Bible Commentaries
Abbott's Illustrated New Testament
Hebrews 3
The writer now proceeds to compare Christ, as the executive head of the new dispensation, with Moses, as that of the old. An apostle is one sent to execute a commission. Christ was commissioned to carry into effect the gospel plan of salvation, as Moses was to establish and maintain the Jewish system of faith and service. Jesus is called the High Priest of the new dispensation, inasmuch as he offered its great sacrifice for sin, in giving up his own life a ransom for men.
His house; his charge; the community imbodied under the system of institutions committed to his administration. It is called metaphorically a house, in the same manner as the Christian church is often spoken of as a building.
The language of this statement seems sufficiently clear, but its connection with the apostle's train of argument is considered very difficult to be explained.
Whose house are we; that is, we, the community of believers under the gospel.--Confidence; faith.
Made partakers of Christ; united to him, (John 17:21-23,) and made sharers in the joys of his future kingdom. (Colossians 3:4; Revelation 3:21.) --The The beginning of our confidence; the strong faith which we first embraced the gospel.
The meaning is, Since ye hear the same warning which was addressed to the children of Israel, do not, like them, harden your hearts against it.
Did provoke; that is, instead of regarding the warning, they disobeyed God, and provoked his displeasure. It is probable that the two clauses of this verse, like those of the verses which follow, were intended as interrogative, thus: Who was it that, when they heard, did provoke? was it not all that came out of Egypt by Moses? Thus understood, the verse harmonizes in construction with what follows, and the whole presents the example of the defection and punishment of the Israelites as a very solemn warning.
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