Bible Commentaries

Revelation in a Son

Hebrews 3:1

The text of the Epistle to the Hebrews will be found in the first verse of the third chapter, "Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, even Jesus". Like all Christian teaching, it finds its centre in the historic Personality and Life, which is the constant element because it is the Divine Fact.

I. It is of the utmost importance to make clear to ourselves the fact that the work of Christ is essentially a unity, that He is not at one time concerned with making known the name of God, at another with fulfilling His Will in the redemption of mankind. He manifests the love of God, as He could not fail to do, in fulfilling the Father's loving purpose of reconciliation through death. The Fact of Christ crucified, the work of Calvary, the Death of the cross is itself God's word, God's message. It is this position, established in the first two chapters, that justifies the author in proceeding to his theme. "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession."

II. When God speaks in the prophets, He does so indirectly, mediately, through the interposition of the human voice. When God speaks in a Hebrews 3:4; Hebrews 3:6

"Life," says George Macdonald, "is no series of chances with a few providences sprinkled between to keep up a justly failing belief, but one providence of God."

Reference.—III:5 , 6.—Expositor (5th Series), vol. vii. p28.

Hebrews 3:6

Had we fast-hold on God by the interposition of a lively faith; had we hold-fast on God by Himselfe, and not by us; had we a divine foundation; then should not humane and worldly occasions have the power so to shake and litter us, as they have. Our hold would not then yeelde to so weake a batterie: The love of noveltie; the constrainte of Princes; the good success of one partie; the rash and casuall changing of our opinions, should not then have the power to shake and alter our beleefe. We should not suffer the same to be troubled at the wit and pleasure of a new argument, and at the perswasion, no, not of all the rhetorike that ever was: we should withstand these boistrous billowes with an inflexible and unmoveable constancie.

—Montaigne (Florio), II:12.

References.—III:6.—Expositor (6th Series), vol. vii. p410. A. Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture— Hebrews 3:12

The commonest sort of fortitude prevents us from becoming criminals in a legal sense; it is from weakness unknown, but perhaps suspected, as in some parts of the world you suspect a deadly snake in every bush,—from weakness that may lie hidden, watched or unwatched, prayed against or manfully scorned, repressed or maybe ignored more than half a lifetime, not one of us is safe.

—Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim (ch. v.).

The parting of Life's road at Doubt and Faith! How many pilgrim feet throughout the ages, toiling devoutly thus far, have shrunk back before that unexpected and appalling sign! Disciples of the living Lord, saints, philosophers, scholars, priests, knights, statesmen—what a throng! What thoughts there born, prayers there ended, vows there broken, light there breaking, hearts there torn in twain! Mighty mountain rock! rising full in the road of journeying humanity!

—Jas. Lane Allen.

Hebrews 3:12-13

A proper sense of public duty will prompt endeavours to stop abuses the moment they become visible, without waiting for them to become serous. The misdoings which, in course of time, make useless or mischievous this or that administration, begin with trivial derelictions of duty, which no one thinks it worth while to protest against. Each increment of mischief, similarly small, is passed over as unimportant; until at length the evil is found to have grown great and perhaps incurable.

—Spencer, Principles of Ethics (§ 470).

References.—III:12.—Spurgeon, Sermons, xliv. No2552. Expositor (6th Series), vol. x. p128. III:13.—H. Alford, Sermons on Christian Doctrine, p13. J. J. Blunt, Plain Sermons (3Series), p87. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xi. No620 , and vol. xxxvi. No2130. A. Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture— Hebrews 3:19

In the first chapter of The Saints" Everlasting Rest, which is based on Hebrews 4:9, as its text, Baxter observes: "When God would give the Israelites His Sabbaths of rest, in a land of rest, He had more ado to make them believe it than to overcome their enemies, and procure it for them".

Reference.—III:19.—G. H. Morrison, Scottish Review, vol. i. p130.