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3:1
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling,
consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
3:2 Who was
faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was
faithful in all his house.
3:3 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch
as he who hath
builded the house hath more honour than the house.
3:4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all
things is God.
3:5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for
a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; 3:6 But
Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold
fast the confidence and the
rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
3:7 Wherefore (as the
Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his
voice, 3:8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day
of temptation in the
wilderness: 3:9 When your fathers tempted me,
proved me, and saw my works forty years.
3:10 Wherefore I was grieved with that
generation, and said, They do
alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
3:11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my
rest.) 3:12
Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of
unbelief, in departing from
the living God.
3:13
But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any
of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
3:14 For we are made
partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of
our confidence stedfast unto the end; 3:15 While it is said, To day if
ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
3:16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that
came out of
Egypt by
Moses.
3:17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them
that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? 3:18 And to
whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them
that believed not? 3:19 So we see that they could not enter in
because of
unbelief.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
Hebrews
Book: Hebrews
Chapter: 3
Overview:
The superior worth and dignity of
Christ above
Moses is shown.
(1-6) The
Hebrews are warned of the
Sin and danger of unbelief.
(7-13) And of necessity of
Faith in
Christ, and of stedfastly
following him.
(14-19)
1-6 Christ is to be considered as the
Apostle of our
profession, the
Messenger sent
By God to men, the great Revealer
of that
Faith which we profess to
Hold, and of that
Hope which
we profess to have. As
Christ, the
Messiah, anointed for the
office both of
Apostle and High
Priest. As
Jesus, our
Saviour,
our Healer, the great
Physician of souls. Consider him thus.
Consider what he is in himself, what he is to us, and what he
will be to us hereafter and for ever. Close and serious thoughts
of
Christ bring us to know more of him. The Jews had a high
opinion of the faithfulness of
Moses, yet his faithfulness was
but a
Type of
Christ's.
Christ was the Master of this
House, of
his
Church, his people, as
Well as their Maker.
Moses was a
Faithful servant;
Christ, as the eternal
Son of God, is rightful
Owner and Sovereign Ruler of the
Church. There must not only be
setting out
Well in the ways of
Christ, but stedfastness and
perseverance therein to the
End. Every meditation
On his person
and his
Salvation, will suggest more
Wisdom, new motives to
Love, confidence, and obedience.
7-13 Days of
Temptation are often days of provocation. But to
provoke
God, when he is letting us see that we entirely depend
and live upon him, is a provocation indeed. The hardening of the
Heart is the
Spring of all other sins. The sins of others,
especially of our relations, should be warnings to us. All
Sin,
especially
Sin committed
By God's professing, privileged people,
not only provokes
God, but it grieves him.
God is loath to
destroy any in, or for their
Sin; he waits long to be gracious
to them. But
Sin, long persisted in, will make
God's wrath
discover itself in destroying the impenitent; there is
No
resting under the wrath of
God. "Take heed:" all who would get
safe to
Heaven must look about them; if once we allow ourselves
to distrust
God, we may soon
Desert him. Let those that think
they stand, take heed lest they fall. Since to-morrow is not
ours, we must make the best improvement of this
Day. And there
are none, even the strongest of the flock, who do not need help
of other Christians. Neither are there any
So low and despised,
but the care of their standing in the
Faith, and of their
safety, belongs to all.
Sin has
So many ways and colours, that
we need more eyes than our own.
Sin appears fair, but is vile;
it appears pleasant, but is destructive; it promises much, but
performs nothing. The deceitfulness of
Sin hardens the soul; one
Sin allowed makes way for another; and every act of
Sin confirms
the habit. Let every one beware of
Sin.
14-19 The saints' privilege is, they are made partakers of
Christ, that is, of the
Spirit, the nature, graces,
Righteousness, and
Life of
Christ; they are interested in all
Christ is, in all he has done, or will do. The same
Spirit with
which Christians set out in the ways of
God, they should
maintain unto the
End. Perseverance in
Faith is the best
evidence of the sincerity of our
Faith. Hearing the
Word often
is a means of
Salvation, yet, if not hearkened to, it will
expose more to the Divine wrath. The happiness of being
partakers of
Christ and his complete
Salvation, and the fear of
God's wrath and eternal misery, should stir us up to persevere
in the
Life of obedient
Faith. Let us beware of trusting to
outward privileges or professions, and pray to be numbered with
the true believers who enter
Heaven, when all others fail
because of unbelief. As our obedience follows according to the
power of our
Faith,
So our sins and want of care are according
to the prevailing of unbelief in us.