Hebrews 3:1-19

What is the theme of this chapter?

Christ Jesus is superior to Moses — the supreme object of faith — and the dire consequences of unbelief.

What is the key verse(s) of this chapter?  Verses 18-19

And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

What can I apply to my life from this chapter (things to do/avoid)?

It was brought home to me once again how very important it is to determine the audience and times (ages) when interpreting the Word of God.  If I had taken verses 6 and 14 at face value, without looking at who it was written to and under what circumstances, I would have concluded that I could lose my salvation.

Additional observations/questions:

Back to chapter two's question: "Verses 3 and 4 are the hardest verses for me to understand; is the audience unsaved Hebrews or slothful, believing Hebrews?  For now I'm leaning toward unsaved Hebrews, but maybe I'll change my mind as I study more of this book."  Have I come any closer to a conclusion on this?  Maybe the audience is neither.  Maybe it was just Hebrews who had believed Jesus Christ is the Messiah but were being prodded to move on because Judaism as a religion (sacrifices, etc) was about to come to an end in 70 AD. 

Hebrews 3:16-19

For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

Israel's sin is described as provacation or rebellion (v 16), sin (v 17), disobedience (v 18), and unbelief (v 19).

disobedient - Greek word apeitheo, which means "not to allow one's self to be persuaded, not to comply with, to refuse or withhold belief" - They were of that non-persuasible type that would not listen to reason, stiff-necked, obstinate, unbelieving.

"There are three interrogatives (vs. 16, 17 and 18).  The first contemplates Israel coming out of Egypt; the second, her conduct in the Wilderness; and the third, her judgment at the end.  The answer to the first question (v. 16) is that all did provoke — the exception of Joshua and Caleb did not contradict the national fact.  The answer to the second interrogative (v. 17) is that all who sinned perished; and the answer to the third interrogative (v. 18) is that all the unbelievers lost the promised land of blessing through unbelief — it shut them out.  Just as at the beginning the people murmured because they were not at once and without difficulty established in Canaan, so at the close they turned away because the Messiah did not at once expel the Romans and restore the throne of David.  At each period the nation desired material rather than moral wealth." (G Williams)

"Should you reread Numbers chapter fourteen, note that Israel saw God's miracles, signs and wonders, and even heard God's voice from heaven; yet some had hardened themselves against God and did not enter into Canaan's promised land.  The deceitfulness of sin and the specific sin of unbelief were what provoked God against them; and they fell in the wilderness without hope.  The evil heart of unbelief angered God in Deuteronomy 15:9, and that anger hovers over the book of Hebrews." (G Williams)

Hebrews 3:13-15

But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, while it is said, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.”

"That 'To-day' (v. 13) was then very near its close.  This was God's last prophetic message to His ancient people.  It was written just before the Apostle's violent death, and just as the Romans as God's instruments of judgment were being prepared to march against Jerusalem.  That day of God's patience then closed for Israel as a nation; but grace reigned embracing both Jews and Gentiles, gathering out of them a people to Messiah's Name; and this action still continues.  Verse 14 may be thus, paraphrased: 'For we shall be made partakers with Christ (in His millennial kingdom) if we hold' etc.  The aim of the Epistle was to bring on those Hebrews who accepted Jesus as the Messiah and were at the same time zealous of the Law — to bring them on to the end, i.e., to true conversion, to the New Birth, into a spiritual Canaan — the 'rest' of verse 18.  They were invited to share that rest with Christ immediately, (Matt 11:28-30) and at His appearing to share also His millennial rest." (G Williams)

"The inspired writer warns against hardening the heart in verse 13, and now in this verse exhorts against it.  He uses the unbelieving generation in the wilderness as an example, which at the borders of Canaan refused to follow Caleb and Joshua into the Promised Land, but chose to take the advice of the others.  In the last analysis it was lack of faith in God and His power to give them victory over the giants.  This is the provocation spoken of." (Kenneth S Wuest)

Hebrews 3:7-12

Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS, WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED Me BY TESTING Me, AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS. THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, ‘THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS’; AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, ‘THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.’” Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.

v 7-11 - The quote is from Ps 95:7.  The children of Israel challenged God's authority over them by their rebellion in the wilderness.  Because of this, they failed to enter into the rest of dwelling in Canaan and they perished in the wilderness.

v 11 - 'rest' - (a point of emphasis at this juncture in the book of Hebrews - 3:11, 18; 4:1, 3-5, 8-11)

v 12 - The writer now applies Israel's experience to the dangers facing his readers.

"Having reminded his readers of the defection of the wilderness generation, the writer now proceeds to warn them against committing a similar sin.  He says "Take heed."  The word is 'blepete', a present imperative involving durative involving durative action.  "Be seeing to it constantly, keep a watchful eye ever open," is the idea.  The words, "lest there be" are in a construction in the Greek which indicates that with the fear that the thing spoken of may occur, there is also a suspicion that it will occur.  The words "in any certain individual of your number" show that the writer is appealing to each one individually." (Kenneth S Wuest)

"The word "departing deserves special attention.  It is 'aphistemi' which is made up of 'apo' "off," and 'histemi' "to stand," the compound word meaning "to stand off from."  This was exactly the position of these Hebrews.  They were standing aloof from the living God.  The idea is not that of departing, but of standing off from.  Our word "apostasy" is derived from a form of this Greek word.  Apostasy is defined as the act of someone who has previously subscribed to a certain believe, and who now renounces his former professed belief in favor of some other which is diametrically opposed to what he believed before.  In other words, his new belief is not merely a new system of faith, but one which at every point negates his former belief.  These Jews, should they renounce their professed faith in the New Testament system and go back to the First Testament sacrifices, would be embracing that which is brought in again would negate the New Testament.  It was a question of the Levitical sacrifices or the crucified Messiah.  In making a profession of Messiah as High Priest and then renouncing that professed faith to return to a dependence upon the sacrifices which God set aside at the Cross, the person would commit the sin called apostasy." (Kenneth S Wuest)

"Simply stated, these people may fail to access the heavenly calling of this chapter's first verse if their heart is evil and unbelieving.  This is not the imputed righteousness Paul teaches in Romans chapter four but rather the conditional standing whereby, as in ages past, some did not enter into God's rest.  Hence the parenthetical remark explains the tenuous situation to the Hebrew people using the illustration of Moses and his house." (T D McLean)

Hebrews 3:1-6

Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.

holy brethren - (found only here in the NT) - believing Israel, identified elsewhere as the little flock (Lk 12:32)

"Believing Israel would be those who were baptized by John (Matthew 3:11) and were subsequently baptized with the Holy Ghost (Matthew 3:11, John 1:33).  These are the people of Ezekiel 36:24-32; these are the people at Pentecost who must endure to the end (Matthew 24:13, Acts 3:19-21)." (T D McLean)

Apostle - Jesus is the Apostle, meaning "the one sent from God to represent God to man" (Jn 5:24)

High Priest - Jesus is also the High Priest, meaning "the one who represents man to God."

v 3 - Christ is better than Moses because Christ is the builder of God's house whereas Moses was but a servant in the house.

"In verse 3, Messiah is seen as the Builder of the house of Israel.  In this verse, the writer guards that fact against any possible misunderstanding on the part of his readers.  Messiah is the Builder of the house of Israel, but not by an independent will or agency of His own.  He as the Son built the house, but it was as one with God who built all things, that He built the house of Israel.  The special foundership of Messiah does not exclude the general foundership of God." (Kenneth S Wuest)

v 5-6 - Christ as a Son and the one over the house is therefore superior to Moses, the servant and the one in the house. 

if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end - Again, the question must be who is the "we."  Of course the "we" is the Hebrew readers.  Now must these Hebrew readers be separated by those who truly believe and those who are only feigning belief?  My guess at this point in this study is no — thinking back to Ananias and Sapphira as an example.  Since Ananias and Sapphira sinned against the Holy Spirit, does that mean they never truly believed in the first place?  Again, my guess is no, but I'm certainly in the minority to take this position.  Here are three different author's point of views, some of which I agree with more than others:

"This verse must be understood in the light of its historical background and context.  The purpose of the writing of the Epistle to the Hebrews was to meet a certain condition in the first century.  It was to reach Jews who had outwardly left the temple sacrifices, had identified themselves with the visible Christian Church, had made a profession of Messiah as High Priest, and who were at the time suffering persecution from apostate Judaism in an effort to force them to renounce their professed faith in Messiah and return to the First Testament sacrifices.  Now — if under the pressure of this persecution they should hold fast their confidence and rejoicing of their hope in Messiah to the end of their lives, that would show that they were saved, and if not, that would indicate that they had never been saved.   This verse therefore cannot be made to refer in a secondary application to the present day, since the conditions in the first century which the verse was written to meet, do not obtain today." (Kenneth S Wuest)

"As God patiently pleaded with Israel at the first by miracles and signs and wonders, so at the end (vs. 6 and 14) He again, and also with miracle (2:4), pleaded for a like period, i.e., from Pentecost to the Judgment.  During both periods the nation hardened its heart; the rejecters all perished, and the miracles ceased.  'They' (vs. 11), Greek: 'These very persons'.  They did not continue steadfast unto the end.  (Compare John 8:31) and lost the 'rest' (v. 18), just as their unbelieving forefathers lost the land." (G Williams)

Israel is never said to be complete in Christ as are we (Colossians 2:10); and so Israel awaits God's grace being brought to it at the return of Christ to this Earth (Acts 3:19-21, Romans 11:26-28, 1 Peter 1:13).  While we are in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:30, Israel will get its prayer answered and the kingdom will come with God's will done on Earth (Matthew 6:10-13).  As long as Israel's grace and Israel's kingdom remain in the future, the individual Hebrew's position remains conditional (Matthew 24:13), as our text states." (T D McLean)

Hebrews 2:1-18

What is the theme of this chapter?

Christ Jesus was made lower than the angels in order to free His children from the power of death.

What is the key verse(s) of this chapter?  Verses 14-15

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.


What can I apply to my life from this chapter (things to do/avoid)?

Christ suffered temptation in all ways that I do and withstood it.  I as a believer have the same resource in the Holy Spirit who indwells me to withstand any temptation that comes my way.

It is also comforting to know that the Lord is always there, the compassionate High Priest, even when I don't think I have the resources to keep going.  In fact, He understands all about it, not only in His omniscience, but also experientially because He has experienced it all, too.


Additional observations/questions:

Verses 3 and 4 are the hardest verses for me to understand; is the audience unsaved Hebrews or slothful, believing Hebrews?  For now I'm leaning toward unsaved Hebrews, but maybe I'll change my mind as I study more of this book.

Hebrews 2:14-18

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.

flesh and blood - an OT figure for human nature

Verse 14 overthrows the Gnostic and Christian Science doctrine that Christ had no physical human body, and that He never died in that body.

partook of the same - partook of the same human nature

render powerless - Literally, bring to nothing or make inoperative or useless, but not annihilate, for the devil will exist in torment in the lake of fire forever (Rev 20:10).  This verse states the overriding purpose of Christ's accepting "a lower state."

"The reason why the Lord Jesus became incarnate is that He might die.  The reason why He needed to die is that through dying and raising Himself out from under death, He might break the power of death, and thus break the power of the one who has the power of death.  The word "destroy" is the translation of katergazomai, which means "to bring to naught, to render inoperative."  Satan was not annihilated at the Cross.  His power was broken.  Spiritual death cannot hold the person who puts his faith in the Saviour.  Physical death cannot keep his body in the grave.  The resurrection of the Lord Jesus provides the believer with eternal life, and his body with glorification at the Rapture.   Thus, Jesus conquered death, and brought to naught the Devil.  Satan had the power of death, not in the sense that he had power over death, but that he had the sovereignty or dominion of death.  He had a sovereignty of which death is the realm.  The word for "power" in the Greek text here is kratos, which  means "power in the sense of dominion."  His dominion over the human race was in the form of death.  That dominion is now broken." (Kenneth S. Wuest)

free - give absolute freedom

help to angels...descendant of Abraham - Christ did not come to save fallen angels but to save fallen men.

"The word "verily" [assuredly] is the translation of depou which has the ideas of "doubtless, as is well known."  The words "he took" are epilambanetai in the Greek text.  The verb means "to take, lay hold of, take possession of."  By a metaphor drawn from laying hold of another to rescue him from peril, the word came to mean "to lay hold of for the purpose of helping or succoring."  It is used in the latter sense here." (Kenneth S. Wuest)

"The force of "verily" [assuredly] here (v. 16) is "you know very well that the Messiah did not assume angelic nature but became a Hebrew."  This fact does not exclude His unity with the Gentiles, but the letter being written to Hebrews by a Hebrew; His unity with them, as the descendants of Abraham, is made prominent." (G. Williams)

to make propitiation (or expiation) - Propitiation refers to God's wrath being satisfied by the death of Christ (Rom 3:25; 1 Jn 2:2).  Expiation emphasize the removal of sin by the sacrifice that satisfied God.  Sin interrupts normal relations with God; expiation removes sin and restores the relationship.

"The words "it behooved" [He had to be] are in the Greek text opheilo, which speaks of an obligation imposed upon one by reason of a certain consideration.  Here the consideration is that the position our Lord assumed as the One who would come to the aid of lost sinners.  The obligation arising out of this position was that in order to provide a salvation for the human race, He had to become like the human race, namely, Man, for a priest must always partake of the nature of the one for whom he officiates." (Kenneth S. Wuest)

merciful (or compassionate) - speaks of that feeling of sympathy with the misery of another that leads one to act in his behalf to relieve that misery - The idea of compassion as an attribute of priests is not found in the OT.  One of the faults of the priests was their lack of sympathy with the people (Hos 4:4-9).  In later Jewish history and in NT times, the priests were unfeeling and cruel, so the idea of a compassionate priest would be welcomed by the Jewish readers of this letter.

tempted in that which He has suffered - the emphasis is not upon the fact that the Lord Jesus suffered, but upon the fact that He was tempted.  The order of the Greek words and their translation are as follows: "For in that which He suffered, having Himself been tempted."