Ephesians; 1:4 – Election of church age believer, part 28.

Wednesday December 19, 2018

 

Ephesians; 1:4 - Election of church age believer, part 28.

 

Context of HEB 4:14-15:

 

HEB 2:14 Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil;

 

HEB 2:15 and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

 

HEB 2:16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.

 

HEB 2:17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

 

HEB 2:18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid [run to the cry of and help] of those who are tempted.

 

HEB 3:1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling [elect], consider [make a careful investigation of] Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.

 

HEB 3:2 He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house.

 

HEB 3:3 For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house.

 

HEB 3:4 For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.

 

HEB 3:5 Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later;

 

HEB 3:6 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.

 

Hope is a possession of the elect and remains alive in him through faith in the promises. A Christian can lose that hope if he doesn’t hold fast his boldness of speech (confidence: parresia = freedom of speech).

 

The background to HEB 3:7-4:13 is Num 13-14: the sin of Kadesh-Barnea (deciding the PL could not be taken), which was a crucial turning point in the history of Israel.

 

Israel had been in the wilderness for one year, and much of it was difficult. In this time they have, as a people, rebelled against the Lord on nine different occasions.

 

NUM 14:1Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night.

 

NUM 14:2 And all the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron [all night in their tents, DEU 1:27]; and the whole congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!

 

NUM 14:3 "And why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?"

 

NUM 14:4 So they said to one another, "Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt."

 

NUM 14:5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel.

 

NUM 14:6 And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes;

 

NUM 14:7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, "The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.

 

NUM 14:8 If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it to us —  a land which flows with milk and honey.

 

NUM 14:9 Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they shall be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them."

 

NUM 14:10 But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.

 

The people were forgiven, but they missed out on blessing.

 

NUM 14:20 So the Lord said, "I have pardoned them according to your word;

 

The people are forgiven, but they will miss out on blessing. They will wander the wilderness for forty years and they will not enter the land.

 

NUM 14:21 but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord.

 

NUM 14:22 Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs, which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice,

 

NUM 14:23 shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it.

 

NUM 14:24 But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it.

 

It is important to understand the “ten times” so as not to think that an isolated failure will rob your life of blessing. The great majority in this generation had repeatedly revealed their faithlessness.

 

This list has been determined by the rabbis, and will suffice to make the point.

 

1) Red Sea; 2) Marah; 3) No food; 4) No water; 5) Golden Calf; 6) Journey too hard (Taberah); 7) Want meat; 8) Let manna sit; 9) Didn’t gather enough manna; 10) Kadesh-Barnea

 

(1) at the Red Sea, EXO 14:11-12; (2) at Marah, EXO 15:23; (3) in the wilderness of Sin, EXO 16:2; (4) at Rephidim, EXO 17:1; (5) at Horeb, Exo 32; (6) at Tabeerah, NUM 11:1; (7) at the graves of lust, NUM 11:4 ff.; and (8) here again at Kadesh, the twofold rebellion of certain individuals against the commandments of God at the giving of the manna (EXO 16:20 and EXO 16:27). The despisers of God should none of them see the promised land.

 

Remember, these all occurred in the course of one year in which hundreds of thousands of them decided collectively to reject the Lord’s words.

 

So, the writer of Hebrews is using this historical example as a warning to his readers who are facing a somewhat similar situation.

 

The Christian Jews who return to Judaism will die in the Roman conquest along with the generation who claimed Jesus used the power of the devil.

 

The writer of Hebrews is warning his readers that if they return to Judaism, they will not lose their salvation, but they will die in Jerusalem along with the generation that claimed Jesus cast out demons by the power of the devil. They will miss out on the blessings of maturity in the spiritual life. They will miss out on the blessings that come with walking with God for years and years.

 

HEB 3:5 Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later;

 

HEB 3:6 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.

 

Since Jesus is greater over His house than Moses, don’t do to Him what the Exodus did to Moses.

 

We must not become apostate in disobedience as they did. “Today” emphasizes a sense of urgency; the present moment - Do it now!

 

HEB 3:7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says [PSA 95:7-11],

"Today if you hear His voice,

 

“Therefore, since I have shown you that Jesus is Messiah and is greater than Moses and the prophets, do not return to the Law of Moses.” Yet, we are not Christian Jews of the first century, however, we can return to that from which we’ve been delivered. So, to us, “Therefore, since I have shown you that Jesus is Messiah and that He is greater than all things of the world and the flesh, do not return to those things from which you have been delivered, or, just like the Exodus, you will not experience the blessings of mature faith. The Promised Land is when you have rest on all sides, despite the fact that you’re surrounded by those who hate you and wish your demise.

 

And, this is a wonderful verse for the Deity of Christ. The “His” in HEB 3:7 is Jesus and the “His” in PSA 95:7 is Yavah.

 

“Today” - don’t put it off. Don’t lie to yourself thinking it’s not the opportune time. You have been ready since salvation - go into the Land and fight.