Thursday, March 31, 2011

Hebrews 2:18-3:6 KJV


The Son Inherits the House and Authority Over It

WHAT IT SAYS:

18  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
1 ¶  Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
2  Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.
3  For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.
4  For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.
5  And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;
6  But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

WHAT IT MEANS:

18  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

We begin where we left off, with remembering that Jesus Christ came to this earth as a man who suffered all the same temptations that we suffer. Who He is and what He has experienced has made him able to give aid to those who are being tempted. He understands us, because He is one of us. This is part of the precious gift that God gave us by His grace.

1 ¶  Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

Notice where the Capitol Letters are: Apostle, High Priest, Christ Jesus. Those Capitol Letters mean those words represent Jesus. An apostle is a messenger and Jesus Christ was God's Holy Messenger. His message was that God is light, that God loves us, and God wants us back in His Fold. His message was that we need to repent and turn to God for forgiveness and life everlasting. He told us that the kingdom of God is at hand.

A High Priest is the one who mediates for all the people. The Mediator is "The Go Between" -- between God and us. In the Old Testament church when the people wanted to repent of their sins they would bring a pure clean animal and give it to the regular priest who sacrificed the animal for their sins and spoke to God for them. The High Priest was the only one who could go into the Holy of Holies -- the most sacred part of the temple -- once a year to offer the sacrifices on the Day of Atonement -- the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. Jesus Christ is our High Priest, who sacrificed Himself for our forgiveness. He is the Apostle (Messenger) and High Priest (Mediator) of our profession. We have professed, or shared with others that we have put our faith in Jesus. He is the one whom we profess to belong to us.

Verse one of chapter three (above) starts off with the word "wherefore" meaning that what is about to be said depends on our remembrance of what has just been said. What has just been said is that Jesus Christ is able to help us in our times of temptation to sin. But it actually includes everything from chapter one, verse one. All that has been said about Jesus Christ up to this point in the writing.

We are also addressed as: "holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling." This reminds us that in verse eleven of the previous chapter we are called "they who are sanctified" -- meaning made holy. It is fitting for those who have repented of their sins and accepted the sacrifice that Jesus made for the forgiveness of their sins, to consider themselves to have been made holy by his sacrifice. Because of their profession or belief in Him, we are now called "holy brethren"... with lower case letters. It is also a reminder of how we now need to conduct ourselves.

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

1Pe 1:15-16  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

The idea of us "being holy as God is holy" is not something that was "cooked up" in the New Testament. This was the commandment that God gave to the children of Israel which is quoted many many times in the Old Testament in Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and

Numbers 15:40: That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.

We are "partakers of the heavenly calling"... Those wonderful words: "the heavenly calling" -- God has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. We are partakers, participators, sharers of his marvellous invitation. We have been given a call to come to heaven, because of His Grace, through His Son, Jesus Christ. By our profession of faith in Him, we have accepted that call and become Christians. Obedience to God is the foundation that keeps us close to Him. Obedience comes from love and the greatest commandment is to Love God. The next greatest is to love our fellow man. You remain holy by faith and obedience unto "your God." The kind of life we live now is important.

1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Now, because we are partakers, we need to consider (or contemplate or be aware of) who Jesus Christ is and take Him as our example of faithfulness.

2  Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.

In this verse we see the beginning of a comparison between Jesus and Moses. Remember, the book we are studying was written to the Hebrew people and the most important prophet they had was Moses. They respected him, they revered him, they honored him -- and Jesus Christ is now being compared to him so their understanding of Jesus may be ripened.

The thing these two had in common was that they were both faithful to God (him that appointed him). God had appointed Moses and God also appointed Jesus Christ. Moses was called "faithful in all his house", being the house of Israel. The word Israel means "God prevails" and the "el" is the name of God as in "Elohiym" meaning The Ruler, The Judge, The One True God. Moses and Jesus were both faithful to the God of Israel and they were both appointed by God for their positions. They were both "deliverers" but Moses delivered their bodies from Egypt, and Jesus delivered their souls from hell.

3  For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.
4  For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

"This man," meaning Jesus Christ, was "counted worthy of more glory than Moses." Jesus has a higher status than Moses. Moses died, just as all have died since Adam. But Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead and now sits on the right hand of God. He was worthy, in God's eyes, for a great deal of glory. "Inasmuch" meaning "to the degree that" or "in the same way as" the architect or builder of a house has more honor than the house that was built. Frank Lloyd Wright was a famous architect and his houses are famous and cherished only because he built them. Jesus Christ, being God, is the builder of the house of Israel and of all things. Moses was a member of the house.

Philippians 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.


5  And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

Moses was a servant of God who was faithful to serve the house that God built -- called Israel. Moses was also a prophet who bore testimony of future things.

6  But Christ as a son over his own house; 

But Jesus Christ, because he is the Son of God, was faithful over his own house. He has authority that Moses never had. Moses was a servant of the house, but Jesus was the Son who inherited the house as his own. Jesus has authority over the house because it belongs to him. What house are they talking about?

whose house are we,

We are the house that Christ built with his ultimate sacrifice on the cross and He has authority over that house as a Son. He sought us and he bought us with His redeeming blood. He sacrificed Himself for us and we became the house that He built.

if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end

"IF" is a big little word. Our being a part of His house depends on if we hold fast the confidence -- meaning continue to trust in the work that Jesus did. Hold fast, like glue. We must be fastened or stuck to Jesus AND the rejoicing of the hope... what hope is that? The hope of eternal life in Jesus Christ. He is our hope, our future. And we must remain confident and hopeful to trust in Him "unto the end."

The word "firm" is important for us to notice. It means to not show weakness or uncertainty. It means forceful, hearty and vigorous. We are to keep a strong hold on Christ and our profession of Him. We are to keep our faith in Him strong unto the end.

We remain confident that He is the Way, and rejoice that we shall live in heaven with Him!! If we hold fast, remain firm, and endure to the end of our trials here. It is important that we remember we have been cleansed by Christ for the purpose that we may be re-united with the Father of Jesus. We continue to confidently face our trials knowing that Jesus Christ is there with us when we need Him and He is able to help.

We continue to look forward to heaven, to rejoice in what He has done for us knowing that He is the Son of God and owns not only us but the keys to death and hell. He closed the door to hell and opened the one to heaven for us!! Praise the Lord! We shall remain members of His household if we firmly hold fast until the end. And if we hold fast the firm confidence it is easy to hold fast to the wonderful rejoicing because He is holding on to us!! We belong to Him and He keeps us!! Praise the Lord!!

1 Peter 1:3 ¶  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 ¶  Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

John 10:28-29  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

RE-READ THE VERSES TO RELISH THE FULL UNDERSTANDING:

Hebrews 2:18-3:6 KJV

18  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
1 ¶  Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
2  Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.
3  For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.
4  For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.
5  And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;
6  But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

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