MOUNT SINAI AND
HEBREWS 12: 12-29.
By
ROBERT GOVETT
This is, by general consent, one
of the most difficult passages of the New Testament. But, as the writer thinks he has light on it,
he commends the following exposition to the notice of his brethren in Christ.
The
Epistle to the Hebrews embodies two great subjects:-
I. God has bestowed eternal
life, on the believer as a gift; it is ours through grace, and in Christ. The Holy Ghost warns therefore the sons of
God by faith against falling back from Christ, to Moses and law. To do this would bring in the justice of God, and any who will dare the
justice of God, must perish assuredly.
II. But the millennial kingdom is
a PRIZE to be sought by patient
continuance in good works. This may be
lost by negligence and unbelief; and therefore warning comes in.
The believing Hebrews
were suffering affliction from their brethren who adhered to Moses. They were dispirited by much suffering; and
by the decrease, if not the dying out, of the hope of Christ’s return, and of
His millennial kingdom of glory. They
had been called by the Most High to run a race with a crown in view. But the
heat of the day, and the length of the course had
exhausted their strength. Their hands
had well-nigh ceased to perform the good works of faith; their knees were
seldom and feebly bent in prayer.
The apostle, therefore, seeks to
re-invigorate them by assuring them of the reality of the coming of Christ, and
the certainty of reward to those who hold out to the end. He awakens their fears also, by the view of
what they would lose, if they gave up hope and effort.
“Cast not away your confidence which
hath great
recompense of reward.” “For yet a little while and He who is coming will arrive, and
will not tarry.” “Now the just by faith shall live; but if he draw back, My soul hath no pleasure in him.” 10: 35, 37,
38.
“The
second time without sin shall He appear unto them that look for Him to save:” * 9: 28.
* This is the order of the
Greek.
Thus there is a reference to Isaiah 35: 2-4.
“They shall
see the glory of the Lord, and
the excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say unto them, that are of a feeble heart – ‘Be strong, fear not: behold
your God will come with vengeance even God with a recompense; He will come and
save you.’”
With a reference to the same
context was John the Baptist encouraged by our Lord, when his faith wavered in
the prison. “Let us not be weary in well-doing; for in due season we shall
reap, if we faint not:” Gal. 6: 9.
The thirteenth verse alludes to
the dangers of following crooked courses, in order to get quit of persecution.
“Make
straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame he turned out of the way;
but let it rather be healed.”
There was danger lest those
halting through lack of faith should abandon the Christian hope altogether, if
stumbling-blocks arose from the conduct of the leaders.
This lameness was an inward
spiritual fault. But when to that
difficulty is added the external difficulty of a rugged and devious path, the
danger would be greatly increased. But
these feeble believers were to be encouraged and healed, not excluded from
fellowship. Whence it is clear, that the
church is not to be solely a school of exercise for the sound and strong but
also an hospital for the diseased. Even the lame were believers, moving on in
the way of God; and care was to be exercised, not to turn them out of it, but
to seek their restoration to strength.
There is a reference, I believe,
to
14. “Pursue peace with all, and holiness, without which none shall see the Lord.”
Christ
our Lord is coming, therefore let us seek
holiness. Here begins more clearly the
allusion to
So now the Lord Jesus has given
notice, of His appearing, and it seems likely it will be on “the third day” - if we reckon by Peter’s rule
- (2 Pet. 3) - that a thousand years are
with the Lord one day.
There are two kinds of holiness;
that of
Answerably to these two
holinesses there are two visions of God.
(1) After the washing in water, all the people beheld the Lord in cloud descend upon the top of
the Mount. But they were forbidden to
draw near. (2) The second cleansing was
by blood; and after it, Moses and Aaron, Nadab
and Abihu, with seventy of the elders of Israel went up to the Mount, saw
the God of Israel, and
feasted in His presence.*
* It is interesting to observe,
that Sandie
has proved two points. 1. God descended at first on SINAI.
This is the name of the top of the mount. It is about three miles from the plain in
which
Thus there will be in the
kingdom to come two approaches to
Christ. One will be the distant vision
of the Lord by men in the flesh, requiring a cleansing of the flesh, as well as of the conscience. The
other will be the near access to the Lord in the heavenly places, the sitting
down at Christ’s table in His kingdom, with those accounted worthy. This will
belong to those risen [out] from the dead.
And in order to this there will be, not the climbing to the top of a
mount, but the being caught up to meet the Lord into air: 1 Thess. 4.
Be it observed, that it was not all of the elders, nor all the sons of Aaron who went up; but a
selected number alone. The Mediator’s
approach to God was a third position of vision, better than the previous
ones. This height seems to apply to
Christ alone: Ex. 33: 12-18.
This “seeing the Lord,” is one of joy and reward. All men will one day appear before Christ;
but this beholding, as requiring holiness, refers to the vision of glory on the
Mount. And it answers to the words of
the Saviour in the Sermon on the Mount, where He promises to the pure
in heart the sight of God: Matt. 5: 8. The next verse speaks
of the blessing attached to the peacemakers in that day. Thus
remarkably does one doctrine of Scripture confirm the other.
By the sight of the Lord is here
meant the glory of the millennial kingdom, as we
gather from Paul’s parallel exhortation to the Ephesians. “For
this ye know, that no fornicator, or unclean person, or covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any portion in the
kingdom of the Christ and God:” Eph.
5: 5.
This vision of Christ as Lord of
all refers to His coming in the kingdom with power and great glory. That had been previously promised as the time
of [a future]
salvation to those that look for Christ: 9: 28. See also Isa. 40: 5; 66: 18.
Our
preparation as Christians for the sight of the Lord,
is by blood and by water. The blood is sprinkled upon our hearts; the whole body is to be bathed in
water. Has any of my
Christian readers neglected this last?
If he refuse, he will rue it in the coming
day. The sprinkling with blood is once for
all; the bathing in water but once also.
Against this holiness which
Christ requires, there are many enemies lying in wait. These therefore are to be guarded
against. The elders of the
Four different irruptions of
evil, contrary to the sanctification required, and so cutting off from the
vision of reward, are named in subordinate clauses of the sentence before
us. “Looking
diligently, lest any one falling back* from the
grace of God … trouble you.”
* So the margin – “Fall from.” But
it is the present participle.
The host which Christ was
conducting and to which these Hebrew Christians belonged, was the host of grace. Their
countrymen opposed to them, were of the army of the law, and of justice. The figure used then seems to point at the
time when Pharaoh’s host was advancing to slay and carry captive the host of
the Lord. These ailing believers answer
to any whose courage might have flailed them, and who might have straggled
behind, intending to desert to the camp of the foe. The man who turned back to Moses and the law
left Christ and grace: Gal. 5: 4.
Two
senses of the word “grace” will
here apply, and are closely allied. (1)
‘Grace’ is sometimes spoken of the
system of the Gospel, or ‘objective’ grace, as it would be called. (2) Sometimes it is spoken of
the favour in which a superior holds an inferior: in this case ‘the favour of God.’
So Paul bids believers in the first sense, “continue in the grace of God.” Acts 13: 43. So Peter says “This
is the true grace of God wherein ye stand:” 1
Peter 5: 12. In the second sense
the apostle writes – “Now the just by faith shall live; but if he draw back, my soul hath, no pleasure in him,” and so
feels not favour towards him, but displeasure: Heb. 10: 38.
Thus
the. nation of Israel when set before the visible mount fell back
from the grace in which God was leading them, under the other principle law, and its justice; and the consequence
was the displeasure of the Most High at their sin. Had it not been that Moses their mediator had
found grace in God’s sight and interceded for them, they had been cut off. This verse then is not spoken of the ungodly,
or unconverted. The persons intended had
accepted grace, and were as yet under God’s favour; but like the Galatians, they were falling back to law. Such are not exhorted to accept the grace of God, but they were to be
looked to, lest they should fall back from their previous
standing.
“Lest any
root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.”
Here is a second danger. There are some evils in the Christian Church,
which as medical men say of diseases, are ‘sporadie,’ occurring in scattered instances;
and some which are ‘infectious,’ and spread
rapidly. It is of the latter kind of
mischief that the Spirit of God here speaks.
The “root of bitterness,” signifies the secret
leanings of the hearts of some towards some form of unbelief. At length, one bolder than the rest, suggests the wicked thought and action, and a party
arises, determined boldly to act out the sin.
(1) Such was the sin of the calf made at Horeb, into whose worship the
nation was, as it were in an instant, drawn.
(2) Such was the unbelief which led the congregation to refuse to enter
the land, because it was both an undesirable portion, and the entry on it was
impossible. (3) Such were the
conspiracies of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
(4) Like these was also the sin of Achan which
troubled the camp of
Probably
the danger which was the nearest to some was, that they should join the Roman
idolatry as some of the Herodians had already done. They thus got quit of persecution from
This idea is strongly confirmed
by
To those who resisted the evil,
the root brought trouble. To those who accepted it, defilement.
16, 17. “Lest any be a fornicator or profane person, as Esau, who for
a single meal sold his rights as the first-born. For
ye know that even when afterwards he wished to obtain the blessing, he was
rejected, for he found no room for repentance, though he sought it carefully
with tears.”
It does not appear from
Scripture that Esau was a fornicator; but this is one of the sins against
holiness which will involve exclusion from the millennial vision of
Christ. It answers to that word in
Deuteronomy - uttered by Moses when the Lord’s people were about to enter on
the earthly prize of their calling. “Your eyes have seen what the Lord did because of Baal-peor;
for all the men that followed Baal‑peor, the Lord thy God hath destroyed
them from among you:” Deut. 4: 3. This is confirmed by what the Holy Spirit
says on another occasion, on which He brings before us the conduct of Israel,
on the one hand; and that of Jehovah, on the other: 1 Cor 10.
The fourth offence against
sanctification which would exclude from the blessing of the firstborn,
is an ungodly bargain. It is possible to barter away things
spiritual for trifles of earth; and to repent when too late of the bargain, at
a moment when God will not suffer it to be changed. Esau’s sale of his birthright for a single
meal is a conspicuous example of this.
He despised the birthright; himself depreciating it - a strange
procedure in the case of one selling a commodity. He confirmed the sale by oath; calling in God
to be a witness and avenger, if the bargain was broken. He forgot the circumstance, till the time
came to receive the blessing. Then a
sense of its value flashed across him, and he earnestly desired that which he
had previously sold beyond recovery. But
God overruled the circumstances, so that though he was the father’s favourite
son, he lost the blessing of the firstborn; and not his bitter passionate
pleading and tears could recover it.
There was no room for repentance after a sale by oath. God remembered, though he forgot!
To whom does this apply?
To [regenerate]
believers now! They may, against the remonstrance of
conscience, seize upon or hold fast to worldly position and advantages, of
which Christ requires the surrender.
If they do, they gain temporal things at the expense of spiritual. They
will find that the bargain holds good in the day of
the first resurrection. They are receiving their good things now,
to their loss and exclusion in the day to come. It is observable that Esau made the sale when
he was fatigued and discouraged, as the Hebrews were. He so forgot the bargain, as quite to expect
to attain the blessing which he had sold.
Esau was a son of Isaac, as the Christian is a son of God. The birthright really belonged to Esau; and
he despised and lost it. So there is
something which a Christian now has, which he may neglect and lose also. What
is it? Not eternal life; that is ours by
promise. What then? The prize of our calling may be lost.
“He
found no place of repentance.”
Whose is the
repentance spoken of?
On this point there are two
opinions. Some holding that it is (1) Esau’s
own repentance; others, that it is (2) his father’s repentance.
Nakedly so stated, it seems as
if we gave a strange sense to repentance in the second case. But such a view omits to notice the peculiarities
of the passage in hand. First, then, we
must look at the history. The writer
manifestly directs our eye to it. “For ye know.” He appeals to the record of God, oft read by
the Jewish reader.
“And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of
blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac
his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. And he also made savoury meat, and brought it
unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his
son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me.
And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art
thou? And he said,
I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau. And
Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and
I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed. And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and
exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my
father! And he said, Thy brother came with subtility, and hath taken away thy blessing. And he said, Is not
he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me
these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken
away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? 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? 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. And Isaac his father answered and said
unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the
dew of heaven from above! And by thy
sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass
when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy
neck:” Gen. 27: 30-40.
From
this narrative it is clear, that Esau did not seek repentance in himself
for his sin; but in his father. Had he sought to repent,
and that earnestly with tears, he would have really repented. But such a phrase as ‘seeking repentance’ in regard to a man’s own self, is not to be
found. Moreover, when we apply the clue
found in the history, to our present verse, the sense is perfect. “When he
wished to obtain the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.” The question was not in that hour – ‘Will Esau repent so
as to gain the blessing?’ The
blessing was conveyed away beyond opportunity of repentance on his part. The price of his sin had been enjoyed, and he
had sworn not to undo the bargain. But
the question was, ‘Is he to have the firstborn’s
blessing?’ That he wished for: that he sought. That was refused him by his father. Then comes in the word, “For he found no place for repentance.” The
one whom Esau wished to repent was his father, and he sought to produce in
his father that repentance
of his decision which he was
unable to obtain. Here the sense is
complete and in accordance with the history, while the other sense is not.
The ‘repentance’
sought comes in after the statement of ‘rejection’
found. Esau’s wish was to possess the
blessing, and therefore, he sought to remove the barrier which he found in his
father’s determination. But he prevailed
not. Observe, moreover, that it is not
said, “There was no place for repentance.” But ‘he found none.’ That is, the appeal is to the history, and
the history affirms the interpretation of repentance above given. He did seek repentance of his father, in the recall of his decision. He did not seek repentance for himself toward
God. Far from really repenting, he
determined to slay his brother.
And to this view attaches the
true application of the passage to ourselves.
Profane bargains may now be made by [regenerate] believers.
Yea, and are made. Here is one who, against the remonstrances of
conscience enters, or continues in, the ministry of the Church of England. The fruits of them may now be enjoyed; but in
the day to come such will be rejected from the blessing of the firstborn. Great will then be the desire of the glory
lost; but in vain. The Heavenly Father
will be more firm than Isaac. Vainly
will the loser seek with tears to change his Father's mind! Let us then beware of such compacts!
The [Millennial] Kingdom is to be given to Christ the
firstborn by the Father, when
He a second time introduces Him into the habitable earth.
[* Where
in Scripture do we find this statement made? – Ed.]
But warning is given to us, that it is possible by unbelief to lose the
standing of the firstborn, as well as the blessing. This is Paul’s argument in Gal. 4. If Gentile believers
became circumcised, they voluntarily joined the lower covenant, and became sons
of Hagar the slave-mother; having
Of that, believers are to be
partakers with him under not a few conditions, which many Christians break
without scruple or fear. They will
repent of their offence when too late.
God their Father, though He loves them as sons, will yet be firmer than
Isaac, and hold them to the bargain they have made, the brief fruits of which
they have already enjoyed. God Himself
is under oath about it, not to admit such to the glory of that day. Esau was not cursed by his father; he
obtained an inferior blessing; even as
the rejected from millennial reward will yet enter eternal life, as having
names in the book of life. What it
is which the [regenerate] believer so offending will lose, this epistle points out in
several forms.
We are now presented with the
characteristic differences of standing between
18-21. “For ye came not near
unto a mountain capable of being felt, and to kindled fire, and unto blackness,
darkness, and tempest, and to sound of trumpet, and to voice of words; which
voice they that heard intreated that not a word more might be added to
them. (For they could
not bear that which was commanded.)
‘And if but a beast touch the mountain it shall be stoned.’* And, so terrible was the spectacle, (that) Moses said – ‘I
am terrified and trembling.’”
* See Critical Editions.
What is the connexion here? It is very close, as evidenced by the ‘for.’ It links on to verse
fourteen, which describes the need of holiness in order to the vision of
reward.
“Ye came
not
near unto - but ye came near unto.” Those addressed by Paul, then,
were men of faith. The fathers of
Their drawing near to these
objects took place by faith, and the men of the church whether living or
sleeping, may, in a moment be translated to the midst of these objects belonging
to the new covenant in its heavenly department.
The translation is not effected by death, or by our going to Christ, but
by Christ’s coming to us: 9: 28. Then both the living and the dead of Christ’s
people will enter together on their portion in these things.
Paul is
tacitly answering the boasts of the men of the old covenant. They thought only of the glories of the meeting of
their nation with God at Horeb. Paul
then displays the failures of that covenant.
It was full of terror. And this
ought to deter Christians from touching it.
He points out too the superior glories of the new covenant objects.
The
covenant of Sinai was the boast of
Seven
points are named:-
(1)
Before them was a mountain, not visible only, but so close, as to be capable of
being touched by the hand. Ours is a
mountain, not only incapable of being touched by men in the flesh, but one
beyond the present range even of sight.
(2) “And to kindled fire.” Jehovah descended upon the Mount in fire, and
His words came forth out of the fire.
How then could mortal men, and sinful men meet
the claims, or live with, the God of law who dwells in fire? This was especially terrifying to them. Beneath the Lord’s feet the mountain smoked
and trembled, and burst into flame. The
people feared, lest the flames should leave the mountain and consume them. Nor was it an idle fear. Jehovah cautioned them against touching the
Mount, lest He should break forth upon them.
And they felt the force of the warning.
“Now
therefore why should we die? for this great
fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more,
then we shall die:” Deut. 5: 25.
(3) (4) (5) Besides this, there were smoke, and clouds, and thunders, and lightnings.
(6) (7) “And the sound of a trumpet, and
the
voice of words.”
The trumpet was the signal for
The voice of the Most High urged
His own righteous claims with such piercing effect, that they begged that God
would not add any further word. A
mediator was needed. Man cannot bear,
either physically or morally, to hear the claims of God uttered by Him. How awful then will be the day, when He shall
pass
sentence on transgressors! Reader, are you a sinner? How will you meet the vengeance of God on
sin, when you could not have borne even the statement of His claims?
The multitude
were alarmed also at the severity of the enactment against touching the
place of Jehovah’s feet. If an
unconscious beast offending against this ceremonial enactment,
was to be slain, what should become of a man wilfully offending against moral enactments? It was
evident, then, that the excuse of ignorance in the case of a sinner would not
be allowed. They were also required so
to slay the beast as not to touch it with their hands, lest themselves
also should be defiled.
Lastly -
and this is particularly forcible - the very man to whose lot it fell to be the
mediator of the covenant, confessed, that the scene terrified himself as truly
as the rest. Some have inquired – ‘Whence come these words of Moses? They are not in the Scripture.’ It is true.
But shall it be difficult to the Spirit of God to give us tidings of
that day which Moses omitted to give? We
can at least point to the spot in the narrative of that day, where, it is
probable, the statement was made by Moses.
After the, description of the scene with its terrors, the Scripture adds
– “Moses spake and God
answered him by a voice:” Ex. 19: 19. The voice of God was probably a word of
encouragement to him, like that which Moses in his turn gives to the people: Ex. 20: 20. The word used is in
the present tense, “I quake.”
How does this scene at Sinai
rebuke the carelessness of those, who think it a small matter whether God be
obeyed or not!
We are next presented with the
answering standing of the Christian.
2. “But ye
came near unto Sion, a Mount and a city of the living
God, a heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to a festival and assembly
of firstborn ones enrolled in the heavens, and to God, the Judge of all, and to
spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, Mediator of a new covenant, and
to a blood of sprinkling, which
speaketh better things than Abel’s.”
This second seven of objects
belonging to the new covenant is in close connexion with the seeing
the Lord. He is to be beheld at last in the city
above, the heavenly
In opposition to God’s ancient
people, men of the letter, and of the flesh, we, at our conversion, drew near to
seven objects of faith, testified by God, far more real than the
objects presented to
Our drawing near is of the
spirit, as theirs was an approach in flesh.
And to them it was said – “Come up
unto the Lord, thou and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of
What are we to understand by “
I cannot
receive this view; for the following reasons:-
1. The Mount
2. The mount in question was one
to which the man of faith alone
drew near. But to
3.
Again, we believing Gentiles do not draw near to the earthly
4. The other objects in verses 22-24 are not earthly but heavenly.
So then is this, the only one on which a doubt could be raised,
heavenly.
5. Lastly, the objects presented
to us in verses 22 and 23, stand distinguished from the first seven by being unshaken, and abiding for ever according to the
argument contained in verses 26 and 27. The things which
But while in the desert there
was only a mountain, and it was ages before
The old
But when
It is to this that Paul, I
believe, specially alludes. The order
could not be observed, while they were in the desert wandering; but when they
had come to their rest and heritage, the law was to be in force. Thus these objects are set before us now,
although our rest and heritage are to come.
Our city is the “city of the living God.”
The heavenly
It is a question not easily
adjusted how the following words are to be divided. I divide them, with the authorised version.
(2) “And to
myriads of angels.”
‘But so
doing you offend against the structure of the sentence. The other points enumerated begin with ‘and,’ but there is no ‘and’ before ‘general assembly.’’
No; but may not this be
accounted for? By the omission of ‘and’ at this point the author shows his desire to
disconnect in some measure, the five objects which follow, from the two which precede. For the angels are not so closely connected as
ourselves with the spirits of the just, or with the Mediator and His
blood. But the decisive point in favour
of this arrangement is, that we read of no festival
belonging to the angels, while the Passover is the feast of the firstborn. And Jesus
tells us that the Passover has yet to be “fulfilled in the Kingdom of God:” Luke 22:
15, 16.
This notice of the angels refers
to our forming part of God’s great family.
Angels belong to Christ, and He is coming with them as His reapers, when
He shall render to each of His people according to their works. Then Christ shall be the ladder of Jacob, on
whom the angels shall ascend and descend.
At Sinai there were multitudes of angels. But
(3) “To the
festival* and assembly of the firstborn enrolled
in Heaven.”
Jehovah enacted, that there
should be a festive assembly of the males of His people three times each year,
at His chosen city. This will have its
counterpart in God’s better people of the church. Only their festival will be in heaven and in
resurrection.
* This word is used by the LXX. several times to signify the times of the Jewish festivals: Hos. 2: 11; 9: 5; Amos 5: 21.
Who are “the firstborn”? The saved ones of the
This future Passover festival is
also the time of joy at the inauguration of the new covenant, and answers to
David’s festival when he brought the long forgotten ark into the city of
Christ is ‘the firstborn of every creature;’ and ‘the firstborn from among the dead.’ He is our head to whom we are to be
conformed: Rom. 8: 29. He is to be a second time brought into the
habitable earth, and then the angels are to worship Him, and we are to judge
angels: Heb. 1: 6. That festival is to be held when we are
coming to our [millennial] rest, and to our inheritance in the city of
Jehovah took the tribe of Levi
to be His priestly servants, in place of the firstborn of
The
firstborn of
(4) “To God the judge of all.”
This has proved a
stumbling-block to most commentators.
For how is God as the Judge an object of grace ? Hence they have sought to give
a new turn to it. But it is not needed:
it is not allowable. While this Epistle
most fully testifies to the present throne of grace and unrestricted access to
God in the Holiest during this day, while Christ is the Mediator interceding
above; it testifies just as boldly of the day to come, in which Christ will
appear as the King and Judge, to render to each according to his works. The millennial-day is “the day of
judgment.”
Some indeed deny this future
judgment of believers: but the testimony of Scripture is plain enough to the
contrary. Jesus calls all His servants
before Him; and they have to render individually an account to Him. In the parables of the Talents and the Pounds
we see Jesus as the Judge of His servants.
Whether His sentence be favourable or otherwise,
it is in the same capacity of Judge that He decides concerning each. It is at His judgment seat we must all appear: Rom. 14: 10; 2 Cor. 5: 10. The coming day of Christ’s judgment is to
take effect on every soul of man: Rom. 2: 5, 6; Jude 15; 1 John 4: 17; James 2: 12-14.
To this judgment, moreover, Paul
has already borne witness, where he uttered the Spirit’s threats against any
who should draw back to Moses and law. “Vengeance belongeth to Me, I will recompense; saith the Lord.” And
again, ‘The Lord shall judge His people’: 10: 30. So, later on, when
addressing the believing Hebrews, he asserts the lawfulness of marriage he adds
– “But whoremongers and adulterers God
will judge:” 13: 4 (whether they be
in the church, or outside).
‘But is
it not written – “He that believeth on Him that
sent Me hath eternal life, and shall not come into judgment”?’
John 5:
24.
NO! It is NOT so written! It is – “Hath.
eternal life, and DOTH
not come into judgment, but is passed
from death unto life.”
All the three statements of the
verse refer to the position occupied by the believer as soon as he
believes. But they do not deny that his judgment is to come.
‘Yes; but
the Psalmist says – ‘That none living shall be justified before God if He
judges.’ ‘
Aye, but we are speaking of
those already justified by faith, who are
one day to be judged according to works. The question as regards them is not –
‘Are these foes of God or friends?’ But ‘These are
servants of God; how have they behaved themselves since they were
reconciled to God, and became
servants of Christ?’ The God of grace is
the God of justice also.
There are three great classes to
be judged in “the day of judgment.” 1. The angels. 2. The firstborn. 3. The righteous.
Moreover, the Passover, the
festival of the firstborn, was an occasion of God’s judging. The deliverance of the firstborn was one
based on judgment. It was the time of
“And to spirits of just men made perfect.”
This gives us the Old Testament
saints; from whom Christians stand distinguished throughout the Epistle. “God spoke to the
fathers by the prophets ... unto us by His Son.” ‘To
This conclusion is confirmed by
the title given to these ancients. They
are the “just,” or “righteous.”
Abel is named as one of the righteous: 11: 4. They suffered “for
righteousness’ sake:” Matt. 5: 10. But we for Christ’s sake (11, 12) and our principle of action - the formative and fundamental
principle now - is grace. So that the worthies of this day are characteristically the “gracious.” It is confirmed too by their being described
as “spirits” “made perfect.”
For they are regarded as belonging to an antiquated dispensation, of
which all the subjects had passed away from earth, and so were departed “spirits.”
Their time of trial being ended, they
were perfected in regard, of their souls, though they were awaiting the
perfection of their bodies in resurrection.
The living
But the Saviour has taught us
God’s sovereign counsel, that “the last shall be first.”
“And to Jesus, mediator of a new covenant.”
Jesus here stands opposed to
Moses in the former group. Moses was
terrified at the characteristic spectacle presented by the very covenant of
which he was mediator. But Jesus our
Mediator is not terrified and trembling at the foot of the mount of earth, but
seated at the right hand of the throne of majesty in the heaven, waiting there,
till God’s power shall subject to Him His foes.
On the three occasions in this
epistle on which our Lord is spoken of as Mediator, His covenant is described
as “a new
covenant.” Why not “the new covenant”? We always so describe it.
Because this was not the
ordinary view in
Here we may be assured, that the writer is speaking to true Christians. ‘They had come to the
Mediator of the new covenant, and to His sprinkled blood.’ But unbelieving
“And to a blood
of sprinkling, which speaketh better things than that of Abel.”
The absence of the article
before each of the two groups of seven is remarkable. The English translation defaced this feature.
There are waiting then, before
God for the time of Christ’s descent, two classes; the approved before and under the law, and the approved of the Gospel. The righteous of the law, and the firstborn
under Christ, together make up the one “people of God,” for
whom the future sabbath-rest is preparing: 4: 9. These two divisions of the saved, divisions
based upon the different attributes of God - under which the saved have been
educated, will in the day to come appear in visible distinctions of glory. The son of the bondwoman is not to inherit
with the son of the freewoman: Gal. 4. The
approved of the law and the approved of the Gospel will indeed form one great
family; but we are the firstborn, and our inheritance is double
theirs. This gives further light to the
closing statement of chapter 11. that the Old Testament men of
faith are waiting for their glory, and are to enter on it only when we are
ready, to whom is assigned the chief portion.
The reference now is clearly to
the making of the old covenant at Sinai: Ex. 24. After the sacrifices Moses read the Lord’s
commands, and they promised to do them.
Then he took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and they were
consecrated thus to be the Lord’s people.
Their promised obedience of the flesh was the ground of the
covenant. But we stand on the accomplished
righteousness and satisfaction of
our Surety.
Here the Saviour’s blood is
exhibited, not in connexion with Himself as High Priest, but as Mediator; answering to the position of Moses
in making the covenant. The apostle does
not make the scene of Ex. 24. the
characteristic scene of the law; for the voice of the Mediator and of blood
came in at that point to hush the previous terrors of the Mount. Our drawing near is in grace after the voice
of the blood sprinkled on us.
When the
former covenant was made, blood was used; but it was not the Mediator’s own
blood. Hence it had less of the nature
of a testament,* than now. But we,
before the new covenant is made with
* That the word is rightly
translated ‘testament’ in 9: 15-17 I doubt not. The proofs are, that (1) [the Greek word …] never
means ‘mediating sacrifice;’ and (2) vekpos is never
applied to animals.
It is very noticeable, that the
blood is spoken of as distinct from the Mediator. So also in 10: 29. It appears, that the
Saviour at His death parted with all His blood.
It was drawn out of His body by the scourging, the nails, and finally by
the spear. Hence after His resurrection
He says – “A spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have.” He says not “flesh
and blood;” although in our Epistle the apostle
describes Jesus as in the days of His life on earth as partaking of “flesh and blood.” And Paul affirms, that bodies of “flesh and blood” cannot, as being mortal, have part
in the heavenly places of the
Some of Christ’s blood was taken
by Himself up to heaven, as our ransom-price; and as the sanctification of the
heavenly things: 9: 23. By virtue of its presence in the sanctuary
above, we have a welcome to draw near into the Holiest. “By His own blood He
entered in once into the Holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us:” 9: 12. By that we are
consecrated to serve the living God: 14. In the Lord’s Supper too His body is exhibited
as separate from His blood.
The blood of Christ, then, is in
heaven. It
is also in another sense on us who believe (9: 14),
sanctifying, us to God as kings and priests.
It is further given to us to drink in the Supper.
Of this
twofold use and application of the blood, Ex. 24. is a witness to us.
For Moses in making the covenant takes half of the blood for God, and
sprinkles it on his altar; and half he sprinkles on his people.
It is
sprinkled spiritually on our heart and conscience: 9: 14; 10: 22. It gives us full
confidence to draw near to God.
So that we of the
We as God’s firstborn, answer to the seventy-two* nobles of the sons
of
* Moses
and Aaron together resent Christ in His double capacity of Leader and High
Priest.
This blood speaks better things
than Abel’s. The blood of Abel was
sprinkled on Cain his murderer, but only to condemn him. The blood of Christ is sprinkled on us,
according to God’s mind. Its speech is
twofold. To God for us, giving us peace;
and it speaks also to us, calling for our love and obedience towards the
Mediator. The blood of Christ introduces
believers into the new covenant, and the new earth: while Abel’s blood called
for vengeance both on the murderer and his earth. “The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth
unto Me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the ground, which hath opened her mouth to receive
thy brother’s blood at thy hand. When thou tillest the
ground it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength:” Gen. 4: 10-12. Into our earth and city the murderer
cannot enter: and no cry of blood can rise up.
But this
notice of Abel’s murder and of its voice is closely connected with what
follows. For the day of vengeance for
the blood of the Martyrs has yet to come.
It will be earth’s darkest and most terrible day - the day of the
shaking of heaven and earth, preparatory to their passing away for ever: Mat. 23: 35; Rev. 6: 9, 10; 16: 4-7, 17-21.
Thus the
Mediator and His blood stand in blessed opposition to the last two objects of
the first group – “The sound of a trumpet and the voice
of words,” which pierced and terrified the souls of the men of law.
25. “See that ye decline not listening to the Speaker. For if they escaped not, who declined to
listen to the Speaker of oracles on earth, much more shall not we (escape), if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven.”
Our seeking after holiness then is rendered more facile than
of old. For law and its terrors are
inimical to holiness. True holiness
comes from love. Holiness in its
perfection is impossible under law. “Sin shall
not have dominion over you; for ye are not under law but under grace:”
Rom. 6: 14; 8: 4-6. “I
through, law died to law, that I might live to God:” Gal. 2: 19.
“The strength of sin is the law:”
1 Cor. 15: 56.
The Speaker at Sinai is the same
as the Speaker now the Giver of divine oracles* - Christ: 1: 2; 2: 3. Under the old covenant
and its earthly calling, He spoke from earth.
During the heavenly calling, He speaks from heaven. That it must be
Christ who as God spoke at Sinai, is certain; for the God who gave the
Decalogue was seen by the
seventy. But the Father has never been
seen: 1 Tim. 6. Moreover, this exhortation is delivered with
a view to our one day seeing God.
* Always
to be taken for God’s speaking.
That which troubled
But some Christians refuse commands and penalties
altogether. ‘They
are legal.’ Not so.
We have already been discussing some: 10: 35; 12:
1, 12, 14, etc. ‘Follow holiness, beware of profaneness,’
and then the penalty, if disobedient, of not seeing the Lord.
Attend to the things spoken by
Christ. For if the words to
It is supposed, therefore, that
both under the old covenant, and the new, there are commands given of God. It might be hoped then, by some, that a
respectful protest against certain commands felt to be very difficult would
release the parties protesting from any responsibility in declining to obey
them, and from any penalty. It is to
close up such hope, that these words are given.
God’s previous dealings with His
ancient people in like circumstances are considered to be a conclusive reply,
discovering what He will do in like failures of His present people; for the
Speaker is the same.
The protesters of
“They” and “we” mark out the two different divisions of God’s people. “We”
includes all true Christians; Paul among the number. This division began to be made by Christ from
the first. “It was said to them of old time ... but I say
to you.”
The terrific circumstances under
which
The turning away of God’s people
Paul knew then that some were
turning away, in part or in whole, from Christ’s commands, as unreasonably
severe. Such disobedience however would
not escape punishment.
26, 27. “Whose voice shook the earth then, but now He hath promised,
saying – ‘Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but the heaven
also.’ Now the word ‘Yet once more’ -
manifesteth the removal of the things shaken as of things that have been made;
in order that the things not shaken may remain.”
That the Speaker then and now is
the same, appears on the very face of this
statement. The Speaker is He who shook
the earth. Now Moses’ voice did not shake earth. Thus then the previous assertion is
confirmed.
One of the most terrific
circumstances attendant on the giving of the Law at
Sinai was omitted in the former group of seven.
With the fire there was also earthquake, “The whole
mount quaked greatly:” 19: 18. But now it is brought into view, and its
significance is pressed.
And here we come upon a current
false interpretation of the passage, which utterly destroys the apostle’s
argument; and which it were well to remove before
expounding these verses.
What then is the shaking here
spoken of? and what is its time?
It is supposed and asserted by Owen and others, that
the coming of which Haggai speaks - from whom the promise is taken - was the
Saviour’s first coming. Let us look into the matter.
In the
days of Haggai, the returned people said, that the time for rebuilding the
Lord’s house was not yet come. The Lord
assures them, that they were in error.
That the troubles they were
experiencing around them arose, because of their neglecting to build it. Thereupon they arose and did build. But the issue was so poor a house, that those who had seen the former, wept. Nevertheless God comforts them. ‘Be strong!’ The covenant of Sinai is not annulled. I am still your God. “Yet once, it is a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, and
the desire of all nations shall come,
and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of Hosts.” “The glory of this house shall be greater,
the latter than the former,* saith the Lord of
Hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of Hosts:” 2:
6, 7, 9.
* It is generally
agreed, that this is the better rendering.
Some take the shaking of the heaven and the earth to be the same as the shaking of the nations; which is certainly wrong. The shaking of the nations is the consequence of the shaken earth: Rev. 6. The coming here
spoken of is evidently the Saviour’s second coming. The temple at
Nor was
Jehovah there describing Himself as “Jehovah of hosts.” Nor did God give peace in
On the contrary, Jesus expressly
warns His disciples against supposing that He came to bring peace where on earth. He had come, not to bring peace, but division and the sword: Matt. 10.
It results too from the
erroneous assertion - that the prophet means the
Saviour’s first coming - that the shaking of heaven and earth must be a spiritual
shaking of a figurative heaven and earth. Then earth means the Jewish civil polity; and heaven means the Jewish ecclesiastical system. This idea necessarily follows; for there was
no literal shaking of heaven and earth at our Lord’s Incarnation. The shaking of the nations, then, must be
made to mean the revolution effected in morals among the heathen nations which
accepted the Gospel. As a further
consequence the removal of the old civil and ecclesiastical systems of idolatry
and oppressive rule, is come. It is effected by
means of the Gospel. Thence it follows
finally, that the Gospel dispensation and its present privileges are the eternal and
abiding kingdom never to be shaken!
Now this conclusion stands in
direct contradiction to the whole tenor of the Epistle, and to the foundation
of the Gospel itself. Now is the time of
“the word of the kingdom,” not of
its power
to smite and remove: Matt. 13: 19. That
is to come only at the Saviour’s sending forth His angels to
do justice on the wicked, and to carry the righteous into the glory of the
kingdom of their Father: verses 41-43. Now is the time of the invitation to the
feast; the feast cannot begin, till all the guests are assembled, and the
king’s son has made his appearance: Matt. 22.
But let us regard the matter as
seen from this Epistle.
(1) First, then, Paul here
exhibits Messiah Himself as waiting His second coming, and His kingdom: 1: 6, 8, 13. He describes Him as having, in promise,
though not yet in performance, all things subjected to His feet. Now this subjection of all things looks
onward to a future day. We are
awaiting His coming to save us: 9: 28.
(2) If we look at the question
from Abraham’s history, as here stated, we find, that he has not yet inherited
the land of promise, but is desiring a better city and
country than any which earth can bestow.
“For here we have no continuing city: but we are seeking the one to come.” That is,
the city in which the saved are to dwell is one, which even under the Gospel
has not yet come. Much less have
believers entered it! Abraham’s victory
over the kings, and the blessing of Melchizedek have,
in the antitype, yet to come.
(3) If we regard it in the light
of the history of Esau and Jacob, then this is the time in which the profane
sale may take place; but the blessing of the firstborn has yet to
come. It looks onward to another day and
dispensation: 12.
(4) If
we take up the history of
(5) From another point of view,
we are the man-slayers who have fled to the city of refuge and are shut up
there; looking for restoration to their lost possession, as the result of the
death of the High Priest. This
restoration is yet to be; and has not been received by the Gospel. The Gospel has given us the true refuge:
but that is temporary only - the refuge looks to his lost standing.
(6) Looked at from Moses’
covenant, we are set in the place of Joshua and the seventy elders on
(7) Moreover, the apostle
describes the position alike of the Old Testament worthies and our own, as one
of waiting. It is now the time of the
race - the crown is not yet given: 11: 39, 40; 12:
1-13. In short, it is the
time of faith, not of sight. Nor can
the unshaken kingdom come, till this season of exhortation and of toil is
over.
(8) Scattered up and down the
Epistle occur not un-frequent notices of the future, as being the day of our hope.
Salvation is yet to come: 1: 14. The age of glories is yet future: 2: 5. The supernatural
gifts were tokens of it: 6: 5. The good things of our High Priest are yet to
come: 9: 11; 10: 1. It is the time of hope, not yet of possession: 11: 1; 3: 6; 6: 11, 18; 7: 19; 10: 23; 11: 8. The feast at the opening of the heavenly tabernacle, and the introduction of the ark of the new
covenant are yet to be.
This interpretation, then, being
manifestly opposed to first principles, and to the whole tenor of the Epistle,
let us turn to the true view; which it is not difficult to establish.
“Whose
voice then shook the earth.” What earth? The literal one. What kind of shaking? A literal one! Oh then! the shaking
of heaven and earth yet to come is literal too! And
if so, then the coming of Christ spoken of by Haggai is His second
coming, and not His first. For there was no literal shaking of heaven
and earth at the Saviour’s first advent; but it is to attend His second coming,
as many places of Scripture testify. The
apostle cites this shaking, as yet to be.
“I will shake.” (The true reading.)*
* If you read with our translators, “I
am shaking,” the issue is the same.
Then the things established, and not to be shaken, have not yet appeared.
The shaking of heaven and earth
is not to take place in Gospel times, it is not suited to a day of grace, but
is the result of God’s displeasure, in the great and terrible day of the Lord: Isa. 13: 6-13; 24: 1, 5, 6, 19, 20; Joel 3: 16. And the fire of the Lord consumes heaven and
earth, at the last great outbreak of rebellion: Rev. 20.
Thus the two contrasted
positions of the men of law, on the one hand, and the men of faith, on the
other, have two great references in this passage.
Thus the two contrasted
positions of the men of law, on the one hand, and the men of faith, on the
other, have two great references in this passage.
(1) Background. The apostle shows, that our standing is far
more favourable
to the holiness that God calls
for, than the old position at Sinai.
Here the reference looks backward to ver. 14.
(2) Forward. The writer compares the two sevens in
regard of their respective stability. The first seven pass away; the second seven
abide evermore.
Observe, that
the announcement by the prophet goes beyond the statement of the law. The prophets were commissioned to describe
the coming of the new covenant, and so the things attendant on the passing away
of the old covenant come into view.
Hence they speak of the future terrible shaking of earth and heaven,
sometimes even testifying of their passing away. This was not suited to Moses’ day. For the earth was to be the portion of
Of the
future shaking of heaven and earth Isaiah witnesses. It is to take place, not in our Gospel day,
but in the day of wrath or of judgment on the living.
“Therefore
I will shake the heaven, and the earth shall move out of her place, in the
wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of His fierce anger:” Isa. 13: 13.
“The
earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the
earth is moved exceedingly. The earth
shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and
the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall and not
rise again. Then the moon shall be
confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in
The New
Testament also bears witness thereto.
“Immediately
after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall
not give her light, and the stars shall fall front heaven, and the powers of
the heavens shall be shaken: Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away:” Matt. 24: 29, 35.
This
concussion just precedes the millennial kingdom of the Christ. And the reason of the shaking is the Lord’s
vengeance for the blood of the martyrs.
Accordingly, in the Apocalypse, after the martyrs under the altar have
called for judgment, the next seal gives us the terrible shaking of both earth
and heaven: Rev. 6: 12-17; 16: 4-20. Hence it stands connected in our passage with
the ‘Blood of Abel,’ which calls for vengeance against man and his abode.
But if so why is
this removal of heaven and earth called a ‘Promise’? To the man of unbelief
this may be regarded as a threat; but to the believer it is a promise: for a
better heaven and earth, not to pass away, are to succeed them. And so Peter states it – “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth,
wherein dwelleth righteousness:” 2 Pet. 3:
13.
But what means that indirect
reason given in the removal of the old? “As of things that have been made.”
These words teach us, that there
are before God two creations. The first
has been defiled by the entrance of sin and death, and is to pass away. The second has yet to be shown. It
is to come after the destruction of the present creation. This was stated at the opening of the
epistle. After the quotation which tells
of the Son’s millennial kingdom in company with His “fellows,” a quotation follows, which declares, that this present
creation shall pass away. “They all shall wax old as a garment; and as a vesture
shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed; but thou art the
same, and thy years shall not fail.”
The prophet Isaiah had foretold
the same. “For
behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered nor come into mind:” Isa. 65: 17. “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I
will make, shall remain before
Me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name
remain:” 66: 22. It is evidently to these passages that the
apostle points, and on these turns the phrase which has been found so
difficult.
The shaking of the heavens and
earth is the shaking of the old creation; but it is to be replaced by a better
creation, which God is about to manifest. The present heavens and earth are to
retain their places, only till each word of the Old Testament has received its accomplishment. Then, as having fulfilled their purpose, they
will pass into annihilation. I know
indeed, that many think, they will be only purified by fire. I am sure, that this idea is contrary to the
testimony of God: Rev. 20: 11; 21: 1, 2; Matt. 5: 18; 24: 35. The new creation will be of new materials and
more excellent workmanship, as built for eternity. God has created anew those who in this
dispensation are made His sons: 2 Cor. 5: 17; Eph. 2: 15; 4: 24. Answerably thereto the new man will have new
heavens and earth, the result of the new priesthood after the order of Melchizedck.
“In order
that the things unshaken may remain.”
These words tell us, that the scene at the giving of the Law conveyed by God’s design, a hint
of the passing away of “the heavens and the earth that are now.” If “that which decayeth and waxeth
old is ready to vanish away,” still
more that which is shaken. Houses
that have suffered two shocks of an earthquake are often unsafe to dwell in, and
must be taken down. Two strokes of palsy
foretell death at hand. The old covenant
attaches to the old heavens and earth; and as the covenant is to vanish, so
also the heavens and earth to which it belongs.
The old man is to pass away from before God, together with his old and
defiled habitation.
If the
presentation of God’s claims from man under law shook the earth, how much more
shall God's entering into judgment with the sinful, because of their
breach of God’s commands, utterly
destroy them?
But at Sinai and its
characteristic scene, there was another element closely conjoined with the
Lord’s presence, and the earthquake of His descent and of His voice. “Mount
Sinai was altogether on a smoke because the Lord descended upon it in ‘fire,’ and the smoke thereof
ascended as the smoke of a great furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly:” Ex. 19: 18. That is, Paul shows, that the application
of law and justice to a sinful world will issue in the destruction and removal
of man’s habitation as well as himself. This was an important
conclusion to be added, in order to prove to those who boasted of the law, and
imagined that the earth which now is was to be our final abode, that the touch
of law applied to man, the sinner, would issue in the removal of all it
touched. As earth shook at the
promulgation of law to sinful man, so when the judge shall wind up the account
in vengeance, it will cause the passing away of the scene of the lawgiving in
flaming fire.
Hence the apostle has shown a
new leader, a new high priest, a new covenant, new sacrifices, and new tabernacle
- all of which God has brought in. Hence
comes the remarkable notice - where the apostle speaks of Jesus’ new Day of
Atonement – “But Christ having come as High Priest
of the good things that are to come, passing through the greater and more
perfect tabernacle (that is
to say, not of this creation), and
not with the blood of bulls and of goats, but with His own blood, entered in
once for all into the holiest, having obtained eternal redemption:” 9: 11, 12.
Here
then we see the force of the new place from whence Christ is now speaking as
contrasted with His old place under the law.
The seven objects presented in verses 22 and 23, belong to the old creation, and are to pass away with
it. But the second seven, as objects of
faith, and as belonging to the new covenant are the unshaken objects; and are
never to pass away. They stand on grace;
and not on sinful man’s promised obedience. Hence Jesus, as Mediator of the new
covenant, speaks from the unshaken region, not from the lower heaven of Moses.
28, 29. “Wherefore let us, receiving an unshaken kingdom, hold fast
grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear; for
moreover our God is a consuming fire.”
There
are two kingdoms, (1) the shaken or millennial kingdom administered by justice, belonging to the
old earth and the old covenant; (2) the unshaken or eternal kingdom, which begins after the old earth has passed
away. The shaken or temporary
(millennial) kingdom is a new trial of the flesh in “the day of judgment.” The earth and heavens are shaken at the
beginning of that day, and pass away altogether at its close. The flesh tried anew fails under Satan’s
renewed temptation; and then the old man and his old abode are removed. Haggai refers to the coming of the millennial
kingdom where he says – “I will shake the throne of the kingdoms
of the nations.”
“We receiving a
kingdom unshaken.” We receive the title to the
eternal kingdom now. It is ours already
by faith and by gift. We obtain a part in
it by the blood of the new covenant. We
are legatees under Christ’s will; accepting our priesthood and kingship as a
gift in opposition to acquiring them by works.
Therefore it is just the contrary to the contract with God established
at Sinai: Ex. 19: 5, 6.
That covenant
“Let its
hold fast grace.”
I do not assent to those, who
would translate the Greek words in a classic sense. The rendering just given falls in perfectly
with the gist of the Epistle. These men
were already Christians; sons of God by faith.
They are called to hold fast the principle they were already possessed
of, and not to exchange it for justice.
This is the main argument of the Epistle; a warning against Moses and
justice. It would be in effect the
renouncing of the Son, and of the Spirit of grace; a passing from the throne of
grace to the Mount of Sinai and its destructive fire. So would they exchange the boldness of access
given to sons, for the terrible awaiting of judgment and the fury of fire
destined for the foes of God.
The same warning appears in the
Epistle to the Galatians. They were
being drawn in to add the law to the Gospel, as the way to obtain the promises
to Abraham. Paul shows the folly of the
attempt. It would make them children of
the slave-mother, destined to be cast out of the house. Thus they would put themselves under law and
the curse, and renounce Christ and grace.
The first part and the last of
the passage which we have been considering meet and sustain one another. There was danger of their being troubled,
even while they held grace, by one of their number falling away from Christ and
grace, to Moses and law. Now the fatal and final results are shown, in case any should
permanently so fall.
The holding grace is necessary
to present acceptable service of God.
There was indeed another service of God under law and justice. But even while it was recognized, its inherent
weakness was exposed. “Sacrifice and offering, and burnt-offerings, and offering for
sin thou
wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein, which are offered by the law; then said he – ‘Lo, I come to do Thy
will, O God. He taketh away the first,
that He may establish the second:” 10: 8, 9.
Henceforward those sacrifices would be a
service of unbelief.
A sense of the terribleness of God as the God of justice was
necessary then to steady the believer against falling back to law. It is also needed still. Our service to God must be the opposite of
carelessness. This Epistle warns us,
that wrath may overtake those reconciled to God, if disobedient to His
commands. “So
I sware in My wrath, - ‘They shall not
enter into My rest:’” 3: 11; 4: 3. The only place of safety from judgment is the
blood-stained house. Outside it is the
sword. The place of safety for the
manslayer is the city of refuge. Outside
it is the avenger.
This, then, is the second reason
assigned for the holding fast of grace.
(1) Only thus can our present service be accepted. (2) Only thus can we escape eternal fire.
For the nature of God is
eternally justice. This is stated,
against those who assert, that God is benevolence only; that there is no wrath
in Him against the doer of evil.
Sinai is the warning of God’s
terribleness as the God of law, to sinners.
There was great danger, lest the Most High in drawing near to guilty man
should destroy him. The words of law are
words of sternness, coming out of the midst of the fire in which Jehovah as the
God of justice dwells. This
is part of the glory of the Holy One. After the blood of the covenant had been
shed, and the seventy had feasted before God, we read still – “And the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like devouring
fire on the top of the Mount:” Ex.
24: 17. Moreover, when Jehovah
left the Mount to dwell among
When God touched the earth in
descending to state His claims, He came in fire, and the mount flamed and
smoked. When He sends forth judgment at
the last, fire burns up the earth: Rev. 20: 9-11.
Here then is an everlasting reason
for reverence and godly fear; which may we retain while rejoicing in the grace
which gives us an everlasting heritage through grace!
Let us hold fast both God’s justice, and His grace. The same Epistle which
says – ‘Let us draw near’ – ‘Let us come boldly’ - says also – ‘Much less shall we escape, if!’
The agreement between our position and
In conclusion, then, the passage
cautions believers against two dangers.
1. They may by misconduct lose millennial glory.
2. Or they may throw up grace as a principle of
conduct. In so doing they would be cast upon
the terribleness of the justice of the Most High. Let us take the warning! Amen!
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