NOTES ON SCRIPTURE 1895 NO. 7
NOTES ON SCRIPTURE 1895 NO. 7
The Hebrews were converted Jews, and though they had begun brightly, as we see from the end of chapter 10, yet they became discouraged. As the earthly people they had been taught that faithfulness to God would be rewarded on the earth. Now, as christians, they found that the more faithful they were the more they suffered. In this scripture they are told that not only will faith in God enable them to surmount every difficulty, but that their very sufferings would be turned to good account; they would be more separated unto God. “Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way”; pursue a straight and distinct course, that the lame may be helped (see Isaiah 35: 3). “The path of the just is as the shining light” (Proverbs 4: 18); there is no going to the right or to the left, but straight on. Lameness was a blemish which debarred the sons of Aaron from entering within the veil. Anyone now engrossed with his infirmity, his sickness, or his sorrow, is lame, and cannot be in the holiest. If he had found sympathy he would be above infirmity, because in Christ’s presence he had found complete relief. Paul could say, “I take pleasure in infirmities” (2 Corinthians 12:10)
[p. 48] he had gained so much of Christ through them. Follow peace with all men, but without holiness you cannot see the Lord, you cannot come to Him; hence - “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God”. Watch the beginning of evil, turning from grace; the root of bitterness is the flesh, whereby many are defiled. They are warned against apostasy. Esau for a meal sold his birthright - figuratively, grace - and there was found no place of repentance. In verses 18 - 24 we get the christian’s portion in contrast to the Jew under law, We first have the right of entrance to the holiest, full approach to God; we come to our portion. A worldly man does not see our portion, but a christian who knows it, who has come to it by faith, bears in his walk and ways unmistakeable evidence that he has a full cup. The things here do not draw his heart, because he possesses far greater things in another place. Faith is counting on God, seeing things as God sees them. A great man in the world has faith in himself, he feels he can do something; he may be conceited and fail, he imagined he had an ability which he had not. They say a horse will not easily attempt a fence that he is not up to; this is faith in oneself. But faith in God is counting on Him; you have His word, and you go on cheerfully, you must succeed. In prayer there should be the consciousness that you are so near Him that you speak into His ear; and no one ought to give out a hymn or minister in the assembly until he is assured that the Lord will support him in it. We have to walk by faith (verse 25). We are warned not to refuse him that speaketh; the speaking is now from heaven. “Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear”. As there is no more offering for sin, if you sin and do not judge yourself, you are judged of the Lord. Our God is a consuming fire. The flesh you indulge is where you will suffer; the body of sin has been destroyed [p. 49] for God in the cross, and if you return to it and do not judge it, He will judge it; the flesh that sins must be destroyed; either judged and condemned by you bringing the cross to bear upon it, or by the judgment of God falling on you.