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| 1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the apostle and chief priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, |
The Apostle and Hight Priest – "The Apostle Paul calls our attention in this [spiritual - site Editor] direction saying, "Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus." (Heb. 3:1.) But how few of those who read the Scriptures have ever followed the Apostle's suggestion? how few have ever considered Jesus from the standpoint suggested, --as the Church's Apostle or special teacher sent of God to specially guide and instruct the Church, and as the church's High Priest to whom the faithful occupy the relationship of under priests? Had more consideration been given by the Lord's people to these matters, a larger number would undoubtedly be much farther advanced than they are today, in the knowledge and love of God. They would have seen that if Christ is a special teacher, a special High Priest of the Church, and the Church his special pupils, brethren and under priests, then there must be, according to the Scriptures, at some future time, a still greater blessing in which both High Priests and under priests will be the agents of God in blessing all the families of the earth." - R3313:6 |
| 2 being stedfast to Him who did appoint him, as also Moses in all his house, |
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| 3 for of more glory than Moses hath this one been counted worthy, inasmuch as more honour than the house hath he who doth build it, |
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| 4 for every house is builded by some one, and He who the all things did build [is] God, |
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| 5 and Moses indeed [was] stedfast in all his house, as an attendant, for a testimony of those things that were to be spoken, |
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| 6 and Christ, as a Son over his house, whose house are we, if the boldness and the rejoicing of the hope unto the end we hold fast. |
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| 7 Wherefore, (as the Holy Spirit saith, 'To-day, if His voice ye may hear |
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| 8 ye may not harden your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of the temptation in the wilderness, |
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| 9 in which tempt Me did your fathers, they did prove Me, and saw My works forty years; |
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| 10 wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, Always do they go astray in heart, and these have not known My ways; |
I – Jehovah God.
Was grieved – Because of their unbelief. Even after seeing all his wonders in their release from the slavery of Egypt.
With that generation – Those living at the time they reached the promised land - because they did not exercise enough faith in God to enter into the land. |
| 11 so I sware in My anger, If they shall enter into My rest !') |
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| 12 See, brethren, lest there shall be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in the falling away from the living God, |
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| 13 but exhort ye one another every day, while the To-day is called, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of the sin,
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Today – In one sense this refers to the Gospel Age, the age of sacrifice. More particularly though it refers to RIGHT NOW! Consider what Paul is saying in this context. He is comparing typical Israel, those who had already come into covenant relationship with God, and their opportunity to come into the land of promise, with us in our covenant relationship with God and our opportunity to enter into rest. If Israel had obeyed immediately, God would have driven out the inhabitants for them, little by little. But since they did not obey but instead listened to the evil report of the 10 spies, when they did come to the promised land, they had to do the battle and drive out the inhabitants themselves (though it was still with God's help.) |
| 14 for partakers we have become of the Christ, if the beginning of the confidence unto the end we may hold fast, |
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| 15 in its being said, 'To-day, if His voice ye may hear, ye may not harden your hearts, as in the provocation,' |
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| 16 for certain having heard did provoke, but not all who did come out of Egypt through Moses; |
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| 17 but with whom was He grieved forty years was it not with those who did sin, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness |
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| 18 and to whom did He swear that they shall not enter into His rest, except to those who did not believe |
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| 19 and we see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief. |
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