I’ve been spending some time recently in the first few chapters of Hebrews and I thought I might share a few thoughts. Hebrews 3 & 4 is my very favorite passage. It’s about the New Covenant we have in Christ. In speaking of this covenant, the writer of Hebrews uses imagery from the Old Testament narrative in referring to the point where Israel decided to not enter the promised land because they were afraid of the giants in the land. Specifically it says they didn’t enter in because of disobedience and fear.
“So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. ” (Hebrews 3:19, ESV)
“Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, ” (Hebrews 4:6, ESV)
By using this story as a metaphor, he is saying that just as there was a promised land that they failed to enter, there is also a place of “rest” for us to enter and he challenges us to not fail to enter into the Sabbath rest due to disobedience or unbelief.
“For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. ” (Hebrews 4:8–11, ESV)
Israel failed to enter the promised land because they were relying on themselves instead of God. They compared themselves with the giants in the land and decided there was no possible way for them to win that fight. If they had relied upon the bigness of God instead of focusing on their own smallness or the bigness of their enemy, they would have entered the promised land and found “rest.”
In the same way, if we rely on ourselves, in our own strength, in what we can do, we too will not experience the Sabbath rest Jesus has made available to us. We must cease from our own works. This isn’t about stopping activity; it’s about where we are placing our confidence and trust. If we are to exert effort in any direction, it is in doing the hard work of not trusting in our hard work.
It is at this point that my very favorite verses appear.
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. ” (Hebrews 4:12–16, ESV)
Much could be said here about the living and active nature of God’s word, but I am going to take a slightly different focus. Who is this Jesus? This “High Priest”? It’s at this point we begin to see the connection between Hebrews 3 & 4 and the first two rather difficult chapters. In chapter 1 the writer argues for Jesus’ supremacy over angels. At the front end of chapter 2 he uses this supremacy as leverage in challenging us to respond to Jesus’ message.
“For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, ” (Hebrews 2:2–3, ESV)
His argument: if the angels deserved our attention then certainly Jesus, who is superior to them in every way, deserves our attention. We must not neglect the great salvation he has declared. Having established Jesus’ superiority to angels, the writer then completely reverses course and shows that Jesus was made lower than the angels.
“But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. ” (Hebrews 2:9, ESV)
He basically argues that because Jesus is greater than the angels we should listen to the good news of the gospel. The good news we should respond to is that Jesus temporarily became lower than the angels. The good news is that God came to us, became one of us. We should hear him becaue of who he is. What we should hear is who he became for our sake. He who is greater than angels became less than angels so that we who are less than angels can be saved from sin. He lowered himself that we might be raised.
Having established that Jesus is greater than angels but became less than angels he now establishes that Jesus is greater than Moses.
“Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house. For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. ” (Hebrews 3:1–3, ESV)
If Jesus is greater than Moses then what Jesus offers is greater than what Moses offered. The “Hebrews” who have relied upon Moses are being asked to instead rely fully upon the one who is greater than Moses. Why is he greater? Because he is the one superior to angels who has lowered himself to save us, through his suffering has propitiated our sin, and in doing so has defeated Satan, and has now been exalted. He is our High Priest. Why? Because he is one of us who is greater than us. He is faithful. Upon him we can fully rely. I can trust this High Priest to take the sword of his living word and cut the exposed things in my life. I can approach his throne of grace with confidence because he is the greater who became less and is greater still.
Context is everything. Do you have a favorite verse or passage? I challenge you to begin exploring the broader context. Look from 30,000 feet to see if you can see the overall train of thought your verse sits within. It might really give you greater insight into the significance of that verse.
3 Comments
I also love Hebrews and especially this section. My favorite passage is Hebrews 1 and 2! Here is how I see it opening up a powerful message for beleaguered saints, who had faced the loss of property, resultant grinding poverty, the need to start over but the insecurity that their shame attached to trusting in Jesus could come back like a hurricane at any time. Heb 1-2 is a New Creation argument. When the Son is presented to the Heavenly Court in Heb 1 (“world/habitation” 1:6 referring to the the same “world” referred to in 2:5 as “the world/habitation to come.”) So, God “speaking through his Son” is God doing precisely what he did in Genesis, creating a new “place for people to inhabit and a whole new humanity to inhabit that place” and Jesus is the prototype. 2:5-12 is the main thesis of the entire epistle. The problem? How do we reconcile the promise of Psalm 8 that God created us, the “son of man” for Godlike dominion when we as God’s people are looking pretty whipped at the moment (suffering, persecuted, you fill in the blank etc.). Answer: We don’t see the everything subject to us yet as promised in Psalm 8, but we see Jesus! He is the first glorious Son and will lead us, the rest of God’s Children to that glory. For now, Hebrews 2:11 encourages us that the contradiction we feel in our apparent defeats does not disqualify us from the honor of the presence of Jesus to support us! “For indeed he who makes holy and those being made holy all have the same origin, and so _he is not ashamed_ to call them brothers and sisters … Like a book end we get the same kind of encouragement about God himself toward us. We are a pilgrim people on the way and, as Hebrews 11:16 affirms, God also has compassion on saints with unfinished business but with a big YES in their heart for God, “But as it is, they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, _God is not ashamed to be called their God,_ for he has prepared a city for them. Unfinished, but not diminished, longing, but not forlorn. The reason Jesus became in every way like us is to lead us the the full glory he has for us. Meanwhile, we are set free from the hopelessness Satan had imposed though the powerful grip fear of death held over us. When we settle in our hearts that death is not the worst that can happen, we are set free to live in the fullness of the humanity that has been given to us.
Yancy,
I love this:
” The reason Jesus became in every way like us is to lead us the the full glory he has for us.”
This so sums up the heart of Hebrews for me.
One question I’ve always been bothered about. “…a little lower than the heavenly beings…” in Psalm 8 is “…a little lower than elohim…”, whcih EVERYWHERE else is translated “God” or “god”. Is there something in the Ps 8 context that warrants going with “heavenly beings” rather than the usual?
The Heb 1&2 argument depends on “angels” I think, but the OT text itself seems to me to be better understood as a statement about man’s place in Creation relative to God more than a statement about his position relative to angels.
Any thoughts?
Alan
Yes, that is a big topic, but I think a great one. In ancient Hebrew-Canaanite culture “elohim” means, roughly “powerful, spiritual beings” and it includes everything on up from ghosts of the departed through angels, gods, and the one and only true God. But, in terms of this Psalm it is referring to the universally held belief in the Ancient Near East of the “divine council.” Each people thought of their national god like a king surrounded by other gods and spirit beings in a deliberative council. Israel also thought of the one true god as surrounded by angels. But in the time of conflict between Yahweh and the gods of Canaan the idea was used to describe the clash of the one true God with the gods of Canaan. Psalm 82 and Psalm 89 refer to this idea and uses it evangelistically. Yahweh marches into the council and takes over, destroying the gods of Canaan! So, saying that we are created “a little lower than the elohim” is a way of speaking of the dignity of human kind and the promise that we are the true image of the invisible God. No other spirit being, neither angel nor demon will keep us from our destiny to be “sons of God” and join Jesus, “far above every principality and power and name that is named” in the council of heaven. Made lower to become higher.