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Commentary
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 Hebrews Chapter 3 The chapter opens with a message to the believers, those in receipt of eternal life to consider the person of Jesus Christ, as both perfecter of faith and intercessor with grace for us. (v1) Jesus was obedient, and more so in that he had known the Father. (v2) For not only had Jesus built the temple of the Lord in three days, (that is; His body) with the finished work upon the cross, but it was Jesus who built Israel as the people of God by bringing them out of Egypt with Moses. Those then that were obedient under the law were of the house, as was Moses himself, but the fulfilment of the law and its justification as a system of living by God's own writing was finished upon the cross by Jesus Christ. (v3) For all things pertaining to the promises of God that have been made are made by God, (v4) from Abraham to the law of Moses and the gospel; but Moses was as a servant, displaying that obedience to God that gave the law its promise of fulfillment in Christ. (v5) In Christ however there was not just obedience, but full knowledge of God to the satisfaction of His Fatherly perfection in all things. By believing on Him, (Christ) we can likewise remain within that Israel of God that is the body of Christ - if we are confidently holding that particular hope that is the true gospel first preached from Christ to all. (v6) The Holy Spirit then ministers to those that do not harden their hearts with unbelief (v7); for the day of provocation was by those that did not enter into the land of Canaan because of their unbelief (v8), so we are not to despise the kingdom of God to which we are called by saying it is too hard, or an unequal way. We must be willing to be moulded (v9) into the obedience we require (v10). Not that only, but to expectantly hope in all things that we will enter into that Kingdom. (v11) We are told to take heed lest any one of us chooses to fall from this election because of unbelief, and to become disobedient. (v12) We must correct and encourage one another at this present time to prevent ourselves from become unbelieving and disobedient: (v13) We should not grieve the Holy Spirit, for if we are confident in the truth of the gospel, and hold our faith then we are being moulded into the image of Christ's example, each by the Holy Spirit in His own time until we come into the fullness of eternal life. (v14) For it is true that it is due to a hardened heart that the people of Israel were disobedient to the calling of God in the provocation. (v15) Some provoked God by refusing to enter into a covenant that they had already as much as sworn to: (v16) but for forty years those that fell in the wilderness were those who were unbelieving, who would not enter into the land to take it for a possession. (v17) God dealt equally with them, according to their unbelief: they would not enter in by faith, so God would not let them enter in in His might. (v18) So we should be wary also that we must enter in - believing the true word of Jesus Christ (v19). |
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