an athletic contest (specifically a foot race) to clarify that we are participants in the race, but we did not establish the rules, nor did we design the course; therefore, we must run very carefully the course of our race that has been set before us. “For we are the workmanship of Him [God], created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God did prepare beforehand so that we will walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10, literal).5 This is the course of the race that is set before us: in Christ, God has prepared a work for us to do, we must simply persevere in what He has arranged for our good.
2. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Fixing our eyes upon Jesus, the Founder and Finisher of the faith, Who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, disregarded the humiliation, and He did sit to the right of the throne of God (literal).6
The writer makes it clear that we will persevere in the race that God has laid out for us by fixing our eyes upon Jesus. Fixing our eyes is from one word in Greek: aphorao, which means to look away from everything else and to focus our undivided attention on one Person (in this case).7 With our eyes firmly focused upon the Lord Jesus, we have established the precursor to a successful race.
It is at this point that modern Evangelicals fail, including those who appear to be leaders within the movement. Rather than a singular focus upon the Lord, the average Evangelical remains entirely centered on a theology or a preferred preacher, while their leaders follow the dictates of their favored theology or philosophy. A singular focus on the Lord Jesus means that His Word, the Scriptures, takes priority over everything else, and is the foundation for all interpretation (allowing Scripture to explain Scripture). Evangelicalism turns this around so that a preferred theology or philosophy becomes the foundation for interpreting God’s Word: i.e., man’s thinking takes priority over God’s Word. Most Evangelical leaders would deny this, yet their understanding of Scripture has been processed through the grid(s) of their particular theology. A grid may be something as broad as dispensationalism, or as defining as Reformed, Baptist, or Catholic doctrine. It is unfortunate that almost everyone will apply these filters to their interpretation of Scripture without any thought.
A singular focus on the Lord Jesus, as the writer encourages, will ensure that everything is measured according to the standard that God has given to us: His Word! The relevance of John’s words cannot be overstated: “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try [examine] the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).8 This examination can only be carried out with the revealing light of God’s Truth and His Spirit as our guide; unless our focus is on God’s Truth (the Lord Jesus Christ, John 14:6), our conclusions will be false, and God will number us among the false prophets of the day. A prophet is generally someone who speaks for God, and so a false prophet is someone who claims to speak for God but has no understanding of His truth, or someone who professes confidently, but without a knowledge of His Word.
The writer identifies Jesus as the Founder and Finisher of the faith that we have when we are in Him. The faith that we have is based upon the work of the Lord Jesus upon the cross and His resurrection that, together, bring an end to sin and new life in Him. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1); “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (1 John 5:7); as Jesus descends from heaven to face the armies of the Antichrist, we are told that His name is “the Word of God” (Revelation 19:13b). The pre-incarnate Jesus, as part of the eternal Godhead, is called the Word. Paul wrote: “[God] Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Timothy 1:9); the grace of God was given to us in Christ Jesus before everlasting times (literal)9 – before creation, God’s grace had already been given to humanity in Christ (the Word). The essence is this: before God created man, it had already been determined that the Word would come to bring God’s grace to a sinful mankind; the plan of salvation was in place before creation began. Indeed, Jesus (the eternal Word) is the Founder of the faith that we, as humanity, can have in Him for making salvation from sin possible; the Word came to this earth, and Jesus became the Finisher of that faith – what a finish: cleansed from sin and a new life in Him!
As the Finisher of the faith, Jesus endured the cross. As the Son of God, Jesus knew His purpose for coming to earth as a man (John 12:27), yet, as the Son of Man, He struggled with the awful price that needed to be paid for sin (Matthew 26:39). Crucifixion was a notoriously painful and slow death for its victims, and, within Rome, it was reserved for slaves, rebels and the worst of criminals; within Jewish custom, anyone who was hung upon a tree was considered to be cursed of God (Deuteronomy 21:22-23). Jesus, the eternal Word, “7. made himself of no reputation [literally, emptied Himself, He set His heavenly glory aside], and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:7-8).10 The humiliation of Jesus began with His birth in Bethlehem (God confined to a body of flesh), and ended with His crucifixion as a criminal; even though crucifixion was offensive to the Jews (being a sign of God’s curse upon the individual), they insisted upon that form of death for Jesus (Mark 15:12-14). However, crucifixion was not the cause of Jesus’ death; after committing His spirit (the breath of life) to His Father, He died (Luke 23:46). It was for the final payment for sin that Jesus willingly gave His life; it was not uncommon for the victims of crucifixion to remain alive for two or three days upon the cross, yet Jesus was crucified and died within a six-hour time frame (Mark 15:25; Luke 23:44-45).11 Because the Jews could not leave a body on the cross overnight (Deuteronomy 21:22), it became the custom that an iron bar was used to break the legs of the crucified so that they would then die from suffocation almost immediately; this did not happen to Jesus (John 19:32-33).
Jesus endured the cross and the tremendous humiliation that it was for Him as eternal God, and He did so because of what lay beyond it. The cross was the means by which He paid the price for sin in order to open to humanity a full cleansing from sin, and, thereby, He became the Head of the ekklesia of the redeemed – the Shepherd of one flock (Colossians 1:18; John 10:16)! For His willing sacrifice, Jesus has been given a name that is above all names (Philippians 2:9), He has been crowned with glory (Hebrews 2:9), and, in the New Jerusalem, it is His glory that will be its light (Revelation 21:23). Jesus (the Word), having been a part of the eternal plan to bring salvation to a sinful humanity, understood the blessed state that would be His after this time of suffering, and so He endured the cross, knowing that, on the other side of it, He would be part of an everlasting family: “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Hebrews 2:11). The Son of God, the eternal Creator of all things (including all of humanity, who are made in His image), calls those whom He has redeemed out of sin, His brethren – His family! Since He takes joy in this relationship that came at such a great cost to Him, then our faithful obedience to Him can be our only loving response; the sacrifices that we may be called upon to endure, are not worthy to be compared to what He endured for us. We, in turn, must look beyond any suffering that we might be called to bear and behold the glory that will be ours, with Him, if we remain faithful to Him unto the end (Matthew 24:13).
The writer reiterates that Christ sat to the right of the Father in heaven (Hebrews 1:3; 8:1; 10:12) – that place of favor!
3. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
For carefully consider Him, Who against Himself endured such hostility by sinners, so that ye are not wearied in your souls [and] become discouraged (literal).12
The writer issues a command to think very carefully about the Lord Jesus, Who endured such suffering from the hands of His created beings – those who were made in His image! Such consideration needs to include the fact that Jesus came from the glories of Heaven into this world: eternal God (the Word) joined to a body of flesh, born into a working family, and among sinners who, for the most part, refused to acknowledge Him as the Son of God (Philippians 2:7)! Yet, He went beyond that and died under the burden of all sin in order to become the payment for the sins of humanity (Philippians 2:8); He went from heavenly glory to bearing the sins of the world while being nailed to a Roman cross. We will never be able to comprehend the full measure of the price that He paid for the redemption of the few who have found, or will find, the Narrow Way to life (Isaiah 1:9; Matthew 7:14); the Message of truth has never been widely accepted, nor will those who hold to the Lord ever become popular. Jesus said: “24. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. 25. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub [Matthew 12:24], how much more shall they call them of his household?” (Matthew 10:24-25). Peter expressed it this way: “12. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13. But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings … 14. If ye be reproached [reviled] for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified” (1 Peter 4:12-14).13 Indeed, those who are faithful to the Lord (obedient to His Word) will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12), yet there is a caution to be noted in this as well: being reviled must come as a result of holding firmly to the name of Christ. “For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God” (1 Peter 2:20).
The writer follows the theme that he introduced in v. 2 (fix your eyes on the Lord Jesus), with a charge to give careful consideration to the Lord and what He suffered in order to bring redemption from sin to mankind. As we ponder all that the Lord endured, we are to come away encouraged in heart to persevere for Him. Notice that the weariness is not specifically physical (although that can sometimes be a contributing factor), but an exhaustion of the mind that often comes through being overwhelmed by what we are facing. It is as we turn our attention to the Lord, and all that He endured for us, that our eyes are once again lifted to focus upon Him. He told us: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b). It is that eternal perspective that will lift our hearts, even as we live in a world that is fraught with trials, troubles, and distresses.
4. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
In your struggle against sin, ye have not yet resisted to the point of blood (literal).14
The writer observes that, in their opposition to sin, his readers have not been required to do so to the extent of it costing their lives. Unlike many of the OT saints who followed the Lord and died rather than disown Him, these followers of the Lord Jesus had not yet been called upon to die for Him. Those two words (not yet) imply that it is not outside of the realm of possibility that for some, martyrdom lay ahead. To the elder of Pergamos, Jesus noted that he remained faithful even during the time when one from among their group was killed for his faith (Revelation 2:13); within a scant thirty years (from the writing of Hebrews to that of Revelation15), the killing of one of the Lord’s own is recorded. In the following two centuries, Rome escalated the persecution against Christians, and the blood of the Lord’s martyrs flowed; however, at this time, resistance against sin had not yet included the shedding of their blood.
5. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
5. Nevertheless, ye have completely forgotten the exhortation that is spoken to you as to sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s correction, nor become weary by His reproof; 6. for whom the Lord loves, He corrects, and chastises every son whom He receives” (literal).16
The writer quotes from Proverbs 3:11-12 in order to remind his readers that the Lord is actively involved in the guidance, discipline and growth of those who seek to follow Him. He has just reminded them that they have not yet withstood sin to the point of bloodshed, and now he places this struggle within the context of God’s correction and their maturity.
“11. My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: 12. For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth” (Proverbs 3:11-12).
The writer follows the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures; despise (KJV) is from the Hebrew ma’as, which means to reject or refuse.17 The Septuagint translators used a form of this Hebrew word (ma`asa) to arrive at oligorei, which means to esteem lightly.18 Although there is a distinct difference in the intensity of these thoughts, making light of the Lord’s correction is, at its heart, a rejection; although it may appear to be more nonchalant, it is a refusal to be corrected by the Lord – even if the individual may not openly made that declaration. Either way, the Lord’s correcting work falls upon an unwilling heart.
Faint (KJV) is from the Greek ekluomai, which is also found in the LXX, and speaks of being weary, faint, or discouraged.19 However, the Hebrew word that is shown as weary in Proverbs is qus, which means to loathe something, to abhor or dread it – something that induces nausea and vomiting.20 If we refuse the Lord’s correction, then it would be expected that we would also come to dread His attempts to help us to grow in Him. Although the Greek rendering of this Hebrew word is quite different, it does express the end result of rejecting the work of the Lord in our lives: since we refuse to be corrected by Him, the only consequence is that we will become exhausted under the burden of refusing to follow His leading. We will either repent and learn from His correction, or we will depart from Him into apostasy.
Correction means that what is wrong is being made right, but the Hebrew word (in Proverbs) means to face someone with their failure (reproof ).21 Whether correction will take place is largely dependent upon whether the individual will accept the chastening (KJV) or correction of the Lord, or reject it. Loathing the Lord’s reproof indicates that there is a refusal to face the fact that a violation of His will has taken place; He shows us our failure, but it sickens us to be reminded of it, rather than leading us to repentance before Him.
The second verse (Proverbs 3:12) places the correction and reproof into a familial context, so that we are better able to understand the work of the Lord in our lives. The Lord’s correction comes as a product of His great love for us, even as a father will correct his children because he loves them and desires that they learn and grow by his loving correction. The writer will use this to elaborate further on the Lord’s desire for our growth in Him.
Again, the writer follows the LXX, which omits the illustration of the father bringing correction to the child with whom he is pleased, and adds the thought of severe chastisement (scourgeth in the KJV).22 A willing heart that accepts the Lord’s correction does not expect the correction to stop, but understands that it is given to bring maturity, and comes from a heart of love. The father who refuses to correct his children is permitting childish folly to flourish in them (Proverbs 22:15); unless we learn through correction, we will become a bane to society, which is why our “correctional facilities” are full! The writer of Proverbs likens the Lord’s correction to that of a loving father who delights in his children and desires to see them grow and mature. Proverbs introduces the earthly illustration of the heavenly discipline in the final phrase, it includes the earthly example of the father, but does not include the thought of scourging. This latter comes from the LXX, which some assume to be based upon an older Hebrew text, which has since been lost, rather than the Masoretic Text that has survived. Whatever the case, the thought of severe punishment (scourgeth) does not have a Hebrew source for support, and really doesn’t fit with the context.
7. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
If ye are enduring discipline, God is dealing with you as with sons; for who is a son whom a father is not disciplining? (literal).23
Chastening (discipline) is from the Greek word paideia; although it primarily means discipline, it also speaks of instruction and training; discipline is not the end, but a means toward a greater goal: maturity. Discipline and correction are essential elements of teaching, for without them, proper instruction could not take place. Therefore, if we persevere through the Lord’s discipline, then we are assured that He is dealing with us as with sons – His sons!
The writer launches into the earthly illustration of the correction that comes from the Lord; an earthly father disciplines his children (instructs and trains them) in how they are to live. It is only reasonable then to assume that God will also seek to instruct His children in how to live before Him in righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24).
8. But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
And if ye are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then ye are illegitimate children, and not sons (literal).24
The writer proceeds to draw a conclusion to what he has just expressed; since every father, out of his love for his children, will discipline (instruct, train, correct) them, then if you receive no discipline from the Lord, there is only one reason: you are not His child. Instruction from the Lord is to be accepted as being common to everyone who is His child, just as it is (or should be) with an earthly father.
Therefore, we must clearly understand what it means to be His child. Jesus taught Nicodemus that unless someone is born anew, he is not able to see the kingdom of God (John 3:3b, literal).25 He explained that unless someone is born from water and spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:5b, literal).26 First of all, we must understand that someone refers to a person, a living human being; Jesus says that anyone who desires to see, or enter into the kingdom of God, must be born anew, or, more explicitly, be born from water and spirit. From this we discern that unless something new takes place within a person, he will neither see nor enter into God’s kingdom. The testimony of John the Baptist helps to clarify this matter for us: “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me … shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost [Spirit], and with fire” (Matthew 3:11). To the Ephesians, Paul explained it this way: “22. That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man [this is repentance; entering into the waters of baptism] … 24. And that ye put on the new man [the Spirit of God enters bringing new life; being raised out of the waters of baptism], which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24). In order to become a child of God, there must be a turning away from the life that has been lived (repentance), and a turning to God, at which time the Spirit of God enters the individual in order to instruct him in the way of Truth (John 16:13). “[God] Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13). We understand that to become a child of God requires a turning from a life that was not pleasing to Him, and a turning to Him in new life by His Spirit.
After becoming His child, we must expect His correction as we, through the guidance of His Spirit, learn what it means to live in a manner that his pleasing to Him. Turning to God is the expression of our faith (an active believing) in the Lord, and Jesus made it very clear that obedience must then follow. “23. If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me” (John 14:23-24). Keep is from the Greek tereo, which means to observe, not visually, but in obedience;27 obedience to the Lord is an expression of our love for Him, and must accompany our faith in Him.
The writer declares that if we do not experience the Lord’s discipline, then we are not His sons. Yet, within the broader community of Evangelicalism, there is a general sense that life on this earth is good: we acknowledge God, secure our salvation, and wait for heaven. Such a person holds a “form of godliness” but the Spirit is missing (2 Timothy 3:5); there has been no repentance, only an effort to add the concept of God to his life in order to appear as being godly – such a person is not a child of God. There is only one Way to the Father, and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ; He is the Narrow Way to life, and only a few will find Him (Matthew 7:14). Most Evangelicals know about Jesus, but that is not the Way to life; without repentance (a turning from what has been), and a living faith in the Lord, you cannot be a child of God.
9. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
Furthermore, the fathers of our flesh we have [as] instructors, and for whom we have respect; will we not much rather become subject to the Father of the spirits, and live? (literal).28
The KJV translators turned a Greek noun into a verb: corrected; the word is a form of the word discipline that we have just considered. The Greek word includes discipline, instruction, training, education, etc., except that, as a noun, it refers to the ones (our fathers) who administer this discipline.29 The writer is elaborating on the illustration of our fathers training us in a manner that reflects, at least to some degree, the discipline that comes from the Lord. In this life, our fathers bear the responsibility to instruct and correct us so that we will become responsible members of society; in other words, they seek to train us in a way that will be for our long-term benefit. As we were raised under such discipline, we had respect for our fathers; they were not perfect, yet we held them in honor.
From this the writer concludes that, since we honored our imperfect fathers who sought to equip us for life, would it not be reasonable that we should live to submission to the Father in heaven, and thereby live? Subjection (become subject to) is from the Greek hupotasso, which is a military term that means to rank under;30 in this case, it identifies our place of submission to the Father – we live in obedience to Him! Notice that the writer links both subjection and live to the Father. It is as we abide in that place of submission to the Father that we will live. In John’s Gospel, we are told that these have been written so that ye believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that those who are believing have life through His name (John 20:31, literal).31 Life only comes through Christ (John 14:6), and being in Christ is only possible when we are living in obedience to Him (John 15:10).
The writer uses the phrase: Father of spirits as the contrast to our fleshly fathers. There can be no doubt that Father refers to God, yet this is the only place where this phrase is used. The Greek pneuma can be used to refer to many things: the wind (the moving of air; John 3:8), breath (James 2:26), the immaterial part of man (the soul; Romans 8:16), a person’s attitude (Galatians 6:1), demons (Matthew 8:16), angels (Hebrews 1:13-14), God (John 4:24), and the third Person of God (1 John 5:7).32 In this instance, the word is in its plural form, which reduces the possibilities of it being the inner man (since the context is plural), demons or angels; the latter two do not fit the context, so we must consider this to be a reference to God as our Father in Christ (there is no other way for God to become our Father). The essence is this: since we submitted to our earthly fathers, and respected them for their discipline and instruction, then it is much more fitting that we learn from the Lord Who has purchased us out of sin through Christ, and is preparing us for adoption as His children (Ephesians 1:4-5).
We understand that the soul of man is eternal (Genesis 2:7), a distinguishing difference from all other created life. Those whose names are found in the Book of Life, will be welcomed into an eternity with the Lord (Revelation 21:27); those whose names are not found there are destined for an eternity in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:15). There is an eternal destiny for all of humanity: those who enter the Narrow Way to life (the Lord Jesus Christ), will enjoy the glories of heaven with Him forever. It is to these few (Matthew 7:14) to whom God is a Father, and, like unto our earthly fathers, He will train us to live for Him. As we leave the training ground of this life, and have remained faithful to Him, then our souls will abide with Him until the day when our bodies will be raised in glory, united with our spirits, and we will be with the Father of our spirits forever.
However, much like earthly children, the writer of Hebrews has made it very clear that we are quite capable of rebelling against our heavenly Father, and thereby entering a state of apostasy from which there is no recovery (Hebrews 3:12; 6:4-6). We must be continually alert, lest Satan deceive us into turning away from the Lord (1 Peter 5:8). Jesus assured us of His protection from outside attacks (John 10:27-28), but He also warned us to not be deceived (Luke 21:8) – deception comes when we change our minds about the Lord, and turn away from Him to embrace false teaching (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
10. For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
For, indeed, they, for a little while, did discipline at their own discretion, but He for [our] advantage, so as to share in His holiness (literal).33
Our fathers disciplined us for a small portion of our lives, according to their best judgment; however, they worked from a very limited perspective, and so it is possible that their discipline was sometimes inappropriate. By contrast, the Lord has full knowledge of all things, and is able to instruct us to our eternal advantage: so that we will come to share in His holiness.
We have already considered Paul’s explanation of our need to put off the old man and to put on the new man, created by God in His righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24). The Body of Christ (ekklesia), comprised of those who are in Christ, is described as being holy (Ephesians 5:27; Colossians 1:22), and Peter commands us to become holy in all behavior, just as He is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). The discipline that the Lord brings into our lives is to help us to grow in His holiness; we are holy before the Lord through the sacrifice of Christ (sometimes referred to as our standing), but we have much yet to learn about such holiness being expressed in this life (our state). It is our submission to the Lord that will ensure that we remain in Him, and produce fruit that is in keeping with being His disciples (John 15:5, 8).
11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
And, indeed, all discipline, for the present, appears not to be of joy but of grief, yet afterwards it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (literal).34
Discipline, by its very nature, is not a time of joy and gladness, and, depending on its nature, can actually be a time of sorrow. Keep in mind that discipline, as it is used here, includes correction, training, punishment and instruction; its goal is to bring someone from immaturity to maturity. However, that does not change the fact that even the discipline of the Lord that is given for our benefit, can be difficult. The writer assures us that if we will accept His discipline and learn from it, then it will yield the righteousness and holiness that characterizes the new man (Ephesians 4:24).
Earlier, we read: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus looked beyond the suffering that He would endure upon the cross, to redeemed sinners being eternally with Him; so we must look past the correction and instruction that we endure, to the righteousness and holiness that it will produce within us. Jesus promised that living for Him in this world would be fraught with many tribulations (John 16:33), but if we learn from them through the guidance of His Spirit, then we will enjoy the benefits that He has in mind for us.
Notice that the fruit of righteousness is described as being peaceable. Peace stands in contrast to war, conflict, and anxiety. Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). Leave and give are in the indicative mood: they are presented by Jesus as a statement of fact;35 He tells us that we have a peace that is from Him, and so we do not need to become unsettled or fearful. However, such calm in the midst of His discipline and the tribulations of this life can only come from Him; moreover, it will only come when we are living faithfully and obediently for Him. Jesus taught: “31. Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32. (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:31-33). In practical terms, Jesus declares that our focus must be on the things of God, not consumed by the things that we need in this life – all things that God, our Father through Christ, knows that we need. As we rest in Him, His peaceful righteousness will shine through us (Romans 8:4).
12. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 13. And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
12. Wherefore, strengthen the hands that have become weakened, and the knees that have become paralyzed; 13. And make straight paths for your feet, so that the lame legs will not become dislocated but, rather, be healed (literal).36
Wherefore provides a link to what has come before; namely, those who belong to the Lord will experience His discipline as He works to raise us to spiritual maturity in Him. Such discipline will often be difficult, yet we know that He has our best in mind, despite the challenges. The writer calls upon his readers to strengthen: it is in the active voice (a work for the readers to do) and imperative mood (it is given as a command).37 It is from the Greek anorthoo, which primarily means to rebuild, or restore what has fallen, and then to straighten, or to set upright; metaphorically, when it is applied to people it means to strengthen what has become weakened.38
The command is to strengthen the weakened hands and the knees that won’t work – to restore them to full function again. It seems that the writer is making a reference to Isaiah 35:3 – “Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.” Weak is from rapheh, a Hebrew word that is used to speak of discouragement and fear; similarly, feeble (kashal) describes knees that are tottering and unstable, usually because of weakness or weariness.39 Strengthen (chazaq) means to make strong, or to encourage; confirm only appears here as a translation of the Hebrew ‘amats, which is very commonly translated in the book of Joshua as good courage or courageous (e.g., Joshua 1:6).40 Both strengthen and confirm are in the imperative – they are commands; it is understood that we must be aware of those who need encouragement to steady their walk with the Lord, and then to provide it for them. Paul expressed this to the Galatians: “Carry each other’s burdens, and so fulfill the Law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2, literal).41 What is required (carry is in the imperative mood) is a mutual care for one another within the ekklesia, so that we will remain firm in our commitment to the Lord and steady in our walk with Him. It is through caring encouragement and help that our weakened hands will be made strong, and our knees that are paralyzed will function once again.
Then the writer goes on to speak of straight paths. Straight (from the Greek orthos) speaks of that which is not crooked, or, metaphorically, of that which is right.42 Paul used the compound word orthotomeo (orthos is included) to describe how we are to accurately teach God’s Word: we are to cut a straight path so that we understand and teach His Word correctly (2 Timothy 2:15) – we must not be influenced by traditions or theologies.43 This straight path must follow the restricted Way to Life that is the Lord Jesus (John 14:6); we must hold a steady course through this life: faithfully following the Lord under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and looking only unto Him. It is as we walk this straight path to life that we will become an encouraging (and strengthening) example for others.
It is not that we are to devise a straight path for our feet, for that Path is already established in the Lord Jesus; however, we must ensure that nothing hinders our walk with Him. “26. Ponder [to level, or make smooth] the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. 27. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil” (Proverbs 4:26-27).44 We must be sure that the track that we follow through life, is without anything that would inhibit our walk with the Lord. Earlier, the writer declared that we have put off every hindrance because of the witness of the OT saints, which then permits us to persevere on our journey with the Lord (Hebrews 12:1). We are not only to remove everything that would hinder our walk with the Lord, but the writer of Proverbs cautions against bending, or turning, either to the right or left. If we have cleared the track of all that would inhibit our walk with the Lord, then we must guard against turning aside from the Way. There are two roads in life: the broad road that leads to destruction, and the narrow Way that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14). Jesus said: “… he that shall endure [faithfully and obediently persevere] unto the end, the same shall [this is the one who will] be saved” (Matthew 24:13, literal in italics).45 Notice that faithful obedience must continue unto the end, or else salvation will not be awarded; we must remove everything that would hinder our progression on the Way to Life, and we must keep our eyes fixed upon the Lord, for only then will we remain stable and steady in our walk with Him. Turning away from this track to life can begin by simply failing to be obedient.
Straight paths speaks of a life with the Lord that receives His approval, and, as we carefully encourage and support those who are on the same journey, we will faithfully walk the pathway that has been prepared for us by the Lord (Ephesians 2:10). On this Way that has been made free of all hindrances, our lame legs will be healed, and our walk will become increasingly steady.
For the readers of this letter, a steady walk will mean not being enticed to follow the traditions of the Jews. For us, today, it will mean that we are strong in God’s Word, and will not be easily influenced by eloquent preachers who teach a gospel that is not fully supported by the Scriptures. “And I exhort you, brethren, notice those who, without regard for the teaching that you have learned, are causing dissensions and [laying] snares to sin, and turn away from them” (Romans 16:17, literal).46 Their activities will separate us from one another, but, more seriously, from the Lord and His Word (whether dissension or sin); we must be alert!
14. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Strive for peace with everyone, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord (literal).47
Strive for (follow) is from the Greek dioko, which means to pursue something/someone with haste and tenacity.48 When it is used within the context of hostility, it is most frequently translated as persecute; here it is a command (imperative mood) to pursue peace with everyone with haste and tenacity. However, we all know that not everything that you strive for will be obtained, and that holds true in this case as well. Indeed, we may seek to live peaceably, but that is not always possible. Paul understood this, as well: “out of you, if possible, live at peace with all men” (Romans 12:18, literal);49 in other words, strive for peace; do not be the source of contention. Nevertheless, he includes the phrase if possible, which means that it will not always be possible to be at peace with everyone; when peace requires a compromise of God’s Word, then it is not possible to be at peace with everyone – our peace with the Lord must supersede all!
In the OT, we find the phrase, slow to anger, used eight times: six are attributed to Jehovah, and two to a man who is wise. “The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy” (Psalm 145:8); “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city” (Proverbs 16:32). Being long to anger (the Hebrew behind slow to anger) will go a long way to keeping the peace with others, and it follows the Lord’s example toward sinful humanity.50
The writer makes a very interesting shift in thought; and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. He first commands that we make every effort to live peaceably with everyone, and then he adds the command to strive for holiness, because without holiness we will not see the Lord. In effect, he has summarized the Ten Commandments: the last six express our efforts to live at peace with all men; the first four show how we are to live in holiness before God. The writer has carefully presented Jesus as the new and living way that has been opened to us through His death and resurrection (Hebrews 10:19-22), and now reminds his readers that there is a work to do: strive for peace with men, and holiness before the Lord! The foundation for this work is an abiding faith in the Lord Jesus (Hebrews 10:23-24), which can be expressed only through our obedience to Him. Jesus summarized the Ten Commandments this way: “37. … Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38. This is the first and great commandment. 39. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:37-39). The first commandment is to love God; obedience to that first command will ensure that whatever follows will flow from that right relationship with God. Holiness only comes through obedience; the children of Israel were to wear fringes on their garments so “that ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God” (Numbers 15:40) – yes, the Hebrew indicates that there is a progression from obedience to holiness.51 “Blessed [are] those who are doing His commandments, so that the right to the tree of life will be theirs, and by the gates they will enter into the city [New Jerusalem]” (Revelation 22:14, literal).52 Obedience to the Lord’s commands is a present activity (present tense doing) that has heavenly implications: it will (future tense) provide access to both the tree of life and the New Jerusalem. That is the normal and anticipated result of obeying the Lord; however, Jesus explained that it is only the one who remains obedient (despite oppression) unto the very end who will be saved (Matthew 24:13) – it is not sufficient to be obedient for a while, or from time-to-time, and this is supported by the Greek grammatical structure of Revelation 22:14.53 The Greek includes a little word ina, which introduces the results of obeying His commands (in this case), and I have shown it as so that; hence, as already noted, the doing, or obeying, is in the present tense, meaning that it must be a continual action as long as we are alive, and only then will it result in access to the tree of life and the New Jerusalem.
15. Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 16. Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
15. See to it, lest anyone be excluded from the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness appearing should cause trouble, and, through this, many should be defiled; 16. Lest someone [be] a fornicator or ungodly person, as Esau, who for one meal did sell his birthright (literal).54
See to it is from the Greek episkopeo, which is used of the oversight responsibilities of the elders in a local ekklesia (1 Peter 5:2); the word for bishop is very similar (episkope), and speaks to their need to provide spiritual supervision within a congregation. Episkopeo is used here to identify the responsibility that we all bear for our own spiritual welfare, and it carries an intensive element that emphasizes the need to exercise diligence. Then too, it is in the present tense (it is a continual action), and imperative mood (a command that we are to heed).55 It is very common for professing Christians to blindly follow the teachings of someone for whom they have respect; it is true, the teacher, preacher or elder of a congregation bears a great responsibility to ensure that those under his care hear the truth, but that, in no way, absolves the one being taught of his responsibility to test everything against God’s Word (1 John 4:1).
The writer explains that the need for continual diligence in our walk with the Lord is so that we will not find ourselves outside of the saving grace of God. As we noted in our consideration of the previous verse, it is only through our obedience to the commands of God that we, by His grace and the working of His Spirit, are able to grow in His holiness. Therefore, it is very important that we live in obedience to Him, and that we do so with constant vigilance and diligence, else we will not be saved. Jesus said, “If My commandments ye do obey, then ye will remain in My love …” (John 15:10a, literal);56 He identified obedience as being the key to remaining in His love – the branch abiding in the Vine. The branch that does not abide in the Vine, will be cast out and burned (John 15:6): since obedience is the only way to remain in the Vine, then it is also evident that without it we will be cast out and burned. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and obedience to His Word, work together to open the gates of heaven; obedience is the expression of our love for the Lord, and it is how we must work out the salvation that He promises to the faithful (Philippians 2:12).
However, the writer’s concern goes beyond the spiritual destiny of the individual to the spiritual welfare of all of those around him. The root of bitterness speaks of a plant that produces a fruit that is inedible or poisonous; used figuratively (as here), it refers to someone whose heart is not right with the Lord, and through his attitude and actions he not only disturbs the peace within the congregation, but causes real spiritual harm to those about him. Part of the diligence that we are to exercise concerning our own spiritual welfare, is the continual testing of the words of professing Christians against the standard of God’s Word. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but examine the spirits whether it is from God because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1, literal).57 Notice that the Greek says to examine the spirits (plural) to determine if it is (singular) from God; there are many prophets, both true and false, but the spirit of the false prophets is one (Satan), even as the Spirit of the true prophets is also One (the Spirit of God). It is only as we exercise great diligence in examining the spirits under the light of God’s Word that we will be able to determine the spirit that is present.
According to John, we must not believe anyone until we have taken the time of examine their teaching against the Word of God; it is important to note that the testing must be carried out using God’s Standard, and not man’s theologies. Theologies are man’s interpretation of what he thinks that God is saying, and so they are inevitably filled with bias and finite thinking; the Standard for testing the spirits must be the unchangeable Word of God. Even though we might feel inadequate to test the words of those who have “studied” the Scriptures for many years, and have many impressive degrees, if we are a child of God, then we have the Spirit to help us evaluate what we are hearing or reading, and therein lies our advantage. Someone may study for a life time, but if their studying is always under the framework of a theology, then they have missed out on discovering the full truth of God.
Twice Paul used the phrase, a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump (1 Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 5:9), by which we understand that a little cause can bring great effects. In this case, a small error in doctrine can lead to many being influenced into following it into apostasy. To some it may have appeared to be insignificant, but an error will never remain alone and irrelevant – Satan (the spirit behind the error) will see to that! It only takes one rotten apple to destroy a whole basket of good apples; unless the rotten apple is found and removed, its influence will be felt by all of the apples around it. How will we be able to protect ourselves from doctrinal error, unless we examine all that we hear and read under God’s Light? John declares that without a careful testing, we will fail.
The purpose for such careful attention to our spiritual welfare, is so that the local assembly will be free of those who are defiled by spiritual error. If the Word of God is the Standard by which everyone is measured, then any error will be identified and removed before it is able to cause a problem. It is to prevent someone like Esau from being a part of our congregation; notice that the writer identifies Esau as being a fornicator and ungodly. Fornicator is used within the context of spirituality, and not physically. Christ is identified as the Head of the ekklesia, those called-out ones who are His children (Ephesians 5:23); therefore, when we are born again from above by the Spirit of God, we become a part of Christ’s Body – we are spiritually married to Him. “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:17); we are joined to the Lord. However, if we turn to follow some attractive error, then we have committed spiritual fornication against the Lord, to Whom we are married. Without repentance, such a person enters the irreversible state of apostasy (as we have seen in Hebrews 6 and 10). Esau was the firstborn son of Isaac and so held the birthright, which he sold to his brother for a meal; he also turned his back on the faith of his fathers, Abraham and Isaac, by first marrying two Hittite women, and then a descendant of Ishmael (Genesis 26:34; 28:9). The descendants of Esau (known as the Edomites) were a pagan nation, and became the enemies of Israel as they journeyed to the Promised Land (Numbers 20:21), were fought against by Saul (1 Samuel 14:47), and subdued by David (2 Samuel 8:14).
It is very clear that Esau followed the ways of the world of his day: he was ungodly (without regard for Jehovah), and willfully turned away from the God of his heritage (fornicator). The reason that we are to be vigilant regarding our spiritual health, is that unless we hold tenaciously to the Lord and His ways, we will be lured into the world and be like those who hold little regard for the Lord – becoming like Esau.
17. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
For ye know that even afterwards, desiring to receive the blessing, he was rejected; for no possibility of repentance was found, even though he sought it with tears (literal).58
Know is from the Greek oida, which means to know; however, in this case it is the word ’íste, which is a second-person, plural perfect form of oida, and can be in either the imperative (command) or indicative (a statement of fact) mood.59 The writer is presenting Esau’s failure to his Hebrew audience as being factual (indicative)60 – they were all familiar with the lives of Jacob and Esau.
“36. And he [Esau] said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away [deprived me of; not true, Esau willingly sold his birthright (Genesis 25:31-33)] my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? 37. And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son? 38. And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept” (Genesis 27:36-38). It seems that Esau had little regard for the birthright that he sold to Jacob until his father was nearing the end of his life; perhaps he hoped that his father would restore his birthright by means of his death-bed blessing. Before the twins were born, the Lord declared to Rebekah: “Two nations are in thy womb [Edom and Israel], and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger [2 Samuel 8:14]” (Genesis 25:23). What we are not told is whether Rebekah shared this with Isaac; if she did, then Isaac chose to ignore it, particularly since Esau became his favored son. We will never know how the Lord would have fulfilled His promise had Rebekah not taken it upon herself to make sure that Jacob received Isaac’s blessing.
Esau would have been fully aware of the promise that Jehovah had made to Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 12:3; 26:4), yet he held no regard for the promise or for Jehovah. He lived for the moment (selling his birthright for food because he was hungry), and married pagan women (a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah, Genesis 26:35); Abraham had meticulously maintained a separation from the pagan cultures around him, but Esau chose to join himself to them. Esau lived in a state of spiritual fornication (having turned away from the God of Abraham and Isaac), and was truly ungodly (embracing the pagan culture that was around him). Because he was such, he lost his birthright, the blessing of his dying father, and the favor of the Lord; yet, in the things of this world, he did prosper, and became a mighty nation of people with a hatred for Israel – Esau’s hatred for Jacob was perpetuated by his descendants in the nation of Edom.
There is a sobering lesson for us in Esau. Isaac carried the promise from Jehovah of a Blessing Who was to come for the whole world (all the nations [peoples] of the earth, Genesis 26:4).61 Esau may not have been the one chosen to carry that promise forward, but he could have placed his faith in Jehovah Who had made the promise – it has always been open to everyone. He was undoubtedly well aware of the God Whom Isaac served, yet his life tells us that he rejected Him; the writer of Hebrews tells us that by the end of Isaac’s life, repentance was not available to Esau. He did not seek to be cleansed before the Lord; what he sought with tears was his father’s end-of-life blessing – there was no thought of repentance before the Lord. Within a life that is lived in rejection of the Lord, there comes a point in time when repentance is no longer possible. Esau knew about the Lord, yet he rejected Him in his desire to live without any restraints. Isaiah wrote this concerning Israel: “But they rebelled [were disobedient], and vexed [grieved] his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them” (Isaiah 63:10).62 Rejection and rebellion hold disobedience in common; both Esau and Israel had some knowledge of what the Lord required, yet they chose to live according to the dictates of their own minds – “… every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6b). The writer clarifies that repentance from disobedience is not always possible, and he uses Esau as an example.
Consider another example: Noah and the people of his day. “And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days [the time until his destruction] shall be an hundred and twenty years” (Genesis 6:3).63 Noah preached the righteousness of Jehovah for 120 years (2 Peter 2:5), yet when the Lord closed the door of the ark upon Noah and his family (Genesis 7:16), no possibility of repentance was found for the people on the outside. When the judgment of the Lord began to fall upon the earth as rain (something that had never happened before), there was no more access to the salvation that the Lord had provided. Even if they had begged for entrance, the door was closed; Jesus used this as an illustration of when He will come in the clouds to gather His own (the rapture; Matthew 24:29-31, 37-39). Jesus’ harvesting of the earth will take place immediately prior to the vials of God’s wrath being poured upon the earth; during this time of God’s judgment of those who are still on the earth, there will be no opportunity for salvation – that day was closed with the rapture (Revelation 15:7-8).
However, Esau’s case is just a little bit different: the impossibility of repentance for him was not because God was about to judge the world, but simply that he had rejected the Lord for so long that his eternal destiny was already established. “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a worthless mind, doing what ought not to be done” (Romans 1:28, literal).64 To acknowledge God, means that we recognize Who He is, which, in turn, requires that we live in submission to Him; unless we are obedient to the Lord, we do not truly acknowledge Him as God. In essence, a life of disobedience to the Lord (a sign of rebellion), will lead to a mind that is no longer able to entertain any thought of submitting to Him. This was Esau: he had lived in rebellion to the Lord for so long that God withdrew from him (He abandoned him to a worthless mind) so that there was no possibility of repentance. Esau had no desire for the Lord; what brought him to tears was that he felt that he had been robbed of his father’s blessing – his focus was entirely on this life.
Within modern Evangelicalism, there is a delusion that has been carefully crafted by Satan, and it is being propagated by his religious messengers: a prayer for salvation will eternally secure your place in heaven. Jesus told us that, as the Word of God goes forth, it will be received in one of four ways: 1) it will not be understood, and the devil will whisk it away before it can be given another thought; 2) it will land upon a rocky heart, where it will spring to life but die when a difficulty arises; 3) it will fall into a weedy heart, where it will begin to grow but then be choked to death by outside distractions; 4) it will fall into a tender heart, where it will grow, mature and produce a harvest (Matthew 13:18-23). Sadly, in our day, most Evangelicals will probably never hear the Word of God in its fullness; because their preachers and teachers do not understand His Word correctly, they fill their listeners’ ears with theology and philosophy that bears some of the language of Scripture, but lacks Biblical integrity. By most, the Word of God is not understood, yet they remain content to leave their Bibles closed and accept the words of their favored preachers – the devil has removed the Seed, and they are left with a theology that is based upon an inaccurate view of God’s Word. Because they have been convinced that they could never correctly understand the Scriptures on their own, they are dependent upon the “professionals” to teach them God’s truth; instead, they are fed a steady diet of theology that includes enough truth to make it believable, but not enough to bring life. Hence, Evangelicals do not live according to God’s Word, nor are they concerned about their disobedience to the Lord because they are convinced that their heavenly destination has been secured.
Here is the sobering truth that the writer of Hebrews has uncovered: there comes a time when the one who is living in perpetual disobedience to the Lord will have no possibility of repentance. Esau was raised in a “Christian” home where Jehovah was honored, and, without a doubt, he was well aware of his father being a chosen ancestor of the Blessing to come, yet he rejected it all and followed the broad way to destruction (Matthew 7:13). Since disobedience is an evidence of rebellion, and since Evangelicals are notoriously disobedient to God’s Word, they are no different from Esau. If they have never known the truth of God (and most have never heard it), then they are following the pattern of Esau: not acknowledging the Lord (disobedience is the evidence), in which case, there will come a time when He will give them over to a worthless mind, and they, too, will have no possibility of repentance. Considering the Evangelical landscape today, that is a very sobering thought!
18. For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 19. And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: 20. (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: 21. And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)
18. For ye did not come to a mountain that can be touched and that did burn with fire, and to obscurity and darkness, and a tempest, 19. And the sound of a trumpet, and the sound of words, which those who heard, begged that the Word not be brought to them. 20. For they could not bear the command: and if a beast touch the mountain [it] will be stoned, or shot with an arrow, 21. And, the sight being so frightful, Moses said, “I am very fearful, and trembling” (literal).65
The writer rehearses the experience of the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai, with the reminder that this was not what they went through when they came to Christ. Deuteronomy 4:11 – “And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness [the LXX shows this as skotos, darkness], clouds [LXX – gnophos, obscurity or gloom], and thick darkness [LXX – thuella, tempest, or a wind storm].”66 The Lord’s purpose for this demonstration to the children of Israel, was that they would hear His words, fear Him all of their days, and teach this fear to their children (Deuteronomy 4:10). Although the presence of God upon Mt. Sinai instilled fear within the people, their history tells us that they did not remember that fear for very long, and certainly not for all of their days.
It was at Mt. Sinai that Jehovah spoke the Ten Commandments to the children of Israel, which were the terms of His covenant with them (Deuteronomy 9:10), and to this, the people responded to Moses: “Speak thou with us, and we will hear [obey]: but let not God speak with us, lest we die” (Exodus 20:19).67 The people heard God’s voice, and begged Moses to speak His words to them, with the commitment that they would be obedient to the Lord’s words; at that moment, they had a great fear of Jehovah, yet it was not many days later that they built a calf of gold and declared it to be their god.
The Lord commanded that any beast that touched the mountain was to be put to death, but, beyond that, He also stated that any person who so much as touched the border, or the extremity, of the mountain was to be put to death (Exodus 19:12). The people’s fear of Jehovah was very real, and Moses said that they needed to retain that fear so that they would not sin (Exodus 20:20). Alas, how soon we forget! They were overwhelmed with fear, and kept well away from the mountain (Exodus 20:18); however, this fear soon dissipated, and their next fear was that Moses was lost to them – and Jehovah with him (Exodus 32:1).
Although there is no Biblical reference to Moses’ being fearful and trembling at this time at Mt. Sinai; we do note that all of Israel trembled at the lightning and very loud sounds that came from Mt. Sinai as the Lord descended to it (Exodus 19:16), and surely Moses, too, would have trembled. The difference would be that Moses knew the Lord, and, therefore, his fear would have been mingled with faith in the Lord; the people only knew the Lord through Moses, they did not know Him personally. Consequently, when Moses did not come down from the mount within what they deemed to be a reasonable time, they panicked: Moses was gone, and so Jehovah, the God of Moses, was also gone.
22. But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
But ye have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the God Who is living, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels (literal).68
The writer draws a contrast to the experience of the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai. As the Lord descended upon Mt. Sinai, we are told that there were thunders, lightnings, the mount was covered by a thick cloud and there came a very loud sound of a horn (Exodus 19:16); this was all in an effort to instill within the hearts of the children of Israel a lasting fear of Jehovah (Deuteronomy 4:10). As we noted earlier, it didn’t work.
Historically, Mount Zion was the location of the city of David, the site of the temple, and the dwelling place of God.69 Mt. Sinai was the place where God came down in power before Israel, and where the tabernacle pattern was given to Moses; it was a place that instilled a momentary terror within the hearts of the children of Israel. Mount Zion speaks of peace with God: the priests attended to the spiritual needs of the faithful, and taught the Law of Moses so that they could live in harmony with the Lord – “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined” (Psalm 50:2). Mount Zion, or Zion, is often used to refer to the city of Jerusalem: the location of the Jewish temples, and where King David reigned over Israel.
The writer’s audience would have been very familiar with the glory of Mount Zion, the hub of their former Jewish faith and the location of their magnificent temple; they would also have understood that Jerusalem was the place in which the living God had chosen to dwell (1 Kings 11:36). However, there is a quick shift from what his readers might have expected; he identifies this Mount Zion as being the heavenly Jerusalem, and not the city that was still standing in Israel. At this time, the difficulty that many Jews had was to relinquish their ties to the Mosaic traditions because all of the physical aspects of it were still in place: the temple was still standing, the priests were still at work, and the Jewish religious leaders were undoubtedly doing their utmost to present a front that it was business as usual. Yet Jesus died, tearing the temple veil in half (Matthew 27:50-51); He rose again, and also raised the OT saints (Matthew 27:52-53); He ascended to heaven, taking the OT saints with Him, where He sat to the right of the Father (Acts 1:9; Ephesians 4:8; Hebrews 1:3). Jesus made a single and full payment for sin (Hebrews 9:26), thereby rendering the temple, the priesthood, the sacrifices, and all of the rest of the Mosaic Law (the Old Covenant) fulfilled and ended (Hebrews 8:13). Even if they were able to accept that Jesus’ death and resurrection ended the priesthood and sacrifices, there were still numerous traditions that had become ingrained into the very fiber of their beings – some of which had come from the Lord through Moses (many, many more were devised by years of religious leaders seeking to suppress the people and secure their positions of authority). In an effort to assist his readers in making this significant shift in thinking, the writer reminds them that they are now looking to a heavenly Jerusalem – they needed to turn away from the physical and focus on the spiritual.
Notice that the heavenly Jerusalem is identified specifically as the city of the God Who is living. The earthly Jerusalem was no longer the dwelling place of God; the temple veil had been torn to signify that access was now open to God – not through the priests and the veil, but through Jesus having paid the full price for sin. Through faith in Christ, the dwelling place of God upon this earth is now in individuals who are living in faithful obedience to Him (1 Corinthians 3:16), and we are looking forward to the heavenly New Jerusalem, where the throne of God is (Revelation 22:3), and where He will dwell with His redeemed ones (Revelation 21:3).
One final note is that they are also coming to myriads of angels; the Greek murias is in the plural, which means countless thousands, or an innumerable host.70 These are the angels who are called ministering spirits, and who are used by the Lord to minister to us in ways that we will not understand until we are forever in the presence of the Lord, and His angels (Hebrews 1:14).
What a contrast between Mt. Sinai and Mount Zion! Mt. Sinai: God was present on the top of the mountain in obscurity, darkness and storm, with the sound of a horn and thunders, causing the mountain to quake (Exodus 19:16-19); out of this God provided the Ten Commandments, and the Mosaic Law with its numerous regulations, sacrifices and priestly requirements. Mount Zion: through faith in Christ, the Spirit of God comes to abide within, and the Ten Commandments are written upon our hearts and placed into our minds. Yet the similarities are also worth noting: both rest upon the Law of God (the Ten Commandments), and Mt. Sinai was, and Mount Zion is, dependent upon faithful obedience to the Lord in order to be effective. The former rested upon the faith of the individual in the God Who promised redemption; the latter rests upon a personal faith in the God Who came and fulfilled the promise that He had made. The focus of both “faiths” is upon the Lord Jesus Christ – the Promised One, and the One Who came! It is the same faith!
23. To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
To joyous celebration, and the assembly of the firstborn who have been registered in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and the spirits of the righteous who have been made complete (literal).71
The list continues of what awaits those who come to Mount Zion, and the first is joyous celebration. We’ve just read that innumerable angels will be present there; “… I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke 15:10). One sinner who accounts himself to be dead to sin and alive unto God, brings great rejoicing among the countless hosts of angels.
We also come to the assembly of the firstborn. Earlier, our attention was drawn to Jesus being the Firstborn of the Father (Hebrews 1:6), and we looked at the implications of the Greek word prototokos as it was used regarding Jesus. We find the same Greek word here, except that it has one difference: it is now in its plural form. The writer also noted: “For both he that sanctifieth [Jesus, the Son of God] and they who are [being] sanctified [His faithful ones] are all of one [of God]: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Hebrews 2:11).72 Jesus, as the Son of God, is willing to call His faithful ones brethren, His family: the Creator (the Sanctifier) identifying with His creatures (the sanctified)! The hope that we have is that, at His coming, we will be raised in immortality (1 Corinthians 15:50-53). “Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we will be, but we know that, when He has appeared, like Him we will be, for we will see Him just as He is” (1 John 3:2, literal).73
However, in the phrase that we’re considering, firstborn is not singular (so as to refer to Jesus), but plural. This is not a reference to Jesus (as we saw in Hebrews 1:6), but to those who have been made perfect through Him. We understand that the OT saints have been raised in their glorified bodies (Matthew 27:52-53), and were taken to heaven when Jesus ascended to the Father (Ephesians 4:8). The OT saints who had faith in the promise of Jehovah that Jesus would come, and lived faithfully for Him, were resurrected in their glorified bodies when the penalty for their sins was paid by Jesus and He rose from the dead. “And I looked, and behold a Lamb Who stood upon Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred forty-four thousands who have the name of His Father written upon their foreheads” (Revelation 14:1, literal). This 144,000 (first identified in Revelation chapter seven as being twelve thousands from each of twelve tribes of Israel) is not to be thought of as a restrictive number, but rather an indication of the completeness of the OT saints whom Jesus took to heaven. The number twelve is considered to represent completeness or perfection, and so twelve thousands from twelve tribes is merely an emphasis of that completeness. These OT saints are the firstborn (plural) of the Lord Jesus: they were the first to have their sins completely cleansed, and so they received their glorified bodies and the Father’s name on their foreheads. The assembly of the firstborn is a gathering of the OT saints in heaven, the first to receive Christ’s full cleansing, and those whose names have been written into the Book of Life (registered in heaven).
As we come to Mount Zion, we come to God, the righteous Judge. “And he [the Lord] shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness” (Psalm 9:8). As we have already seen, upon a person’s death, the Lord makes a judgement regarding the eternal destiny of that individual (Hebrews 9:27) – everyone who has ever lived will face the judgement of the Lord. The unrighteous are being held in Hades pending the day when they will stand before God at the Great White Throne judgement, where they will come to understand the basis for the Lord’s condemnation (Revelation 20:11-12).
Finally, we come to the spirits of the righteous who have been made complete. To the Corinthians, Paul explained that while we are in our bodies, we are not in the presence of the Lord; if we are faithful to the Lord, He is abiding within us, but we are not with Him in heaven, and, likewise, when we leave our bodies behind, we are then present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). It is when He returns in the clouds that our spirits, being absent from the body and present with Him, will be united with our bodies in immortality (1 Corinthians 15:52-53). Therefore, as we come to Mount Zion, we come to a joyous celebration among the angels, to an assembly of the OT saints in their glorified bodies, to the Lord Who redeemed us, and to the spirits of the righteous who have been redeemed from sin and are now complete, awaiting that day when they, too, will be re-united with their bodies at the harvest of the righteous (the rapture), and have the Father’s name in their foreheads (Revelation 22:4). What a day that will be!
Yet the warning of the writer of Hebrews echoes in our minds: “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12). As we come to faith in Christ, we come to Mount Zion with the tremendous promise of the joy that awaits us in Christ, but we have also come to understand that this is only for those who remain faithful (obedient) to the Lord in all things. “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him” (Isaiah 64:4). Jesus provided us with the key: “If My commandments ye do obey, then ye will remain in My love …” (John 15:10a, literal).74 Once again, we must face the absolute essential nature of our obedience to the commands of the Lord, including the Ten Commandments!
24. And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
And to the Mediator of the New Covenant, Jesus, and to sprinkled blood that speaks more effectively than that of Abel (literal).75
A mediator is someone who stands between two parties who are at odds with one another, in order to bring about a reconciliation.76 Paul notes: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5), which clarifies that Jesus is the only Mediator between God and humanity. The writer of Hebrews identifies Jesus as being the Mediator of the New Covenant, which tells us that the tool of mediation that Jesus uses is the New Covenant. It is sin that stands between God and humanity, and the OC provided a means of temporarily appeasing God’s wrath against sin through the priesthood and sacrifices. David provided us with this Messianic prophecy: “The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4); the Promised One would be a priest, not after the pattern of Aaron, but according to Melchizedek – this is a promise of a shift away from the Mosaic Covenant. Jeremiah spoke of the Lord making a New Covenant that would replace the OC that Israel, as a whole, had never been able to fully follow. The writer has already declared the NC to be better than the previous one – the Law of Moses (Hebrews 8:6); the most significant improvement is that Jesus paid the full price for sin through His one sacrifice, and so the OC was fulfilled and ended in Him! It is also new in the sense that God now places His Spirit within us, and writes His Law upon our hearts: like the OC tabernacle/temple, His Spirit and His Law are abiding within His holy sanctuary (1 Corinthians 6:19)!
Jesus, the One Who paid the price for the sins of humanity, is the Mediator of this New Covenant that is made between God and men; as God, He mediates with the full authority of God. Therefore, we must pay particular heed to the terms of this NC as declared by Jesus. 1) God must be our top priority. “… seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things [the necessities of life] shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). This is a call to relinquish to Him all that we might hold dear in this life, so that we are free to turn our attention to Him alone (Luke 14:33; Hebrews 12:2). 2) Not surprisingly, we must live according to the terms of the NC, and, again, Jesus helped us to know them. He identified the foundation for us: “If ye are loving Me, then ye must obey My commandments” (John 14:15, literal).77 However, He did not leave it there lest we fail in our determination of what His commands really are.
Consider His response to a religious lawyer of the Jews who sought to catch Him in His words: “35. Then one of them [Jewish religious leaders], which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting [testing] him, and saying, 36. Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38. This is the first and great commandment. 39. And the second is like unto [just as great as] it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets [literally, all the Law and the prophets are dependent]” (Matthew 22:36-40).78 Jesus identified two commands from the Lord that summarize all of the OC, the teachings of the prophets, and the Ten Commandments. We’ve already noted that the OC was built upon the Ten Commandments that the Lord wrote upon tables of stone at Mt. Sinai, and it also forms the basis for Jesus’ two summarizing commands: 1) how to love the Lord with all of your heart, soul and mind is expounded in commands one through four, and 2) how to love your neighbor is expressed in commands five through ten. Therefore, when Jesus says that we must obey His commandments, we can begin with these Ten that form the foundation for both the OC and the NC! Under the OC, God wrote the Ten Commandments upon two tables of stone, and they were kept in the Holy of Holies within the tabernacle and temple; with the NC, God now writes these same commandments upon our hearts and places them within our minds (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10) – they are still within the temple of God, the abiding place of His Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16)!
Most Evangelicals today have casually accepted the teaching that the Ten Commandments have been removed by Christ along with the Mosaic Law – they consider them to be one package. However, there is a very significant difference: God wrote the Ten Commandments upon two tables of stone (Exodus 31:18), while the rest of the Mosaic Law came through the medium of angels, and were written upon whatever was used in Moses’ day (Galatians 3:19). The Ten Commandments form the foundation for the OC, but they are not a part of it; they are also essential to the NC, for they are placed within the one who comes to Christ by faith (Hebrews 10:14-16). Paul understood that the Commandments had not been removed, for he makes specific reference to Commands 6 through 10 as fulfilling our love for our neighbor (Romans 13:8-10); we cannot express our love for our neighbor however we choose – it must be according to how God has declared it to be. If the Commands had been removed by Christ, then Paul wouldn’t have specifically named these five! There is an attempt among many to take Jesus’ two summary commands (love God, and love your neighbor) and make them whatever they want them to be, while ignoring the fact that God has already told us how we are to express our love for Him and for our neighbor. God has prepared a work for us to do (Ephesians 2:10), but we will only accomplish it by obedience to Him – certainly not by doing what is right in our own eyes.
We are also coming to sprinkled blood. Under the OC, the high priest entered into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement in order to sprinkle sacrificial blood in the presence of God for a temporary cleansing from sin for himself and for the people. We are not told all of what Jesus did during the three days and three nights that His body was in the tomb. We know that He was in Paradise, for He promised the thief that he would be with Him there (Luke 23:43). Moses was instructed to build the tabernacle exactly as the Lord had shown him (Exodus 26:30), and the writer has explained that the significance of this rests in the earthly tabernacle being a model of the heavenly reality (Hebrews 8:5). The earthly high priest would enter into the Holy of Holies one day each year in order to make a temporary cleansing for sin, and he did so with blood that he sprinkled upon the Ark. If we follow that the model represents the heavenly, then we can see that Jesus, as our High Priest, entered into the heavenly in order to sprinkle His own blood in the presence of the Father. This sprinkled blood is of the sacrificial Lamb, Christ, through Whose blood an eternal cleansing from sin is available – not an annual cleansing like the earthly high priest, but a full cleansing. After the last meal that Jesus ate with His disciples before His crucifixion, He took the cup and made this statement: “this cup is the New Covenant in My blood that is being shed for you” (Luke 22:20b, literal).79 “By saying ‘new,’ He has made the first obsolete; and what is becoming obsolete and growing old [is] close to destruction” (Hebrews 8:13, literal);80 although the writer is referring specifically to the prophecy of Jeremiah, it is equally applicable to Jesus’ mention of the New Covenant. The new has replaced the old, and very shortly after Hebrews was written, Jerusalem, including the temple, was completely destroyed by the Romans, thereby removing the setting for the maintenance of the OC.
The writer makes an interesting allusion to the blood of Christ being so much more effective than that of Abel. Cain became very angry that the Lord approved of Abel’s sacrifice, but had rejected his (Genesis 4:4-5). Abel received the Lord’s approval, and it cost him his life; Jesus, as the Son of Man, had His Father’s approval (John 3:35), and the religious Jews envied His open acceptance by the people and sought to remove Him in order to preserve their lofty positions (Mark 11:18, 15:10). Although their purpose was to retain their religious might, they fulfilled prophecy by condemning Jesus to death (Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 27:22-23), and, since God’s time was right (Luke 9:51), they were used to orchestrate the events that led to Jesus making full payment for the sins of all of humanity (Isaiah 53:5). “For even as ye also were formerly disobedient to God, and now ye have found mercy through the disobedience of these [a reference to the Jews], so also now these were disobedient so that, because of the mercy shown to you, they also will find mercy” (Romans 11:30-31, literal).81 Paul had a great yearning to see his Jewish brethren find God’s mercy through Christ, even wishing himself to be anathema to Christ if it would mean their salvation (Romans 9:3), but, of course, that is not possible. God’s mercy through Christ is available to everyone, yet Jesus observed that only a few would find it (Matthew 7:14).
Abel’s blood was shed as an example of the commitment that is necessary to follow the Lord faithfully; Christ’s blood was shed as the final sacrifice for the sins of humanity. Although Abel’s blood was not shed in vain – it demonstrated his faithfulness to the Lord; yet, truly, Christ’s shed blood has dealt with man’s root problem with finality and ushered in the New Covenant! Abel’s martyrdom expresses his faithfulness to the Lord; how much greater is the blood of Christ that He willingly shed in order to make full payment for the sins of a rebellious humanity (Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:10).
25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
See to it that ye do not reject the One Who is speaking; for if they did not escape who did reject that imparted warning [of God] on the earth, more certainly, we [will not escape] who turn away from Him [Who is speaking] from the heavens (literal).82
See to it is a command; we must take special care that we give the writer’s words careful attention. We must be sure that we do not reject the words of God that come to us through our Mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ. Even as God spoke to Israel at Mt. Sinai, so He continues to speak through His Word and by His Spirit to those who are His today. Jesus promised that when the Spirit was come, He will guide you into all truth (John 16:13a), and He also identified Himself as being the Truth (John 14:6); therefore, the Spirit will guide us to a full understanding of the Lord Jesus, our Savior, Master, and Mediator with the Father. Once again, the writer issues a warning to those who are in the faith: do not reject the God Who is speaking to you! God does not issue hypothetical warnings: He would not say, do not reject, unless it is very possible to refuse Him. The writer of Hebrews has already made it very clear that it is possible to reject the Lord and turn away from Him (Hebrews 3:12).
A reminder is given that the Law of Moses was issued on earth, and the consequences for disobedience were real; it was applied to all of Israel and to the foreigners who dwelt among them, without bias (Leviticus 24:22). The conclusion that is drawn is this: if God’s warnings on earth could not be avoided (the Law of Moses), then the warnings that God speaks from heaven are that much more certain. Since the OC had consequences for rejection that were inescapable, of greater certainty are the penalties for refusing Him under the NC. It was under the OC that a whole generation of Israelites perished in the wilderness because of their disobedience to the Lord; how could we, who are under the NC, expect anything less for our disobedience? The writer has made it very clear that the one who turns away from the Lord after having been spiritually enlightened by the Spirit of God, has no place of repentance so that he could come back to the Lord (Hebrews 6:4-6). A little later, the writer again indicated the need for careful consideration: “28. Anyone who did reject the Law of Moses, on the basis of two or three witnesses, he died without mercy; 29. How much more severe punishment, do you suppose [that] he is worthy, who treats with disdain the Son of God and considers the blood of the [New] Covenant unclean, by which he was made holy, and the Spirit of grace he did insult (Hebrews 10:28-29, literal).83 Under the OC, disobedience often led to immediate physical death (Leviticus 7:27); however, Jesus warned that it is better to remain faithful (obedient) to Him, even in the face of hostility, than to fear those whose influence is limited to this life (Matthew 10:22, 28). We must see to it that we do not turn away from Him, lest we find ourselves among those who have traded a present, physical persecution and tribulation for the eternal ruin of our body and soul in the Lake of Fire.
26. Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
26. Whose voice, at that time [referring to Mt. Sinai], shook the earth, and now He has promised, saying: “Yet once more I am shaking not only the earth but also the heaven”; 27. and this, “yet once more,” is indicating the removal of what is being shaken, in order that what is not being shaken, will remain (literal).84
The writer reminds his readers of the Mt. Sinai experience where the children of Israel heard the voice of Jehovah proclaim His Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 4:12-13), and the mountain quaked at His presence (Exodus 19:18). Then we find a reference to Haggai 2:6 – “For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land.” The Hebrew for once, includes the thought of only, which makes yet once more a fitting translation,85 thereby affirming the LXX translation as noted by the writer. The next phrase (it is a little while) speaks to the time that will elapse between Haggai’s prophecy and when this shaking will take place – and it is described as being a short time. In a little while the Lord will shake the heavens and the earth; it’s uncertain as to why the LXX translators left this phrase out.
Haggai was a prophet to the children of Israel who returned from the Babylonian captivity to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. From Haggai’s perspective, it was probably impossible to understand how this prophecy would be fulfilled – we, on the other hand, have the benefit of hindsight. Without any doubt, the comparative used for this future shaking is what took place when the Lord descended upon Mt. Sinai, for we are told that “the whole mount quaked greatly” (Exodus 19:18) – it trembled exceedingly.86 Two things about this Hebrew word for quaked or trembled (charad):87 it is exactly the same word that is used for the Israelites’ response to the Lord coming upon Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19:16), which means that the mountain, like the people, quaked in response to the Lord descending. Charad primarily means to shake, and then with fear as the cause;88 both the mountain and the children of Israel quaked at the presence of the Lord, but the latter was from fear. However, the Hebrew word used in Haggai 2:6, ra‘ash, is entirely different, yet it also means to quake or shake – its use here means to cause to quake;89 it is the Lord Who will cause the heavens, earth, sea and dry ground to shake.
The fulfillment of Haggai’s prophecy is the shaking that was coming after a little while, which turned out to be a period of over 500 years.90 The comparative shaking that took place at Mt. Sinai accompanied the proclamation of God’s Ten Laws (given verbally and in writing), and the establishment of the OC. This future shaking came with the introduction of the NC through the Lord Jesus Christ; the moment that Jesus died, there was an earthquake – a physical shaking did take place (Matthew 27:51). However, a much more significant shaking occurred at the same time. John recorded this for us: “7. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8. And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night … 12. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Revelation 12:7-12). The NC brought a significant change in the heavens and the earth; when Jesus died, Satan’s defeat and destiny were sealed, and he no longer had access to God to bring any accusations against His followers – he was cast out of heaven! A woe is sounded for the occupants of the earth and the sea because this has become Satan’s limited domain; the heavens, on the other hand, rejoice for he has been defeated, and the Lord’s faithful ones begin to populate the dwelling place of God, beginning with the resurrected OT saints.
The writer then speaks of the removal of what is shaken so that what cannot be shaken will remain. This goes well beyond what we have looked at from Haggai’s prophecy, and anticipates what will take place at the end of time: “And I saw a great white throne and the One Who is sitting on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven did vanish, and no place was found for them” (Revelation 20:11, literal).91 The created universe that has been contaminated by the presence of sin and Satan, will be removed and replaced by a new one that God is preparing for His children. Peter declared: “And the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will disappear with a roar, and the elements, being consumed with great heat, will be destroyed, and the earth and the works in it, will be burned” (2 Peter 3:10, literal).92 Our hope in Christ is for an eternal new heaven and a new earth, and to abide in His presence forever – a dwelling place with the Lord that will never be shaken. What has been shaken will be removed one day and replaced by what is new, where God will dwell among His redeemed ones (Revelation 21:3).
28. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29. For our God is a consuming fire.
28. Therefore, receiving an enduring kingdom, let us be grateful, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and the fear of God; 29. For our God [is] also a consuming fire (literal).93
It is because of the hope that we have in Christ through the NC that we are receiving an enduring (or unshakable) kingdom. It is important to note that we, who are in Christ, are receiving this kingdom, and not that we have already received it. As we learned earlier, it is possible for someone to taste of the powers of the world to come (Hebrews 6:5), and still fall away from the Lord without any possibility of restoration (Hebrews 6:6). Jesus said that it is the one who remains faithful to Him unto the very end who will receive salvation (Matthew 24:13) – entrance into that enduring kingdom. It is our hope that we have in Christ that will motivate us to live in faithful obedience to the Lord unto the end; without such faithfulness, our hope is misplaced – those are Jesus’ words!
Since we have the hope of an enduring kingdom with the Lord, the writer calls us to respond in gratitude. As sinners, we were walking the broad road destined for eternal ruin; being in Christ, we are now walking the narrow pathway that leads to life everlasting (Matthew 7:13-14). Through Christ’s sacrifice, we have been transferred from death unto life (John 5:24); if anything should give rise to a sense of gratitude to the Lord, it should be this! It is that heart of thanks to the Lord that will express itself in a life lived for Him. Something that we might be tempted to lose sight of is this: the Lord Jesus purchased us out of sin – He bought us (1 Corinthians 7:23), He owns us (Colossians 4:1), we are nothing without Him (John 15:5), and so, at the very least, we must live in obedience to our heavenly Master. John summarized this very well: “3. And in this we can be sure that we have known Him: if His commandments we are obeying; 4. the one who says, ‘I have known Him’ and His commandments he is not obeying, is a liar and the truth is not in him, 5. but whoever is obeying His Word, truly, in him the love of God has been made complete; by this we know that we are in Him” (1 John 2:3-5, literal).94 It is through obedience to the Lord that we know that we are in Him; if we do not live in obedience to His commandments, then the truth is not in us – Jesus said, “I am the truth” (John 14:6), hence, unless we are obedient, He is not in us and we are not in Him!
However, our obedience to His commands must come from a heart of gratitude to Him for what He has done for us; out of this heart-felt appreciation will blossom our reverence for Him. Reverence and the fear of God are very closely related: reverence is defined as “fear mingled with respect and esteem.”95 As we grasp something of the holiness and righteousness of God, along with the recognition of our own sinfulness, we will begin to hold a proper reverence for Him: a fear generated by His vast superiority that is mingled with humble gratitude for His willing payment for our sins. Such an attitude toward the God of our salvation is not only fitting, but it opens the doors to a life of obedience to Him – beginning with His Ten Commandments.
Part of the fear of the Lord will come from our understanding that He does not close His eyes to sinfulness. As Paul preached to the philosophers in Athens, he made this observation: “29. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God [created in His image], we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. 30. And the times of this ignorance God winked at [disregarded]; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31. Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained [Jesus]; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” (Acts 17:29-31).96 There is a common misconception that, since the Lord does not judge sins immediately, He is so gracious as to ignore them; however, Paul made it very clear that a day is coming when the Lord will judge, and we are commanded to repent now. Peter expressed a similar thought: “the Lord of the promise is not slow, as some consider slowness, but He is patient toward us, not desiring anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9, literal);97 His desire is for everyone to repent before His day of judgment! Such repentance can only take place in this life, because at the moment of death, an eternal determination is made by God regarding the soul of man (Hebrews 9:27).
Our God [is] also a consuming fire; the fire of the Lord has been used to demonstrate His great power, and also to bring His judgment upon those who are deserving. As Moses tended sheep for his father-in-law, his attention was drawn to a bush that burned but was not consumed – the Lord used fire in an unusual manner in order to get Moses’ attention (Exodus 3:1-4) so that He could then commission him to lead His people (Exodus 3:10). When the Lord descended upon Mt. Sinai in the sight of the children of Israel, He did so with fire (Exodus 19:18). In Elijah’s contest with the prophets of Baal, the Lord not only lit the fire of the altar, but sent fire from heaven that consumed both the offering and the altar upon which it was laid (1 Kings 18:38). When the Spirit of God was imparted to the disciples of Jesus after His ascension to heaven, it came upon them as fire: “And tongues like fire appeared, being distributed among them, and [it] rested upon each one of them” (Acts 2:3, literal).98 As John was called into the presence of the heavenly Lord, he saw seven lamps burning, which he described as the seven Spirits of God, or the fullness (seven speaking of completeness) of the Spirit of God (Revelation 4:5).
However, we are also told of the fire of the Lord being used in judgment. We all recall the sinfulness of the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah, and that the Lord rained brimstone and fire upon them and destroyed them (Genesis 19:24-25). When Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, made an offering of incense and fire that was not according to the Lord’s requirements (disobedience), it was fire from the Lord that consumed them (Leviticus 10:1-2). When Israel came to enter into the Promised Land, Moses declared that the Lord would go before them as a consuming fire to remove the inhabitants of the Land (Deuteronomy 9:3), not because of Israel’s righteousness, but because of the wickedness of the people (Deuteronomy 9:5); nevertheless, Israel did not follow the Lord’s instructions, and, when they were able, they chose to use the wicked as forced labor – disobedience (Joshua 17:13)! At the end of the Millennium, when Satan rallies the rebellious of the earth to come against the Lord Jesus and His followers, God destroys them with fire (Revelation 20:9). Awaiting the unrighteous of humanity, Satan and his forces, death and Hades, is the eternal Lake of Fire, which is also called the second death (Revelation 20:10, 14-15).
To Israel, Moses declared: “…the LORD thy God is a consuming fire” (Deuteronomy 4:24), which is the basis for the writer’s declaration. We must not forget Jesus’ words: “And have no fear because of those who kill the body but the soul they are not able to kill; but rather fear Him Who is able even to ruin soul and body in Gehenna [the Lake of Fire]” (Matthew 10:28, literal).99 Part of the fear that we must have for the Lord comes from His ability to completely destroy (consume) that which is evil and deserving of His condemnation.100 However, we must never equate destruction with annihilation; it’s not that the wicked cease to exist in the Lake of Fire (annihilation), but that they are, body and soul, in a place of utter ruin (destruction), along with Satan and his hordes (Matthew 25:41). Our gratitude to the Lord for redeeming us from sin and eternal ruin should be immense; our faithfulness to the Lord must never waver, despite how others will act toward us. “And ye will be hated by everyone on account of My name, but the one who remains faithful unto the end, this one will be saved” (Matthew 10:22, literal).101
The writer makes an interesting allusion to the blood of Christ being so much more effective than that of Abel. Cain became very angry that the Lord approved of Abel’s sacrifice, but had rejected his (Genesis 4:4-5). Abel received the Lord’s approval, and it cost him his life; Jesus, as the Son of Man, had His Father’s approval (John 3:35), and the religious Jews envied His open acceptance by the people and sought to remove Him in order to preserve their lofty positions (Mark 11:18, 15:10). Although their purpose was to retain their religious might, they fulfilled prophecy by condemning Jesus to death (Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 27:22-23), and, since God’s time was right (Luke 9:51), they were used to orchestrate the events that led to Jesus making full payment for the sins of all of humanity (Isaiah 53:5). “For even as ye also were formerly disobedient to God, and now ye have found mercy through the disobedience of these [a reference to the Jews], so also now these were disobedient so that, because of the mercy shown to you, they also will find mercy” (Romans 11:30-31, literal).81 Paul had a great yearning to see his Jewish brethren find God’s mercy through Christ, even wishing himself to be anathema to Christ if it would mean their salvation (Romans 9:3), but, of course, that is not possible. God’s mercy through Christ is available to everyone, yet Jesus observed that only a few would find it (Matthew 7:14).
Abel’s blood was shed as an example of the commitment that is necessary to follow the Lord faithfully; Christ’s blood was shed as the final sacrifice for the sins of humanity. Although Abel’s blood was not shed in vain – it demonstrated his faithfulness to the Lord; yet, truly, Christ’s shed blood has dealt with man’s root problem with finality and ushered in the New Covenant! Abel’s martyrdom expresses his faithfulness to the Lord; how much greater is the blood of Christ that He willingly shed in order to make full payment for the sins of a rebellious humanity (Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:10).
25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
See to it that ye do not reject the One Who is speaking; for if they did not escape who did reject that imparted warning [of God] on the earth, more certainly, we [will not escape] who turn away from Him [Who is speaking] from the heavens (literal).82
See to it is a command; we must take special care that we give the writer’s words careful attention. We must be sure that we do not reject the words of God that come to us through our Mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ. Even as God spoke to Israel at Mt. Sinai, so He continues to speak through His Word and by His Spirit to those who are His today. Jesus promised that when the Spirit was come, He will guide you into all truth (John 16:13a), and He also identified Himself as being the Truth (John 14:6); therefore, the Spirit will guide us to a full understanding of the Lord Jesus, our Savior, Master, and Mediator with the Father. Once again, the writer issues a warning to those who are in the faith: do not reject the God Who is speaking to you! God does not issue hypothetical warnings: He would not say, do not reject, unless it is very possible to refuse Him. The writer of Hebrews has already made it very clear that it is possible to reject the Lord and turn away from Him (Hebrews 3:12).
A reminder is given that the Law of Moses was issued on earth, and the consequences for disobedience were real; it was applied to all of Israel and to the foreigners who dwelt among them, without bias (Leviticus 24:22). The conclusion that is drawn is this: if God’s warnings on earth could not be avoided (the Law of Moses), then the warnings that God speaks from heaven are that much more certain. Since the OC had consequences for rejection that were inescapable, of greater certainty are the penalties for refusing Him under the NC. It was under the OC that a whole generation of Israelites perished in the wilderness because of their disobedience to the Lord; how could we, who are under the NC, expect anything less for our disobedience? The writer has made it very clear that the one who turns away from the Lord after having been spiritually enlightened by the Spirit of God, has no place of repentance so that he could come back to the Lord (Hebrews 6:4-6). A little later, the writer again indicated the need for careful consideration: “28. Anyone who did reject the Law of Moses, on the basis of two or three witnesses, he died without mercy; 29. How much more severe punishment, do you suppose [that] he is worthy, who treats with disdain the Son of God and considers the blood of the [New] Covenant unclean, by which he was made holy, and the Spirit of grace he did insult (Hebrews 10:28-29, literal).83 Under the OC, disobedience often led to immediate physical death (Leviticus 7:27); however, Jesus warned that it is better to remain faithful (obedient) to Him, even in the face of hostility, than to fear those whose influence is limited to this life (Matthew 10:22, 28). We must see to it that we do not turn away from Him, lest we find ourselves among those who have traded a present, physical persecution and tribulation for the eternal ruin of our body and soul in the Lake of Fire.
26. Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
26. Whose voice, at that time [referring to Mt. Sinai], shook the earth, and now He has promised, saying: “Yet once more I am shaking not only the earth but also the heaven”; 27. and this, “yet once more,” is indicating the removal of what is being shaken, in order that what is not being shaken, will remain (literal).84
The writer reminds his readers of the Mt. Sinai experience where the children of Israel heard the voice of Jehovah proclaim His Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 4:12-13), and the mountain quaked at His presence (Exodus 19:18). Then we find a reference to Haggai 2:6 – “For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land.” The Hebrew for once, includes the thought of only, which makes yet once more a fitting translation,85 thereby affirming the LXX translation as noted by the writer. The next phrase (it is a little while) speaks to the time that will elapse between Haggai’s prophecy and when this shaking will take place – and it is described as being a short time. In a little while the Lord will shake the heavens and the earth; it’s uncertain as to why the LXX translators left this phrase out.
Haggai was a prophet to the children of Israel who returned from the Babylonian captivity to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. From Haggai’s perspective, it was probably impossible to understand how this prophecy would be fulfilled – we, on the other hand, have the benefit of hindsight. Without any doubt, the comparative used for this future shaking is what took place when the Lord descended upon Mt. Sinai, for we are told that “the whole mount quaked greatly” (Exodus 19:18) – it trembled exceedingly.86 Two things about this Hebrew word for quaked or trembled (charad):87 it is exactly the same word that is used for the Israelites’ response to the Lord coming upon Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19:16), which means that the mountain, like the people, quaked in response to the Lord descending. Charad primarily means to shake, and then with fear as the cause;88 both the mountain and the children of Israel quaked at the presence of the Lord, but the latter was from fear. However, the Hebrew word used in Haggai 2:6, ra‘ash, is entirely different, yet it also means to quake or shake – its use here means to cause to quake;89 it is the Lord Who will cause the heavens, earth, sea and dry ground to shake.
The fulfillment of Haggai’s prophecy is the shaking that was coming after a little while, which turned out to be a period of over 500 years.90 The comparative shaking that took place at Mt. Sinai accompanied the proclamation of God’s Ten Laws (given verbally and in writing), and the establishment of the OC. This future shaking came with the introduction of the NC through the Lord Jesus Christ; the moment that Jesus died, there was an earthquake – a physical shaking did take place (Matthew 27:51). However, a much more significant shaking occurred at the same time. John recorded this for us: “7. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8. And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night … 12. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Revelation 12:7-12). The NC brought a significant change in the heavens and the earth; when Jesus died, Satan’s defeat and destiny were sealed, and he no longer had access to God to bring any accusations against His followers – he was cast out of heaven! A woe is sounded for the occupants of the earth and the sea because this has become Satan’s limited domain; the heavens, on the other hand, rejoice for he has been defeated, and the Lord’s faithful ones begin to populate the dwelling place of God, beginning with the resurrected OT saints.
The writer then speaks of the removal of what is shaken so that what cannot be shaken will remain. This goes well beyond what we have looked at from Haggai’s prophecy, and anticipates what will take place at the end of time: “And I saw a great white throne and the One Who is sitting on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven did vanish, and no place was found for them” (Revelation 20:11, literal).91 The created universe that has been contaminated by the presence of sin and Satan, will be removed and replaced by a new one that God is preparing for His children. Peter declared: “And the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will disappear with a roar, and the elements, being consumed with great heat, will be destroyed, and the earth and the works in it, will be burned” (2 Peter 3:10, literal).92 Our hope in Christ is for an eternal new heaven and a new earth, and to abide in His presence forever – a dwelling place with the Lord that will never be shaken. What has been shaken will be removed one day and replaced by what is new, where God will dwell among His redeemed ones (Revelation 21:3).
28. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29. For our God is a consuming fire.
28. Therefore, receiving an enduring kingdom, let us be grateful, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and the fear of God; 29. For our God [is] also a consuming fire (literal).93
It is because of the hope that we have in Christ through the NC that we are receiving an enduring (or unshakable) kingdom. It is important to note that we, who are in Christ, are receiving this kingdom, and not that we have already received it. As we learned earlier, it is possible for someone to taste of the powers of the world to come (Hebrews 6:5), and still fall away from the Lord without any possibility of restoration (Hebrews 6:6). Jesus said that it is the one who remains faithful to Him unto the very end who will receive salvation (Matthew 24:13) – entrance into that enduring kingdom. It is our hope that we have in Christ that will motivate us to live in faithful obedience to the Lord unto the end; without such faithfulness, our hope is misplaced – those are Jesus’ words!
Since we have the hope of an enduring kingdom with the Lord, the writer calls us to respond in gratitude. As sinners, we were walking the broad road destined for eternal ruin; being in Christ, we are now walking the narrow pathway that leads to life everlasting (Matthew 7:13-14). Through Christ’s sacrifice, we have been transferred from death unto life (John 5:24); if anything should give rise to a sense of gratitude to the Lord, it should be this! It is that heart of thanks to the Lord that will express itself in a life lived for Him. Something that we might be tempted to lose sight of is this: the Lord Jesus purchased us out of sin – He bought us (1 Corinthians 7:23), He owns us (Colossians 4:1), we are nothing without Him (John 15:5), and so, at the very least, we must live in obedience to our heavenly Master. John summarized this very well: “3. And in this we can be sure that we have known Him: if His commandments we are obeying; 4. the one who says, ‘I have known Him’ and His commandments he is not obeying, is a liar and the truth is not in him, 5. but whoever is obeying His Word, truly, in him the love of God has been made complete; by this we know that we are in Him” (1 John 2:3-5, literal).94 It is through obedience to the Lord that we know that we are in Him; if we do not live in obedience to His commandments, then the truth is not in us – Jesus said, “I am the truth” (John 14:6), hence, unless we are obedient, He is not in us and we are not in Him!
However, our obedience to His commands must come from a heart of gratitude to Him for what He has done for us; out of this heart-felt appreciation will blossom our reverence for Him. Reverence and the fear of God are very closely related: reverence is defined as “fear mingled with respect and esteem.”95 As we grasp something of the holiness and righteousness of God, along with the recognition of our own sinfulness, we will begin to hold a proper reverence for Him: a fear generated by His vast superiority that is mingled with humble gratitude for His willing payment for our sins. Such an attitude toward the God of our salvation is not only fitting, but it opens the doors to a life of obedience to Him – beginning with His Ten Commandments.
Part of the fear of the Lord will come from our understanding that He does not close His eyes to sinfulness. As Paul preached to the philosophers in Athens, he made this observation: “29. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God [created in His image], we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. 30. And the times of this ignorance God winked at [disregarded]; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31. Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained [Jesus]; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” (Acts 17:29-31).96 There is a common misconception that, since the Lord does not judge sins immediately, He is so gracious as to ignore them; however, Paul made it very clear that a day is coming when the Lord will judge, and we are commanded to repent now. Peter expressed a similar thought: “the Lord of the promise is not slow, as some consider slowness, but He is patient toward us, not desiring anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9, literal);97 His desire is for everyone to repent before His day of judgment! Such repentance can only take place in this life, because at the moment of death, an eternal determination is made by God regarding the soul of man (Hebrews 9:27).
Our God [is] also a consuming fire; the fire of the Lord has been used to demonstrate His great power, and also to bring His judgment upon those who are deserving. As Moses tended sheep for his father-in-law, his attention was drawn to a bush that burned but was not consumed – the Lord used fire in an unusual manner in order to get Moses’ attention (Exodus 3:1-4) so that He could then commission him to lead His people (Exodus 3:10). When the Lord descended upon Mt. Sinai in the sight of the children of Israel, He did so with fire (Exodus 19:18). In Elijah’s contest with the prophets of Baal, the Lord not only lit the fire of the altar, but sent fire from heaven that consumed both the offering and the altar upon which it was laid (1 Kings 18:38). When the Spirit of God was imparted to the disciples of Jesus after His ascension to heaven, it came upon them as fire: “And tongues like fire appeared, being distributed among them, and [it] rested upon each one of them” (Acts 2:3, literal).98 As John was called into the presence of the heavenly Lord, he saw seven lamps burning, which he described as the seven Spirits of God, or the fullness (seven speaking of completeness) of the Spirit of God (Revelation 4:5).
However, we are also told of the fire of the Lord being used in judgment. We all recall the sinfulness of the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah, and that the Lord rained brimstone and fire upon them and destroyed them (Genesis 19:24-25). When Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, made an offering of incense and fire that was not according to the Lord’s requirements (disobedience), it was fire from the Lord that consumed them (Leviticus 10:1-2). When Israel came to enter into the Promised Land, Moses declared that the Lord would go before them as a consuming fire to remove the inhabitants of the Land (Deuteronomy 9:3), not because of Israel’s righteousness, but because of the wickedness of the people (Deuteronomy 9:5); nevertheless, Israel did not follow the Lord’s instructions, and, when they were able, they chose to use the wicked as forced labor – disobedience (Joshua 17:13)! At the end of the Millennium, when Satan rallies the rebellious of the earth to come against the Lord Jesus and His followers, God destroys them with fire (Revelation 20:9). Awaiting the unrighteous of humanity, Satan and his forces, death and Hades, is the eternal Lake of Fire, which is also called the second death (Revelation 20:10, 14-15).
To Israel, Moses declared: “…the LORD thy God is a consuming fire” (Deuteronomy 4:24), which is the basis for the writer’s declaration. We must not forget Jesus’ words: “And have no fear because of those who kill the body but the soul they are not able to kill; but rather fear Him Who is able even to ruin soul and body in Gehenna [the Lake of Fire]” (Matthew 10:28, literal).99 Part of the fear that we must have for the Lord comes from His ability to completely destroy (consume) that which is evil and deserving of His condemnation.100 However, we must never equate destruction with annihilation; it’s not that the wicked cease to exist in the Lake of Fire (annihilation), but that they are, body and soul, in a place of utter ruin (destruction), along with Satan and his hordes (Matthew 25:41). Our gratitude to the Lord for redeeming us from sin and eternal ruin should be immense; our faithfulness to the Lord must never waver, despite how others will act toward us. “And ye will be hated by everyone on account of My name, but the one who remains faithful unto the end, this one will be saved” (Matthew 10:22, literal).101
ENDNOTES:
1 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; https://www.ntgreek.org/pdf/subjunctive_uses.pdf.
2 Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
3 Strong’s Online; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
4 Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon; Liddell-Scott Lexicon.
5 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
6 Ibid.
7 Friberg Lexicon.
8 Ibid.
9 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
10 Friberg Lexicon.
11 https://www.christianstudylibrary.org/article/cross-execution-torture; for a chart of Jesus’ death, go to: https://www.thenarrowtruth.com/uploads/1/0/6/9/10698654/the__timing__of__events__surrounding__jesus_2023.pdf.
12 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
13 Strong’s Online; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
14 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
15 https://www.understandchristianity.com/timelines/chronology-new-testament-books/.
16 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; BDB.
17 Gesenius’ Hebrew-English Lexicon.
18 BDB.
19 Friberg Lexicon.
20 BDB; Gesenius’ Hebrew-English Lexicon.
21 BDB.
22 Friberg Lexicon.
23 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
24 Ibid.
25 Ibid.
26 Ibid.
27 Bauer Greek-English Lexicon; https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/observe.
28 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
29 Friberg Lexicon.
30 Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon; Vine’s “subjection.”
31 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/subj-purpose.htm.
32 Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
33 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
34 Ibid.
35 Strong’s Online.
36 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
37 Strong’s Online.
38 Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
39 Strong’s Online; BDB; TWOT #1050.
40 Strong’s Online; BDB.
41 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Vine’s “fulfil.”
42 Friberg Lexicon.
43 Ibid.
44 BDB.
45 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
46 Ibid.
47 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
48 Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
49 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
50 BDB.
51 https://www.abrahamicstudyhall.org/2023/06/25/vav-consecutive-decoding-biblical-hebrew-grammar/.
52 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
53 https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/subj-purpose.htm.
54 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
55 Strong’s Online.
56 Stephanus 1550 NT.
57 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
58 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
59 https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ἴστε; https://www.blueletterbible.org/help/greekverbs.cfm.
60 Meyer’s NT Commentary, https://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/12-17.htm.
61 BDB.
62 Ibid.
63 Gesenius’ Hebrew Lexicon, p. 759.
64 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
65 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon; Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon.
66 Strong’s Online.
67 Ibid.
68 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
69 https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/mount-zion-in-the-bible/.
70 Friberg Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
71 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
72 Strong’s Online.
73 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
74 Ibid.
75 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
76 https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/mediator.
77 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
78 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; First Command – Deuteronomy 6:5; Second Command – Leviticus 19:18.
79 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
80 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon, Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
81 Ibid.
82 Ibid.
83 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
84 Ibid.
85 BDB.
86 Ibid.
87 Strong’s Online.
88 https://www.abarim-publications.com/Dictionary/ht/ht-r-d.html.
89 BDB; Strong’s Online.
90 The time of Haggai’s prophecy is estimated as being 520-518 BC; https://bible-history.com/old-testament/prophets-chronology.
91 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
92 Ibid.
93 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
94 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; https://daedalus.umkc.edu/FirstGreekBook/JWW_FGB17.html.
95 https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/reverence.
96 Strong’s Online; Friberg Lexicon.
97 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
98 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Abbott-Smith Lexicon.
99 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
100 Friberg Lexicon.
101 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
1 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; https://www.ntgreek.org/pdf/subjunctive_uses.pdf.
2 Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
3 Strong’s Online; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
4 Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon; Liddell-Scott Lexicon.
5 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
6 Ibid.
7 Friberg Lexicon.
8 Ibid.
9 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
10 Friberg Lexicon.
11 https://www.christianstudylibrary.org/article/cross-execution-torture; for a chart of Jesus’ death, go to: https://www.thenarrowtruth.com/uploads/1/0/6/9/10698654/the__timing__of__events__surrounding__jesus_2023.pdf.
12 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
13 Strong’s Online; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
14 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
15 https://www.understandchristianity.com/timelines/chronology-new-testament-books/.
16 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; BDB.
17 Gesenius’ Hebrew-English Lexicon.
18 BDB.
19 Friberg Lexicon.
20 BDB; Gesenius’ Hebrew-English Lexicon.
21 BDB.
22 Friberg Lexicon.
23 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
24 Ibid.
25 Ibid.
26 Ibid.
27 Bauer Greek-English Lexicon; https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/observe.
28 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
29 Friberg Lexicon.
30 Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon; Vine’s “subjection.”
31 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/subj-purpose.htm.
32 Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
33 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
34 Ibid.
35 Strong’s Online.
36 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
37 Strong’s Online.
38 Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
39 Strong’s Online; BDB; TWOT #1050.
40 Strong’s Online; BDB.
41 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Vine’s “fulfil.”
42 Friberg Lexicon.
43 Ibid.
44 BDB.
45 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
46 Ibid.
47 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
48 Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
49 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
50 BDB.
51 https://www.abrahamicstudyhall.org/2023/06/25/vav-consecutive-decoding-biblical-hebrew-grammar/.
52 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
53 https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/subj-purpose.htm.
54 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
55 Strong’s Online.
56 Stephanus 1550 NT.
57 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
58 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
59 https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ἴστε; https://www.blueletterbible.org/help/greekverbs.cfm.
60 Meyer’s NT Commentary, https://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/12-17.htm.
61 BDB.
62 Ibid.
63 Gesenius’ Hebrew Lexicon, p. 759.
64 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
65 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon; Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon.
66 Strong’s Online.
67 Ibid.
68 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
69 https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/mount-zion-in-the-bible/.
70 Friberg Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
71 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
72 Strong’s Online.
73 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
74 Ibid.
75 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
76 https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/mediator.
77 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
78 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; First Command – Deuteronomy 6:5; Second Command – Leviticus 19:18.
79 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
80 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon, Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
81 Ibid.
82 Ibid.
83 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
84 Ibid.
85 BDB.
86 Ibid.
87 Strong’s Online.
88 https://www.abarim-publications.com/Dictionary/ht/ht-r-d.html.
89 BDB; Strong’s Online.
90 The time of Haggai’s prophecy is estimated as being 520-518 BC; https://bible-history.com/old-testament/prophets-chronology.
91 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
92 Ibid.
93 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
94 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; https://daedalus.umkc.edu/FirstGreekBook/JWW_FGB17.html.
95 https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/reverence.
96 Strong’s Online; Friberg Lexicon.
97 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
98 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Abbott-Smith Lexicon.
99 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
100 Friberg Lexicon.
101 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.