Hebrews 12

Hebrews 12:1

But we see Jesus. Jesus is the solution of the problem. He was made while in the flesh on earth apparently lower than the angels, and suffered death, but he, the Son of Man, who died as mortals die, the now glorified man, has “all authority . . . in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). Through him, the Son of Man, all things are subjected to glorified humanity. Thst he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. To die. He became man in order that he might die for every man, and because of the suffering of death was crowned (Philippians 2:9). It was after his suffering that “all power was given unto his hands”. Compare 1 Corinthians 15:27 Ephesians 1:20 Philippians 3:21.

Hebrews 12:2

For it was fitting for him. It became God, was fitting, and God’s purpose. For whom [are] all things. God, who is over all and possesses all. Paul uses this expression in Romans 11:36 Colossians 1:6 1 Corinthians 8:6. The captain of their salvation. Christ, a Prince and a Leader. Perfect through sufferings. Not perfect in holiness, for he was sinless, but perfectly fitted to be our Savior. To this end it was needful that he should also suffer as one of our race.

Hebrews 12:3

Both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified. He who makes men holy by purging them of their sins, and those who are made holy are all of one. Are made of one nature because he took our nature and suffered. Hence he is not ashamed to call them, all the saved, though they are mortals, by the name of brethren. This is done in the Hebrew Scriptures (Psalms 22:22). The language quoted from the Psalm is ascribed to Christ, but is addressed to God. The point is that the speaker calls the worshipers “brethren”.

Hebrews 12:4

In the midst of the church. “Congregation” is the term used in Psalms 22:22. The Revised Version has so rendered it here.

Hebrews 12:5

And again. A quotation is now given from Isaiah 8:17,18. Behold I and the children which God hath given me. The Messiah is represented associating himself with the saints as all children of God. The point is that Christ makes himself the brother of the saved. The verses from Isaiah are quoted in order to give this point clearly.

Hebrews 12:6

He also himself likewise took part of the same. As these children are all mortal he, though divine, took on our mortality. He did this, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death. That he might bring to nought the power of him who first brought death on our race, “that is, the devil”. It was needful; that he be clothed with mortality in order to die, and needful to die in order to deliver men from the power of sin and give them a glorious hope.

Hebrews 12:7

Deliver them. Not only from sin, which gives death its sting (1 Corinthians 15:56), but from all “fear of death” by giving the hope of a blessed life to come.

Hebrews 12:8

He took not on [him the nature of] angels. He did not lay hold of an angel form in order to save angels, but the human form and nature, in order to be our Savior. He chose to be the seed of Abraham, being the Son of Mary, a descendant of Abraham (Matthew 1:1 Lu 3:34).

Hebrews 12:9

It behoved him to be made like [his] brethren. Hence, for the reasons given above, it was necessary that he take our nature. That he might be a merciful and faithful high priest. To be our high priest he must be in full sympathy with us, having experienced our trials and our sufferings. To make reconciliation for the sins of the people. As our high priest he made atonement for us. Conscious of all our frailties he intercedes for us. In him, the Divine man, all who are found in him are justified before God.

Hebrews 12:10

In that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to sympathize with all who suffer and to succor them that are tempted, all who have trials and need help. These two chapters show that Christ is higher than the angels, and hence that the gospel is superior in its demands to the Law. They show that to Christ as the Son of Man, subjected to death, and glorified, all things have been subjected; that he becomes a brother to the saints, and that he took our nature, suffered, and tasted death, in order that he might become a faithful and merciful high priest, touched with a feeling of our infirmities, able to make atonement for us, and to come to us with an Elder Brother’s help in every time of need.

Hebrews 12:12

Christ Superior to Moses SUMMARY OF HEBREWS 3: Our Apostle and High Priest. He Above Moses, As the Builder Is Above the House. Moses a Servant in the House; Christ the Son. Lessons Drawn from Israel Under Moses. How the Israelites Provoked God in the Wilderness. How He Refused Them Admission to the Rest. Unbelief Caused Their Fall. Wherefore. Seeing Christ is so exalted as the first and second chapter show. Holy brethren. Christians made holy by being purged of their sins. Partakers of the heavenly calling. Called by a gospel which came from heaven and which will lead those who obey it, and thus become partakers, to heaven. Consider the Apostle and High Priest. Christ. An apostle is one sent. Moses, in this sense, was an apostle. Christ was sent from heaven. The Twelve were sent out by Christ. He is not only Apostle, but High Priest; superior to both Moses and Aaron combined. Of our profession, Jesus Christ. More correctly, “Our confession”, that is, of all confessors of Christ. The confession of Peter was the confession of primitive Christians (Matthew 16:16).

Hebrews 12:13

Who was faithful. As Moses was faithful to his trust, so has Christ been. In all his house. The house of Israel, the nation, the congregation of God. Israel, a type of the church, is spoken of under the figure of a building. It is declared that Moses was faithful in his house, in Numbers 12:6-8.

Hebrews 12:14

For this [man] was counted worthy of more glory than Moses. Jesus, the house-builder, the builder of Israel, as well as of the church, the Divine Savior, is more glorious than Moses, a member of the house of Israel, even as the builder of the house is superior to the house.

Hebrews 12:15

Every house is builded by some [man], but he that built all things [is] God. The word “man” does not occur in the Greek. The meaning is “every house has a builder, but the Builder of all things is God”. He built the house of Israel, but Christ is God manifest to us, the Divine personality at work in human redemption; hence, the builder of the typical church, as well as of the antitype.

Hebrews 12:16

Moses verily [was] faithful in all his house. See Numbers 12:7. As a servant. Not as the builder, or as the master, but as a waiting man in the house. For a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after. The whole ministry of Moses was a “testimony” to what would follow after, a shadow of what was to come. This will be brought out more fully in subsequent chapters.

Hebrews 12:17

But Christ as a son over his own house. Moses was a waiting man in the Lord’s house, but Christ, the Son, is Lord over the house, his own church. Whose house we are. “Ye are God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9) and “My church” (Matthew 16:18). If we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. We Christians are Christ’s house, and will continue to be Christ’s house, if we hold fast, etc. The possibility of falling away, as Israelites fell away from God’s house of Israel, is pointed out in the following verses.

Hebrews 12:18

Wherefore. Take warning from the fate of Israel. As the Holy Spirit saith. The words quoted are found in Psalms 95:7-11. David there exhorts his brethren to learn a lesson from Israel in the wilderness, and not to provoke God. To day if you will hear his voice. At that very time. So today, and ever, God wishes us to hear him, “today”, not tomorrow.

Hebrews 12:19

Harden not your hearts. To harden the heart is to reach such a state that God’s voice makes no impression. As in the provocation. The Hebrew of the Psalm says “Like Meribah”. The meaning is “Harden not your hearts as our fathers did at Meribah”. See the account in Exodus 17:1-7. See also Numbers 27:14, where Kadesh Meribah is named. Both may be referred to. In the day of temptation in the wilderness. Day of trial.

Hebrews 12:20

When your fathers tempted me, proved me. Tempted me by proving me. Seeing how much murmuring and sin I would endure. And saw my works forty years. All his mighty manifestations in their behalf during all the period of their sojourn in the wilderness.

Hebrews 12:21

Wherefore I was grieved. The Greek word “prosochthizo” more nearly means “disgusted”. They do always err in [their] heart. Not simply by making mistakes, but their hearts are wrong.

Hebrews 12:22

So I sware in my wrath. A figure of speech which means that God, indignant at their unbelief and sin, declared they should not enter Canaan. See Numbers 14:20-35. They shall not enter into my rest. Canaan, while the Israelites were yet in bondage, was promised as a land of rest. On the weary journey in the wilderness it was still looked to as the rest. To prohibit from entering the rest was then to prohibit from entering Canaan. It is, however, a type of heaven, the land of eternal rest. Hence, the warnings that are pointed out in the next verse.

Hebrews 12:23

Take heed, brethren, etc. They fell from unbelief, which led them to depart from God. Take heed, lest you Hebrew Christians seeking the heavenly rest should so fall.

Hebrews 12:24

But exhort one another daily. Continually stir each other to duty, lest you be hardened against God’s voice by the deceitfulness of sin. How sin does deceive us by making false promises of happiness and of safety.

Hebrews 12:25

For we are made partakers of Christ. In fellowship with Christ, partakers of his benefits and glory. If we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end. If we persevere to the end. The Israelites started well, but did not persevere. The only final perseverance of the saints is to persevere until the work of life is over.

Hebrews 12:26

While it is said. The thought and connection are, “You are partakers of Christ, if you remain steadfast, and listen to the exhortation, ‘To day if ye will hear’”, etc.

Hebrews 12:27

For some, when they had heard, did provoke. Some in the wilderness heard God, but refused to listen, and did not provoke him. Howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. There were a few exceptions: Joshua and Caleb, Eliezer, and perhaps some more of the Levites.

Hebrews 12:28

With whom was he grieved forty years? With what sort of persons? The answer is, with them that sinned, all of whose bodies were left in the wilderness.

Hebrews 12:29

To whom sware . . . but to them that believed not? It was to them who sinned because of their distrust of God. See Numbers 14:20.