HEBREWS 12 (FOURTH READING)
HEBREWS 12 (FOURTH READING)
CAC There does not seem to be any imperfection in the things we have come to. It says in chapter 6, “Let us go on to what belongs to full growth”. It shews that perfection marks christianity as a divine system. Here reference is made to “the spirits of just men made perfect”. There was confidence with the Old Testament saints that they would be made perfect. “Jehovah will perfect what concerneth me” — that is the faith of Old Testament saints. Job says, “I know that my Redeemer liveth”; he looked for a state that was founded on redemption when all the questions would be solved.
We come to great foundational realities at the end of this list; Jesus, and the blood of sprinkling, are the foundation of all, and these come last. It gives the sense of Jesus as retaining the character of Mediator of the new covenant. All these things are present subsisting realities. It is this [p. 141] Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, with whom we have to do now.
Ques What is the difference between this and 2 Corinthians 3?
CAC I think 2 Corinthians 3 is that He is Mediator like Moses with glory in His face. The truth is maintained in its living freshness in Jesus. The glory of the Lord involves the setting up in Him of all that is connected with the ministration of righteousness in the Spirit. It is set up in glory so that it can be looked at. The thought of new covenant ministry is stressed in that chapter. Paul was made competent as a new covenant minister. God said to Moses that He would speak to him from above the mercy-seat — “there will I meet with thee, and will speak with thee”. That is the character of all divine speaking — from the mercy-seat. God is speaking from the point where the full value of the death of Christ is known. John could see the Lord very much in the place of Mediator. The Father spoke to Him, and He spoke to His disciples. He is Mediator in the highest sense of the word in John.
Ques Is not the cup we drink every Lord’s day connected with the new covenant?
CAC Yes, I had that in mind. It is as Mediator of the new covenant the Lord speaks of the cup. The pouring out of His blood was once for all, but the Lord speaking about it is continuous, each week. He takes a mediatorial place amongst His own.
Rem This is not only blessing for men but divine Persons moving for Their own pleasure.
CAC It is rather the divine side of it; it is that side in the cup. “This cup is the new covenant in my blood”; it discloses what is in the heart of God. It is not the meeting of man’s need but what is in the heart of God in His own nature.
[p. 142] Ques In 2 Corinthians 3 it is said, “The Lord is the Spirit”, but here is it not more the Person?
CAC The name Jesus is used in this epistle several times. “We see Jesus”; “looking steadfastly on Jesus”; “the blood of Jesus”. There is something that appeals to the heart when His personal name is used; it causes us to view Him in relation to God. How He loves to be thought of as a Man, yet near enough to God for God to communicate to and through Him all the great thoughts of His love! We should understand the great wealth of the place that He has brought us to; it is a large place. We need to look round and take stock of what is there. So great was the Lord’s Person that He could be changed into a glorified state even before His death. The transfiguration brought out His personal greatness in a wonderful way. He is changed from a state of humiliation to a state of glory that is seen by mortal eyes before His death. It is a wonderful testimony to the majesty of His Person.
Ques Moses and Elijah appeared with Him in glory. Did they anticipate the perfection?
CAC Peter says, “Having been eyewitnesses of his majesty”. His death and resurrection make no difference to the majesty of His Person. He is as majestic before His death as after. The transfiguration is a most remarkable thing in the life of the Lord. Men saw it who were going to die, but the Lord said they should not taste death until they had seen it. It is with that Person that we have to do. We have come to that Person. It is not merely a historical fact that He has been Testator in death, but He is a living Mediator of the new covenant; it is preserved in living freshness.
In regard to “the blood of sprinkling”, there is a reference to the sprinkling of the blood in Exodus. I wondered if in the mind of the Spirit there was a gathering up of the different thoughts in connection with the sprinkling of [p. 143] blood. Hebrews 9: 19, 20 refers to it: “Every commandment... the blood of the covenant which God has enjoined to you”. Chapter 10 refers to boldness to enter in by the blood of Jesus, and chapter 9 refers to the tabernacle and all the vessels being sprinkled with blood. I think it is a general thought of everything coming under the value of the blood of Jesus. He tells us that it speaks better than Abel — it is a great speaking.
Ques In chapter 10 there is a reference made to sprinkling, “sprinkled as to our hearts from a wicked conscience”: is that another setting?
CAC It has been remarked before that sprinkling is a greater thought than washing. There is the thought of being washed in the blood; washing suggests the effect produced on the person or thing that is washed. The idea of sprinkling is that the person or thing sprinkled is brought under the whole value of what is sprinkled. There is not only a moral effect but the whole value of the blood is brought in, therefore it speaks better than Abel.
Rem I suppose the blood sprinkled in Hebrews is in a general sense.
CAC I thought so. There is positive value in the blood of sprinkling; there is intrinsic value which speaks better than Abel; he speaks by his faith but this is something that has intrinsic value. All the immense value of the blood of Jesus speaks better than Abel. He could not say anything like what this blood says.
Ques Is it not important to note that the New Translation makes the verse clearer?
CAC It refers to Abel’s own speaking. Abel having died yet speaks; his faith has given him a long period as a speaker, but the blood of sprinkling speaks better than Abel. I suppose that now the speaking is from the mercy-seat and it is according to the value of the blood sprinkled upon the mercy-seat. It is rather striking that in Romans 3 [p. 144] it does not begin with the passover as we should suppose; it begins with the mercy-seat. He speaks from His own side: That is why I thought that the blood of sprinkling would take in that as a kind of summary of the way the blood is sprinkled in the Old Testament.
Ques Does the blood on the mercy-seat give the greatest thought of it?
CAC Yes. There you have the value of the blood in its highest and most extended character that satisfies every claim of divine glory. In a sense the divine speaking now is largely the speaking of the blood.
Rem “See that ye refuse not Him that speaks”.
CAC Yes, he calls attention to the powerful character of the speaking. God is speaking in Son; it is very majestic speaking. The Spirit of God is saying all through the epistle, ‘Take heed how you pay attention to this speaking’. He emphasises the majestic character of the speaking. There is no escape if we do not heed it; it calls attention to the greatness of the Person. If such a Person is speaking, it is at the peril of any creature to disregard the speaking.
Nothing is going to abide but what can stand in the presence of the majesty of God; everything else will be shaken.