Ministry on Hebrews

… Unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion, rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing, in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning. Thou hast the due of thy youth. The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the heathen. He shall fill the places with the dead bodies. He shall wound the heads over many countries. He shall drink of the brook in the way, therefore shall he lift up the head. Hebrews chapter 1, verse 1, God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds, who, being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high. Verse 13, to which of the angels said he at any time, sit on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Chapter 8, verse 1, now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum. We have such an high priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord picked, and not man. Chapter 10, verse 11, every priest standeth daily, ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Chapter 12, verse 1, wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight on the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. If the Lord will, we hope to have nine sessions over the next nine days, including today, looking at some of the key texts in the epistle to the Hebrews, not with the intention of expounding all the truths in the epistle. There won't be anywhere near enough time for that. But in order that some of the major threads might be picked up along the way, equipping us all to go away, cloistered in the presence of the Lord, and equipped, perhaps, a little better than we have been up to now to study the epistle to the Hebrews in some detail. Now, I'm aware that life being what it is, how many sessions you are able to get to out of the nine will depend upon your responsibilities, your opportunities, and no doubt your stamina. But I do trust that sufficient will be said by way of foundation tonight to create such an interest that those who wish to come and are able to come will have a basis laid down for further study. Now, it has been publicized, but we are looking tonight at the phrase, sit thou at my right hand. Tomorrow, in the gospel, we hope to look at that lovely phrase in chapter two, the suffering of death. Picking words out on Tuesday evening, shadow and substance, Wednesday, a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, then better on Thursday, let us on Friday, we hope to have a Bible reading on Saturday afternoon, picking out examples where the term wants comes in, and then Saturday evening, if the Lord will, it will be possible to say the world to come whereof we speak. And then in the gospel on the second Lord's Day, again, taken from the text, an exhortation to us all, refuse not him that speaketh. Now, it's common at any first Bible reading of a series on the epistle to the Hebrews for someone to say early in the discussion, of course, before studying the epistle to the Hebrews, we should really have a look at Psalm 110. We all nod and go on, but rarely do we take the time to do exactly that. Now, I hope that the first part of the meeting this evening will be doing just that, taking the opportunity of studying Psalm 110, able to say with the authority of experience something we've proved for ourselves that in future we'll be able to say Psalm 110 is the basis for much of the teaching and much that is said in the epistle to the Hebrews. And if we want to study and gain from the study of the epistle to the Hebrews, we need to look at that Psalm in some little detail. So let us equip ourselves for later studies on the text of the epistle by looking at Psalm 110, which we read. Now, there are only seven verses, but I would suggest that rather than look at all the detail, it will be helpful if, first of all, we look at the background and the setting to Psalm 110, then we look at the structure of the seven verses, and then we see something of the prophetic significance and value of the psalm, then we consider for a moment the object in view, and then later in the meeting, if the Lord will, we'll look at some examples in the epistle to the Hebrews where words are picked out of Psalm 110 and we'll see the various applications that are made. This evening, to the phrase, sit thou at my right hand, but following through on other evenings, it will be seen that in other respects, too, an understanding of Psalm 110 is vital if we are to look at the epistle to the Hebrews. Now, first of all, then, we'll think of the background and the setting of Psalm 110. Considering a psalm, it is quite clearly Jewish in flavor and Jewish in background. It considers the history of the nation of Israel, and it considers a crucial point at which the nation of Israel have arrived in their history before God. Now, in looking at Psalm 110, then, let us bear in mind that it is in the fifth book of Psalms, beginning with Psalm 107, and as is clear to Hebrew scholars, clear to us by the Holy Spirit, there is a clear parallel between the fifth book of Psalms, 107 to 150, and the fifth book of Moses, the book of Deuteronomy. And as in the book of Deuteronomy, so in the fifth book of Psalms, towards the end of God's ways with his earthly people, time is taken to recount, to go over again a second time, as the word Deuteronomy suggests, going over with God's people his ways and how they've arrived at the present point. And when we get in the fifth book of Psalms, as in the fifth book of Moses, we are on the fringe, we are on the threshold of entering into the promised land, and God is saying, now this is the way that I've brought you. This is where you are, and you're about to go into the land. Now, I think it's worthwhile looking at a verse in Deuteronomy which will demonstrate that quite clearly. Would you turn, please, to Deuteronomy, on chapter 8? Verse 16, the Lord thy God fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy followers knew not, now listen to this, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee to do thee good at thy latter end. Now, in the fifth book of Psalms, as in Deuteronomy, we are at the point where God is about to do them good at their latter end. The promised land lies just ahead. Moses, from his vantage point, is permitted to see it, but not to enter into it. But he goes over the ways of God with his people, and he says, there it is, it lies ahead of you, and you are going to be brought into it in the goodness of your God. The other thing that comes to light is that God's anointed king, who when he presented himself to the nation, had been refused and rejected. The God of Israel, Jehovah, says quite plainly, I have committed myself not only to bring the people into blessing, but that they will be brought into blessing in association with the God whom I've appointed. Now this flavor comes through in several of the Psalms, and if time permits, we'll refer back just to a few of them. But at the moment, that is the background. The promised land just ahead, God's king to be brought into prominence, to establish that kingdom, and his people will be blessed in association with him. Now in each book of Psalms, book five being no exception, at the beginning of the book, there is a summary of what God wants his people to learn. And in this fifth book, the first seven Psalms are introductory to the whole of the section from 107 to 150. The first two concern Israel, the next two concern Christ personally, and then the next three are a celebration of what has been recounted. Just to go over that again, the first two about Israel, 107, gives the general principles under which the people will be brought into the promised land. The second of that pair says, now in detail, this is what's going to happen. First the principles, then the particular about Israel. Psalm 109 tells us, in general terms, of the humiliation inevitably suffered by those who seek to be true to their God, and in particular, that the one whom God is going to be brought in as king, when he first manifested himself, he had heaped upon him humiliation. And then Psalm 110 says, he who the first time that he came suffered such abject humiliation will come again the second time unto salvation, words from Hebrews, and that God will ensure that God's anointed king is in undisputed sway. And then 111, 12, and 13, the praise and the celebration of those things. Now notice that Psalm 110 is the central psalm of this mini-section of seven psalms at the beginning of Book 5. So that again gives us the background to the structure of the psalm. When we come to the psalm, while it is not part of the inspired record, the splitting into verses and the numbering of the verses, it is quite clear that whoever in medieval times split the chapters into verses was led wisely and taking account of the subject matter of the verses to split this psalm into seven verses. And again, we can see how even that was allowed by God to teach us a lesson. And so we have this lovely psalm of seven verses. Now when we look at the psalm, the first three hang together, and the last three hang together, and then verse four is special. Well, again, we can see that that is good. In the first three, Jehovah presents his king, his anointed king. Verses five, six, and seven give the result of that some account of some detail connected with the day of manifestation when God's anointed king will be brought to light. And then the central verse, verse four, gives us the truth that all that God is telling his people as the basis for their future blessing is something to which Jehovah their God has committed himself to. He has committed himself by oath. And so we have verse four, the Lord has sworn. He won't change his mind, and then we have this lovely phrase which I think on Wednesday we'll consider in some detail, thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Now we can see in what an orderly way the Holy Spirit brings this truth before us. But let us, with hindsight, with the knowledge of New Testament scriptures, being guided into the truth by the Holy Spirit, let us bring this hundreds of years further forward and to see how scripture testifies to us that that which was prophesied hundreds of years previously did, in fact, come to pass. Now, when we look through the Gospels, when we look through the book of Acts, when we look into the epistle to the Hebrews, there is no doubt at all that the Holy Spirit gives due witness to the fact that Psalm 110 is intended by God to set out truths concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. God teaches us by illustration. He teaches us by allegory. He teaches us by type. He teaches us by figures, but we must not anticipate something that may come out in shadow and substance. But sometimes, this happens in the Psalms very often. Figures have been left on record where not by application, not by interpretation, not by any parallelism of thought, but by divine intention that God says, look, I'm telling you in detail here something which may be true in measure at the time, but in its fullness and in its scope can only really apply to our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, Psalm 110 is a psalm where we are intended to learn things about the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why in the Gospels, in the Acts, in the Hebrews, in preaching and in teaching Christ, the Holy Spirit singles out words from Psalm 110. Now, if we were to pull the Scriptures together, we would see that verse 1 tells us plainly that after his death and resurrection, check in the Gospels and in the Acts, after the Lord Jesus died and rose again, he ascended where he was before, and he has sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. Now, we've come to that, and we mustn't anticipate too much, but when we look at the structure of the psalm, before we look at Hebrews, verse 1, the plain statement of fact, that Jehovah says to David's master, sit thou at my right hand until, now, we hope to take opportunity each evening to draw attention to phrases which we can learn from and we can store in our mind for wherever and whenever we study the Scriptures. Now, this word until is a prime example. When the word until comes in the Gospels or the Epistles, almost always, it's talking about the time between the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, back to glory, and his coming again, and because it's speaking of that period where he is waiting to take up the reins of government, it's also speaking about the time when the nation of Israel, as such, has been put into the sidelines, and they, for the fullness of their blessing, await the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, and whenever this term until comes in, it usually has that kind of connotation. Now, after that statement in verse 1, we get, in verses 2 and 3, a statement by the psalmist speaking to his master, if you examine the words that are used, and the psalmist, by the Spirit, is saying, look, this is what your God, Jehovah, has prepared for you, and then the words that follow, in verses 5, 6, and 7, are speaking about Messiah, about David, the psalmist's master, Adonai, the one whom God has committed himself to bringing into prominence and supremacy, and the one who will have every resource at his disposal to ensure that the will of God upon earth will come to pass. Now, after that, we get this lovely little gem in verse 7, and we must keep moving on. When the Lord Jesus was here upon earth, he was abused, he was refused, he was rejected, he was humiliated. Now, what kept him going? Yes, that lovely gem in 1 Timothy 3, at every stage, he had that inner sense of vindication justified in the Spirit that everything that he did and the way that he did it was in the will of his God, justified in the Spirit. We know from the beginning of the servant gospel, Mark, that he had angelic ministry to sustain him. But this little gem tells us that whatever the difficulty, whatever the opposition, there was divine refreshment ever available to him every step of the journey. True of him in his humiliation in the days of his flesh. True now in the waiting period, the until period, until his foes are made his footstool. And in kingdom glory, in the day of his power, it will also be true that there will be refreshment for the enjoyment of his Spirit that comes from God himself. The Lord Jesus Christ, the perfect man, enjoying the provision of God for those who are true to him. Uniquely in his case, let us say at once, this refreshment from God along the way is available to everyone who is put in the place of authority and therefore unpopularity by God. Those who are set in positions of responsibility in the affairs of this world, the powers of those that be, it's open to them as God's ministers for good to draw refreshment from the God who has installed them in that role, how rare it is for those whom God has placed in authority to draw their sustenance from him. So it's available and it was realized in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ in the days of his flesh. But looking just for a few more minutes at these verses in this psalm, we get in the first three verses then the presentation of Jehovah's King. Verse one, set upon the throne by God. Verse two, his strength and because of his strength he will vanquish his enemies and the enemies of his God. Verse three, there are those in association with himself who shall be willing in the day of his power. How sad that the nation of Israel is unwilling in the day of his rejection and humiliation. His people as such will be willing in the day of his power and we'll come to this as the week proceeds. Now you have these lovely phrases which I cannot really fathom. In verse three, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of youth. Now because we don't often have the opportunity, let us read together three verses that might give us just a little bit of a clue as to what these phrases are about. Psalm 27. Verse four, one thing have I desired of the Lord that I will seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. Over the page to Psalm 29, verse two, give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Then over to Psalm 96. Honor and majesty are before him, strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Now putting those together, it seems to me if there is to be a true appreciation of the beauty of the Lord, if there is to be a right appreciation of his glory, it can only be gained in the sanctuary, in the very presence of God. We use phrases which come in scripture weighing things in the balances of the sanctuary, terms we like to use. Well here we have an example of it. If we are to get a right appreciation of the supremacy of our Lord Jesus Christ as God's anointed king when the right time comes, it can only be as being found in the presence of the Lord, weighing these things in his holy presence with a proper appreciation of what is due to his holy name and there seeing his worthiness, his beauty and his glory, giving us the right perspective on everything. Now in Psalm 110, it tells us that, I'm sure. Willing in the day of thy power in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning. Another difficult phrase. I can simply appreciate a new day is going to be brought in. People speak of a so-called new age. I think it is right that those who are equipped to do so, just occasionally, exceptionally, warn us against perils of the day and there are those who rightly warn us about a movement called the new age movement. For most of us, most of the time, we do well if we are wise concerning that which is good, simple concerning evil. A new age is coming in and it will be fresh and it will be brought in by the Lord and there is just a suggestion here that in this womb of the morning, a new day ushered in for the people of Israel in Psalm 110. Wider applications as we may see from the epistle to the Hebrews later on. And then this difficult phrase, thou hast the dew of thy youth, addressed to Messiah, yes, certainly, eternally fresh in his person. Some translations create what might be a slight difficulty in that this term, the youth, is put in the plural. Certainly we know from the beginning of the verse that he has his people. Certainly we know from other scriptures that when he appears in glory, he will have those associated with him in the day of his power and the day of his glory. There may just be a suggestion in the words that are used that one of the delights for him when he is in undisputed sway is that there are those associated with him who are like him and living a life on earth which in character and in measure is very like the life that he lived in the days of his flesh. Now that suggestion may be there, but certainly if we keep it to the Lord, personally, we are on very safe ground and we can say yes, there is never ever any suggestion of any staleness or lack of freshness in him or anything that he does. Now we'll move on to verses 5, 6, and 7 just for a couple of moments. God will be angry. God is angry at the rejection of his anointed king. God will have the last word. Read Psalm 1, Psalm 2, Psalm 8. Psalm 1, the kind of man that God appreciates. Psalm 2, the son of David presenting himself to the nation being refused by Israel and the nations and God committing himself said, now I will, I have set my king on the holy hill of Zion. I will bring it to pass. I will bring him in. When we get to Psalm 8, we find that the rejection by the nation of Israel brings in a far wider, far grander, more universal vista of glory as the son of man than would have been apparent if the Lord Jesus had been accepted in the days of his flesh as king of Israel. And so we have here the manner in which that will be brought in. The enemies judged, stricken, removed, and then this last touch as previously demonstrated that in whatever situation or circumstance, refreshment at the hands of his God along the way. Now we've looked in some detail then at Psalm 110. Now we need to look and take account of the main thrust of the use of these words from verse 1 in the epistle to the Hebrews, sit thou at my right hand. This was a Bible reading. One of us, perhaps me, I would say there are four statements in the epistle to the Hebrews that the Lord Jesus is sat down at the right hand of God. Someone who perhaps isn't listening very carefully would say, perhaps if you look you'll find five. I would pause as though I hadn't heard and say there are four statements in the epistle to the Hebrews that he is sat down at the right hand of God. Now why is this important? When we look at the context in each case in chapters 1, 8, 10, and 12, something special is being considered. In chapter 1, it is right that the Lord Jesus should be sat down at the right hand of God, the place of power, the place of supremacy, the place of honor, the place of glory, because of who he is in his person, because of his personal glory. When we look at the verses, one thing we can learn straight away about the epistle to the Hebrews is that it is a message direct from God. You will have noticed the style in all the epistles that the author's name comes first, or in the opening statement. How much time has wasted, has been for 2,000 years, trying to find out, trying to guess, raising conjectures, who wrote the epistle to the Hebrews? I'll tell you who wrote it, God wrote it. God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken by his son, or spoken in sun. No intermediary referred to, no human hand holding the pen. When God wants his final revelation to be given, he speaks personally. And when the son speaks, it's God speaking because the son is God. Now that's the language, that's the message of Hebrews chapter 1. And there are many things, you may well find seven, seven statements which confirm and attest the personal glory as God the son of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now one of the things that is said about him in demonstration of his personal glory is that he is sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high. Here it is then, first of all, a statement that Psalm 110 is part of the canon of Holy Scripture. Words that the Holy Ghost teacheth, as Paul said to the Corinthians, that he would confirm or be confirmed as to his personal glory by being sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. And so we have it, Hebrews 1 affirms that Jesus is worthy to be sat on the right hand of God because of who he is. We move on, or we'll deal with, first of all, with that little verse 13. I look at this slightly differently, this fifth reference to his sitting at the right hand of God, because this is not a statement so much, but a question is raised. To which of the angels is this kind of statement made? Angels, and again, like the Psalms, the epistle to the Hebrews has a Jewish flavor and a Jewish background. It's assumed that the Old Testament scriptures are well known to the reader. I'll give you an exercise for you sometime. Get one of your older Bibles that you don't use every day. Get a colored pencil, go right through to the epistle to the Hebrews, and score through or underline or color in every Old Testament scripture that's quoted. I was amazed the first time I did that to see what a high proportion of the epistle to the Hebrews is, in fact, the text of the Old Testament scriptures. Now, the Holy Spirit, in recording God's message through the Son, appeals to the Old Testament scriptures and, in particular, Psalm 110, and in reinforcing the personal glory of the Lord Jesus as the one who was sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high, the question is posed. To which of the angels could it possibly have been said? None of them can only be said to the one who is the Son, the one who is God in his person and being. It is an affirmation of his personal glory as the Son. Chapter 8. In chapter 8, it is a different matter under consideration. I take these in the order in which they come. If chapter 1 affirms his personal glory, who he is, chapter 8, verse 1, again, underlines the truth presented by saying he is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens. Now, what is the subject matter here? Being of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have such a high priest, a minister of the sanctuary, the leader of the praises of God. In the terms of the psalmist, the chief musician, the originator of the music, the composer, the one who has arranged it, the one who is the theme and the object of the praise. What is it? It is brought forward to say he is the right one to be the minister of the sanctuary of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man. The truth affirmed to reinforce his entire suitability to fulfill that role is that he is set down on the right hand of God on high. If in chapter 1, the consideration is who he is, in chapter 8, it's one aspect of what he is doing at the present time and on the way and that he might be seen to be entirely competent to fulfill the role as the minister of the sanctuary, it is said of him in order that he might be seen to be the right one, he is set down on the right hand of the majesty on high because of what he is doing at the present time. We must move on to chapter 10. Now, I fully subscribe to the orthodox sections presented in the first part of the chapter. Verses 1 to 10, the will of God. Verses 11 to 14, the work of Christ. Verses 15 to 18, the witness of the spirit. Verses 11 to 14 then, the perfection, the completeness of the work of Christ. Again, we must not anticipate too much, but what he did, it was done once and for all because he did it to perfection. The Lord will, we hope, to discuss that next Saturday. But there is in the text a testimony to the fact that the work was done and will never need to be repeated because God's tribute to the completeness and perfection of the work is that having done the work, he sat down on the right hand of God. Check all the translations available to you. I would think you'll probably come to the conclusion that the term forever is just as entitled to refer to his sitting down as to the effectiveness of the work. Both statements are true, but as to the text here, perhaps you might well conclude that he sat down as far as the work of the cross is finished is concerned. He sat down forever, he'll never need to get up and do that work again. It's done to perfection. By the way, when we have little quibbles together as to whether when we pray or speak to divine persons, whether we should kneel, sit or stand, there may be doubt in certain functions, but I would suggest that verse 11 certainly suggests when we are in the Lord's presence, functioning – now I'll be careful here with my words – functioning as priests, yes, functioning as worshippers, the one who is our spokesman for the moment, putting into words what is in all our hearts, I would suggest that verse 11 says the appropriate posture is for the one who is speaking on our behalf to stand. Every priest, as he ministers, he stands. You may think that is being unnecessarily meticulous, but I would suggest that if there is one time certainly where standing is appropriate, it is when one officiates in praise and in thanksgiving to the blessed God. But certainly, in respect to the work which is the basis of all blessing, let us never get away from this, any blessing there will ever be, Gentile, Jew, Church of God will only be available, only is available because of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The blessing is secure because the work is complete. He has sat down forever on the right hand of God because he has offered the sacrifice once and for all time. Chapter 12, if in chapter 1 he has sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high because of who he is, his personal glory, and if in chapter 8 it is because of the work he is presently doing as the true minister of the sanctuary, of the true tabernacle which God pitched in not man, in chapter 8 he has sat down not because of who he is as such, not because of what he is as such or what he is doing, but because of what he has done already. Chapter 10, what he has done, the work of the cross. Chapter 12, another consideration. What a charming consideration that the earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ was so perfect, well you can't get a comparative to that, can you? His work, his work, his life, everything that he did and the way that he did it in the days of his flesh was perfect. The only fitting terminus to the perfect life of the Son of God was glory at the right hand of God. Not now who he is, not now what he is doing, not now what he has done, but because of his moral perfection which came out in his life, the only possible terminus of such a life is glory at the right hand of God. Turn back to Psalm 16, quoted in the Gospels, quoted in the Acts, quoted in the Epistle to the Hebrews, but let's look at a very similar thought in Psalm 16. The Psalm of the meal offering, the life of the perfect man, the life of Christ in the days of his flesh. Verse 11 says, the path of life can have only one proper terminal point in the presence of his God, experiencing fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore. Nice little reciprocation there. Verse 8, I have set the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. In his life, always relying upon the strength and resource that God would make available. At the end of that life, he is installed forever at the right hand of the blessed God. Now, in our Psalm, we have a very similar consideration. In Psalm 110, the opening statement, sit thou at my right hand, seen to be right, because in the day of his power, when it comes, verse 5 says, the Lord at thy right hand, not now in humiliation, not now in the until period, but when he comes in power and in great glory, there will be every resource, every power, every authority available to him. There are other statements in the epistle to the Hebrews where we could say other things. He is where he is because he's our forerunner, end of chapter 6. He's there because of his moral perfection, chapter 2. But let us take the statements of scripture. It is essential that if we are to learn the lesson of Psalm 110, if we are to make progress in the epistle to the Hebrews, we start with this. His personal glory is such that his God says to him, sit thou at my right hand. The wonder of his present work as minister of the sanctuary is such that the only one fit to conduct that work is the one who was sat down at the right hand of God. The work that he did could be done by none other than the one who was sat down at the right hand of God. And the only fitting terminus to that perfect life was at the right hand of God. In the language of Psalm 16, that path of life lay through death and beyond it to the right hand of the majesty on high, enjoying glory and pleasure and honor with his God. What a happy consideration is opened up to us as we consider the New Testament references, particularly the references in the epistle to the Hebrews of this lovely phrase from Psalm 110, sit thou at my right hand. …

… Hebrews chapter 8, the end of verse 4, Priests offer gifts according to the law, who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle. For see, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount. Chapter 10 and verse 1. For the law, having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. Verse 34. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. If we are to read the epistle to the Hebrews intelligently and receive full gain from it, we will need at least two qualifications. As to the first one, most of you were present when we looked together in March 1985 at the person and work of the Holy Spirit. And I remember on one of those nights, two sisters who are here tonight came to me after the meeting and said, now, you used a word last night which we hadn't heard before, and we've looked it up and we can't find it in our dictionary. I hope those sisters now have a more modern dictionary because I'm going to use the same word again. One qualification in understanding the epistle to the Hebrews is the quality of empathy. Now, it's not such a modern word as you might think, but it's something, whether we know the word or not, it's something we know about. Putting ourselves into somebody else's shoes, getting under their skin, able to think as they think, able to understand what makes them tick, and so on. And really, unless we have a reasonable understanding of the position and the thought processes and the background of the Hebrew Christians in the middle of the first century AD, it will be difficult for us to get full value from the epistle to the Hebrews. Now, because of that, a second qualification which will help tremendously is a reasonable acquaintance with Old Testament typology, some of the types and the images and the figures that come into Old Testament teaching. Now, it was for that reason that on Saturday we began our studies by looking at one major aspect of Psalm 110, and that was this. God has in reserve a king whom he has anointed, who was worthy in every respect to govern on God's behalf. And in tribute to that, even before the time when the kingdom proper starts, God has his anointed king in a place of exaltation at his own right hand. And as Psalm 110 says, quoted several times in part or in full in the epistle to the Hebrews, sit thou at my right hand until I make thy foes thy footstool. And hopefully without laboring it, that was the major burden of our first study, that that which God had said hundreds of years beforehand will come to pass, because as Isaiah was able to record of God, God says, I have purposed it, I will do it. Now, it wasn't the direct burden on Saturday. If the Lord spares us, it will be the intention tomorrow to look at the other major burden of Psalm 110, and that is that if a king is to rule in righteousness as he will, it can only be on the basis of every righteous claim of God having been met. And this is such a sacrifice that God's mighty king could delegate this to no one else. This is something that he had to do for himself, and this is why God's king will be a priest as well as king. And if the Lord will, tomorrow night, we look at the burden of that. Established a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. But tonight, in between those relatively straightforward sessions, we have what to me is more difficult. I hope that doesn't put anybody off. Tonight, we are going to consider a vital concept, a thought process, and we are going to look at words in Scripture to try to arrive at what they mean. But I am assured that once we get this concept in our minds, in our understanding, once and for all, it will make all the difference to understanding the truth of God in general and the truth in the epistle to the Hebrews in particular. If we are to empathize with converted Jews, like those to whom the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews addressed himself, we will have to come to this basic understanding. There has only ever been one God-initiated, God-introduced, God-sustained religion on this earth, and that is the Hebrew religion. Orthodox Hebrews brought up in that environment held their heads high how great their favor being born into such a nation. They had heard the gospel of the grace of God preached. They had repented of their sins. They had trusted Christ as Savior, and they had to learn that Christ personally, and the value and the worth of his mighty work at Calvary, which was the basis for all blessing, that Christ personally, on the basis of his work, is the fulfillment of all that the Hebrew religion looked forward and anticipated from the hand of the blessed God, in part and in whole, in every detail, as to the blessing that looked at for, as said in another book in the New Testament, all the promises of God are yea and amen in him. And these Hebrew believers had come to appreciate this, that in Christ, all that was foreshadowed in the teaching of the Hebrew religion found its utter, perfect, complete, entire fulfillment in Christ. And Paul, or whoever the writer was, I withdraw that. The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews, it's rare for me to say that, the writer was God. In addressing himself to the Hebrew believers, the one who was used to hold the pen to write the text of the epistle to the Hebrews, had this to say to them. If, having abandoned the Hebrew religion, because you've come to realize that everything that your religion and the canon of Holy Scripture, what we call the Old Testament, because it all looked forward to him, and its message prepared the hearts of his earthly people, so that at his advent, when he came into the world, that they were attracted to him as the fulfillment of all that God had ever said to them. If, having rightly been weaned away from that to Christ personally, if subsequently you turn back to that law, back to that Old Testament system, in effect, you are turning away from Christ and abandoning the promises of God to which you've been brought. And he uses strong language on occasion, and if the Lord will, on Friday evening, we look at some of the burden of the strong exhortations that he's given. But another way that he speaks is this. He said, when Christ came, demonstrating that in him is the reality, the substance, all that went before, by comparison, is way by way of being a shadow. With the coming of Christ into the world, the shadows have passed and the substance has arrived. And I've read verses from chapter 8 and 10 which remind us that the terms shadow and substance are not mere theological terms thought up by men, however clever or wise they might be. These are words that the Holy Ghost teaches. I visit many Christian homes, happy to do so. In many of them, well, invariably, I look at the bookshelves to see what books you have. Very often, I see a book, which may well be an excellent book with excellent substance inside. May well be that the writer is a very reliable expositor. I don't know, I haven't read any of his works. But the title of the book offends me, in the light of the epistle to the Hebrews. It's by a writer, I think his name is Henry Drummond, and the title of the book is The Natural Law in the Spiritual World. When I see that title, I wince. Because while I might agree with what the writer says in the book, I cannot accept the title because it gives me the impression from the title that the writer seems to think that the primary world, the important world, the fundamental world, the real world is the natural world, and the copy, the secondary world, is the spiritual world. Now, for reasons we will see, I cannot accept that as a proposition. I'd be very happy if the title of the book was The Spiritual Law in the Natural World. We sometimes get deceived in our thinking by considering what comes first in time, and the first time we recognize it as being the real thing, and anything after that a copy. God has implanted within creation, God has implanted in the Old Testament many concepts, many images, which show, give indications of things that God has ever had in mind in his will, in his purpose, before time began. I must say that I learned from Scripture that the primary world is that which God has ever had in mind, the world of spiritual, heavenly, eternal realities. That is the substance. The natural world, which is secondary, and from which we can get indications of what God has ever had in mind, contains these copies, but being the secondary world, instead of being concerned with that which is heavenly, it is concerned with that which is earthly. Instead of being concerned with that which is eternal, it's concerned with that which is temporal, relative to time. And instead of being concerned with that which is spiritual, it is concerned with that which is material and sensual. Now, that is the major lesson of the Epistle to the Hebrews. The Hebrew religion, right in its place at its stage in the development of the revelation of God, was concerned with that which was earthly, temporal, and sensual, related to the five senses. Christianity, being God's primary world, primary thought, is concerned with that which is eternal, and spiritual, and heavenly. If we get that from our sessions together this week, we've learned perhaps the major lesson that we need to learn. And Hebrew believers, who seem to be indicating that they were being prepared to turn their backs on Christianity and go back to Judaism, were abandoning, again, let us say they were abandoning the eternal, spiritual, heavenly substance, and they were going back to the temporal, sensual, material, earthly, secondary shadow. Now, that is the major lesson of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Now, one other question, a major question, which I think I will tackle on this matter of shadow and substance. The Epistle to the Hebrews takes up, in a major way, lessons to be learned from the tabernacle system. I've often wondered, I think I've often asked in Bible readings, I'm not sure that I've ever had an answer that satisfies me, but I've come to certain conclusions myself. Why is it the concept of the tabernacle and not the concept of the temple that's introduced so much in the Epistle to the Hebrews? Well, one thought that comes to mind is, the tabernacle was God's thought from the outset. God's mind, God's instruction, God's pattern, God's servants carried it out. When you read carefully, the temple was constructed in deference by God to David's specific request. Check in 1 Samuel and 1 Chronicles, I think you'll find that is so. Yes, God was gracious, and he said, right, I will allow men to build me a material structure which seems to be appropriate, and I will allow men to do it, but he said to David, now you're a man of war. You can collect the materials, but you can't make it, but your son can. What is the difference in the major teaching between the tabernacle and the temple, which again, to me, confirms how appropriate it is that the substance is conveyed by the tabernacle and not by the temple. Now, if I may use another word, this to me is a paradox, not easy to understand. The facts seem to suggest one thing, but the scripture says something different, difficult to understand. The tabernacle physically, in material terms, was a temporary structure. You could put it up, you could take it down. It was a camp, and every time they moved on, they took it with them, but it wasn't a permanent building, and yet the paradox is that when we learn the teaching in the epistle to the Hebrews and the rest of the New Testament, we find that this temporary structure that the nation of Israel used in the wilderness to signify to them that God was amongst them, dwelling amongst them, that it is the tabernacle which directs us in the ultimate to God's eternal, spiritual, heavenly realities. The temple, on the other hand, was a permanent building, solid stone, magnificent in its design and execution, and yet, in interpretation and application, the temple doesn't set forth God's eternal thoughts, God's great thoughts, God's magnificent thoughts, relative not to eternity but to the world to come of which we hope to speak on Saturday. If I were asked to distinguish between major differences between the tabernacle and the temple, one distinction I would draw is this. The tabernacle signifies God's desire to dwell among his people eternally. It is the dwelling of God, an eternal concept. Turn to Revelation 21, see that in eternity, God's desire is to dwell among men. The temple depicts the display of the glory of God not in eternity proper but in the millennium, the world to come. Now, I think that's entirely in line with the epistle to the Hebrews which supports that concept, doesn't it? Because the substance, what God has primarily in mind, is suggested in tabernacle terms and not in temple terms. There are flashes here and there which might well be indicative of features that come out in the temple, but in the main, it is the tabernacle that comes out. So, if God is going to display his glory in the millennium, he is certainly going to dwell among his people, not only in the world to come but throughout eternity. Now, I would suggest, therefore, that it is when we get so many of these features of the tabernacle system introduced into the epistle to the Hebrews, it tells us both things. It is the tabernacle which directs us to God's eternal thoughts and purpose, and it is a confirmation. That everything in that system, the materials used, the way it was constructed, the functions that were performed within its boundaries, all direct us to the real substance of eternal, spiritual, heavenly blessing, to which we and the converted Hebrew saints were brought in their day. Now, I would suggest that's the major lesson in the epistle to the Hebrews. Now, I'd like to use the rest of the time tonight. I would be satisfied if we all search the scriptures and come to conclusions in line with what I've said tonight. Really, if we've learned that lesson tonight, it's not only an entree into all the rest of the week, but as long as we are here in the flesh, we have the secret of the understanding of the epistle to the Hebrews, I would suggest. Now, I've quoted in my heading for the meeting shadow and substance, but I'd like to direct you to other concepts, other figures of speech, which are used in the epistle, which all add up to what I've previously said up to now. And as we read the verses, we perhaps read them all first, and then we'll go back and collect a few of the things together. Now, the first one is in chapter four. Words to take away, words the Holy Ghost speaketh that we can take away and meditate upon, and we'll add up in the aggregate to this distinction between shadow and substance. Chapter four, verse 11. Let us labor, therefore, to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. This is one of the words that the writer is constrained to use by the Holy Ghost. Verse 15. We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted, like as we are, yet without sin. Like as we are. There is a similarity between what was contained in the Hebrew religion and Christianity proper. There is a similarity. Like as we are. And in order, and we'll come to this tomorrow if the Lord will, there are things that the Lord Jesus experienced, similar in part to what we experience that fitted him for his present function as high priest. Chapter five and verse 12. When for the time he ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again, which be the first principles of the oracles of God, and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. Notice the words principles. Notice the word oracles, which are concepts that we need to think about in understanding how God has taught his people over the ages. And then two metaphors that are used towards the end, milk. Ye have need of milk, and not of strong meat. Again, words worthy of study. Verse 13 again uses the word milk, for everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. The word milk, the word babe, do not mean actual, physical, material milk, or an actual babe. It's speaking, it's using the words metaphorically, using the terms to describe a condition. Verse 14, but, again, strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age. It needs a good, fully developed, digestive system to be able to accept, and put to use within the body, strong meat. Chapter six and verse one. Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. Doctrine. Doctrine is good. Doctrine is essential. Doctrine is teaching. Of course, we have to make sure it's good doctrine, haven't we? Scripture speaks of good doctrine, the doctrine of the Lord, the doctrine of God our Savior, the Apostles' doctrine. Paul speaks to Titus of sound doctrine, and to Timothy of good doctrine. Now, that's all excellent, but, of course, the Lord Jesus himself warned of the peril of paying heed to the doctrine of the Pharisees, the doctrine of the Sadducees, the doctrine of men, the doctrine of evil men, strange doctrines, and so on. Well, doctrine is good, but we need to make sure it's good doctrine. Well, chapter six, verses one and two. Surprising, really, not easy to understand. If you look at it closely, you find that the writer is speaking about fundamental universal concepts, everlasting truths, true in every day and dispensation. That's why these general terms, like washings, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, eternal judgment, things that were true in Judaism, things which are abidingly true, are setting forth the truth of God, provided it's seen in its proper context. Chapter seven, verse 15. And it is yet far more evident, for that after the similitude of Melchizedek, there ariseth another prophet. Another good word, similitude. God has not only taught plainly in doctrine, which he has, he has not only given examples or illustrations, he has injected, implanted into his holy record, the history of real people who are intended to signify in their person, in their qualities, in the work they did, things that we need to learn about the Lord Jesus Christ. Like Psalm 110, Genesis 14, telling us about this person, Melchizedek. We'll need to consider him in some detail tomorrow night. But in Melchizedek, we see a certain similarity, a similitude, a representation of what God wants us to learn about Christ. Now, this comes out in many places, but more detail you must read till tomorrow. Chapter seven, verse 16, who is made not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. Here he says, contrasting the shadow with the substance. He said, not a law, a set of rules imposed from the outside, but prompted, empowered by an inner, the inner life that God brings in. He says, shadow and substance compared. Chapter eight, verse five, which we read, the priests serve unto the example, and here's this actual word, shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle, for see, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount. Example, shadow, pattern. Chapter nine, verse nine. The first tabernacle was a figure, another good word, a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience. We learn an idea in one thing or one person, which makes it easier for us to transfer the thought to someone else, and in this case Christ. Verse 23, it was therefore necessary, well verse 19, sorry, when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, and so on. Verse 23, it was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better things than these. Now here we are beginning to get to statements of scripture which give me assurance in the conclusion that I've arrived at. Earthly things are the shadow, the heavenly things are the substance, the heavenly things themselves, better things than these. Verse 24, for Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are figures of the true, but into heaven itself. Again, the material structures in the wilderness were figures. The realities are connected with heaven. If you're using a Derby translation, you'll be happy to see, no doubt, his marginal note about chapter 9, verse 24, and this word figures. I was, I'm being very pleased to find at least someone who agrees with me on this. I think the note says, the heavenly things were the original, and the pattern is the copy. There it is. Heavenly, spiritual, eternal things are God's reality. The things that are not seen are eternal, as we learn elsewhere. The things that are seen are temporal and earthly and only abide for a time. Chapter 10, verse 1, the law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things. When I was at school, there was an object which was real. There was an image which wasn't real. It was a reflection in a mirror, quite often. What we learn when we are young stays in our minds, but in scripture, certainly in the New Testament, the term image is used for what is real. The Lord Jesus is the image of the invisible God. One of the first things we need to learn in Bible readings or studying the scripture, difference between image and likeness. Image, representation, likeness, resemblance, Colossian truth. Here, putting it in easier words to understand, the law is the shadow and not the real thing, not the very image. Yes, the good things are coming. The law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the thing. The coming good things have been realized in Christ. Fundamental message in the epistle to the Hebrews. Chapter 10, verse 34, ye had compassion of me in my bonds, took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. The substance is related to heavenly things and not to earthly things. What a hard lesson for those Hebrew believers to learn. Having been geared in their thinking all their lives that these things they could touch and handle and see and smell and hear were God's divinely appointed religion, and so they were until Christ came. 1119, Abraham accounted that God was able to raise Isaac up even from the dead, from whence also he received him in a figure. Consider that one. The fact that Abraham had come to terms with the idea that he'd given Isaac up to God was willing for him to be offered in sacrifice. He was as good as dead. And when God said, you've got there in your heart, that's sufficient for me. Look at the ram. Take the ram. It was resurrection in a figure. The thought is transferred from Isaac, well, from the ram to Isaac and from Isaac to Christ. And a final word of exhortation, chapter 13 and verse 9, be not carried about with strange and diverse doctrines. Now, there must be about 15 different words, but may I commend to your study, and I'll give you them in alphabetical order, just so that I'm not attempting to put a priority to them. Consider those verses which speak of doctrine, chapter 6 verse 1, chapter 6 verse 2, chapter 13 verse 9. Example, chapter 4 verse 11, chapter 8 verse 5, where God illustrates the truth, these difficult, eternal, spiritual, heavenly concepts by giving us things we can see in our own sphere of existence, which exemplify the truth of God. These things are illustrations, examples. Figure, three times used, 9 verse 9, 9 verse 24, 11 verse 19, where there is a form, an outline, where the idea is transferred from one object to another. I love that term in chapter 10 verse 1, the very image. Speaking of God's reality, the very image of the things. Pattern, chapter 8 verse 5, 9 verse 23. A pattern, and they did cast things in those days, a pattern, now it's worth thinking about this, a pattern is a model of an object which is to be made. Now, in order to produce the pattern, the model of the final thing, the originator knows in his mind and has produced a plan in order that the pattern might be produced. And then from the pattern, the mold of the final object is cast. Now, that's a very good concept implanted in the Word of God. God's thoughts didn't start with the pattern, the shadow. He had in mind what he was going to do finally, and then he said, make a model on this pattern according to the pattern that I will show you, bearing in mind that that itself is not the reality, the reality is the substance, and that is the thing which will finally emerge. The word shadow, we read the two occasions, 8 verse 5, 10 verse 1. I'll allow you to define a shadow. To me, a shadow, I suppose, is the shade which has no reality or substance of its own, but takes its outline from the reality whose shadow it is. Well, you make up your own form of words. But it is the object, the reality, which casts the shadow. Now, so it is, shadow and substance. The substance is the reality. The substance is the real thing. The substance is the principle that was in the mind of the originator right from the outset. And the writer said to the Hebrew believers, and he says to us, if having trusted Jesus as your savior, wonderful thing, if subsequently you turn to anything else, if you copy an Old Testament theology, things that are based upon material, sensual things, things which depend upon ornate buildings, and fancy clothes, and things that you can smell like incense, whether you realize it or not, God says you're departing from the substance which is Christ, and you're giving every indication you're going back to the shadow, which had its purpose. The shadow has given place to the substance. Christ, personally, and his work constitute the reality that God has ever had in mind. …

… Chapter 8, the end of verse 4. Priests offer gifts according to the law, who serve unto that the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle. For see, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount. Chapter 10 and verse 1. For the law, having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. Verse 34. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and unenduring substance. If we are to read the epistle to the Hebrews intelligently and receive full gain from it, we will need at least two qualifications. As to the first one, most of you were present when we looked together in March 1985 at the person and work of the Holy Spirit. And I remember on one of those nights, two sisters who are here tonight came to me after the meeting and said, now you used a word last night which we hadn't heard before and we've looked it up and we can't find it in our dictionary. I hope those sisters now have a more modern dictionary because I'm going to use the same word again. One qualification in understanding the epistle to the Hebrews is the quality of empathy. Now it's not such a modern word as you might think, but it's something, whether we know the word or not, it's something we know about. Putting ourselves into somebody else's shoes, getting under their skin, able to think as they think, able to understand what makes them tick and so on. And really, unless we have a reasonable understanding of the position and the thought processes and the background of the Hebrew Christians in the middle of the first century AD, it will be difficult for us to get full value from the epistle to the Hebrews. Now, because of that, a second qualification which will help tremendously is a reasonable acquaintance with Old Testament typology. Some of the types and the images and figures that come into Old Testament teaching. Now, it was for that reason that on Saturday we began our studies by looking at one major aspect of Psalm 110, and that was this. God has in reserve a king whom he has anointed, who was worthy in every respect to govern on God's behalf. And in tribute to that, even before the time when the kingdom proper starts, God has his anointed king in a place of exaltation at his own right hand. And as Psalm 110 says, quoted several times in part or in full in the epistle to the Hebrews, sit thou at my right hand until I make thy foes thy footstool. And hopefully without laboring it, that was the major burden of our first study, that that which God had said hundreds of years beforehand will come to pass because as Isaiah was able to record of God, God says, I have purposed it, I will do it. Now, it wasn't the direct burden on Saturday. If the Lord spares us, it will be the intention tomorrow to look at the other major burden of Psalm 110. And that is that if a king is to rule in righteousness as he will, it can only be on the basis of every righteous claim of God having been met. And this is such a sacrifice that God's mighty king could delegate this to no one else. This is something that he had to do for himself. And this is why God's king will be a priest as well as king. And if the Lord will, tomorrow night, we look at the burden of that. Established a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. But tonight, in between those relatively straightforward sessions, we have what to me is more difficult. I hope that doesn't put anybody off. Tonight, we are going to consider a vital concept, a thought process, and we are going to look at words in Scripture to try to arrive at what they mean. But I am assured that once we get this concept in our minds, in our understanding, once and for all, it will make all the difference to understanding the truth of God in general and the truth in the epistle to the Hebrews in particular. If we are to empathize with converted Jews, like those to whom the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews addressed himself, we will have to come to this basic understanding. There has only ever been one God-initiated, God-introduced, God-sustained religion on this earth, and that is the Hebrew religion. Orthodox Hebrews brought up in that environment held their heads high. How great their favor, being born into such a nation. They had heard the gospel of the grace of God preached. They had repented of their sins. They had trusted Christ as Saviour, and they had to learn that Christ personally, and the value and the worth of his mighty work at Calvary, which was the basis for all blessing, that Christ personally, on the basis of his work, is the fulfillment of all that the Hebrew religion looked forward and anticipated from the hand of the blessed God, in part and in whole, in every detail, as to the blessing that they looked for, as said in another book in the New Testament, all the promises of God are yea and amen in him. And these Hebrew believers had come to appreciate this, that in Christ, all that was foreshadowed in the teaching of the Hebrew religion found its utter, perfect, complete, entire fulfillment in Christ. And Paul, or whoever the writer was, I withdraw that. The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews, it's rare for me to say that, the writer was God. In addressing himself to the Hebrew believers, the one who was used to hold the pen to write the text of the epistle to the Hebrews, had this to say to them. If, having abandoned the Hebrew religion, because you've come to realize that everything that your religion and the canon of Holy Scripture, what we call the Old Testament, because it all looked forward to him, and its message prepared the hearts of his earthly people, so that at his advent, when he came into the world, that they were attracted to him as the fulfillment of all that God had ever said to them. If, having rightly been weaned away from that, to Christ personally, if subsequently you turn back to that law, back to that Old Testament system, in effect you are turning away from Christ and abandoning the promises of God to which you've been brought. And he uses strong language on occasion, and if the Lord will, on Friday evening, we look at some of the burden of the strong exhortations that he's given. But another way that he speaks is this. He said, when Christ came, demonstrating that in him is the reality, the substance, all that went before, by comparison, is by way of being a shadow. With the coming of Christ into the world, the shadows have passed and the substance has arrived. And I've read verses from chapter 8 and 10 which remind us that the terms shadow and substance are not mere theological terms thought up by men, however clever or wise they might be. These are words that the Holy Ghost teaches. I visit many Christian homes, happy to do so. In many of them, well, invariably, I look at the bookshelves to see what books you have. Very often, I see a book which may well be an excellent book with excellent substance inside. May well be that the writer is a very reliable expositor. I don't know, I haven't read any of his works. But the title of the book offends me in the light of the epistle to the Hebrews. It's by a writer, I think his name is Henry Drummond, and the title of the book is The Natural Law in the Spiritual World. When I see that title, I wince. Because while I might agree with what the writer says in the book, I cannot accept the title because it gives me the impression from the title that the writer seems to think that the primary world, the important world, the fundamental world, the real world, is the natural world. And the copy, the secondary world, is the spiritual world. Now, for reasons we will see, I cannot accept that as a proposition. I'd be very happy if the title of the book was The Spiritual Law in the Natural World. We sometimes get deceived in our thinking by considering what comes first in time and the first time we recognize it as being the real thing and anything after that a copy. God has implanted within creation, God has implanted in the Old Testament, many concepts, many images, which show, give indications of things that God has ever had in mind, in his will, in his purpose, before time began. I must say that I learned from Scripture that the primary world is that which God has ever had in mind, the world of spiritual, heavenly, eternal realities. That is the substance. The natural world, which is secondary, and from which we can get indications of what God has ever had in mind, contains these copies. But being the secondary world, instead of being concerned with that which is heavenly, it is concerned with that which is earthly. Instead of being concerned with that which is eternal, it's concerned with that which is temporal, relative to time. And instead of being concerned with that which is spiritual, it is concerned with that which is material and sensual. Now, that is the major lesson of the Epistle to the Hebrews. The Hebrew religion, right in its place, at its stage in the development of the revelation of God, was concerned with that which was earthly, temporal, and sensual, related to the five senses. Christianity, being God's primary world, primary thought, is concerned with that which is eternal, and spiritual, and heavenly. If we get that from our sessions together this week, we've learned perhaps the major lesson that we need to learn. And Hebrew believers, who seem to be indicating that they were being prepared to turn their backs on Christianity and go back to Judaism, were abandoning, again, let us say, they were abandoning the eternal, spiritual, heavenly substance, and they were going back to the temporal, sensual, material, earthly, secondary shadow. Now, that is the major lesson of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Now, one other question, a major question, which I think I will tackle on this matter of shadow and substance. The Epistle to the Hebrews takes up, in a major way, lessons to be learned from the tabernacle system. I've often wondered, I think I've often asked in Bible readings, I'm not sure that I've ever had an answer that satisfies me, but I've come to certain conclusions myself. Why is it the concept of the tabernacle and not the concept of the temple that's introduced so much in the Epistle to the Hebrews? Well, one thought that comes to mind is, the tabernacle was God's thought from the outset. God's mind, God's instruction, God's pattern, God's servants carried it out. When you read carefully, the temple was constructed in deference, in deference by God, to David's specific request. Check in 1st Samuel and 1st Chronicles, I think you'll find that is so. Yes, God was gracious, and he said, right, I will allow men to build me a material structure which seems to be appropriate, and I will allow men to do it, but he said to David, now you're a man of war. You can collect the materials, but you can't make it, but your son can. What is the difference in the major teaching between the tabernacle and the temple? Which again, to me, confirms how appropriate it is that the substance is conveyed by the tabernacle and not by the temple. Now, I may use another word. This, to me, is a paradox. Not easy to understand. The facts seem to suggest one thing, but the scripture says something different. Difficult to understand. The tabernacle, physically, in material terms, was a temporary structure. You could put it up, you could take it down. It was a camp, and every time they moved on, they took it with them. But it wasn't a permanent building, and yet the paradox is that when we learn the teaching in the epistle to the Hebrews and the rest of the New Testament, we find that this temporary structure that the nation of Israel used in the wilderness to signify to them that God was amongst them, dwelling amongst them, that it is the tabernacle which directs us in the ultimate to God's eternal, spiritual, heavenly realities. The temple, on the other hand, was a permanent building. Solid stone, magnificent in its design and execution. And yet, in interpretation and application, the temple doesn't set forth God's eternal thoughts, God's great thoughts, God's magnificent thoughts, relative not to eternity but to the world to come of which we hope to speak on Saturday. If I were asked to distinguish between major differences between the tabernacle and the temple, one distinction I would draw is this. The tabernacle signifies God's desire to dwell among his people eternally. It is the dwelling of God, an eternal concept. Turn to Revelation 21, see that in eternity God's desire is to dwell among men. The temple depicts the display of the glory of God not in eternity proper but in the millennium, the world to come. Now, I think that's entirely in line with the epistle to the Hebrews which supports that concept, doesn't it? Because the substance, what God has primarily in mind, is suggested in tabernacle terms and not in temple terms. There are flashes here and there which might well be indicative of features that come out in the temple but in the main it is the tabernacle that comes out. So if God is going to display his glory in the millennium, he is certainly going to dwell among his people not only in the world to come but throughout eternity. Now, I would suggest that it is when we get so many of these features of the tabernacle system introduced into the epistle to the Hebrews, it tells us both things. It is the tabernacle which directs us to God's eternal thoughts and purpose and it is a confirmation that everything in that system, the materials used, the way it was constructed, the functions that were performed within its boundaries, all direct us to the real substance of eternal spiritual heavenly blessing to which we and the converted Hebrew saints were brought in their day. Now, I would suggest that's the major lesson in the epistle to the Hebrews. Now, I'd like to use the rest of the time tonight. I would be satisfied if we all search the scriptures and come to conclusions in line with what I've said tonight. Really, if we've learned that lesson tonight, it's not only an entree into all the rest of the week but as long as we are here in the flesh, we have the secret of the understanding of the epistle to the Hebrews, I would suggest. Now, I've quoted in my heading for the meeting, shadow and substance. But I'd like to direct you to other concepts, other figures of speech which are used in the epistle, which all add up to what I've previously said up to now. And as we read the verses, we perhaps read them all first and then we'll go back and collect a few of the things together. Now, the first one is in chapter 4. Words to take away, words the Holy Ghost speaketh, that we can take away and meditate upon and will add up in the aggregate to this distinction between shadow and substance. Chapter 4, verse 11, let us labor therefore to enter into that rest lest any man fall after the same example, example of unbelief. This is one of the words that the writer is constrained to use by the Holy Ghost. Verse 15, we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin. Like as we are, there is a similarity between what was contained in the Hebrew religion and Christianity proper. There is a similarity like as we are. And in order, and we'll come to this tomorrow if the Lord will, there are things that the Lord Jesus experienced similar in part to what we experience that fitted him for his present function as high priest. Chapter 5 and verse 12, when for the time ye ought to be teachers ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God and are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat. Notice the words principles, notice the word oracles which are concepts that we need to think about in understanding how God has taught his people over the ages. And then two metaphors that are used towards the end, milk, ye have need of milk and not of strong meat. Again words worthy of study. Verse 13 again uses the word milk for everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness for he is a babe. The word milk, the word babe, do not mean actual, physical, material milk or an actual babe. It's speaking, it's using the words metaphorically using the terms of condition. Verse 14, but again strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age. It needs a good fully developed digestive system to be able to accept and put to use within the body strong meat. Chapter 6 and verse 1, therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ let us go on unto perfection. Not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God of the doctrine of baptisms and of laying on of hands and of resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment. Doctrine. Doctrine is good. Doctrine is essential. Doctrine is teaching. Of course we have to make sure it's good doctrine haven't we? Scripture speaks of good doctrine, the doctrine of the Lord, the doctrine of God our Savior, the Apostles doctrine. Paul speaks to Titus of sound doctrine and to Timothy of good doctrine. Now that's all excellent but of course the Lord Jesus himself warned of the peril of paying heed to the doctrine of the Pharisees, the doctrine of the Sadducees, the doctrine of men, the doctrine of evil men, strange doctrines and so on. Well doctrine is good but we need to make sure it's good doctrine. Well chapter 6 verses 1 and 2, surprising really not easy to understand. If you look at it closely you find that the writer is speaking about fundamental universal concepts, everlasting truths, true in every day and dispensation. That's why these general terms like washings, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, eternal judgment, things that were true in Judaism, things which are abidingly true are setting forth the truth of God provided it's seen in its proper context. Chapter 7 verse 15, and it is yet far more evident for that after the similitude of Melchizedek there arises another prophet. Another good word, similitude. God has not only taught plainly in doctrine which he has, he has not only given examples or illustrations, he has injected, implanted into his holy record the history of real people who are intended to signify in their person, in their qualities, in the work they did, things that we need to learn about the Lord Jesus Christ. Like Psalm 110, Genesis 14, telling us about this person Melchizedek, we need to consider him in some detail tomorrow night, but in Melchizedek we see a certain similarity, a similitude, a representation of what God wants us to learn about Christ. Now, this comes out in many places, but more detail you must read tomorrow. Chapter 7 verse 16, who is made not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. Here he says, contrasting the shadow with the substance, he said not a law, a set of rules imposed from the outside, but prompted, empowered by an inner, the inner life that God brings in. He says shadow and substance compared. Chapter 8 verse 5, which we read, the priests serve unto the example, and here's this actual word shadow, of heavenly things as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle, for see, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount. Example, shadow, pattern. Chapter 9 verse 9. The first tabernacle was a figure, another good word, a figure for the time then present in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience. We learn an idea in one thing or one person which makes it easier for us to transfer the thought to someone else, in this case Christ. Verse 23, it was therefore necessary, well verse 19, sorry, when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, and so on. Verse 23, it was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better things than these. Now here we are beginning to get to statements of scripture which give me assurance in the conclusion that I've arrived at. Earthly things are the shadow, the heavenly things are the substance, the heavenly things themselves, better things than these. Verse 24, for Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands which are figures of the true, but into heaven itself. Again, the material structures in the wilderness were figures, the realities are connected with heaven. If you're using a Darby translation, you'll be happy to see, no doubt, his marginal note about chapter 9, verse 24, and this word figures. I was being very pleased to find at least someone who agrees with me on this. I think the note says, the heavenly things were the original, and the pattern is the copy. There it is. Heavenly, spiritual, eternal things are God's reality. The things that are not seen are eternal, as we learn elsewhere. The things that are seen are temporal and earthly and only abide for a time. Chapter 10, verse 1, the law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things. When I was at school, there was an object which was real, there was an image which wasn't real. It was a reflection in a mirror, quite often. What we learn when we are young stays in our minds, but in Scripture, certainly in the New Testament, the term image is used for what is real. The Lord Jesus is the image of the invisible God. One of the first things we need to learn in Bible readings or studying the Scripture, difference between image and likeness. Image, representation, likeness, resemblance. Colossian truth. Here, putting it in easier words to understand, the law is the shadow and not the real thing, not the very image. Yes, the good things are coming. The law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the thing. The coming good things have been realized in Christ. Fundamental message in the epistle to the Hebrews. Chapter 10, verse 34, ye had compassion of me in my bonds, took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. The substance is related to heavenly things and not to earthly things. What a hard lesson for those Hebrew believers to learn. Having geared in their thinking all their lives that these things they could touch and handle and see and smell and hear were God's divinely appointed religion and so they were until Christ came. 1119, Abraham accounted that God was able to raise Isaac up even from the dead. From whence also he received him in a figure. Consider that one. The fact that Abraham had come to terms with the idea that he'd given Isaac up to God was willing for him to be offered in sacrifice. He was as good as dead and when God said you've got there in your heart that's sufficient for me, look at the ram, take the ram. He received, it was resurrection in a figure. The thought is transferred from Isaac, well from the ram to Isaac and from Isaac to Christ. And a final word of exhortation, chapter 13 and verse 9, be not carried about with strong or strange and diverse doctrines. Now there must be about 15 different words but may I commend to your study and I'll give you them in alphabetical order just so that I'm not attempting to put a priority to them. Consider those verses which speak of doctrine, chapter 6 verse 1, chapter 6 verse 2, chapter 13 verse 9. Example, chapter 4 verse 11, chapter 8 verse 5, where God illustrates the truth, these difficult eternal spiritual heavenly concepts by giving us things we can see in our own sphere of existence which exemplify the truth of God. These things are illustrations, examples. Figure, three times used, 9 verse 9, 9 verse 24, 11 verse 19, where there is a form, an outline, where the idea is transferred from one object to another. I love that term in chapter 10 verse 1, the very image. Speaking of God's reality, the very image of the things. Pattern, chapter 8 verse 5, 9 verse 23. A pattern, and they did cast things in those days, a pattern, now it's worth thinking about this, a pattern is a model of an object which is to be made. Now in order to produce the pattern, the model of the final thing, the originator knows in his mind and has produced a plan in order that the pattern might be produced. And then from the pattern, the mold of the final object is cast. Now that's a very good concept implanted in the Word of God. God's thoughts didn't start with the pattern, the shadow. He had in mind what he was going to do finally. And then he said, make a model on this pattern according to the pattern that I will show you, bearing in mind that that itself, itself is not the reality. The reality is the substance and that is the thing which will finally emerge. The word shadow, we read the two occasions, 8 verse 5, 10 verse 1. I'll allow you to define a shadow. To me, a shadow, I suppose, is the shade which has no reality or substance of its own, but takes its outline from the reality whose shadow it is. Well, you make up your own form of words. But it is the object, the reality, which casts the shadow. Now, so it is, shadow and substance. The substance is the reality. The substance is the real thing. The substance is the principle that was in the mind of the originator right from the outset. And the writer said to the Hebrew believers, and he says to us, if having trusted Jesus as your Savior, wonderful thing, if subsequently you turn to anything else, if you copy an Old Testament theology, things that are based upon material, sensual things, things which depend upon ornate buildings and fancy clothes and things that you can smell like incense, whether you realize it or not, God says you're departing from the substance which is Christ, and you're giving every indication you're going back to the shadow, which had its purpose for the nation of Israel. The shadow has given place to the substance. Christ, personally, and his work constitute the reality that God has ever had in mind. …

… The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. Now we'll be looking at many other scriptures, all of them in the epistle to the Hebrews, but that's the only verse we'll read for the moment. When I was in my late teens and early twenties, there was a standing invitation that young believers who had the interest and minimal domestic responsibilities were free to go along to a discussion on the scriptures held in the home of a brother and sister in the Lord. And on one occasion, when we were leaving, this happened on the last Friday of every month, the host said, next month we'll look at the epistle to the Hebrews. Well I thought that's good, there's one book I know nothing about at all, it's the epistle to the Hebrews. So I thought that was a very good suggestion. However, while we were filing out saying goodnight to our host, he tapped me on the shoulder and he said, by the way, he said, next month will you please give an outline of the epistle to the Hebrews. And I suppose that was an early occasion where I had an opportunity to put into practice the old adage, if you want to learn, teach. In those days I had very few, if any, textbooks on the subject. So what I did, which is really what we should do in any case, every day for that month I read through the epistle to the Hebrews. Now you know, when we consider the way we fritter away minutes and hours in large portions of every day on this and that, which isn't very important, you know, if we are interested in any book in the Bible, we would do well to spend a month just reading the text every day for a month. As the month went by, I began to collect certain impressions. And by the time the last Friday and the following month came around, the patient folk who were also gathering suggestions on the epistle to the Hebrews. Now, reflecting over the years, I don't suppose I've changed my main views much since then, although I will have dotted some of the I's and crossed some of the T's, put them in the right place now and again. What were those impressions? First of all, a basic one. When I read the epistle to the Hebrews, I must face up to this. There has been a change of dispensation. Are you a dispensationalist? Are you convinced that God's way of revealing himself and his way of approaching men and enabling them to approach him has changed from age to age? Or do you consider that it's one continuous process and certainly from the days of the bringing in of the nation of Israel that things are pretty much the same and it's one message throughout? Well, if you read the epistle to the Hebrews every day for a month, you can't escape this conclusion that Christianity is in tremendous major contrast with Judaism, the religion of Israel. There are comparisons, but there are tremendous contrasts. And just for once, to go outside the bounds of the epistle to the Hebrews, if we bring in a verse from Galatians 3, we learn there, the law was our schoolmaster until Christ came. But when Christ came, it made a tremendous difference. As we considered last night, shadow became substance. There's been a change of dispensation. Now the other conclusions I came to then and still have are really a development of that and give the reasons why a change of dispensation was necessary. First of all, the Aaronic priesthood was imperfect. We will consider tonight the imperfection of the Aaronic priesthood. Then arising from that, we must consider the need for a new order of priesthood, a different kind of priesthood altogether. Flowing out of that, arising from the need for a new order of priesthood, we shall look at what the epistle to the Hebrews says about the establishment of that new order of priesthood. And then, having considered those technical points which are absolutely vital, we will then consider the qualifications of Jesus to be that priest, that high priest, and we'll consider why perhaps it is right to say Jesus rather than the Christ or the Lord, although of course he is all. And then finally, we'll consider the object in view. To complete this story, it would be right to consider the superiority of the new order of priesthood, the superiority of the Lord Jesus personally to anyone else, the superiority of all work that he does, particularly the priesthood and the superiority of the system in which he functions. Now, for completeness, that could well be added on, but we'll leave that last point until tomorrow evening, if the Lord will, where, as declared, the subject is better, better, and we'll look at the various aspects of that. Now, would you turn, please, to the epistle to the Hebrews, and we'll look at verses which confirm the imperfection of the Aaronic priesthood. As I say, if we want to be convinced, among other things, that there has been a change of dispensation, since Christ came into the world, God manifested in flesh the text of the epistle to the Hebrews gives us it. Now, I shall need to do no more, most of the time, than read what scripture says. First of all, chapter 5, verses 1 to 4, for every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins, who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way, for that he himself is compassed with infirmity. And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself to offer for sins. And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God and was Aaron. Now, at the beginning of the week, I did say that an introductory qualification to get the gain of ministry on the epistle to the Hebrews was a reasonable acquaintance with the history of the nation of Israel and the typology connected with the Hebrew religion as detailed throughout the Old Testament. Now, we cannot go over all that again. We are attempting to build up the truth brick upon brick and we cannot backtrack. We will have to assume in chapter 5 here, in the verses read, that we have an acquaintance with the imagery that's lifted out of the Old Testament. But as we go along, we'll mention one or two interesting details which I hope you'll find edifying. In verse 1, not directly related to tonight's subject, notice that phrase, things pertaining to God. Worth noticing that priesthood functions in things pertaining to God. Advocacy, by way of comparison and contrast, advocacy relates to the Father. We have an advocate with the Father. Let us distinguish things that differ. Priest with God, advocate with the Father, that's always worth noticing. And because priesthood is the subject matter in Hebrews, it's things relative to God as such. Verse 2, one of the confirmations that the Aaronic priesthood was imperfect, incomplete, is given at the end of verse 2, he, that is the high priest involved, is compassed with infirmity. Verse 3, he ought also for himself to offer for sins. The high priest of Israel, he was a sinner by nature and by practice, and therefore the whole system was tainted because the one who officiated on behalf of the nation had to offer sacrifices for himself as well as for the people. Now we'll move on to chapter 6, verses 1 and 2. Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection. Now it's implicit in that remark, let us go on to perfection that Judaism was less than perfect. It was incomplete. Basic matters like repentance and faith towards God and resurrection of the dead, eternal judgment, excellent things to be considered, absolutely vital. But he says Christianity takes you further, there's a further development and he says this whole system was less than complete and he says to professing Christians, let us go on to perfection. Chapter 7, now I'll read together verses 11, 19, 23, 27, and 28 and follow the words and again the imperfection of the Levitical priesthood is self-evident. If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood for under it the people received the law, what further need was there that another priest should arise after the order of Melchizedek and not be called after the order of Aaron? Well that's a fairly basic bit of reasoning. Why should there need be another one to supersede it if the original one was perfect? There was imperfection written over the system. Verse 19, the law made nothing perfect. Verse 23, there truly were many priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death. The priesthood was interrupted by the death of the one in Ophiros. Just a phrase from verse 26, such an high priest became us. We need a high priest who's not like the Levitical priests who, it says in verse 27, those high priests needed to offer up sacrifices first for their own sins and then for the people's. Verse 28, the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity. Chapter 8, verse 7, if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. Everything connected with the system was riddled with imperfection, incompleteness, and needed to come along afterwards, which would be superior in that it would be effectual, complete, and perfect. Chapter 9, verses 6 to 10, when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people. The Holy Ghost thus signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first tabernacle was yet standing. Let us just pause there. The very fact that there was a barrier, a veil, and that there was no freedom of access into the holiest, the innermost chamber depicting the very presence of God, the fact that access to that was blocked was a tribute in itself to the imperfection of the priesthood of the time which couldn't get in except in the person of the high priest, and that once a year, and that not without blood. Verse 25, the high priest entereth into the holy place every year. Chapter 10, verses 1 to 4, the law having a shadow of good things to come. Notice that expression, coming good things. It's a feature of Hebrews, coming good things. The best is yet to be. At the time the system was operating, it couldn't be said that the best was available. The good things were ahead in the future, the coming good things. The law having a shadow of these, the very image of the thing, can never with those sacrifices offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect, for then would they not have ceased to be offered. The witness of the perpetual chain of continual offerings meant the work wasn't complete. The claims of God had not been met once and for all. Verse 3, in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year, for it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins, and every priest standeth daily, ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. Notice how many times we've had to read words like this. They have to do it again and again, year after year. The priest had to offer for his own sins as well as the sins of the people. Imperfection, imperfection, imperfection. Now chapter 12 and verses 18 to 21. This is the longest section tonight and it shows how painstaking the Holy Spirit has been in underlining that this God-ordained, God-supported Hebrew religion had its part to play. But when Christ came personally, to whom all the figures, the types, and the examples pointed forward when they were introduced, when Christ came personally, the dispensation changed, the whole order of things changed, and what had gone before was seen to be imperfect and incomplete. Now, there is a kind of summary in chapter 12, verses 18 to 21. For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words, which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken unto them any more. For they could not endure that which was commanded, and if so much as a beast touched the mountain it shall be stoned or thrust through with a dart, and so terrible was the sight that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake. Now then, the major point made in the contrast between the shadow of Judaism and the substance of Christianity is highlighted in verses 18 to 21 of chapter 12. Notice the things that are said. Notice that they are sensual. They pertain to the five natural senses. Verse 18, a mount that might be touched, it was tangible, that burned with fire. You could smell it, blackness and darkness, things that were visible, the sound of a trumpet, the voice of words, things that were audible. Verse 20, if so much as a beast touched the mountain, well, it was a tangible system where there was a mount which was capable of being touched. Yes, the law said, touch not, but the fact that the law says, touch not, means it was capable of being touched. It was tangible. So terrible was the sight, verse 21, again, that which is visible. How well this authenticates the statement that Judaism and the Levitical priesthood was concerned with that which was sensual, material, earthly, temporal, governed by time. Christ brings in that which is heavenly, spiritual, and eternal. And chapter 12 brings this in. Now, if you turn back to chapter 9, verse 1, there is another verse, summing up the whole system, verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service and a worldly or earthly sanctuary. Now, that last phrase is a very complex and difficult phrase. And read all the books at your disposal, and you may still, certainly I still have difficulty in establishing to my satisfaction which are the right words to use and what the words are intended to convey. But certainly implicit in the statement, again, is that here was something that God introduced for earth with all the imperfections and limitations that that brought in. Now, we've necessarily spent quite a few minutes on that section because it's a major burden of the epistle to the Hebrews. Again, let us empathize with the Hebrew believers. They've been brought up to think this is God's system, this is God's religion for God's people on earth, and there's nothing outside of it on earth for God. And to be told that it had to be put to one side as imperfect was something that had to be demonstrated to them very clearly indeed. And we'll see from the great number of texts, verses included in the epistle, that the writer did exactly that. Now, we'll turn more happily now to the need for a new order of priesthood. Discuss Hebrews. Quite rightly, we say the Lord Jesus is our great high priest and he is after the order of Melchizedek, but he functions after the pattern of Aaron at the present time. Good orthodox statement. How often do we pause to consider what we mean by order, what we mean by pattern? Well, let us do that just for a few moments. Thinking about it, I would suggest that when we think of the order of the priesthood, whether it is the Aaronic order spoken about in Hebrews, or whether it's the order of Melchizedek, what is considered is the personal fitness of the priest. His personal pedigree, his background, his qualifications, his training, and above all, his calling. Now, put those to the test in the epistle to the Hebrews relative to Aaron. Consider his background, his training, his qualifications, his pedigree, his appointment, and all that kind of thing sums up what is involved in order. Now, when we come to pattern, now I'm not using pattern in the sense that we looked at yesterday in chapters eight and nine in speaking of pattern as a model from which the final thing can be seen and produced. I'm thinking of pattern in the way that it is used in talking of the function of Aaron's priesthood. Now, this is concerned with the functions Aaron performed. The job that he did, the way that he did it, the system in which the function is performed, in other words, in speaking of Aaron and his successors, we are thinking of what they did and the way that they did it. Now, that's a different kind of consideration to thinking about what they were personally, their background, their pedigree, their qualifications, their experience, and so on. And so, we come to this lovely verse that we read tonight, the Lord hath sworn and will not repent. Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Now, would you turn back, please, just to refresh your memories to chapter one and verse 13. Again, we are going to read scriptures which confirm that if and because the Aaronic priesthood was imperfect, there is a need for a new order. Chapter one, verse 13, let us bring in this one, quoting from the psalm, sit thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Here is one waiting, installed on the throne of God, waiting to take up a priesthood. Chapter five, verse six, thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Verse 10, called of God and high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Chapter six, verse 20, Jesus made in high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Let us pause there. Not the Lord, not Christ, not Jesus Christ, our Lord, not our Lord and Savior, but Jesus made in high priest. Those who trusted Christ as Savior from the people of Israel in the years succeeding Pentecost had been brought up in an atmosphere where the name of Jesus was a term of reproach and the nation had not only crucified Jesus, they'd sent a message after him saying we haven't changed our minds, we still don't want him, they despised Jesus. God's message is the one who's on the throne, the one who's going to be the effectual high priest in things pertaining to God on behalf of the nation of Israel, on behalf of all the Lord's people. In Christianity is the one who when he lived here was despised as the lowly Jesus. How often his personal precious name of Jesus is used in Hebrews for that reason. Chapter 7, verse 11, if therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, for under it the people received the law, what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek and not be called after the order of Aaron? Verse 17, for he testifieth thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Verse 21, for those priests were made without an oath, but this with an oath by him that said unto him, the Lord swear and will not repent thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. And now chapter 7, verses 12 to 14, I think this is the climax of the writer's reasoning. The priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe of which no man gave attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law. I could easily have given you a list of the scriptures and then most of us would perhaps have read them when we got home. But I think it's right that we read these scriptures which say the same thing again and again and again. From Psalm 110, it's going to be fulfilled. The only one that it could possibly look forward to is Jesus. He's going to be the king priest. But it's evident as the scripture says that if he was on earth, he couldn't be a priest. He's from the wrong tribe. Not from Levi, but from Judah. So if he's going to be the priest, there must necessarily be a new order of priesthood. Well, I don't think we have time to read really. Look, scan your eye down, chapter 8, verses 7 to 13, where Jeremiah 31 is quoted as saying, yes, we need a new order of priesthood and we need a new covenant. Not on the basis of thou shalt, but on the basis of I will. And the one who officiates in this new capacity, in this new covenant, is to be the one who is in a new order of priesthood altogether. The Aaronic priesthood administered the old covenant. The new covenant on a new principle, grace instead of law, I will instead of thou shalt, needs a new order of priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. Now the imperfection of the old order, the need of a new order, and now the establishment of that new order. Now, I'll take the liberty, having established the principle, of pointing you to chapter 5, verses 1 to 6, and again verse 10, called of God and high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Chapter 7, verses 15 to 17 and 24, and chapter 10 and verse 9. Go over those scriptures, and having demonstrated the imperfection of the old order of priesthood, having established the need for a new order, these scriptures that I've listed for you there say God has done it. He has called to this high office a new high priest after a different order altogether. Now those verses in chapter 5, 7 and 10, give them. Now what we must read together are the lovely verses that tell us about the qualifications of the Lord Jesus Christ for the priesthood. Again, along the way, what wonderful personal pedigree and qualifications the Lord Jesus has. Chapter 1 emphasises his essential deity. He is God. The pure gold in the tabernacle spoke of his essential deity. He is God. He is the son of God. He's more. He's God the son. He's personally competent to function as priest in things pertaining to God because he is God. Chapter 2, not now his essential deity, but his sublime impeccable manhood, a perfect man, sinless yet tempted. The right one to represent man in things pertaining to God because he is a man. Chapter 3 verse 1 tells us that he is the apostle and high priest of our profession. Now in the nation of Israel, Moses was the apostle coming out from God, representing God, speaking to the people on behalf of God. Aaron was the high priest, the one through whom approach was made unto God. The Lord Jesus is the one who's come out from God and he's the one who conducts the people of God into the presence of God and how clearly that fits in with Psalm 110. Psalm 110, not quite the same. Coming out of heaven as king, ruling for God, and also competent to take the people into the presence of God as priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. But let us look at Hebrews chapter 2. Well verses 9 and 10 and 17 and 18 tell us that the things that he suffered and the things that he learned in the days of his flesh gave him the right qualifications to be a priest in things pertaining to God. He became a man. He suffered. He died in order that he might gain these essential qualifications to function as a priest. Chapter 4 verses 14 and 15, again, we have not in high priest which cannot be touched but was in all points tempted like we are yet without sin. Chapter 5 verse 8, make a note of that one. Chapter 7 verses 1 to 3 and 26. Chapter 9 verses 11 to 14. Chapter 10 verse 20. Chapter 13 verse 12. All tell us of the wonderful way in which the Lord Jesus Christ is the right one to be the priest over the house of God. I think perhaps we'd better give just a few minutes to chapter 7 verses 1 to 3. This Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being by interpretation king of righteousness and after that also king of Salem which is king of peace. In that order, righteousness and then peace, always the order in scripture. The work of righteousness should be peace and so on. Now as to pedigree, see what is said about Melchizedek. I'll single this out because it's perhaps one of the most difficult points to appreciate. Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life. It does not mean that biologically Melchizedek didn't have a father, didn't have a mother, his life never began and it never ended. It doesn't mean that. Melchizedek was an ordinary man but what we are told is that out of his personal history and details, the Holy Spirit has singled out those details about Melchizedek which give a fair representation of things that are certainly true of the one of whom Melchizedek speaks, the one whom he typifies. The Lord Jesus, whom Melchizedek typifies, had no beginning or end of days. He's God, blessed and forevermore. He is not a creature. He is the creator and sustainer of the universe. But what is singled out of the history of Melchizedek is entirely in line with the picture he is intended to represent. The next phrase, made like unto the son of God. In Genesis 14, that early picture in Genesis 14, here the Holy Spirit says, made like unto the son of God. Doesn't say made like unto the one who when he came into the world would become the son of God. In Genesis 14, it said, made like unto the son of God. The son of God exists eternally. He certainly, in incarnation, he made himself known. But here, the son of God antecedes, precedes the existence of Melchizedek. And again, a happy confirmation of the eternal sonship of our Lord Jesus Christ. And again, he comes on the scene, Melchizedek. He performs his function and then he passes off the scene. Now at the moment, at the moment, the Lord Jesus is high priest over the house of God after the order of Melchizedek, the order of which we've looked at. It is right to say he functions after the pattern of Aaron. In this sense, the people of God are on earth. We are a needy people. We are brought into touch with God who is in heaven. We are introduced and represented in his very presence by the one who has freedom of access unto him. And we also need to come to other certain recognitions. Now let us put together the epistle to the Hebrews in two major sections. Let us consider chapter 1 to chapter 7 and separately, let us consider chapter 8 to chapter 10. After his personal pedigree and qualifications are outlined, God, man, apostle, high priest, we learn in chapter 2 and from the whole of chapter 2 to chapter 7 that the people of God are going through the wilderness of this world on their way to our promised land as the nation of Israel did in the literal wilderness. Now they got weary with their journey. They got defiled along the journey and they needed succor. They needed sympathy. They needed daily salvation. Now when we look at the epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 2 tells us that in what we might call the wilderness aspect of the priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ, he provides us with succor. The word is used at the end of chapter 2. If we look at verse 18, in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted. He provides aid. He provides relief. He provides comfort. He provides succor. Now chapter 4, again, happily for us, it uses words we can readily understand. Verses 15 and 16, well verse 15, we have not a high priest who cannot be touched. Now that's an oblique way of saying we have a high priest who can be touched. In a homely way we can say we have a touchable high priest. Think of the woman in the gospels. How great her need, she said about the Lord Jesus, if only I can touch him. Oh there's no distress. There's no situation in this life where we have a need, where we need feel free, afraid to come to him. He's our high priest above. He not only provides succor. He provides sympathy and verse 15 of chapter 4 tells us about that. Now in chapter 7, it's slightly different, 24 and 25 tell us that in every situation daily salvation is available by approach to our great high priest above. Yes, in such simple terms as what a friend we have in Jesus, take it to the Lord in prayer. Now when we think of such things as succor and sympathy and salvation, these are all connected with our side, our situation, our infirmities, not sin, that would be a matter of advocacy, but weakness, infirmities, distresses, all are connected with our side as we journey on our way home. But if we bear in mind what the Lord Jesus said to his disciples in John 13, remember he taught Peter and the others, he said now look, this matter of feet washing, I want all the distress, all the furrows in your brow removed, all the distress taken away, I want to deal with all the inhibitions on your side because I want you to enjoy the things of God on my side. And as he said to them, how sweet the words, he says this is a matter of having part with me in my things. And the feet washing was a facility towards that. Now we can liken chapters 2 to 7, the succor, sympathy and salvation, as dealing with our infirmities along the way to free us in his presence that we might be fully unburdened so that we are happily engaged in his side of our great salvation approach unto God. Now it's when we come then to chapters 8 to 10, and with this we must draw towards a close, we get something of the issue of his side of the priesthood. Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum, we have such a high priest set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary. He wants us on the inside place. He wants us to go with him into the very presence of God. Not that we might unburden ourselves about all the problems we've had, he's already attended to them in chapters 2 to 7. But free of all the restrictions and limitations connected with ourselves, that responding to him that he might conduct us, he the minister of the sanctuary, we the people of God. And then when we get to the climax, chapter 10 verses 19 to 22, having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way. Verse 22, let us draw near. Now something of these verses we will leave over to another session where there'll be more time to go into it, but here we have it. When we unburden ourselves in the Lord's presence, availing ourselves of his priestly grace at the throne of grace, are we with the Lord in this, that it's his intention that we unburden ourselves of all our difficulties and problems and distresses, that we might leave them to one side and go with him into the very presence of God, drawing near in praise and in worship. Now the last remark tonight before we close. In speaking of the priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ, there's one essential thing we must recognize. In the epistle to the Hebrews, there is one priest, one priest. The believers, we believers, are priests, Peter tells us about that, a nation of priests, the priesthood of believers, a holy priesthood. But the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews so wants us to concentrate on the uniqueness of Christ. He only speaks of one priest, Jesus. Wonderful thing. We are spoken of as comers unto God. We are spoken of as worshippers. We are not, in Hebrews, referred to as priests. In the epistle to the Hebrews, there must be no rivals. There must be no competition. There is one preserved for the vision of our souls and he must be supreme, the one of whom the Lord God committed himself by oath and will not repent, thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. …

… God, verse 2, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, verse 3, who, verse 4, being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. Last night, those who were here had to work very hard indeed. I felt for you, I really did. Looking at most of the verses in Hebrews, it seemed, to fill out all the wealth of truth contained in that prophetic statement in Psalm 110, the Lord hath sworn and will not repent, thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek. And it was necessary to consider, first of all, the imperfection of the Aaronic Levitical priesthood, arising from that the need for a new order of priests to arise, the establishment of the new order, and the personal and moral qualifications of the Lord Jesus as the only one who can rightly answer to that prophetic statement. I suppose that summary took about 20 seconds, but it would take about a month, wouldn't it, to look at all the verses, some of which we read last night. As on other occasions, it is not the exercise or the intent, nor could it could be, that we should demonstrate fully every statement that is made, but rather to provide a framework against which we can all, cloistered in the Lord's presence, establish that these things are so, and follow up the detail for ourselves. If you come to different conclusions in detail to me, that doesn't bother me at all. I am always happy, as I often do, to receive further help as soon as the meeting is finished. I'd be glad to have some more tonight. One of the outcomes of the establishment of the new order of priesthood, after the order of Melchizedek, is the utter superiority of the order of Melchizedek and the priest called after that order, compared with and contrasted with the whole Levitical system. And tonight, certainly there wasn't time last night, we hope to look at some elements of the vast superiority of Christianity as a whole, compared with Judaism as a whole. And, of course, there's a ready framework built into the text of the epistle to the Hebrews, which tell us again and again that Christianity is superior to Judaism. Of course, it was necessary to state these things repeatedly to the recipients of the letter, because there was great danger that they who'd been converted from the Hebrew religion to Christianity, that they might slip back to what they had been used to before. So, he repeatedly draws their attention to the fact that what they have is better. Now, it's easy to remember. In the mercy of God, the epistle to the Hebrews has been split into 13 chapters, and 13 times, not less, not more, in the authorized version, 13 times the writer says that what he is considering is better. 13 chapters, 13 betters, but not one in every chapter. Now, there's another term, and I would say there'll probably be time just to look briefly at that as well, the term more excellent. Three times over, he refers to what is more excellent. Now, I've read the first of these statements, that what we have been brought to is better than anything else. Please look, as we study these references, to what has undergirded everything that has been said in the week that we are spending together. The Hebrew believers had been weaned away, and were being weaned away, from that which was earthly to that which was heavenly, from that which was temporal, bounded by time, to that which is eternal, and from that which is material and sensual, pertaining to the five natural senses, to that which is spiritual. Now, these contrasts are threaded through the epistle to the Hebrews from beginning to end, and so it is that when we consider in what ways Christianity is better than anything else, we'll see that these elements come to light again and again. Now, I read verse 4, but because it begins with this participle being, we need to identify who is being referred to. Well, verses 1 and 2 say, God has spoken to us in his Son. The chapter is taken up with a recounting and celebration of the personal glories of the Lord Jesus Christ as God the Son. And he says, in verse 4, that compared with those the Hebrew believers were acquainted with, who had been used previously in other days to speak on behalf of God and bring the messages from God, he is infinitely better, infinitely more worthy, infinitely superior to what they'd known before. As members of the nation of Israel, they were used to angelic ministry. Read the history of the nation of Israel, and we find that from their earliest days, supernatural intervention in the affairs of the nation, remarkable occasions, remarkable statements had been made to them, and God's messengers for the moment had often been angels. So much is said in chapter 1 in comparison with the angels, and here is the first use of this term, he is so much better than the angels because of who he is, God the Son. The angels are creatures. The Son is creator and sustainer of the universe. Now, many things, easily to identify a perfect circle of seven aspects in which the Son is all-glorious, and one of the things that's said is that he has by inheritance, he deserves it because of who he is, he is the Son. Now, that's the kind of consideration we are having tonight. Less technical than last night, although everything that was said last night, absolutely essential, essential for the Hebrew believers, we, essential for us, who have been brought to Christ more latterly. Well, that was the first reference. The next one, chapter 6 and verse 9. Beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. If, as to detail, you conclude differently from this verse to what I do, I won't be upset, I'll be very pleased to hear your views. To me, reading the first six verses, some of which we hope to consider in our Bible reading on Saturday afternoon, if the Lord will, in these first six verses, he makes a very important part. Writing to converted Jews, he says this, you got to a point in your spiritual career, the development of your spiritual life, when you realized that the main import of the Old Testament Scriptures and the Old Testament system was to point you to Christ, and you turned away from the Hebrew religion, and you turned to Christ, and your whole life previously had been bound up in Judaism, and having turned away from that to Christ, if you subsequently turn away from Christ or turn your back on Christ, there's nowhere else to go. How sad. He considers now and again in the epistle to the Hebrews that he was speaking to a mixed multitude. Now, the people of Israel knew what that was from the history of their nation in the wilderness. There were those who were affected in their heart and spirit and conscience, determined to be true to God. But, as always, there were those who were attracted to go along with them for what they could get out of it, not really affected in heart and conscience. And every now and again, the writer says to the Hebrew believers, now are you part of the mixed multitude who are not real? He says, oh but look, he said I'm persuaded better things of you. I'm sure you personally, he says to each of the recipients of the letter, he says I'm sure you are not like that. He says in fact, I am persuaded better things of you. Having been brought into touch with a better servant than the angels, brought into touch with the Son, having been affected in heart and conscience and brought really to Christ, God the Son, he said I'm sure that you won't be those who on the surface appear to be real, but when the pressure and the test comes, well, the life gets too hard and you slip away and you give up. He said I'm sure you are not like that. He says in fact, I'm looking for outward evidence, practical evidence in the way you live your life that you are not like that. He says I'm looking for better things from you, things that accompany salvation. And so he goes on in verse 10 to speak about your work, your labor of love, your ministry to the saints and so on. Well, you think about that. But certainly in substance he's saying I'm sure you're not like that, you're better. Perhaps we should say now, we haven't said up to now. What does better mean? Better, in simple terms, is the comparative of good. It's good to a higher degree. Better, more worthy than something else. And this is what he's saying all along. 7 verse 7, the next one. We must keep moving. 7 verse 7. Without all contradiction, the less is blessed of the better. Now, we can interpolate there to give ourselves the sense, better person. He's talking about tithing and the giving of tithes. And he says it's recognized that those who give tithes give them to those who are better than themselves. And he says, isn't it significant, he says. The Levites are used to receiving tithes from other people because the Levites, presumably the priests, are better than those receiving, they receive the tithes from. He said but their great ancestor Abraham, he didn't receive tithes, he gave tithes. He gave tithes to Melchizedek, who is a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now the opening verses, 1 to 4, tell us about how much better Melchizedek was than Aaron as a priest. Now some of these we looked at last night. But he sums up in verse 4, he says, consider how great this man was. Chapter 3, chapter 7, chapter 10, chapter 12, chapter 13, five times over, he draws to their attention something that's marvellous to consider. Look them up, consider, he says. Think, ponder well, meditate upon this, it's a wonderful thing. And here he makes this grand statement, which we could put almost as a heading over the whole of the epistle, consider how great this man was. The greatness of Melchizedek was that he represents Christ, a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Called of God, a priest after the order of Melchizedek. And so he says in verse 7, in commenting on how much better what they'd been brought to, was than what they'd left behind, he says Melchizedek was evidently intrinsically better than Abraham. Verse 19, the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did, by which we draw nigh unto God. A better hope. A while back, we had two visitors at the door, Jehovah Witnesses, engaged in conversation, and the callers were gracious enough to say this at the end of the conversation, it would seem that you have a heavenly hope, while we have an earthly hope. I thought well that's good. That's a very honest comment. They are seeing light at the end of the tunnel, if they are prepared to follow the light. That, of course, is true of Jehovah's Witnesses. It was true of Judaism. One of the superiorities of the order of Melchizedek is that he ministered and speaks of Christ ministering in a heavenly, spiritual, eternal sphere of blessing. The hope of heaven is a better than a hope of blessing on earth. Although, if the Lord spares us to the Saturday evening, we'll be looking at God's final declaration of blessing on earth in time in the world to come of which scripture speaks. But here for the moment, he says, he draws the reader's attention to the fact that a better hope has been brought in, not only because it's heavenly instead of earthly, but where the most the Jews could hope for, the most the Hebrew believers in Israel could hope for in their day, was that once a year and not without the fresh shedding of blood, their representative was allowed to draw near. Chapter 10 verses 19 to 22 and other scriptures tell us that our hope is a better hope because, as he says here in passing, because now by the witch we draw nigh unto God. Simple thing, isn't it? We know we should pray more than we do. We know we should spend more time in communion with our blessed Lord and our God and Father. We need to remind ourselves it is a privilege which was hardly won by the shedding of the blood of Christ, but at any moment, anywhere, we can draw near unto God. What, how much better it is than that which went before. Verse 22. Well we better read the end of verse 20 before the brackets. In so much as not without an oath he was made priest, verse 22, by so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament or covenant. Now we read with that chapter 8 verse 6. But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant which was established upon better promises. The first covenant, the first contract, the first bargain between God and his earthly people Israel, at their request they said to God tell us what to do and we will do it. God took them at their word. Oh we must be careful in suggesting a bargain to God. If we strike a bargain, if we make demands upon God and say this is what we are committing ourselves to, in the ways of God we shouldn't be surprised when God takes us exactly at our word and gives us what we demand. As we read when they demanded the flesh in the wilderness he gave them their heart's desire but he granted leanness unto their soul. We may well feel audacious enough in demanding something from God and when he gives us it we will probably find, we will certainly find subsequently we would have been better leaving it with him as to how things should be done and how things should come to us. Well the people said tell us what to do give us some commandments we will do it and it occurred and of course they failed under that and the contract was this God said I will tell you what to do if that's what you want I will say thou shalt do this and thou shalt not do that and if you contravene these clear commandments you will be judged you will be condemned and if you fall foul of one jot or tittle of the law the whole weight the total weight of the law in aggregate will be applied against you. The first covenant thou shalt oh it's a better covenant that's been brought in by Christ. Jeremiah 31 tells us there will be a new covenant for Israel not on the basis of thou shalt but because God says I will read those verses 31 to 34 or thereabouts in Jeremiah 31 again and again God says I will I will I will. The will of God revealed and implemented by him by Christ on God's behalf will always give us better promises a better covenant a better hope than anything that we fondly imagine we could ever deserve by responding to an instruction which says thou shout but a covenant better promises connected with the will of God connected with heaven and spiritual things and eternal things and so it is in these references to the covenant and the promises now the next one chapter 9 and verse 23 give us one very good reason for that chapter 9 verse 23 it was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these hymns are not scripture thankfully the hymns we sing are scriptural and we've sung the words not all the blood of beasts on Jewish altars slain could give the guilty conscience peace or wash away its stain but Christ the heavenly lamb took all our guilt away a sacrifice of nobler name and richer blood than they a better sacrifice his own blood not the blood of others as chapter 9 of Hebrews develops the pattern the model we're going back now to shadow and substance aren't we the pat if the patterns the models which depicted and typified and illustrated in advance of the time of revelation what the reality the substance would be like if bulls and goats and sheep were necessary for them to cleanse that sphere how much better must the sacrifices be to establish the blessing and the reality of it and so he says in chapter 9 verse 23 chapter 10 verse 34 ye had compassion of me in my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance here we have the word again substance that which is substantial that which is real one of the better elements about the substance is that it is heavenly here is one of the scriptures which assure us that Christianity and coming to Christ is better than anything else we could ever have because it is matters relating to heaven and also it is enduring not limited by time and sense spiritual and eternal and so he says that this substance is better than anything else we could ever have chapter 11 verse 16 after speaking of the faithful from the time of Abel onwards we read in verse 16 but now they desire a better country that is unheavenly here it is again defined for us what better means within the context of Hebrews remember the lesson we always must apply interpret every text of Scripture first of all in its own context and then in the context of Scripture as a whole better in Hebrews refers to that which is heavenly and spiritual and eternally and so we have it here they are looking they desire a better country that is in heavenly if you're moving on to a heavenly home the fact that you're misunderstood that you're abused that you're a nobody in this world in this life on this earth loses its importance the flesh in you still gets hurt the flesh in you is still inclined to bristle but in thinking of spiritual heavenly eternal realities we are going to a better country that is unheavenly we have opportunities every day to demonstrate whether the things we talk about are realities to us I remember being told once a nomad has no home a stranger is away from home a pilgrim is on his way home there are people described in the Bible who were nomads Abraham's people were nomads but we don't get the word as far as I can remember but again and again we are told that we are strangers and pilgrims strangers in the sense that we are away from home pilgrims in the sense we are on our way home now if we accept that we are not in our home country but we are on our way there in the mercy of God it will make all the difference to how we respond in this life in the things of this life yes we'll be conscientious we should be the most conscientious person where we work where we live the family in which we've been placed whether it's school the office the factory it should said we may not be the most clever or the most wise we should certainly be the most diligent and conscientious but we touch things lightly and we don't get too disturbed because we are on our way home scripture also says we are foreigners well if a stranger being a stranger means I don't belong here being a foreigner means I do belong somewhere else if anyone stops me in Glasgow and asks me the way to somewhere I don't say I'm sorry I'm a foreigner I would say I'm sorry I'm a stranger I don't belong here it would be immaterial whether I belong Germany Switzerland or anywhere else the vital thing is I'm a stranger I don't belong here try not to labor this too much but if we believe that we are moving on towards a better country with a better hope that our center our citizenship is in heaven just going outside of the bounds of Hebrews to Philippians just for a moment we are demonstrating and we have the opportunity to demonstrate that our home is elsewhere not in this world we are on our way to heaven well some of that comes out in this better country that is and heavenly chapter 11 verse 35 women received their dead raised to life again others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection there are going to be two resurrections the first resurrection began with the personal resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ he died he was buried on the first day of the week he was raised from among the dead beginning the first resurrection Christ the first fruits and then for the other groups and persons in the first resurrection read Revelation 20 verses 4 to 6 and the longest verse in Revelation details the groups who are included in the first resurrection and then after the world to come that's a little more than a thousand years after the first resurrection has been completed there will be another resurrection we are told the rest of the dead the wicked dead will be raised and judged and condemned at the great white throne these two resurrections are distinguished Daniel chapter 12 or thereabouts some raised to to life some raised to judgment John 5 again distinguishes between the two resurrections but here it's not saying one rather than another it's saying a better resurrection takes us back to the Lord's words doesn't it he says if you confess my name before men I will confess your name before the Father we learn in Scripture that if when the assessment is made at the judgment seat of Christ of everything we've done in the body if it's deemed to be like gold silver and precious stones rare precious gems and commodities that we will receive honor and dignity in association with Christ in his dear glory manifested then but if we've done that which is dishonorable and dishonoring to our Lord and Master there will be that which necessarily is burned up we as individuals saved forever by the blood of Christ but maybe works dishonoring to Christ having to be removed as by fire so there is that left to our responsibility while we live on earth and this better resurrection is available to those who have such a right estimation of things in this life that if being faithful to Christ means that they will be abused means that they will be persecuted means that they will be martyred so be it fear not the Lord said those who have power to destroy the body fear him that has power over the soul the immaterial part and so I'm sure when he says here that these good people on going on to a better country were concerned about a better resurrection yes having part in the first resurrection but having lived in such a way that they would have honor metered out to them I'm sure something of that is involved chapter verse 40 well verse 39 these all having obtained a good report through faith received not the promise God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect God allowed time to run its course Christianity superseded the Hebrew religion those who died in faith in every day being reserved held in reserve so that when God's final thoughts are made known in the person of the Son Christ and the church being brought to light God's last page in his revelation of himself could never be perfect and complete until in the present day there has been brought to light Christ and the assembly and he says the writer says well without us they couldn't be complete because that which has been brought in in this present dispensation is the crowning stone of God's revelation chapter 12 verse 24 and to Jesus or he says you've come to some wonderful things but he says the crowning consideration is this to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant to the blood of sprinkling that speak of better things than that available yes we've been brought into the blessing and the spirit of the new covenant in anticipation of the day when the nation of Israel recovered to God as such will be brought into the letter of the new covenant and it all rests upon the precious precious blood of Jesus if the blood of Abel cried for vengeance the blood of Jesus cries for mercy and in the mercy of God God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he has loved us has brought us into it at the present time now let me read I think we've considered the elements let us read the three verses which instead of saying better say more excellent chapter 1 verse 4 he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they a name conveys that which is personal that which is personal to him his personal glory has been outlined in verses 1 to 3 and continues through the chapter and he says his name yes his name is wonderful but his name is more excellent certainly than the angels honored though they were to bear the messages of God because his name is personal he's God the Son chapter 8 verse 6 now he hath obtained chapter 8 verse 6 now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry by how much also he's the mediator of a better covenant established upon better promises better because it's heavenly rather than earthly better because it's established in the purpose of God not the responsibility of man better because it enables us to draw near to God at any time as we have looked at earlier and then finally chapter 11 and verse 4 by faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain Cain offered the first fruits of his own labor what he'd been privileged to grow from the land Abel gave that for which he toiled not not a question of his works at all he offered the firstlings of the flock that way God had provided the gift God had done all the work provided all the care that was acceptable to God because it represented the work of Christ on our behalf and as we read the blood of Abel crying for mercy the mercy was available because that more excellent sacrifice the sacrifice of God's lamb had been made available God shall provide himself a lamb in order that due sacrifice might be made and all the blessing be brought in wonderful wonderful consideration …

… Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. Chapter 13, verse 15, By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name, but to do good, and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Those of us who've been available have been spending the week looking at some key features of the epistle to the Hebrews. We commenced last Saturday by looking at the psalm, which is the basis for much of the teaching, Psalm 110, concentrating on that wonderful statement taken up again and again in the epistle to the Hebrews, sit thou at my right hand until I make thy foes thy footstool. In the gospel, we looked at chapter 2, the suffering of death. On Tuesday, the tremendous contrast between Christianity and anything and everything else that had gone before, particularly Judaism. The contrast suggested by words found in the text, shadow and substance. Wednesday, again, words culled from Psalm 110, the Lord hath sworn and will not repent. Thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek. Last night, we looked at what the epistle itself emphasizes in contrast with all that has gone before, Christ and Christianity, and all that Christ ministers is better than anything else. And we took account of the fact that in an epistle of 13 chapters, 13 times over, we get the word better. Now, one thing that comes to light in any book in the Bible, any facet of Christian faith that we study, we come to certain basic conclusions. Now one basic conclusion can be expressed in many ways, but it's the same message. One way is to say belief affects behavior. Another way is to say that creed affects our conduct. Another one, another way to say it, is that doctrine determines our duty. I'm not going to go right through the alphabet, although I've started off with B, C, D. Putting it in scriptural language, doctrine affects the manner of life. What we learn objectively in Christ affects our subjective appreciation. Again, the language of John's epistle, this thing is true in him objectively with a view to it being produced in you, in us believers, subjectively. First of all, we learn our position, and that affects our condition. First we learn the principles, and that produces the right kind of practice. Now again, in Old Testament phraseology, chewing the cud produces the clove and hoof. Now that might have a link with what we come to towards the end of the meeting. But certainly, another phrase, parallel with all these others, is this. Revelation demands a response. God reveals himself, makes himself known to us, and in all good conscience, well in the language of Romans 12 verses 1 and 2, if God has done all that for me, it demands a response from me. First he does it for me, then he demands a response from me. Now we've been looking so far at key features of the revelation that God has given of himself in the epistle to the Hebrews, and we are at the point now towards the end of the week where we need in good conscience to be thinking, what is our response to be? Is there going to be any difference in us because of our appreciation of what God has done for us? Now, as with the other sessions, we can do no better than take account of what the text of the epistle says. Now if you go through it, and I hope you will, in the light of all the revelation given, every now and again the writer, under the hand of God, he issues various exhortations. And he says now, it's our duty now to respond in this way, and we should be doing that. And he presses some very clear, precise, explicit exhortations. Now we haven't time tonight to go into every one. I hope we'll all respond to the opportunity. If an interest has been awakened in our conscience, go right through, read the epistle, and see how many exhortations there are. I only have time tonight, if that, for one set. Now last night I said 13 chapters, easy way to remember it, there are 13 bettas. Quick quiz question. When believers get together in conversation, which is the vegetarian epistle? Or more precisely, which is the salad epistle? And of course, the only possible answer is Hebrews, because it's full of lettuces. Let us do this and that and something else. Now what we're going to do tonight is to look at these occasions in the epistle to the Hebrews, where the writer, under the guidance of the Spirit of God, says, now that's the revelation, what is our response going to be? Let us do this or that. So we're going to look at the 13 occasions in the text where the writer says, let us. It's a nice way of putting it, you know, not hammering us on the head, not grabbing us by the throat, not pointing the finger and saying, what are you going to do about it? But in a nice, gentle way, but in a sober way, including the writer with the hearer, he says, let us. I think it's a nice way, it's direct, it's polite, it's courteous, but there's no doubt that there's a sober message to be absorbed. So if the Lord will, we'll spend the next half hour or so looking at these 13 lettuces in Hebrews. And I read the first one in chapter 4. Let us, therefore, fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, that's the rest of God, any of you should seem to come short of it. The ministry in the epistle is cumulative. It builds up progressively, brick upon brick upon brick. We've tried to lay a foundation during the week, and we are getting to the position now where some of the superstructure is being laid. But every now and again, we have to think back to something we've already learned, and we have to build upon that. We can't refer again to everything that's been gone into earlier in the week. But in the beginning of chapter 4, when the apostle says, now look, let us make sure that we aren't going to be like the people in Israel who were delivered out of Egypt, they were redeemed by blood, they were redeemed by power, they were brought by the power of God into the wilderness, but sadly, only two of that vast company of two million Israelites got into the promised land. Why was it? Again and again, and much of the latter part of chapter 3, and other chapters as well, said they didn't get into it because of unbelief. The writer, every now and then, he says, now look, I'm a bit fearful for some of you. You all claim to be believers, but the way some of you are acting, I have grave doubts. And he says, any individual of you, he said, in any generation, there's a lot of wastage. Make sure you are one of the ones that carry on. In my day, in generation, on Tyneside, there were about 70 young people of an age of a generation, sad to say, there are possibly about a dozen of those 70 who, by any stretch of the imagination, could now be said to be going on strongly in the things of Christ. What a tragedy. I know that because of my generation, whom I knew personally. Some of you who are even older than me might say it's always been the same. There are those who go on, and there are those who fade away. The scripture says to every generation, if there's going to be wastage, if there's only going to be a few that carry on, make sure that you are one of those that keeps going. One of the things that the epistle to the Hebrews emphasizes is the need to continue, the need to go on, not to fall or to fail because of unbelief. I'm not speaking now about whether or not you're going to heaven. If you've trusted Christ as your savior, you'll go to heaven because of his work, because of your faith in him. We'll come back to this later. The strength of faith is not in itself, it's in its object. If your faith is in Christ, you'll get to heaven not because of the strength of your faith, but because it's centered in him who died for your sins. But as far as going on strongly in the things of the Lord, as far as making growth, development in your own soul's experience is concerned, you make sure that you're one of those that keeps going right to the end. Well, there's something of that involved in chapter 4 and verse 1. Verse 11, let us labor therefore to enter into that rest lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. Well, it's rounding off the same section and he there defines. He said, it will be unbelief. There is such a thing as saving faith placed in Christ and that's irrevocable. Nothing can change that. There is such a thing as living faith, the faith that acts in dependence upon the Lord every step of the journey home. There is such a thing as working faith, acting, serving the Lord in dependence upon him as long as you are left here in responsibility. Let us make sure that we are not guilty of unbelief. If we are truly saved, our saving faith will never go, but it may well be that we cease to exhibit living faith, cease to give evidence of applying faith in the service we do for the Lord. Well, he says here at the beginning and end of that section, he says, I don't want you to be one of those that gives up in unbelief. Remember again, Joshua, Caleb got into the promised land. One reason they got into the promised land because of their zealous faith, they'd been into the land, they'd brought back the grapes of Eshcol, they'd sampled the fruit, they'd tasted the joy, they said, I wouldn't give this up for anything, I'm going to keep going till I'm right in the land. That's the spirit that the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews enjoins upon us believers. Verse 14, seeing then we have a great high priest. We looked on Wednesday at some of the scriptures about the great high priest. Before we could have spent a month on that wonderful subject, the Lord Jesus Christ, the great priest over the house of God. Another thing we haven't time for, but follow it up, wonderful things we Christian believers are said to have in the epistle to the Hebrews. This verse in chapter four says we have a great high priest. Chapter six says we have a strong consolation. We have hope as an anchor at the end of chapter six when we hear about the Lord Jesus as our forerunner. Chapter eight again, verse one, we have such a high priest, not only dealing with our feebleness and infirmities, but minister of the sanctuary, leading us into the very presence of God. Chapter 10 he says we have boldness to enter into the very holiest, the very presence of God. Another thing we looked at on Tuesday, we have a better substance. What we have is far more substantial than anything else could offer. He's beginning of chapter 12, he says we have a cloud of witnesses in scripture testifying to the worth of the path of faith. And then in chapter 13 he says we have an altar. Wonderful things, better by far than anything that the world can give. Well, we get one of them here. Chapter four, verse 14, seeing then we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens or through the heavens, Jesus, the son of God, let us hold fast. Let us hang on. Let us not give up. A lot of the epistle, a lot of these exhortations say now you've studied that, you've appreciated that, you've learned something about the blessing, keep on going on, hang on, hold fast. And here we have it in chapter four. Last verse, 16, let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Well, I think on this verse we would do well to compare the various translations available to us. Let's pray over it, get the feel of what the scripture really means. As it stands, it means if when my family was small, if I'd been out for a walk with them and one of them had fallen down on gravel and made a mess of their knees and I'd picked them up and dusted their knees off and said, now, it won't be so bad, you know, you'll feel better soon, perhaps I might have been helping them in time of need. But the scripture is better than that even. Literally, it's finding grace for timely help which anticipates the need. If I'd been a wise father and an observant father and seen one of my daughters going into a situation where they were liable to fall down and if I'd said, hang on, and got them by the hand and they'd seen the danger and taken hold of my hand and allowed me to help them round that danger spot, that indeed would have been timely help. So, when trouble abounds, when danger is near, when we are sensitive to our frailty, we have one to turn to, our great high priest. We turn to him, we acknowledge our frailty, our weakness, our incapacity to help ourselves and he's always there. Wonderful thing, the priestly grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 15 said, we have not an high priest who cannot be touched. Really, it means it in the positive way too. We have a high priest who can be touched. We have a touchable high priest. I like that incident in Mark chapter 5, where there's a woman suffering from very serious hemorrhaging and she sees Jesus and she says, oh, if I could only touch him, I know that I would be healed and she goes to him and she touches him and she was immediately healed. The Lord tested her faith, he said, who touched me? He knew who touched him. He was wanting to draw her out, to come out clearly for her Lord and Master. And he said, now, that's just the way I want people to act, to be aware that I'm always ready to help, all you have to come to do is to come and to touch me. Well, we have a high priest who can be touched. He's a touchable saviour. We are in touch with him by prayer, by dependence. We come to him, we ask for help, he gives it to us, he gives us grace for timely help. We can pray for others, thank God for that. We can come to him in our own need, thank God for that. And the verse says, we know it, we can give lectures on it, we can discuss it in the Bible readings, we can nod in agreement when somebody else says it, the verse doesn't say that, it says, let us do it. For this is the force of the exhortations in Hebrews. Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy. Mercy meets us in our needs. Grace lifts us above our need. Mercy deals with what we deserve. Grace bestows upon us things that we could never deserve. We get both grace and mercy at the throne of grace. Now, we must keep moving, and the next one, chapter 6, verse 1. Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection. Perfection, completeness, maturity, full growth. This is what the word means. Have you noticed, Paul, writing to Timothy, he says, God's continuing disposition is that men might be saved, and that they might come to a knowledge of the truth. That's not repeating the same thing twice. Yes, it's a grand thing to be saved, nothing like it, or we'll thank the Lord eternally because he saved us, saved by the mercy of God. A grand beginning, but it is the beginning, and on that essential foundation, it's God's intention that we should go on, that we should come to a knowledge of the truth of God, that we should learn of the many facets of this so great salvation, another phrase from Hebrew. He wants us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He wants us to grow in the knowledge of kingdom truth, of assembly truth, of prophetic truth, the personal, moral, official glories of our Lord Jesus Christ. He wants us to be able to distinguish between the dispensations. He wants us to be able to distinguish between that which is positional and that which is practical. Oh, there's a tremendous amount to learn. Those who are the most mature, I'm sure, will be those who would freely confess that they are merely scratching the surface of all that's available. Now, the writer says to the Hebrews, he says, I'm glad you're saved. If you're saved, you're really saved. He said, but don't think you can rest on your laurels. I remember hearing a Christian believer at the age of about 70 having been a believer for about 50 years and saying, well, I'm saved and I know it, but that's as far as I've got. God forbid that when his continuing disposition towards us is that we might be saved and go on to come to a knowledge of the truth, that after 50 years of belief and attending, having fellowship with like-minded believers, God forbid. …

… Hebrews 6, verses 4-6, Hebrews 7, verses 26-28, Hebrews 9, verses 11-12 and verse 24, and Hebrews 10, verses 1-14. Hebrews 6, verse 4, For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame. Hebrews 7, verse 26, For such a high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people? For this he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests who have infirmity, but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore. Chapter 9, verse 11, For Christ being come, a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Verse 24, For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others. For then must he have often suffered since the foundation of the world. But now once, in the end of the world, hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment, so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many. And unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation. For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offer year by year continually, make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered, because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body hast thou prepared me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hadst no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come, in the volume of the book it is written of me, to do thy will, O God. Above, when he said, Sacrifice and offering, and burnt offerings, and offering for sin thou wouldst not, neither hadst pleasure therein, which are offered by the law. Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering, and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. The Scriptures read, contain most, if not all, the instances in the epistle to the Hebrews where the term once is used in a specific way. Not in a general way, as we might say, that something happened once upon a time. Not in the sense of once or twice or now and then. But in a special way, which takes up something we have been looking at through the week. The reasons why Christianity is infinitely better than that which went before. Because Christ personally, and the work that he did upon the cross, are infinitely more worthy, infinitely superior to anything else that might be compared or contrasted with them. So if we look at these about ten instances in the Scriptures read, there obviously shall not be time to look at every word in every verse that we have read. But against the background of the Scriptures read, to try to see the context in each case, and then to see the bearing of this term once. In the sense, once for all, never needing to be repeated again. And if, as we look at them, we find ourselves acknowledging the same things again and again, this is not vain repetition. The Holy Spirit has seen fit to include in this major epistle this lesson that we need to learn, and the benefit that we derive from that. So if we go through in the order in which Michael read the Scriptures, see what the context is, and then look at the way in which this word once is used. As Murray has said, If it's worth saying, it's worth hearing. So please speak out, so that all may hear. The judicious comments of the brethren are welcomed. If any have a question, the answer will make more sense if we've heard the question. So please speak out, so that all may gain. Chapter 6, verses 4 to 6. This is different to most of the other references as to context, but the use of the term is clearly along similar lines. So we look at this. This is one of the more difficult parts of the epistle. And so perhaps just a word on this. The Holy Ghost guided the writer to point out on several occasions during the epistle that some of these Hebrew believers who had confessed Christ as Saviour, who certainly in an outward way were going along with the Christian testimony, by the way they were acting and living, there was a question mark as to the reality of the confession that they had made. And so against the plumb line of scripture, the writer again and again holds up this possibility, saying now you question yourself, has your confession been real? Have you been identified with Christ and the work of Christ in a real way? And every now and again he draws attention to the fact that there may well be some going along with the general body of believers who haven't really been affected in their heart and conscience. And he considers at the beginning of chapter 6, the possibility of those Jews, even devout Jews, who have been brought into touch with the Christian gospel, they have turned away from Judaism, they have embraced Christianity at least in an outward way, but the question is posed as to the reality. Now when we pick up the scripture in verse 4, building upon what he has said, that certain eternal truths, everlasting truths, true in every age, have been gone over, the doctrine of Christ, foundation of repentance, faith in God, washings, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, eternal judgment, but he says upon that foundation, if you are really Christ's, you will go on to perfection, to completion, you will grow, you will become more mature in your soul. And then in verses 4-6, he says, you've cut your links with Judaism and it would be utter folly to attempt to go back. Now the reverend perhaps, against that, might consider what it means to be enlightened, what it means to have tasted of the heavenly gate, to have been partakers of the Holy Ghost, to have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come. One more encouragement reverend, please do not wait till it's time to move on to the next scripture to bring out the treasures you have on the previous one. Please join in and tell us what you have to say. Every work of God carries along in its way people who in their hearts and minds and consciences have never been thoroughly perfected and since this epistle actually draws on the experience of the children of Israel, you only have to think of what happened in connection with the leaving of Egypt by the children of Israel and remember that several times in the course of the histories you get a reference to a group called the mixed multitude, people who were carried along in the wake of that mighty movement and later it was obvious when faith and commitment are really tested that in their heart of hearts they had never been really affected by God and so when they were faced, for example, with the matter of famine in the wilderness or it could have been famine, then they began to long for that which their hearts were really set on, that was the root crops of Egypt, and it is a matter of fact that every work of God and historically movements like the Reformation carried along in its way a lot of people who apparently had embraced Christ but then when faith is tried and tested, as it's sure to be, it was apparent that they'd been no more than in the circle, getting the benefit of whatever good things happen when God begins to work without personally having been affected in their consciences, their hearts and their minds. That's why we have to read this text so very carefully, isn't it? The verbs that I quoted. It might seem on the surface that they were saved. Now, it's one word that is not used. They had enjoyed the benefits that were there to be enjoyed by going along with those who were of God, but as you say, not affected in their heart and conscience. But the pertinence of the word wants here seems to bring a real challenge to them and bearing in mind that, as the writer says, he had not yet resisted to blood. They were suffering. They were enduring persecution. But within five or six years, perhaps, of the epistle being written to them, Jerusalem was to be destroyed and the true believers were to endure severe persecution. Now, the challenge that comes, the ministry that is given, is to strengthen those who are real but to challenge those who may not be real. And this is a vital statement here. It is impossible for those who were once enlightened. Now, it will remove a lot of disturbed feeling from our minds if we notice that it says they are enlightened, they've tasted some of the benefits that were there, like the mixed multitudes, enjoying the provision of God for his people by going along with the people of God in their journey through the wilderness, yet not vitally affected themselves. Now, there are those here who are referred to as having been once, once and for all, enlightened. You know, I often feel, I often hear others say, why is it that such and such a believer, such and such a group of believers have so much blessing in their own soul? Why is it that they seem to be so effective in gospel outreach? Whereas those who appear to know much more of the truth of God do not appear to have the same scale of blessing. Why is it? Well, certainly it can be said, where we are true to the light we have, the Lord will bless us. But there's another feature. It would seem, along that line of argument, that you say, well, is it better not to know too much? Is it better to remain anonymous, to be true to a lower level of testimony, and then the Lord will bless us? Now, we cannot undo, we cannot unlearn what the Lord has shown us. And these people could not unlearn what they had been brought to. They had come to this that they knew that Judaism had been there to bring the nation to Christ, until Christ came, Christ having come. Judaism was superseded. Blessing is available to Jew and Gentile, whosoever will, and they had been brought to an intelligent appreciation that Christ and his work was that upon which faith should rest. They were at the crossroads. They'd been enlightened. They cannot undo that knowledge. They cannot go back to their previous lack of knowledge, lack of enlightenment. And here they are, and if they don't go forward on what they've been brought to, as the scripture says, it's impossible for them to be enlightened, to fall away, because it's just as if they were crucifying the Son of God afresh. Now, others might put that more simply, more clearly, but that seems to me to be the message. They could not undo that level of enlightenment to which they'd been brought. It was a once-and-for-all thing. You cannot go back on it, and this is the position of the apostate, brought intelligently to appreciate what God has done through Christ. The challenge becomes, are you going to go on? Are you going to accept it in faith, ask the Lord, and become Christ's? If knowing all the issues involved, say, no, not for me, and done intelligently, is the act of apostasy, turning away, knowing the issues involved. Now, brethren may wish to comment on that, but it seems to me that he says here they were once enlightened. They can't turn the clock back. They can't undo the enlightenment they've received. Isn't it true, Ernie, for all saints of God that the desire is that there might be growth, for us not to stay at the basic level, at first teaching, shall we say? This is what we get in verse 1, isn't it, in chapter 6? The desire is to go on to perfection, as verse 1 says. The norm is, as Paul said to Timothy, it is God's continuing disposition that men might be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. That's not saying the same thing twice. To be saved is the only possible foundation through faith in Christ. Being saved, God has made all the resources available that we go on, that we develop, that we go on to full growth and spiritual maturity. Q. Ernest, these men have not failed. A. I think not. Q. You say they haven't. A. I think not. Q. No, sir, I wanted to make that clear. They are those who have suffered under the light of it, rather like the first chapter of John's Gospel, where Christ coming into the world lightened every man, but that does not say they've got benefited. These men, while they've suffered under the sound of it and in the light of it, they have not gained anything by it, apart from even having their conscience touched, one would suggest. It's a dangerous thing to sit under the ministry of the truth of God, to go along with it, and yet not to be affected at heart and conscience. Now, please, say more, but am I right in thinking this is the use of the word here? Michael, would you go along with this? Once enlightened, they can't go back. Q. No, that's right. That's exactly what scripture says. I think the comment that David has made, particularly if the things which are spoken of in verse 2 are things which are found in Judaism, then what in fact he is talking about when he says let us go on to perfection is in fact embracing the further revelation in Christianity, and I think that's a telling feature, as also is the fact that in verse 9 he says, But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you than things that accompany salvation, though thus we speak. When the Lord spoke to Nicodemus about new birth, amongst the many things that he said to him there, one of the things he said was, The wind blows where it will. Thou hearest the sound, but knowest not whither it cometh nor whither it goeth. So is everyone that is born of the Spirit. And I can never escape there that the Lord is saying that as the wind leaves effects, so when someone is born of God it's as clear to see as the effects of the wind, and someone who says I'm born of God and yet there is no evidence of it in their life on the basis of what the Lord said, you've got cause to question whether they've ever really been born of God. Now that's the tank that the writer adopts throughout the epistle, isn't it? If there is no evidence, sign of growth, the question is, is there life at all? When he says things that accompany salvation, it's akin to what the Lord said. It's like the effects of the wind. You may not be able to say where it comes from, and you can't say where it's going to, but that it has been there is apparent for everyone to see. Questioner 2 I suppose it's in regards to the woman of Samaria when she said, it was said to her, if thou knewest the giving God, and who it is that saith to thee, give me to drink, now that he's spiritual God, thou wouldst have asked him in. Thank you. Having arrived at that, I think we'd better move on to chapter 7. Q. Could I just make one comment? I recognise that some of the expressions in verses 4-6 are not the easiest expressions to deal with, but there's one thing that always strikes me about two of the comments. One is, tasted of the heavenly gift, and tasted of the good word. Not appropriated the heavenly gift, or appropriated the good word of God, but merely tasted. They're sampled as being on the fringe, how sad that there are many who listen to the truth of God, ministered faithfully over many years, have sampled some of the benefits of going along with the people of God, and yet, as you say, not the appropriation. Would you say that it's possible in this dispensation for people to be enlightened and yet not persevere? I would link this up with the parable of the shore, where the word went on the stony ground and shore, because it's possible these people which we are speaking about here, they were enlightened, but they didn't persevere. I don't say that they were safe or promised, but there's plenty of people in this dispensation that have been enlightened and haven't persevered. Well, let us accept the challenge and move on to chapter 7. Would this specially apply to the Jews? I think, yes. To give a full answer, I suppose, to what Bill has raised, dispensationally, it speaks in a special way of those devout Jews who had been brought to a knowledge of the issues of Christianity that had come to a head with Christ coming into the world, but having faced up to it and knowing all the implications, not going ahead. Converted, but not converted. Yes, that's a very good way of putting it. It's very good that you reminded us that Christianity is the greatest because of the greatness of the person and the greatness of his work. Thank you very much. That you get in chapter 1 and 2. Yes, that's it. Perhaps this is the last word on chapter 6. It is impossible for someone who is born of God and who is converted ever to be lost or ever to fall away. The simplest believer who has trusted Jesus can never be lost. There's no suggestion of that in Hebrews chapter 6. If the occasion was right, I would be very happy to spend all afternoon over the reading on chapter 6. There's many worthwhile lessons. Hopefully, we've learned some of them. And as said earlier, there's no reference here that the people have been saved, but they've been on the fringe, they've sampled some of the benefits. But because chapter 6 is more on the negative side, I would really like to go on to the more positive side in chapters 7, 9, and 10. Just before you read chapter 6, this Judas is an example of this. Well, you tell us what you think, please. Well, he's been in confidence the whole test of these things. Yes. Yes, very good. He knew all the issues involved. Yes. Now, can we go to chapter 7, please? Please don't grumble if we don't get all through all the scriptures in chapter 10. What a happy thing here. Chapter 7, verse 26. Such a high priest became us. We learn in the epistle of things that are becoming to God, becoming to Christ, that are fitting, that are proper, that are appropriate. But here, we learn, such a high priest became us. We have been so constituted before God, so fitted into his family, so made right before him, that it is fitting that we have such a wonderful high priest as this. Now then, again, wonderful things in this section, the term wants tells us that whereas under the Levitical priesthood, there was a continual celebration of many sacrifices, none of which put away sin or sins forever, needing constant repetition. Here, there is one work, which has made us fit before God forever. Now, the work of the high priests in the tabernacle system was never done because their work was not effective. But what they did looked on to a work which is complete, entire, never needing to be repeated. When we simply trusted Christ as saviour, I am sure very few of us had any idea of the wonder of the blessing that we were to be brought into. But more than that, the wonder of the blesser who was bringing us into association with himself. The high priest mentioned in verse 26 would be after the order of Mary, wouldn't it? Because in contrast with the priest who was ordained by God according to the law. Yes, in verse 25, there's a reference to distinctions that we need to make. He ever liveth, this is our high priest, he ever liveth, called of God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. He ever liveth. As to the work that he does, that was after the pattern, he functions as Aaron did in that respect. The people of God were in the wilderness. Through Aaron, they were brought into touch with God who was in heaven. We are on earth, we have a wilderness journey to make on our way home, and on the way, we have a priesthood, we have a priest available to us to help us while we are on the journey. Now, this is in chapter 7, bringing to a head the teaching in the first, well, the first seven chapters overall, that because he is God, able to speak for God, because he is man, able to approach God on behalf of man, he can suffer, he can sympathize, he can say, chapters 2, 4, and 7. Now, he's pulling this all together in this final section of chapter 7, with a view to moving on to this, which he does in chapter 8, now that he's dealt with our side on the side of relief from our infirmities and frailty and weakness, he says now that he's solved all our problems, it's with the intention that he might lead us into the sanctuary in praise and in worship of the blessed God. Now, in order that we might be relieved of all the defilement picked up on the wilderness journey, such a high priest became us, and that priesthood could only function after the one work of Calvary had been completed. Mr. Simpson, you haven't helped us yet, please come in. When it says in verse 26, Ernie, holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, is it speaking of the Lord when he was down here in this world, or is it referring to him where he is now? I'm convinced, Michael, it's referring to him now, seated at the right hand of God. In fact, as you know, that word separate is really separated from sinners, isn't it? He is established in glory, in the presence of God, and there he functions. He functions not on earth. He functions in his priestly grace in the very presence of God. And what then this verse is saying is his priesthood on high has absolutely nothing to do with sins at all. He only once had to do with sins, and that is what it says in verse 27. This he did once when he offered up himself, and what he did once has perfectly satisfied God and his work on high, his functioning on high, has absolutely nothing to do with sins at all. It has to do with our weakness. Yes, as you say, this term is used so frequently because there is ever the tendency for us to query in our minds, is it really right that the work of Christ was sufficient for all my sins? Am I really completely clear before God? Am I clear of every charge? Am I justified? And again and again we are told yes, the work to make us fit for God, ready for heaven, was a work that was only done once, once for all, because it was fully effective. The work that he does now in heaven, in the presence of God, is to make the kind of relief and succour and sympathy and daily salvation available that we might move in to the very presence of God, relieved of every disturbing element on our side. That's what verse 25 says when it says he is able to save completely, isn't it? Yes. The inadequacy of the Aaronic priesthood was occupied all the time with his sins and the people's sins. It was a daily need. They couldn't get beyond it. But this now, as you say, enables us through the once for all sacrifice, enables us to go into the sanctuary. Now, in verse 25, that phrase, them that come unto God by him. This is the burden of the epistle. It comes out several times. We are looked at as comers unto God by him. We'll never be fit to approach God in our own strength. But we come unto God, we draw near, we approach God, the various terms that are used in the epistle, because Christ is such a great high priest. You may remember, Ernie, a brother who often used to say, along with the Lord now, he used to say, God is not bringing a load of ragamuffins to heaven, he's leading sons to glory. And it's in the light of that that it's possible to read words like, such a high priest becometh us. There must be immense dignity resting upon the Christian as called of God, as partaker of the heavenly calling, if it requires such a high priest. I mean, Harry has spoken in reference to chapters one and two about the personal greatness and glory of the Lord Jesus. And when you think of that, filling out his priestly work, such a high priest becometh us, that can only be the believer seen in the light of the call of God. The section begins, verse 26, such a high priest became us. Who is he? The chapter ends, the son consecrated forevermore. All the glory of his person. And do you think, Rodney, that you would say in chapter six about the enlightenment, the enlightenment that we have had from the Lord himself, we haven't to go away from it at any time. Well, do you think, in verse 25, he's speaking of the same thing? He's speaking here of the daily salvation that's available to us while we are on our way home to glory. Yes. Isn't he? Isn't the emphasis, so far as once for all is concerned, on the sacrifice here? Yes. Yes. It seems to me that is the emphasis that is put up. One sacrifice has been made by the Lord himself sufficient and it excludes the possibility of going like the old father every now and again. Yes, thank you, that's very helpful. Once and for all, the matter has been settled to the glory of God and for our eternal blessing. It seems almost too good to be true, but this is not imagination, it's the truth of God revealed in the word of God. The work was so complete, so perfect, it was done once, will never need to be repeated. It's often been said that salvation is a big work. It's not just something for the innocent good to have a secure place for us, but it includes a great deal for the unrighteous among us. It's one of the most comprehensive terms in scripture. It deals with the past. We've been saved from the penalty of every sin that we've committed. Salvation begins at the cross and it never ends until we are in his presence. Yes, that's right. There is a future aspect, Harry, as I'm sure you would tell us. Now is your salvation nearer than when we first believed? There is that aspect. The final touch of salvation is when we shall be given bodies of glory like unto his own. But in the meantime, before we are removed from the very presence of sin, at the moment it is available to us to have removed the power of sin. Now this, again, comes into the epistle, although it is throughout. The main emphasis is upon frailty, weakness, infirmity. Our sins have been dealt with once and for all. But certainly in passing, this term salvation is most comprehensive. Pastor, I remember George Davison attempting a definition of salvation, and he said, brought to God, delivered from the world, the flesh and the devil, and established in divine power to serve God in a hostile world. That's a pretty broad definition of salvation, isn't it? Very broad, yes. It underlines what you say, that salvation is a long word and it means a lot in the light of scripture. So in our testimony it's part of our salvation, isn't it? According to that, and I believe that, that's what it's called. Is this particularly in reference to approach to God? It's certainly God. It opens the way. It's as in chapter 13 of John, where the Lord washed the disciples' feet, removed the defilement, in order that, as he said, you might have part with me. Having part with him in his sphere, approaching near to the very presence of God through him, is very much the end of you. This reference to once in chapter 7, is a parallel to the mention in the early verses that you had us read in chapter 9, isn't it? Yes. In the statement in verse 12, he entered in, once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption. Yes. I think we could look at chapter 9 in parallel with this, couldn't we? That there was this constant stream, this procession of priests, year after year, their work was never done. Because of his perfect work, because of his precious, precious, incorruptible blood, there is no need to repeat the work. Eternal redemption has been secured. George, were you about to say something? No, I was just thinking, you know, it's impossible to divorce what you're speaking of, the word once, which is occurring again and again, and the one who has so quickly come to our attention, you know, looking at verse, in chapter 7, for such a high priest, but this man, and it's right, isn't it, that when we speak of the word once, which is related to time, I suppose, time and space, that we must be directed to the one who is the centre, because all of these scriptures are linked up with that one who was, as you implied, the perfect man, the perfect obedience we see, and also the perfect sacrifice. So, that was your intention, obviously, that we should be occupied with the one who is the centre of these verses. The work has been done, God has placed his eye upon the blood, the sacrifice has been assessed by him as fully acceptable and fully effective, and therefore there is no need for the work to be repeated. So, in this sense, as to the demonstration of the satisfaction to God of the worthiness of the blood and the worthiness of the work of Calvary, it has been a once and for all assessment and will never be raised again. The evidence that this is true is the fact that he is there now, isn't it, in heaven itself? The evidence in the oral system that the blood was accepted was that when the high priest came back out for us, so that we can function in the sanctuary, the evidence is that he is there now, the later verses of chapter 9. In the type, the sacrifice was made, the blood was shed, the blood was applied, and the priest was free to move in and function in service. Now, as you say, that had to be repeated again and again, but we have such a high priest who was able to function unceasingly because the once and for all sacrifice acceptable to God has been made. You are referring to details there in Leviticus 16, the Day of Atonement, and David also has referred to them. There is this distinction here, though, that where in Leviticus 16 he comes out, Christ has not yet come out, he is still inside, and several of these references, and you've been at pains to emphasise it, are saying that because he is there in the very presence of God, the holy place, it was in the figure of the tabernacle, was the holiest of all, the most holy place. But as one of the verses that you had us read says, he has not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God for us. And because he is there, in the faith of our souls, we are able to join him. As the Son, he is ever worthy to be in the presence of God because he is God. In manhood, in virtue of his moral perfection, there is no distance between him and God. But if he were, as man, to function on our behalf, as our high priest in the house of God, it must needs be on the basis of an acceptable sacrifice, which he has made, and the fact that he ever liveth in the presence of God, in manhood, is eternal testimony to the fact that this work was done once and for all because it was done to perfection. You hadn't a scripture in verse, chapter 8, had you? You hadn't a verse in chapter 8, had you? No, I think we'll be doing very well to get through chapter 7, 9 and 10. Isn't there going to be an 8 down in chapter 8? Which verse were you thinking about? No, I'm asking you, I've got 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 down. I thought you said that, but I scanned through chapter 8 and there's not a once there, is there? No, no. Thank you. The next thing is, three times you mentioned the word, the writer. Yes. Are you one of the good brethren that do not believe that Paul wrote the chapter? I'm one of the hopefully good brethren that believe that as the epistle states, God wrote it. I'll enjoy a conversation at the interval about that. It's not really the exercise of the Bible. I don't know if she hasn't given Paul the accredit of writing the epistle. Well, I'll enjoy a conversation at the interval. Bernie, one of the references to once, verse 26, does appear to go beyond the tremendous opportunities that you're talking about in the present day when it says, once in the end of the world, or the end of the age, hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice himself. Now, does that go on beyond what you're talking about in relation to view the world to come? I think the word once there is used to signify the incarnation. Once in the end of the age, hath he appeared, with a view to putting away sin by the sacrifice of himself. The end of the age. I'd be very happy for you to develop your thought. Q. I've wondered for a long time, when we speak about putting away sin by the sacrifice of himself, we always think of it in the context of what he's done for us, that is, that he's put away sin as far as we individually are concerned. But for a long time I have wondered if there is not a link here to what John the Baptist said of all the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. And that must ultimately see this whole world being rid of sin. And that must be on the basis of the fact that he appeared and he gave himself. That is the platform on which the effectiveness of this perfect work will be demonstrated, will be the world to come. In verse 26, once, never to be repeated, in the end of the age, hath he appeared, God manifested in flesh, with a view to putting away sin. As you say, John the Baptist, behold the Lamb of God, the bearer away of the sin of the world. The whole question of sin in all its horrible totality, the whole state that has been marred and corrupted by sin, God's fair creation. There will be an answer to that, God's answer, and the Lord's, for a few hours, we may learn something about it this evening. But it's... Did the end of the age not arrive when Christ died? Well, all right, but it was his incarnation, his coming into flesh, with a view to completing that work that is referred to embracingly, comprehensively here. When did you say this has referred to? Once, the term once. The once. The once is past. Yes. He came into the world. And the effect of that sacrifice that he made on that occasion when he was here, when is that brought into effect? Well, it was brought... At the end of the world? It was brought into effect immediately, but the declaration and demonstration of it, in the fullest sense of the term, would be in the world to come. Beyond the world to come? Surely not in the world to come? Well, as far as public... Is there not a possibility of sin in the world to come? Yes. It would be after that. But it's summarily dealt with, isn't it? Yes, it's there. Sorry? It's there. Yes. Even if it's dealt with, it's there, isn't it? There will be instances where sin arises. But... At the beginning of the eternal state. Yes, well, the Lord, the King, ruling in righteousness, will demonstrate that the work to put away sin has been effective because this is the basis of the righteousness in the world to come. Yes, yes. But, you know, if we go to the far end, to the revolver, you see, when it's not there at all, it must take us into the eternal state. Yes, well, we're now debating that the meaning of this term, put away sin. In John 1, the emphasis is that he's the only one who's worthy to take up the question to the glory of God. And he has done that. And here, the question of putting away sin, with a view to that, is in verse 26. And then in verse 28, he was once offered to bear the sins of many. Not only the whole state in verse 26, but the guilt of individuals has been dealt with, as referred to in verse 28. Now, if you want to query this one, perhaps we can say from Pentecost, there have been those brought into the good of what Peter says, who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree. The work was done of Calvary. There were those who were brought into the good of it from Pentecost onwards. Verse 26, then, is looking at the issue from God's side. Is that what you're saying? I didn't use those words, but thank you for using them. Verse 28, rather, regards it from the other side, man's side, our need, those who accepted the offer, the offer that was made. Well, I'm happy to use the words overall state in verse 26, and the guilt of individuals in verse 28. Right. Ron, is there something you want to add? No, I was simply having in my own mind that the end of that age was accomplished by the death of Christ, because thereafter, there was an entirely new beginning. Much of what the Lord said was stated as a fact, anticipating the work of the cross. But that was when the work was done. One more reference before we move to chapter 10. It is appointed unto men once to die. It's irrevocable. Same use of the term, can't be changed, can't be gone back on, until the man who has lived on earth dies. It is once and for all, there will be no further opportunity after death, the judgment. Chapter 10. I'd just like to mention one word before you go, I missed. Now, verse 28, it says that it's appointed unto men once to die, after death, the judgment, but then it goes on encouraging those who are coming to the future, it's not judgment, it's salvation. Yes, lovely. Well, that, again, is a future aspect of salvation, isn't it? The last touch. Very good. Chapter 10, we get the word, well, we get the word once, twice, and we get the word one used twice in the same kind of way. Chapter 2, because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. Verse 10, by the witch will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Verse 12, this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, 14, by one offering, he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Sometimes, you know, we are accused of putting ourselves on a pedestal because we give the impression that we have no doubt that we are saved. We have no doubt that we are going to heaven. We have no doubt that our sins and the penalty for sins has been dealt with once and for all. This is not conjecture. This is not any fanciful imagination of our own. It is accepting the word of God for what it is, the word of God. How he emphasizes in chapter 10 these times, the work has been done once and for all and we are made fit for God. It is really tremendous to listen to scripture insisting upon the fact that Christ's work was done once against the background of the fact that we live in a day where there is a very popular religion and everything is pointing towards it where it insists on continuous sacrifice. And these verses, the whole of these verses, these 14 verses, in a very emphatic way say it is once for all and tremendous things for men's blessing and for God's glory hinge upon the fact that he gave himself once. What an amazing thing this is, this first occurrence in verse 2. Once purged, no more conscience of sins, no barrier, freedom of access as worshippers. As I said during the week, it's worth saying again, apart from the Levitical priests referred to by way of comparison, there's only one priest in Hebrews. Believers are looked at as worshippers, comers unto God by him. Peter says yes, there is a holy priesthood, but here there is one who is unique, supreme, paramount consideration, none like him, but because of who he is and because of the work that he did once, we have fitness to draw near to God as worshippers. Here is the true priest, the one who we get in Luke's Gospel, chapter 10, when a man had passed by on the other side, it was a priest. He probably recognised by the clothes he was wearing, and then a male came and he passed by with a good surmise. Yes. A true priest. Lovely Gospel, Luke. It was a priestly service all the way through. Yes. It begins with a priest, ends with a priestly benediction from the Lord. Yes. Peace throughout. He was anointed, it says in the fourth chapter, he was anointed to preach the Gospel. The priest gives instructions as well as comfort and compassion. It says he had compassion on him. And then when he takes him to the inn, he pays and if there's any more, I'll pay. How true it is that it's only when we understand the epistles that we can go back and really appreciate the Gospels. It's wonderful, the Gospel of Luke, because it's a true priest, not just dressed up like a priest. He was despised and rejected of men. That was how he was treated, for he was a true priest. He was a good Samaritan. In the system of shadows, before the reality, before the substance came along, many priests, many sacrifices, but still abidingly conscience for sins. But now that the priest has done his work, no more conscience for sins. Freedom of approach to God. And he was a true prophet. There was no priest and prophet together. The prophets were prophets, but there were no priests. But he was a prophet and priest. And therefore we get in the third chapter, consider the prophet and high priest. Consider this great person. Yes. It's easy to understand, Ernest, isn't it? The problems of the Jewish believers in Galatia who sought to add something to the work of God, to the work of Christ, in the light of 1,500 years of sacrifice. I haven't known it. And it makes us understand the difficulties that have been brought up by that. They were bred from the earliest days in keeping the law and bringing these daily sacrifices. But now the writer, whoever he is, he makes it very plain, doesn't he? And I was just looking at a reference, if I can find it. It's in Psalm 51. Yes, there we are. We have it several times in the Old Testament. For thou desirest not sacrifice, else will I give it. Thou delightest not in burdock. Sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, broken and a contrite heart. For God thou wilt not despise. And we're coming there on to, I suppose, Samuel's words. To that who obeys and sacrifices. Something there to learn, isn't it? Putting Galatians and Hebrews together, not only is it right, which it is right to say, that the work of Christ is sufficient, not only is that true, but it would be wrong and it's folly to attempt to say that something else is necessary. Now, that was the Galatian heresy, saying, well, the work of Christ was good, but there are other things that need to be right as well. I suppose also, if you look at the Colossians, there was this question of building up a hierarchy and looking for someone to come between us and the Lord. And again, the Apostle had to point out that we have direct access there. Well, that's a good link. In Colossians, the person of Christ is sufficient. In Galatians, the work of Christ is sufficient. Hebrews, we get both of those things. I noticed twice in connection with the statements, one or once, the idea of the sanctification of the believer is introduced. Verse 10, in particular, chapter 10, verse 10, by the will of God, we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And verse 14. Yes, it brings us back to your previous statement that the work has been done not only to make us ready for heaven, which we are, but that while we are here on earth, that we should be set apart, utterly devoted, utterly committed to the service of God. And for that to be available, the body of Jesus Christ must needs be crucified. He has dealt with the whole problem. He became a man. He went through unto death, and that the death of the cross, having completed his work upon earth, it has produced this sanctification. Would you not say, in simplicity, it's a contrast between law and grace? Certainly not. Very good. Only, if I didn't come in... You've just come in in time, Scott, it's half five. Yes, well, I've been trying to get in once or twice. Chapter 10, it's relevant, chapter 10, another verse of 28, the 28th verse, another part of the verse of the previous chapter. Would you clarify, the second time without sin went to salvation? Well, thank you, and I think... Without sin. Yes, I think this will have to be the final comment for this afternoon. When he came the first time, it was to deal with the sin question. And he did it, once and for all. Because he dealt with it fully, effectively, completely the first time, when he comes again, he won't have to take up the same matter, it is being done, once and for all. Passing about sin. Yes, and in verse 28, when he comes the second time, it's altogether apart from sin. It's for a different purpose, it's only salvation. The last crowning glory of salvation will be brought in then. It's really a very eloquent testimony again, isn't it, to the nature of the work that he did, in that when he comes next time, it's quite apart from the question of sin. And I remember listening to somebody on a take years ago, using this as a foundation for the believer's assurance, by saying to them, if what he did on the first occasion has not satisfied God and provided a basis for you being absolutely sure of salvation, you're never going to be sure, because when he comes next time, he's never going to touch the question of sin again. And scripture would assert in a very strong way that because when he comes the second time, it's quite apart from the question of sin. And to come back to the words of the hymn that we sang, God is satisfied with Jesus, we are satisfied as well. We cannot be lost, we've got absolute assurance of salvation, and we join in God. That is the happy situation in which we find ourselves, because he suffered once. …

… Chapter 2 and verse 5. Unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come whereof we speak. Chapter 6, again verse 5, speaking of those who have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come. That's all we'll read for the moment. Let us now sing hymn number 108. Two brief words of introduction. Those of us who have the opportunity have been looking a little at the epistle to the Hebrews during the week. An immense task. We couldn't possibly cover the whole scope. What we have sought to do is look at certain phrases which the Holy Ghost has seen fit to implant within the text of the epistle so that we might be provided with a framework that might stimulate us to further detailed study. And we have looked in sequence at the term, sit down at my right hand, then the suffering of death, shadow and substance, priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, followed by better, followed by the exhortations, let us, and then this afternoon we had a discussion on the significance and some of the ramifications of the fact, the blessed fact, that Christ suffered once, once and for all, and his work was perfect and will never need, his sacrificial work will never need to be repeated. And because this is our last session together, it is right to come to the climax to which the epistle increasingly focuses the attention. The term that I've read in those two instances where it is used in the epistle, the world to come. Before we get into this immense subject, suffer me to say this. If sufficient is to be said to provide a framework, we'll need to get through a lot of material tonight. Don't worry if you cannot remember everything that is said. We are here to establish for each other certain impressions which are intended to last, which are intended to affect us, which are intended to give us greater commitment, greater devotion to our Lord Jesus Christ, make us better witnesses for him while we wait for him to come. Now, some of you during the week have been taking notes. Well, if you wish to do that, well and good. I would only say that to help us to move on expeditiously, I, David, for me, will be putting up on the screen a summary of the points that we hope to make. If anyone is interested and lets David know his or her name and address, arrangements can be made afterwards to provide you with a summary of the points made. Now, that's only to remove something of the frantic haste that might otherwise be necessary to jot down all the scriptures that are referred to. The other thing is, I understand that the meeting is being taped and I, for one, would certainly like to go through afterwards at a more leisurely pace the things that are said with the scriptures in front of me, hoping to get greater gain from that. Again, I'm sure tapes can be made available when required. Now, what I suggest you do is to work through this framework and drawing the attention to scriptures which affirm that the points that are made are valid. Now, one further note, if my audience in the bottom corner here would like to see, as well as here, because I'll be at the desk, you may feel you wish to move. If you do, please feel free. The other thing is, if those at the back, there is a tendency for those who can't hear very well and can't see very well to gravitate to the back seats. If you find you can't quite get the writing in focus, please move forward. It will be no embarrassment and you'll be able to see and hear all that goes on. Now, we are to look tonight then at this focal point of the ministry of the Epistle to the Hebrews, the world to come of which scripture speaks. Now, very frequently the term the millennium is used and we speak of that which is millennial, pertaining to the thousand years. The world to come is the translation of the scripture. It is the actual text. The word the millennium, a Latin term meaning a thousand years. So, there's no disparity between the two. One refers to the character of the period, the other tells us it's of a thousand years duration and we will come to that. But first of all, let us think for a few moments of the character of the kingdom. We've sung and we've read that there is a time coming in the history of the world where there will be a kingdom completely unlike any other kingdom that there has ever been. Now, this is made plain straightaway when we consider the character of the kingdom. Now, Daniel chapter 2 and verse 38 gives us an early picture of the character of God's kingdom with one man in sole undisputed sway controlling things on God's behalf and to Nebuchadnezzar not because of what he was personally or morally, but because of the position in which God placed him as an undisputed head of a universal empire, it was possible to say to him, thou art this head of gold. And that was predicted about 600 BC, more than 600 years before the incoming into the world of the Son of God. Now, the implications of one man acting on God's behalf in undisputed sway over all the nations of the world is given in Daniel 5 verses 18 and 19. I'll read them for you. O thou king, speaking to Belshazzar, the most high God gave unto Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom and majesty and glory and honor. And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he slew. Whom he would, he kept alive. And whom he would, he set up. And whom he would, he put down. So this is the kind of kingdom that God has ever looked forward to, one man on God's behalf. Whom he would, he slew. Whom he would, he kept alive. Promotion, demotion, sweeping out of the way in judgment, all these things in the hands of one man. Notice it's the character of the kingdom, not the identity of the king that Daniel refers to. Now, in such a kingdom, with one man acting as king on God's behalf, the overriding principle will be righteousness. Oh, how thankful we are. You and I cannot point to a kingdom in this world at the present time where the overriding principle is one of righteousness. Isaiah 700 BC or thereabouts, chapter 32 verse 1 said, behold, a king shall reign in righteousness. It hasn't happened yet, but it will because God says so. I have purposed it, I will do it, set the law. Coming forward from 700 BC to the first century AD, the middle of the first century, Paul on Mars Hill made the matter plain that again, there would be a kingdom, there would be a king, the overriding principle, righteousness. God has appointed a day in which he will rule the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained, whereof he has given assurance unto all in that he has raised him from the dead. He will judge, he will rule, he will reign in righteousness. Now, scriptures abound. I can only give you a sample. Thirdly, this kingdom with one man in undisputed control, this kingdom characterized by righteousness, this kingdom, the scripture says, will never be ever superseded by another. It is the last kingdom on earth given by God so that affairs can be regulated rightly by one man on his behalf. Listen to what the prophet Ezekiel said, chapter 21, verses 26 and 27. Thus saith the Lord God, remove the diadem, take off the crown, this shall not be the same, it shall not be prolonged. Exalt him that is low, abase him that is high, I will overturn, overturn, overturn it. There was the kingdom of Babylon. It was overturned. God used as his tool, his instrument of justice, the kingdom of the Medes and Persians. In its day, that was overturned, superseded by the empire of Greece. That in turn was conquered by the empire of Rome. Kingdom succeeded by kingdom, overturned, overturned, overturned until, until he come whose right it is and I will give it him. Oh, again here we have a scripture where the word until is used for a waiting period which will come to an end when God's man is introduced, God intervening in the affairs of men and God's man taking up the reins of government. Until that arises, the term until continues to bear examination. Until he come whose right it is and I will give it him. Yes, God's King will take control when God puts that control into the King's hands. It comes from the hand of God. Daniel 2, 44, in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed. The kingdom shall not be left to other people but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms and it shall stand forever. Chapter 7, verses 14, 18, and 27 give us the same message but these examples will suffice. In the New Testament, Peter, his second epistle, chapter 1, verse 11, speaks of the everlasting kingdom which God will bring in and which will never be superseded by another. A kingdom of righteousness with one man in control which will never be superseded by another. How often I've heard it said, I wince when it is said. Prophecy, clear as crystal, cold as ice. Or if that is so, we haven't got prophecy as it comes from the hand of God. Prophecy gives us information about the future to regulate our lives at the present time. But if anything is presented which is for the glory and honour of Christ, it must be of deep interest to me. And when we come to the identity of the King, how it warms our hearts, having considered the character of the kingdom, to realise that the King of the kingdom is Jesus, my Saviour. Matthew's gospel tells us he was born King. Or if Luke, in his setting, says he was born a Saviour and so he was, Matthew tells us that he was born King. How fitting that in that gospel which gives us a comprehensive picture of the qualifications and the glories of God's King, that at the very beginning of the gospel that we should be told that he was born King. That prophetic minor prophet Zechariah says rejoice, behold thy King cometh. Well, once we know who he is, his name is Jesus, we can well understand that the kingdom takes character from the kind of King that is in control. Now, the kingdom, as considered, will be ruled in righteousness because the King is righteous. How replete the scriptures are in references to that. Psalm 45, well, the whole psalm is the psalm of the King. Because of truth and meekness and righteousness. Again, the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter. And again, thou lovest righteousness and hated iniquity. All these phrases brought out of the Old Testament, quoted in the epistle to the Hebrews to identify the King of God's kingdom with Jesus, who became a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death. Isaiah tells us with righteousness shall he judge the poor. Righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins. Revelation tells us in righteousness doth he judge and make war. Act 17 again, he shall rule the world in righteousness. John's epistle tells us personally, morally, he is Jesus Christ, the righteous one. How sweet that this King, in undisputed sway, on behalf of God, this man who will rule the world in righteousness, it will please him to have with him as his consort, his partner, his bride. Wonderful, wonderful thing that scripture presents. Revelation 19 tells us of the marriage supper of the Lamb, that there identified with him the object of his precious love, that when he comes into his kingdom and takes up the reign of his government, that he will have alongside him as his consort, the one he has chosen to be his partner. As the scripture says, when Christ who was our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory. Again, in those practical pastoral epistles, Paul says to Timothy, if we suffer, we shall also reign with him. That lovely promise to the overcomer, in the address to the church at Laodicea, to him that overcometh, to him that is faithful in an increasingly dark day, to him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne. A wonderful thing to be identified with the king in his day of glory. Now, we must keep moving on. His name is Jesus, he gives character to his kingdom, he will have his consort with him, and blessed be God, when he reigns over the earth, his consort shall be associated with him when he reigns. In the interval, a brother kindly pointed out to me how true it is. Salvation is so comprehensive, not only has a past and a present and a future, it also has an earthly side and a heavenly side. The church of the living God, his bride, Christ loved the assembly and gave himself for it, that in association with him in his day of glory, they shall reign with him over the earth. Look at that verse, Hebrews 12, 22, telling us that there is a heavenly Jerusalem, the heavenly city, identifying the consort of the king, through whom and in whom all his glory will be manifested. There is also an earthly side to the kingdom, as we shall hope to see. Again, Revelation 5, verse 10, we shall reign with him over the earth. Fourthly, a more difficult consideration, how is it that while we learn that the king's feet shall touch upon the Mount of Olives, how is it that we learn that there is a heavenly side to the kingdom and an earthly side to the kingdom? When we read the book of the prophet Ezekiel, who tells us so much about the earth, the glory of the earthly side of the kingdom, we get to chapters 44 to 48 and we find that there is a grand personage referred to again and again as the prince, the one who shall rule from Jerusalem on the earth. And it's difficult to fit New Testament scriptures into this until we turn to Ezekiel 45 and we read of him in reference to the celebration of the Passover, which will be taken up in the kingdom retrospectively as we take up the Lord's Supper now and we read in that verse, upon that day, the celebration of the Passover, upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land, a bullet for a sin offering. Here is one of the house and lineage of David in the royal line, acting for God on earth, ruling on behalf of the king, as we would say the prince regent, a regent operates in the absence of the principal, in the absence of the personal king, the regent will act on his behalf, guiding, ruling, controlling, reigning at Jerusalem and it is made clear that this cannot be our precious saviour because not only on behalf of the people but on behalf of himself, a sin offering must needs be made. Scripture then affirms that the king will be in heaven with his heavenly consort with him, that there will be his regent, the prince, acting on his behalf on the earth and the Ezekiel 44 to 48 tell us something about that. Now if we want to get more detail, please refer again to revelation 21, the end of the chapter and the beginning of chapter 22. We connect and it would be folly to go beyond the revealed truth of God in holy scripture but what we should do, we owe it to the blessed Lord to enter into the truth of scripture as far as the truth has been revealed and so we are entitled to inquire as to who the subjects of the kingdom will be when the king reigns in righteousness. Now it is quite clear, quite clear, I would only repeat the note, the chain of command and administration of the kingdom will be from the king personally in heaven accompanied by those who live and reign with him a thousand years. Let us pause there. It is one thing to say that someone lives, it is another thing to say that they reign. Now something of the blessing of association with Christ is given in this compound verb that is used. It is said that they live and reign with Christ a thousand years. Living and reigning, a compound blessing, association with Christ in glory. Well, live and reign with Christ a thousand years. Israel by then the remnant restored to the land, restored to the Lord, will be acting on the king's behalf in Palestine and centered upon the city of Jerusalem. From the king through the assembly, the prince regent on earth, the nation of Israel and through them to what scripture calls the saved nations. And occupying what scripture so sweetly calls the pleasant land, all the joys and blessings for which the nation have been looking forward will be realized at that time. Let us go back just for a moment to things that have been said during the week. The great danger and difficulty for Jews converted to Christ was that having their mind and their thinking geared to the fact at the time that the Hebrew religion is the only God-given religion that has ever been extant on the face of the earth, to be told that that has to be put to one side and that the despised Jesus is the only one in whom, by whom and through whom blessing might be enjoyed, was a terrible blow for them to take. Or they thought all that we've given up, all that we've put to one side, have we done the right thing, have we made a terrible mistake? No, the Holy Ghost said, all that you hope for will yet be realized. The time will come when Israel will be in the right place, when the blessing long foreseen in scripture will be enjoyed and in order that that might be seen, his personal representative will be in the city which will then be seen to be the world centre of all that's important. How many unions, communions, confederations, empires, communities we've seen grow up over the history of the world. But scripture says the time will come when there will be a world centre of government. That lovely psalm 72 gives us all the details. Grand isn't it, that at the end of the psalm, after describing the kingdom with one man in undisputed sway on God's behalf, that we get this lovely comment, the prayers of David are ended. The intercessory prayers, asking for something, pleading for an answer, all that kind of prayer will be finished, all the hopes realized, all the prayers answered in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. There's more to come out after psalm 72, there's more to be revealed. But as far as pleading with God that he will bring in his kingdom and anoint his king to rule in righteousness, we find that psalm 72 gives us all that. Psalm 98 says the Lord cometh to judge the earth, with righteousness shall he judge the world. Jerusalem, the centre of world government. A less well-known verse perhaps, Jerusalem will be the centre of training. How many training schemes there are at the present time? None of them seem to fit the bill completely. The time will come when all training will be effective, all teaching will achieve its purpose when Jerusalem is the centre of training. Listen to this, many nations shall come and say, come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us of his ways, we will walk in his paths, for the law shall go forth of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Government, administration, training, I suppose when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and others were the cream of their generation, were taken out and taken to another land for training, it was a little picture of what will happen here but here Jerusalem, the centre of government, the centre of teaching, happily too the centre of worship. If there is from God, blessing ministered through his king in heaven to his regent on earth through the nation of Israel to the length and breadth of the inhabited earth, how right, how proper that there should be a response gathered from the ends of the earth to Jerusalem and back up to God. There will indeed be worship ascending. Jeremiah 3 17, at that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord. His every claim will be met. All the nations shall be gathered unto it to the name of the Lord to Jerusalem. Zechariah 14 again, it shall come to pass that everyone that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the king, the Lord of hosts and to keep the feast of tabernacles. It shall be that whoso shall not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the king, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no ring. I have no ideas of my own I can only draw your attention to what scripture says in affirmation of what we believe. What blessings there shall arise. We sing of Christ being in the ordered place and so he is and when the issue, when there flows from that the effect of God's man being in undisputed sway, when all this is manifested there shall be blessing experienced in kind and in total which surpasses by far anything that has been experienced before in the world. The blessings of the kingdom then will necessitate certainly a change in the configuration of Israel and a change in the climate. Now if we read Zechariah 14 we get there a description of the change that God will make to the construction of the land, where the hills lie, where the valleys are, the direction in which they run, the irrigation that will be necessary in order that the blessing might ensue. Well that having taken place it is fair to consider some of the more prominent blessings there will be. At the present time Romans tells us the kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Now that's moral but the time is coming when these same features shall be seen expressly as we have considered justice, righteousness shall be the rule and not the exception. A king shall rule in righteousness, peace or how men's hearts bleed for peace at the present time. The only time that peace will be the norm in the affairs of men on this earth is when the prince of peace is in control. Isaiah 32, the work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. Always the order, righteousness, the claims of God met and then peace to be enjoyed. We learn of course the same lesson in the epistle we've been looking at. First of all king of righteousness and then after that when righteousness has been established after that king of Salem which means king of peace. Yes there will be joy. Isaiah tells us in chapter 65 be glad and rejoice forever. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in my people. It is no accident that that which is appreciated morally at the present time righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost will be demonstrated literally in the world to come. Fourthly, the curse that came upon the earth when man was put in dominion on the face of the earth the curse will be removed and there will be such an increase in fertility and fruitfulness as will amaze those who are there. God hath to say to Adam, cursed is the ground for thy sake. When thou tillest the ground it shall not henceforth yield unto thee its strength. There was to be a diminishing of the yield, the fertility even of the earth because of the sinfulness of man. But listen to what Isaiah says, the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them. The desert shall rejoice, blossom as the rose, it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice even with joy and singing. Hosea says the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and the oil. Amos very graphically, behold the days shall come saith the Lord that the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him that soweth the seed. Where there had been one harvest before there'll be twice. The seasons will be compounded one following another. Nature rejoicing to burst in celebration bringing forth its yield. Wonderful thing. Extreme longevity will be the rule and not the exception. As was said in the reading, death will occur exceptionally by way of instant justice. The soul that sinneth it shall die or we can use it in the gospel. It's a millennial statement of instant justice. The soul that sinneth it shall die. Again, the sinner shall be accursed. We cannot trifle with God. Where there is righteousness, sin will be instantly judged. The animal creation will be brought into the good. There'll be no such thing as animals preying on one another. What does Isaiah say? The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb. The leopard shall lie down with the kid. The calf and the young lion and the fatling together and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall feed their young. Ones shall lie down together and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. While there will be blessing and joy and peace, it will not be a time of soft, anything goes, laissez-faire kind of government. There will be no opposition allowed. There will be no rebellion allowed. There will be no idolatry permitted. Again, Isaiah, the idols he shall utterly abolish. It makes us think of the present time, doesn't it? I've heard over the years that in communist lands in Eastern Europe and in Russia that there are perhaps five percent committed to the ideology. The silent majority go along with it, uneasy, not very happy, but because they know if they rebel they'll suffer immediately, they go along and try and make the best of a bad job. Now, we can understand that point of view. It also means if the break is taken off, as it has done over the last 12 months, if anyone says, all right, express yourself, do what you want to do, people are happy to do that. Isaiah says that during the kingdom of righteousness there will be those who are not righteous themselves, who are not obedient to God, but the literal translation, they feign obedience, they put it on, they go through the motions, because if they don't obey they'll be judged and they will die. At the end of the kingdom, and perhaps we may read the verse just before we close, when all this period of blessing comes to an end and the break is taken off, those who feign obedience will prove that the human heart is no better than it ever was. They will rebel, encouraged by Satan himself, and they will then be judged. But during the kingdom, they will feign obedience and scripture tells us about that. Psalm 66 uses that term, feigned obedience. You will have noticed that in speaking of the characteristics of God's kingdom, it's necessary to repeat, to have repeated reference to the book of the prophet Isaiah, the Psalms, and the book of Revelation. Just let us make a note of that. If I am not clear about the features of the kingdom, is it because I give too little attention to the book of the prophet Isaiah? I don't venture often enough into the book of Psalms. Even if I don't retain the detail, and I won't, I will get right impressions as I saturate my mind and heart in the truth of God. Now one thing we haven't yet looked at is the duration of the world to come, the millennium. I suggest that we look at Revelation chapter 20. Let us look, turn please, and never again need we be in any doubt about the duration of God's kingdom, the grand focal point and climax of much of what the Old Testament prophesies. Notice chapter 20, Revelation verse 2, a thousand years, a period of a thousand years. Verse 3, the thousand years. This period of a thousand years is a special period. It's the period when God's king reigns in righteousness. Verse 4, end of the verse, a thousand years. Verse 5, the thousand years. Verse 6, a thousand years. Verse 7, the thousand years. Not so long ago someone said to me, ah, but there's only one portion of scripture, isn't there, which talks about the millennium, the thousand years. If it's the truth of God, and it's clear, and it's in line with the immediate context, and the whole context of the whole canon of scripture, I needn't look for more than one. But while the character of the kingdom is referred to in many of the prophets, the extent, the duration of the kingdom is referred to in this one section, but in this one section repeatedly, a thousand years, the thousand years, a thousand years, the thousand years, a thousand years, the thousand years. This special period of one thousand years. It's the truth of God, it's good enough for me. It's the end on earth to which God has ever worked. It's been possible during the week to emphasize the contrast between Judaism, which relates to that which is earthly, and temporal, and material. And on the other hand, Christianity, which is concerned with that which is heavenly, and eternal, and spiritual. But while that is so, and happily so, and happily so, the parameters of the epistle to the Hebrews are such that we are not really taken into eternity, even though he speaks of eternal things. The horizon is set. The Jews were instructed to look forward to the world to come, the millennium, the thousand years reign of righteousness with God's kingdom, God's king in command. The Holy Ghost says, right, that's your expectation. I'll take your heart and mind right through to that time, the world to come of which we speak. And he speaks about it, and much is said in the epistle. It is God's focal point, God's focal period, when blessing for man, and glory for God, will be universally manifested. And so it is that this period, this duration of a thousand years, is defined in Revelation, but referred to in character in the epistle to the Hebrews, referred to in time in the book of Revelation. How will it end? Let us remind ourselves, as a kingdom, it will never be superseded. Let us remind ourselves, this kingdom will never be overturned. But God, having demonstrated for a full cycle of time, which a thousand years is, God will give one last demonstration that man in himself could never achieve it, could never deserve it. Only by the death of Christ, once and for all, can blessing be enjoyed. So let us turn again to the book of Revelation, and chapter 20. Let us read soberly. What will happen when the thousand years reign of Christ will come to an end on earth? Revelation 20, verse 7. When the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, the number of whom is as the sound of the sea. After all the blessing, after the righteousness, the peace, the joy, the fertility, the fruitfulness, the long living, after all that, Satan stirs them up. When he's released for a short season, man demonstrates that in himself he's no better than he ever was. What will God do? Well, these who set themselves against God, they compass the camp of the saints about, the beloved city, Jerusalem. Fire will come down from God, out of heaven, and devour them. It's spoken in the past tense. Looking to the future, spoken of as past tense, in the purpose of God, it's as good as done, because he has determined it. The devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night, forever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was no place found for them. I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. And the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Well, read verses 13, 14, 15. The final judgment, the only court of appeal, the only way of escape, those who have cast themselves into the care of the lamb that was slain. By this time, the rest of the dead are the wicked dead, and they will be judged in righteousness. And that is the end of the wicked dead. But, happily, most happily, there is a good note on which to end. First Corinthians chapter 15, self-explanatory, I shall do no more than read it. 1 Corinthians 15, verses 24 to 28. One of only four scriptures which tell us anything at all about eternity. This is one of them. Then cometh the end. When time is drawing to a close, God's ways in time being brought to an end, when he, that is Christ, shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power, for he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death, for he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he has accepted which did put all things under him. And now, and when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. Notice how exact the terms that are used. It is always worthwhile to see which person of the Godhead is referred to in any particular scripture. And these verses tell us that ultimately the kingdom, all the threads pulled together by the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the kingdom finally, as time draws to a close, the kingdom will be delivered up by the Son, as such, to the Father, as such, that God, as such, may be all in all. O let our meditation upon these things, aspects of the glory of Christ, affect us, that as we read such scriptures, we can be given to pause, to add our sealer, our Amen, to what God has made plain. What a wonderful God he is that he's made plain to finite creatures like you and me what he is choosing to do, putting his spirit within us, that we might be guided unto all truth. Let us enter into the spirit of these things. …

… As most of you realize, commencing last night, we are spending the week, if the Lord will, looking at some of the significant words and phrases in the Epistle to the Hebrews. And tonight, in the Gospel, I feel it right that we should single out the word and the thought, death. I would say, in almost every home represented here, somewhere in the home there will be a tract with the title, A Preacher of the Old School. And of course, it's speaking about death. On many subjects, you know, there are what are, in a fancy way, called euphemisms. I don't want to blind you with words. Tell you what that word means to me. It's putting a nice word to something that's nasty, so that it doesn't sound as nasty as it really is. I'll give you one example, then move on. It's fashionable to talk about things that are wrong, things that people do that they shouldn't do, as indiscretions. I'm sure you've heard the word. Now that's not a bad sort of word. In fact, I'm maybe not quite sure what it means, and therefore, I can't put too much in store by it. But instead of indiscretion, the euphemism, I say what the act really is, sin. Oh, that's a nasty word, about a nasty deed that God abhors. Let us speak plainly about what we mean. Well, death makes people feel uncomfortable. And even amongst unbelievers, no claim to be Christian or religious in any way, people talk about going over to the other side. And that's a Bible image, you know, crossing the river, going over to the other side, arriving at the desired haven. Putting it plainly, they're speaking about death. Now, I don't want to treat this in any morbid way. And as often, if I'm speaking from a certain book, taking a subject or a word from the book, I feel it's right to scan through the whole of the book just to get the feel of what the writer is saying about the subject. So I spent a little time this afternoon scanning through the epistle to the Hebrews, and as far as I could see, there are at least 23 verses which refer to death or dying or things or people being dead. And two of those verses mention death or dying twice over, so in all, there are about 25 references to death. I won't have time, I wouldn't want to refer to every one. I'm going to concentrate on chapter two. If you want to know one of the main features of Hebrews chapter two, it's about death. And we'll come to some aspects of that in a moment. Now, there are five references to death. Pick up your Bible again. Verse nine, the suffering of death. Again towards the end of the verse, tasting death. Fourteen, through death and the power of death. And verse 15, the fear of death. Now I don't want to take them in that order. I want to take them in a slightly different order. I want to speak first of all about the phrase in verse 14, the power of death. The power of death in this world is, at least as far as God permits it, it's Satan's power. Satan is the God of this world, the prince of the power of the air. And Satan influences people's thinking by wielding the power of death. I want to move quickly on for that. I have better, more positive, constructive things to say on this matter of death. But because Satan exercises, without people realizing it, subconsciously, this power over them, men are in fear of death. That's my second thing. If the power of death is Satan's, the fear of death is the portion of those who don't believe the gospel. Maybe there are many unbelievers who don't realize that all their lifetime they are subject to bondage. One of Satan's great devices is to deceive people that he, the devil, doesn't even exist. And he puts such a shroud of mystery over death, deceives people into talking about reincarnation, coming back in another form, behave yourself, you'll come back as an angel, misbehave and you'll be a frog. And so, the mind of man, under the control of Satan, runs riot. Subconsciously, instinctively, there is fear of death. And because of that, there is the fear of even considering death. I'm glad this is the book which talks about people's attitude in the light of death. The best examples of anything we want to say are always found in the Bible. Bible examples are best. When we get as far as chapter 11, we read about people who had no fear of death because they were in touch with God. Enoch, we read, had no fear of death. He walked with God and God took him and it's not a euphemism, it's not a nice word about a nasty thing, it's a nice word about a wonderful thing. Three times in a verse in the chapter 11, God says, Enoch was translated. People complain the word rupture is not in the Bible. I say it is. First Thessalonians chapter 4, catching away, rupture. Here's another word for it in chapter 11, Enoch was translated. What does that word mean? He was transferred to another place, from earth to heaven. It would be valid if you trust the Savior, if your sins are forgiven, be quite valid in view of death for you to say, I'm going to be transferred to another place. In the language of Hebrews, I'm going to a better place to be with Christ, which is far, far better. John Wesley, wasn't it, who said, our people, meaning our Christian people, our people die well. No fear of death. Saying with this armist, it shall be well for them that trust the Lord. Oh, do you trust the Lord? How simple the language of Scripture. It shall be well with them that trust the Lord, no fear of death for those who trust the Savior. Again in chapter 11, we read of Jacob. He knew he was dying. Scripture says while he was dying, what did he do? He blessed his grandsons, Joseph's sons, and it says he worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. Oh, do you know, have you seen believers die? What a composure. The nearest relative to me, whose presence I've been in when they were dying was my mother, who in her 90th year said, the Lord's been good to me, all my family are saved, and I'm ready to go. Oh, that's reproduced thousands and thousands of times, the language of the soul that knows it shall be well because they've trusted the Lord. Fear of death where Christ is not known, no fear of death where the Savior has been trusted. Well, there's language, of course, in the gospel according to Hebrews, which makes the matter stark and plain. Why there is fear of death for the unsaved, no fear of death for the saved. Chapter six speaks of the resurrection of the dead. Death is not the end of being, the end of existence. And again, what produces fear in the unbeliever but confidence in the believer, in chapter nine, listen to this stark statement, it is appointed unto men, women, boys, girls, it's appointed unto men once to die and after death, the judgment. Death is inevitable, death is irrevocable, but it's not the end, it's followed by the judgment. The only people who need have no fear of the judgment is those who trusted Christ as Savior. And why? Well, we've got the language here in verse nine, Christ has tasted death for every man. If the power of death is Satan's, if the fear of death is the portion of the unbeliever, the tasting of death was Christ's. What does it mean? Not easy to explain or expound, taste, sample, experience, tasting, sampling, experiencing is something you do voluntarily, willingly, not because you have to, but because you're willing to. The Lord Jesus Christ didn't need to die, death is the portion of sinners, the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Christ, sinless, perfect, holy, he willingly tasted death. He went into it of his own accord that you and I might have no fear of death. What wonderful love. He didn't need to die for himself, he didn't need to experience all the shame and the horror of the death of Calvary. But he sampled it, he went into it that you and I might never have to taste it. What a grand exception Enoch was. A picture, if the Lord spares us and you're here, we'll come to some other words like this, example, figure, shadow, but here we have in Enoch a picture, an illustration of the difference between trusting Christ and being an unbeliever. Now you may well have heard, if so I'll tell you again. If you haven't heard it, listen to this. What do you make of this statement? A man born once will die twice. A man born twice may never die. That's a bit of a conundrum, isn't it? But it's right according to scripture, a person who has only been born once and experienced natural birth into this world, into this life, will die because he's a sinner. And then the final death, banishment, separation from God, eternal torment, away from God. Not in company with the people you've enjoyed life with, but as men would say, in solitary isolation. The second death, as scripture speaks of it. But like Enoch, who walked with God and was not, for God took him, someone who's not only had a natural birth, but a spiritual birth, new birth, or he may never die. Jesus is coming. We've sung it, lovely words. Jesus is coming. And those who've trusted Christ as saviour can say, as we sang in the hymn, coming for me, for me. Not because I deserve it, but because he wants me to be with himself. The Christian hope is not to go to be with Christ when I die. If the Lord chooses that my life of responsibility on earth comes to an end before he comes again, so be it. But that's not the Christian hope. The Christian hope is to be alive and remain, waiting and watching for Jesus who's coming for me, for me. No fear of death for the one who's waiting to be translated, caught up, raptured, transferred from this dark, sinful world to the presence of Christ in the glory of God. No wonder there's no fear of death. Well, there is another reference in verse 14. Jesus took part in flesh and blood, that through death. Not now the power of death, not now the fear of death, not now tasting death for us, but the medium of death. Or chapter two is all about the reason why it was necessary for Jesus to come into this world in incarnation, God manifested in flesh and to become a man. Chapter one says, in his glorious person he's God and he is by whom the worlds were made. Chapter two says, for me, for you, he came into the world, he became a man, because if he hadn't become a man, he couldn't have passed through the medium of death. This is why chapter two says, it wouldn't have been any use at all, Jesus becoming an angel, entering into the condition of an angel, no, if man were to be saved, if mankind is to be relieved of the fear of death, the Lord Jesus had to enter into a condition where it was possible for him to die. Not for himself, not because he was a sinner, but on behalf of sinners, that through death, the medium of death, or the Lord Jesus really did die. Think about it, what it meant to him, coming into the world a real baby. Not in adult mind, in a little baby body, the marvel of the incarnation is, he became a real baby, a real toddler, a real boy, a real teenager, a real man. What marvelous grace that the Lord Jesus was willing to go through those stages, those phases, entering into full adult manhood, all with this object in mind that he would really die. He was a real man and he really died. Oh, how much truth in a few little verses, few little words. Obedient, the Bible says, unto death, and that the death of the cross, yes, the medium of death, he really died. He didn't go into a trance, as some people would like to think, it wasn't a conjuring trick, he really suffered, he really died, and I'm sure that's why, in verse 9 here, it says, the suffering of death. He became a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death. How can this be, that he became lower than the angels? Peculiar phrase, isn't it? Not personally, he's God. Not morally, he's pure and holy. In the order of beings, in the hierarchy of beings, angels are higher in the scale of being than men. If the Lord Jesus had become an angel, he could have acted on behalf of angels. He didn't do that. Because God so loved the world and the people in the world, mankind, Jesus became a man, that he might die the death due to men because men have sinned. And he had to go through not only the medium of death, through death, but the suffering of death, and all that entailed wasn't just that he died about half way through the normal lifespan. He did that. The Bible said he would, hundreds of years beforehand, said he'd be cut off in the midst of his days. And in his mid-thirties, half the normal allotted span of 70 years, Jesus died. Not due to natural causes, but because he bore the burden of sin. The terrible weight of sin in all its aggregate, in all its horrible totality, Jesus bore all that in itself is marvellous, isn't it? Have you considered, do you believe that the suffering of death was accepted by God as sufficient to cover every sin that's ever been committed by everybody that's ever lived? Some people say that the number of people alive on earth at the present time equals in total everybody that's ever lived and died upon the earth. Well, population is mushrooming. And if at the present time there are about 3,000 million souls, if that was right, it would mean that certainly at least 6,000 million people have lived and died on the face of the earth. All sinners, apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, who lived and died upon earth, there is sufficient virtue in the death of Jesus to cover every sin and every kind of sin that's ever been committed. Do you believe that? It's what the Bible says. He is the bearer away of the sin of the world. But let's go to the other extreme. It's possible, and it's right, for believers in the gospel, those who've trusted Christ, it's possible for me as a believer to say, of Jesus, who his own self, bear my sins in his own body on the tree. Oh, it's not just a big mass and the individual details forgotten. Every sin is known to God. Every sin made it a necessity to God that Jesus should suffer the death of the cross. But those who trust him are brought into the good of the suffering of death. The Bible says the righteousness of God is unto all. It's available to all. Everyone whosoever is willing to come into the blessing is catered for. But all the writer says, while it's unto all, it's upon, it rests upon, it's enjoyed by those who believe. Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins? Marvelous blessing that God makes available. As the Lord gives you opportunity, read through the epistle to the Hebrews. If you can, come through the week, hear about some of the better things that are available because Jesus suffered unto death and that the death of the cross. A quote of that verse, it is appointed unto men once to die and after death, the judgment. For the unbeliever, opportunity gone of trusting Christ when death comes in. There's no indication that those who've rejected Christ all their life will have a sudden change of heart on their deathbed. Yes, there are deathbed conversions, thank God for that. But the norm is that people die as they've lived and if they've lived without Christ, they will die without Christ and after death, the judgment. Judgment is sure for the unbeliever. Justice is sure for the unbeliever. Blessing is sure for the believer. Why? Because Christ died and rose again. All the blessing, all the judgment is sure and certain, God says so, and it's been established in the death and resurrection of Christ. Get pictures of that too and statements in the Bible that blessing and justice alike are sure because Christ died and rose again. People go on, no thought of God, not only the drunkard or the child abuser or the murderer. People who outwardly nice people nor thought of God before their eyes. Not so long ago, a famous sports commentator decided at 66 he would retire. He was interviewed and he was asked, what lay ahead for him? How sad, no mention of God, no mention of the gospel. He said something like this, there's a lot of good books I'd like to read, he didn't mention the Bible, I like a nice meal, I like good wine, I like good company, a few years in the garden and then coast down to the grave, gentle, steady, peaceful, unhurried. How sad that an apparently kind, careful, thoughtful, nice man could have no finer prospect ahead than coasting down to the grave. Not in top gear, not in bottom gear, but just coasting down in neutral, in other words, the vehicle not under direct control. Joseph, we read in chapter 11, was so composed in the face of death, we read, he gave commandment concerning his bones, what a strange thing to write. He wanted things done decently and in order and with his family around him, he said, now this is what I want you to do after I've gone, no fear of death, utterly composed. I've known believers like that, so do you, those of you who've trusted the Saviour. I remember one, Cecil Richardson, known to most of you. The gospel being preached at heaven, dear Jack Walton, the preacher. As always, tea at 80 Armstreet. If I've got the details not quite right, I'll be adjusted afterwards. Whether it was tea or supper, the preacher was there, probably accompanied by his wife. George and Winnie Bell were there. Like Joseph, Cecil Richardson gave commandment concerning his bones. Whatever the subject, turned to funerals. Cecil in his forthright way says, now look, I've got no difficulty, he never had, everything was perfectly plain to him and he was fully assured in his faith. He said, it's no problem to me. He said, George, you will take the funeral in the hall and Jack, you will do it at the graveside. Told them the hymns, what he wanted to be done and fully assured, no fear of death in his eyes. No one was to know that later that night, whether it was over the supper table with the visitors still there or after they'd gone, I can't remember. He had a massive heart attack. He was gone to be with Christ before breakfast time the next morning. Of course, his widow was sad. She sorrowed. Not as others who have no hope, but it was a real sorrow being bereft of a partner. She went to be with Christ a couple of weeks ago, far, far better, no fear of death. Monday morning, I got a phone call from a nephew, just about nine o'clock, to tell me that a beloved brother, one described by a contemporary as a real Apollos, a mighty man eloquent in the scriptures, had gone to be with his Lord, or like Joseph, fully composed, he'd given commandment concerning his bones. Death is real, but death is not the end. One more example. I've got my own Hebrews 11, I'm sure you all have, those of you who know the Lord. It was my joy and help to be at South Shields from 1958 to 1962, spiritually happy to sit at the feet of Willie Barnes, quiet, gentle, well instructed, kind believer on the Lord Jesus Christ. While I was at Shields, Mrs. Barnes went to be with the Lord. She died as far as this life was concerned. We went to visit Willie, to attempt to support him in his grief. Now, he said to me, what seemed a very strange thing, oh think about it, those of you who know Christ, those of you who aren't saved, think about these words, gentle, spiritual man, he said this, would you like to see the body? Now, when I got away, I thought, wasn't that strange? He didn't say, would you like to see it? He said, would you like to see the body? What did he mean? He wasn't being morbid, spiritual man, he said, she's with Christ, which is far, far better. The body is on earth, the body will be buried, the body will be raised, but she's gone. Oh, there's no fear of death for those who trust Christ, who died to save them. Death concerns the body. It is the body that is laid in the grave, it is the body that's left behind, the immaterial part of the person, spirit and soul, go to be with Christ, which is far, far better for the believer. War for the unbeliever, death is not extinction. The immaterial component, spirit and soul, reserved, not for blessing, but for judgment. And as the body, even if the body decomposes as far as this life is concerned, God, who formed man in the first place, God has stated that every person who has sinned, and this is all, everyone will be raised and judged, and if they haven't trusted Christ as saviour, they will be cast into outer darkness the second day. Blessing and judgment, both certain, because Jesus died and rose again. We're going to sing our last hymn now. Again, it speaks of Christ suffering for sins. Let us consider well, once again, whether we are still in fear of death, under Satan's power, because we haven't had our sins forgiven. Farewell the suffering of Christ unto death, even the death of the cross. Escape the judgment, enjoy the blessing, because Christ died and rose again. …

… I want to read to you tonight from the epistle to the Hebrews, first of all in chapter 1, verse 1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners, speak in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds, who, being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high. Chapter 2, verse 1. Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him. God also bearing them witness forth with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will. Chapter 3, verse 7. Therefore, as the Holy Ghost said, today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Then chapter 12, verse 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh, for if they escape not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth. But now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire. When someone speaks to us, how we listen and how we respond depends to a large degree on what we think of the person speaking. I cannot judge for you, you know your own heart. How honestly do you listen when somebody speaks to you? Oh, I like her. She's my friend. She always says nice things. I listen to what she says. Him? Troublemaker, bad-tempered, never done a day's work in his life. I pay no attention to what he says, just a trace of partiality towards the one, just a trace of prejudice against the other. I can only speak for myself however hard I try. How I listen, how I respond depends very much on what I think of the person speaking. How do you listen to God? How do you listen to what he says? What honest intention have you of responding to what God says, knowing it will be true because he is the God of truth? The Lord Jesus spoke a parable once. He spoke many parables, but about one parable that the Lord Jesus gave, one record of the parable quotes the Lord Jesus rightly because no doubt that's what he said. The Lord said, take heed what ye hear. Being what we are, knowing how easily we are swayed, knowing that first impressions remain, however hard we try to be fair and assess the worthy, the worthwhileness of things that are said to us, once they've been said, they're in and it's hard to get them out. The Lord said, take heed what you hear. That affects our whole life, you know, if we act upon that. The company we keep, the habits we have, the friends we make, how we spend our time. If we responded to what the Lord Jesus said, take heed what ye hear, or how that would regulate a lot of the things that we do. But another record of the same parable tells us that the Lord Jesus also said at the same time, not only take heed what ye hear, but take heed how ye hear. Oh, how important it is to listen fairly, to listen honestly, not judging before the things are said what we are going to do. I used to work with a man who had a common saying, at first it sounds funny, but it's not, and he didn't always act upon it, but many people do. Now, the common saying is this, don't confuse me with the facts, I've already made my mind up. I'm sure you've heard the same. Whether or not we say it, many of us live our lives as though we've made our mind up at the very outset, and nothing is going to shake what we are going to do. Take heed what ye hear, take heed how ye hear, or tonight there's an opportunity for us to hear what God has to say to us about the destiny of our precious, precious souls. Among the verses I read were these phrases which you would notice. We've been looking into the epistle to the Hebrews, you know the title of tonight's session, chapter one, God has spoken. Chapter two, spoken by the Lord. Chapter three, the Holy Ghost saith. Chapter twelve, see that thou refuse not him that speaketh. In the Old Testament, we read of a man who had problems, Job. A younger man came to him, give him good advice. Oh, it's always easy to give other people advice. I don't want to give you advice, I want to tell you what the word of God says. My advice to you would be to pay heed to what God says. Elihu said to Job, God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In the man, because there's no intention of listening or responding to what God has said. God has spoken. God, the triune God. God, interesting for you Bible students. God, the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Sometimes when God in his word gives us a comprehensive picture of what we need to learn, he speaks of what the Father says, what the Son says, what the Holy Spirit says. And in all important matters of doctrine and in salvation, there are verses of scripture which tell us that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit have the same concerted message to tell us. Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures. And he was buried and he rose again the third day, according to the scriptures. The birth of Jesus, his perfect life, his wonderful love, his death upon the cross and the significance of it, his glorious personal, actual bodily resurrection, his ascension to heaven, his sitting in heaven at the Father's right hand, the certainty of his coming again, the absolute certainty of final judgment, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, all pay tribute to all these things. It's a nicety perhaps that sometimes instead of the Father as such, the Son as such, and the Spirit as such, sometimes the Bible refers to God as such, and the Son and the Spirit, as in the epistle to the Hebrews, because of the subject matter of the epistle. God has spoken. Oh, how greatly God has spoken to us. There's a major hook in the Bible, the epistle to the Romans, which tells us of the wonderful, progressive, cumulative way in which God has spoken. We read the words, didn't we? God has spoken in divers manners, at sundry times, in different ways, suitable to the revelation he was giving of himself at the time. But we learn in that grand treatise on the teaching of the Christian gospel message, the epistle to the Romans, we learn first of all that God speaks in creation. As the creator God, in his handiwork in the heavens and the earth, he's shown enough of himself to convince an honest man, yes, there is a God with whom we have to do. Let me go back. How honestly do we really listen to what God says? I have frequently been engaged in conversation with one and another who said, you tell me that God is a savior God. What about all these people that have never read the Bible? What about all these people about all these people that can't read or write? What about all these people in darkest Africa, in darkest Newcastle, and all these other horrible places where sin is rampant? My answer has always been, and still is, don't you hide behind those that you've never met, that might be in a situation that you aren't in. As far as you are concerned, you know there is a God, you've heard about Jesus, you've had the gospel preached to you, what you've got to determine, God has spoken to you, how are you going to listen to what God has said to you? God has spoken. Not my opinion, the Bible says, God's book says, there's sufficient evidence in God's handiwork in creation, that an honest pagan who's never heard the Christian gospel, there's sufficient in God's speaking of himself in the creation of the universe, that an honest pagan responding to that will be able to give evidence to God of his honest heart in responding to the measure of revelation given to him. We can't hide behind pagans who've never heard the gospel witness. We aren't all pagans, we aren't always brute idol worshippers, although Satan is saying to it that we are rapidly getting back to it. Why is there this insistent beat in modern popular music? Whether it's show business pop, yes, even if it's gospel pop, Satan's insidious rhythmic beat, the jungle beat suitable to the pagan mind, is used to lull people's consciences, or even those who've got beyond the pagan situation, and have become sophisticated gentile nations. God says, there's sufficient evidence to the conscience of the thinking man to make him aware that there is a God with whom he has to do. Read again the first two and a half chapters of Romans. God speaks to the conscience, but be warned, when God first speaks to the conscience, and the conscience is tender, the conscience is disturbed. But if we resist, what conscience primes us to realize is the right thing to do, the conscience becomes seared, less and less tender, until speaking to the conscience is like water off a duck's back, has no effect at all. In the early days of Genesis, God spoke in creation, he spoke to the conscience of man. Man rejected the speaking of God, and God said, that's the finish, I'm going to have to judge the whole world. He says, of all the people in the world, I can only see one man that's right before God, who stands upright morally and spiritually, his name was Noah. God said, build an ark, build an ark, and I'll ensure that from this small nucleus of you, Noah, and your family, I'll start again, but the rest will be wiped out in judgment. In early picture, we cannot trifle with God. A few, that is eight, were saved, but all, as soon as they were delivered, Noah personally, and the members of his family, gave evidence very soon that in themselves, they were no better than anybody else. After the flood, after the deliverance, after they'd been given a new start, they were still sinners by nature and by practice. The time came, when man in his pride said, I know what we'll do, how clever we are, let's build a tower, a pillar, that will reach right up to God, just to show how clever we are. Let's build ourselves a pillar, a tower, a city on the name. How sad that when the representatives of a declared atheistic nation, managed by the permission of God, to discover ways and means of getting a satellite into space, with men in it, that as the official representatives of that officially pagan nation, the first thing they said was, well, if there's a God in heaven, we cannot see him from where we are. Oh, how sad that man who's permitted by God to improve his circumstances and his lifestyle, and what he would call the quality of life, even being permitted to do that, that he repudiates the very idea of there being a God. God has spoken. Well, after the Tower of Babel, God said, well, I'll single out a special people. He said, I really demonstrate that man in himself is not good enough to get to heaven, not good enough to answer the claims of God. I would say everybody here has access to a Bible. Refresh your memory, read Isaiah 5 when you get home. God said, I'll make a special people, a special nation, I'll hedge them about, I'll protect them, I'll give them the best possible culture, the best brains in the world, and he did. And he said, then they can see how they get on. They said, that's fine. Once the nation was brought into being, the nation of Israel, they said, tell us what to do and we will do it. God took them at their word, he gave them the law, and they've been proving ever since that they can't keep it. Now listen, if it's true and it is that the nation of Israel can't please God by their life and conduct because they are still as disobedient to his laws they ever were, bear in mind that they are God's example picked out of all the nations, creme de la creme, the best nation in the world. The message to them is they're not good enough for God. The message to me, and I'm not a Jew, the message is if they, the best equipped, most encouraged nation in the world, can't please God, nobody else can. God has spoken. Oh, but the scripture here says, and I must move on, finally, after all these demonstrations that man is a sinner and cannot save himself, finally, when the demonstration's over, God has spoken in his son. In his son. The speaking of God has been committed to the son of God because he is God. Wonderful thing. The creator, sustainer of the universe, came into the world born a baby at Bethlehem. What a wonderful God he is in providing such a wonderful savior as the Lord Jesus Christ. How did Jesus speak when he came into the world? He grew up in the family sphere and scripture says he was a good, proper, obedient child. Perfect in everything that he did. When he came to full manhood, able to take office, not stepping outside the limits of the law of the nation into which he was born, taking responsibility at the age of 30, which was the proper age for major responsibility in that nation. How did he speak? Oh, he spoke with compassion. He spoke with love. My mind goes back. I was brought up in a Sunday school where in its heyday there were 1,100 pupils. That had settled down by the time I was born and taken along as a toddler. It was down to a mere 400. Oh, that we had 400 children willing to come together wherever the name of Jesus is presented to the little ones. One of the things I enjoyed before I'd confessed Christ as savior, before I knew the implications of the gospel, or the Bible tells us, you know, it encourages us to speak to the little ones before they know what's going on. There's a verse in the Bible says it's a good thing that from earliest conscious knowledge that the gospel is ministered, the word of God is read. Nearly everybody here can be thankful that from being very, very small that we heard that there was someone called Jesus who loved us, who came into the world, came into the world a little baby. He grew up. He's a perfect man. And that one of the things I was going to say when it came to mind was in Sunday school if we behaved ourselves, which on average probably wasn't very often, if we gave the right answer, if we colored in a text to an acceptable standard, we were given copies of a gospel which in those days were a penny. Just a little stroke on the inside cover, just think the thousands, the thousands of thousands of copies of the scriptures that have been given to little ones, perhaps even before they could read. But I remember as a little boy, smaller than the youngest boy here, but we've all had the opportunity, reading what was given to me by my teacher, a copy of the gospel by John. Oh, I couldn't say anything about it, but I love to read the gospel of John and I remember thinking as a boy, what a wonderful person this is. Jesus, the son of God. Great privilege, but a great responsibility to have a copy of the gospel put into your hand when you're small. Again, God has spoken. What have we done with what God has put into our hands of his precious word? The nation of Israel were given the word of God in their hands. They are responsible to God for what they've done with it. I'm not responsible for them. I am responsible for that copy of John's gospel put into my hand, probably just as I was starting day school, being impressed with the wonderful things that Jesus, the son of God, said. I was also given a copy of Luke's gospel. My family, for some strange reason, think that I'm a hoarder. They think I should have been a magpie. I've got no idea why they've got that impression. It is true. I've still got that copy of Luke's gospel. I've still got that copy of John's gospel precious to me when I think back to what they told me about the Lord Jesus Christ. But to all the responsibility, having been let into the secret of what a wonderful person Jesus is, even as a child. How old were you when you were first given a copy of the gospel message? First given a copy of the gospel by Luke, which again and again tells about Jesus having compassion on the multitude, having compassion on an individual, looking upon him and loving him. The sweet words that Jesus said when you get to the climax of that lovely gospel of the perfect man told by Luke. Oh, they had to shake their head. They said, never mind, speak like this man. Never ever was there a man like this. God's emphasis many, many times at the end of the gospel, chapters 21, 2, 3, and 4. This man, this man, this man, this man. It's reminding us reminding us that this lovely man called Jesus came into the world, was kind, was compassionate, was merciful. He allowed every kind of abuse to be heaped upon him. And ultimately, he died at Calvary. He wasn't soft. Read the gospels again. No one denounced sin more fiercely than the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Son of God. We cannot trifle with God. There is a God with whom we have to do. The more we are allowed to know of the gentleness and the kindness and the sweetness of the Lord Jesus Christ, the more responsible we are to God for everything that he's told us about himself. Going back to Luke's gospel, why is it that there's that beautiful structure about that gospel about the perfect man? Why is it that when the gospel comes to that climax, it's emphasizing that this man is the only savior? The emphasis is put there and underlined by God, the Holy Spirit. Did you notice how orderly the Bible is? It always is. Hebrews 1 talks about God, the mighty creator God. But then, ever so gently, we are led from thinking about God to thinking about the Son. In chapter 2, when we read it, telling us, reminding us of things spoken by the Lord, the verses lead on ever so gently, I remembered noticing the words, talking about the signs and wonders and diverse miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost. See, God leads us on. He speaks of himself. He leads us on to the Son. In speaking of the Son, we are led on to thinking about the work of God, the Holy Spirit. And then in chapter 3, the mighty warnings that are given, the Holy Spirit says, today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. I'm thankful, I'm indebted to the words of the Lord Jesus himself, who told the disciples, and God has preserved the record in what we know as the pages of the gospel, according to John. We have the record of the Lord's words to his own disciples, and he said, the Holy Spirit has a message for the world. And this is it. And he says, the Lord's message And he says, the Lord said, the message is for you to take account of. The message is to you, because you've got the Holy Spirit indwelling you, because you confess me as your Lord. The Lord said, the message is this, the Holy Spirit, by his very being in the world, indwelling the believers, that very fact carries with it a message of sin, and righteousness, and judgment to come. And then the Lord expanded it, and because the Lord gave the message, and the Holy Spirit makes it good, and helps Christian believers to understand it, we can tell you about it. The world is under sin, dominated by it, which means that men naturally, women naturally, boys and girls, are reluctant to accept the gospel message, because Satan deceives them in so many ways. But the message of the Holy Spirit is that the world is under sin, dominated by sin and Satan. The world is without righteousness, the world's topsy-turvy, as the Bible says, men call evil good, and good evil. The world's under sin, it's without righteousness, and it's going on to judgment. The final message in the letter here is, what are you going to do about what God has said to you? The mighty God, the loving Jesus, the powerful Holy Spirit, working in your heart. In the days of Noah, of which we spoke, God said, I won't always strive with men, but I'll give him time to take account of the witness. And when you work it out, God allowed the witness of Noah, not only what he said, although it probably included it, the witness of the fact that judgment was coming, and that in order to escape it, Noah, in obedience to God, in obedience to God, was going to build an ark, which was going to save him and his family, because he went into it as an individual. The members of his family weren't saved because they were his family, they were saved because they did the same as him, and they went in as well. And the Lord shut the door, and they were delivered from the judgment of the flood. The world is going on to judgment. The Holy Spirit's message is clear now, as it ever was. And God's final word on this subject, in this letter, comes to every one of us of whatever age, saying, that ye refuse not him that speaketh. The price has been paid, the love of Jesus has been demonstrated, and that he went to the cross to die for our sins. His precious, precious blood has been shed, that our sins might be removed once and for all, that we might be made right with God. Believe in your heart, for righteousness' sake. Confess his precious name as Lord, while there is still opportunity. Refuse not him that speaketh. …