Bible Ministries International
NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY CHURCH
Good afternoon and welcome to BMI’s Sunday Online Fellowship. Thank you for joining us, and shall we ask God’s blessing upon our time together... Today I would like to start a new series on the book of Hebrews, so this will be Hebrews 1- Part 1, and today’s date is March 8, 2020.
I’ll begin by reading Hebrews Chapter 1:
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, {2} Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; {3} Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; {4} Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. {5} For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? {6} And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. {7} And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. {8} But unto the Son [he saith], Thy throne, O God, [is] for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness [is] the sceptre of thy kingdom. {9} Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, [even] thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. {10} And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: {11} They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; {12} And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. {13} But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? {14} Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
A Book Of Contrasts
This book is uniquely focused on God the Son, and contains a number of interesting contrasts that we will be encountering throughout its 13 chapters. When you stop to think about it, isn’t the nature of the entire Bible one of contrast? For example, the Bible is the Word of God, and what is one major aspect of the Word of God? Hebrews 4:12 provides this stunning aspect of the Word of God,
For the word of God [is] quick [“living”], and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The same “two-edged sword” has both the power to “cut” to eternal life (during the “day of salvation”) on one edge, or to “cut” to annihilation on the other edge, depending on the will and good pleasure of the One wielding that Awesome Sword.
We also recognize that one cannot separate the Word of God from the Lord Jesus Christ, as He is indeed the Word “made flesh” as we read in John 1:1-5, and 14 which reminds us of a similar contrast - between “light” and “darkness” - that is also expressed in Genesis 1:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. {2} The same was in the beginning with God. {3} All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. {4} In him was life; and the life was the light of men. {5} And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not…{14} And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Similarly, Genesis 1:1-4 opens up the Word of God with this glorious proclamation:
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. {2} And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. {3} And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. {4} And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
Notice the sequence of the verbs in verses 3-4: “...God said...God saw...God divided…” And here we are today in the year 2020 - 13,032 years from Creation - and God is still speaking (from the Bible only)...God still sees, and God is now dividing Satan’s kingdom in this present day of judgment, in which He is ruling the world with a “rod of iron,” as He testified in Mark 3:24-26,
And if a kingdom be divided [merizo:G3307] against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. {25} And if a house be divided [merizo:G3307] against itself, that house cannot stand. {26} And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided [merizo:G3307], he cannot stand, but hath an end.
The term “be divided” (merizo:G3307) is found three times in each of the verses in Mark 3:24-26, and is related to the Greek noun, “merismos” (G3311), which is translated as “the dividing asunder” in Hebrews 4:12 which I’ll quote again:
For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder [merismos:G3311] of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
An unparalleled picture of the Lord Jesus Christ - The Word of God - is found in Revelation 1:12-18,
And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; {13} And in the midst of the seven candlesticks [one] like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. {14} His head and [his] hairs [were] white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes [opthalmos:G3788] [were] as a flame of fire; {15} And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. {16} And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance [was] as the sun shineth in his strength. {17} And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: {18} I [am] he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Notice if you will, the expression, “eyes” (opthalmos:G3788 - from which we derive our English word for “ophthalmology”) in verse 14, and John’s immediate reaction to fall“...at his feet as dead” as He was in the very presence of Eternal God. And there he would have remained... if it had not been for the tender touch of the Savior’s “right hand” upon him, and those comforting words of divine assurance: “Fear not.” Could it be that in this series we would see afresh the Lord Jesus Christ in all of His glorious splendor, majesty, and holiness, and in seeing Him that the “eyes of our understanding” might be “enlightened” as verse 18 of Ephesians 1:15-23 declares in this prayer of Paul’s, under divine inspiration, in which the identical word for “eyes” in Revelation 1:14 is rendered in Ephesians 1:18 as “The eyes of your understanding [or “mind”] being enlightened...”
Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, {16} Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; {17} That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: {18} The eyes [ophthalmos:G3788] of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, {19} And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, {20} Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places], {21} Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: {22} And hath put all [things] under his feet, and gave him [to be] the head over all [things] to the church, {23} Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Could it be that as a result of “the eyes of our understanding being enlightened” this would serve as a catalyst or driving force for each one of us to heed this “New Commission” that God has given to His people, with renewed fervor, focus, and commitment, and always by God’s grace, as He works in His elect “...both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure,” as Philippians 2:13 prescribes. With that in mind, let’s begin our examination of the book of Hebrews in...
Verses 1-2: God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, {2} Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
In these first two verses we discover the first “contrast,” having to do with God speaking - first through utilizing “the prophets,” and then through “His Son,” even as verse 21 of 2 Peter 1:16-21 powerfully affirms, in which the same word for “God” (theos:G2316) here in Hebrews 1:1 also surfaces in 2 Peter 1:21 in the phrase “holy men of God”:
For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. {17} For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. {18} And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. {19} We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: {20} Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. {21} For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.
Yes, the entire Bible is God speaking to mankind. Could there be a greater form of communication than this? And is this not the basis for all communication that man has with his fellow man on a physiological level and that children learn by absorbing it from their parents? This incredible dynamic is between Infinite Holy God and a finite creature that God in His mysterious sovereignty and inexplicable wisdom made “...in the image of God,” as Genesis 1:26-27 so profoundly declares:
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. {27} So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
So in forming Adam (and Eve) “from the dust of the earth” God equipped them with precise physical characteristics in order for that communication or “fellowship” to take place. God had to give man a mouth, lungs to breath, and air (as we read in Genesis 2:7, And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.) a tongue, teeth, palate, and a voice box (larynx) to form and pronounce words by altering pitch and volume; this also enables us to chew and eat - remembering what Luke 4:4 instructs - And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.) Additionally, God gave man two ears as well as two “eyes” as was mentioned earlier in Ephesians 1:18, and a mind to ponder, to create, to wonder at all that God had created, and this wonderful fellowship and harmony that God had established with Adam and Eve before they fell into sin. And for the child of God, who has been re-created in the image of God we are able to learn this new language of the Bible, which is a heavenly or spiritual language that God has hidden in His Word, so we too can worship and commune with God through His Word and prayer, as 1 John 1:1-3 exhorts as it pinpoints the relationship that God’s elect have with their Savior every day, but especially today on Sunday, as we have another opportunity to concentrate our time and energy on fellowshipping with God in a very intimate way:
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes [opthalmos:G3788], which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; {2} (For the life was manifested, and we have seen [it], and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) {3} That which we have seen [opthalmos:G3788] and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship [is] with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Who At Sundry Times [polymeros:G4181]
The term, “who at sundry times” is only found here in Hebrews 1:1, and is a compound word “polymeros” (G4181), comprised of the word, “poly,” or “many” and the expression, “meros” (G3313), which is the root word for “merizo” (G3307) which was the verb, “be divided” that was used three times in Mark 3:24-26. “Meros” (G3313) is most commonly rendered as “part,” and since God is the One speaking through His Word, the Bible, we can understand this as God speaking in many “parts,” not only with respect to using different “prophets” as well as His Son. This would also include the degree of progressive revelation that God purposed to give to His elect which was done in stages. This factor is expressed very clearly as “part” four times in 1 Corinthians 13:9-10, and 12 which is the grand chapter on Biblical love:
For we know in part,[meros:G3313] and we prophesy in part. [meros:G3313] {10} But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part [meros:G3313] shall be done away. ... {12} For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part;[meros:G3313] but then shall I know even as also I am known.
In Divers Manners [polytropos:G4187]
Just like “who at sundry times,” this next term, “in divers manners” is only found in Hebrews 1:1. It too, is a compound word, consisting of the word, “poly” or “many,” and the main word, “tropos” (G5158) which is primarily translated as “ways” or “means;” it also surfaces frequently as a simile by the usage of the words “as” or “like.” This of course is very relevant, as God wrote the entire Bible as a “spiritual” book, which includes thousands of truths which are couched in parabolic language as Proverbs 25:2 asserts:
[It is] the glory of God to conceal a thing [dabar:H1697 - “word”]: but the honour of kings [is] to search out a matter. [dabar:H1697 - “word”]
Here are some of the ways that God utilizes this term:
Luke 13:34 maintains, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as [tropos:G5158] a hen [doth gather] her brood under [her] wings, and ye would not!
And Acts 1:11 acknowledges: Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as [tropos:G5158] ye have seen him go into heaven.
Verse 2 of Romans 3:1-2 states: What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit [is there] of circumcision? {2} Much every way: [tropos:G5158] chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.
This verse makes mention of the “holy men of God” or “prophets” that God dictated His Word to.
Lastly, Jude 1:7 renders this word as “manner”: Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, [tropos:G5158] giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Spake [laleo:G2980]
The Greek verb, “spake” in Hebrews 1:1 is found for instance in John 16, in which it surfaces numerous times in this chapter that goes into some detail with regard to the nature of how God, in His incomprehensible wisdom chose to speak (which was by “parables”) to His elect; furthermore in order for any of His saints to comprehend what God has spoken, He has to open their spiritual eyes and ears to Truth, which is why Psalm 119:18 should be one’s constant petition everytime we open the Bible:
Open thou mine eyes [`ayin:H5869], that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
The term, “eyes” in this verse is significant, as it is the Hebrew letter-word, “`ayin,” the 16th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and is very pregnant with meaning. It is rendered predominantly as: “eye,” “sight,” “seem,” “color,” “fountain,” “well,” and “face,” etc. Furthermore, it also corresponds spiritually to what we read earlier (in Greek) in verse 18 of Colossians 1:17-19, which I’ll quote again, as it is such an excellent reminder for each one of us:
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: {18} The eyes [opthalmos:G3788] of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, {19} And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
And as you are well aware of, we are living in this time in which God is doing this very thing, as He continues to divulge more and more truth that He wants His saints to know prior to the very last day of this extended day of judgment, that we are to continue to share with others.
Unto The Fathers [pater:G3962] By [en:H1722] The Prophets [prophetes:H4396]
The last two words in Hebrews 1:1, “unto the fathers” and “by the prophets” constitute this first contrast that God is making concerning the “prophets” that God used to pen the Scriptures, and God the Son - “the Prophet” - as we will read about in Hebrews 1:2, which will be our subject next Sunday. The following references illustrate how God employs these two words together:
John 6:45 states: It is written in the prophets [prophetes:H4396]
, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father [pater:G3962], cometh unto me.
Acts 3:22 and 25 further reveal: For Moses truly said unto the fathers [pater:G3962], A prophet [prophetes:H4396] shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. ... {25} Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
Acts 7:52 adds: Which of the prophets [prophetes:H4396]
have not your fathers [pater:G3962] persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Finally, verse 25 of Acts 28:25-27 affirm: And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet [prophetes:H4396] unto our fathers [pater:G3962], {26} Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: {27} For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with [their] eyes, and hear with [their] ears, and understand with [their] heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Let’s stop here today, and Lord willing we will pick up with Hebrews 1:2 in our next study. Please stay tuned for our Hymn Sing next.
Good afternoon and welcome to BMI’s Sunday Online Fellowship. Thank you for joining us, and shall we ask God’s blessing upon our time together… This will be Hebrews 1- Part 2, and today’s date is March 15, 2020. I’ll read Hebrews 1:1-4.
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, {2} Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; {3} Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; {4} Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
I mentioned in Part 1 that the book of Hebrews is filled with contrasts, and in verse two we find the second part of the first contrast that we encountered in verse 1, which was that “...God spake...unto the fathers by the prophets.” This second part revolves around God speaking “...by [his] Son,” which occurred “...in these last days”:
What Are The Last [eschatos:G2078] Days [hemera:G2250]?
We learn that the context in which God has spoken “...by [his] Son...” is associated with the term, “last days,” which would include the entire New Testament period, as the Bible was completed around 90 AD. Additionally we recognize that the “last days” also includes the Great Tribulation and our present day of judgment. The following passages illustrate some of the ways in which God includes these two terms, “last days”:
Acts 2:17 (quoting Joel 2) acknowledges:
And it shall come to pass in the last [eschatos:G2078] days [hemera:G2250], saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Verse 1 of 2 Timothy 3:1-5 declares the sad state of spiritual affairs that ushered in the Great Tribulation, and our present day of judgment: This know also, that in the last [eschatos:G2078] days [hemera:G2250] perilous times shall come. {2} For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, {3} Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,{4} Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; {5} Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Verse 3 of James 5:1-6 provides this commentary regarding the unsaved who consider themselves spiritually rich (and are not), as well as those who are financially prosperous, in spite of being unsaved:
Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. {2} Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. {3} Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last [eschatos:G2078] days. [hemera:G2250] {4} Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. {5} Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. {6} Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
Verse 3 of 2 Peter 3:1-3 likewise reinforces this same truth; please note the similar reference to the “prophets” as well as to the “apostles of the Lord and Savior” as in Hebrews 1:1-2,
This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: {2} That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: {3} Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last [eschatos:G2078] days [hemera:G2250] scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
Last/Latter [’achariyth:H319] Days [yowm:H3117] In The Old Testament
We find similar references in the Old Testament with respect to these two terms, “last [or latter] days,” however these citations do not include the entire New Testament period, but are focused rather on the Great Tribulation and the day of judgment:
Verse 30 of Deuteronomy 4:23-30 utilize these two words: Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, [or] the likeness of any [thing], which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee. {24} For the LORD thy God [is] a consuming fire, [even] a jealous God. {25} When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt [yourselves], and make a graven image, [or] the likeness of any [thing], and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger: {26} I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong [your] days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. {27} And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you. {28} And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. {29} But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find [him], if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. {30} When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, [even] in the latter [’achariyth:H319] days [yowm:H3117], if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;
Deuteronomy 31:29 reveals: For I know that after my [Moses’] death ye will utterly corrupt [yourselves], and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter [’achariyth:H319] days [yowm:H3117]; because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.
Deuteronomy 31:29 also reminds us of what we read in verse 29 of Acts 20:27-31, as Paul uttered under divine inspiration, in which the “tares” were already taking root in the fledgling New Testament churches, as the Lord had accurately predicted in the Parable of the “Wheat” and “Tares”:
For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. {28} Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. {29} For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. {30} Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. {31} Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
Verse 2 of Isaiah 2:1-4 is a reference to the salvation of God’s elect during the “latter rain,” as the Gospel went out to reach “the nations of the elect” as never before in human history: The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. {2} And it shall come to pass in the last [’achariyth:H319] days [yowm:H3117], [that] the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. {3} And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. {4} And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
The same language in Isaiah 2:2 is picked up in verse 1 of Micah 4:1-5, But in the last [’achariyth:H319] days [yowm:H3117] it shall come to pass, [that] the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. {2} And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. {3} And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. {4} But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make [them] afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken [it]. {5} For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.
Verse 20 of Jeremiah 23:16-20 records God’s judgment against His own “house” first: Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, [and] not out of the mouth of the LORD. {17} They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. {18} For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard [it]? {19} Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked.{20} The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter [’achariyth:H319] days [yowm:H3117] ye shall consider it perfectly.
The last part of Hebrews 1:2 pinpoints two major characteristics of the Lord Jesus Christ: He has been “...appointed heir of all things…” and He “...made the worlds.”
Whom [hos:G3739]He Hath Appointed [tithemi:G5087]
The two words, “whom” and “he hath appointed” surface together in a number of Scriptures, and we will consider a few of them:
John 15:16 translates these words as “ordained” and “whatsoever”: Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained [tithemi:G5087] you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever [hos:G3739] ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
1 Corinthians 3:11 renders them as “lay” and “which”: For other foundation can no man lay [tithemi:G5087] than that is laid, which [hos:G3739] is Jesus Christ.
And in 1 Peter 2:8 they are expressed as “And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, [even to them] which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto [hos:G3739] also they were appointed. [tithemi:G5087]
Heir [kleronomos:G2818] Of All Things [pas:G3956]
The next two terms, “heir” and “of all things” are only found together in one other significant passage having to do with the Lord Jesus Christ, as well as each of his elect children, as verse 1 of Galatians 4:1-7 asserts; I’ll start with Galatians 3:22-29 in order to pick up the context leading up to Chapter 4:
But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. {23} But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. {24} Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. {25} But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. {26} For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. {27} For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. {28} There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. {29} And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. {4:1} Now I say, [That] the heir [kleronomos:G2818], as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all [pas:G3956]; {2} But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. {3} Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: {4} But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, {5} To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. {6} And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. {7} Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir [kleronomos:G2818] of God through Christ.
Heir [kleronomos:G2818] - A Closer Look
Let’s take a closer look at this word, “heir,” which is a compound word made up of “kleros” (G2819), which is primarily rendered as “part” or “lot,” and the term, “nomos” (G3551), which is always rendered as “law;” in other words the “inheritance of the law.” The following references contain this expression, “kleros” (G2819):
In Matthew 27:35 it appears twice as “lots,” fulfilling Psalm 22:18 regarding the Messiah’s outer coat - symbolizing “the robe of Christ’s righteousness” - as well as his other garments: And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: [kleros:G2819] that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. [kleros:G2819]
Verse 18 of Acts 26:16-18 renders this word as “inheritance” as part of God’s “marching orders” to the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus, as he rehearsed before King Agrippa: But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; {17} Delivering thee from the people, and [from] the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, {18} To open their eyes, [and] to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance [kleros:G2819] among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
Colossians 1:12 also translates it as “of the inheritance”: Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance [kleros:G2819] of the saints in light:
And in 1 Peter 5:3 it is rendered as “[God’s] heritage”: Neither as being lords over [God's] heritage, [kleros:G2819] but being ensamples to the flock.
He Made [poieo:G4160] The Worlds [aion:G165]
Let’s now turn our attention to the second characteristic pertaining to the Lord Jesus Christ that we find in verse 2, and is comprised of the two words, “he made” and “the worlds;” these two terms crop up in the following five passages:
Luke 16:8 expresses these two words as “he had done” and “world”: And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done [poieo:G4160] wisely: for the children of this world [aion:G165] are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
Verse 11 of Ephesians 3:1-12 renders these terms as “he purposed” and “the eternal”: For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, {2} If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: {3} How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, {4} Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) {5} Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; {6} That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: {7} Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. {8} Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; {9} And to make all [men] see what [is] the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: {10} To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly [places] might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, {11} According to the eternal [aion:G165] purpose which he purposed [poieo:G4160] in Christ Jesus our Lord: {12} In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Hebrews 13:20-21 is a wonderful example of how the Savior blesses His elect people with the “patience and comfort of the Scriptures” (Romans 15:4), reminding them of the same truth that is also stated in Philippians 2:13; these two words are “do” and “working,” along with “ever and ever”: Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, {21}Make you perfect in every good work to do [poieo:G4160] his will, working [poieo:G4160] in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom [be] glory for ever and ever. [aion:G165] Amen.
1 John 2:15-17 also contrasts the lot of the wicked with the lot of the elect, and in so doing the difference between Biblical love (which is obedience to God’s Word) and the sinful pleasures associated with this sin-cursed world; these terms appear as “he that doeth” and “ever”: Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. {16} For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. {17} And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth [poieo:G4160] the will of God abideth f or ever. [aion:G165] {18} Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. {19} They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would [no doubt] have continued with us: but [they went out], that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
Lastly, verse 6 of Revelation 1:3-6 includes these two expressions as well: “hath made” and “ever and ever” Blessed [is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time [is] at hand. {4} John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace [be] unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; {5} And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, {6} And hath made [poieo:G4160] us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. [aion:G165]Amen.
Curiously in today’s study which dealt with these two characteristics of the Lord Jesus, “heir of all things” and “he made the worlds” we encountered 4 passages that refer to the “faith of Christ” in the verses we examined, which is significant as there are only 11 such verses in the New Testament and 2 in the Old Testament.
Let’s stop here, and Lord willing next Sunday we will investigate verse 3. Please stay tuned for our Hymn Sing next.
Good afternoon and welcome to BMI’s Sunday Online Fellowship. Thank you for joining us, and shall we ask God’s blessing upon our time together… This will be Hebrews 1- Part 3, and today’s date is March 22, 2020. I’ll read Hebrews 1:1-5.
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, {2} Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; {3} Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; {4} Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. {5} For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
Today I would like to examine verse 3 which is one of the most spectacular affirmations concerning the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ in all of Scripture. Let’s consider each of the five testimonies in this verse regarding His Divine Majesty. The first phrase in verse 3, Who being the brightness of his glory is made up of four Greek words that only appear together in this passage, so I would like to break this phrase down by looking at the first two, and then the latter two.
Who [hos:G3739] Being [on:G5607]
These first two terms, “Who being” I almost skipped over since they obviously refer to the Lord, but after I saw how God employs them in the 18 other citations in which they are found I was again reminded of the fact that every word in the Bible is of infinite value, even as we read in Matthew 5:18,
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot [iota:G2503 - derived from the “yod”(the 10th letter of the Hebrew alphabet) and corresponds to the “iota,” which is the 9th letter of the Greek alphabet] or one tittle [keralia:G2762 - the smallest part of a Hebrew letter] shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
I have selected the following references because they illustrate how God has chosen to use these two words, “who being,” because they link very directly to the Savior or to His Word, the Bible:
Luke 24:44 translates these as the first “which” and “while” in this highly significant verse that parallels Matthew 5:18, and links all the words of the Old Testament (and of course, those in the New Testament as well) to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to their fulfillment: And he said unto them, These [are] the words which [hos:G3739] I spake unto you, while [on:G5607]
I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and [in] the prophets, and [in] the psalms, concerning me.
Verse 17 of Romans 4:13-21 renders these words as “him whom,” “those things which be,” and “they were”: For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, [was] not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. {14} For if they which are of the law [be] heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: {15} Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, [there is] no transgression. {16} Therefore [it is] of faith, that [it might be] by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, {17} (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom [hos:G3739] he believed, [even] God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be [on:G5607] not as though they were. [on:G5607]
{18} Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. {19} And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: {20} He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; {21} And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Verse 4 of Ephesians 2:1-10 expresses these terms as “who is” and “wherewith”: And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins; {2} Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: {3} Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. {4} But God, who is [on:G5607] rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith [hos:G3739] he loved us, {5} Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) {6} And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus: {7} That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. {8} For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: {9} Not of works, lest any man should boast. {10} For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Verse 8 of Hebrews 5:1-10 translates these words as “he were” and “the things;” this is chapter in which we will discover yet another contrast - between the Levitical priesthood and Christ’s High Priesthood “after the order of Melchisedec” - if God permits: For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things [pertaining] to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: {2} Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. {3} And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. {4} And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as [was] Aaron. {5} So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. {6} As he saith also in another [place], Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. {7} Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; {8} Though he were [on:G5607] a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things [hos:G3739] which he suffered; {9} And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; {10} Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
The last passage I would like for us to consider is verse 4 of Revelation 1:1-8, in which these words are rendered as the first “is,” and the second “which”: The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified [it] by his angel unto his servant John: {2} Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. {3} Blessed [is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time [is] at hand. {4} John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace [be] unto you, and peace, from him which is [on:G5607], and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which [hos:G3739] are before his throne; {5} And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, {6} And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. {7} Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. {8} I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
The next two expressions in verse 3 are “the brightness” and “of his glory” which are only found together in this verse, so we will have to investigate them individually:
The Brightness [apaugasma:G541]
As it turns out, this term, “brightness” only surfaces here in Hebrews 1:3. It is a compound word made up of “apo” (G575), which is primarily translated as “from” or “of” and the main word, “augazo” (G826), which only occurs in verse 4 of 2 Corinthians 4:1-6, as “should shine”:
Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; {2} But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. {3} But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: {4} In whom the god of this world [God - not Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine [augazo:G826] unto them. {5} For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. {6} For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Curiously this expression, “should shine” is derived from a word that is only found once in Acts 20:11, and is rendered as “break of day” (auge:H827)
Break Of Day [auge:G827]
When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, [auge:G827] so he departed.
This matches other language in the Bible in which the Lord Jesus is referred to as the “bright and morning star” or the “daystar” or “sun” which has to do with the rising of the sun, and this too relates to the resurrection which took place very early in the morning in 33 AD, as the subsequent citations reveal:
Revelation 22:16 acknowledges: I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, [and] the bright and morning star.
Similarly, verse 19 of 2 Peter 1:16-21 maintains: For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. {17} For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. {18} And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. {19} We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: {20} Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. {21} For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.
Notice how God ties in the “light” shining in a “dark place” which alludes to salvation during the day of salvation, and in turn includes the analogy of the sunrise, which underscores the resurrection not only in 33 AD, but more importantly to that which was established “...at the foundation of the world.” In turn, God also links the “rising of the Sun/Son” to the Word of God itself which He breathed out of His mouth, and by which He spoke to the “prophets,” which was the first “contrast” that we encountered between these “holy men of God,” which “spake in time past” and God the Son.
Malachi 4:2 likewise affirms: But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
Revelation 1:16 paints a similar portrait: And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance [was] as the sun shineth in his strength.
This is also the case in Revelation 10:1, And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow [was] upon his head, and his face [was] as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
Revelation 21:23 goes on to explain that in the New Heaven and New Earth there will be no need for physical light since the “glory” of God and the Lamb will provide all the eternal Light that is needed in that holy and pure environment: And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory [doxa:G1391] of God did lighten it, and the Lamb [is] the light thereof.
Of His Glory [doxa:G1391]
In Revelation 21:23, the expression, “the glory” is the same word that is found in Hebrews 1:3, which we now want to turn our attention to. One of the chapters that contains this word three times is John 17, known as Christ’s High Priestly prayer in verses 5, 22, and 24. I’ll read the entire chapter, as it is particularly relevant for God’s saints on the earth today who are “alive and remain,” as we get ever closer with each passing day to the reality of verse 24 testifies, and that which we read about in Luke 21:28, And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
John 17:1-26 proclaims: These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: {2} As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. {3} And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. {4} I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. {5} And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. {6} I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. {7} Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. {8} For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received [them], and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. {9} I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. {10} And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. {11} And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we [are]. {12} While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. {13} And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. {14} I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. {15} I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. {16} They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. {17} Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. {18} As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. {19} And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. {20} Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; {21} That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. {22} And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: {23} I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. {24} Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. {25} O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. {26} And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare [it]: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
The Root Word For Glory [Doxa:G1391] Is Think [dokeo:G1380]
The parent word for “glory” is worth mentioning, as it is the verb, “to think.” And the Bible explains that what one thinks about has a profound effect on our minds bodies, and souls whether for good or for ill spiritually or physically. This is why Scripture affirms in verse 7 of Proverbs 23:6-8; this Hebrew word apparently has no root word, and is only found in this citation:
Eat thou not the bread of [him that hath] an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: {7} For as he thinketh [sha`ar:H8176] in his heart, so [is] he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart [is] not with thee. {8} The morsel [which] thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
This is also why the essence of Philippians 4:8 has to do with what one meditates on, even though the term for “think,” is a different Greek word:
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.
Is it any wonder that God told Joshua in Joshua 1:8,
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
The following passages contain the root word for “glory” which is...
Think [dokeo:G1380]
Luke 12:51 records: Suppose ye [dokeo:G1380] that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
And John 5:39 maintains: Search the scriptures; for in them ye think [dokeo:G1380] ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Galatians 6:3 offers this warning: For if a man think himself [dokeo:G1380] to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
Similarly, verse 1 of Hebrews 3:12-19 and :1-3 further adds: Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. {13} But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. {14} For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; {15} While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. {16} For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. {17} But with whom was he grieved forty years? [was it] not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? {18} And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? {19} So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. {4:1} Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left [us] of entering into his rest, any of you should seem [dokeo:G1380] to come short of it. {2} For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard [it]. {3} For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Lastly, Hebrews 12:10-11 employs this term twice, once as “pleasure” in verse 10, and then “seemeth” in verse 11 regarding the spiritual benefits of God’s chastening as opposed to that of one one’s parents: For they verily for a few days chastened [us] after their own pleasure; [dokeo:G1380] but he for [our] profit, that [we] might be partakers of his holiness. {11} Now no chastening for the present seemeth [dokeo:G1380] to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Why don’t we stop here, and Lord willing next Lord’s Day, we will continue our investigation of the spiritual riches in verse 3. Please stay tuned for our Hymn Sing next.
Good afternoon and welcome to BMI’s Sunday Online Fellowship. Thank you for joining us, and shall we ask God’s blessing upon our time together… This will be Hebrews 1- Part 4, and today’s date is March 29, 2020. I’ll read Hebrews 1:1-5.
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, {2} Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; {3} Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; {4} Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. {5} For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
We have arrived at verse 3 in our examination of Hebrews 1, which is one of the most outstanding declarations in all of Scripture concerning the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. In our previous study we concentrated on the phrase, “Who being the brightness of his glory” and we learned that the term “brightness” relates to Christ both as the “Light” as well as the “Sun/Son,” which also relates to the Resurrection both at the foundation of the world, as well as in the demonstration in 33 AD. His “brightness” is an aspect of His divine “glory” which He shares not only with the other two Members of the Godhead, but amazingly, with each one of His elect, who make up the His Holy Body or Bride that He has committed Himself to for all of eternity.
Today we want to consider the other four stupendous proclamations concerning His Divine Majesty in this verse beginning with the second phrase,
And [kai:G2532] The Express Image [charakter:G5481] Of His Person [hypostasis:G5287]
The two main words, “the express image” and “person” are only found together in this verse, so we will have to examine them separately:
The Express Image [charakter:G5481]
The word, “the express image” is only found here. Apparently it stems from a root word, “charax” (G5482) that is only found once, and is rendered as “a trench” in verse 43 of Luke 19:41-46 which has to do with judgment beginning at God’s “house” first:
And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, {42} Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things [which belong] unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. {43} For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench [charax:G5482] about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, {44} And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. {45} And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; {46} Saying unto them, It is written [grapho:G1125], My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.
That said, it’s difficult to see how this term, “trench” relates to “the express image,” other than the fact that the “trench” has to do with judgment, as the passage I just quoted explains in some detail. “Charax” (G5482) apparently is derived from the verb, “charasso” (not found in the Bible) having to do with “sharpening to a point,” which I am not able to verify. This illustrates one of the problems that the Bible student encounters from time to time, when as in this case, the verb “charasso” is not found in the Bible, even though it surfaces in Greek literature. One possible solution to this, which is beyond the scope of this study, is to look at the individual Greek letters that make up both the Greek word, “charakter” (G5481) as well as the parent word it stems from, “charax” (G5482) as each letter has spiritual meaning, and each letter also relates spiritually to every other letter in the word, as I mentioned in last week’s study in Matthew 5:18,
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot [iota:G2503 - derived from the “yod”(the 10th letter of the Hebrew alphabet) and corresponds to the “iota,” which is the 9th letter of the Greek alphabet] or one tittle [keralia:G2762 - the smallest part of a Hebrew letter] shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
The process of searching for the spiritual significance in each of the letters is something I have been investigating, but that will have to be in a series all by itself, which BMI hopes to develop Lord willing, and present this one Sunday out of the month.
Well, getting back to our investigation... it seems that this non-Biblical word, “charasso” or “sharpening to a point,” is identified with the Greek expression, “grapho” (G1125), which is found in the Bible, and is a highly relevant term, which we have run across from time to time in our studies, having to do with that which is “written” or the Bible itself. Again, let me emphasize that I cannot verify this, but if it is true, it would be quite interesting because it would mean that there is a link between the word, “charakter” or “the express image” and this term, “grapho” (G1125) or “written,” that can be substantiated Biblically. We also recognize that apart from this example we know this to be the case anyway since Christ is without question, “The Word of God,” as we read earlier in Luke 19:46, where this word, “grapho” is translated as “it is written”:
Saying unto them, It is written [grapho:G1125], My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Of His Person [hypostasis:G5287]
Let’s proceed on to the next part of this second phrase, “of his person” which crops up in the following four citations, mainly as some form of the word “confidence,” which is also very important as we shall shortly see.
Verse 4 of 2 Corinthians 9:1-7 translates this word as “confident”: For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you: {2} For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many. {3} Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready: {4} Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident [hypostasis:G5287] boasting. {5} Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as [a matter of] bounty, and not as [of] covetousness. {6} But this [I say], He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. {7} Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, [so let him give]; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
We see this as well in verse 17 of 2 Corinthians 11:16-30, in which this word is rendered as “confidence”: I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little. {17} That which I speak, I speak [it] not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence [hypostasis:G5287] of boasting. {18} Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also. {19} For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye [yourselves] are wise. {20} For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour [you], if a man take [of you], if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face. {21} I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also. {22} Are they Hebrews? so [am] I. Are they Israelites? so [am] I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so [am] I. {23} Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool ) I [am] more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. {24} Of the Jews five times received I forty [stripes] save one. {25} Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; {26} [In] journeyings often, [in] perils of waters, [in] perils of robbers, [in] perils by [mine own] countrymen, [in] perils by the heathen, [in] perils in the city, [in] perils in the wilderness, [in] perils in the sea, [in] perils among false brethren; {27} In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. {28} Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. {29} Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? {30} If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
The next entry is in verse 14 of Hebrews 3:1-19 and 4:1-3, which is an exceedingly important chapter, in which this term is translated as “of our confidence”: 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 [parresia:G3954] and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. {7} Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, {8} Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: {9} When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. {10} Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in [their] heart; and they have not known my ways. {11} So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) {12} Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. {13} But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. {14} For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence [hypostasis:G5287] stedfast unto the end; {15} While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. {16} For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. {17} But with whom was he grieved forty years? [was it] not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? {18} And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? {19} So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. {4:1} Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left [us] of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. {2} For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard [it]. {3} For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
By the way, you might have noticed the same English word, “the confidence” in verse 6, which is actually a different word. It is the same Greek term that is found as “boldness” in 1 John 4:17,
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness [parresia:G3954] in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
Lastly, Hebrews 11:1-3 is another supreme affirmation concerning the Lord Jesus Christ Who is “Faith;” this word is rendered “the substance” in verse 1: Now faith is the substance [hypostasis:G5287] of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. {2} For by it the elders obtained a good report. {3} Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
What is noteworthy about Hebrews 11:1 besides the fact that “Faith” (or Christ) is the “substance” or “...confidence of things hoped for…” as He is our hope, according to 1 Timothy 1:1...
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, [which is] our hope; [elpis:G1680]
...continuing in Hebrews 11:1 we read “...the evidence [elegchos:G1650] of things not seen.”
This second part of the verse makes the point that Christ is “the evidence” of things not seen; moreover, the things that are “not seen” are “eternal” according to 2 Corinthians 4:18,
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are] eternal.
Curiously, this word, “the evidence” is only found in one other exceedingly notable passage - in 2 Timothy 3:16 - in which it is translated as “reproof”:
All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, [elegchos:G1650] for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
So now we have a direct connection between the word “of his [Christ’s] person” (hypostasis:G5287) in Hebrews 1:3, and the term, “reproof” (or “evidence” in Hebrews 11:1) in 2 Timothy 3:16 which is the essence of the Word of God, Who is the Lord Jesus Christ.
And Upholding All Things By The Word Of His Power
The third affirmation in Hebrews 1:3 is, “and upholding all things by the word of his power,” which is comprised of seven words that only appear together in this verse, so we will have to consider them in clusters, the first one being the two expressions:
Upholding [phero:G5342] All Things [pas:G3956]
These two expressions, “upholding” and “all things” are also found together in these next two citations:
Mark 1:32 reveals: And at even, when the sun did set, they brought [phero:G5342] unto him all [pas:G3956] that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.
And John 15:2 asserts: Every [pas:G3956] branch in me that beareth [phero:G5342] not fruit he taketh away: and every [pas:G3956] [branch] that beareth [phero:G5342] fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth [phero:G5342] more fruit.
We can also think of a passage like Colossians 1:15-17 which is similar in scope to Hebrews 1:3,
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: {16} For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: {17} And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
By The Word [rhema:G4487] Of His [autos:G846] Power [dynamis:G1411]
The next phrase, “...by the word of his power” combines both elements of the “Word” along with “power.” These two words only appear together in verse 5 of Hebrews 6:1-15,
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, {2} Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. {3} And this will we do, if God permit. {4} For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, {5} And have tasted the good word [rhema:G4487] of God, and the powers [dynamis:G1411] of the world to come, {6} If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame. {7} For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: {8} But that which beareth thorns and briers [is] rejected, and [is] nigh unto cursing; whose end [is] to be burned. {9} But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. {10} For God [is] not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. {11} And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: {12} That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. {13} For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, {14} Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. {15} And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
The “falling away” that is spoken of in verse 6, in which it was impossible for those who remained within the corporate churches to “...renew then again unto repentance…” prior to the day of judgment in this chapter which also serves as an exhortation for God’s elect of whom: “ {9} ...we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation... {11} And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: {12} That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises…”
The idea of “faith and “patience” is also picked up in Revelation 14:12,
Here is the patience [hypomone:G5281] of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith [pistis:G4102] of Jesus.
Let’s stop here. Lord willing, we will pick this up in our next study. Please stay tuned for our Hymn Sing next.
Good afternoon and welcome to BMI’s Sunday Online Fellowship. Thank you for joining us, and shall we ask God’s blessing upon our time together… This will be Hebrews 1- Part 5, and today’s date is April 5, 2020. I’ll read Hebrews 1:1-5.
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, {2} Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; {3} Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; {4} Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. {5} For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
Today I would like to investigate the latter part of verse three, in which we find the fourth (out of five) declaration in this amazing passage: ...when he had by himself purged our sins…
When He Had Purged [poieo:G4160] [katharismos:G2512]
The term when he had purged is actually comprised of two Greek verbs: to do or make and purge. The verb, purge is katharismos (from which our English word, catharsis is derived); it appears in the following 6 citations, and it implies “washing” or “cleansing” - whether ceremonially or the removal of one’s sins by the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ ...at the foundation of the world:
In verse 44 of Mark 1:40-45 (and the parallel verse in Luke 5:14) this term surfaces as cleansing with respect to the leper that the Lord healed: And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. {41} And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth [his] hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. {42} And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed. {43} And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away; {44} And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing [katharismos:G2512] those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. {45} But he went out, and began to publish [it] much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.
In the Bible leprosy is identified with sin, so this account pictures the wonderful grace and mercy of God in purging the sins of each of God’s elect. A passage that highlights leprosy (without mentioning it directly) is Isaiah 1:6, although when one goes to Leviticus 13:12 we immediately see the connection, as the same Hebrew words for both head and foot are employed:
Leviticus 13:12 maintains: And if a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of [him that hath] the plague from his head [ro’sh:H7218] even to his foot [regel:H7272], wheresoever the priest looketh;
Speaking of the sins of national Israel verse 6 of Isaiah 1:5-6 affirm: Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. {6} From the sole of the foot [regel:H7272] even unto the head [ro’sh:H7218] [there is] no soundness in it; [but] wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.
Does the last part of Isaiah 1:6 remind you of an account in the New Testament? What about the historical parable of the Good Samaritan in verse 34 of Luke 10:29-35, which is also another beautiful portrait of salvation (and matches what we find in the latter part of Isaiah 1:6), emphasizing the Savior’s work, and the previous commission that God’s elect were engaged in during the day of salvation:
But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? {30} And Jesus answering said, A certain [man] went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded [him], and departed, leaving [him] half dead. {31} And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. {32} And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked [on him], and passed by on the other side. {33} But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion [on him], {34} And went to [him], and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil [“Holy Spirit”] and wine [“the blood of Christ,” i.e., the Gospel], and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. {35} And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave [them] to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
The next reference in which this term, purged surfaces is in verse 22 of Luke 2:21-24, in which it is translated as purification: And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. {22} And when the days of her purification [katharismos:G2512] according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present [him] to the Lord; {23} (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) {24} And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
Mary and Joseph were adhering to what was prescribed in verse 6 of Leviticus 12:1-8,
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, {2} Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean. {3} And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. {4} And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying [tohar:H2892] three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled. {5} But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying [tohorah:H2893] threescore and six days. {6} And when the days of her purifying [tohar:H2892] are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest: {7} Who shall offer it before the LORD, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This [is] the law for her that hath born a male or a female. {8} And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.
A Word Bridge Between Luke 2:22 And Leviticus 2:6
Given the fact that Leviticus 2:6 is being quoted in Luke 2:22, we have another “word bridge” that links this Greek word, katharismos (G2512) with its Hebrew counterpart, tohar (H2892). Incidentally this Hebrew expression, tohar crops up in Leviticus 2:4 as well and in two other highly significant places as clearness and glory:
The first one is in verse 10 of Exodus 24:1-11, and is rendered as clearness in this chapter which precedes Moses going up to the mount to meet with God for “forty days and forty nights” during which God gave him various laws relating to all aspects of the Tabernacle and priesthood in chapters 25-31, after which He was sent down again, as the Israelites began worshipping the “golden calf”:
And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off. {2} And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him. {3} And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do. {4} And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. {5} And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD. {6} And Moses took half of the blood, and put [it] in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. {7} And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. {8} And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled [it] on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words. {9} Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: {10} And they saw the God of Israel: and [there was] under his feet as it were a paved [“white”] work of a sapphire stone, [one of the gems on Aaron’s breastplate] and as it were the body [typically translated “bone” [ we are “bone of His bone”] of heaven in [his] clearness. [tohar:H2892] {11} And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.
Verse 44 of Psalm 89:1, 3-4, 19-29, and 35-45, includes this term as Thou hast made his glory; David is representative of the Lord Jesus in this psalm, which also speaks of Him under God’s wrath (in verses 38-45):
[Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite.] I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. ... {3} I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, {4} Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah. ... {19} Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon [one that is] mighty; I have exalted [one] chosen out of the people. {20} I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: {21} With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him. {22} The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him. {23} And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him. {24} But my faithfulness and my mercy [shall be] with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted. {25} I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers. {26} He shall cry unto me, Thou [art] my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. {27} Also I will make him [my] firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. {28} My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. {29} His seed also will I make [to endure] for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven. ... {35} Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. {36} His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. {37} It shall be established for ever as the moon, and [as] a faithful witness in heaven. Selah. {38} But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed. {39} Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his crown [by casting it] to the ground. {40} Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin. {41} All that pass by the way spoil him: he is a reproach to his neighbours. {42} Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice. {43} Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, and hast not made him to stand in the battle. {44} Thou hast made his glory [tohar:H2892] to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground. {45} The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.
Let’s get back to our Greek word for purged or cleansing, as we have three other passages to still consider:
In John 2:6 this expression is rendered as the manner of the purifying: And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying [katharismos:G2512] of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
Likewise in John 3:25, it is translated as purifying: Then there arose a question between [some] of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying. [katharismos:G2512]
The last entry in which this term is used is verse 9 of 2 Peter 1:9-10, But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from [katharismos:G2512] his old sins. {10} Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
We have not been in 2 Peter chapter 1 for a number of years, so it might be helpful to go over the meaning of this verse again, as it seems to imply that a saved individual can actually forget that they were purged from their sins, which is not the case at all.
The term “and hath forgotten” is a compound word, and the main term is lethe (G3024), having to do with “forgetting.” This word is only found in 2 Peter 1:9, but its root (or parent word) that it derives from is lanthano (G2990). This Greek verb is highly significant, because of the way in which God utilizes it; it is rendered in the following ways in 6 places: “be hid” (3x), “be ignorant of” (2x), and once as “unawares,” as the subsequent passages illustrate. These verses fall into two categories: 1.) The first three verses deal with things that are not hidden, while the second set pertain to things that are hidden, which I would like to now address, as they are germane to our discussion:
Hebrews 13:2 renders this term as “unawares”: “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels [i.e., “messengers”] unawares.” [lanthano:G2990]
The next two appear in verses 5 and 8 of 2 Peter 3, which speaks directly to our present “day of judgment.” This term adds a nuance that we might not anticipate - that of ignorance - actually - willful ignorance:
“For this they willingly are ignorant of, [lanthano:G2990] that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: ... {8} But, beloved, be [lanthano:G2990] not ignorant [lanthano:G2990] of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”
The emphasis of being “willingly ignorant” in 2 Peter 3:5 along with the admonition in verse 8 to not fall into that snare is striking when we consider the implications in 2 Peter 1:9-10, with regard to one that “...hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.” This is actually not speaking of “slipping one’s mind” about something they needed to do, but rather involves a serious spiritual problem during the “day of salvation,” which is why God has placed verse 10 in its precise location (following verse 9) when that was still possible during the day of salvation because of the likelihood that such a person was not saved to begin with:
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
By [dia:G1223] Himself [heautou:G1438]
The next two words that we want to investigate are by himself, referring exclusively to Christ purging or cleansing the sins of all the elect at ...the foundation of the world, and then fleshing that out on the Cross in 33 AD.
These two terms are found together in 20 other citations, and we will look at a few of them which underscore the atonement ...at the foundation:
In Acts 20:17-28, these terms are translated as unto yourselves and with in this warning that Paul under divine inspiration, gives to the elders of the church at Ephesus: And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. {18} And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, {19} Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: {20} [And] how I kept back nothing that was profitable [unto you], but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, {21} Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. {22} And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: {23} Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. {24} But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. {25} And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. {26} Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I [am] pure from the blood of all [men]. {27} For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. {28} Take heed therefore unto yourselves [heautou:G1438], and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with [dia:G1223] his own blood. {29} For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. {30} Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. {31} Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
And in Romans 8:3 they appear as through and his own: For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through [dia:G1223] the flesh, God sending his own [heautou:G1438] Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
2 Corinthians 5:18 renders them as to himself and by: And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself [heautou:G1438] by [dia:G1223] Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
And in verse 3 of Hebrews 5:1-6 they are expressed as by reason and himself in this passage which presents another “contrast” between the Levitical priests and the High Priestly Office of the Lord Jesus ...after the order of Melchisedec: For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things [pertaining] to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: {2} Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. {3} And by reason [dia:G1223] hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself [heautou:G1438], to offer for sins. {4} And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as [was] Aaron. {5} So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. {6} As he saith also in another [place], Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Lastly, in verse 14 of Hebrews 9:11-17 they show up as through and himself; here again we find a yet another “contrast” between the Old Testament animal sacrifices and the one perfect and final sacrifice of the Savior ...at the foundation of the world: But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; {12} Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us]. {13} For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: {14} How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through [dia:G1223] the eternal Spirit offered himself [heautou:G1438] without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? {15} And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions [that were] under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. {16} For where a testament [is], there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. {17} For a testament [is] of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
So once again we encounter this amazing doctrine of Christ being ...slain at the foundation of the world, as we discovered before in BMI’s series on The Lamb Slain From The Foundation Of The World. We will stop here because we do not have sufficient time to cover the rest of verse three, and the fifth declaration, ... sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Please stay tuned for our Hymn Sing next.
Good afternoon and welcome to BMI’s Sunday Online Fellowship. Thank you for joining us, and shall we ask God’s blessing upon our time together… This will be Hebrews 1- Part 6, and today’s date is April 12, 2020. I’ll read Hebrews 1:1-5.
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, {2} Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; {3} Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; {4} Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. {5} For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
In our last study we left off at the fifth declaration in verse three: ...sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. This statement is related to and is a continuation of the previous affirmation, ...when he had by himself purged our sins...both of which took place in the atonement at ...the foundation of the world, and is so appropriate as we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ today, which is the bedrock of the faith of Christ - the essence of God’s salvation program.
Sat Down [kathizo:G2523] On [en:G1722] The Right Hand [dexios:G1188]
These three Greek words that make up the English phrase sat down on the right hand appear together in six other citations, and we will consider four of them that identify with the atonement ...at the foundation of the world:
Verse 20 of Ephesians 1:15-23 contains these three terms: Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, {16} Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; {17} That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: {18} The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, {19} And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, {20} Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] [kathizo:G2523] at [en:G1722] his own right hand [dexios:G1188] in the heavenly [places], {21} Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: {22} And hath put all [things] under his feet, and gave him [to be] the head over all [things] to the church, {23} Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
This passage is making some very significant points with regard to the atonement:
Hebrews 10:1-20 presents yet another contrast between the Old Testament ceremonial sacrifices and the perfect sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. These three terms surface in verse 12, and as we have learned, further confirm the fact that the atonement was accomplished ...at the foundation of the world: For the law having a shadow of good things to come, [and] not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. {2} For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. {3} But in those [sacrifices there is] a remembrance again [made] of sins every year. {4} For [it is] not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. {5} Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: {6} In burnt offerings and [sacrifices] for sin thou hast had no pleasure. {7} Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. {8} Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and [offering] for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure [therein]; which are offered by the law; {9} Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. {10} By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all]. {11} And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: {12} But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down [kathizo:G2523] on [en:G1722] the right hand [dexios:G1188] of God; {13} From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. {14} For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. {15} [Whereof] the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, {16} This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; {17} And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. {18} Now where remission of these [is, there is] no more offering for sin. {19} Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, {20} By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
Likewise verse 1 of Hebrews 8:1-2 substantiates Christ’s High Priestly office and the perfect sacrifice of Himself that He offered ...at the foundation of the world, and in so doing, distinguished the superiority of His office and His offering from those of the Levitical priesthood: Now of the things which we have spoken [this is] the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set [kathizo:G2523] on [en:G1722] the right hand [dexios:G1188] of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; {2} A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. {3} For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore [it is] of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
And verse 2 of Hebrews 12:1-2 affirms the same: Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, {2} Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down [kathizo:G2523] at [en:G1722] the right hand [dexios:G1188] of the throne of God.
Of The Majesty [megalosyne:G3172] On [en:G1722] High [hypeselos:G5308]
The last phrase in Hebrews 1:3 consists of three Greek words, ...of the majesty on high, which only appear together here, so we will have to examine them individually.
Of The Majesty [megalosyne:G3172]
This expression, of the majesty crops up in only two other citations - Hebrews 8:1 which we read a few minutes ago, as well as verse 25 of that profound benediction found in Jude 1:24-25 respectively:
Now of the things which we have spoken [this is] the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty [megalosyne:G3172] in the heavens;
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present [you] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, {25} To the only wise God our Saviour, [be] glory and majesty, [megalosyne:G3172] dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
High [hypeselos:G5308]
Let’s focus on the word high, which is found in 10 other passages, and I’ll mention just three of them, for the sake of time:
Mark 9:2 translates this expression as an high; you might recall that mountains in the Bible refer spiritually to kingdoms: And after six days Jesus taketh [with him] Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high [hypeselos:G5308] mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.
However in Luke 16:15 this same word is rendered as that which is highly esteemed: And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed [hypeselos:G5308] among men is abomination in the sight of God.
Hebrews 7:26 is another reference to Christ’s High Priestly office, and this word is expressed as higher than: For such an high priest became us, [who is] holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than [hypeselos:G5308] the heavens;
There is another Greek word, hypsistos (G5310) that shares the same root as this term, high, (hypeselos:G5308) and that root word is hypsos (G5311) The reason I bring this up is because hypsistos (G5310) is found, among other citations, in one that concerns the High Priest, Melchisedec, Who is the Lord Jesus in verse 1 of Hebrews 7:1-3, as these verses prove; please note this word hypsistos (G5310) , which is translated in Hebrews 7:1 as of the most high:
For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high [hypsistos:G5310] God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; {2} To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; {3} Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.
This Scripture is relevant to our discussion all by itself, but it also is key for another reason. What could that be? It provides an opportunity for us to do a “word bridge” from Hebrews 7:1 in the New Testament and Genesis 14:18-20, which is the first time in the Bible when we are introduced to this mysterious High Priest, known as Melchisedec. Melchisedec is a compound word signifying King and Righteousness; and additionally according to Hebrews 7:2, as King Of Peace. The important thing to recognize in Genesis 14:18-20 as it relates to today’s study is the expression of (or be) the most high, which is repeated three times in these verses, and is the Hebrew word ’elyown (H5945):
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he [was] the priest of the most high [’elyown:H5945] God. {19} And he blessed him, and said, Blessed [be] Abram of the most high [’elyown:H5945] God, possessor of heaven and earth: {20} And blessed be the most high [’elyown:H5945] God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
To summarize we have a direct connection between the Greek word, [hypsistos:G5310] which is rendered in Hebrews 7:1 as of the most high, and its Hebrew equivalent [’elyown:H5945] in Genesis 14:18-20. I trust that foregoing was not too confusing.
Of The Most High [’elyown:H5945]
Now let’s take a look at some of the ways that God utilizes this word, ’elyown (H5945) or of the most high in the Old Testament. It is most commonly found as a form of the word high or highest, and to a much lesser degree, as upper, uppermost, and above:
Psalm 46:4 [There is] a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy [place] of the tabernacles of the most High.[’elyown:H5945]
Psalm 47:2, For the LORD most high [’elyown:H5945] [is] terrible; [he is] a great King over all the earth.
Psalm 78 is a historical parable concerning national Israel, and this word shows up in verses 17, 35, and 56: And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High [’elyown:H5945] in the wilderness. ... {35} And they remembered that God [was] their rock, and the high [’elyown:H5945] God their redeemer. ... {56} Yet they tempted and provoked the most high [’elyown:H5945] God, and kept not his testimonies:
Psalm 97:9 maintains: For thou, LORD, [art] high above [’elyown:H5945] all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.
Psalm 83:18 acknowledges: That [men] may know that thou, whose name alone [is] JEHOVAH, [art] the most high [’elyown:H5945] over all the earth.
Speaking of the Savior in Psalm 89:27 we read: Also I will make him [my] firstborn, higher [’elyown:H5945] than the kings of the earth.
Genesis 40:17 records part of the chief baker’s dream which he told to Joseph: And in the uppermost [’elyown:H5945] basket [there was] of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.
Let’s move on to…
Verse 4: Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
Another Contrast: Between Christ And The Angels
Verses 4-14 discuss yet another contrast; this time it is between the Lord Jesus and angels. Another curious thing about verses 4-14 are the Old Testament scriptures that are quoted in each of these verses which is quite unique.
Being Made [ginomai:G1096] So Much [tosoutos:G5118] Better Than [kreitton:G2909] The Angels [aggelos:G32]
Verse 4 consists of four Greek terms that we will have to consider separately as they do not surface together, except here in verse 4.
Being Made [ginomai:G1096]
This word is translated chiefly as be, come to pass, be made, and be done. When one does not properly compare spiritual with spiritual this term can be a snare to those who affirm that Christ was made anything less than Eternal God, Who as we read earlier concerning Melchisedec (Who is Christ) in Hebrews 7:3, even though a different Greek word is employed, signifying an “exact likeness” of the Son of God:
Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.
The following citations illustrate how God has chosen to express this word in the book of Hebrews only, as this word is used frequently throughout the New Testament:
Hebrews 2:17 translates this as he might be: Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be [ginomai:G1096] a merciful and faithful high priest in things [pertaining] to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
But in Hebrews 4:3 it is rendered as were finished: For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished [ginomai:G1096] from the foundation of the world.
Hebrews 5:5 and 9 express this term as to be made, and he became: So also Christ glorified not himself to be made [ginomai:G1096] an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. ... {9} And being made perfect, he became [ginomai:G1096] the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
In Hebrews 6:20 it surfaces as made: Whither the forerunner is for us entered, [even] Jesus, made [ginomai:G1096] an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Hebrews 7:16, 22, and 26 it is rendered as made: Who is made,[ginomai:G1096] not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. ... {22} By so much was [ginomai:G1096][G0] Jesus made [ginomai:G1096] a surety of a better testament. ... {26} For such an high priest became us, [who is] holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made [ginomai:G1096] higher than the heavens;
Lastly in Hebrews 9:15 it is expressed as by means: And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means [ginomai:G1096] of death, for the redemption of the transgressions [that were] under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
Let’s stop here, and Lord willing we will continue our research into verse 4 in our next study. Please stay tuned for our Hymn Sing next.
Good afternoon and welcome to BMI’s Sunday Online Fellowship. Thank you for joining us, and shall we ask God’s blessing upon our time together… This will be Hebrews 1- Part 7, and today’s date is April 19, 2020. I’ll read Hebrews 1:1-5.
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, {2} Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; {3} Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; {4} Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. {5} For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
As I mentioned last week, verses 4-14 discuss yet another contrast; this time it is between the Lord Jesus and angels. Another curious thing about these verses are the Old Testament scriptures that are quoted in each of them which as we shall see is quite unique.
So Much [tosoutos:G5118] Better Than [kreitton:G2909] The Angels [aggelos:G32]
Let’s take a look at each of the three remaining words in verse 4: ...so much better than the angels.
The Greek adjective, so much (tosoutos:G5118) emphasizes the superiority of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator over angels or messengers that He Himself created. As we consider this contrast, we have to bear in mind that we are truly treading upon holy ground, whenever we discuss His royal majesty, the Lord Jesus Christ. After all, He is KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS as we read in verse 16 of Revelation 19:11-16, which speaks of our current day of judgment:
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him [was] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. {12} His eyes [were] as a flame of fire, and on his head [were] many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. {13} And he [was] clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. {14} And the armies [which were] in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. {15} And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. {16} And he hath on [his] vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Because one can get so involved in the “process” of studying, there is a tendency to lose sight of the holiness of Who we are speaking about. And I’m speaking to myself here. We have so many wonderful tools to avail ourselves of and God has graciously poured out so much information for His saints to feed upon, and we can get so entrenched in looking at the various ways that God utilizes His God-breathed words or letters that one can easily take one’s focus off of the Author and Finisher of faith, because we can get so caught up in the intricacies of study. And mind you, all of those things are good and necessary, and are part of worship, and actually should cause us to fall down on our knees and exclaim as Psalm 90 in verses 1-2,
[A Prayer of Moses the man of God.] Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. {2} Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou [art] God.
And we would do well to recall the experience of “falling down” to worship this Holy God, as God commanded Moses (and others like Joshua, Elijah, Daniel or John) who instinctively fell at His feet because they were so overcome with such overwhelming fear and sheer reverence at His glorious presence as Exodus 3:1-6 reveal:
Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, [even] to Horeb. {2} And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush [was] not consumed. {3} And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. {4} And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here [am] I. {5} And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest [is] holy ground. {6} Moreover he said, I [am] the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
Moses was the greatest prophet of the Old Testament - a huge portrait of the Law of God, as well as the Lord Jesus Christ Whom He typifies. In the New Testament we also read this amazing declaration in 1 Timothy 6:13-16,
I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and [before] Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; {14} That thou keep [this] commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: {15} Which in his times he shall shew, [who is] the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; {16} Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom [be] honour and power everlasting. Amen.
Both the holiness and mercy of God are in view in the historical parable in Esther 4:11 and 16 and 5:1-2, as Esther goes in unannounced to King Ahasuerus (typifying God) in peril of her own life:
All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, [there is] one law of his to put [him] to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days...{16} Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which [is] not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. {5:1} Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on [her] royal [apparel], and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house. {2} And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, [that] she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that [was] in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.
So Much [tosoutos:G5118]
Well with that introduction in mind let’s consider the infinite difference between the second Person of the Trinity - God the Son - and the angels as expressed in the following Scriptures, in which this term, so much, is primarily rendered as so much, so great, and so many concerning among other things: faith, years, people, miracles, time, testament, exhorting, and witnesses:
Speaking of Christ’s own faith Matthew 8:10 records: When Jesus heard [it], he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great [tosoutos:G5118] faith, no, not in Israel.
Luke 15:29 is the reply of the elder brother to his father in the parable of the Prodigal Son: And he answering said to [his] father, Lo, these many [tosoutos:G5118] years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
And John 6:9 poses this question: There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? [tosoutos:G5118]
John 12:37 also maintains: But though he had done so many [tosoutos:G5118] miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
Referring to our current day of judgment John 21:11 states: Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, [tosoutos:G5118] yet was not the net broken.
Hebrews 4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long [tosoutos:G5118] a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Hebrews 7:22 is the only reference in which both words in Hebrews 1:4, so much and better than appear together: By so much [tosoutos:G5118] was Jesus made a surety of a better [kreitton:G2909] testament.
And Hebrews 10:25 admonishes: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much [tosoutos:G5118] the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Finally, verse 1 of Hebrews 12:1-2 presents this magnificent image of the Body of Christ - so great a cloud of witnesses as well as the Word of God itself - in all its fullness and the exhortation to fix our gaze on Christ exclusively, as individually each child of God is to ...run with patience the race that is set before us: Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great [G5118] a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, {2} Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Better Than [kreitton:G2909]
Let’s now turn our attention to the next word, better than in Hebrews 1:4, which really highlights this idea of contrast even further. This expression modifies “God’s people,” “Christ,” hope, covenant, promises, sacrifices, things(s), country, resurrection, God’s will, and “professed Christians;” please note that the many of these verses are in the book of Hebrews:
Verse 9 of Hebrews 6:7-12 affirm: For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: {8} But that which beareth thorns and briers [is] rejected, and [is] nigh unto cursing; whose end [is] to be burned.{9} But, beloved, we are persuaded better things [kreitton:G2909]of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. {10} For God [is] not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. {11} And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: {12} That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Hebrews 7:7, 19, and 22 include this term as well: And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. [kreitton:G2909] ... {19} For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better [kreitton:G2909] hope [did]; by the which we draw nigh unto God. ... {22} By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better [kreitton:G2909] testament.
Likewise Hebrews 8:6 testifies: But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better [kreitton:G2909] covenant, which was established upon better [kreitton:G2909] promises.
Hebrews 9:23 reveals: [It was] therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better [kreitton:G2909] sacrifices than these.
In the chapter of the “heroes of faith,” Hebrews 11:16, 35, and 40 acknowledge: But now they desire a better [kreitton:G2909] [country], that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. ... {35} Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better [kreitton:G2909] resurrection: ... {40} God having provided some better [kreitton:G2909] thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
Hebrews 12:24 proclaims: And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things [kreitton:G2909] than [that of] Abel.
1 Peter 3:17 underscores the value of true suffering on behalf of Christ:
For [it is] better, [kreitton:G2909] if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
Verse 21 of 2 Peter 2:20-22 offers this ominous warning: For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. {21} For it had been better [kreitton:G2909] for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known [it], to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. {22} But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog [is] turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
The Angels [aggelos:G32]
The expression, the angels, can refer to God’s elect as messengers or of created heavenly beings, or of God Himself. In Malachi 3:1 we see in the same verse an example of one of God’s elect, John the Baptist, my messenger and then secondly, the Lord Himself, even the Messenger of the covenant:
Behold, I will send my messenger [mal’ak:H4397] [John the Baptist], and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger [mal’ak:H4397] of the covenant [Christ Himself], whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
However in the context of verses 4-14 the focus is on the contrast between the created heavenly beings and God the Son. With this perspective, the following passages illustrate how God has chosen to employ this Greek word throughout the book of Hebrews:
Hebrews 1:5-7 and 13 teach: For unto which of the angels [aggelos:G32]
said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? {6} And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels [aggelos:G32] of God worship him. {7} And of the angels [aggelos:G32] he saith, Who maketh his angels [aggelos:G32] spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. ... {13} But to which of the angels [aggelos:G32] said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
Hebrews 2:2, 5, 7, 9, and 16 likewise assert: For if the word spoken by angels [aggelos:G32] was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; ... {5} For unto the angels [aggelos:G32] hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. ... {7} Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; [aggelos:G32] thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: ... {9} But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels [aggelos:G32] for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man… {16} For verily he took not on [him the nature of] angels; [aggelos:G32] but he took on [him] the seed of Abraham.
However in Hebrews 12:22 the angels in view are God’ elect who make up the Body of Christ: But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, [aggelos:G32]
Lastly Hebrews 13:2 presents this reminder concerning God’s saints: Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels [aggelos:G32] unawares.
He Hath By Inheritance Obtained [kleronomeo:G2816]
The next expression in verse four is: he hath by inheritance obtained, which is the compound Greek verb, kleronomeo (G2826), which consists of the term lot or inheritance, klero (G2818) and the word for law, nomos (G3551). It’s curious that only in Hebrews 1:4 is this a reference to Christ’s inheritance; the 17 other times in which this word appears is always in connection to the inheritance of God’s elect. Here is a sampling of its usage:
Matthew 25:34 reinforces the truth the elect’s salvation or inheritance was accomplished at ... the foundation of the world: Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit [kleronomeo:G2816] the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Verse 50 of 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 presents one of the most powerful affirmations regarding the inheritance of the people of God in the context of resurrection of their physical bodies: Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit [kleronomeo:G2816] the kingdom of God; neither doth [kleronomeo:G2816][G0] corruption inherit [kleronomeo:G2816] incorruption. {51} Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, {52} In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. {53} For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality. {54} So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. {55} O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory? {56} The sting of death [is] sin; and the strength of sin [is] the law. {57} But thanks [be] to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. {58} Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Hebrews 1:14 pinpoints the ministry of the heavenly angels on behalf of God’s sheep: Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs [kleronomeo:G2816] of salvation?
Verse 12 of Hebrews 6:7-12 adds this vital admonition: For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: {8} But that which beareth thorns and briers [is] rejected, and [is] nigh unto cursing; whose end [is] to be burned. {9} But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. {10} For God [is] not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. {11} And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: {12} That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit [kleronomeo:G2816] the promises.
Verse 17 of Hebrews 12:14-17 cites the example of Esau, who did not inherit the promises, as he was not one of God’s sheep: Follow peace with all [men], and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: {15} Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble [you], and thereby many be defiled; 16 Lest there [be] any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. {17} For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited [kleronomeo:G2816] the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
Revelation 21:7 promises the reality of what God’s elect can expect throughout all eternity, by God’s grace: He that overcometh shall inherit [kleronomeo:G2816] all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
The last four terms is verse 4 are ...a more excellent name than they, and are related to the previous word, he hath by inheritance obtained. These four expressions only surface here, so we will have to examine them individually:
A More Excellent [diaphoros:G1313]
The word, a more excellent is found three other times, one of which is in Hebrews 8:6, which we considered earlier in today’s lesson when we were discussing the term better; it is also rendered a more excellent as in Hebrews 1:4,
But now hath he obtained a more excellent [diaphoros:G1313] ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better [kreitton:G2909] covenant, which was established upon better [kreitton:G2909] promises.
So once again we encounter this marked contrast between Christ and the angelic beings which He created, ...having obtained a more excellent name than they. In similar fashion and by extension He has obtained a more excellent ministry, and in turn, is the mediator of a better covenant, which was founded upon better promises.
Name [onoma:G3686]
This word name is much broader than what our English word denotes, as it encompasses every aspect of the person in view, and in this instance is the Lord Jesus Christ. Here are a few places in which this expression crops up:
Matthew 1:21, 23, and 25, And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name [onoma:G3686] JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. ... {23} Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name [onoma:G3686] Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. ... {25} And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name [onoma:G3686] JESUS.
Revelation 15:4 acknowledges: Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? [onoma:G3686] for [thou] only [art] holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
Acts 3:16 states: And his name [onoma:G3686] through faith in his name [onoma:G3686] hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Philippians 2:9-10 extolls Christ’s Person three times: Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name [onoma:G3686] which is above every name: [onoma:G3686] {10} That at the name [onoma:G3686] of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth;
On that wonderful note, we will conclude today’s study. So please stay tuned for our Hymn Sing next.
Good afternoon and welcome to BMI’s Sunday Online Fellowship. Thank you for joining us, and shall we ask God’s blessing upon our time together…Unfortunately today we will not be able to have our Hymn Sing. This will be Hebrews 1- Part 8, and today’s date is May 3, 2020. I’ll read Hebrews 1:1-6,
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, {2} Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; {3} Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; {4} Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. {5} For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? {6} And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.
We have arrived at verse 5 in our ongoing series in the book of Hebrews, as God continues to contrast the glorious Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ with that of the angels throughout this first chapter. And what we are going to find in verse 5, among other truths, is a quotation taken from verse 7 of Psalm 2:6-9,
Yet have I set [“poured out”] my king upon my holy hill of Zion. {7} I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou [art] my Son; this day have I begotten thee. {8} Ask of me, and I shall give [thee] the heathen [for] thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth [for] thy possession. {9} Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
As I mentioned a few times previously, but it bears repeating for its uniqueness, verses 4-14 each contain quotations from the Old Testament, except I have not found one for verse 6 yet. Let’s begin by looking at the Greek term at any time, in which this vitally important question is posed in verse 5, For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? Here we find yet another distinguishing characteristic of the Lord Jesus Christ and the heavenly angels which He created.
At Any Time [pote:G4218]
This word, at any time, occurs in 29 other citations as in time(s) past, at any time, sometime(s), once, and the rest are rendered in a number of miscellaneous ways. The following references illustrate how God has chosen to utilize this expression:
Hebrews 1:13 is the second time this word surfaces in this chapter as at any time, (quoting Psalm 110:1): But to which of the angels said he at any time, [pote:G4218] until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
Frequently it is used in connection with one’s spiritual life before and after salvation, as these next verses affirms, which also serve to highlight perhaps the greatest contrast that could take place in the life of any human being:
In Romans 7:9, Paul under divine authority, uses himself as a type or figure of our first parent, Adam (and Eve), and the introduction of sin into that formerly pristine world, placing the entire universe and all the inhabitants of planet earth under God’s curse, except for a remnant saved by grace; here this term is rendered once: For I was alive without the law once: [pote:G4218] but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
Ephesians 2 includes the greatest number of times this word appears in a particular chapter; I’ll read verses 1-3 and 11-13,
And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins;{2} Wherein in time past [pote:G4218] ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: {3} Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past [pote:G4218] in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others…{11} Wherefore remember, that ye [being] in time past [pote:G4218] Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; ... {13} But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes [pote:G4218] were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 5:8 similarly testifies: For ye were sometimes [pote:G4218] darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
Likewise Colossians 1:21 adds the same expression sometime: And you, that were sometime [pote:G4218] alienated and enemies in [your] mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
This is also the case in verse 3 of Titus 3:3-7 explain: For we ourselves also were sometimes [pote:G4218] foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, [and] hating one another. {4} But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, {5} Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; {6} Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; {7} That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Lastly, 1 Peter 2:10 acknowledges this, translating this word in time past: Which in time past [pote:G4218] [were] not a people, but [are] now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Now we want to turn our attention to the verse that is quoted in Hebrews 1:5 which is Psalm 2:7. Let’s consider the first half of this verse in Greek, which is made up of the following four words:
Thou [sy:G4771] Art [ei:G1488] My [mou:G3450] Son [huios:G5207]
These four terms are used in the accounts of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist at the start of His earthly ministry in Mark 1:11 and Luke 3:22 respectively:
And there came a voice from heaven, [saying], Thou [sy:G4771] art [ei:G1488] my [mou:G3450] beloved Son [huios:G5207], in whom I am well pleased.
And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou [sy:G4771] art [ei:G1488] my [mou:G3450] beloved Son [huios:G5207]; in thee I am well pleased.
Additionally there are two other citations, besides Hebrews 1:5 which also include the rest of the verse, namely Acts 13:33 and Hebrews 5:5, both of which quote Psalm 2:7,
God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou [sy:G4771] art [ei:G1488] my [mou:G3450] Son [huios:G5207], this day [semeron:G4594] have I [ego:G1473] begotten [gennao:G1080] thee. [se:G4571]
So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou [sy:G4771] art [ei:G1488] my [mou:G3450] Son [huios:G5207], to day [semeron:G4594] have [gennao:G1080] I [ego:G1473] begotten [gennao:G1080] thee. [se:G4571]
We have looked at these verses in some detail in BMI’s series on The Lamb Slain From The Foundation Of The World. The main thrust of Psalm 2:7 and these other passages which quote it is that fact that the Lord Jesus Christ was the firstborn or the first begotten from the dead at...the foundation of the world, which is when the Atonement took place in actuality. So let’s proceed to the last phrase in verse 5,
...And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
The Father-Son relationship in the latter half of Hebrews 1:5 which follows the statement ...Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee… is noteworthy for at least two reasons:
And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
This same intimate relationship amongst the Godhead and the Bride of Christ is beautifully expressed in Jesus’ High Priestly prayer in chapter 17 of the Fourth Gospel and in verses 21-23,
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. {22} And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: {23} I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
These verses underscore the unity that exists within the Trinity, which in turn includes the Bride of Christ, and is the ultimate spiritual fulfillment of man being re-created in the image of God both in soul and in body to serve God perfectly in this eternal marriage relationship.
With that awesome picture in mind, let’s proceed to verse 6, but before doing that I want to start a list of these differences between God the Son and the angelic host. So number 1 would be:
Verse 6: And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.
The Firstbegotten [prototokos:G4416]
Once again, we see another contrast between God the Son, and the angelic beings which He created. Even though there were angels proclaiming the glory of God to the shepherds, when the Lord Jesus took on a human nature, in which we find this same term firstborn employed for instance in Matthew 1:25, which states:
And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn [prototokos:G4416] son: and he called his name JESUS.
This is not referring to that, but rather to what took place after Christ rose from death and annihilation ...at the foundation of the world, which indeed was the cornerstone if you will of our present world and universe, as the subsequent Old and New Testament passages emphatically declare:
Christ Is The Cornerstone
In Job 38:4-7 God poses a series of questions to Job: Where wast thou when I laid the foundations [yacad:H3245] of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. {5} Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? {6} Whereupon are the foundations [’eden:H134] thereof fastened? or who laid the corner [pinnah:H6438] stone [’eben:H68] thereof; {7} When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Incidentally the word, are the foundations in verse 6 (which is a different term than in verse 4) is only rendered in this verse as such; every other place it is translated as sockets, and it stems from the Hebrew word, Lord (’adown:H113) and is used exclusively in the construction of the Tabernacle, which again underscores how every single detail in the construction of that Tabernacle points dramatically to the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. So when you see that word socket, think of the strength of the Lord or to put it in terms of Colossians 1:17, ...by him all things consist... There is only one highly significant reference found in verse 15 of Song of Solomon 5:10-16, which does not have to do with the construction of the Tabernacle, but is nonetheless rendered as sockets too. Who is this speaking about?
My beloved [is] white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. {11} His head [is as] the most fine gold, his locks [are] bushy, [and] black as a raven. {12} His eyes [are] as [the eyes] of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, [and] fitly set. {13} His cheeks [are] as a bed of spices, [as] sweet flowers: his lips [like] lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. {14} His hands [are as] gold rings set with the beryl: his belly [is as] bright ivory overlaid [with] sapphires. {15} His legs [are as] pillars of marble, set upon sockets [’eden:H134] of fine gold: his countenance [is] as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. {16} His mouth [is] most sweet: yea, he [is] altogether lovely. This [is] my beloved, and this [is] my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
Isaiah 28:16 adds this with regard to the corner stone: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone [’eben:H68], a tried stone [’eben:H68], a precious corner [pinnah:H6438] [stone], a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
Verse 20 of Ephesians 2:19-22 likewise affirms: Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; {20} And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [akrogoniaios:G204] [stone]; {21} In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: {22} In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation [katoiketerion:G2732] of God through the Spirit.
Curiously this word, an habitation - alluding to the Body of Christ - is only used one other time in Revelation 18:2, and refers to what our present world has become in the day of judgment, as Christ is ruling this world with a rod of iron:
And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation [katoiketerion:G2732] of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
Lastly, 1 Peter 2:6 acknowledges: Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner [akrogoniaios:G204] stone [lithos:G3037], elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
The Firstbegotten [prototokos:G4416] Cont.
Well, we took a little detour to talk about the foundation and cornerstone, which was important, but now we want to continue our discussion the firstborn or the firstbegotten:
Romans 8:29 explains that God’s elect are ...conformed to the image of his Son… as they as Christ were raised from the dead in their souls spiritually, and await the resurrection of their bodies on the very last day of this prolonged “day” of judgment that we are now living through:
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn [prototokos:G4416] among many brethren.
This is further developed to include the reality that Christ is the firstborn or first begotten from the dead in verses 15 and 18 of Colossians 1:15-22, Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn [prototokos:G4416] of every creature: {16} For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: {17} And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. {18} And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn [prototokos:G4416] from the dead; that in all [things] he might have the preeminence. {19} For it pleased [the Father] that in him should all fulness dwell; {20} And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, [I say], whether [they be] things in earth, or things in heaven. {21} And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in [your] mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled {22} In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
One last passage to consider is Revelation 1:5, And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten [prototokos:G4416] of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and
washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Let [proskyneo:H4352] All [pas:G3956] The Angels [aggelos:G32] Of God [theos:G2316] Worship [proskyneo:H4352]
The last part of verse 6 is the phrase, ...let all the angels of God worship... referring to Him - the Lord Jesus Christ - consists of four Greek words that only appear together again in the book of Revelation:
Revelation 7 speaks of those who were saved during the church age (i.e., 144,000) and then in verses 9-17 we read about those who were saved out of great tribulation, and specifically the latter rain (from 1994-2011); these four terms are found in verse 11: After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; {10} And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. {11} And all the angels stood round about the throne, and [about] the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, {12} Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, [be] unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. {13} And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? {14} And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. {15} Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. {16} They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. {17} For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
So as we continue to list the excellency of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ over those of the angelic beings number two would be:
I think we’ll stop here today. Lord willing, in our next study we will consider verse 7. Unfortunately we will not be able to have our Hymn Sing today.
Good afternoon and welcome to BMI’s Sunday Online Fellowship. Thank you for joining us, and shall we ask God’s blessing upon our time together... This will be Hebrews 1- Part 9, and today’s date is May 10, 2020. I’ll read Hebrews 1:7-14,
And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. {8} But unto the Son [he saith], Thy throne, O God, [is] for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness [is] the sceptre of thy kingdom. {9} Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, [even] thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. {10} And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: {11} They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; {12} And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. {13} But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? {14} Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
Today we want to start be taking a look at verse 7, but before we do that I would like to remind you of some of the major differences that we have discovered thus far with regard to God the Son, and the angels which He created to serve as ministering spirits to the elect:
Incidentally, verse 7 is quoting Psalm 104:4,
Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:
Let’s consider the Hebrew first, and then we can examine the Greek counterpart
His Angels [malak:H4397]
The term angels or messengers is how this Hebrew expression is most commonly rendered. Frequently it is used in connection with the angel of the LORD, or Christ Himself, and at times as a messenger(s) which can either be human beings, or God Himself:
We read this beautiful statement in Psalm 34:7 regarding God’s faithful care and protection of His elect people: The angel [malak:H4397] of the LORD [Yehovah:H3068] encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
When the Lord Jesus was being tempted by Satan as recorded in Matthew 4:5-7 we find Satan tempting the Lord by quoting a passage from the Psalms: Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, {6} And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in [their] hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. {7} Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
What the Devil was quoting was Psalm 91:11-12, in which the English phrase, For he shall give his angels is this term: For he shall give his angels [malak:H4397] charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. {12} They shall bear thee up in [their] hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Job receives the first of four unexpected messengers on the same day, each of whom bring him evil tidings in Job 1:14...
And there came a messenger [malak:H4397] unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:
...causing Job to act in the following manner as he gave this testimony in verses 20-22,
Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, {21} And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. {22} In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
We also read in 2 Chronicles 36:15-21 in which the messengers in view are God’s elect who are declaring the Word of God by His divine decree to corporate Israel, but they refused to hearken, and as a result incur God’s wrath that led to the 70-year Babylonian captivity. This 70-year period is the second (of three Great Tribulations) spoken of in the Bible, and typifies the Great Tribulation of our day (May 21, 1988 - May 21, 2011) when God’s judgment began at His own house first (as 1 Peter 4:17 affirms):
And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers [malak:H4397], rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: {16} But they mocked the messengers [malak:H4397] of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till [there was] no remedy. {17} Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave [them] all into his hand. {18} And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all [these] he brought to Babylon. {19} And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. {20} And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: {21} To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: [for] as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.
The word for spirits can relate to the angelic beings who are spirit beings, as well as to God Himself, or when His Spirit used individuals for a specific purpose or mission such as king Saul for example, who was not a child of God. These next passages illustrate how God utilizes this expression, which is primarily rendered as Spirit (spirit) or breath, or wind. You might recall the reference in which the Lord is explaining the new birth to Nicodemus especially in verses 5-8 of John 3:1-8. This word for Spirit capitalized (or lowercase spirit) is also rendered as wind as in Hebrew and is the word pneuma (G4151):
There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: {2} The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. {3} Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. {4} Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? {5} Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit [pneuma:G4151], he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. {6} That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit [pneuma:G4151] is spirit. [pneuma:G4151] {7} Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. {8} The wind [pneuma:G4151] bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. [pneuma:G4151]
Spirits [ruwach:H7307]
The following citations include some of the ways that God has chosen to employ this expression for Spirit (spirit), breath or wind:
As I alluded to a minute ago, 1 Samuel 10:1-11 speaks of God’s purposes for king Saul, who spiritually is a picture of the end-time institutional churches and denominations in which this word is translated as Spirit in verses 6 and 10,
Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured [it] upon his head, and kissed him, and said, [Is it] not because the LORD hath anointed thee [to be] captain over his inheritance? {2} When thou art departed from me to day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son? {3} Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine: {4} And they will salute thee, and give thee two [loaves] of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands. {5} After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where [is] the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy: {6} And the Spirit [ruwach:H7307] of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man. {7} And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, [that] thou do as occasion serve thee; for God [is] with thee. {8} And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, [and] to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do. {9} And it was [so], that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day. {10} And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit [ruwach:H7307] of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. {11} And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What [is] this [that] is come unto the son of Kish? [Is] Saul also among the prophets?
Another chapter that contains numerous examples of this expression is Ezekiel 37:1-14, in which this word is found rendered as wind, breath and Spirit (spirit):
The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit [ruwach:H7307] of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which [was] full of bones, {2} And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, [there were] very many in the open valley; and, lo, [they were] very dry. {3} And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. {4} Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. {5} Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath [ruwach:H7307] to enter into you, and ye shall live: {6} And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath [ruwach:H7307] in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD. {7} So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. {8} And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but [there was] no breath [ruwach:H7307] in them. {9} Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind [ruwach:H7307] , prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind [ruwach:H7307], Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds [ruwach:H7307], O breath [ruwach:H7307], and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. {10} So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath [ruwach:H7307] came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. {11} Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. {12} Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. {13} And ye shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, {14} And shall put my spirit [ruwach:H7307] in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken [it], and performed [it], saith the LORD.
Saul is also mentioned in 1 Samuel 19:9-10, in connection with an evil spirit, which persisted as Saul out of jealousy sought to kill David (who exemplifies the Lord Jesus) at every conceivable opportunity: And the evil spirit [ruwach:H7307] from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with [his] hand. {10} And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.
The second part of Psalm 104:4 says...his ministers a flaming fire, which we now want to address:
His Ministers [sharath:H8334]
His ministers is predominantly translated as a verb, and to a lesser extent as a noun in Hebrew; it is also rendered to a much lesser degree as serve or servant, as the following Scriptures assert:
Verse 4 of 2 Chronicles 9:1-8 records what the queen of Sheba experienced in speaking to Solomon (a portrait of the Lord Jesus Christ) and visiting his court: And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. {2} And Solomon told her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not. {3} And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, {4} And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, [sharath:H8334] and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her. {5} And she said to the king, [It was] a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom: {6} Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen [it]: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard. {7} Happy [are] thy men, and happy [are] these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom. {8} Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, [to be] king for the LORD thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.
This word also appears in verse 21 of Psalm 103:17-22; also the term angels surfaces in verse 20 as well: But the mercy of the LORD [is] from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; {18} To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. {19} The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. {20} Bless the LORD, ye his angels [malak:H4397], that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.{21} Bless ye the LORD, all [ye] his hosts; [ye] ministers [sharath:H8334] of his, that do his pleasure. {22} Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
Isaiah 61:6 likewise proclaims: But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: [men] shall call you the Ministers [sharath:H8334] of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.
A Flaming [lahat:H3857] Fire [’esh:H784]
The two words, a flaming and fire appear together in the subsequent 6 references with respect to God’s ministers, which are His elect servants, and please note the context of judgment in which these passages are found, remembering that God Himself is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29), as is His most Holy Word according to Jeremiah 23:29, [Is] not my word like as a fire? [’esh:H784]
saith the LORD; and like a hammer [that] breaketh the rock in pieces?
Verse 32 of Deuteronomy 32:18-22 renders these two words as a fire and set on fire in this song that indicts corporate Israel for her rebellion in no uncertain terms: Of the Rock [that] begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee. {19} And when the LORD saw [it], he abhorred [them], because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters. {20} And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end [shall be]: for they [are] a very froward generation, children in whom [is] no faith. {21} They have moved me to jealousy with [that which is] not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with [those which are] not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. {22} For a fire [’esh:H784] is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire [lahat:H3857] the foundations of the mountains.
Verse 14 of Psalm 83:13-18 likewise maintains: O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. {14} As the fire [’esh:H784] burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth [lahat:H3857] the mountains on fire; [lahat:H3857] {15} So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. {16} Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD. {17} Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: {18} That [men] may know that thou, whose name alone [is] JEHOVAH, [art] the most high over all the earth.
Verse 3 of Psalm 97:1-12 renders these terms as a fire and him and burneth up: The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad [thereof]. {2} Clouds and darkness [are] round about him: righteousness and judgment [are] the habitation of his throne. {3} A fire [’esh:H784] goeth before him, and burneth up [lahat:H3857] his enemies round about. {4} His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. {5} The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. {6} The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory. {7} Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all [ye] gods. {8} Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD. {9} For thou, LORD, [art] high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. {10} Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. {11} Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. {12} Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
Verse 18 of Psalm 106:13-21 also adds: They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: {14} But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. {15} And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul. {16} They envied Moses also in the camp, [and] Aaron the saint of the LORD. {17} The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.{18} And a fire [’esh:H784] was kindled in their company; the flame burned up [lahat:H3857] the wicked. {19} They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image. {20} Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass. {21} They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;
Verse 19 of Joel 1:15-20 maintains: Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD [is] at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. {16} Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, [yea], joy and gladness from the house of our God? {17} The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered. {18} How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate. {19} O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire [’esh:H784] hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned [lahat:H3857] all the trees of the field. {20} The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire [’esh:H784] hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.
Verse 3 of Joel 2:1-11 similarly declares: Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for [it is] nigh at hand; {2} A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, [even] to the years of many generations. {3} A fire [’esh:H784] devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: [lahat:H3857] the land [is] as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. {4} The appearance of them [is] as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. {5} Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. {6} Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. {7} They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: {8} Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and [when] they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. {9} They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. {10} The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: {11} And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp [is] very great: for [he is] strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD [is] great and very terrible; and who can abide it?
On that solemn note pertaining to our day we will have to conclude today’s study. Lord willing next Sunday we will take a look at verse 7 in the Greek, and then proceed to examine verse 8. Please stay tuned for our Hymn Sing next (Lord willing). As a reminder we will have our Q & A at 4:30 PM (PST)/7:30 PM (EST):
