Hebrews 3

Verse 1. Now it is " holy brethren," and a "heavenly calling." Our profession is heavenly, and if you do not take heavenly ground you lose heavenly blessings. Between the going away of Christ and the return of Christ there are special blessings that are only given to a heavenly people. You must keep this new company in your mind; He has His troop round Him, all fellows going on together. I believe the book of Hebrews is carried on on the principle of the first of Acts; what they were rebuked for there-gazing up into heaven -is what we are called to do here. Your eye is to be upon Him. If it be to run the race, it is by " looking off unto Jesus; " if it be going outside the camp, it is going outside to Him; Christ is set before your heart; you find Him everywhere.
Verses 2- 6. Now we come to His house-His own circle. The "house" in Hebrews does not mean the house of God, the house on earth; it simply is that I am part of Christ's family, just as we speak of the house of Tudor, or the house of Brunswick. It does not allow of any one belonging to the house who is not put there by Christ Himself; as such He is the Son over His own house. Christ is gone into heaven for Himself and for His house. He has not gone in for Israel; He will come out for them soon; He has gone in for us; we get Him in the holiest; we do not get ourselves there; but He is there, and we have the right to go in. Many a child is brought to a palace without at all knowing what is going on in the palace. So the apostle takes us to heaven, introduces us into the place and says, Now study the length, breadth, depth, and height of it. I am an indoor servant; I have been in and know all that goes on there, but I cannot tell it to you; I can only open the door and let you in, and now you must find it out for yourselves.
Verses 7-11. What was the provocation? What has Christendom done? Christendom has been in the provocation; Christendom has looked down to earth instead of looking up to heaven. Christ has been rejected by earth, and, if my heart be right, I do not look for anything here, I do not seek to set things straight here; to do so would be to turn back to the way of Cain. Christendom has looked down, and that is the provocation. The book of Hebrews is that you are looking only up into heaven, for Jesus is there, and you have a right to go in; and when I go on to the Ephesians, and learn what the heart of God has for me there, I say, I may take it all, for I have a right to go in. The Israelites would not go into the land; it was the day of provocation, and the way they began was by remembering the fish of Egypt. If ever I hear a man talking of what he might have been, and might have done, I always think, woe betide you! Peter began saying as much to the Lord, and the Lord answered him, You have made a very good bargain; you have gained a hundred-fold more. I am sure there is nothing the Lord feels more than that we should put value on anything but Himself, or allow anything whatever to detain our hearts here. It is the provocation.
The question has been asked, " How can you be in heaven whilst you are on earth? " And that is true; I am not in heaven; but I am united to One who is. Jesus is there; and where is your heart if it have not gone after Him? The Captain of the ship is on shore, and the anchor is let down.
Verses 12-19. Just think of God being grieved They would not enter in. I do not unchristianize every one who has not got heavenly joys, but I do say his carcass falls in the wilderness; it is there that he dies. I have title to enter. But, you say, I might go back. Wait till you get there before talking of going back. It is a very interesting point that there is no such thing as restoration in Hebrews; you must go to some other part of the word if you wish to find that. It is never contemplated for a moment that you will give it up. The only thing put before us is, that if you go back to any of the old clothes, God will burn them off your back, "for our God is a consuming fire." He has taken the old. rags off, and made you fit for His presence; and do not you talk of going back to them. God would say, You have taken up that which I have put away, and I will not allow it. There is no such thing as provision for return; I have got rid of all the old things for you, and now, if you do not get rid of them too, I will burn them off you. You must drop them. Nine-tenths of those who complain of their dullness and weariness, owe it to the fact that they are cleaving to something they will not give up.
Verse 19. They could not enter in because of not obeying the word, is the meaning of the verse.