TRUE HEBREWS

Milos Pavlik

Genesis 14: 13; 1 Samuel 14: 11; Exodus 9: 1; Hebrews 11: 8-16; 13: 13, 14

Hebrew is a name which has, I think, a twofold meaning in Scripture. We read in Acts (see chap 6: 1) about the murmuring of the Hellenists against the Hebrews. In that sense the Hebrews were the Jews in Palestine as distinguished from the Hellenists, the Jews living among the nations. It is likely that friction came about through those who were proud, who boasted about being Palestinian Jews, keeping what the law prescribed, maybe having a little contempt for those who were from among the nations. From this resulted the murmuring in that chapter, and there was a danger that the friction amongst these two parts of the Jews might come into the assembly. But it is not of Hebrews in this sense that I will say something.

There is another sense in which we can understand this name which we find in Genesis 14, where "Abram the Hebrew" is referred to. I think it is the first instance of this word in Scripture and there is a footnote telling us that it might mean one who is from across the river, or a person from another side. This connection is very significant in the situation in which Abram was. We know there was a war between four kings and five kings and Abram is referred to as the Hebrew. He had nothing to do with what was going on in the political world. He was a man who was from another country. We read here, of course, that he came into the conflict, but that is for a special reason; his brother was in danger and it was because of him - he simply decided to help his brother and not to meddle with the matters between the kings of the earth, for he was a man of another country. It is wonderful, dear brethren, to be persons of another country. And we have One who is that, very prominently. Our Lord Jesus is a person of another world. That had been made clear to Peter when the Father revealed to him the mystery of the Person of the Lord as the Son of the living God. That meant he was not of this world, not a man of this earth, but the One who is from heaven; not a man coming out of the earth and returning to the earth, but a Man who came out from God and was going back to God. It was revealed to Peter that this is a wonderful Person of another country, of another world. But not only He Himself; how blessed it is to have our part with Him! He said of His disciples: "they are not of the world, as I am not of the world", John 17: 14.

The beloved apostle Peter had another revelation from God as he saw the assembly in the form of the sheet in Acts 10 and it was, again, coming from heaven. It was something from another side, from another country, from another world; it was characteristically what was Hebrew. Believers, like the Lord Jews, are ever a foreign element in this world. This world is a world of iniquity, a world of sin, a world of darkness, a world of hatred. But the Lord Jesus came as a man of righteousness, of love, of light and of life. That is foreign to this world. Therefore the Lord says: "If the world hate you, know that it has hated me before you", John 15: 18. If they were of this world, the world would have loved them. The world would love its own, but because they are not of this world, therefore the world has hated them.

That was why I read that portion in Samuel. The expression of the Philistines against the Hebrews was one of sneering and contempt. "Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes". The world has that contempt and hatred for the Lord Jesus. Can we expect anything different? Never! The Lord had said that in this world you will have troubles, conflicts, afflictions, but hope - "I have overcome the world", John 16: 33. So it is a wonderful position, beloved brethren, to be Hebrews in this sense, persons of another side, foreign elements in this world, hated by the world but loved by God.

We have read in Exodus of "Jehovah the God of the Hebrews", and in the epistle to the Hebrews, "God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God". It refers surely to God calling Himself the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but I love to refer it to this passage where it says "God of the Hebrews". He was God of such who were of another side, who were the followers of the Lord, having come from Him and being one with Him. Abraham was one such; he was a stranger in this world. He was not looking to the beauties and attractiveness of the cities of this world. His nephew Lot did - it was very dangerous for him to look on the attractiveness of the well-watered plain of the Jordan. It was very dangerous for his soul to get his eyes engaged by what was attractive on this earth. But Abraham was told to look up and see the portion that God had given to him. The cities of this world had no attraction for Abraham's eyes, for he was waiting for another city, that city which has foundations, of which the artificer and constructor is God. The artificer means that He had the plan for it, the idea. He has thought out the purpose, the plan of it. Then He is bringing it about, He is the constructor of it: God Himself. That was the city which was before the eyes of Abraham. Beloved young brother, beloved young sister, is this city of God before your eyes or do you look on the attractiveness of the cities of this world? Yes, there is much to attract the heart and soul and the eyes of the natural man in this world, but nothing for the true Hebrew, for the person of another side, of another world.

I have read about those who were characterised by these wonderful features, not looking on what is here, not seeking their country in this world, but seeking the other country to which they belong in a spiritual sense. As to nature each one of us has come from a country on this earth, but in a spiritual sense we are all of the other world, of that world that is the heavenly. Abraham was seeking that heavenly country, so was Isaac, so was Jacob. Let us seek it, not anything that is in this world. Let us be true Hebrews and then we can count on God not being ashamed to be called our God. He is the "God of the Hebrews", of those wonderful persons who are seeking the heavenly country as their own.

So we have this letter to the Hebrews, and I would very much commend to our young brethren very thorough and very careful reading of this wonderful epistle. It is addressed to the Hebrews and, of course, that means the Hebrews in the first sense. It was addressed to the Jewish believers in Palestine. But I think its aim was to make them true Hebrews, and to make all of us true Hebrews, persons truly conscious of their origin in the heavenly country, to be conscious of our spiritual origin in God as begotten of God. It says in chapter 2 of this wonderful epistle that the Sanctifier and the sanctified "are all of one" (v 11), and therefore He is not ashamed to call such His brethren who are of Him, and od is not ashamed to be called their God, “God of the Hebrews". Beloved brother, beloved sister, let this wonderful point be appreciated in our eyes and let us allow the blessed Spirit to bring about in us, in our hearts and souls, those wonderful features of the true Hebrews. Let us be subject to Him that we might develop as true Hebrews according to God's thoughts. So we are encouraged not to seek anything here on this earth. We have her no abiding city but we are seeking the coming one, this wonderful city which Abraham had before his eyes. It was so glorious, it was so wonderful, that it helped him, helped him powerfully, to be free of all the attractiveness of this world. Let us be such, beloved brethren; let us not seek anything in this world, but let our eyes be fixed on what God has for us. In the same epistle (see chap 12: 2) we are told to look steadfastly on Jesus, on that wonderful Man in the best sense the true Hebrew, a Man of another world, of another country. He is the leader and the completer of faith". Let us follow Him. He despised the shame. He had the wonderful joy before Him and He despised the shame, and now is set down on the right hand of the throne of God. Let our eyes be fixed on Him. Let us be such of whom it can be said, "God is not ashamed of them to be called their God" - the "God of the Hebrews". May it be so, for His Name's sake.

 

DUNDEE

21 April 1990