[*Exposition
from the authors book, Gleanings in Exodus, PP. 136-140. Photograph above by Clive R. Tindle. ]
EXODUS 17
And all the congregation of
the children of
Ex. 16 opens with And. Why? To connect with what has just
preceded. But
for what purpose? To show us the
excusableness and to emphasise the enormity of the conduct of
Now,
once more, the chapter before us for our present study, begins with And. The opening
verse presents to us a scene very similar to that which is found at the
beginning of the previous chapter.
And there was no water for the people to drink. What of
that? This presented no difficulty to
Him who could part the sea asunder and then make its waves return and overwhelm
their enemies. It was no harder for
Jehovah to provide water than it was for Him to supply them with food. Was not He their Shepherd? If so, shall they want? Moreover, had not the Lord Himself led
Wherefore the people did
chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink (v. 2). The word chide signifies
that the people expostulated with Moses in an angry manner for bringing them
hither, reproaching and condemning him as the cause of their trouble. When they said to him, Give us water that we may
drink, it was either that they
petulantly demanded he should give what God only could provide, signifying that he
was under obligations to do so, seeing that he was the one who had brought them
out of Egypt into the wilderness; or, because they had seen him work so many
wonders, they concluded it was in his power to miraculously obtain
water for them, and hence, insisted that he now do this.
And Moses said unto them, Why chide
ye with me? Wherefore do ye
tempt the Lord? (v.
2). Moses at once reminded the Israelites that in
criticising him they arraigned the Lord.
The word tempt in this verse seems to signify try or test. They
tried his patience, by once more chiding His servant. They called into question both His goodness
and faithfulness. Moses was their
appointed leader, Gods representative to the people; and therefore to murmur
against him was to murmur against the Lord Himself.
And the people thirsted there for water; and the people
murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us
up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?
(v. 3). And as their
thirst increased they grew more impatient and enraged, and threw out their
incentives against Moses. Had Israel been transported from Egypt to Canaan they would
not have made such sad exhibitions of what the human heart is, and, as a
consequence, they would not have proved such admirable examples or types for
us; but their forty years wandering in
the desert furnish us with a volume of warning, admonition,
and instruction, fruitful beyond conception. From it we learn, amongst many other things,
the unvarying tendency of the heart to distrust God. It would rather lean upon a cobweb of human
resources than upon the arm of an omnipotent, all-wise, and infinitely gracious
God; and the smallest cloud is more than sufficient to hide from its view the
light of His blessed countenance. Well,
therefore, may it be termed an evil heart of
unbelief, which will ever show itself ready to depart from the living God (C.H.M.).
And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What
shall I do unto this people? They be almost ready to
stone me (v. 14). It is
beautiful to see that Moses made no reply to the cruel reproaches which were
cast upon him. Like that blessed One
whom he in so many respects typified, When He was reviled, He reviled not again; when He suffered,
He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously
(1 Peter 2: 23). This is what
we see Moses doing here. Instead of
returning an angry and bitter rejoinder to those who falsely accused him, he
sought the Lord. Blessed
example for us. This was ever his
refuge in times of trouble (cf. 15: 25, etc.). The fact that we are
told Moses cried unto the Lord
indicates the earnestness and vehemence of his prayer. What shall I do? expressed a consciousness
of his own inability to cope with the situation, and also showed his confidence
that the Lord would come to his and their relief. How often should we be spared much sorrowful
regret later, if, instead of replying on the spur of the moment to those who
malign us, we first sought the Lord and asked, What shall I do?
And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and
take with thee of the elders of
The
Rock is one of the titles of Jehovah, found frequently on the
pages of the Old Testament. In his song, Moses laments that
The
first thing that impresses one when we see a rock is its strength and stability, a
characteristic noted in Scripture in the question of Bildad to Job, Shall the rock be moved out of his place? (Job 18: 4).
This is a most comforting thought to the believer. The Rock upon which he is built cannot be
shaken: the floods may come, and the winds may beat upon it, but it will stand (Matt. 7: 25).*
[* Here, it is the putting into
practice the precepts of Christ; they will be able to stand against the onslaught of trials and
tribulations when they come.]
Another
prominent characteristic of rocks is their durability. They outlast the storms of time. Waters will not wash them away, nor winds remove them, from their foundations. Many a vessel has been dashed to pieces on a
rock, but the rock stands unchanged; and it is a deeply solemn thought that
those who are not built upon The Rock, will be shattered by it And whosoever shall fall on
this Stone shall be broken, said
Christ, pointing to Himself, but on whomsoever it
shall fall, it will grind him to powder (Matt.
21: 24).
A
third feature that may be mentioned about a rock is its elevation. It towers high above man and is a landmark
throughout that part of the country where it is situated. Some rocks are so high and so steep that they
cannot be scaled. Each of these
characteristics find their application to and
realisation in the Lord Jesus. He is the
strong and powerful one The mighty God (Isa. 9: 6). He
is the durable One the Same yesterday
and to-day and forever. He is
the elevated One, exalted to the Throne of Heaven, seated at the right hand of
the Majesty on high [until His enemies be made His footstool].
The
first thing to be noted here in our type is that the rock was to be
smitten. This, of course, speaks of the
death of the Lord Jesus. It is striking
to note the order of the typical teaching of Ex. 16
and 17.
In the former we have that which speaks of the incarnation of Christ; in
the latter, that which foreshadowed the crucifixion of Christ. Ex. 17 is
supplementary to chapter 16. Christ must
descend from Heaven to earth (as the manna did) if He was to become the Bread
of life to His people; but He must be smitten by Divine judgment if He was
to be the Water of life to them! Here is
another reason for the opening And.
There
are three details here which enable us to fix the interpretation of the smiting
of the rock as a type of the death of the Lord Jesus. First, it was to be smitten by the rod of
Moses. The rod in the hand of Moses had been the symbol of judgment. The first reference to it definitely
determines that. When he cast it on to
the ground it became a serpent (4: 3) reminder of the curse. With his rod the waters of the
Out
from the smitten rock flowed the water.
Beautiful type was this of the Holy Spirit gift of the crucified,
now glorified, Saviour. May not this be
one reason why the Holy Spirit is said to be poured out (Acts 2: 18)?
speaking in the language of the very type.
The gift of the Holy Spirit was consequent upon the crucifixion and
exaltation of the Lord Jesus. This is
clear from His own words from John
7: 37, 38: Jesus
stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He
that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out
of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Now mark the
interpretation which is given us in the very next verse: But this spake He of the
Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy
Spirit was not yet given because that
Jesus was not yet glorified.*
[* How much greater will be
the blessing when He returns again to establish His Kingdom here, and manifest
His glory for all then living on earth to see?
The Transfiguration being a preview of that coming day (Matt. 16: 28; 2 Pet.
3: 8.). Then this earth shall be filled with the GLORY of the
Lord even as the waters cover the sea.
Haba.
2: 14. cf. Isa. 12: 6; Zech.9: 10;
The
Holy Spirit has given us a supplementary word through the Psalmist which
enhances the beauty of the picture found in Exodus
17. There we are told, He opened the rock, and the
waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river. For He remembered His
holy promise (to)
Abraham His servant (105: 41, 42). It was because
of His covenant to Abraham that God gave the water to
1 Cor. 10, also supplements Ex. 17. In the historical narrative we read of Moses
striking the rock in the presence of the elders of
[*Note. The
question which every Christian should ask is: Will
the Holy Spirit continue to dwell within a disobedient child of God? And the Scriptural answer is a definite NO!
We are witnesses of these things and so is the
Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him
(Acts 5: 33). Upon repentance, the Holy Spirit can
return: This son of mine was dead and is alive
again;
he was lost and is found (Luke 15: 24). And again, addressing the church
in
Much
of the blessedness in our type will pass unappreciated unless we note carefully
the
occasion when the stream of living water gushed from the smitten
rock. It was not when
[*
And this principle holds firm with a Holy, sin-hating God, when we study
passages (and their immediate context) which have to do with winning or
attaining the Prize and the salvation of your souls (1
Cor. 9: 24; Phil. 3: 14. cf. Heb. 10: 26-39; 1 Pet.
1: 5, 9, 11, 13.). A righteous
God will not give the Prize to anyone whom
He has judged as unworthy of it!]
This
paper would not be complete were we to close without a brief word upon Num. 20 where we again find Moses smiting the rock. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and
gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron, thy brother, and speak ye
unto the rock before their eyes, and it shall give forth His water, and thou
shall bring forth to them water out of the rock; so thou shalt give the
congregation and their beasts drink (vv. 7,
8).
What
is recorded in Num. 20 occurred forty years later than what has been before
us in Ex. 17. Almost
everything here is in sharp contrast.
The rock in Ex. 17 foreshadowed Christ on the cross; the rock in Num. 20 pictured Him on high. The
Hebrew word for rock is not the same.
The word used here in Num.
20 means an elevated rock, pointing
plainly to the Saviour in His exaltation.
Next, we notice that Moses was not now bidden to strike the rock, but simply to speak to it. In Ex. 17 the rock was
smitten before the elders of
The
interpretation of the typical meaning of Num. 20: 8 is therefore
abundantly clear. The rock must not be
smitten a second time, for that would spoil the type. knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more
dominion over Him For in that He died,
He died unto sin once; but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God.
(
How
solemn the sequel here. The servant of
the Lord failed there has been but one perfect Servant (Isa. 42: 1). The meekest man upon the earth became angry at the repeated murmurings of
It
is striking to note that though Moses smote the rock instead of speaking to
it. Nevertheless, the refreshing waters
gushed forth from it. How this should
warn us against the conclusion that a mans methods [and interpretation] must be right if the Lord is pleased to use
him. Many there are who imagine that
the methods used in service must be pleasing to God if His
blessing attends them. But this incident shows plainly that it is not
safe to argue thus. Moses methods
were wrong;
notwithstanding God gave the blessing! But how this incident also manifests, once more, the wonderous
grace of God. In spite of (not
because of)
*
* *
And now to enforce this lesson upon his brethren, the inspired writer
carries back their thoughts to
1. He first emphasizes that the whole people
started with equal providential and spiritual privileges. They were not deluded or deceiving
professors, falsely claiming experiences which they knew not, but were actual
partakers of the vast and saving benefits mentioned: it is expressly declared
that they knew and partook of the spiritual food and drink (Christ) of which
manna and living water were material types: they did all eat the same spiritual food, and did all drink
the same spiritual drink: for they drank of a spiritual rock that went with
them: and the rock was Christ. Thus they stand forth as a type of the real
believer, identified with Christ and partaking of Him.
2.
Also, they all had a title to, and a promise of, the glorious land, Gods sworn
possession to their fathers.
3.
They had only to persevere awhile through the intervening difficulties, and
they would duly reach their goal; and thus
4.
By faith in the fidelity and power of their God they would certainly gain
possession of their inheritance.
Thus,
as a number of racers, they all started together and without handicap, being
all equal in opportunity and resources, and the prize so ample that all
might find a rich share: and yet most of them never attained to it, but
were overthrown in the wilderness. The
desiring of things evil; worshipping something other than Jehovah; sins of the
flesh; provoking God by declaring that they wished that they had never come out
of Egyptian bondage; and murmuring against Gods judgments and Gods leaders:
these caused vast numbers of them to fail of the possessions and joys which
awaited them in Canaan.
There
was, therefore, positive chastisement: they were overthrown in the wilderness, they fell, they perished, they came
under the power of the destroyer. How many believers of our age would indeed
have done well to have given earnest heed to these things. How many have passed their lives in a
wilderness of spiritual dearth and misery, and have died there after long
wanderings, and all because they never
pressed on to the better things of which God speaks. How easy it is to murmur against trial, to
hanker after the forbidden things of the godless world from which we separated,
or to give way to the lusts of the flesh.
Such could have overcome, for God
makes this possible for everyone of His people; but carnal security induced
laxity, and they fell.
Nor
let us overlook the danger of things morally right over-engrossing, things present
and pleasant. True are A. B. Simpsons
lines:
God hath
His best things for the few
Who dare to stand the test:
God hath
His second choice for those
Who will not have His best.
It is not
always open ill
That risks the promised rest;
The better
often is the foe
That keeps us from the best.
So
that there was, further, an actual loss of better things that
were to come. They
who suffer the positive chastisement in this life, dying in their hardness of
heart and unbelief, forfeit their share of that which
This
latter aspect it is that is mainly now before us; only it must again be
remarked that such as never enter the land never will
enjoy its delights and glory. The
redeemed but earth-bound heart to-day, neither knowing nor seeking the things
that are above, content to believe his soul to be safe from hell [i.e., the lake of fire], will take no part in the conflicts under Joshua
and David, and will have no share in the glories of Solomons household and
government. Wherefore let him that
thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. And this exclusion will become plain as we pass on to
the second of these special scriptures, the third and fourth chapters of the
letter to the Hebrew saints.
In
approaching this epistle it is imperative to observe that the Christians
addressed are not viewed as Jews belonging to the earthly nation. They are early and distinctly recognized as holy brethren, partakers of (the) heavenly calling
(3: 1).
They had endured a great conflict of
sufferings for the faith, and the better and abiding
possession was so real to their
hearts that they took joyfully the spoiling of their earthly possessions (10: 32-36); they loved the name of God, and showed it by serving
His saints (6:
9-12). It is as such that they are instructed,
encouraged, and warned; the very argument of the epistle is based upon the
fact.
They
had been Israelites; but they had accepted Jesus as the Messiah, whilst the
nation had rejected Him. This cleavage was too thorough, and duly became too
wide, for any individual to be on both sides at once. Consequently Jewish Christians lost their national
privileges, such as the temple and priesthood and sacrifices; and how great
this loss must have seemed to a devout Jew we may guage
from the sorrow it still is to such. We
have heard them with grief explain that the reason why they do not now offer
sacrifice is that they have, alas, neither temple nor priesthood. And for these advantages the sincere of the
nation still yearn.
But
also the orthodox leaders soon persecuted the Christian Israelites,
and that very bitterly and often. So
that to follow Christ seemed mainly loss; and thus the temptation was severe to
turn back to Judaism, or at least to espouse Christ and His cause less
vigorously. To counteract this tendency,
and to save his brethren from the peril and permanent loss thus threatening,
the writer, taught of the Spirit, addresses to them this letter.
1. His principal theme is the superior dignity,
offices, and glory of the Son of God over all others, even the angels, as well
as over the great leaders of
2.
Next the epistle emphasizes that there is an actual heavenly realm of
existence, with its throne and sanctuary, its immediate presence of God, its
royal priesthood and eternal sacrifice, and many vast heavenly advantages,
which are as much richer than
3.
Lastly, whatever gain it was to
The use that is made of the ninety-fifth psalm is characteristic of the treatment of the Old Testament
by the apostolic writers which has been before remarked. It is pointed out that by the mouth of David God refers to a rest of His own
which He had offered to Israel 450 years or so before, but as to which He had
sworn that they who rebelled at Kadesh barnea should never enter.
It is argued further (ver. 8), that
not even the next generation under Joshua entered into that rest, though the
But
let us pause, for here is a ray of light as to what the rest is
not. It has not yet been entered upon, and
therefore it remains, is the argument: and this
is urged by and to men who knew the fulness of present Christian blessings in
heart-experience wrought by the Holy Spirit. So that it
is not here intended to point to that inward state of peace which is the
present privilege of the saint. By
grace, not a few have known the blessedness of being in perfect peace of heart
as promised in Isaiah 26: 3. The peace of God which passeth all understanding has been the mighty garrison of many that had cause
enough to have grown prematurely old with anxiety. But not peace but rest is spoken of in these
scriptures; not freedom from anxiety, but rest
from labour, is what is here in view.
So that it is somewhat that is future that is in question, somewhat that
is connected with circumstances and surroundings.
And this meaning is required by the very force of the
term sabbath-rest (sabbatismos); for a sabbath rest
is repose after labour. Hence we may further negative any thought
that it is the eternal rest of God which is here intended. For that state of calm and repose in which
God was and is eternally (and to which necessarily all the finally saved will
enter in the eternal state), that rest, because it is a necessary attribute or
condition of the Almighty, has never been broken nor ever can be disturbed, and
this just because it is eternal and therefore changeless. But this rest of which God speaks to man is a
sabbath rest, and therefore is a state which will
follow upon the period in which God is working.
Now
after He had refashioned the earth, and had put man upon it, and had seen with
satisfaction that all was very good, then
God rested from all His work which God had created and made (Gen. 2: 3).
Thus He commenced a sabbath rest.
But, alas, the irruption of sin out of the angelic world into the
earthly sphere marred Gods works, and constrained Him again to start working
to recover the ruin and restore beauty, for He was by no means content to leave
this world to the Enemy. Thus the rest
of God after creation was broken, and the greater labour of redemption
commenced. The Son of God asserted that
even down to His own day His Father had been working and not resting, and that
Himself, the Son, was joined with His Father in those works: MY Father worketh even
until now, and I work (John 5: 17).
This
work is not completed in either heaven or earth. Gods servants are still labourers, working
together with him (2 Cor. 6: 1; 1 Cor. 3: 9). The sacrifice which is unto God as a savour
of rest (as the term offering of a sweet savour means) has indeed been offered at Calvary, and is the
basis and promise of that rest which remaineth; but the work of establishing
righteousness upon that basis, and so of assuring rest to the sin destroyed
earth, is far from being accomplished.
Nor can it be completed save by the casting out from the heavenly places
of the rebellious angels who have disturbed those sacred realms (Rev. 12: 9), and the pouring forth of the foretold
and mighty judgments which shall destroy the wicked from the face of the earth, so that Gods Spirit may be poured out upon all of
mankind that are spared. When the brightness of the out-shining of
the Messiah of Israel shall have driven to perdition His foe (Rev. 19: 19, 21), the Antichrist, the last king of
Babylon, the coming world-emperor, then
it shall come to
pass in that day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from
thy trouble, and from the hard service wherein thou wast made to serve, that
thou shalt take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath
the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! The Lord
hath broken the staff of the wicked, the sceptre of the rulers; that smote the
peoples in wrath with a continual stroke, that ruled the nations in anger, with
a persecution that none restrained,
and then shall it be said
with joy, The
whole earth is at rest - is quiet: they break forth into singing (Isa. 14: 3-7). And as touching, not
It
is therefore to the millennial day that these passages specially point; and hence it is in harmony with all other scriptures that strong exhortations are given which imply the possibility of
missing that rest, a possibility which cannot exist for even one justified soul
in relation to eternal security and repose.
Let us fear,
therefore, lest haply, a
promise being left of entering into His
rest, any one of you should seem to
have come short of it; and again, Let us
therefore give diligence to enter
into that rest, that no man fall after the same example of disobedience (Heb. 4:
1, 11).
We have a great priest, and drawing near habitually to
Him we may find pardon for past coldness and slowness, and may find also grace
to help in running the race that may
yet lie before us. Putting in Him our
faith, by fully accepting and responding to His word of promise (4: 2), and thus diligently
obeying His call to press on to the goal, we shall duly arrive at His rest
and glory. But let none dream that, because of
We
cannot escape from His scrutiny, nor deceive Him, as we may our fellow
Christians, into thinking us to be diligent in things heavenly when in truth
our heart is set upon things earthly.
And this unchangeable oath shall certainly operate effectually against
any entering into that rest who are unbelieving and disobedient. Today; today;
cries our God, harden
not your heart against My call that you strive to live wholly for My glory. Today - be not
faithless but believing; today, labour in the work of the Lord; today obey all My
holy will, and especially that you
set your heart on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon
the earth, even its lawful things (Col. 3: 1.4). Oh, Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of
you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God: but exhort
one another day by day, so long as it is called To-day; lest any one of you be
hardened by the deceitfulness of sin: for we are become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our
confidence firm unto the end : while it is
said,
To-day if ye shall hear his voice,
Harden not your hearts, as
in the provocation.
(Heb. 3: 12-15).
The
comments of William Kelly upon this chapter 4 are important. They are the more striking in that he would not have supported our view of the
forfeiture of the millennial kingdom, and yet his own statements lead
inevitably towards this conclusion.
We quote from p. 65 et seq. of his Exposition of the Hebrews:
The all-important point for a just interpretation is that
Gods rest is here before us, His glory with Christ. It is not at all rest for
the conscience or the heart, which the believer has or finds now in
Christ. The rest of God is exclusively
future. ... Faith makes both our own now; but we are called also to
exult in hope of the glory of God. This is His rest; and we are going on toward
it, as
The present tense of verse 3 [do enter into that rest] is not historical but absolute, a usage most
frequent in Scripture and in ordinary speech too, especially as to principles
of truth ... There is no
thought of an actual entrance now; for the whole argument shows the rest here
is future, whatever rest may be for faith to apprehend before God shares His
rest with all that are His own. This
Epistle always regards the believer as on, the way. The sabbatism here in view is not yet enjoyed by the
saints, but remaineth (verse 9)
Verse 10 is an added word
very characteristic of the inspired writer.
It asserts the general principle, by the case put,
that we cannot be working and have rest in the same things and in the
same sense. When one is entered into his
rest, he also has rested from his works.
It is not at all the common notion of resting from bad works when a man
gets peace with God. However true this
may be, it has nothing whatever to do
with what is here written. And this
is demonstrable, not only from the whole passage treating, not of the souls
spiritual rest by faith of Jesus but of Gods
future rest in glory, yet by the comparison that follows, as God from His
own (works). Now assuredly His works
were never bad, but always and perfectly good.
Nevertheless He is to rest even from the activity of His love to enjoy
the glorious results. Such is the case
spoken of. He that is entered into his
rest is no longer busied with his works.
It is a necessary principle and a blessed application to the matter in
hand, and in no way a moralising upon a sinner ceasing from his evil works and
finding rest in Christ. Now is the time
for the saint not to cease from his good works.
Soon he will enter the eternal rest of God. The prevalence of sin and misery calls for
unremitting labour while it is day; in this too we have communion with the Father
and the Son (John 5: 17). When they rest so
shall we; and eternity, as the active Arnauld d Andilly said to Nicole, will be long enough to rest
in. The A.V. is very faulty in its
mistaken emphasis, which helps on the popular misapprehension.
The eleventh verse concludes the caution against present rest for the
Christian, followed by a statement of the means grace supplies to safeguard us
through the wilderness ... We are exhorted to earnest striving now; for there is much
that invites us to ease and relaxation.
The very mercy of God to our souls might so dispose us ... Immense is the deliverance from
bondage and doubt and dimness by the simple yet profound gospel of God. Yet the danger of reaction is not small. We are saved that we may diligently serve
Him. We are put into fellowship with
Gods feelings as to all that surrounds us as well as what surrounds Him. This is not our rest, but our scene of labour
where people and things are estranged from God.
We shall rest when we enter what is perfectly according to His nature
and purpose. Hence now and here below is
the strongest call to diligence, not to rest ...
Let us then be
diligent to enter into that rest, refusing every other.
Unbelief may work in us as in
Others
who take the rest as future are Bengel,
Who would
share Abrahams blessing
Must Abrahams path pursue;
A stranger and a pilgrim
Like him must journey through.
The foes must be encountered,
The dangers must be passed;
Only a faithful soldier
Receives the crown at last.
- Paul Gerhardt.
The
alternatives of the argument in Hebrews 3 and 4
are thus inevadable. A redeemed earthly
people had the promise of an inheritance, but many failed to reach it. A redeemed heavenly people have the promrise of an inheritance, and are warned lest they fall after the same example of disobedience and
come short of the goal. If the rest of God set before the latter be the
eternal state, then redeemed persons may after all be [eternally] lost. If
this be not possible, as assuredly it is not, then the sabbath rest can be only the millennial not the eternal.
In this case (1) only actually redeemed persons can be in question, for such alone have any promise of the first
resurrection and the millennial kingdom; (2) the millennial kingdom may be missed by such as are heirs of the promise,
or the very argument of the passage is futile, for it depends wholly upon the
point that the rest that remaineth is as forfeitable as Canaan was by
Israelites. That the heirs of the promise may lose
eternal life or the millennial kingdom seem the inexorable alternatives.
We
are persuaded that this same lesson from the rebellion of
It
is the same danger that is before the writers mind, that of not advancing, and therefore of
retrograding, in Christian knowledge, experience, and usefulness: ye are become dull of
hearing. For when by reason of the time
ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments
of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need
of milk, and not of solid food. For every one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the
word of righteousness; for he is a babe.
But solid food is for fu1l-grown men, even those who by reason of use
have their senses exercised to discern good and evil (5: 11-14).
Therefore
he urges them to press on unto perfection (full growth) - a vigorous exhortation and a high standard. The passage reads : Wherefore let us cease to
speak of the first principles of Christ, and press on unto perfection; not
laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward
God, of the teaching of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of the
resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do, If
God permit. For as touching those who
were first enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers
of the Holy Ghost, and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age
to come, and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again unto
repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put
him to an open shame. For the land which
hath trunk the rain cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them
for whose sake it is also tilled, receiveth blessing from God: but if it
beareth thrrns and thistles, it is rejected and nigh
unto a curse; whose end is to be burned (Heb.
6: 1-8, R.V.).
IT WILL BE WORTH IT ALL. LET US PRESS ON.