Hebrews 3

Notes

Ver. 1. Since the great Author of the gospel is so much more excellent and useful than all the former prophets, and even angels, let me beseech you, my dear brethren by descent from Abraham, and, in the judgment of charity, brethren not only to me and all the saints, but even to Christ himself—separated to him by profession, devoted to his service, sanctified by his blood and Spirit, and tenderly called by the gospel to a state of union and fellowship with him, and to a full right to and anticipating possession of all the privileges of the new kingdom—more attentively to consider and seriously reflect upon the super-eminent dignity of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, as the messenger of God, reveals to us the whole of the gospel truth which we profess, and as our great High-priest is the subject-matter thereof, who confirms and ratifies it by his death; and so is the author, life, and glory of our heavenly calling, and of our holy profession of his name, and of all our love to and hopes towards God through him; 2. Who being chosen, called, ordained, and sent by God to declare his whole will relative to the faith, worship, obedience, and salvation of the church, performed his work with a fidelity infinitely superior to Moses, his noted type, whom God himself attested as singularly faithful in publishing the whole system of laws and revelations given him, and in his whole government of his chosen people in the wilderness. 3. But, notwithstanding this honourable testimony, Christ is infinitely more honourable in himself, being not a mere man like Moses, but truly God-man in one person, and is worthy of infinitely greater honour, as he is the Former, Proprietor, Lord, and Head of the church, whereas Moses was but a member of it. 4. Nay, being the great Provider of all the materials, and Manager of all the affairs, of the Jewish or gospel church, for his own love, he can be nothing less than God himself. 5. And Moses indeed, not as a lord or proprietor, but as a servant, acted most faithfully in delivering the laws and ordinances of God about everything relative to the Jewish church, that he and they might be the distinguished figures of the far more excellent things which were to be more clearly revealed under the New Testament. 6. But though Christ graciously condescended to take upon him the form of a servant in his human nature and office capacity, yet, in what he has done relative to the church, he acted not merely as a servant, but as his Father's equal and only begotten Son, Heir of all things, and Lord of it, as his house or family, which he secured with his blood, gathered and formed, furnished, ordered, and governs, by his Word and Spirit; and of which all of us are members who, being truly united to him by faith, may, notwithstanding all the tribulations which befall us, steadfastly persevere in the faith, profession, hopes, comforts, and holiness of the gospel.—7. To warn such of you as are but nominal professors against utter apostasy, and quicken real believers to hold on and hold out to the end in their holy profession of Christ and his gospel, let me remind you of the charge given by the Holy Ghost to our fathers in the days of David. Now immediately, and without delay, while the present season of God's mercy and patience lasts, and his messengers are sent to you, if ye would attend to, regard, and embrace what he says by them, for your spiritual and eternal advantage, 8, 9. Take heed that ye do not wilfully shut your eyes against his light, nor stop your ears against his voice, and resist his Spirit, and so harden your hearts against his fear, and against all his methods of wisdom and love, for your present and future happiness, as your forefathers did, by their provoking unbelief, strifes, and murmurings in the wilderness of Arabia. I tried them by diversified dispensations of providence; and they for forty years, beholding my marvellous work of mercy and judgment, often put my faithfulness, power, kindness, patience, and just wrath to the trial; as if they had doubted my ability and willingness to fulfil my promises or threatenings. 10. Therefore, being all that time sorely displeased, and at length wearied out, with their repeated and aggravated unbelief and insolent behaviour, I solemnly declared them incorrigible in the error and perverseness of their hearts, and obstinately ignorant of and inattentive to my doctrines, laws, and ordinances, or any upright, holy, and peaceable conversation. 11. And, to render my threatening absolutely irreversible, I sware by myself, that, on account of their high and numberless provocations obstinately persisted in, not one of them, from twenty years old and upward, except Caleb and Joshua, who were men of another spirit, should ever enter into Canaan, which I had promised to Abraham and his seed, as a land of quietness, peace, and safety, in which I myself, in the ark of the covenant, would dwell among them; but should every one of them disgracefully die in the wilderness. 12. Being therefore warned by these awful examples, left for our admonition, and excited by a consideration of the dignity of Christ's person and office, and of our near concern with him, and of the rich advantages we may hope for from him, take heed, my dear Christian brethren, examine and watch over yourselves to the utmost, lest at any time, through the influence of Satan, the world, and your own corrupt hearts, unbelief— which, proceeding from an habitually sinful temper of soul, by distrusting God, and giving him the lie, reflects the highest dishonour upon his authority, sincerity, uprightness, faithfulness, power, and grace, and is the most noted and effectual spring and root of obstinate and final apostasy from God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who has all life in himself, and is the Author of all spiritual and eternal life to believers—should prevail in you. 13. And, as a mean of preventing this dreadful evil, not only guard against the first workings of unbelief and apostasy in yourselves; but, while your life and the day of gospel grace is continued with you, stir up and encourage one another, without delay, and upon every opportunity, to steadfastness in the faith, and to a holy and circumspect watchfulness against carnality of mind and negligence, and against the temptations of Satan, the allurements and terrors of the world, and everything which tends to carry you away from Christ and the gospel—lest any of you should be lulled asleep and stupified, and so led aside from him through the guileful and treacherous influence of indwelling corruption, magnifying the terror of sufferings for his sake, and the advantage of worldly ease, pleasure, affluence, or safety, and with fair pretences varnishing over the destructive ways of sin. 14. And it is of the utmost consequence for preserving us from this deceitfulness of sin and hardness of heart, to take heed that we be indeed real Christians; for it is manifest that we have a happy partnership with Christ in his righteousness, Spirit, grace, and benefits, as persons vitally united to him, and interested in all that he is and hath, when we hold fast our spiritual subsistence in him, and steadfastly maintain, and to the end of our lives persevere in our holy profession of him against all opposition and danger. 15. Take heed therefore now to yourselves, and do all that in you lies to fortify one another against apostasy; and if, while life and opportunity are continued, ye would believe and obey what God inculcates upon you for your good, beware of contracting an insensibility and hardness of heart, as your fathers did when they provoked the anger of the Lord against them by their unbelief and rebellion in the wilderness. 16. For most of them, after they had heard the law awfully published by God himself at Sinai, and had received the instructions relative to their ceremonial worship, instead of being suitably affected by it, indulged themselves in the highest provocation against God; nevertheless, Caleb and Joshua were men of a better spirit and conduct, and entered into the promised land. 17. But with whom of these Israelites was God so highly offended forty years as to exclude them from the promised land of Canaan? Was it not with those only who had repeatedly and notoriously rebelled against him through unbelief, and whose dead bodies, on account of their wickedness, lay slain, like miserable and detestable objects, in the Arabian desert through which they travelled to Canaan? 18. And against whom did God, in his just and awful indignation, swear that they should never be admitted to enjoy the privileges, peace, and blessings of that rest in Canaan? Was it not against those only who, notwithstanding all their professions and obligations, warnings and excitements, rejected God and his gifts by their unbelief? 19. It is therefore plain, from the whole, that unbelief was the root and spring of all their other provocations, by which they forfeited all right and claim to the promise of admission into the typical rest of Canaan.

Ver. 1. Holy. Separated from the world and dedicated to God. Such Christians are by profession, and, if that profession be sincere, such they are in reality. C.

Ver. 6. Over his own house. According as the Greek word is or is not aspirated, the translation will be 'over his house;' that is, over God's (ver. 4) or 'his own house;' that is, over Christ's, —Whose house. House, in this place, evidently signifies 'family;' in which sense it is consequently to be understood, ver. 2-5, from which this is a conclusion. C.

Ver. 7. These words, quoted from Ps. 95. 7, were uttered and written, instrumentally, by David; they are, however, attributed directly to the Holy Ghost, because 'holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.' C.

Ver. 10. I was grieved. When 'grief,' 'wrath,' or other similar emotions are attributed to God, they are not to be represented as mere figures and accommodations and condescensions of God to the language of men; but are to be understood as exemplified in Jesus, 'God manifest in the flesh.' C.

Ver. 13. This 'deceitfulness' appears in many forms, especially the following: (1) The temptation promises a blessing, as Satan promised god-like immortality to our first parents. (2) Pleads that it is so little, it cannot be rigorously dealt with. (3) That it is infrequent and easily repented of. (4) That God is merciful, and will not rigidly enforce his laws. (5) Sin is disguised under fair names: pride is called spirit; covetousness, care; ungodliness is called thoughtlessness. C.

Reflections.—In dignity how far, how inconceivably far, Jesus, the God, the Maker, the Lord, the Proprietor and Governor of the church, transcends Moses, a mere man formed by himself, a member, a servant in it! Faithful was he to his Father, who constituted him mediator. And worthy is he to be contemplated, adored, trusted, and rejoiced in, and openly professed. But unworthy are those to be held members of his church who are not living by faith, sanctified by his Spirit, and resting daily in his grace. Alarming and earnest are God's calls and invitations to men; indispensably necessary is a present attention to his voice, and acceptance of his favours; and fearful is our guilt, and dreadful our danger, if we harden our hearts, and contemn his offers of grace. In nothing does the deceitfulness of sin more appear than in men's obstinate unbelief. If it reign in our heart, there is no apostasy but may be expected in our life, and no plague or remorse will be too dreadful for our reward. Alas! what multitudes of gospel hearers perish in this sin! And who knows what numbers are, by a holy God, consigned over to the power of it, and to irreversible condemnation for it, even in this life.