FOUR READINGS ON HEBREWS (3)

^[p. 557] FOUR READINGS ON HEBREWS (3)

Hebrews 5: 1 - 14; Hebrews 6: 1 - 20

FER Hebrews is not like a gospel to the gentiles, it is the final appeal to those who were in relation to God as His people. It is like a last word, and has a peculiar character in that way. The great subject of the epistle is that of approach to God; the epistle is addressed to any who would hear. God has spoken to us in these last days in His Son, so you get, “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh”. (Chapter 12: 25.) The Speaker is entirely exceptional. He was not like a prophet; as the Apostle all the power and authority of God are presented in Him.

Ques Does the epistle contemplate any who are not professed believers?

FER No; it contemplates those who have heard the word. In James they are taken up on the ground of faith in Christ. Here they are supposed to have fled for refuge to the hope set before them, and to be partakers of the heavenly calling. God had nothing to say to the gentiles by the prophets in a general way, but to Israel. Now He speaks in the Son. It all goes on that line. In chapters 1 and 2 we get the Apostle and the High Priest. As the former, He represents God manward; as the latter, He represents man Godward. We have to apprehend both in Christ.

In chapter 1 Christ represents all the power and authority of God, the throne of God is there, but in chapter 2 we see Jesus crowned with glory and honour. God took the man most distinguished next to Moses, that is, Aaron, to represent the people Godward. Christ is representative Godward of those who have listened to the word. We have to “consider ^[p. 558] the Apostle and High Priest of our profession”. There are points of similarity, but also of contrast, between Christ and Aaron. It is very important to get Christ into view as the Apostle and High Priest: Consider him! If you do not appreciate the Apostle and Priest, you cannot appreciate the position. The Apostle brings the world to come into view, and the Priest shows the character of approach to God.

Rem The world to come is in view, and we can draw nigh.

FER Yes; that is it. It is involved in the Apostle and High Priest. In the Apostle the throne of God is established, and therefore you get the world to come brought into view; and the High Priest is the One who is crowned with glory and honour, and the way of approach is open. All is established, and all is morally prepared for the world to come. Christ has made purification of our sins, and has sat down at the right hand, and then you get the psalms fulfilled, “Thou art my Son”, Psalm 2: 7. “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever”, Psalm 45: 6. “Thou art the same”, Psalm 102: 27. All that brings the world to come into view. The world to come is when the government and power and authority of God is displayed; then all providence comes to an end, and God is displayed publicly. When God comes out, He puts aside the veil of providences and displays Himself in public government. That could only be in a Man, but then the Man is there. Morally the world to come is there because Christ is there.

The great thing is to have your attention fixed on Christ, and not simply on Christ personally, but Christ officially. Often pious people have Christ personally before them, and that is right so far; there is a great deal of real piety connected with it, but it is a great point also to apprehend Christ officially.

Ques What about the Holy Spirit speaking? (Chapter 3: ^[p. 559] 7).

FER If you consider the Apostle and High Priest, then the next point is the house of God, over which Christ is Son, and the Holy Spirit speaks there. The Spirit is here consequent upon Christ being Son over God’s house, and to the end that the history of Israel may not be repeated. We come into the place of Israel on the earth; they were the people in relation with God. The flesh has been set aside in the death of Christ. Hence you get the house of God and the Holy Spirit here, and therefore the flesh must be set aside in us, so that the history of Israel may not be repeated in us.

Circumcision is the seal of righteousness; that is a first principle; the putting off the body of the flesh is circumcision. I very much doubt a person’s righteousness if there is not the putting off the body of the flesh. Circumcision is by the Spirit. The disposition of the natural mind would be to say, I am justified, and that is enough. I say I admit it, but you must have the seal, and the seal is circumcision; and if you have not the seal, I begin to doubt your righteousness.

Ques. What is a seal?

FER It is a witness, a proof on the part of God. A man must have the seal, that is a first principle. In chapter 3 we have to consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession. The history of Israel will not be repeated. If circumcision is not accepted, and the flesh not refused, you can never think of approach to God. If it is accepted, then the next point in chapters 5, 6 and 7 is that you must be in accord with the Priest. The first principle of connection with the High Priest, as a question of approach to God, is that you obey Him. Chapter 5 gives the qualifications of the High Priest. He did not glorify Himself to be called a High Priest, and He learned obedience. The next step is to be brought into moral accord with the ^[p. 560] High Priest, and the first principle in that is that we obey Him.

We are not priests by calling, but by being kindred to Christ. The sons of Aaron came into priesthood because they were kindred to Aaron. We have to prove our genealogy, and our genealogy is proved by our having His Spirit. Priesthood in christendom is a perfectly foolish thing; it is a farce. A man is made a priest by the hands of a bishop being laid on him; the question of kindred is not raised. They would repudiate any link with Aaron, and they do not think of Christ.

Ques What is it to be “made perfect”?

FER It is not used in a moral sense. Christ goes through the path and takes things up graciously for us, and is qualified in that way to be Priest for us. We have to be in accord with Him, and so we have to obey Him. He took up a certain path in view of priesthood, and now He has become “the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him”. We have in that way to be in accord with Him. We get His call on the part of God (verse 5) and in verse 8 we get His qualification.

Ques What is the difference between the offering Priest and the High Priest?

FER He was offering Priest in death. He is High Priest at the right hand of God. The High Priest never offered a sacrifice except on the day of atonement. It is when Christ was called to sit at the right hand that He was saluted as High Priest. The great point for which the High Priest is brought in is to determine our approach to God. Approach to God is determined by the High Priest. In chapter 7 you get the introduction of a “better hope” by which we draw nigh to God. Priesthood, in our case, hangs largely on sonship. In Hebrews God is bringing many sons to glory.

We are called to glory so that we may come out with glory. We go in, but it is that we may come out glorious as the ‘holy city’. The foundation of going into the holiest is glory. The holiest is moral.

Ques What is “bringing many sons unto glory”?

FER Glory is the result. “Rejoice in hope of the glory of God” is going in; but it is that we may come out. The church comes out with the glory of God, Christ takes us right in. “I will come again, and receive you unto myself”. It is an important point that Christ takes us right in. God is bringing many sons to glory. He is like the Great Chamberlain, as it were. It is part of our glory to be taken in. Glory is the climax; and it is that Christ comes and presents us before the Father as His companions.

The great point in the introduction of the high priesthood of Christ is in connection with the drawing nigh to God. He does sympathise and help us in our infirmities, but the great point is that we may be in accord with the Priest, so that we may draw nigh. The first point in which we are to be in accord with Him is to obey Him. He learned to obey, and we obey. We get it in John 15. Christ kept His Father’s commandments and abode in His love; and we are to keep Christ’s commandments, and so abide in His love. The first feature, therefore, is obedience. We obey as He obeyed. The apostle could say, “as ye have always obeyed”, Philippians 2: 12.

We want to be in accord with Christ. He kept His Father’s commandments, and surely it is well that we should be in accord with Him, and keep His commandments. I know no commandment but Christ; He is commandment to me. A mother might say to her child, I am a commandment to you, if you want to be in accord with me. The work of the Spirit of God is so to attach you to Christ that every movement may be His commandment to you:

“to me to live is Christ”. He says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments”. Thus I accept the truth of obedience because Christ obeyed. He kept His Father’s commandments. We are sanctified to the obedience of Jesus Christ.

Ques How do you understand “author of eternal salvation”?

FER It is a contrast to temporal deliverance which Israel had. We are brought into “eternal salvation” that we may serve God without fear. In chapter 6 the great point is that the period of law has become blank, and we have to get back into line with the fathers. “That ye be ... followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises”. You have to get away from legality. We had obedience in chapter 5. In chapter 6 it is a question of faith and patience. It is all in view of building up the soul, and you are not to be “slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises”. The whole period of law had forwarded nothing. There is the building up a man, the apostle would not have them babes, but that their senses should be exercised to discern good and evil. We are to go on to perfection. Young children do not discern evil. I have suffered from two defects: one was lack of moral training, and education. The discernment of good and evil is largely a question of moral training.

The apostle is bent, in chapters 5 and 6, on building up a moral being in order that he may be in accord with the High Priest, and in chapter 7 that we may draw nigh to God. If people go on all the week without any thought of obedience, or faith, or patience, and then come on Lord’s day morning with the thought of drawing nigh to God, it is a moral impossibility. We have taken up things formally, instead of morally. It is not a question of giving lectures, or expositions; the great point is to ^[p. 563] get to the moral intent of the Spirit of God. The real power lies in the work of the Spirit in souls. The Hebrews needed to be taught first principles; they needed milk instead of solid food. If you have a dull audience, you cannot bring things out. An unsympathetic audience hinders a speaker.

Ques How does hope enter within the veil?

FER What had come out from heaven was a report by the Holy Spirit, and the report had been taken up, so there was a hope in heaven when all failed on earth. What it meant on their part was glory. The wonderful thing is this: when Israel rejected Christ, it came to light that God had other purposes to fulfil, but God opened the door to Israel on that ground, and the remnant became the church — all within the veil. If you attempt to make it anything on earth, you have falsified it. “Within the veil” refers more to the fact of Christ being hid.

Ques. Veil of providence?

FER All that men can see are God’s providences, but all that God has to give lies behind.

Ques The report is what is behind?

FER Yes; but then that requires faith.