HEBREWS 3 AN EVIL HEART OF UNBELIEF

[Doug]

Hebrews 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

The Hebrews in this book are believers, as they are called holy brethren. That Christ is identified as being their High Priest further limits the intended audience of this book to Jewish believers (although we can profit greatly from it). It was to Israel that the priesthood was ordained (Exodus 28:1).

These Jewish believers are not members of the church, the body of Christ. They are kingdom saints who believed that Jesus is Messiah, the Son of God who came to confirm the promises and covenant unto Israel (Hebrews 10:29 John 20:31 Romans 15:8). They are the believing remnant of Israel who believed the gospel of the kingdom (Matthew 4:23 Mark 1:14-15 Matthew 4:17). They will reign with Christ in the millennial kingdom on earth as kings and priests (Exodus 19:6 Revelation 5:10).

3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

These believers had to hold fast unto the end. The end was the coming of Christ (Hebrews 9:28 1 Peter 1:5). If believing Israel did not endure to the end they would not be saved (Matthew 24:13 Mark 13:13). Their salvation was to be delivered to physically enter into the kingdom on earth.

The church, the body of Christ, will not lose salvation if we do not endure to the end, but rather we are confirmed to the end (1 Corinthians 1:7-8).

3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

Once again the believers are being exhorted to be steadfast unto the end. At the end the wicked will be separated from the children of the kingdom and burned in the fire (Matthew 13:40). If the believers were not faithful and fruitful they would not receive the kingdom (Matthew 25:21 Matthew 3:10 Matthew 7:19 Matthew 13:41 Hebrews 6:8 1 John 2:19).

3:15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

3:16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

3:17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?

3:18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?

3:19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

The believers were being exhorted not to fall after the same manner of unbelief that Israel committed when, in coming out of Egypt, they failed to enter the land through the sin of unbelief (Hebrews 3:12-13 Numbers 14:2-4 Numbers 26:65 Psalms 78:17).

 

[mailmandan]

Hebrews 3:8-10 says, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness, Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, 'They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.' Not descriptive of genuine believers. There is no loss of salvation here. Only a failure to receive it. Verses 18-19 - And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. That explains the hardened heart. It took them in the opposite direction of God. Considered the truth for a time, then hardened heart and departing from God became their final answer.

Hebrews 3:14 - For we have become [past tense Gk. verb, gegonamen, meaning we have become already] partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. Notice that this is essentially a repeat of verse 6, where we have read: but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house - whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. The wording is not - "and you will be become (future indicative) partakers of Christ if you (future indicative) hold fast.." It is rather - "you have been, and now are," partakers of Christ, (demonstrative evidence) if in the future you hold fast to Christ."

The point is that not all of these Hebrews have become partakers in their promised Messiah and of course, the only ones in the end who will be identified as truly born again Hebrews who have partaken in Messiah, will have been those who have held fast the beginning of their confidence steadfast to the end. Those faltering Hebrews who depart from God yet begin with loud confidence and profession of loyalty. But later? Future perseverance is proof of genuine conversion.

Just like in Hebrews 4:1-2, For indeed the gospel was preached to US as well as to THEM; but the word which they heard did not profit THEM, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: "So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest," although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. Obviously, not all of these Hebrews were believers. *Notice that verses 2-3 makes a distinction between US who have BELIEVED and do enter that rest and THEM who heard the word but did not mix faith with what they heard and will not enter that rest because of UNBELIEF.

 

[JRT]

I believe that skepticism is a very beneficial virtue to cultivate.

 

[pinacled]

I believe that skepticism is a very beneficial virtue to cultivate.

Yet it depends how a person applies such a virtue.