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good morning brothers and sisters i used to like that very much i still do i used to like that very much i still do but in advance this year i tried the but in advance this year i tried the boaz greeting when i said to the company boaz greeting when i said to the company the lord be with you and they all the lord be with you and they all answered the lord blessed i thought that answered the lord blessed i thought that was nice too was nice too but this time since our theme is but this time since our theme is the heavenly high priest i thought we the heavenly high priest i thought we might have the high priest's blessing in might have the high priest's blessing in daily portions of which there are five daily portions of which there are five convenient ones convenient ones and give a little practice in saying and give a little practice in saying that most beautiful scriptural word amen that most beautiful scriptural word amen so i thought each morning i would recite so i thought each morning i would recite a portion of that priestly blessing and a portion of that priestly blessing and you might like to respond with the you might like to respond with the hearty amen that the congregation would hearty amen that the congregation would have done have done that of course was the high priest to that of course was the high priest to his people his people from me it will be one person to the from me it will be one person to the other people other people so we'll make it us instead of you so we'll make it us instead of you this morning therefore this morning therefore may the lord bless us and keep us now just listen to the sonorous beauty of the first few verses sonorous beauty of the first few verses of hebrews chapter one god who at sundry times and in diverse manners manners spake in time past unto the fathers by spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets the prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son by his son whom he hath appointed heir of all whom he hath appointed heir of all things things by whom also he made the worlds by whom also he made the worlds who being the brightness of his glory who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of and upholding all things by the word of his power his power when he had by himself purged our sins when he had by himself purged our sins sat down on the right hand of the sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high majesty on high being made so much better than the being made so much better than the angels angels as he hath by inheritance as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they that's pure poetry even in english what it would be like in greek i have what it would be like in greek i have not the remotest idea but i'm sure it not the remotest idea but i'm sure it would have been at least equally poetic would have been at least equally poetic a fit a fit song to be sung to the song to be sung to the rhythm of the singing river rhythm of the singing river and it's that kind of exalted thing and it's that kind of exalted thing which lies before us which lies before us as we commence our study of our heavenly as we commence our study of our heavenly high priest this week it's almost frightening when we consider his majesty his majesty who who being the brightness of god's glory being the brightness of god's glory and the express image of god's person and the express image of god's person and of holding all things by the word of and of holding all things by the word of god's power god's power when he had by himself purged our sins when he had by himself purged our sins sat down on the right hand of the sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high majesty on high being made so much better than the being made so much better than the angels angels as he hath by inheritance obtained a as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they the evident aim of the writer is to impress us from the very start with the impress us from the very start with the awesome majesty of our lord jesus christ awesome majesty of our lord jesus christ to set him on high but a step lower than to set him on high but a step lower than his heavenly father his heavenly father and a big step higher than the mightiest and a big step higher than the mightiest of the father's angels of the father's angels to reveal to us that all god's power is to reveal to us that all god's power is concentrated in him concentrated in him to make him so glorious in the to make him so glorious in the revelation that came and comes through revelation that came and comes through him that anyone who dares to go against him that anyone who dares to go against that which is done for us through the that which is done for us through the lord jesus christ is infinitely more lord jesus christ is infinitely more guilty than they who transgressed in old guilty than they who transgressed in old testament times testament times as indeed the second chapter will reveal as indeed the second chapter will reveal to us when it says if they escaped not to us when it says if they escaped not when the ministry of angels was given to when the ministry of angels was given to them how shall not we escape if we them how shall not we escape if we neglect so greater salvation so we meet in the presence of an exalted lord lord who could say all power hath been given who could say all power hath been given unto me in heaven and in earth unto me in heaven and in earth of whom it is written god hath given him of whom it is written god hath given him the name which is above every name the name which is above every name the name of jesus every knee should bow the name of jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven of things in heaven and of things in earth and of things in earth and the things under the earth and that and the things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that jesus every tongue should confess that jesus christ is lord christ is lord to the glory of god the father the writer starts his parade of evidence by discussing in the briefest but the by discussing in the briefest but the most concise terms the way in which god most concise terms the way in which god has always spoken has always spoken when revelations have come from him when revelations have come from him god who works sundry times and in god who works sundry times and in diverse manners diverse manners spake unto the fathers by the prophets the beauty isn't helped but perhaps the clarity is if the revised version of clarity is if the revised version of that is read and we have instead that is read and we have instead god having of all time spoken unto the god having of all time spoken unto the fathers by the prophets by diverse fathers by the prophets by diverse portions and in diverse manners portions and in diverse manners hath at the end of these days spoken hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in his son unto us in his son whom we hath appointed air of all things if you go back to the prophets including in those moses including in those moses and the psalmist and the psalmist and the writers of the former prophets and the writers of the former prophets that is the history books that is the history books then you have all kinds of ways in which then you have all kinds of ways in which god made itself known to men god made itself known to men at all kinds of times that simple vision of creation given to moses in genesis 1 to chapter 2 verse 3 moses in genesis 1 to chapter 2 verse 3 the possible consultation of ancient the possible consultation of ancient records to give the genealogies of the records to give the genealogies of the various sons of adam and then through various sons of adam and then through him down to abraham and beyond in the him down to abraham and beyond in the these are the generations of these are the generations of of the rest of genesis of the rest of genesis the appearing in mighty vision to moses the appearing in mighty vision to moses on sinai on sinai to daniel in exile to daniel in exile to ezekiel in the same to ezekiel in the same to david to david when the sweet psalmist of israel when the sweet psalmist of israel heard spoken words and saw sights which heard spoken words and saw sights which words of his could hardly express and words of his could hardly express and the mind of his could hardly tell through to the in the new testament in the new testament apostles of the lord jesus christ apostles of the lord jesus christ with their mind guided into all truth by with their mind guided into all truth by the company whom the lord sent to do the company whom the lord sent to do that to them in diverse portions by dream by dream by oracle by oracle by seer by seer at sundry times at sundry times first according to our recollection it first according to our recollection it is revelation to moses concerning the is revelation to moses concerning the ark ark to abraham concerning his need to move to abraham concerning his need to move from her of the chaldees from her of the chaldees to joseph that he might do the mighty to joseph that he might do the mighty things he did in preparing for his things he did in preparing for his people in the land of egypt people in the land of egypt to jacob as he traveled in his way to to jacob as he traveled in his way to the land of laban the land of laban to the prophets when to the prophets when in the still watches of the night it in the still watches of the night it might be dark visions came to them might be dark visions came to them or in ways unknown to us they learned to or in ways unknown to us they learned to say the word of the lord came unto me say the word of the lord came unto me or hear ye the word of the lord or hear ye the word of the lord or or thus saith the lord thus saith the lord it was all great and wonderful and it was all great and wonderful and surpassing human imagination surpassing human imagination it all conforms to what peter says when it all conforms to what peter says when he tells to us that the prophecy came he tells to us that the prophecy came not of all time by the will of man but not of all time by the will of man but holy men of god spake as they were moved holy men of god spake as they were moved by the holy spirit but it all almost almost pales into insignificance compared with pales into insignificance compared with what what god did through jesus christ in those days a prophet spoke when he had a word to say when he had a word to say when there came to him no word from the when there came to him no word from the lord he either wisely kept silence lord he either wisely kept silence or not keeping silence made mistakes or not keeping silence made mistakes as for example when david expressed the as for example when david expressed the pious wish that he might build a house pious wish that he might build a house to god's name and nathan the prophet to god's name and nathan the prophet being quite sure that god would like being quite sure that god would like that said the lord be with me and i that said the lord be with me and i doing of it and then doing of it and then had to receive a message from god that had to receive a message from god that very day and say you got it wrong nathan very day and say you got it wrong nathan that wasn't what i was going to say if that wasn't what i was going to say if only you'd waited you wouldn't have said only you'd waited you wouldn't have said that so now go back and tell david that that so now go back and tell david that isn't the case isn't the case and because of being a man of war he and because of being a man of war he will not be allowed to build the temple will not be allowed to build the temple for me for me some men wanted to speak words in god's some men wanted to speak words in god's name that god did not approve of in any name that god did not approve of in any case like baelian wanting to curse god's case like baelian wanting to curse god's people people going for money's sake to do it finding going for money's sake to do it finding himself confronted on the way with the himself confronted on the way with the dumbass speaking with a man's voice and dumbass speaking with a man's voice and required to speak words with his mouth required to speak words with his mouth could not control when god told him what could not control when god told him what he must say he must say there the men when they spoke at all there the men when they spoke at all were either willing or unwilling were either willing or unwilling unwilling and reluctant like bailly and unwilling and reluctant like bailly and rebellious indeed rebellious indeed unwilling in tribulation like jeremiah unwilling in tribulation like jeremiah who said i will speak no more in his who said i will speak no more in his name but his word was a burning fire in name but his word was a burning fire in my bones and i was weary with forbearing my bones and i was weary with forbearing and i could not stay and i could not stay unwilling like ezekiel who in spite of unwilling like ezekiel who in spite of the bright visions he saw by the river the bright visions he saw by the river in ulai in ulai kept his mouth tight shut lest his kept his mouth tight shut lest his people should in their terrors over him people should in their terrors over him make his life too hard for him make his life too hard for him and so was smitten with dumbness by god and so was smitten with dumbness by god so that he couldn't speak at all until so that he couldn't speak at all until the time came when god opened his mouth the time came when god opened his mouth and then he might speak the oracle and and then he might speak the oracle and lapse into dumbness again until the next lapse into dumbness again until the next miracle of revelation came but with the lord jesus christ it was all different all different we might almost have thought that we might almost have thought that someone so evidently inspired as he was someone so evidently inspired as he was might have said words like hear you the might have said words like hear you the word of the lord word of the lord all the word of the lord came unto me all the word of the lord came unto me or thus saith the lord but he never did or thus saith the lord but he never did he simply spoke he simply spoke and taught and taught and they marveled at the words of grace and they marveled at the words of grace that proceeded out of his mouth that proceeded out of his mouth he wrote great miracles and they said he wrote great miracles and they said that none could do such mighty works as that none could do such mighty works as these except god were with him these except god were with him and the most he would say to introduce and the most he would say to introduce his words his words to claim that they were right and true to claim that they were right and true and the revelation from god was and the revelation from god was verily verily i say unto you verily verily i say unto you or verily i say unto you or verily i say unto you or simply or simply i say unto you he took for granted his inspiration there was no need to make his claims there was no need to make his claims that it was so there it was pouring from that it was so there it was pouring from his lips evidently in his own mind and his lips evidently in his own mind and in the mind of those who could receive in the mind of those who could receive it direct from god it direct from god unrestricted uninterrupted unrestricted uninterrupted continuous continuous a word constantly being spoken so great was he so mighty his revelations so mighty his revelations that in him there was no presumption in that in him there was no presumption in saying think not that i am come to saying think not that i am come to destroy the law and the prophets i have destroy the law and the prophets i have not come to destroy but to fulfill as not come to destroy but to fulfill as though it lay within his power to do though it lay within his power to do either either and he chose to do the latter and he chose to do the latter to uphold and defend and strengthen that to uphold and defend and strengthen that which he might by rebellious words and which he might by rebellious words and actions have destroyed in him all god's promises came to a focus focus all the promises of god are in him all the promises of god are in him and in him and in him are men are men in his in his words words was the summit of revelation was the summit of revelation but it wasn't just his words but it wasn't just his words though never man spake like this man though never man spake like this man the lord was not merely a speaker the lord was not merely a speaker as in some sense the prophets had been they were involved in their message they might give counsel to their people they might give counsel to their people in times of trouble and give in times of trouble and give long-distance prophecies of times of long-distance prophecies of times of blessing blessing they might suffer for what they had to they might suffer for what they had to say and in some way illustrate by the say and in some way illustrate by the lives they lived and the dangers they lives they lived and the dangers they underwent the greater dangers that the underwent the greater dangers that the lord jesus christ would suffer during lord jesus christ would suffer during the life he lived in the lord's service the life he lived in the lord's service but they were at the best but messengers but they were at the best but messengers and in relation to the lord jesus christ and in relation to the lord jesus christ but for runners but for runners they saw what another would do they saw what another would do when jesus christ came and spoke when jesus christ came and spoke he spoke about himself he spoke about himself as the fulfillment of all that they had as the fulfillment of all that they had anticipated they said he will come he anticipated they said he will come he said here i am said here i am they expected him they expected him he had arrived he had arrived a prophet might write the words a prophet might write the words the spirit of the lord god is upon me the spirit of the lord god is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor the gospel to the poor the opening of the prisons to them that the opening of the prisons to them that are bound deliverance to the captives are bound deliverance to the captives and all the other things that the isaiah and all the other things that the isaiah chapter mentions but the prophet knew chapter mentions but the prophet knew that it was not of himself that he spoke that it was not of himself that he spoke the lord jesus christ could go into the the lord jesus christ could go into the synagogue at nazareth synagogue at nazareth and open the pages or rather turn up the and open the pages or rather turn up the scroll of that chapter and read those scroll of that chapter and read those words and then giving the book back to words and then giving the book back to the men who looked after it say this day the men who looked after it say this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears is this scripture fulfilled in your ears i am the one that book i am the one that book was talking about whether by upbringing and mary would certainly have taught him and mary would certainly have taught him well well or by constant reading in the scriptures or by constant reading in the scriptures and the word of the lord was constantly and the word of the lord was constantly in his mouth in his mouth but also by his knowledge that came but also by his knowledge that came direct from the father who begat him direct from the father who begat him the lord knew who he was the lord knew who he was knew he was son of man for obvious knew he was son of man for obvious reasons but knew too for reasons that no reasons but knew too for reasons that no one same himself could divine one same himself could divine his mother mary being the next in his mother mary being the next in understanding understanding that he was that he was god's child god's child i speak those things i speak those things i have seen with my father i have seen with my father he said when he saw them how he saw them how he saw them in what way the lord could gaze up into in what way the lord could gaze up into god's heaven and see god's things we who god's heaven and see god's things we who are earthlings on both our parents i are earthlings on both our parents i don't know but he knew more than we do this son of god this son of god this priest in preparation and indeed when the lesser to the hebrews begins to describe the way in hebrews begins to describe the way in which he did the job he did which he did the job he did it says nothing about a word he spoke it says nothing about a word he spoke it very rarely does it very rarely does you may read through this letter from you may read through this letter from end to end and find illusions no doubt end to end and find illusions no doubt the things the lord jesus christ had the things the lord jesus christ had said but said but not even something so nearly like a not even something so nearly like a quotation as you would find in say quotation as you would find in say peter's first letter peter's first letter do you find in this book do you find in this book it's about jesus as a whole it's about jesus as a whole not merely the sounds that issued when not merely the sounds that issued when he opened his lips he opened his lips but hebrews is concerned but hebrews is concerned it is who he was it is who he was what he did what he did how he suffered and died and what became how he suffered and died and what became of him of him as he's comprehended in these words hath as he's comprehended in these words hath in these last days spoken unto us in his in these last days spoken unto us in his son son whom god appointed heir of all things whom god appointed heir of all things through whom also he made the worlds who through whom also he made the worlds who being the being the intrinsic brightness of his glory intrinsic brightness of his glory shining up with the light that lived shining up with the light that lived within within effulgence the revised version says effulgence the revised version says and the very image of god's person the and the very image of god's person the character the character the only character the character the only occasion where that word is used in all occasion where that word is used in all the bible the bible and upholding all things by the word of and upholding all things by the word of god's power when he had made god's power when he had made purification of sins purification of sins sat down at the right hand of the sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high majesty on high having become by so much better than the having become by so much better than the angels angels as he hath inherited a more excellent as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they the word of god came through prophets who said the word of the lord came unto who said the word of the lord came unto me me the word of god was spoken by jesus the word of god was spoken by jesus certainly certainly but the word of god was later to be but the word of god was later to be written about his destiny upon his thigh written about his destiny upon his thigh he had a name written he had a name written the word of god the word of god says the book of revelation says the book of revelation and john introducing us to the life of and john introducing us to the life of the lord jesus christ with in the the lord jesus christ with in the beginning was the word and the word was beginning was the word and the word was with god and the word was god the same with god and the word was god the same was in the beginning with god all things was in the beginning with god all things were made by him and without him was not were made by him and without him was not anything made that hath been made anything made that hath been made sums up his own experience of jesus life sums up his own experience of jesus life in his first letter by saying that which in his first letter by saying that which was from the beginning was from the beginning which we have seen with our eyes which which we have seen with our eyes which we have gazed upon which our hands have we have gazed upon which our hands have handled and which we have heard of the handled and which we have heard of the word of life word of life that which we have seen and heard that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you jesus was and is and is the word of god the word of god and the word became flesh and dwelt and the word became flesh and dwelt among us among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth we know i and you no alike i and you no alike that the lord jesus christ began his that the lord jesus christ began his conscience existence when he was born so this was interrupted for a moment when he died when he died and was resumed but he rose from the and was resumed but he rose from the dead now to die no more but we know because we have been told cannot understand because we are so cannot understand because we are so lowly in god's creation lowly in god's creation that the lord jesus christ saw things that the lord jesus christ saw things that other men did not see that other men did not see new things that others did not know new things that others did not know was great beyond our understanding was great beyond our understanding and perceived beyond our perception this is the making of our great high priest and you might say the making the making with all that involved in him with all that involved in him with all his greatness and his power and with all his greatness and his power and his knowledge his knowledge is that not the high priest it is is that not the high priest it is perfection already perfection already what is their muscle make what is their muscle make with such powers as that with such powers as that with such honor and dignity with such honor and dignity with god as his father with god as his father and the angels as his servants after power and dignity need have been nothing more to make need have been nothing more to make had it pleased god to let the lord jesus had it pleased god to let the lord jesus christ exercise that power while still christ exercise that power while still walking as a man upon the earth after his dignity it would have been possible for dignity it would have been possible for the lord to impose that dignity upon the lord to impose that dignity upon those around him in a way that no one those around him in a way that no one could have resisted had he chosen to use could have resisted had he chosen to use all the powers available to him all the powers available to him untimely untimely before the day came when he should before the day came when he should i can call unto my father i can call unto my father and he will presently send me more than and he will presently send me more than twelve legions of angels said the mortal twelve legions of angels said the mortal lord jesus christ and when they said to lord jesus christ and when they said to him wilt thou that we called down fire him wilt thou that we called down fire from heaven and consumed them as elijah from heaven and consumed them as elijah did did there was no suggestion in his mind that there was no suggestion in his mind that he couldn't have done it he couldn't have done it only they wouldn't have been right to do only they wouldn't have been right to do it it not them at least not them at least if ever if ever ye know not what spirit you're on ye know not what spirit you're on for the son of man has not come to for the son of man has not come to destroy men's lives but to save them he who could turn five barley loaves and two fish five barley loaves and two fish into abundant food for five thousand into abundant food for five thousand people with twelve basketballs taken up people with twelve basketballs taken up afterwards he who could steal the waters of a raging galilee raging galilee he could he could charge ten lepers of their incurable charge ten lepers of their incurable affliction affliction make two blind men see make two blind men see successively raised three dead people successively raised three dead people from death from death one that recently died one being carried one that recently died one being carried to his grave one four days dead already to his grave one four days dead already he who could do so many mighty works he who could do so many mighty works was not lacking in any of the powers was not lacking in any of the powers that god had given to him that god had given to him using the ones he should at the time using the ones he should at the time when it was right when it was right holding back the others till the time holding back the others till the time should be right for those should be right for those and so if knowledge and understanding and so if knowledge and understanding and power were all that our high priest and power were all that our high priest needed needed he had them from the start he had them from the start could have exercised them as soon as he could have exercised them as soon as he was grown but they were not all that he was here and had he used them before that time and had he used them before that time he would never have been our high priest he would never have been our high priest at all at all his greatness by inheritance his greatness by inheritance his greatness in the power that god gave his greatness in the power that god gave to him to him would all have been fitted away and would all have been fitted away and wasted and explosively destroyed if the wasted and explosively destroyed if the lord had used his powers before the time lord had used his powers before the time came something different from this was needed something which changes utterly the something which changes utterly the beautiful but one-sided picture we have beautiful but one-sided picture we have in hebrews chapter 1 in hebrews chapter 1 and which is put right and brought to and which is put right and brought to balance again balance again by hebrews chapter 2. by hebrews chapter 2. in the first place we learn only of the in the first place we learn only of the continuous nature of god's revelation continuous nature of god's revelation through him through him of the power that was exercised and the of the power that was exercised and the glory that now is his glory that now is his of the subordination of the angels to of the subordination of the angels to him of the fact that in the very him of the fact that in the very creation of the world god had him in creation of the world god had him in mind mind all that leads to that all that leads to that fearsome suggestion in chapter 2 fearsome suggestion in chapter 2 that were we to ignore or despise him that were we to ignore or despise him the fault and the punishment would the fault and the punishment would justly be ours therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed earnest heed to the things that were heard lest to the things that were heard lest happily we drift away from them happily we drift away from them for if the word spoken through angels for if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast and every transgression proved steadfast and every transgression and disobedience received the just and disobedience received the just recompense of reward recompense of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which having at the first been spoken which having at the first been spoken through the lord was confirmed unto us through the lord was confirmed unto us by them that heard by them that heard god bearing witness with them both by god bearing witness with them both by signs and wonders and by manifold powers signs and wonders and by manifold powers and by gifts of the holy spirit and by gifts of the holy spirit according to his own will according to his own will and is thought to emphasize to rub in and is thought to emphasize to rub in the responsibility that all who consider the responsibility that all who consider the life of the lord jesus christ have the life of the lord jesus christ have to render to him their obedience and to render to him their obedience and their allegiance their allegiance the writer is not content merely to tell the writer is not content merely to tell us of the greatness of the lord in us of the greatness of the lord in chapter one but to point out that the chapter one but to point out that the very greatness itself was communicated very greatness itself was communicated to men on the day of pentecost so that to men on the day of pentecost so that what the lord did was infallibly made what the lord did was infallibly made plain to all others it was first spoken plain to all others it was first spoken by the lord that's the things which luke by the lord that's the things which luke describes as the things that jesus describes as the things that jesus formerly began both to do and to teach formerly began both to do and to teach but then having been spoken by the lord but then having been spoken by the lord was confirmed by them that heard him who was confirmed by them that heard him who were so obviously his inspired were so obviously his inspired messengers that god bore witness with messengers that god bore witness with them with signs and wonders and them with signs and wonders and meaningful powers and gifts of the holy meaningful powers and gifts of the holy spirit according to his own will there's spirit according to his own will there's a thundering crescendo of evidence says a thundering crescendo of evidence says the writer the writer that the lord jesus christ is the one that the lord jesus christ is the one whom chapter 1 has claimed him to be so suitably cowed by that you and i you and i was in our proper place was in our proper place made to realize how made to realize how deep is our responsibility to conform as deep is our responsibility to conform as obedient creatures obedient creatures to what god has done through jesus to what god has done through jesus christ christ we're in a mood perhaps to proceed to we're in a mood perhaps to proceed to the next stage of what the writer says the next stage of what the writer says to us to us which begins by seeming to continue the which begins by seeming to continue the parade of the might of the lord jesus parade of the might of the lord jesus christ but gradually changes in such a christ but gradually changes in such a way that almost without perceiving it way that almost without perceiving it we see a different facet of our lord we see a different facet of our lord verse 5 verse 5 for unto angels did he not subject the for unto angels did he not subject the world to come world to come whereof we speak whereof we speak but one hath somewhere testified saying but one hath somewhere testified saying what is man the dart mindful of him what is man the dart mindful of him or the son of man that our visitors him or the son of man that our visitors him thou made is him a little lower than the thou made is him a little lower than the angels thou crowned him with glory and angels thou crowned him with glory and honor and did set him over the work of honor and did set him over the work of thy hands thy hands that is put all things in subjection that is put all things in subjection under his feet under his feet for him that he subjected all things for him that he subjected all things unto him he left nothing that is not yet unto him he left nothing that is not yet subject to him in which the smallness of mankind as a whole the smallness of mankind as a whole what is man the dart mindful of him what is man the dart mindful of him seems to be contrasted with thus put all seems to be contrasted with thus put all things under his feet things under his feet words which are elsewhere spoken of the words which are elsewhere spoken of the lord jesus christ lord jesus christ both of now and of the time to come for both of now and of the time to come for he must reign till he hath put all he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet enemies under his feet as paul puts it in the 15th chapter of as paul puts it in the 15th chapter of his first letter to the corinthians yet the tone has changed the tone has changed psalm 8 was not originally written in psalm 8 was not originally written in order to exalt any one of mankind but to order to exalt any one of mankind but to make mankind seem how small he is make mankind seem how small he is when i survey the heavens the work of when i survey the heavens the work of thy hand thy hand the moon and the stars we thought has the moon and the stars we thought has ordained what is man that art mindful of ordained what is man that art mindful of him or the son of man that thou visitest him or the son of man that thou visitest him him thou madest him a little lower than the thou madest him a little lower than the angels angels thou hast crowned him with glory and thou hast crowned him with glory and honor that has put all things under his honor that has put all things under his feet all sheep and oxen yeah and every feet all sheep and oxen yeah and every beast of the field beast of the field the psalmist quoting genesis 1 as it the psalmist quoting genesis 1 as it would have been fulfilled had there been would have been fulfilled had there been no fall of men no fall of men picturing the word the god spoken he picturing the word the god spoken he said let us make man in our image and said let us make man in our image and after our likeness after our likeness pleasing man where he truly belongs pleasing man where he truly belongs lower than god lower than god much higher than the rest of the much higher than the rest of the creation creation an intermediate being an intermediate being with god-like understanding with god-like understanding and with a beast-like way of life and with a beast-like way of life somehow lying between somehow lying between the unthinking creatures the unthinking creatures and the all-knowing god that is how god made him let us make man in our image and after let us make man in our image and after our likeness and let him have dominion our likeness and let him have dominion and you see and you see a chain of authority a chain of authority with god in overall control with god in overall control with the angels doing god's will in with the angels doing god's will in their immortal power with men male and female lying below them but above all the rest of created them but above all the rest of created things and into their hands all power things and into their hands all power over those things is given but for so short a time let them have dominion let them have dominion so the psalms says so the psalms says what is man the dart mindful of him thou what is man the dart mindful of him thou hast made him over all the works of thy hast made him over all the works of thy hands hands but the psalmist knew that it wasn't the but the psalmist knew that it wasn't the case case in practice in practice and hebrews says so and hebrews says so we see not yet all things put under him we see not yet all things put under him it didn't happen it didn't happen man was not allowed for more than a man was not allowed for more than a short time to exercise the dominion short time to exercise the dominion which got a destined for him because he which got a destined for him because he proved himself unfitted for it all would have been well had the managed life be content to say had the managed life be content to say these things will obey me because i will these things will obey me because i will obey my god obey my god then the chain would have been complete then the chain would have been complete god's mind would be in the man and the god's mind would be in the man and the man's mind would be upon his god and man's mind would be upon his god and whatever he said to the rest of creation whatever he said to the rest of creation it must do would have been done right it must do would have been done right to god's honor and glory mankind as a whole would have been like that roman that roman who in the faith which the lord said who in the faith which the lord said exceeded all he could find in israel exceeded all he could find in israel came to the lord jesus and said i am not came to the lord jesus and said i am not worthy that i should have come unto my worthy that i should have come unto my roof but speak the word only and thy roof but speak the word only and thy servant shall be healed for i am a man servant shall be healed for i am a man set under authority set under authority i say to this man go and he goes i say to this man go and he goes and does another man do this and he and does another man do this and he doeth it doeth it and without come and he comes the roman ruler knew his place he said he said i am caesar's man i am caesar's man i do caesar's work i do caesar's work i pass on to those beneath me caesar's i pass on to those beneath me caesar's commands and they do them because i say commands and they do them because i say so because jesus said so so because jesus said so there is the man placed under authority there is the man placed under authority and exercising it and exercising it that's how it should have been in the that's how it should have been in the earliest days earliest days make man in our image let him exercise make man in our image let him exercise our law our law over the rest of creation over the rest of creation and it never came about more than a and it never came about more than a short time for the woman saw the tree was good for food food and the fruit thereof to be desired to and the fruit thereof to be desired to make one wise make one wise and she took and did eat and gave to her and she took and did eat and gave to her husband and he did it husband and he did it and they knew that they were naked and in their open-eyed understanding of their shame their shame they were loosely clad with the things they were loosely clad with the things that god provided to cover their that god provided to cover their nakedness on a temporary basis nakedness on a temporary basis until the time should come so far ahead until the time should come so far ahead when god would clothe mankind with glory when god would clothe mankind with glory and honor and honor so we don't see it yet so we don't see it yet says the letter to the hebrews what do says the letter to the hebrews what do we see we see we see jesus we see jesus made a little lower than the angels for made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor crowned with glory and honor that he by the grace of god should taste that he by the grace of god should taste death for every man you can read that in two ways as though it said we see jesus as though it said we see jesus made a little lower than the angels for made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor crowned with glory and honor as though his lowerness than the angels as though his lowerness than the angels consisted in his being consisted in his being mortal or you can see it like this mortal or you can see it like this we see jesus we see jesus made a little lower than the angels made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death count with for the suffering of death count with glory and honor glory and honor that he by the grace of god should that he by the grace of god should suffer death for every man suffer death for every man and that seems to be the best way of and that seems to be the best way of looking at it looking at it jesus was made jesus was made in the condition of a mortal man indeed in the condition of a mortal man indeed but it was because he suffered death but it was because he suffered death that he could be crowned with glory and that he could be crowned with glory and honor honor because he tasted death for every man because he tasted death for every man that he shall be made the lord of all that he shall be made the lord of all creation creation and so the message of the psalm is and so the message of the psalm is completed in the thought completed in the thought god said he pleaded in the thought god said he would put all things in god said he would put all things in control of man whom he had made control of man whom he had made we don't see it happened we don't see it happened we do see something quite different we do see something quite different that in one man alone rising above the that in one man alone rising above the fall of others fall of others because of the suffering of death because of the suffering of death he is now race to god's glory and honor he is now race to god's glory and honor and one man has authority over all and one man has authority over all creations creations and that will be passed on to others and that will be passed on to others that he by the grace of god that he by the grace of god should taste death for every man for it became him for whom are all things and through whom for whom are all things and through whom are all things in bringing many sons are all things in bringing many sons unto glory to fulfill psalm 8 unto glory to fulfill psalm 8 to make the author of their salvation to make the author of their salvation perfect perfect through through sufferings for both he that sanctifieth sufferings for both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified and they that are sanctified are all of one and the frightening picture of chapter one with the lord in glory and honor one with the lord in glory and honor commanding obedience commanding obedience and the warning lesson of chapter two in and the warning lesson of chapter two in its beginning that if it was so its beginning that if it was so dangerous to forget the message of dangerous to forget the message of angels how much more dangerous is it to angels how much more dangerous is it to forget the message of the son of god forget the message of the son of god fades into the fades into the he's like us he's like us he is our fellow he is our fellow he is not ashamed to call us brothers he is not ashamed to call us brothers in tasting death for every man he has in tasting death for every man he has joined us on our level joined us on our level been through the experiences that are been through the experiences that are ours ours and done it for our sake and done it for our sake it was right for god in bringing many it was right for god in bringing many sons unto glory to make the captain of sons unto glory to make the captain of our salvation perfect through his our salvation perfect through his sufferings sufferings and then the lord jesus christ looks and then the lord jesus christ looks down upon all his obedient brothers and down upon all his obedient brothers and says i am the brethren whom the lord says i am the brethren whom the lord hath given me hath given me he is not ashamed to call us brethren he is not ashamed to call us brethren he is not ashamed to call them brethren brother jesus brother alfred brother alfred brother fred brother fred sister ellen sister ellen that right that right no it is not right no it is not right we are never invited to call him brother we are never invited to call him brother jesus he is not ashamed to call us brethren that is his privilege of condescension i and the children whom the lord hath given me go and tell my brethren given me go and tell my brethren we we we follow the example of his own we follow the example of his own half-brothers and call ourselves his half-brothers and call ourselves his slaves slaves we call him the lord jesus christ we call him the lord jesus christ we bring him no lower than that it is a marvel that the lord jesus christ will come to us christ will come to us and dropping to our level are called us and dropping to our level are called us brothers and sisters brothers and sisters behold what manner of love the father behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us hath bestowed upon us that we should be called children of god that we should be called children of god it would be presumption it would be presumption infantile precociousness infantile precociousness for us to go to the lord jesus christ for us to go to the lord jesus christ and link hands with him and say hi and link hands with him and say hi brother we don't do that ye call me master and lord ye call me master and lord and you say well and you say well for so i am for so i am says our lord directing our way of says our lord directing our way of approach to him and there is not an approach to him and there is not an apostle to be found apostle to be found there is no faithful person in all the there is no faithful person in all the new testament scriptures new testament scriptures who does go beyond that recognition that who does go beyond that recognition that the lord is great the lord is great supreme of us all let us rejoice in our name by all means let us be called and be known as let us be called and be known as brothers and sisters in christ brothers and sisters in christ but let us interpret that to mean that but let us interpret that to mean that we are brothers and sisters of each we are brothers and sisters of each other in the family of god because we other in the family of god because we are in christ are in christ of whom the whole fatherhood so if there is a stepping down of the law to our level in this chapter law to our level in this chapter and if we see him made a little lower and if we see him made a little lower than the angels than the angels we see him we see him in a guise in which god made him in a guise in which god made him in a position he chosen accepted to in a position he chosen accepted to adopt adopt but we see him even in his weakness as but we see him even in his weakness as our lord our lord it is great this is deadly our lord it is great this is deadly our lord and if we are invited as we are more and if we are invited as we are more than once invited in this book to than once invited in this book to approach with boldness before the throne approach with boldness before the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and of grace that we may obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need he is upon grace to help in time of need he is upon the throne the throne and we do go before him enthroned and we do go before him enthroned we are best to go before him on our we are best to go before him on our knees knees and recognize how great this one is and recognize how great this one is even though he will raise his hand and even though he will raise his hand and place it on the head of our kneeling place it on the head of our kneeling figure figure and build us rise and build us rise my brothers my brothers he says to us he says to us your slaves your slaves we say to him we say to him and as lord and as lord we address him we address him it is true it is true that the lord assumed the meekest of that the lord assumed the meekest of postures postures as we are taught when we are invited in as we are taught when we are invited in paul's second chapter of his letter to paul's second chapter of his letter to the philippians let this mind be in you the philippians let this mind be in you which was in christ jesus which was in christ jesus who being in the form of god counted it who being in the form of god counted it not a prize to be on an equality with not a prize to be on an equality with god but emptied himself and took upon god but emptied himself and took upon himself the form of a slave and was made himself the form of a slave and was made in the likeness of men in the likeness of men and being found in passion as a man he and being found in passion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross but it is true that in consequence of that that god has highly exalted him god has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above and given him the name which is above every name every name that the name of jesus that the name of jesus every knee should bow every knee should bow of things in heaven of things in heaven and things in earth and things in earth and things under the earth and things under the earth and every tongue confess that jesus and every tongue confess that jesus christ is lord christ is lord to the glory of god the father and that to the glory of god the father and that is not restricted only to those is not restricted only to those subjugated knees that will bow before subjugated knees that will bow before him because they will have been him because they will have been conquered conquered when the lord comes back to his earth when the lord comes back to his earth it is true of ourselves too it is true of ourselves too when we say when we say at the name of jesus at the name of jesus every knee should bow every knee should bow we bow in prayer before thy throne oh we bow in prayer before thy throne oh god god we say to his father we say to his father and through the lord jesus christ and through the lord jesus christ himself our priest of whom we are himself our priest of whom we are learning learning we make that supplication to the eternal we make that supplication to the eternal god but for the moment we see the lord in his weakness made like unto his brothers in every point it's not easy to accept that in every point like unto his brothers in every point like unto his brothers if you carry it too far you become a if you carry it too far you become a unitarian and don't believe that god is unitarian and don't believe that god is his father at all his father at all because in every point he's like us because in every point he's like us if you don't carry it far enough you if you don't carry it far enough you make him the eternal god who in no make him the eternal god who in no respect he said appearance is like us respect he said appearance is like us and between the two there lies the and between the two there lies the statement here that being the express statement here that being the express character of god's person character of god's person yet yet notwithstanding under addition to that notwithstanding under addition to that he is made in all points like unto his he is made in all points like unto his brothers when they looked upon the lord jesus christ they saw christ they saw someone saw very like us that they were someone saw very like us that they were offended when he in any way deviated offended when he in any way deviated from the normal pattern of human from the normal pattern of human behavior he's not this the carpenter's behavior he's not this the carpenter's son they said son they said and his brothers and his sisters james and his brothers and his sisters james and joseph and judas and simon and the and joseph and judas and simon and the rest are they not just like us why is rest are they not just like us why is this man out of the normal run of things this man out of the normal run of things and they were offended out here and their failure to understand him arose from the fact that this was not arose from the fact that this was not the carpenter's son that mary's son he the carpenter's son that mary's son he was indeed but joseph he was not was indeed but joseph he was not and the death of the mighty works that and the death of the mighty works that they show themselves in him arose from a they show themselves in him arose from a different origin different origin yet how can one at the same time be son yet how can one at the same time be son of god of god able to make multitudes satisfied with able to make multitudes satisfied with food and raise the dead and heal the food and raise the dead and heal the sick and do all the other things that sick and do all the other things that jesus did and speak inspired words jesus did and speak inspired words whenever he opened his mouth how can we whenever he opened his mouth how can we at one at the same time be that and the at one at the same time be that and the one who is made in all points like unto one who is made in all points like unto his brethren his brethren tempted in all points like as we are and all we can say to that is that it was so was so though this is the high priest whom we though this is the high priest whom we celebrate celebrate in the making in the making preparing to become our priest preparing to become our priest that all the powers he possessed made that all the powers he possessed made his humanity no less his humanity no less that all the knowledge he had with his that all the knowledge he had with his temptations no weaker temptations no weaker that all the understanding he had of the that all the understanding he had of the ways of god made the pursuit of the word ways of god made the pursuit of the word of righteousness no easier and the fifth chapter goes on to tell us how true that is when it cuts away the how true that is when it cuts away the ground from all who would make the lord ground from all who would make the lord in some way different in his sufferings in some way different in his sufferings from other men because god was his from other men because god was his father by saying though he were a son father by saying though he were a son yet yet learned the obedience by the things that learned the obedience by the things that he suffered he suffered and being made perfect and being made perfect he became the author of eternal he became the author of eternal salvation perhaps no word sums it up better than that word that word perfect perfect it's commonly used in the lessons of the it's commonly used in the lessons of the hebrews hebrews it is only once outside that that are it is only once outside that that are used about the lord jesus christ used about the lord jesus christ but when it is then so used the lord but when it is then so used the lord says says go tell herod i do cursed today and go tell herod i do cursed today and tomorrow tomorrow and the third day i shall be perfected and the third day i shall be perfected as not to say i haven't got there yet as not to say i haven't got there yet that time is yet awaited that time is yet awaited and during the period in which the lord and during the period in which the lord awaited that he would say to the rich awaited that he would say to the rich young man who came to him why call us young man who came to him why call us thou me good there is none good but one that is that is god wasn't he good god wasn't he good as we look upon him yes we could echo as we look upon him yes we could echo the words of the rich young man the good the words of the rich young man the good master did no sin neither was gal found master did no sin neither was gal found in his mouth in his mouth no wrong word no wrong deed no evil no wrong word no wrong deed no evil thought took root in his mind thought took root in his mind everything the lord did everything the lord did was good yet he said why callest thou me good why callest thou me good none is good but one none is good but one that is god that is god well wasn't he good well wasn't he good and if he wasn't in what respect was he and if he wasn't in what respect was he not himself points the way when he says the third day the third day i shall be perfected i shall be perfected and hebrews takes up the road when it and hebrews takes up the road when it says it became god in bringing many sons says it became god in bringing many sons unto glory to make the captain of our unto glory to make the captain of our salvation perfect salvation perfect to perfect him to perfect him through his sufferings through his sufferings it takes it further when it says and it takes it further when it says and being made perfect he became the author being made perfect he became the author of eternal salvation having learned of eternal salvation having learned obedience by the things that he suffered obedience by the things that he suffered and it takes it to its conclusion when and it takes it to its conclusion when in chapter 7 it says the work of god in chapter 7 it says the work of god makes jesus christ our high priest makes jesus christ our high priest perfected forevermore consecrated says perfected forevermore consecrated says the king james version but perfected it the king james version but perfected it is is forevermore so between the lord as they saw him upon the earth the earth and the lord as he ascended into the and the lord as he ascended into the heavens there lies that process called heavens there lies that process called being made perfect being made perfect being perfected being perfected he had not achieved that he had not achieved that while he lived while he lived it was there in his fullness it was there in his fullness when he rose when he rose and ascended to heaven and ascended to heaven it came about it came about when he died when he died god god made the captain of our salvation made the captain of our salvation perfect through his sufferings perfect through his sufferings he learned obedience by his sufferings he learned obedience by his sufferings and became perfect the law of god makes jesus our high priest of god makes jesus our high priest perfected perfected forevermore and in that perfecting our high priest is born is born in that transition between his mortal in that transition between his mortal life life and his resurrection glory and his resurrection glory the lord passes from being a savior in the lord passes from being a savior in the making the making to a savior made and complete to a savior made and complete and now untouchable by sin and now untouchable by sin fitted to be our great high priest fitted to be our great high priest as our chapter ends as our chapter ends verse 17 chapter 2. verse 17 chapter 2. therefore it behold him in all things to therefore it behold him in all things to be made like unto his brethren that he be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful high might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to god priest in things pertaining to god to make reconciliation for the things of to make reconciliation for the things of the people for the sins of the people the people for the sins of the people for him that he himself hath suffered for him that he himself hath suffered being tempted being tempted he is able to sucker them that are he is able to sucker them that are tempted so therein lies the perfecting between the life he lived between the life he lived and the resurrection life he now lives and the resurrection life he now lives lies the death that made him perfect it didn't look like it to those around here was a criminal being executed he was a blasphemer dying in his shame he was one who rebelled against rome he was one who rebelled against rome suffering the proper penalty of a suffering the proper penalty of a treason monger here lies a man who was failed in his mission mission that was how his disciples must have that was how his disciples must have seen him seen him we thought this was he which should have we thought this was he which should have redeemed israel redeemed israel now now till their eyes were opened till their eyes were opened we can think so no longer what then counted his worst failure and the most dismal tragedy of his life and the most dismal tragedy of his life was for those who saw him in faith and was for those who saw him in faith and for those who now see him in faith the for those who now see him in faith the triumph that made a sinless man triumph that made a sinless man into a perfected high priest as moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness wilderness even so must the son of man be lifted up even so must the son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth may in him have that whosoever believeth may in him have eternal life and so for reasons we shall explore for reasons we shall explore because you and i are the people we are because you and i are the people we are it was it needful that our priest in the it was it needful that our priest in the making should be just like us with making should be just like us with respect to sufferings and temptation and respect to sufferings and temptation and affliction in all points like unto his affliction in all points like unto his brethren brethren and for as much as the children are and for as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood jesus also partakers of flesh and blood jesus also himself likewise took part of the same himself likewise took part of the same that by death that by death he might destroy him that half the power he might destroy him that half the power of death of death that is that is the devil the devil and deliver all those who through fear and deliver all those who through fear of death of death for all their lifetime subject to for all their lifetime subject to bondage that as we shall see as we shall see is what our great high priest did is what our great high priest did in becoming priest in becoming priest that's what the man who walked the that's what the man who walked the courts of the earth did courts of the earth did when when he entered in through the veil by his he entered in through the veil by his own blood own blood into god's most holy place into god's most holy place of that we shall learn more of that we shall learn more as we proceed as we proceed if god be willing if god be willing with bar heads in prayer gracious god our heavenly father who has looked down upon thy creatures who has looked down upon thy creatures in their affliction and provided away in their affliction and provided away who wondered that there was no arm to who wondered that there was no arm to save and no eye to pity and hust by save and no eye to pity and hust by their their brought salvation now we bow before thee to thank thee for thy blessings brought to us thy blessings brought to us in thy love in sending jesus christ in thy love in sending jesus christ by his righteousness to declare thy ways by his righteousness to declare thy ways and by his death to open unto us the way and by his death to open unto us the way the truth the truth and the life and the life into thy presence and now within thy courts we thank thee and seek thy face and seek thy face through him through whom that has loved through him through whom that has loved us us and washed us from our sins in his blood and washed us from our sins in his blood through jesus christ our lord through jesus christ our lord oh man

Transcript

it became him in bringing many sons unto glory to make in bringing many sons unto glory to make the captain of our salvation perfect the captain of our salvation perfect through sufferings for as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood partakers of flesh and blood jesus also himself likewise took part of jesus also himself likewise took part of the same the same that by death he might destroy him that that by death he might destroy him that hath the power of death hath the power of death that is the devil that is the devil and deliver all them who through fear of and deliver all them who through fear of death death with all their lifetimes subject to with all their lifetimes subject to bondage it could not have been done otherwise there's something almost mathematical there's something almost mathematical about the precision of what is said about the precision of what is said there there because you and i have a flesh and blood because you and i have a flesh and blood nature nature it was needful that the one who was to it was needful that the one who was to redeem us to god himself should have the redeem us to god himself should have the identical nature he must also himself identical nature he must also himself likewise with threefold repetition also likewise with threefold repetition also himself likewise take part of the same himself likewise take part of the same in order that his death might destroy in order that his death might destroy the devil the devil for us for us and deliver all those who through fear and deliver all those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage to bondage granted our own fleshly nature then the granted our own fleshly nature then the only way in which that fleshly nature only way in which that fleshly nature could have its weaknesses overcome could have its weaknesses overcome and its separation from god healed was and its separation from god healed was that our savior himself should have that that our savior himself should have that same fleshly nature same fleshly nature and granted that equation the only way and granted that equation the only way in which our savior having that same in which our savior having that same fleshly nature could bring about the fleshly nature could bring about the salvation which we need was by death salvation which we need was by death that by that death he might destroy him that by that death he might destroy him that hath the power of death that hath the power of death that is the devil that is the devil so we see god sending his own son so we see god sending his own son in the likeness of sins flesh in the likeness of sins flesh and as an offering for sins and as an offering for sins condemning sin condemning sin where it lives where it lives in the flesh in the flesh as paul put it in the eighth chapter of as paul put it in the eighth chapter of his letter to the romans observe the course of this man as soon as we meet him as soon as we meet him as a child we know little of him save at as a child we know little of him save at the age of 12. the age of 12. and there we find him disputing in the and there we find him disputing in the temple in jerusalem with the scribes and temple in jerusalem with the scribes and the learned men both hearing them and the learned men both hearing them and asking them questions and when he is asking them questions and when he is mildly rebuked for that by joseph and mildly rebuked for that by joseph and his mother answering by saying how is it his mother answering by saying how is it that she sought me that she sought me did he not know that i must be in my did he not know that i must be in my father's house father's house or about my father's business or about my father's business he knew it he knew it and even at that early age had decided and even at that early age had decided that he would do it that he would do it his father's will should be his law there is nothing automatic about the lord's obedience lord's obedience we have already said from the letter we we have already said from the letter we are studying that though he were a son are studying that though he were a son yet learned he obedient by the things yet learned he obedient by the things that he suffered that he suffered he had the same potential for being he had the same potential for being disobedient that any other child of adam disobedient that any other child of adam had had his temptations were real temptations his temptations were real temptations when each of them came to him he could when each of them came to him he could say yes or no but to the temptations he say yes or no but to the temptations he always said no always said no and to the cause of duty he always said and to the cause of duty he always said yes but never without the struggle that yes but never without the struggle that must take place in the mind of anyone must take place in the mind of anyone when choosing his path for or against first encounter with temptation is presented to us picturesquely in the presented to us picturesquely in the bible as a man-to-man encounter between bible as a man-to-man encounter between the lord the lord and the devil and the devil immediately after his baptism itself a immediately after his baptism itself a temptation the lord was caught away into temptation the lord was caught away into the wilderness the wilderness the temptation in the baptism consisted the temptation in the baptism consisted no doubt of knowing and understanding no doubt of knowing and understanding and then repelling the insinuation and then repelling the insinuation implied in john's sincerely humble words implied in john's sincerely humble words master i have need to be baptized of master i have need to be baptized of thee thee and cometh thou to me for john in a sense had right on his side side of the two the lord was infinitely the of the two the lord was infinitely the greater even the unborn john had seen greater even the unborn john had seen that when that when he left in his mother's womb when mary he left in his mother's womb when mary carrying jesus came into the house of carrying jesus came into the house of elizabeth elizabeth the adult john the adult john even though at that time god had not even though at that time god had not disclosed to him that this one coming disclosed to him that this one coming from baptism was in fact the lord jesus from baptism was in fact the lord jesus christ had with the same intuition christ had with the same intuition seen that this one before him was seen that this one before him was greater than he greater and more greater than he greater and more righteous righteous it was all very well for john the it was all very well for john the baptized harlots and publicans baptized harlots and publicans and should they present themselves for and should they present themselves for it even soldiers but these men were it even soldiers but these men were palpably sinners with sins to confess palpably sinners with sins to confess and to forsake with bodies to be and to forsake with bodies to be cleansed from their former sinning but cleansed from their former sinning but with jesus it was otherwise with jesus it was otherwise put john and jesus side by side and put john and jesus side by side and there is no doubt who was the greater there is no doubt who was the greater and who was the holier and john saw it and who was the holier and john saw it even though it was only after the holy even though it was only after the holy spirit coming down in the shape of a spirit coming down in the shape of a dove from heaven had descended upon dove from heaven had descended upon jesus that john knew that this was he jesus that john knew that this was he who would baptize them with the holy who would baptize them with the holy spirit and with fire how easy then it would have been for the thought to enter and take root thought to enter and take root in the mind of the lord jesus christ in the mind of the lord jesus christ that john was right that he was the that john was right that he was the baptizer and john the subject that those baptizer and john the subject that those whom john was baptizing were sinners whom john was baptizing were sinners anyway and he was not so yes why not anyway and he was not so yes why not leave the baptism alone but instead the answer came suffer it to be so now suffer it to be so now for thus it becometh us to fulfill all for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness so the lord received his baptism so the lot commended it to us lot commended it to us he went down into the water not saying he went down into the water not saying privately as a person apart does it privately as a person apart does it become of me to fulfill all become of me to fulfill all righteousness righteousness but publicly as a person joining himself but publicly as a person joining himself with the sinners blessed becometh us with the sinners blessed becometh us to fulfill all righteousness to fulfill all righteousness he went down into the waters as it were he went down into the waters as it were soiled with the flesh of those who had soiled with the flesh of those who had grievously sinned grievously sinned and accepted the gesture of humility and accepted the gesture of humility which was caught for from them who which was caught for from them who needed it so much needed it so much he went down and incorporated within his he went down and incorporated within his active obedience all who were already active obedience all who were already obeying and all who stand at the obeying and all who stand at the crossroads of obedience now and there crossroads of obedience now and there was never more eloquent call to any was never more eloquent call to any considering obeying the gospel than to considering obeying the gospel than to look at the manner in which the lord look at the manner in which the lord jesus christ received his baptism and jesus christ received his baptism and hear him say to us hear him say to us does it becometh us does it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness to fulfill all righteousness and if he the lord would go down into and if he the lord would go down into their water their water and accept what they needed and accept what they needed how much more should we be glad how much more should we be glad and honored and dignified to go down and honored and dignified to go down into his into his and hear him say to us as we are and hear him say to us as we are baptized thus it becometh us you and me baptized thus it becometh us you and me for he is not ashamed to call us for he is not ashamed to call us brethren brethren to fulfill all righteousness but as i say he was caught away into the wilderness wilderness driven by the spirit of god to endure driven by the spirit of god to endure what 40 days fasting could bring upon what 40 days fasting could bring upon him him confronted with stones that looked like confronted with stones that looked like little loaves and could so easily by his little loaves and could so easily by his power be made into them power be made into them confronted by the knowledge that he confronted by the knowledge that he would shortly meet a multitude that would shortly meet a multitude that might go with him or against him and might go with him or against him and with the knowledge that they lay within with the knowledge that they lay within him powers which could be used to gain him powers which could be used to gain in popularity in popularity and confronted with the knowledge that and confronted with the knowledge that that which was within him could lead him that which was within him could lead him on the tide of popular approval to on the tide of popular approval to kingship if he would take it without the kingship if he would take it without the need for the suffering of the cross need for the suffering of the cross he could bypass all the afflictions and he could bypass all the afflictions and become a great king quickly and at once become a great king quickly and at once so if thou be the son of god command so if thou be the son of god command these stones and they will be made bread these stones and they will be made bread if thou be the son of god cast us up if thou be the son of god cast us up down from hence for it is written he down from hence for it is written he will give his angels charge concerning will give his angels charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall bear thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up lest at any time thou shalt dash thee up lest at any time thou shalt dash thy foot against a stone thy foot against a stone and and all these things will i give thee all these things will i give thee if thou would fall down and worship me but the lord had learned and must now put into practice put into practice that the sonship of god was there that the sonship of god was there not to glorify the son of man not to glorify the son of man but to provide service for the father but to provide service for the father there are powers where he is not to there are powers where he is not to minister to his appetites minister to his appetites but to show forth the glory of him who but to show forth the glory of him who had sent him had sent him that the angels were there not to be the that the angels were there not to be the playthings of his whims playthings of his whims but to provide the means of needed but to provide the means of needed sustenance sustenance when he would go on his way to the cross when he would go on his way to the cross that would seal his work that would seal his work and so and so it is written it is written he said he said man doth not live by bread alone but by man doth not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of god it was in the wilderness they had been taught that lesson taught that lesson he was in his own wilderness now he was in his own wilderness now there god had rained down manna from there god had rained down manna from heaven upon them and moses had said the heaven upon them and moses had said the lord your god did feed you with manna in lord your god did feed you with manna in the wilderness that you might know that the wilderness that you might know that men doth not live by bread alone but by men doth not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of god's every word that proceedeth out of god's mouth mouth and it seems that this is what they were and it seems that this is what they were being taught being taught when they made bread when they made bread if they were in a country where it was if they were in a country where it was possible for them to do so they sowed possible for them to do so they sowed seed seed and wheat grew up and wheat grew up and the sickle was applied and the and the sickle was applied and the harvest was reaped harvest was reaped and the ears were cut off and the ears were cut off and then winnowed from their chaff and then winnowed from their chaff then ground into flour then ground into flour then leavened if it was appropriate to then leavened if it was appropriate to leaven them leaven them and then baked and then baked into bread and then they ate into bread and then they ate it was a long many-stage process to make it was a long many-stage process to make bread bread but when god paid them with manner in but when god paid them with manner in the wilderness he revealed that once the wilderness he revealed that once that all those stages could be cut out that all those stages could be cut out and straight from asking to bread they and straight from asking to bread they were were manner came down from heaven and the manner came down from heaven and the fine thing like a coriander seed was fine thing like a coriander seed was therefore the eating of all the baking therefore the eating of all the baking or the seeding or the seeding all in one operation all in one operation and moses said that was there to teach and moses said that was there to teach them not just that god could them not just that god could short-circuit the process from sowing short-circuit the process from sowing seed to making bread into one single seed to making bread into one single divinely miraculous operation divinely miraculous operation but also the god could if he wanted feed but also the god could if he wanted feed them just by words them just by words man does not live by bread alone man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of god and he said to his the mouth of god and he said to his temptation god can keep me alive by any temptation god can keep me alive by any means he chooses i don't need even to means he chooses i don't need even to open my mouth open my mouth he will feed me and make me live and the refusal to use the powers of the son of god to gratify the appetite of son of god to gratify the appetite of the son of man the son of man bore its own fruits in due course when bore its own fruits in due course when he said to his disciples who came back he said to his disciples who came back bearing their beards from the bearing their beards from the marketplace i have meat to eat the gino marketplace i have meat to eat the gino not have my meat is to do the will of not have my meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work him that sent me and to finish his work and then when the multitude having been and then when the multitude having been fed one day fed one day five thousand of them besides women and five thousand of them besides women and children with the fruits of five loaves children with the fruits of five loaves and two fish and two fish the lord could dismiss them the next day the lord could dismiss them the next day with no more food and say labor not for with no more food and say labor not for the meat that perisheth the meat that perisheth but for that which endureth unto eternal but for that which endureth unto eternal life life which the son of man shall give unto you which the son of man shall give unto you and they had no comeback such as you've and they had no comeback such as you've played yourself pat with bollywood's in played yourself pat with bollywood's in the wilderness didn't you when you made the wilderness didn't you when you made stones into bread why'd you deny us our stones into bread why'd you deny us our second meal second meal for he had not done so for he had not done so and his conscience was clear and he and his conscience was clear and he could lead them to that we should could lead them to that we should sustain him the word which endures unto sustain him the word which endures unto eternal life it was the same with refusing to cast himself down from the pinnacle of the himself down from the pinnacle of the temple had he performed that spectacle temple had he performed that spectacle they might have clustered around him in they might have clustered around him in their multitudes for the wrong reasons their multitudes for the wrong reasons and then he might have been tempted to and then he might have been tempted to work that kind of acrobatic circus work that kind of acrobatic circus wonder time after time again and again wonder time after time again and again to gain their approval to gain their approval it would not have been successful of it would not have been successful of course course multitudes are fickle and tired multitudes are fickle and tired even israel in the wilderness are tired even israel in the wilderness are tired of the manner of the manner they want more and more and different they want more and more and different and more varied bread and circuses and and more varied bread and circuses and their demands would increase as their their demands would increase as their boredom with the things they had grew boredom with the things they had grew greater greater and though at that time this was his and though at that time this was his third temptation they would have come third temptation they would have come and taken him by force and made him a and taken him by force and made him a king king they would not for very long have been they would not for very long have been pleased with the king who gave them pleased with the king who gave them barley bread each day barley bread each day and fish and fish they would have wanted to change it they would have wanted to change it might have been quails or whatever it might have been quails or whatever it could be could be and the lord had been not their king but and the lord had been not their king but their slave their slave and not the slave of redeemed persons and not the slave of redeemed persons brought to glory but persons unredeemed brought to glory but persons unredeemed as sinful as they ever were no kingship as sinful as they ever were no kingship was not to be gained that way was not to be gained that way the lord faced his temptations not for the lord faced his temptations not for himself alone himself alone but for all of us but for all of us in overcoming them and setting a pattern in overcoming them and setting a pattern as to what righteousness was and leading as to what righteousness was and leading men to know that that was the men to know that that was the righteousness they must desire as they righteousness they must desire as they labored not for the meat that perisheth labored not for the meat that perisheth but for that which endureth unto but for that which endureth unto everlasting life those were his keenest first temptations they were not to be his last they were not to be his last disciples said call down fire from disciples said call down fire from heaven in vengeance heaven in vengeance and he answered you know not what spirit and he answered you know not what spirit you are of you are of ruler said get the hence the head will ruler said get the hence the head will kill thee kill thee the lot stood his ground the lot stood his ground peter stood in his way as he faced peter stood in his way as he faced southwards from caesarea philippi on his southwards from caesarea philippi on his way to jerusalem and said lord this way to jerusalem and said lord this shall not be unto thee shall not be unto thee i must be shown his place with get thee i must be shown his place with get thee behind me satan thou saverest not the behind me satan thou saverest not the things that be of god but those that be things that be of god but those that be of men of men and in his own private thoughts the lord and in his own private thoughts the lord would face his greatest temptations would face his greatest temptations when he reasoned with himself and said when he reasoned with himself and said now is my soul troubled now is my soul troubled and what shall i say and what shall i say father save me from this hour father save me from this hour but for this purpose came i under this but for this purpose came i under this hour hour father glorify thy name the voice of the flesh saying get out while this time get out while this time father save me from this hour father save me from this hour and the voice of the spirit replied but and the voice of the spirit replied but you do know that's what you're here for you do know that's what you're here for don't you don't you and the lord weighed the two and the lord weighed the two without allowing the thought that would without allowing the thought that would have been sin to take root in his mind have been sin to take root in his mind opted for the other one and said father opted for the other one and said father glorify thy name glorify thy name and the voice came saying though they and the voice came saying though they thought it thundered thought it thundered i have both glorified it i have both glorified it and i will glorify it again and so he went his way till they arrested him in the garden and as though to emphasize that this was no superior night triumphing over the no superior night triumphing over the weakness of one man left weakness of one man left alone when the lord placed them and said alone when the lord placed them and said whom seek whom seek and they said jesus of nazareth and they said jesus of nazareth the lord simple answer i am he either in the lord simple answer i am he either in itself or by some unrevealed exercise of itself or by some unrevealed exercise of his power his power so prostrated them that they went so prostrated them that they went backwards and fell to the ground backwards and fell to the ground and then by the lord's grace they were and then by the lord's grace they were allowed to get up again allowed to get up again and tie him and lead him to the place of and tie him and lead him to the place of what they were pleased to call judgment what they were pleased to call judgment and there and there god having no doubt caused the confusion god having no doubt caused the confusion of babel to descend upon their bribed of babel to descend upon their bribed witnesses so their testimony agreed not witnesses so their testimony agreed not together there the lord stood trial for together there the lord stood trial for his life his life and all the false charges failed and and all the false charges failed and fell away fell away and it was only when the high priest and it was only when the high priest said i agree thee by the living god the said i agree thee by the living god the thou tellest thou tellest art thou the christ the son of the art thou the christ the son of the blessed blessed that the lord giving the simple answer that the lord giving the simple answer thou sayest was condemned as a thou sayest was condemned as a blasphemer blasphemer there was blasphemy afoot certainly there was blasphemy afoot certainly but they would have been wiser had they but they would have been wiser had they decided to investigate whether perhaps decided to investigate whether perhaps his claim was true his claim was true but it was false he would indeed a but it was false he would indeed a blasphemer blasphemer if it was true they were if it was true they were and they brought the guilt upon and they brought the guilt upon themselves by condemning him you have themselves by condemning him you have heard the blasphemy and unlawfully heard the blasphemy and unlawfully rending his robes the high priest said rending his robes the high priest said what need we further witness and they what need we further witness and they all condemned him to be worthy of death all condemned him to be worthy of death so the lord was condemned before a so the lord was condemned before a jewish court jewish court for speaking the truth about his office for speaking the truth about his office it was the same before a reluctant pilot it was the same before a reluctant pilot for then the charge since the romans for then the charge since the romans were not concerned with the charge of were not concerned with the charge of blasphemy against israel's god then the blasphemy against israel's god then the charge was altered till he said he was a charge was altered till he said he was a king king and the men who were determined to have and the men who were determined to have him destroyed him destroyed demeaned themselves and humiliated their demeaned themselves and humiliated their own claims by saying we have no king but own claims by saying we have no king but caesar caesar to get their christ killed to get their christ killed and so when pilate said art thou are and so when pilate said art thou are king then again there's not so much a king then again there's not so much a plea of guilty as an announcement of the plea of guilty as an announcement of the truth now says that i am a king truth now says that i am a king to this and was i born and for this to this and was i born and for this purpose came i enter the world that i purpose came i enter the world that i might bear witness to the truth and might bear witness to the truth and everyone that is of the truth heareth my everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice so they decided that they were not of the truth the truth and at least for the time being judged and at least for the time being judged themselves unworthy of eternal life themselves unworthy of eternal life these jews who accused him before thy these jews who accused him before thy roman oppressors roman oppressors and we have no king but caesar caused and we have no king but caesar caused their own king born king of the jews to their own king born king of the jews to be led away the place where they would be led away the place where they would erect over his cross the proclamation erect over his cross the proclamation this is jesus of nazareth this is jesus of nazareth the king of the jews and the horrors of that day the lord endured endured until the last from the great darkness until the last from the great darkness as he bore as he bore accepting accepting that which was a curse to men who had that which was a curse to men who had committed capital crimes committed capital crimes the lord for all of us bore our sins in the lord for all of us bore our sins in his body up onto the tree and died as a his body up onto the tree and died as a criminal might die and god left him as criminal might die and god left him as he might leave a criminal and from the he might leave a criminal and from the darkness the lord groped out to say when darkness the lord groped out to say when his tongue was loosed by the sot they his tongue was loosed by the sot they gave him father gave him father into thy hands i commend my spirit into thy hands i commend my spirit as though to say as though to say you are there god though i can't now see you are there god though i can't now see and feel you i know it and you will keep and feel you i know it and you will keep my life in your care my life in your care till i take it to me again and so the lord died he had never sinned he had never sinned when temptation came to him each one when temptation came to him each one severally was met and reasoned out and severally was met and reasoned out and rebuffed rebuffed but of course the next day's temptations but of course the next day's temptations were yet to come were yet to come and the next and the next and the next and the next and all of them day by day and week by and all of them day by day and week by week and year by year until the time week and year by year until the time came which god had appointed and said on came which god had appointed and said on that day i wish you to die that day i wish you to die and the lord consented when he was not and the lord consented when he was not compelled compelled chose to fulfill the things written of chose to fulfill the things written of him and died him and died of his own free will of his own free will being found in fashion as a man he being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient to humbled himself and became obedient to death even the death of the cross never again would thoughts enter into the lord's immortal mind saying do this the lord's immortal mind saying do this against god's will you would never need against god's will you would never need to fight it down once more it had all to fight it down once more it had all been done the lord could now be safely been done the lord could now be safely granted the blessing of endless life granted the blessing of endless life because he would never misuse any powers because he would never misuse any powers that might be given to him that might be given to him all power hath been given unto me in all power hath been given unto me in heaven and earth the lord could cry and heaven and earth the lord could cry and the father who gave it to him would lose the father who gave it to him would lose nothing in the giving nothing in the giving he could give everything to jesus and he could give everything to jesus and keep it to himself just the same and the nature of the risen christ in relation to his father was never better relation to his father was never better brought out than by the passage i have brought out than by the passage i have already quoted yesterday i think already quoted yesterday i think wherefore wherefore because he became obedient to death even because he became obedient to death even the death of the cross wherefore god the death of the cross wherefore god also has highly exalted him and given also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name him the name which is above every name that at the name of jesus every knee that at the name of jesus every knee should bow should bow of things in heaven and things on earth of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth and every and things under the earth and every tongue confess that jesus christ is lord tongue confess that jesus christ is lord to the glory of god to the glory of god the father the father so that whatever praise reach the lord so that whatever praise reach the lord jesus christ it would through the jesus christ it would through the transparent selflessness of his immortal transparent selflessness of his immortal nature go through and reach his father nature go through and reach his father to whom it belonged and so with that total devotion to his father's will which he nurtured during father's will which he nurtured during the days of his temptation which was the days of his temptation which was sealed in him by his death which is sealed in him by his death which is permanent in him in his raised and permanent in him in his raised and glorified form glorified form the lord will one day reach the point the lord will one day reach the point where not abdicating but giving where it where not abdicating but giving where it is due he will fulfill his total mission is due he will fulfill his total mission and take everything he has made ready and take everything he has made ready for his god and give it to him for his god and give it to him and then shall the son also be subject and then shall the son also be subject unto the father unto the father that god may be all and in all and that that god may be all and in all and that will not be the lord's abdication it will not be the lord's abdication it will be the lord's greatest triumph that is one thing the lord's death did for him for him sealed in him the sinlessness which he sealed in him the sinlessness which he had chosen had chosen so that now being made perfect he could so that now being made perfect he could discharge the offices without safe to discharge the offices without safe to him it was not all for he who had resisted the urge of for he who had resisted the urge of those around to take him by force and those around to take him by force and make him a king make him a king because he was not timed that he should because he was not timed that he should be a king they were not the right be a king they were not the right subjects and he was not in the right subjects and he was not in the right position to be the king who would rule position to be the king who would rule in righteousness in righteousness securely and forever securely and forever could now be made a king and be certain could now be made a king and be certain the ruling the ruling in the fear of god in the fear of god with the love of god for the name of god with the love of god for the name of god with the honor of god as his goal when with the honor of god as his goal when jesus became a king there would be no jesus became a king there would be no temporary imperfect righteousness like temporary imperfect righteousness like that of david say or hezekiah or josiah that of david say or hezekiah or josiah there could be no abandonment to evil there could be no abandonment to evil like there had been with say jeroboam like there had been with say jeroboam the son of nevad or except for his last the son of nevad or except for his last days manasseh with the lord as king there will be perfection perfection justice justice discernment discernment all the king needs and the power to all the king needs and the power to carry out his eatings behold a king carry out his eatings behold a king shall reign in righteousness shall reign in righteousness and princes shall rule in judgment but more than that for our present purpose for our present purpose what was sealed in the lord jesus christ what was sealed in the lord jesus christ by his dying by his dying was was that care and concern he had had for all that care and concern he had had for all his fellows during his living his fellows during his living i have compassion on the multitude i have compassion on the multitude they are a sheep not having a shepherd they are a sheep not having a shepherd the son of man has come to seek and to the son of man has come to seek and to save that which is lost save that which is lost and the man who knowing what he would do and the man who knowing what he would do and who might your mind without and who might your mind without imagination seem to be under necessity imagination seem to be under necessity of doing so of doing so who could stand by a grave with a stone who could stand by a grave with a stone sealed before it and behold the sorrow sealed before it and behold the sorrow of those who wept of those who wept and weep with them was one who when he rose from the dead did not lose when he rose from the dead did not lose his compassion his compassion nor ceased to care nor ceased to care nor become the mere trembling giant of nor become the mere trembling giant of might which all power in heaven and might which all power in heaven and earth might give him earth might give him he was the one in whom there was also he was the one in whom there was also sealed that care and concern sealed that care and concern that love for his fellows that love for his fellows which he had shown in the days of his which he had shown in the days of his weakness may we sing together him 165 him 165 loving shepherd of thy sheep loving shepherd of thy sheep [Music] is [Music] [Music] is is [Music] [Music] and so by a route much longer than the and so by a route much longer than the writer has taken we have arrived at our writer has taken we have arrived at our lord in heaven now with that compassion lord in heaven now with that compassion which our high priest is able to show which our high priest is able to show and exercise on our behalves and exercise on our behalves and so we read in the closing verses of and so we read in the closing verses of hebrews chapter 2 hebrews chapter 2 wherefore it behold him in all things to wherefore it behold him in all things to be made like unto his brethren that he be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful high might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to god priest in things pertaining to god to make propitiation for the sins of the to make propitiation for the sins of the people people for in that he himself hath suffered for in that he himself hath suffered being tempted being tempted he is able to sucker them that are he is able to sucker them that are tempted tempted or at the end of chapter 4 verse 14 or at the end of chapter 4 verse 14 having been a great high priest who hath having been a great high priest who hath passed through the heavens passed through the heavens jesus the son of god let us hold past jesus the son of god let us hold past our confession our confession for we have not a high priest that for we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities our infirmities but one to have been in all points but one to have been in all points tempted like as we are tempted like as we are yet without sin yet without sin let us therefore draw near with boldness let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy that we may obtain mercy and may find grace to help in time of and may find grace to help in time of need and the scene was set for that all powerful compassion of the lord of all powerful compassion of the lord of which paul writes in romans chapter 8 which paul writes in romans chapter 8 where we read 8. what then shall we say to these things things if god is for us who is against us if god is for us who is against us he that spared not his only son but he that spared not his only son but delivered him up for us all how shall he delivered him up for us all how shall he not also with him freely give us all not also with him freely give us all things things who shall they anything to the charge of who shall they anything to the charge of god's elect god's elect it is god the justifier it is god the justifier who is he that shall condemn who is he that shall condemn it is christ jesus that died yay rather it is christ jesus that died yay rather that was raised from the dead that was raised from the dead who is at the right hand of god who is at the right hand of god who also maketh intercession for us who also maketh intercession for us who shall separate us from the love of who shall separate us from the love of christ christ shall tribulation or anguish or shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakedness or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or in all these things we are more than conquerors conquerors through him that loved us through him that loved us for i am persuaded that neither death for i am persuaded that neither death nor life nor life nor angels nor principalities nor things nor angels nor principalities nor things present nor things to come nor powers present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor any other nor height nor depth nor any other creature creature shall be able to separate us from the shall be able to separate us from the love of god which is in christ jesus our love of god which is in christ jesus our lord we are in danger of making two mistakes about the program of the heavenly father about the program of the heavenly father in our lord jesus christ one concerns the overall picture of the lord jesus christ coming in weakness lord jesus christ coming in weakness dying and being raised and descending dying and being raised and descending and coming back again to reign in glory and coming back again to reign in glory missing out the middle missing out the middle for we are in the middle for we are in the middle and our present lives are that and our present lives are that intermediate phase of lives intermediate phase of lives and the lord is not absent and the lord is not absent during that period during that period but present in another way but present in another way i am with you always i am with you always he said he said the lord is not absent during that the lord is not absent during that period period for he who said for he who said let not your heart be troubled let not your heart be troubled believe in god believe also in me believe in god believe also in me in my father's house are many abiding in my father's house are many abiding places i go to prepare a place for you places i go to prepare a place for you and if i go i will come again and and if i go i will come again and receive you unto myself that where i am receive you unto myself that where i am there ye may be also was not in those there ye may be also was not in those words though often enough he did so words though often enough he did so elsewhere elsewhere talking about his second coming in the talking about his second coming in the future future he was talking about one opening the he was talking about one opening the door of a house going in and making door of a house going in and making ready and then coming back to the door ready and then coming back to the door and beckoning in his disciples saying and beckoning in his disciples saying come in come in going in and making ready and then going in and making ready and then coming back to the door and beckoning in coming back to the door and beckoning in his disciples saying come in his disciples saying come in for in the same chapter for in the same chapter if any man love me my father will love if any man love me my father will love him and we will come unto him and make him and we will come unto him and make our abiding place the very same word and our abiding place the very same word and his only other occurrence and make our his only other occurrence and make our abiding place with him abiding place with him so that the lord beckons the disciples so that the lord beckons the disciples within within the father's temple the father's temple not to go somewhere up above when they not to go somewhere up above when they die die but to be but to be in the heavenly places in christ while in the heavenly places in christ while they live they live the believer in the lord jesus christ the believer in the lord jesus christ because his lord is where he is is one because his lord is where he is is one who walks with his feet on the ground who walks with his feet on the ground and his head in the clouds and his head in the clouds he is with the lord jesus in the abiding he is with the lord jesus in the abiding places of the father's heavenly house places of the father's heavenly house the lord has passed through the heavens the lord has passed through the heavens to the highest place where god dwells to the highest place where god dwells and we are told let us therefore and we are told let us therefore approach boldly unto the throne of grace approach boldly unto the throne of grace and that is the mercy seat of the lord and that is the mercy seat of the lord god with the lord jesus christ there we have sung at him yesterday in which we spoke of the lord standing in which we spoke of the lord standing at the father's right hand it's the one at the father's right hand it's the one misfortune in that particular beautiful misfortune in that particular beautiful hymn that we speak of him standing for hymn that we speak of him standing for the only occasion where the lord is the only occasion where the lord is reported as standing at the father's reported as standing at the father's right hand since his ascension is when right hand since his ascension is when he did so in the anguish accompanying he did so in the anguish accompanying the death of stephen the death of stephen where stephen said i stole the lord the where stephen said i stole the lord the heavens opened and the lord standing at heavens opened and the lord standing at the right hand of god but for the rest the right hand of god but for the rest the lamb took the book and sat down the lamb took the book and sat down the high priest could only be a pilgrim the high priest could only be a pilgrim in the most holy place he went in stayed in the most holy place he went in stayed a short while and came out again but not a short while and came out again but not the lord jesus the lord jesus he has gone in and he stays there he has gone in and he stays there permanently until he return again and permanently until he return again and even then at his father's right hand even then at his father's right hand the lord sat down when he had by one the lord sat down when he had by one offering purged our sins sat down at the offering purged our sins sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high and right hand of the majesty on high and god welcoming him says sit thou at my god welcoming him says sit thou at my right hand until i make thy pose thy right hand until i make thy pose thy footstool footstool there is the permanent dwelling of the there is the permanent dwelling of the lord in his own house with his father lord in his own house with his father the builder there to greet him and so our merciful our compassionate high priest is there our compassionate high priest is there and he can be touched with the feeling and he can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities of our infirmities it can be sad when we are sad sadder it can be sad when we are sad sadder still when we are unfaithful still when we are unfaithful can be hurt when his disciples can can be hurt when his disciples can shiver when his disciples are naked shiver when his disciples are naked can feel the annoying pains when his can feel the annoying pains when his disciples are hungry disciples are hungry so that the last judgment he will say to so that the last judgment he will say to his enemies i was in prison and you came his enemies i was in prison and you came not unto me not unto me i was naked and you gave me no clothing i was naked and you gave me no clothing i was sick and you did not visit me and when they inquire how that could be we'll answer we'll answer in as much as you did it not unto one of in as much as you did it not unto one of the least of these my brethren you did the least of these my brethren you did it not to me it not to me and greet his blessing in the contrary and greet his blessing in the contrary terms to those who have been faithful in terms to those who have been faithful in that way in so much as you did it to one that way in so much as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren he did of the least of these my brethren he did it unto me the lord felt the stones when they stoned stephen stoned stephen saul saw why persecuted thou me saul saw why persecuted thou me and the lord as a later chapter will and the lord as a later chapter will tell us tell us can be deeply grieved if his disciples can be deeply grieved if his disciples turn away from him the letters of the hebrews is a letter of alternating moods of alternating moods sometimes as in chapter one having sometimes as in chapter one having expressed just the glory and the majesty expressed just the glory and the majesty of jesus it warns us against not of jesus it warns us against not receiving him in chapter two receiving him in chapter two sometimes as chapter two proceeds it sometimes as chapter two proceeds it brings this glorified jesus back to our brings this glorified jesus back to our level and says he beholds him to be made level and says he beholds him to be made at all points like us so we can boldly at all points like us so we can boldly go before god and sometimes as in chapter three as in chapter three it can say now that's your privilege it can say now that's your privilege how dare you forsake it how dare you forsake it and become severe again and become severe again hebrews chapter 3 hebrews chapter 3 verse 1 wherefore holy brethren partakers of the heavenly calling partakers of the heavenly calling consider consider the apostle and high priest of our the apostle and high priest of our profession profession christ jesus christ jesus who was faithful to him that appointed who was faithful to him that appointed him him as also moses was faithful in all god's as also moses was faithful in all god's house house for this man was counted worthy of more for this man was counted worthy of more glory than moses glory than moses in as much as he who hath builded the in as much as he who hath builded the house hath more honor than the house house hath more honor than the house for every house is builded by some man for every house is builded by some man but he that built all things is god but he that built all things is god and moses verily was faithful in all and moses verily was faithful in all god's house as a servant for a testimony god's house as a servant for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken of those things which were to be spoken after after but christ as a son over god's house not but christ as a son over god's house not his own house a son over god's house his own house a son over god's house whose house are we if we hold past the whose house are we if we hold past the confidence of our rejoicing and hope confidence of our rejoicing and hope furman to the end furman to the end wherefore as the holy spirit sat wherefore as the holy spirit sat today if you will hear his voice today if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the day of harden not your hearts as in the day of provocation in the day of temptation in provocation in the day of temptation in the wilderness when your fathers tempted the wilderness when your fathers tempted me proved me and saw my works forty me proved me and saw my works forty years wherefore i was grieved with that years wherefore i was grieved with that generation and said they do all they are generation and said they do all they are in their heart in their heart and they have not known my ways so i and they have not known my ways so i swear in my wrath they shall not enter swear in my wrath they shall not enter into my rest into my rest take heed take heed the writer says lest what happened to the writer says lest what happened to them should happen to you and the them should happen to you and the severeness is back in the picture again severeness is back in the picture again how does it read then how does it read then why does he need to remind them that why does he need to remind them that moses was lesser than the lord moses was lesser than the lord why must he say that moses was faithful why must he say that moses was faithful in god's house as a servant while the in god's house as a servant while the lord jesus christ was faithful in god's lord jesus christ was faithful in god's house as a son the ruler over the house house as a son the ruler over the house that god had made that god had made why does he find it needful to remind why does he find it needful to remind those to whom he writes that they are those to whom he writes that they are members of god's house in christ that members of god's house in christ that they are his household his family and they are his household his family and his temple as against his temple as against yes was against what as against the other temple which had not yet been destroyed not yet been destroyed which was still there in jerusalem which was still there in jerusalem which had its prevailing glitter and which had its prevailing glitter and glory glory into which the high priest and his into which the high priest and his splendid robes would go splendid robes would go into which once a year he would go to into which once a year he would go to the great most holy place on the day of the great most holy place on the day of atonement and come out with his blessing atonement and come out with his blessing why did they need to be told that because they were in danger of provoking their god again their god again because they were in danger of emulating because they were in danger of emulating what israel had done before because this what israel had done before because this could be the next step could be the next step in the apostasy of the people of god in the apostasy of the people of god what had gone wrong before then what had gone wrong before then well many things well many things and repeatedly and repeatedly they had moment when they came out of they had moment when they came out of egypt egypt they had moment when they ran short of they had moment when they ran short of food food their moment for water when they were their moment for water when they were thirsty they had made themselves an idol thirsty they had made themselves an idol when moses was too long for their taste when moses was too long for their taste in the mountain in the mountain they refused to enter the promised land they refused to enter the promised land because of the giants there because of the giants there and then when they got into joshua they and then when they got into joshua they had known no better than had known no better than and in the days of the kings it was and in the days of the kings it was needful for david to write in the psalm needful for david to write in the psalm here quoted today if you will hear his here quoted today if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation in the wilderness when your provocation in the wilderness when your fathers tempted me and saw my works 40 fathers tempted me and saw my works 40 years they were always doing it years they were always doing it generation after generation generation after generation and so god swore in his wrath they shall and so god swore in his wrath they shall not enter into my rest well they did enter into the land joshua led them there joshua led them there there they might have found rest there they might have found rest but they rebelled again so the long but they rebelled again so the long period of subservience and division period of subservience and division under the judges under the judges played them into the power of their played them into the power of their enemies enemies time after time they who could have time after time they who could have settled down in the land flowing with settled down in the land flowing with milk and honey milk and honey instead of that turned to the idols instead of that turned to the idols around them and were denied the rest around them and were denied the rest that they had been promised that they had been promised they never got that rest they never got that rest these people of god these people of god they wandered in the wilderness they they wandered in the wilderness they wandered in the land of promise and says wandered in the land of promise and says the writer in fact they are wondering the writer in fact they are wondering yet yet and so he says and so he says what are you going to do what are you going to do fellow believers fellow believers are you going to go back and join them are you going to go back and join them in their wondering in their wondering are you going to reject another today are you going to reject another today are you as they did when david penned are you as they did when david penned the words today if you will hear his the words today if you will hear his voice going to say i will not hear voice going to say i will not hear and see that further your disobedience and see that further your disobedience against god are you going to turn back against god are you going to turn back to that which they have never left to that which they have never left going back into their temple following going back into their temple following their high priest their high priest renewing their sacrifices renewing their sacrifices and rejecting the one sacrifice for all and rejecting the one sacrifice for all to bring remission of sins is that what to bring remission of sins is that what you will do if you do beware beware so god spoke through david of another so god spoke through david of another today and said to the hebrews of the 1st today and said to the hebrews of the 1st century and says to israel of the 20th century and says to israel of the 20th today if you will hear his voice harden today if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation in not your hearts as in the provocation in the wilderness when your fathers tempted the wilderness when your fathers tempted me and saw my work forty years with whom me and saw my work forty years with whom i was grieved and swell in my wrath they i was grieved and swell in my wrath they shall not enter into my rest in a strange intermingling of figures in this third and in the fourth chapters this third and in the fourth chapters the writer brings together two ways of the writer brings together two ways of describing god's rest describing god's rest one is the land into which joshua led one is the land into which joshua led them them where they might have rested with the where they might have rested with the peace of god upon them but didn't peace of god upon them but didn't because of their unfaithfulness because of their unfaithfulness the other is a rest of a different kind the other is a rest of a different kind which is spoken of in genesis chapter 2 which is spoken of in genesis chapter 2 where one in a certain place has where one in a certain place has testified says chapter 4 of our record testified says chapter 4 of our record here and god did rest the seventh day here and god did rest the seventh day from all his labors so there's a place of rest and there's a day of rest and there's a day of rest there is spiritually somewhere to go in there is spiritually somewhere to go in order to rest order to rest and some day of rest where one can cease and some day of rest where one can cease from one's labors from one's labors and the two are mingled together in and the two are mingled together in these words starting from chapter 4 these words starting from chapter 4 verse 4 for he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise seventh day on this wise and god did rest the seventh day from and god did rest the seventh day from all his works all his works and in this place meaning the psalm and in this place meaning the psalm again if they shall enter into my rest again if they shall enter into my rest the day of rest in chapter in verse 4 the day of rest in chapter in verse 4 the place of rest in verse 5. the place of rest in verse 5. seeing therefore it remaineth that some seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein and they to whom it must enter therein and they to whom it was first presented not in because of was first presented not in because of unbelief which is really disobedience unbelief which is really disobedience again he limited a certain day saying in again he limited a certain day saying in david today david today after so long a time after so long a time as it is said today as it is said today if you will hear his voice harden not if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts your hearts for if one bearing our savior's name for if one bearing our savior's name jesus joshua jesus joshua had given them rest then would he not had given them rest then would he not afterwards was spoken of another rest afterwards was spoken of another rest but joshua didn't but joshua didn't so there is another so there is another there remaineth therefore there remaineth therefore a sabbath rest a sabbath rest for the people of god for the people of god and that rest is the sabbath rest it is and that rest is the sabbath rest it is tabatismos tabatismos the only occurrence in scripture of that the only occurrence in scripture of that word and again the writer has moved away word and again the writer has moved away from the place of rest into which joshua from the place of rest into which joshua would have led them had they been the would have led them had they been the right kind of people into the day of right kind of people into the day of rest which remaineth for the people of rest which remaineth for the people of god and here it is today god and here it is today and is he not saying today is the day of and is he not saying today is the day of rest let us not be obsessed with any such notion as that there being six any such notion as that there being six days of work for god in his day of rest days of work for god in his day of rest to follow to follow genesis chapters one and two genesis chapters one and two there are six thousand years of work there are six thousand years of work with a thousand years of rest to follow with a thousand years of rest to follow it is not that that the writer is it is not that that the writer is talking about talking about his rest is not a millennium of rest his rest is not a millennium of rest it is a day of rest starting now it is a day of rest starting now today if you will hear his voice today if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the harden not your hearts as in the provocation provocation there remaineth therefore there is there remaineth therefore there is available therefore this sabbath rest available therefore this sabbath rest for the people of god so for the people of god so he that hath entered into his rest he that hath entered into his rest has ceased from his own works has ceased from his own works as god from his as god from his let us labor therefore to enter into let us labor therefore to enter into that rest that rest lest any man fall after the same example lest any man fall after the same example of disobedience of disobedience for the word of god is quick and for the word of god is quick and powerful powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart thoughts and intents of the heart neither is there any creature that is neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open under but all things are naked and open under the eyes of him with whom we have to do so this is the call that comes to the disciple of god disciple of god god worked for six days and having regard to the fact that the record in genesis tells us of each of record in genesis tells us of each of the first six days but not of the the first six days but not of the seventh and there was evening and there seventh and there was evening and there was morning was morning one one two two three three four four five five six days six days but of the seventh really says that god but of the seventh really says that god rested then rested then knowing therefore that no end is knowing therefore that no end is mentioned of that seventh day mentioned of that seventh day can we not say that the rest remaineth can we not say that the rest remaineth that god's rest that god's rest continues to those who come to his rest continues to those who come to his rest that they get it that they get it when they receive him when they receive him in christ work can rest toil and recreation toil and recreation are our own natural sequence are our own natural sequence work and rest are postulated of god that work and rest are postulated of god that that rest of his might be offered to us that rest of his might be offered to us and work and work and trust and trust are placed as opposites are placed as opposites he that hath entered into his rest he that hath entered into his rest has ceased from his own works has ceased from his own works as god did from his as god did from his and we that believe and we that believe do you enter into rest do you enter into rest so again with the precision of this so again with the precision of this letter put together those things letter put together those things those who believe into the rest those who believe into the rest those who enter the rest cease from those who enter the rest cease from their works their works those who believe ceased from their those who believe ceased from their works works and faith and work stand in contrast and faith and work stand in contrast once more once more we trust in our god and we do not trust we trust in our god and we do not trust in our works in our works we don't labor for what we can achieve we don't labor for what we can achieve though we work the works of faith having though we work the works of faith having shown the faith shown the faith we seek we seek to enter into that rest where trust in to enter into that rest where trust in god assures us god assures us that works done in that faith will not that works done in that faith will not be in vain so the message of salvation by faith and then faithful labor to follow then faithful labor to follow offered in galatians and romans and not offered in galatians and romans and not denied in james denied in james is the message that stands out here and is the message that stands out here and will be abundantly illustrated by many will be abundantly illustrated by many examples in chapter 11 11 when by faith examples in chapter 11 11 when by faith abel did abel did becomes the pattern of how men show becomes the pattern of how men show their trust in their god their trust in their god and now we are taught and now we are taught work work to enter god's rest to enter god's rest and in that rest work the works of god and in that rest work the works of god what are the works of god this is the what are the works of god this is the work of god that you believe work of god that you believe on him who we have sent on him who we have sent says the lord jesus christ says the lord jesus christ and to us he says and to us he says come unto me come unto me all you that labour and the heavy laden all you that labour and the heavy laden and i will give you rest and i will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn of me take my yoke upon you and learn of me for i am meek and lowly in heart for i am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls and ye shall find rest unto your souls for my yoke is easy for my yoke is easy and my version is light oh lord our heavenly father whose works in thy purpose were finished whose works in thy purpose were finished from the foundation of the world from the foundation of the world and has rest his prophet to all those and has rest his prophet to all those who will put their trust in thee who will put their trust in thee help us to rest in the lord and wait help us to rest in the lord and wait patiently for him patiently for him that he may give us our hearts desire that he may give us our hearts desire and trusting in thee through the lord and trusting in thee through the lord jesus christ jesus christ find that peace of mind which passeth find that peace of mind which passeth all understanding all understanding this we ask in his name

Transcript

hebrews chapter 4 verse verse 9 there remaineth therefore a sabbath rest for the people of god for the people of god for he that is entered into his rest for he that is entered into his rest hath himself also rested from his works hath himself also rested from his works as god did from his as god did from his let us therefore give diligence to enter let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest into that rest that no man fall after the same example that no man fall after the same example of disobedience of disobedience for the word of god is living for the word of god is living and active and active and sharper than any two-edged sword and sharper than any two-edged sword and piercing even to the dividing of and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit soul and spirit of both joints and marrow of both joints and marrow and quick to discern the thoughts and and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart intents of the heart and there is no creature that is not and there is no creature that is not manifest in his sight manifest in his sight but all things are naked and laid open but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him with whom we have before the eyes of him with whom we have to do though for the sake of finishing yesterday's class upon the right kind of yesterday's class upon the right kind of devotional note we moved from the devotional note we moved from the picture of god's rest straight into the picture of god's rest straight into the presence of our heavenly high priest presence of our heavenly high priest through whom we have boldness to through whom we have boldness to approach before god to obtain grace approach before god to obtain grace to help in time of need to help in time of need yet there were those verses of solemn yet there were those verses of solemn warning which i have just read to you warning which i have just read to you now that did need attention before we now that did need attention before we leave chapter four the statement the word of god is quick and powerful and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword and sharper than any two-edged sword is a statement which flows rather easily is a statement which flows rather easily from our kristadelphian lips and it's usually understood to mean that the bible is a very penetrating book the bible is a very penetrating book that it contains information about that it contains information about ourselves and our nature and our motives ourselves and our nature and our motives and our sins and our sins which is so frank and revealing so which is so frank and revealing so inescapable inescapable the way we read that book our sins are the way we read that book our sins are open before our eyes open before our eyes and our weaknesses are exposed and our weaknesses are exposed and our needs are declared and our needs are declared and then the ability of god to cope with and then the ability of god to cope with those sins and those weaknesses and those sins and those weaknesses and those needs is made plain to us so that those needs is made plain to us so that in this written word we can find comfort in this written word we can find comfort and strength and strength as well as rebuke as well as rebuke and of course all that is true and of course all that is true the question which is before us though the question which is before us though at this moment is is it that truth which at this moment is is it that truth which is contained in these words is contained in these words the word of god is quick the word of god is quick and powerful and sharper than any and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart and though perhaps in that verse we might be disposed to answer yes it could might be disposed to answer yes it could still be so still be so neither in its context nor in the verse neither in its context nor in the verse that follows can we limit the meaning of that follows can we limit the meaning of this verse to that written word of god this verse to that written word of god contained in the bible contained in the bible for when we read for when we read neither is there any creature that is neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened but all things are naked and opened under the eyes of him with whom we have under the eyes of him with whom we have to do are we talking about our examining to do are we talking about our examining ourselves in the light of what we read ourselves in the light of what we read in the scriptures in the scriptures or are we talking about god examining us or are we talking about god examining us and knowing what kind of people we are and knowing what kind of people we are to which there can be but one answer we to which there can be but one answer we are talking about the latter are talking about the latter and not about the former and not about the former there is no creature which is not plain there is no creature which is not plain and open before god that god knows all and open before god that god knows all about it about it there is nothing over which we can put there is nothing over which we can put the thickest skin or the deepest coat of the thickest skin or the deepest coat of whitewash which can be concealed from whitewash which can be concealed from the gaze of him with whom we have to do the gaze of him with whom we have to do everything is naked and exposed before everything is naked and exposed before his eyes he knows it all his eyes he knows it all he knows our inward thoughts he knows our inward thoughts he knows all about us and in the context that must surely be what we are talking about what we are talking about we have been told that israel was we have been told that israel was rejected time and time again because rejected time and time again because they would not hear his voice they would not hear his voice because they persisted in hardening because they persisted in hardening their hearts as in the provocation in their hearts as in the provocation in the wilderness when they tested god and the wilderness when they tested god and saw his works for 40 years saw his works for 40 years they the hebrews and we in retrospect they the hebrews and we in retrospect are being warned of the same danger are being warned of the same danger which confronts us so that today said which confronts us so that today said urgently to us that we may follow during urgently to us that we may follow during the day that is the opportunities laid the day that is the opportunities laid open before us and not be guilty of the open before us and not be guilty of the same transgression and disobedience of same transgression and disobedience of which they were guilty which they were guilty force is the writer god knows all about force is the writer god knows all about us us if we were in our hearts to cherish that if we were in our hearts to cherish that same folly which israel cherished then same folly which israel cherished then god would know god would know he can penetrate deep inside us he can he can penetrate deep inside us he can divide the indivisible to see what he divide the indivisible to see what he can do with this sharp quick and can do with this sharp quick and two-edged sword he can distinguish soul two-edged sword he can distinguish soul and spirit and spirit can you can you i can't he can separate joints and i can't he can separate joints and marrow which is the finest piece of marrow which is the finest piece of anatomical surgery anybody can imagine anatomical surgery anybody can imagine being done god can do it through his being done god can do it through his word word we can't we can't he can make a fine distinction between he can make a fine distinction between thoughts and intents lying in our hearts thoughts and intents lying in our hearts in other words god can sever synonyms in other words god can sever synonyms so so keen so acute so razor sharp keen so acute so razor sharp is the penetration of the word of god and so notwithstanding all that we say and i would say too about the bible and i would say too about the bible being the word of god and i would being the word of god and i would diminish no quit from that diminish no quit from that yet it is not that that the writer here yet it is not that that the writer here is talking about is talking about he is saying the word of god is quick he is saying the word of god is quick and he is not talking about our reading and he is not talking about our reading the book he is talking about god reading the book he is talking about god reading us you remember when god wrote in the old testament through the prophet isaiah he testament through the prophet isaiah he said as the rain said as the rain floweth down upon the earth and giveth floweth down upon the earth and giveth seed to the sower and bread to the eater seed to the sower and bread to the eater so shall my word be that proceedeth out so shall my word be that proceedeth out of my mouth of my mouth it shall not return unto me void but it it shall not return unto me void but it shall accomplish that where unto i have shall accomplish that where unto i have sent it sent it as though the word of god is something as though the word of god is something active active going from him going from him reaching the earth reaching the earth doing a job doing a job coming back and reporting before the coming back and reporting before the throne of grace and saying mission throne of grace and saying mission accomplished accomplished the word of god is living goes from him the word of god is living goes from him does its work it comes back by the word does its work it comes back by the word of god the heavens were of old of god the heavens were of old by faith we understand that the words by faith we understand that the words were made by the word of god god said were made by the word of god god said and it was done our words are so different from god's words words if i tell you something which i want you if i tell you something which i want you to believe i may to believe i may be right be right you may believe me you may believe me and you may be improved by what i have and you may be improved by what i have said said but then i may be right you may not but then i may be right you may not believe me believe me then you would not be improved by what i then you would not be improved by what i have said or i may be wrong when you have said or i may be wrong when you believe me in which case you may be believe me in which case you may be grievously misled by my word grievously misled by my word and when i make a promise i may make it and when i make a promise i may make it sincerely and be able to accomplish it sincerely and be able to accomplish it or make it sincerely and lack the power or make it sincerely and lack the power to accomplish it to accomplish it or make it in sincerely and not intend or make it in sincerely and not intend to accomplish it to accomplish it with god's words it's not like that with god's words it's not like that if he speaks if he speaks it is as good as done it is as good as done if he promises unconditionally then it if he promises unconditionally then it will not fail will not fail when he tells something to happen when he tells something to happen it happens it happens we know not how but with god word and we know not how but with god word and action are harder to be distinguished action are harder to be distinguished and so in the beginning was the word and so in the beginning was the word and the word was with god and the word and the word was with god and the word was god all things were made by him and was god all things were made by him and without him was not anything made that without him was not anything made that was made was made god's word god's word his power his spirit his presence his his power his spirit his presence his plan all these are one and the same to plan all these are one and the same to him him that is why we can say when jesus was that is why we can say when jesus was born and the word became flesh and dwelt born and the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth father full of grace and truth and that is why john in his letter can and that is why john in his letter can describe jesus as the word of life describe jesus as the word of life and the book of revelation can picture and the book of revelation can picture him bearing the name the word of god him bearing the name the word of god so if we were to read in these verses so if we were to read in these verses for the lord jesus christ with the sharp for the lord jesus christ with the sharp two-edged sword proceeding out of his two-edged sword proceeding out of his mouth is living and powerful mouth is living and powerful that he can penetrate even to the that he can penetrate even to the dividing asunder of our soul and our dividing asunder of our soul and our spirit our joints and our marrow our spirit our joints and our marrow our thoughts and our intents we would not be thoughts and our intents we would not be grievously misreading the passage grievously misreading the passage that is the kind of thing we are talking that is the kind of thing we are talking about about we are being told that in all our we are being told that in all our perversity god knows it perversity god knows it in all our needs god and his son the in all our needs god and his son the lord jesus christ are aware of it lord jesus christ are aware of it in all our rebellions the lord has it in all our rebellions the lord has it noted down in his records and in all our noted down in his records and in all our surrenders the lord is willing to surrenders the lord is willing to respond and that is why we haven't high respond and that is why we haven't high priest who being touched with the priest who being touched with the feeling of our infirmities is able to feeling of our infirmities is able to procure for us mercy when we have sinned procure for us mercy when we have sinned and grace to help when we are in need and grace to help when we are in need may we sing together until 36 phantom 36 search me oh god search me oh god and know my heart [Music] um in fact let him examine himself and so do all that we do in the sight of god do all that we do in the sight of god let us in that spirit approach boldly let us in that spirit approach boldly before the throne of grace before the throne of grace and find mercy and find mercy and grace to help in time of need the throne of grace is in god's most holy place and there there is no inanimate mercy seat seat and no occasional manifestation of the and no occasional manifestation of the indwelling glory indwelling glory now there is the lord jesus christ now there is the lord jesus christ seated at the father's right hand seated at the father's right hand in the antitypical tabernacle now as we learn later in the book there is no barrier to separate those there is no barrier to separate those who once get into the tabernacle who once get into the tabernacle precincts at all precincts at all from going right into the presence of from going right into the presence of the father and the son themselves the father and the son themselves for that veil which separated holy from for that veil which separated holy from most holy has been torn down most holy has been torn down it was rent from top to bottom it was rent from top to bottom when the lord was crucified when the lord was crucified we go through the veil we go through the veil by the way the truth and the life which by the way the truth and the life which the lord provided for us the lord provided for us by his flesh by his flesh when he said no man cometh unto the when he said no man cometh unto the father but by me and having gone through there we find our priest our priest prepared for us he did not come this priest he came a son of god and son of priest he came a son of god and son of man man he died to become priest he died to become priest when he rose in the figure by his own when he rose in the figure by his own blood he went into the most holy place blood he went into the most holy place there to obtain eternal redemption there to obtain eternal redemption and the heavenly tabernacle we can and the heavenly tabernacle we can picture only in terms of the tent that picture only in terms of the tent that moses built moses built its reality being beyond our its reality being beyond our comprehension say that we may go there comprehension say that we may go there be there be there and stay there and stay there blessed be the god and father of our blessed be the god and father of our lord jesus christ lord jesus christ who hath blessed us with every spiritual who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing blessing in the heavenly places in christ jesus but of course if you go into that most holy place and if you go into that most holy place and you find christ there as priest you find christ there as priest then if you're going to anything else then if you're going to anything else calling yourself the most holy place calling yourself the most holy place assuming you were allowed to do so assuming you were allowed to do so then when you get inside there you'll then when you get inside there you'll find either no priest at all or an find either no priest at all or an imposter imposter a priest who has ceased to have any a priest who has ceased to have any function function who calls himself priest but isn't the true believer needed to realize that in the first century and it was not easy in the first century and it was not easy to realize to realize in the very earliest days of preaching in the very earliest days of preaching the gospel in the time of pentecosted the gospel in the time of pentecosted for some little time beyond the temple for some little time beyond the temple courts though not of course its private courts though not of course its private places places were open to believers as well as to were open to believers as well as to unconverted jews unconverted jews there they would preach their the lame there they would preach their the lame man would be healed there they would be man would be healed there they would be with one accord in solomon's porch and with one accord in solomon's porch and make known the gospel make known the gospel and if they were later not welcomed and if they were later not welcomed there it was because the jews now there it was because the jews now perceived the inward working of the perceived the inward working of the teaching of the lord jesus christ and teaching of the lord jesus christ and knew that that and mosaic ordinances knew that that and mosaic ordinances could not live side by side it had to be could not live side by side it had to be the one or the other and they had chosen the one or the other and they had chosen the one and they stepped to their high the one and they stepped to their high priest when the lord did not return when jerusalem was not immediately when jerusalem was not immediately destroyed destroyed when this temple retained its ancient when this temple retained its ancient splendor and its decking with marvelous splendor and its decking with marvelous stones and when the priest appeared in stones and when the priest appeared in his beautiful raymond his beautiful raymond when the sacrifices were there as when the sacrifices were there as visible ordinances then the mockers said visible ordinances then the mockers said where is your priest where is your priest he's gone but you can't see him can you he's gone but you can't see him can you where are your sacrifices where are your sacrifices where is your temple where is your temple and they were tempted to go back it was only the thurman steadfast believer who knew that things were believer who knew that things were otherwise it was only the man who knew the inward working of god's secret purposes working of god's secret purposes who could step to be judged by ananias who could step to be judged by ananias who called himself the high priest who called himself the high priest and when that man caused him to be and when that man caused him to be smitten upon the mouth answer nothing smitten upon the mouth answer nothing anger but in perception god shall smite anger but in perception god shall smite bleed our whitey wall bleed our whitey wall and then say and then say i wist not brethren that he was the high i wist not brethren that he was the high priest of course he called himself high priest but i am persuaded that this man who had but i am persuaded that this man who had such access to the inspiring spirit of such access to the inspiring spirit of god god was not merely was not merely bending words as an argument and quarrel bending words as an argument and quarrel with that man when he said i wish not with that man when he said i wish not that he was the high priest that he was the high priest he was saying he was saying that that the high priest the high priest the high priest doesn't live here the high priest doesn't live here anymore anymore we have our own high priest we have our own high priest who dwells in heaven cyanide is an outdated imposter sustaining shadows sustaining shadows holding ashes in his hand clinging to holding ashes in his hand clinging to bygone things the believers themselves were in danger of doing so of doing so those who lived in jerusalem and judea those who lived in jerusalem and judea those who were under the constant those who were under the constant pressures of the majority of unbelieving pressures of the majority of unbelieving jews jews they needed to learn better to re-learn they needed to learn better to re-learn better better and so the writer here continues his and so the writer here continues his analysis analysis of the lord jesus christ in relation to of the lord jesus christ in relation to the powers and the ordinances that are the powers and the ordinances that are he has established him as the angel's he has established him as the angel's superior superior he has shown him to be our fellow in his he has shown him to be our fellow in his temptations he has declared him to us as temptations he has declared him to us as the conqueror of our sins in his death the conqueror of our sins in his death he has shown me to be exalted to god's he has shown me to be exalted to god's right hand on high they're able to right hand on high they're able to intercede for us but that will all be in intercede for us but that will all be in vain if people nevertheless having read vain if people nevertheless having read the letter go back into the temple and the letter go back into the temple and honor the high priest who is there honor the high priest who is there so let us he said think a little more so let us he said think a little more about that high priest he had his qualities there were things about the old high there were things about the old high priest which will bear comparison with priest which will bear comparison with the things about the new high priest the things about the new high priest he might as chapter 5 said he might as chapter 5 said do these things do these things for every priest taken from among men is for every priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to ordained for men in things pertaining to god that he may offer both gifts and god that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins who can have sacrifices for sins who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way paul he himself that are out of the way paul he himself also is compass with infirmity also is compass with infirmity and by reason thereof he ought ask for and by reason thereof he ought ask for the people so also for himself to offer the people so also for himself to offer for sins and in allowing that the high priest has something in common with the lord jesus something in common with the lord jesus christ who in that he himself hath christ who in that he himself hath suffered being tempted is able to sucker suffered being tempted is able to sucker them that are tempted them that are tempted he nevertheless emphasizes no small he nevertheless emphasizes no small degree of irony that one of the reasons degree of irony that one of the reasons why the high priest can be so why the high priest can be so compassionate compassionate with the feeling of other men is that he with the feeling of other men is that he needs somebody to be compassionate with needs somebody to be compassionate with him him he himself is compass with infirmities he himself is compass with infirmities he needs to offer for sins that can do he needs to offer for sins that can do so with the greater zeal and diligence so with the greater zeal and diligence because his own sins must come into the because his own sins must come into the picture picture and indeed the ordinances of the law of and indeed the ordinances of the law of moses provided that when a priest or a moses provided that when a priest or a prince committed a sin a larger offering prince committed a sin a larger offering should be made on his account because should be made on his account because his sin was the more grievous having his sin was the more grievous having regard to the responsibility he regard to the responsibility he exercised exercised so certainly high priests could offer so certainly high priests could offer sins and sacrifices with considerable sins and sacrifices with considerable sincerity and urgency for the sins of sincerity and urgency for the sins of others knowing their own sins there was others knowing their own sins there was no small element in the offering made by no small element in the offering made by the old high priest todd you scratch my the old high priest todd you scratch my back and i will scratch yours we are all back and i will scratch yours we are all sinners together we will be sinners together we will be compassionate with each other in our compassionate with each other in our sinning sinning which had the many dangers that in those which had the many dangers that in those circumstances the priest might be no circumstances the priest might be no better than his people better than his people and the people see no incentive in their and the people see no incentive in their priest that all alike would be sinners priest that all alike would be sinners and each would be contemporary from the and each would be contemporary from the same dead level of human sinning same dead level of human sinning which came to its worst when the priests which came to its worst when the priests abused their office as hoffner and abused their office as hoffner and phinehas had done in the days of eli so certainly the high priest even though appointed by god for things even though appointed by god for things concerning to mankind and his worship concerning to mankind and his worship and his needs could do what he had to do and his needs could do what he had to do with considerable sincerity if he were with considerable sincerity if he were sincere but it reached nowhere sincere but it reached nowhere he was a sinner he was a sinner and a sinner cannot conquer sin so there had to be a change but when the change took place it must but when the change took place it must be as divinely ordained as had been the be as divinely ordained as had been the original ordinance original ordinance aaron did not say aaron did not say i will be priest i will be priest as the record says as the record says no man taketh this honor unto himself no man taketh this honor unto himself but he that is called of god even as was but he that is called of god even as was aaron aaron and if aaron did not presume upon an and if aaron did not presume upon an appointment appointment with the adolescent spirit i will be with the adolescent spirit i will be king king as though to say as though to say i will be priest i will be priest then even less must the new high priest then even less must the new high priest take the office upon himself without take the office upon himself without divine sanctions divine sanctions especially since god had promised to the especially since god had promised to the house available they would continue house available they would continue that aaron and his son and his son's son that aaron and his son and his son's son with some deviations caused by the with some deviations caused by the iniquity of particular generations iniquity of particular generations should go on in constant succession god should go on in constant succession god having provided that if there were to be having provided that if there were to be a change it could only be by specific a change it could only be by specific divine commandment divine commandment verse 5 verse 5 so also christ glorified not himself to so also christ glorified not himself to be made in high priest but he that said be made in high priest but he that said unto him art my son this day have i unto him art my son this day have i begotten thee begotten thee as he saith also in another place as he saith also in another place thou as a priest forever thou as a priest forever after the order of melchizedek we have in the letter to the hebrews not heard of melchizedek before heard of melchizedek before we have in the whole new testament not we have in the whole new testament not heard of melchizedek before heard of melchizedek before we have in the whole much longer old we have in the whole much longer old testament only heard of him twice and one of those two is quoted in this verse before we reach it though we must go through the reasoning and the course of through the reasoning and the course of preparation that the writer did preparation that the writer did who first pursuing his theme that christ who first pursuing his theme that christ did not glorify himself to be made high did not glorify himself to be made high priest speaks of the obedience he priest speaks of the obedience he learned by the things that he suffered learned by the things that he suffered and with the nearest approach to an and with the nearest approach to an actual reference to the living actual reference to the living experiences of the lord jesus christ experiences of the lord jesus christ takes us into the garden of gethsemane takes us into the garden of gethsemane shows us the lord upon his face in the shows us the lord upon his face in the garden garden sweating as it were great drops of blood sweating as it were great drops of blood and crying with tears my father if it be and crying with tears my father if it be possible let this cup pass from me possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not my will but thine be nevertheless not my will but thine be done and tells us done and tells us that with strong crying and tears that with strong crying and tears he called with him that was able to save he called with him that was able to save him out of death him out of death and was heard in that he feared and was heard in that he feared and so shows the lord jesus christ and so shows the lord jesus christ becoming priest becoming priest not by presumption not by presumption not in arrogance not in arrogance not pursuing ambition not pursuing ambition but by completing the surrender of but by completing the surrender of himself before god himself before god that he might so surrendered that he might so surrendered have nothing to could stand between him have nothing to could stand between him and the divine appointment that god and the divine appointment that god would give him would give him and knowing that god was able to save and knowing that god was able to save him out of death him out of death could go to the place of great darkness could go to the place of great darkness and dare call out and dare call out into thy hands i commend my spirit into thy hands i commend my spirit and be heard and be heard in that he feared in that he feared learning obedience by the things that he learning obedience by the things that he suffered suffered and then having been made perfect and then having been made perfect becoming the priest he was intended to becoming the priest he was intended to be called by god and the name comes be called by god and the name comes before us again and high priest after before us again and high priest after the order of melchizedek this is perhaps the moment to interpolate something that interpolate something that could even could even with better advantage have been said at with better advantage have been said at an earlier time an earlier time and that's just to think a little bit and that's just to think a little bit about words like about words like priest priest tabernacle or temple tabernacle or temple holy and most holy places holy and most holy places sacrifice sacrifice shedding of blood shedding of blood atonement atonement and many others and many others and consider that place in our thinking and consider that place in our thinking about the lord jesus christ and his work about the lord jesus christ and his work and our own benefit from it you see you can read the relationship between the ordinances of the book of between the ordinances of the book of moses moses and the life and death and resurrection and the life and death and resurrection of the lord jesus christ of the lord jesus christ in either of two distinct ways in either of two distinct ways you can say you can say the law of moses demanded a sacrifice of the law of moses demanded a sacrifice of blood blood without the shedding of blood there is without the shedding of blood there is no remission hebrew says that anyway no remission hebrew says that anyway it is the blood that maketh the it is the blood that maketh the atonement for the life as the law itself atonement for the life as the law itself says therefore you can say says therefore you can say when the sacrifice that was to make an when the sacrifice that was to make an end of all sacrifices was to come that end of all sacrifices was to come that too must be associated with the shedding too must be associated with the shedding of blood of blood you see what we've done you see what we've done we've taken what the law says and made we've taken what the law says and made that the principle that the principle and say and say to that principle christ must conform we can say that a priest is needed as a mediator that a priest is needed as a mediator between man and god between man and god such a priest was appointed by god in such a priest was appointed by god in the person of aaron and his successors that principle has not been changed a mediator who is a priest is also a mediator who is a priest is also required required therefore the lord jesus christ needed therefore the lord jesus christ needed to be a priest to be a priest you see what we're saying you see what we're saying a principle of priestly mediation is a principle of priestly mediation is provided in the old testament provided in the old testament till that principle the lord jesus till that principle the lord jesus christ must conform you can say the ancient high priest the ancient high priest could only enter into the most holy could only enter into the most holy place place by way of blood by way of blood and so with the blood of bullets upon and so with the blood of bullets upon his hands he went into the most holy his hands he went into the most holy place place and would have been disallowed or even and would have been disallowed or even condemned to death condemned to death perhaps put to death on the spot perhaps put to death on the spot as they who offered it strange fire in as they who offered it strange fire in the old testament had been had he the old testament had been had he presumed to go into the holy place presumed to go into the holy place without blood without blood or at any other time than the appointed or at any other time than the appointed time time so we say in going into the antitypical so we say in going into the antitypical most holy place it was needful that the most holy place it was needful that the lord jesus christ should go in with lord jesus christ should go in with blood blood his own blood his own blood to fulfill the type to fulfill the type and you see what we're saying and you see what we're saying that blood must be taken before one that blood must be taken before one could go into god's most holy place and could go into god's most holy place and the prescribed ordinances must be the prescribed ordinances must be followed so it must be with the lord followed so it must be with the lord jesus christ jesus christ because because he must fulfill the principles laid down and so we could go on and that is one way which i have and that is one way which i have elaborated of looking at the elaborated of looking at the relationship between the lord jesus relationship between the lord jesus christ and the law let me suggest that there is another when we learned that jesus christ barely when we learned that jesus christ barely was foreordained before the foundation was foreordained before the foundation of the world when we are told you are not redeemed with you are not redeemed with the the corruptible things as of silverland of corruptible things as of silverland of gold but with the blood of the lord gold but with the blood of the lord jesus christ as of allam without jesus christ as of allam without spotting without blemish and we can spotting without blemish and we can couple those words of peter with those couple those words of peter with those of the lord himself that he is the lamb of the lord himself that he is the lamb slain from the foundation of the world we are being told that back of all the sacrifices sacrifices is the plan of god that christ should is the plan of god that christ should come that anti-dating all these things is the intention that jesus should be our intention that jesus should be our savior savior the fundamental thing is that which was the fundamental thing is that which was foreseen by god before the human race foreseen by god before the human race began and that was that when it sinned began and that was that when it sinned sin would ultimately remain an end of by sin would ultimately remain an end of by the coming of the lord jesus the coming of the lord jesus in whom all the promises of god are gay in whom all the promises of god are gay and in whom and in whom are men and when you say that you are saying the fundamental thing was the coming of the fundamental thing was the coming of christ christ the basic thing was his conquest of sin the basic thing was his conquest of sin by a sinless life and by dying by a sinless life and by dying the ground of our hope is his the ground of our hope is his resurrection and his ascension to be resurrection and his ascension to be with god in heaven with god in heaven and those are the eternal verities and those are the eternal verities brought into existence and achieved by brought into existence and achieved by his life and death and resurrection his life and death and resurrection to that to that all the audiences of the old testament all the audiences of the old testament pointed jesus did not have to be a priest because aaron was because aaron was aaron was made to be a priest to point aaron was made to be a priest to point forward what christ would be jesus did not have to offer himself as an animal is offered for slaughter as an animal is offered for slaughter because but it was needful that jesus should be exposed to a public death exposed to a public death and to point to that god provided the and to point to that god provided the sacrifices of animals jesus did not have to shed his blood for redemption because blood is needed for redemption because blood is needed for redemption redemption blood was laid down as being needed for blood was laid down as being needed for redemption because god was knew that one redemption because god was knew that one day the lord jesus christ would come and day the lord jesus christ would come and successfully shed his blood and you see we're seeing the whole story in a quite different way if we look at in a quite different way if we look at it like that and the second way is the it like that and the second way is the right way when then we ask questions like did the lord jesus christ need to make did the lord jesus christ need to make atonement for himself which has been a atonement for himself which has been a vexed problem throughout the ages of our vexed problem throughout the ages of our christianity and life it's the wrong christianity and life it's the wrong question to ask question to ask it's not the right way to put it it's not the right way to put it the right way to put it is that the lord the right way to put it is that the lord jesus christ had a nature which was jesus christ had a nature which was full of the same tendencies as our own full of the same tendencies as our own is is and they could not be dealt with saved and they could not be dealt with saved by resisting them during his lifetime by resisting them during his lifetime and expunging them by his death and expunging them by his death and so of course the lord could not do and so of course the lord could not do anything to achieve glory for himself anything to achieve glory for himself saved by dying saved by dying and if you want to say that that means and if you want to say that that means the lord made atonement for himself well the lord made atonement for himself well do so but it's not the best way of do so but it's not the best way of looking at it looking at it the best way of looking at it is the the best way of looking at it is the lord could not have profited from being lord could not have profited from being here at all unless his life and his here at all unless his life and his death have been lived out to the full death have been lived out to the full the death was the thing that put away the death was the thing that put away sin sin by the sacrifice of himself this was really what the hebrews needed to learn to learn and it's quite evident from time to time and it's quite evident from time to time that it's something that we need to bear that it's something that we need to bear constantly in mind that fundamental to constantly in mind that fundamental to god's purpose is his christ god's purpose is his christ ancillary to that indispensable perhaps ancillary to that indispensable perhaps but quite ancillary and secondary are but quite ancillary and secondary are the means whereby god pointed forward to the means whereby god pointed forward to the coming of his christ and prepared the coming of his christ and prepared men's minds to receive it when it came men's minds to receive it when it came the sacrifices were means to an end and there is perhaps no better place to find find how they stand in the parable of god's how they stand in the parable of god's purposes purposes than this book than this book which for all its deep-rooted respect which for all its deep-rooted respect for the things of the law of moses for the things of the law of moses nevertheless when it compares them with nevertheless when it compares them with christ christ puts them quite distinctly in the place puts them quite distinctly in the place they ought to occupy they ought to occupy would you and i for example have dared would you and i for example have dared to look upon the law of moses and all to look upon the law of moses and all its ordinances and say that had to be its ordinances and say that had to be wiped away because of the weakness and wiped away because of the weakness and the profitableness thereof i don't think we would but hebrews does but hebrews does were you and i wanted to have used were you and i wanted to have used language about the ordinances of the old language about the ordinances of the old covenant as that which dictate and wax covenant as that which dictate and wax of old is ready to vanish away of old is ready to vanish away i don't think we would i don't think we would but hebrews does but hebrews does and without showing any disrespect and without showing any disrespect whatsoever to be the divinely provided whatsoever to be the divinely provided ordinances whereby the coming of the ordinances whereby the coming of the lord jesus christ was declared to us the writer of the letters of the hebrews makes it very plain makes it very plain that compared with the reality that compared with the reality all these are but all these are but and now and now in their once fleshly in their once fleshly solid reality turned to ashes solid reality turned to ashes vanishing away vanishing away in the face of the truth that is coming in the face of the truth that is coming the lord jesus christ and the hebrews needed to be told don't turn again to the shadows turn again to the shadows don't go back into darkness don't go back into darkness look upon the bright light you have look upon the bright light you have received and glory in that received and glory in that don't let them tell you don't let them tell you that because you have no visible high that because you have no visible high priest you have no priest at all priest you have no priest at all don't let them tell you that because you don't let them tell you that because you take no part in the visible temple then take no part in the visible temple then you have no temple you have no temple don't let them tell you because you are don't let them tell you because you are not daily witnessing sacrifices nor not daily witnessing sacrifices nor taking part in annual feasts then there taking part in annual feasts then there is for you no sacrifice and there is for is for you no sacrifice and there is for you no feast you no feast there is for you a sacrifice to end all there is for you a sacrifice to end all sacrifices sacrifices that which the lord has done has been that which the lord has done has been done once and for all done once and for all it's brought out in many ways it's brought out in many ways some of which we'll see again some of which we'll see again but let that be plain before our minds but let that be plain before our minds when we think about the position of the when we think about the position of the lord jesus christ in relation to the lord jesus christ in relation to the purposes of god now i've almost in a way done what the letter does done what the letter does mention the name of melchizedek mention the name of melchizedek and left it on one side and left it on one side for he said in verse 11 for he said in verse 11 of whom that is of melchizedek of whom that is of melchizedek we have many things to say and hard to we have many things to say and hard to be uttered seeing your deal of hearing be uttered seeing your deal of hearing for when for reason of time you ought to for when for reason of time you ought to be teachers you have need that someone be teachers you have need that someone teach you which be the first principles teach you which be the first principles of the oracles of god of the oracles of god and i'll become such as have needed milk and i'll become such as have needed milk and not of strong meat and not of strong meat for every one that use of milk is for every one that use of milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness unskillful in the word of righteousness for he is a babe for he is a babe but strong meat belongs to those that but strong meat belongs to those that are of full age even to those who by are of full age even to those who by reason of use have their senses reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil but please don't misunderstand me i am not standing before you as the i am not standing before you as the wrath of this letter paul he may be paul's spirit behind it i have no doubt paul's spirit behind it i have no doubt is there is there i am not standing before you wearing the i am not standing before you wearing the robes of paul and turning you robes of paul and turning you off off as he told the hebrews as he told the hebrews how mistaken they were how mistaken they were i'm just letting him speak through my i'm just letting him speak through my voice to all of us voice to all of us just in case we have become dull of just in case we have become dull of hearing hearing just in case when by reason of the time just in case when by reason of the time we ought to be teachers we ought to be teachers we do have need that one teaches again we do have need that one teaches again which be the first principles of the which be the first principles of the oracles of god oracles of god just in case we have relapsed into the just in case we have relapsed into the situation where we have need of milk and situation where we have need of milk and can't tolerate strong meat can't tolerate strong meat just in case it is possible that we are just in case it is possible that we are amongst those who using milk are amongst those who using milk are unskillful in the word of righteousness unskillful in the word of righteousness being babes being babes and just so that we can if any of those and just so that we can if any of those things are true things are true take or retake or retrace take or retake or retrace the steps which are needed that we might the steps which are needed that we might enjoy the strong meat that belongs to enjoy the strong meat that belongs to them that are of full age even to those them that are of full age even to those who by reason of use have their senses who by reason of use have their senses exercised to deserve both good and evil so we must pursue a little further the cost that the writer pursues and leaving cost that the writer pursues and leaving melchizedek's name echoing in our minds melchizedek's name echoing in our minds let him wait for a moment until we let him wait for a moment until we pursue some of the things set up for us pursue some of the things set up for us in chapter six wherefore leaving the principles of the doctrine leaving the principles of the doctrine of christ of christ let us go on unto perfection let us go on unto perfection not laying again the foundation of not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works repentance from dead works and of faith toward god and of faith toward god of the doctrine of baptisms and of of the doctrine of baptisms and of laying on of hands laying on of hands and of resurrection of the dead and of resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment and of eternal judgment and this we will do that is we will go and this we will do that is we will go on on if god permit now that foundation of which he speaks there have been those who wish some show there have been those who wish some show of evidence have suggested to us that of evidence have suggested to us that that foundation is really what the law that foundation is really what the law was saying was saying that we should take something in the that we should take something in the teaching of the law of moses that speaks teaching of the law of moses that speaks of repentance faith baptism laying on of of repentance faith baptism laying on of hands resurrection and judgment hands resurrection and judgment and it is not to be denied that the and it is not to be denied that the hints of those things can be found in hints of those things can be found in the old covenant the old covenant and yet they relate so closely to basic and yet they relate so closely to basic things in the gospel that it seems to me things in the gospel that it seems to me we must relate them to what the hebrews we must relate them to what the hebrews have been taught have been taught by the apostles and their other teachers by the apostles and their other teachers from the days of peter onwards and what from the days of peter onwards and what we have been taught to and just look we have been taught to and just look about the foundation laid for our about the foundation laid for our christian life in these words christian life in these words there are six articles are they not there are six articles are they not repentance from dead works repentance from dead works faith toward god faith toward god the doctrine of baptisms the doctrine of baptisms the laying on of hands the laying on of hands the resurrection of the dead and eternal the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment and it's no mean summary judgment and it's no mean summary of what does lie at the background about of what does lie at the background about faith and trust in god faith and trust in god we start off by recognizing ourselves we start off by recognizing ourselves for what we are for what we are people who have sins to repent of people who have sins to repent of works which are imperfect works which are imperfect trusted ourselves which is untrustworthy trusted ourselves which is untrustworthy and who need therefore to repent of our and who need therefore to repent of our sins and as chapters 3 and 4 have told sins and as chapters 3 and 4 have told us turn to a better way which is item us turn to a better way which is item two two show our trust in god show our trust in god place our faith in him and it needs perhaps just a moment for us to point out that faith us to point out that faith as the bible uses the word as the bible uses the word is something more than a statement of is something more than a statement of faith faith that is not said against statements of that is not said against statements of faith faith we do need a formulation of our we do need a formulation of our doctrinal truths doctrinal truths it is said against supposing that faith it is said against supposing that faith consists of bare bones consists of bare bones that you can desiccate faith and store that you can desiccate faith and store it dry it dry because you can't because you can't faith is the living reality faith is the living reality not just believing that certain things not just believing that certain things are true are true nor knowing that certain paths are right nor knowing that certain paths are right but believing but believing trusting trusting faith towards god means placing one's faith towards god means placing one's trust in him if there is one single word trust in him if there is one single word that could be used as a living synonym that could be used as a living synonym for faith it is that word trust for faith it is that word trust trusting the trustworthy trusting the trustworthy committing ourselves to him committing ourselves to him repenting from the things that are not repenting from the things that are not worthy of trust worthy of trust and placing ourselves in the hands of and placing ourselves in the hands of him who is him who is so those are the first two items of so those are the first two items of faith laid down here i suppose we all know this is not the usual word for baptism usual word for baptism it is the masculine word baptismos it is the masculine word baptismos rather than the usual neuter word rather than the usual neuter word baptismar it's used of washings under the law it was used of the washing of cups and it was used of the washing of cups and platters which the lord condemned in the platters which the lord condemned in the pharisees in mark chapter seven it is used no doubt in this context so that the writer can tell us that the old that the writer can tell us that the old washings washings are to give place to a christian washing are to give place to a christian washing which is in fact the same as baptism which is in fact the same as baptism and he says therefore and he says therefore you stop trusting in yourself you stop trusting in yourself you place your trust in god you place your trust in god and you wash away that which will and you wash away that which will untrustworthy untrustworthy which in the left of the rooms becomes which in the left of the rooms becomes burying that which is untrustworthy the burying that which is untrustworthy the old man with his deeds the fourth item is difficult the laying on of hands the laying on of hands it is the one which together with the it is the one which together with the washings most easily conforms to old washings most easily conforms to old testament pictures like laying the hands testament pictures like laying the hands on the head of the beast to be on the head of the beast to be sacrificed sacrificed which may well be part of its meaning which may well be part of its meaning but there is a new testament practice if but there is a new testament practice if there isn't a new testament doctrine there isn't a new testament doctrine of the laying of hands too of the laying of hands too i suppose it starts when they bring i suppose it starts when they bring little children to jesus and ask him to little children to jesus and ask him to bless them and the disciples would have bless them and the disciples would have them out of the way because they are a them out of the way because they are a nuisance to the master but the lord says nuisance to the master but the lord says some of the little children that come some of the little children that come unto me and forbid them not for of such unto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of heaven and he lays his is the kingdom of heaven and he lays his hands on them it no doubt continues in certain exercises of the apostles life when for exercises of the apostles life when for example the seven deacons who were example the seven deacons who were appointed to look after the problem of appointed to look after the problem of the unsatisfied widows in acts chapter 6 the unsatisfied widows in acts chapter 6 came before the apostles and they laid came before the apostles and they laid their hands on them and they were their hands on them and they were appointed to the work appointed to the work it is found amongst others it is found amongst others in the case where paul and barnabas in the case where paul and barnabas being separated by the spirit of god to being separated by the spirit of god to the work where unto he hath called them the work where unto he hath called them were sent out by the elders of the were sent out by the elders of the church in antioch and as they sent them church in antioch and as they sent them out they laid their hands on them and out they laid their hands on them and sent them away it is found in certain cases as in the letters to timothy where paul speaks of letters to timothy where paul speaks of the gift which is in him by the laying the gift which is in him by the laying on of his hands on of his hands or the appointing of an audience as an or the appointing of an audience as an elder by the laying on of the hands or elder by the laying on of the hands or the action of doing something for the action of doing something for appointed believers by the laying on of appointed believers by the laying on of the hands of the presbytery where it the hands of the presbytery where it seems that the whole body of elders just seems that the whole body of elders just for whoever is concerned what the elders for whoever is concerned what the elders of antioch did for barnabas and saul it is probably implied in the words of paul about the apostles in the words of paul about the apostles recognition of his ministry when he said recognition of his ministry when he said when they perceived that the god was when they perceived that the god was mighty to me through me and barnabas to mighty to me through me and barnabas to the gentiles they gave me and barnabas the gentiles they gave me and barnabas the right-handed fellowship which links up with our practice in a way that i hope that it would way that i hope that it would for we have an audience of the for we have an audience of the right-handed fellowship don't we right-handed fellowship don't we when when those have shown repentance towards god those have shown repentance towards god from their dead works from their dead works when they've shown faith towards god when they've shown faith towards god when they have been baptized they come when they have been baptized they come to us one sunday morning the first to us one sunday morning the first morning of their breaking of bread and morning of their breaking of bread and if your practice is like ours as i think if your practice is like ours as i think it is then the president for the day it is then the president for the day extends his hand to them and shakes extends his hand to them and shakes their hand and in the name of the their hand and in the name of the brotherhood throughout the world brotherhood throughout the world receives them into fellowship with the receives them into fellowship with the community a beautiful community a beautiful custom i wouldn't like to see it custom i wouldn't like to see it abolished abolished but rather but rather insecurely based in bible practice for the only occasion where the right hand of fellowship is there referred to hand of fellowship is there referred to is when paul says they gave to me and is when paul says they gave to me and barnabus the right hand of fellowship barnabus the right hand of fellowship and at least one missionary journey was and at least one missionary journey was behind him when he said that they'd been behind him when he said that they'd been in the faith a long time as god's in the faith a long time as god's appointed men appointed men but it gives us the clue perhaps but it gives us the clue perhaps when they gave to me and barnabas the when they gave to me and barnabas the right hand of fellowship what they were right hand of fellowship what they were doing paul seems to say is doing paul seems to say is recognizing that we were their fellows recognizing that we were their fellows in the work of god in the work of god it was an act of fellowship even though it was an act of fellowship even though it wasn't an initiating it wasn't an initiating one when they laid their hands on fallen one when they laid their hands on fallen barnabas in antioch and sent them forth barnabas in antioch and sent them forth it was again an act of fellowship it was again an act of fellowship though paul and barnabas have been in though paul and barnabas have been in the truth a long time before then the truth a long time before then barnabas in particular barnabas in particular it was by way of saying you're going out it was by way of saying you're going out to do the work our spirit goes with you to do the work our spirit goes with you go with our blessing and our fellowship go with our blessing and our fellowship again it was an act of fellowship again it was an act of fellowship when the lord jesus christ laid his when the lord jesus christ laid his hands upon the young children hands upon the young children though in a lesser degree though in a lesser degree and with a future in mind it was no and with a future in mind it was no doubt there too the lord's way of saying doubt there too the lord's way of saying little children ought to come to me little children ought to come to me they ought to be received by me the they ought to be received by me the child is the father of the man if you do child is the father of the man if you do that then the man will be received by me that then the man will be received by me too if he's willing and so off such is too if he's willing and so off such is the kingdom of heaven and again it was a gesture of willingness to receive and i think they may well have been in the early church the early church a practice whereby once repentance had a practice whereby once repentance had been accepted and faith had been shown been accepted and faith had been shown and baptism had been received then the and baptism had been received then the elders of the church could have laid elders of the church could have laid their hands upon the converts and their hands upon the converts and received them into the faith at audience the practice is in the right order isn't it you repent you trust you order isn't it you repent you trust you wash away and you join the company of wash away and you join the company of the believers the believers it's a word about corporate life it's a word about corporate life it's not just you are baptized unto it's not just you are baptized unto yourself and you live your private life yourself and you live your private life let all who think they can be baptized let all who think they can be baptized and enjoy their private selfish and enjoy their private selfish christian life in isolation from their christian life in isolation from their others and think nothing about their others and think nothing about their fellowship with their brothers and fellowship with their brothers and sisters abandon that thought in the way sisters abandon that thought in the way of these words of these words for the apostle paul later when he for the apostle paul later when he speaks of the breaking of bread and the speaks of the breaking of bread and the drinking of the cup says the bread which drinking of the cup says the bread which we break is it not the fellowship of the we break is it not the fellowship of the body of christ body of christ the cup of blessing that we bless is it the cup of blessing that we bless is it not the fellowship of the blood of not the fellowship of the blood of christ christ we being many we being many are one loaf are one loaf one body he says one body he says if these words are therefore intended to if these words are therefore intended to tell us that amongst the first tell us that amongst the first principles of the gospel of christ are principles of the gospel of christ are that we are together that we are together that we labor together that we labor together that we bear one another's burdens that we bear one another's burdens that we forsake not the assembling of that we forsake not the assembling of ourselves together which he said later ourselves together which he said later in this letter in this letter then the doctrine of the laying on of then the doctrine of the laying on of heaven becomes a very important thing heaven becomes a very important thing not merely the exercise of it not merely the exercise of it but the thing it implies about the but the thing it implies about the fellowship that exists amongst believers and the resurrection of the dead that's the next one that's the next one he has incorporated all our christian he has incorporated all our christian life in the laying out of hands and from life in the laying out of hands and from that he goes on to the future that he goes on to the future when we must all stand before the when we must all stand before the judgment seat of christ judgment seat of christ having been raised from the dead if we having been raised from the dead if we have died standing then to be accepted have died standing then to be accepted or rejected or rejected receiving the fruits of the last item receiving the fruits of the last item the everlasting judgment and he puts them in that order only because it is the natural only because it is the natural chronological order which it is chronological order which it is but also that that word judgment might but also that that word judgment might be ringing in the hebrew ears and ours be ringing in the hebrew ears and ours too as he goes on to his next point too as he goes on to his next point which is which is verse 4. verse 4. for it is impossible for those who were for it is impossible for those who were once enlightened once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the holy and were made partakers of the holy spirit spirit and tasted the good word of god and the and tasted the good word of god and the powers of the world to come if they powers of the world to come if they shall fall away to renew them again unto shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance repentance seeing they crucify to themselves the seeing they crucify to themselves the son of god afresh son of god afresh and put him to an open shame and put him to an open shame for the earth which drinketh in the rain for the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh off upon it that cometh off upon it and bringeth forth herbs meat for them and bringeth forth herbs meat for them by whom it is dressed by whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from god receiveth blessing from god for that which bearer of thorns and for that which bearer of thorns and briars is rejected briars is rejected and is now under cursing and is now under cursing whose end is to be burned whose end is to be burned he is telling those hebrews he is telling those hebrews that if they go against that if they go against the divinely attested revelation they the divinely attested revelation they have received then when eternal judgment have received then when eternal judgment comes comes then for those who have crucified to then for those who have crucified to themselves the son of god afresh there themselves the son of god afresh there can be nothing but the parallel to the can be nothing but the parallel to the burning of the unfruitful briar a message which is repeated in chapter 10 we might take out of context here 10 we might take out of context here hebrews chapter 10 hebrews chapter 10 verse 26 for if we sin willfully after that we have received willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth the knowledge of the truth there he may have no more sacrifice for there he may have no more sacrifice for sins but a certain fearful looking for sins but a certain fearful looking for of judgment of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries the adversaries he that despised moses law died without he that despised moses law died without mercy under two or three witnesses mercy under two or three witnesses of how much sore punishment suppose ye of how much sore punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot the son of god trodden underfoot the son of god that hath counted the blood of the that hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing unholy thing and hath done despite and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace just dwell very briefly very briefly upon what the apostle says upon what the apostle says is the crime is the crime of those who are being enlightened as to of those who are being enlightened as to the truth of the lord jesus christ the truth of the lord jesus christ willfully and irreversibly turn back willfully and irreversibly turn back from it and don't repent and come back from it and don't repent and come back during their mortal lifetime they have during their mortal lifetime they have crucified to themselves the son of god crucified to themselves the son of god afresh just imagine brother or sister that any of us of us could leave the table of the lord could leave the table of the lord slam the door of his house behind us slam the door of his house behind us and march out into the streets of and march out into the streets of jerusalem jerusalem climb the hill of golgotha climb the hill of golgotha and join the mockers where the lord and join the mockers where the lord jesus christ is being crucified again jesus christ is being crucified again for that is what this verse says the for that is what this verse says the willful rejecter is doing just imagine brother or sister brother or sister any one of us having said farewell to any one of us having said farewell to the place of our assembling together the place of our assembling together should go should go to the place where they have taken down to the place where they have taken down the son of god from the cross the son of god from the cross and laid him on the ground and laid him on the ground and should grind our heel into his face and should grind our heel into his face trampling underfoot the son of god just imagine us going to the foot of the cross where the blood of the sinless one has streamed upon the ground streamed upon the ground and paddling it with our feet into the and paddling it with our feet into the ground like a child with a toy which the writer paints to us of the iniquity of those who turn aside iniquity of those who turn aside wantonly wantonly from the high calling to which they have from the high calling to which they have been called that's the warning he gave to hebrews turning back the only thing we can say to each other in the face of that possibility in the face of that possibility is what he said to them is what he said to them when he said when he said but but i am persuaded better things than you i am persuaded better things than you you wouldn't do a thing like that would you wouldn't do a thing like that would you and while we have been waiting following the hebrews as it were in following the hebrews as it were in toying with going back to aaron and his toying with going back to aaron and his minions minions our high priest after the order of our high priest after the order of melchizedek has been waiting in the melchizedek has been waiting in the wings wings i'm sorry we've hung up as far as exit i'm sorry we've hung up as far as exit error error we'll bring melchizedek in tomorrow we'll bring melchizedek in tomorrow if god be willing if god be willing just a word of prayer who did so loved the world that thou gavest thine only begotten son gavest thine only begotten son whose concern for the glory of thy name whose concern for the glory of thy name and the salvation of penitent preachers and the salvation of penitent preachers was such was such that it was by the blood of thine own that it was by the blood of thine own that that is redeemers unto thee that that is redeemers unto thee who were involved to the full in the who were involved to the full in the agony of thy son in the garden and on agony of thy son in the garden and on the cross we come before thee now to thank thee for thy blessings in giving him for thy blessings in giving him to gaze upon his devotion with wonder to gaze upon his devotion with wonder and with shame and with humility and with shame and with humility and to ask you to renew with us that and to ask you to renew with us that spirit of spirit of repentance from our own dead works repentance from our own dead works of trust in thee being washed from our of trust in thee being washed from our sins sins are being joined together in one in him are being joined together in one in him and help us to remember too and help us to remember too now and when the next occasion to now and when the next occasion to celebrate it comes celebrate it comes that with the love of the lord's bread that with the love of the lord's bread of heaven in our hands of heaven in our hands we being many we being many are one love are one love one body one body through jesus christ our lord through jesus christ our lord amen

Transcript

the hebrews had been going the other way they had been forsaking the invisible they had been forsaking the invisible roots of the heavenly tabernacle and roots of the heavenly tabernacle and taking the hard high road to the dunes taking the hard high road to the dunes temple temple they had gone back to the worship of they had gone back to the worship of their fathers or were in great danger of their fathers or were in great danger of doing so doing so were caught in disaster like the branch were caught in disaster like the branch that is withered whose end was only to that is withered whose end was only to be burned be burned and were narrowly brought back from the and were narrowly brought back from the flames by the council of the apostle flames by the council of the apostle here to look once more to jesus who the here to look once more to jesus who the appointed heir of abraham was now by appointed heir of abraham was now by god's promise by himself god's promise by himself the one who had gone not merely into an the one who had gone not merely into an earthly tabernacle where high priests go earthly tabernacle where high priests go for short periods once a year for the for short periods once a year for the short length of their lifetime short length of their lifetime but into the heavenly tabernacle there but into the heavenly tabernacle there to sit down at the right hand of god to sit down at the right hand of god so with the assurance that he has done so with the assurance that he has done that that which by implication means with the which by implication means with the assurance of an unchallengeable assurance of an unchallengeable resurrection resurrection those who believe in the lord jesus those who believe in the lord jesus christ must look once more unto him not christ must look once more unto him not merely to the merely to the impenetrable veil of the patched up impenetrable veil of the patched up curtain of the temple where they had curtain of the temple where they had once again resumed their worship after once again resumed their worship after jesus died jesus died but through the clear blue skies of but through the clear blue skies of heaven into the place where jesus sits heaven into the place where jesus sits at the right hand of god at the right hand of god where now they may approach unto the where now they may approach unto the throne of grace for their mercy so now melchizedek of whom the lord jesus christ is said to be a high priest jesus christ is said to be a high priest forever after his order forever after his order he is mentioned but in three places in he is mentioned but in three places in scripture scripture in the 14th chapter of genesis in the 14th chapter of genesis in the 110th psalm in the 110th psalm and in the fifth sixth and seventh and in the fifth sixth and seventh chapters of the letter to the hebrews chapters of the letter to the hebrews is an extraordinary story really is an extraordinary story really you start off with a man who appears out you start off with a man who appears out of the blue in genesis chapter 14 and of the blue in genesis chapter 14 and disappears into the blue and we never disappears into the blue and we never hear from him again for hear from him again for what was it be a thousand years eight what was it be a thousand years eight hundred years at least hundred years at least then he appears pleadingly momentarily then he appears pleadingly momentarily as a single occurrence in the hundred as a single occurrence in the hundred and tenth psalm from the pen of david and tenth psalm from the pen of david start a priest forever after the order start a priest forever after the order of melchizedek of melchizedek and again he disappeared for a thousand and again he disappeared for a thousand years years and then once more emerges from the and then once more emerges from the obscurity into which he has been lost in obscurity into which he has been lost in the most elaborate reference yet in the the most elaborate reference yet in the fifth sixth and seventh chapters of fifth sixth and seventh chapters of hebrews hebrews and each one seems to be strangely out and each one seems to be strangely out of its context surprising totally of its context surprising totally unexpected and almost unnatural and yet unexpected and almost unnatural and yet i think one of the most eloquent i think one of the most eloquent witnesses to the inspiration of the word witnesses to the inspiration of the word of god that we could have of god that we could have let's pursue the references one by one let's pursue the references one by one first genesis chapter 14 to introduce the background of this chapter you will remember that when chapter you will remember that when abraham and lot went out together from abraham and lot went out together from earl of the chaldees into the land of earl of the chaldees into the land of kenyan they parted their ways because of kenyan they parted their ways because of the stripes of their herdsmen and lot the stripes of their herdsmen and lot chose the veil of sodom which was then chose the veil of sodom which was then well was it everywhere and abraham was well was it everywhere and abraham was sent by god into the land of israel sent by god into the land of israel itself and they encountered each other itself and they encountered each other but once more and that was when abraham but once more and that was when abraham rescued his nephew with his 318 trained rescued his nephew with his 318 trained servants and his two allies from the servants and his two allies from the hands of the eastern kings who had taken hands of the eastern kings who had taken sodom sodom when the rescued lot was brought back when the rescued lot was brought back together with the spoil of the together with the spoil of the the aggressive kings they were met as in the aggressive kings they were met as in this way in chapter 14 verse 17. this way in chapter 14 verse 17. and the king of sodom went out to meet and the king of sodom went out to meet abraham after he'd returned from the abraham after he'd returned from the slaughter of queda leoma and of the slaughter of queda leoma and of the kings that were with him at the valley kings that were with him at the valley of charvet which is in the kings dale of charvet which is in the kings dale and melchizedek king of salem brought and melchizedek king of salem brought forth bread and wine forth bread and wine and he was the priest of the most high and he was the priest of the most high god god and he melchizedek blessed him abraham and he melchizedek blessed him abraham and said blessed be abram of the most and said blessed be abram of the most high god possessor of heaven and earth high god possessor of heaven and earth and blessed be the most high god which and blessed be the most high god which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand hand and he gave him tithes of all and he gave him tithes of all and that's where melchizedek comes and and that's where melchizedek comes and goes goes we learn about him that his name is we learn about him that his name is melchizedek which is melchizedek which is my king is righteous or the righteous my king is righteous or the righteous king or king of righteousness king or king of righteousness and he is king of salem which is the and he is king of salem which is the same as shalom and means peace and is an same as shalom and means peace and is an abbreviated term for what was later abbreviated term for what was later elaborated into jerusalem elaborated into jerusalem so he is king of peace so he is king of peace he is king of jerusalem he is king of he is king of jerusalem he is king of righteousness and he meets abraham as a righteousness and he meets abraham as a priest also bringing forth bread and priest also bringing forth bread and wine no doubt they eat together and wine no doubt they eat together and abraham surrenders to him a tenth of all abraham surrenders to him a tenth of all the spoil that has been taken from the the spoil that has been taken from the capture of the kings capture of the kings he blesses abraham and we lose him he blesses abraham and we lose him keeping that in mind now turn to the keeping that in mind now turn to the second reference which is the 110th second reference which is the 110th psalm which i'd like to read as a whole psalm which i'd like to read as a whole it's very brief it's very brief psalm 110. lord said unto my lord sit down at my right hand until i make thine enemies right hand until i make thine enemies thy footstool thy footstool the lord shall send the rod of thy the lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of zion rule thou in the strength out of zion rule thou in the midst of thy enemies midst of thy enemies thy people shall be willing in the day thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power in the beauties of holiness of thy power in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning thou hast from the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth the dew of thy youth the lord hath swollen will not repent the lord hath swollen will not repent thou to priest forever after the order thou to priest forever after the order of melchizedek of melchizedek the lord at thy right hand shall strike the lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of israel he through kings in the day of israel he shall judge among the heathen he shall shall judge among the heathen he shall fill the places with the dead bodies he fill the places with the dead bodies he shall wound the heads over many shall wound the heads over many countries countries he shall drink of the brook in the way he shall drink of the brook in the way therefore shall he lift up the head now that psalm although it contains the name of melchizedek but once is itself name of melchizedek but once is itself used in the new testament scripture used in the new testament scripture several times several times when the lord asks the enemies amongst when the lord asks the enemies amongst his people what thinking of christ whose his people what thinking of christ whose son is he son is he they answer david's son they answer david's son and the lord in reply to them says why and the lord in reply to them says why then did david by the holy spirit call then did david by the holy spirit call him lord saying the lord said unto my him lord saying the lord said unto my lord sit thou at my right hand until i lord sit thou at my right hand until i make thine enemies thy footstool make thine enemies thy footstool in other words jesus christ says to the in other words jesus christ says to the rulers of the people it is true that rulers of the people it is true that christ is david's son christ is david's son it is also true that that fact alone is it is also true that that fact alone is quite inadequate to explain the honor in quite inadequate to explain the honor in which david held him which david held him parents don't call their children lord parents don't call their children lord if david did call the christ who has to if david did call the christ who has to come lord it must be for a very special come lord it must be for a very special reason which means that david's son reason which means that david's son alone he is not that he is but more he alone he is not that he is but more he must be must be and what more they were expected to and what more they were expected to understand required their answer he is understand required their answer he is also son of god also son of god why then did david in spirit call him why then did david in spirit call him lord answer because he was to be david's lord answer because he was to be david's lord because the holy spirit came upon lord because the holy spirit came upon mary and that holy thing that was born mary and that holy thing that was born of earth was called the son of god of earth was called the son of god so already we have the lord jesus christ so already we have the lord jesus christ set out in this psalm and declared by set out in this psalm and declared by the lord jesus and in hebrews chapter the lord jesus and in hebrews chapter one re-declared as being the one who is one re-declared as being the one who is david's lord and therefore son of god david's lord and therefore son of god he is one who is going to rule out of he is one who is going to rule out of mount zion the psalm verse 2. mount zion the psalm verse 2. he is one whose people do not accept him he is one whose people do not accept him readily the psalm verse 3 thy people readily the psalm verse 3 thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power shall be willing in the day of thy power but will one day be compelled to do so but will one day be compelled to do so he is one who by an oath which god he is one who by an oath which god cannot break is constituted a priest cannot break is constituted a priest forever after the order of melchizedek forever after the order of melchizedek the psalm verse 4 the psalm verse 4 and who will one day do what abraham did and who will one day do what abraham did to inherit milk is the next blessing to inherit milk is the next blessing being both priest and king in his own being both priest and king in his own right and will strike right and will strike through the kings in the day of his through the kings in the day of his wrath and will judge among the heathen wrath and will judge among the heathen as abraham had done so will the christ as abraham had done so will the christ do when he returns to the earth we now do when he returns to the earth we now know know so that's our second reference suddenly so that's our second reference suddenly unannounced and leading nowhere unannounced and leading nowhere apparently we are told the lord hath apparently we are told the lord hath sworn will not repent that the messiah sworn will not repent that the messiah david's lord is a priest forever after david's lord is a priest forever after the order of melchizedek and there's a the order of melchizedek and there's a link established there between the house link established there between the house of david which is from the tribe of of david which is from the tribe of judah and the priest after the order of judah and the priest after the order of melchizedek something is being done to melchizedek something is being done to prepare our way for what we find in prepare our way for what we find in hebrews 5 6 and 7. hebrews 5 6 and 7. now what we will read in hebrews is just now what we will read in hebrews is just an extract of part of chapter 7 an extract of part of chapter 7 hebrews 7 for this melchizedek king of salem priest of the most high god priest of the most high god who met abraham returning from the who met abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him slaughter of the kings and blessed him to whom also abraham gave a tenth part to whom also abraham gave a tenth part of all of all this melchizedek being first by this melchizedek being first by interpretation king of righteousness interpretation king of righteousness thus the melchizedek and after that also thus the melchizedek and after that also king of salem which is king of peace king of salem which is king of peace that's the salem is shalom is peace that's the salem is shalom is peace without father without mother without father without mother without descent having neither beginning without descent having neither beginning of days nor end of life but made like of days nor end of life but made like unto the son of god abideth the priest unto the son of god abideth the priest continually now that introduces us to what is the basic problem about melchizedek are we basic problem about melchizedek are we being told that melchizedek didn't have being told that melchizedek didn't have a father a father that he didn't have a mother that he was that he didn't have a mother that he was eternally existent without having been eternally existent without having been born born that he went on living forever that he went on living forever beyond the time when other men would beyond the time when other men would normally have died normally have died are we being told that he melchizedek are we being told that he melchizedek abides a priest abides a priest forever and to answer the last one is to forever and to answer the last one is to answer the rest answer the rest so the last one are we being told that so the last one are we being told that melchizedek abides the police forever melchizedek abides the police forever the answer is no the answer is no and the reason why the answer must be and the reason why the answer must be though is that if that were so he would though is that if that were so he would not need a successor not need a successor and we are being told that he is going and we are being told that he is going to have a successor the lord has sworn to have a successor the lord has sworn and will not repent thou the messiah the and will not repent thou the messiah the one to whom david said the lord said one to whom david said the lord said unto my lord thou art a priest forever unto my lord thou art a priest forever after the order of melchizedek so after the order of melchizedek so melchizedek's priesthood comes to an end melchizedek's priesthood comes to an end sometime sometime and is replaced by that priesthood of and is replaced by that priesthood of the lord jesus christ which will not the lord jesus christ which will not need to come to an end as long as the need to come to an end as long as the existing order of things persists existing order of things persists so we answered one of our questions so we answered one of our questions melchizedek is not permanently a priest melchizedek is not permanently a priest now for the others now for the others are we told he is not one who had a are we told he is not one who had a father or a mother or a normal birth father or a mother or a normal birth or who would not or who would not experience the normal death experience the normal death and on the same basis the answer must and on the same basis the answer must also be no also be no what we're being told is that there are what we're being told is that there are some things we don't know about some things we don't know about melchizedek melchizedek he springs as it were full grown into he springs as it were full grown into the record of genesis chapter 14. the record of genesis chapter 14. we are not told who his father was we are not told who his father was we have no information about his mother we have no information about his mother we don't know when he was born with no we don't know when he was born with no idea how old he was at the time when idea how old he was at the time when abraham met him and he goes back into abraham met him and he goes back into his temple or whatever he had in salem his temple or whatever he had in salem and disappears from view and as it were and disappears from view and as it were in the scenery of the event is there in the scenery of the event is there still still it is as though we're beholding it is as though we're beholding something presented before our eyes the something presented before our eyes the stage is there for our gaze there is stage is there for our gaze there is abraham with the spoils of war and from abraham with the spoils of war and from the wings as we said yesterday from the the wings as we said yesterday from the wings on the left say their end is wings on the left say their end is melchizedek melchizedek abraham bows in the basements before him abraham bows in the basements before him counts out for him the best tenth of the counts out for him the best tenth of the spoil by the way it is the tenth from spoil by the way it is the tenth from the top of the spoil that the word means the top of the spoil that the word means as though abraham gives him the very as though abraham gives him the very chief of the things that he has captured chief of the things that he has captured abraham gives him the tenth of all abraham gives him the tenth of all shares a meal with him of bread and wine shares a meal with him of bread and wine and then melchizedek having blessed and then melchizedek having blessed abraham goes out of the scene and abraham goes out of the scene and disappears once again into the place disappears once again into the place from which he came no doubt in the drama from which he came no doubt in the drama he'd go through the other wing but he's he'd go through the other wing but he's going back to the home he has behind the going back to the home he has behind the scenes scenes and that's all we see at melchizedek and that's all we see at melchizedek we're told nothing more we're told nothing more and may i stress this we are not invited and may i stress this we are not invited to ask anything more to ask anything more repeatedly when comes across the repeatedly when comes across the speculation who do you think melchizedek speculation who do you think melchizedek was was do you think he might have been shep do you think he might have been shep and my ass must always be i don't know and my ass must always be i don't know who he was and i don't want to know who he was and i don't want to know i'm not going to ask i'm not going to ask i know nothing about his ancestry i know i know nothing about his ancestry i know nothing about his trait all i know is nothing about his trait all i know is that there he is out of the blue coming that there he is out of the blue coming full grown into our sight and in that full grown into our sight and in that form he will leave him that's the way we form he will leave him that's the way we ought to think of him all the time ought to think of him all the time the argument in hebrews will be the argument in hebrews will be destroyed if we do who he was destroyed if we do who he was the statement without father and mother the statement without father and mother without beginning and end of days without beginning and end of days abiding a priest continually would be abiding a priest continually would be ruined if we found out who he was so ruined if we found out who he was so let's restrain our curiosity shall we let's restrain our curiosity shall we scripture tells us about melchizedek scripture tells us about melchizedek don't ask don't ask just have him there because god put him just have him there because god put him there appointed by god as a priest there appointed by god as a priest having nothing to do with the tribe of having nothing to do with the tribe of aaron and leave it at that aaron and leave it at that and be content to accept the wonder of and be content to accept the wonder of that when you get to the left of the that when you get to the left of the hebrews who says hebrews who says as melchizedek as melchizedek so jesus so jesus jesus comes right out of god's direct jesus comes right out of god's direct appointment appointment in a sense there is a kind of eternity in a sense there is a kind of eternity behind him of course because he is the behind him of course because he is the son of the eternal god and one of whom son of the eternal god and one of whom it is written in the prophecy of micah it is written in the prophecy of micah and thou bethlehem frater though thou be and thou bethlehem frater though thou be little amongst the tribes of judah the little amongst the tribes of judah the thousands of judah yet out of these thousands of judah yet out of these shall he come forth at least to be ruler shall he come forth at least to be ruler in israel whose goings forth have been in israel whose goings forth have been from revolt from everlasting from revolt from everlasting and though we do not believe that the and though we do not believe that the lord jesus personally was in that lord jesus personally was in that condition before he was born it is condition before he was born it is evident that that prophecy about jesus evident that that prophecy about jesus relates him to eternal things and says relates him to eternal things and says he comes to us from the eternity of god he comes to us from the eternity of god being born as the new creature the lord being born as the new creature the lord jesus christ when mary gives birth to jesus christ when mary gives birth to her firstborn son her firstborn son so as melchizedek springs to view not so as melchizedek springs to view not because he is the son of a priest we because he is the son of a priest we know about but because he has been know about but because he has been appointed so does the lord jesus christ appointed so does the lord jesus christ bring to view not because he is the son bring to view not because he is the son of any priest of the house of aaron but of any priest of the house of aaron but because he has been appointed god puts because he has been appointed god puts him there him there the beginning of his days rests in the the beginning of his days rests in the eternity of god's purpose eternity of god's purpose the end of his days will never be the end of his days will never be because he is flattened after the power because he is flattened after the power of an endless life of an endless life he comes to us he becomes the priest and he comes to us he becomes the priest and he stays the priest he stays the priest he is the one then who becomes us he is the one then who becomes us all the titles of melchizedek become him all the titles of melchizedek become him he is to be king of righteousness he's he is to be king of righteousness he's already king of righteousness he was already king of righteousness he was born king of the jews born king of the jews his righteousness was made perfect in his righteousness was made perfect in him by his life and by his death it is him by his life and by his death it is sealed in him subsequent to his sealed in him subsequent to his resurrection and although he does not resurrection and although he does not yet reign over the earth king he is we yet reign over the earth king he is we have another king one jesus the name is have another king one jesus the name is written upon his destination king of written upon his destination king of kings and lord of lords kings and lord of lords art our king then said pilate art our king then said pilate thou sayest that i am a king thou sayest that i am a king to this end was i born and for this to this end was i born and for this purpose came i into the world that i purpose came i into the world that i might bear witness of the truth and might bear witness of the truth and everyone that is of the truth heareth my everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice voice we have another king one jesus rabbi we have another king one jesus rabbi thought the son of god though the king thought the son of god though the king of israel said the faithful nathaniel to of israel said the faithful nathaniel to him him he is the king awaiting his day to reign he is the king awaiting his day to reign for the lord hath said to him for the lord hath said to him sit thou at my right hand until i make sit thou at my right hand until i make thy false thy footstool thy false thy footstool there he is there he is awaiting the assumption of the power awaiting the assumption of the power which already by right belongs to him which already by right belongs to him the assumption of the power that will the assumption of the power that will condemn compel a disobedient nation to condemn compel a disobedient nation to bow the knee before him thy people shall bow the knee before him thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power be willing in the day of thy power yes king of righteousness he is yes king of righteousness he is king of peace too peace is a much misused word we might from the security of this room we might from the security of this room say that the world is at peace now say that the world is at peace now but it isn't but it isn't there's no warfare going on in this room there's no warfare going on in this room i hope i hope so there could be so there could be there could be things going on in the there could be things going on in the hearts of every one of us be talking a hearts of every one of us be talking a defective piece defective piece but at least but at least in this room there's no one actually in this room there's no one actually engaged in fifty cups or shooting at his engaged in fifty cups or shooting at his brother or engaging in any other form of brother or engaging in any other form of violence violence outside outside well in the immediate neighborhood too well in the immediate neighborhood too you wouldn't really say there was a war you wouldn't really say there was a war on but go far enough and there is on but go far enough and there is in the countries to the south of here in the countries to the south of here in countries to east and west throughout in countries to east and west throughout the world there are pity wars going on the world there are pity wars going on which means this is not a world of peace which means this is not a world of peace in any case what the world means by in any case what the world means by peace is usually the period of licking peace is usually the period of licking your wounds between one war and the next your wounds between one war and the next is not really peace that we talk about is not really peace that we talk about the piece that we're describing here is the piece that we're describing here is quite different quite different as the apostle paul puts it in his as the apostle paul puts it in his letter to the ephesians he is our peace letter to the ephesians he is our peace who have made both one that has broken who have made both one that has broken down the middle wall of petition that down the middle wall of petition that was between us and has brought us forth was between us and has brought us forth before our god in one body in christ and before our god in one body in christ and thus referring to the peace between thus referring to the peace between believing jews and believing gentiles believing jews and believing gentiles who used to be racist apart and are now who used to be racist apart and are now members of one body being called by god members of one body being called by god to the one hope in abraham the father of to the one hope in abraham the father of us all us all there's another sense to him which is there's another sense to him which is our peace our peace because he says to his disciples because he says to his disciples in the world you shall have tribulation in the world you shall have tribulation but be of good cheer for i have overcome but be of good cheer for i have overcome the world in me you shall have the world in me you shall have peace and the disciples of the lord peace and the disciples of the lord jesus christ are conscious of a peace jesus christ are conscious of a peace that belongs to him because that belongs to him because being brought close by him they have being brought close by him they have peace with god through our lord jesus peace with god through our lord jesus christ the world is at war even when it is licking its wounds because it is at war licking its wounds because it is at war with its god with its god there is no peace set my god to the there is no peace set my god to the wicked wicked even believers would be at war if they even believers would be at war if they didn't fulfill their belief in trust in didn't fulfill their belief in trust in their maker because from whence come their maker because from whence come wars and fightings among you wars and fightings among you can they not hence even if you're lust can they not hence even if you're lust at war in your members at war in your members ye lust and desire to have and cannot ye lust and desire to have and cannot detain because he asked not detain because he asked not he asked and received not because he he asked and received not because he asked a missed if you may consume it asked a missed if you may consume it upon your lusts upon your lusts and the only peace there is in this and the only peace there is in this present phase of the world's life as we present phase of the world's life as we owe our allegiance to the prince of owe our allegiance to the prince of peace as he was called is that peace peace as he was called is that peace that belongs to those who think upon that belongs to those who think upon whatsoever good pure honorable and of whatsoever good pure honorable and of good report good report and he's planted brother boy i haven't and he's planted brother boy i haven't put it does it in the right order but put it does it in the right order but nevertheless all those things do belong nevertheless all those things do belong to our peace and then if we think upon to our peace and then if we think upon these things the peace of god which these things the peace of god which passeth all understanding can fill our passeth all understanding can fill our hearts and our minds through christ hearts and our minds through christ jesus our lord jesus our lord yes prince of peace he is yes prince of peace he is of course he will be prince of peace in of course he will be prince of peace in a greater way than this at least a more a greater way than this at least a more pervading way but there is no greater pervading way but there is no greater when he comes back and subdues the when he comes back and subdues the nations and conquers the earth and the nations and conquers the earth and the work of righteousness shall be peace and work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever in the kingdom of and assurance forever in the kingdom of god in its final phase at least god in its final phase at least so king of peace is right for him so king of peace is right for him king of jerusalem he will be too in the king of jerusalem he will be too in the other sense of the term because did he other sense of the term because did he not say to his disciples swear not by not say to his disciples swear not by jerusalem for it is the city of the jerusalem for it is the city of the great king there he will reign now in order to establish this supreme authority of the lord jesus christ as authority of the lord jesus christ as priests as compared with any priest they priests as compared with any priest they might have known before might have known before or any priest they might be disposed to or any priest they might be disposed to turn back to now the apostle goes back turn back to now the apostle goes back to something else in the experience of to something else in the experience of milk is a that pain of the tithes that i milk is a that pain of the tithes that i mentioned mentioned and he says what might seem to be a and he says what might seem to be a rather difficult thing about that tithe rather difficult thing about that tithe in hebrews chapter 7 again verse 4. now consider how great this man was that's melchizedek that's melchizedek unto whom even the patriarch abraham unto whom even the patriarch abraham gave the tenth of the spoils gave the tenth of the spoils for verily they that are of the sons of for verily they that are of the sons of levi who received the office of the levi who received the office of the priesthood have a commandment to take priesthood have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the tithes of the people according to the law law that is their brethren though they come that is their brethren though they come out of the lines of abraham out of the lines of abraham but he whose descent is not counted from but he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of abraham and them received tithes of abraham and blessed him that had the promises blessed him that had the promises and without any contradiction the less and without any contradiction the less is blessed of the better is blessed of the better and him that die receive tithes and him that die receive tithes but there he receiveth them of whom it but there he receiveth them of whom it is written that he liveth is written that he liveth and as i may so say and as i may so say or if you like summing it up in a phrase or if you like summing it up in a phrase levi also will receive ties plate tithes levi also will receive ties plate tithes in abraham for he was yet in the lines in abraham for he was yet in the lines of his father when melchizedek met him of his father when melchizedek met him now the line of reasoning sounds a now the line of reasoning sounds a little academic at first almost little academic at first almost legalistic legalistic and it reads something like this and it reads something like this levi receives tithes from the people who levi receives tithes from the people who thereby acknowledge the authority of thereby acknowledge the authority of levi's priesthood levi's priesthood but levi was the great grandson of but levi was the great grandson of abraham abraham and abraham gave tithes to melchizedek and abraham gave tithes to melchizedek thereby acknowledging the authority of thereby acknowledging the authority of his melchizedek's priesthood his melchizedek's priesthood therefore the people therefore the people give allegiance to the priests of the give allegiance to the priests of the tribe of levi tribe of levi and levi and levi is the great grandson and therefore the is the great grandson and therefore the underling of melchizedek abraham the underling of melchizedek abraham the founder of the race founder of the race and abraham gave ties to melchizedek and abraham gave ties to melchizedek thereby acknowledging his authority and thereby acknowledging his authority and so by that chain of ascent or descent so by that chain of ascent or descent the people are subjects of levi are the people are subjects of levi are subjects of abraham ourselves of subjects of abraham ourselves of melchizedek and so melchizedek's melchizedek and so melchizedek's priesthood is vastly superior either to priesthood is vastly superior either to levi or to the people who trusted levi levi or to the people who trusted levi well it's right in spite of its well it's right in spite of its involvement and despite its appearance involvement and despite its appearance of being legalistic of being legalistic for abraham did acknowledge that for abraham did acknowledge that melchizedek was priest to whom he should melchizedek was priest to whom he should pay his allegiance and his tithes pay his allegiance and his tithes and abraham was the one who gave the and abraham was the one who gave the origins origins to his great-grandson levi to his great-grandson levi and levi did take times of the people and levi did take times of the people and therefore the levitical priesthood and therefore the levitical priesthood is in some sense subordinate to that of is in some sense subordinate to that of milk as a deck milk as a deck but of course this is an oblique way of but of course this is an oblique way of saying that what god has done in saying that what god has done in appointing a priest appointing a priest and can do again in appointing another and can do again in appointing another priest priest is that which makes the one who is so is that which makes the one who is so appointed by god superior to all those appointed by god superior to all those others whom god has called to his others whom god has called to his kingdom and glory kingdom and glory therefore the lord jesus christ being therefore the lord jesus christ being called by god called by god a priest forever after the order of a priest forever after the order of melchizedek is called by god the one who melchizedek is called by god the one who has the same kind of authority as has the same kind of authority as melchizedek had melchizedek had and if melchizedek could claim power and if melchizedek could claim power over abraham so can the lord jesus over abraham so can the lord jesus christ claim power over the children of christ claim power over the children of abraham it's a straight one for one abraham it's a straight one for one parallel between melchizedek in relation parallel between melchizedek in relation to abraham and the lord jesus christ in to abraham and the lord jesus christ in relation to his people so that is what the lord is inviting us to do to do to accept that the priesthood of the to accept that the priesthood of the lord jesus christ supersedes and was lord jesus christ supersedes and was always in principle superior to that of always in principle superior to that of levi levi and aaron and the priest descended from and aaron and the priest descended from aaron aaron chapter 7 verse 11. chapter 7 verse 11. if therefore perfection were by the if therefore perfection were by the levitical priesthood levitical priesthood for under it the people received the law for under it the people received the law what further need was there that another what further need was there that another priest should arise after the order of priest should arise after the order of melchizedek and not be called after the melchizedek and not be called after the order of aaron order of aaron for the priesthood being changed there for the priesthood being changed there of necessity is made a change also of of necessity is made a change also of the law the law for here whom these things are spoken for here whom these things are spoken pertaining to another tribe pertaining to another tribe of which no man gave attendance at the of which no man gave attendance at the altar altar for it is evident that our lord sprang for it is evident that our lord sprang out of judah of which strived moses out of judah of which strived moses spake nothing concerning priesthood spake nothing concerning priesthood and it is yet far more evident and it is yet far more evident for after the similitude of melchizedek for after the similitude of melchizedek there ariseth another priest there ariseth another priest who is made not after the law of a who is made not after the law of a carnal commandment carnal commandment but after the part of an endless life but after the part of an endless life for he testifieth for he testifieth thou art a priest forever thou art a priest forever after the order of melchizedek so having made the comparison which establishes the lord's authority we now establishes the lord's authority we now stress the fact that it will be endless stress the fact that it will be endless that no other priest will ever be needed that no other priest will ever be needed that the lord having entered upon the that the lord having entered upon the office of the priest he will continue in office of the priest he will continue in that office for as long as priests and that office for as long as priests and mediation are required mediation are required and that the lord is able to do much and that the lord is able to do much better because he is priest than any better because he is priest than any heir of abraham through levi ever could heir of abraham through levi ever could have done the writer stresses again what has been mentioned before and what will be mentioned before and what will be mentioned again in the letter whether we mentioned again in the letter whether we ourselves are able to repeat it or not ourselves are able to repeat it or not the writer mentions once more that there the writer mentions once more that there was no perfection by the levitical was no perfection by the levitical priesthood priesthood and adds very reasonably that if there and adds very reasonably that if there had been god would never have changed it had been god would never have changed it if it had been possible to reach the if it had been possible to reach the goal through the priests of the tribe of goal through the priests of the tribe of aaron then that goal would have been aaron then that goal would have been reached through them and god would never reached through them and god would never have invented another have invented another but it wasn't but it wasn't we've already learned in part why it we've already learned in part why it wasn't wasn't we'll briefly review now why in other we'll briefly review now why in other respects it wasn't too respects it wasn't too first those priests were infirm they first those priests were infirm they were the sinners on their own account were the sinners on their own account they could never bring in perfection they could never bring in perfection second their offerings were only the second their offerings were only the offerings of beasts and merely to offer offerings of beasts and merely to offer a beast did nothing to make the a beast did nothing to make the conscience perfect which is brought out conscience perfect which is brought out later later third third the priests only remained priests for a the priests only remained priests for a short time and had to be succeeded by short time and had to be succeeded by other priests so they never achieved other priests so they never achieved their objective during the lifetime of their objective during the lifetime of any one of them any one of them fourth fourth their access into god's presence was their access into god's presence was strictly limited and controlled strictly limited and controlled they might go into the holy place the they might go into the holy place the most holy place once a year only most holy place once a year only and then only for a short time and then only for a short time and then they needed to do it again next and then they needed to do it again next year year and then when the priesthood died the and then when the priesthood died the next priest must do the same thing and next priest must do the same thing and the writer very plainly tells us that in the writer very plainly tells us that in those sacrifices there's a remembrance those sacrifices there's a remembrance made of sins every year made of sins every year it is not to say it is not to say you are taught every year that you are a you are taught every year that you are a sinner sinner every year you are shown a glimpse of every year you are shown a glimpse of hope that one day this will be dealt hope that one day this will be dealt with when the priest goes for an instant with when the priest goes for an instant into god's presence in the most holy into god's presence in the most holy place place but every year he comes out again but every year he comes out again although he pronounces his blessing you although he pronounces his blessing you continue in the same way of life as you continue in the same way of life as you did before not improve not better just did before not improve not better just waiting waiting next year he must go again next year he must go again he is made very plainly a man under he is made very plainly a man under authority because it would be authority because it would be presumptuous of him to try to go at any presumptuous of him to try to go at any other time other time it will be one of him to try to go it will be one of him to try to go without the blood upon his hands that without the blood upon his hands that signifies that sacrifices for sin are signifies that sacrifices for sin are still needed still needed when he gets there he can't remain there when he gets there he can't remain there the lord reveals plainly the writer says the lord reveals plainly the writer says that the way into the holiest of all has that the way into the holiest of all has not yet been made manifest he goes alone not yet been made manifest he goes alone too too nobody else goes nobody else goes not even the other priests and certainly not even the other priests and certainly not the people not the people they remain behind the veil and see they remain behind the veil and see nothing either of holy place or most nothing either of holy place or most holy place their way is doubly barred holy place their way is doubly barred into the presence of god into the presence of god better things than that are needed better things than that are needed and better things than that are provided and better things than that are provided by a priest who goes in and stays by a priest who goes in and stays doesn't come out again doesn't come out again who is in god's presence all the time who is in god's presence all the time and need not say farewell to him and need not say farewell to him who has once run into his company and who has once run into his company and will live forever more and who moreover will live forever more and who moreover has not retired behind a veil but as we has not retired behind a veil but as we read in the chapter if you have before read in the chapter if you have before us we us we go in through the veil go in through the veil into the presence of god there is no into the presence of god there is no veil anymore the disciple is in god's veil anymore the disciple is in god's most holy place in the person of his most holy place in the person of his priest and stays there yet this does not bring the perfection for this does not bring the perfection for israel that they had hoped for israel that they had hoped for the saints of god are amongst those who the saints of god are amongst those who have access into god's presence as we have access into god's presence as we have now but the people who received the have now but the people who received the promises one of them promises one of them chapter 8 verse 1 now of the things which we are saying this is the sun this is the sun we have such an high priest we have such an high priest who is set down who is set down on the right hand of the throne of the on the right hand of the throne of the majesty of the heavens majesty of the heavens a minister of the sanctuary under the a minister of the sanctuary under the true tabernacle true tabernacle which the lord pitched and not man which the lord pitched and not man for every high priest is ordained to for every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices offer gifts and sacrifices wherefore it is of necessity that this wherefore it is of necessity that this man also had somewhat to offer man also had somewhat to offer if he were on earth he would not be a if he were on earth he would not be a priest at all priest at all seeing that there are those priests who seeing that there are those priests who offer the gifts according to the law who offer the gifts according to the law who serve that which is a copy and the serve that which is a copy and the shadow of the heavenly things shadow of the heavenly things even as moses is warned of god when he even as moses is warned of god when he is about to make the tabernacle foresee is about to make the tabernacle foresee saith he that thou make all things saith he that thou make all things according to the pattern that was showed according to the pattern that was showed thee in the mount we need to weigh up how we stand in relation to the things how we stand in relation to the things which are seen of the things which are which are seen of the things which are not seen not seen we in this room see pillars holding up we in this room see pillars holding up the ceiling the ceiling we see chairs on which we sit we see chairs on which we sit we see people whom we can touch we see people whom we can touch we see books which we can read we see books which we can read and these are the real things to us and these are the real things to us if we were denied them if we were denied them and can find in some place in which we and can find in some place in which we could not emerge and these visible could not emerge and these visible things would not be seen that things would not be seen that the visible sight of our companionship the visible sight of our companionship and our hope and the solid realities of and our hope and the solid realities of life will be denied to us they in jerusalem have their temple and their priests and their sacrifices their priests and their sacrifices and the reality of those things they and the reality of those things they stressed these are the real things of stressed these are the real things of life life they're the real things of life to other they're the real things of life to other forms of idolaters too forms of idolaters too everything which the world looks for is everything which the world looks for is that which is seen touched handled that which is seen touched handled enjoyed experienced it is the sensual enjoyed experienced it is the sensual things of life which markets realities things of life which markets realities to the world around us to us it shouldn't be quite the same there are more real things which are not there are more real things which are not seen than seen than those things which are seen those things which are seen the temple which they enjoyed in the temple which they enjoyed in jerusalem which is totally ignored in jerusalem which is totally ignored in this letter in favor of the much more this letter in favor of the much more fleeting tabernacle which preceded it fleeting tabernacle which preceded it was a real thing to them was a real thing to them they could put it together they could they could put it together they could trample its courts they could see their trample its courts they could see their priests go into its secret places priests go into its secret places they could weave the materials that were they could weave the materials that were used for the tabernacle they could used for the tabernacle they could assemble its structure assemble its structure and although they were under the and although they were under the instructions to make all things instructions to make all things according to the according to the prescriptions that god had given to prescriptions that god had given to moses in the mount it was there when it moses in the mount it was there when it had been made visible seen obvious to had been made visible seen obvious to the eyes they had a real tabernacle but already in his second letter to the corinthians the apostle paul has told us corinthians the apostle paul has told us about the distinction between things about the distinction between things seen and things unseen seen and things unseen and he says about our own earthly life and he says about our own earthly life that we know that if our earthly house that we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved we'll of this tabernacle be dissolved we'll ask the we have a house with god not ask the we have a house with god not made with hands eternal in the heavens made with hands eternal in the heavens while we look not at the things which while we look not at the things which are seen are seen but of the things we are not seen but of the things we are not seen for the things which are seen are for the things which are seen are temporal temporal the things which are not seen are the things which are not seen are eternal eternal and if that's true of our present mortal and if that's true of our present mortal bodies which must one day be swallowed bodies which must one day be swallowed up of immortality up of immortality it is also true of our present it is also true of our present corruptible tabernacles which must one corruptible tabernacles which must one day be replaced by that city the new day be replaced by that city the new jerusalem in which the saints of god jerusalem in which the saints of god will dwell and for all its reality they will dwell and for all its reality they will say i saw no temple therein will say i saw no temple therein if there be things around us which we if there be things around us which we can touch and handle and clutch upon and can touch and handle and clutch upon and find our assurance in being able to take find our assurance in being able to take some kind of comfort from the fact that some kind of comfort from the fact that it's there and we can feel it and hold it's there and we can feel it and hold it and hold on to it it and hold on to it there is that which cannot be seen there is that which cannot be seen unknown which is yet more real in the unknown which is yet more real in the rising and resurrection of the lord rising and resurrection of the lord jesus christ of whom we learn that hope jesus christ of whom we learn that hope in him even though he has gone into the in him even though he has gone into the veil into the place behind the veil we veil into the place behind the veil we have an anchor for our soul have an anchor for our soul both sure and steadfast both sure and steadfast as you look through the pages of this as you look through the pages of this letter and particularly in that list of letter and particularly in that list of faithful men in chapter 11 you'll find faithful men in chapter 11 you'll find repeatedly the reference to those who repeatedly the reference to those who being persuaded of god of things not being persuaded of god of things not seen as yet seen as yet built an art for the saving of his soul built an art for the saving of his soul or he looked for the city which hath or he looked for the city which hath foundations foundations whose builder and maker is god whose builder and maker is god one who esteemed the reproach of christ one who esteemed the reproach of christ whom he couldn't see greater riches than whom he couldn't see greater riches than all the treasures of egypt all the treasures of egypt who looked beyond the present things and who looked beyond the present things and had respect unto the future as yet had respect unto the future as yet unseen recompense of the reward and unseen recompense of the reward and regarded that as the reality regarded that as the reality the city which have foundations the city which have foundations the ground of abraham's confidence when the ground of abraham's confidence when as we are told in this chapter he as we are told in this chapter he received the promise received the promise though he's not yet received the though he's not yet received the inheritance was your father abraham inheritance was your father abraham rejoiced to see my day rejoiced to see my day he saw it he saw it and was glad however that that should appeal to the believers that that should appeal to the believers in the lord jesus christ did not in the lord jesus christ did not unhappily appeal to the nation of israel unhappily appeal to the nation of israel to whom he came their people were not to whom he came their people were not willing in the days of his weakness willing in the days of his weakness even though they will be compelled to even though they will be compelled to willingness in the days of his power willingness in the days of his power and when the lord promises for them a and when the lord promises for them a better covenant better covenant they themselves by their own action they themselves by their own action repudiate their right to it repudiate their right to it verse 6 verse 6 but now hath jesus obtained a more but now hath jesus obtained a more excellent ministry excellent ministry by how much also he is the mediator of a by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant which was established better covenant which was established upon better promises upon better promises for if that first covenant had been for if that first covenant had been faultless faultless then would no place have been sought for then would no place have been sought for a second a second for finding fault with them he said for finding fault with them he said behold the day's concept the lord behold the day's concept the lord that i will make a new covenant with the that i will make a new covenant with the house of israel house of israel and with the house of judah and with the house of judah not according to the covenant that i not according to the covenant that i made with their fathers in the day when made with their fathers in the day when i took them by the hunt to lead them out i took them by the hunt to lead them out of the land of egypt of the land of egypt because they continued not in my because they continued not in my covenant covenant and i regarded them not set the lord now leaving aside for the moment the nature of this new covenant do you nature of this new covenant do you notice there that in those words the notice there that in those words the people to whom it is offered are natural people to whom it is offered are natural israel israel i will make a new covenant with the i will make a new covenant with the house of israel house of israel and with the house of judah and with the house of judah i will replace the covenant i gave to i will replace the covenant i gave to their fathers when i led them out of the their fathers when i led them out of the land of egypt with a covenant now land of egypt with a covenant now offered to them offered to them written in their hearts written in their hearts now now you might have looked in your margins you might have looked in your margins and discovered where those verses come and discovered where those verses come from from you might have known already without you might have known already without needing to look needing to look but they do in fact come from the 31st but they do in fact come from the 31st chapter of the prophecy of jeremiah chapter of the prophecy of jeremiah they begin in verse 31 of that chapter but the striking thing about this chapter is that it doesn't appear to be chapter is that it doesn't appear to be talking about that kind of circumstance talking about that kind of circumstance at all at all it is talking about the regathering of it is talking about the regathering of israel israel it is in those days and that time when i it is in those days and that time when i will bring again the captivity of my will bring again the captivity of my people israel that i will lead them into people israel that i will lead them into their land and then i will make the new their land and then i will make the new covenant with them covenant with them verse 27 of jeremiah 31 behold the days verse 27 of jeremiah 31 behold the days come saith the lord that i will sow the come saith the lord that i will sow the house of israel and the house of judah house of israel and the house of judah with the seed of man and with the seed with the seed of man and with the seed of beast of beast and it shall come to pass that like as i and it shall come to pass that like as i have watched over them to pluck up and have watched over them to pluck up and to break down and to throw down and to to break down and to throw down and to destroy unto afflict so will i watch destroy unto afflict so will i watch over them to build and to plant seth the over them to build and to plant seth the lord lord in those days they shall say no more the in those days they shall say no more the fathers have eaten a sour grape and the fathers have eaten a sour grape and the children's teeth are set on edge but children's teeth are set on edge but everyone shall die for his own iniquity everyone shall die for his own iniquity every month of these at the sour grape every month of these at the sour grape his teeth shall be set on edge his teeth shall be set on edge behold the days come set the lord and behold the days come set the lord and then we have the passage about the new then we have the passage about the new covenant which we have just caught it covenant which we have just caught it from the letter to the hebrews from the letter to the hebrews if you read jeremiah 31 as a whole if you read jeremiah 31 as a whole you'll find the case very strongly you'll find the case very strongly established that it is talking about the established that it is talking about the return of the people to the land return of the people to the land that he's talking about the time when that he's talking about the time when they will dwell safely once more that is they will dwell safely once more that is a kingdom picture we have there a kingdom picture we have there and yet the apostle takes those very and yet the apostle takes those very words relates to his own age and says words relates to his own age and says behold the days come and i will make a behold the days come and i will make a new covenant better than the old new covenant better than the old covenant replacing it and causing it to covenant replacing it and causing it to vanish and that is the covenant now vanish and that is the covenant now offered to you so which are we talking offered to you so which are we talking about about two and a half thousand years after jeremiah's day and not yet come after jeremiah's day and not yet come when the lord jesus christ will return when the lord jesus christ will return or are we talking about the days that or are we talking about the days that the apostle writes about when this the apostle writes about when this covenant is now replacing the old one covenant is now replacing the old one that israel had when the law of grace that israel had when the law of grace replaces the law of works and ordinances replaces the law of works and ordinances which is it which is it well we might perhaps be in a better well we might perhaps be in a better frame of mind to discover after we've frame of mind to discover after we've sung together him 250. him 250 and although strict kenshin requires that we say abram he's changed requires that we say abram he's changed it to his covenant name so can we say it to his covenant name so can we say great god of abraham it is a little bit great god of abraham it is a little bit of compression but it's the right way to of compression but it's the right way to say it say it so him 250 great god of abraham so him 250 great god of abraham hear our prayer and look on him [Music] [Music] remember to remember to thy thy promised word shall see the lord [Music] one [Laughter] oh oh [Music] once at one of our youth weekends at sonic in england sonic in england i took a hymn of this kind and invited i took a hymn of this kind and invited the young people who were present to the young people who were present to find out how many scriptural illusions find out how many scriptural illusions they could trace in the hymn they could trace in the hymn this is our dearly suited him for the this is our dearly suited him for the purpose i've not done it with him but purpose i've not done it with him but there must be or at least 12 of them i there must be or at least 12 of them i would think we've certainly met jeremiah would think we've certainly met jeremiah 31 we've certainly met romans 9 10 and 31 we've certainly met romans 9 10 and 11 and certainly hebrews 8 and the later 11 and certainly hebrews 8 and the later chapters that refer to the same passage chapters that refer to the same passage and the whole picture of the lord jesus and the whole picture of the lord jesus christ being built from their view by christ being built from their view by the darkness that shrouds messiah from the darkness that shrouds messiah from their gaze is one that comes out very their gaze is one that comes out very prominently in scripture as well as in prominently in scripture as well as in this hymn this hymn you notice a rather striking thing that you notice a rather striking thing that appears in the second letter to the appears in the second letter to the corinthians corinthians it describes the occasion when moses it describes the occasion when moses having gone up into the mountain came having gone up into the mountain came down with a shining face down with a shining face and put a veil upon his face and put a veil upon his face so that they might not see the end of so that they might not see the end of the glory that he had got the glory that he had got and we sometimes think now moses put the and we sometimes think now moses put the veil on his face so they shouldn't see veil on his face so they shouldn't see the glory the glory and that's not true and that's not true it was moses would develop on his face it was moses would develop on his face so they shouldn't see the glory passing so they shouldn't see the glory passing the last thing they would see of moses the last thing they would see of moses faces it were on that occasion would be faces it were on that occasion would be that it was glorious that it was glorious then he would cover his face up and they then he would cover his face up and they would have the memory of the glory and would have the memory of the glory and not the fading of the glory not the fading of the glory that's what it was to be like that's what it was to be like then the chapter goes on to say but now then the chapter goes on to say but now in the days when the lord jesus christ in the days when the lord jesus christ has come they're still basking in that has come they're still basking in that image they're still seeing the glory on image they're still seeing the glory on the face of moses the glory that lives the face of moses the glory that lives within his law and they don't know that within his law and they don't know that it's passed away it's passed away because they won't look as it were because they won't look as it were through the veil that hides it to see through the veil that hides it to see that it's dark behind there now that it's dark behind there now and they won't look and see the light and they won't look and see the light that comes in the lord jesus christ in that comes in the lord jesus christ in fact the writer seems to be saying this fact the writer seems to be saying this they take the veil that covers the lord they take the veil that covers the lord moses which hides the fact that there's moses which hides the fact that there's no glory there anymore they strip it off no glory there anymore they strip it off and over their own heads and over their own heads over their own heads they can't see over their own heads they can't see jesus so the glory that's gone they jesus so the glory that's gone they don't know and the glory that's there don't know and the glory that's there they won't look at they won't look at that's the kind of way in which it was that's the kind of way in which it was with the people in the days of the lord with the people in the days of the lord jesus christ and that no doubt is what jesus christ and that no doubt is what the hymn had in mind when it said the the hymn had in mind when it said the veil of darkness rend in view that had veil of darkness rend in view that had rendered two that hides messiah from rendered two that hides messiah from their view now going back then to the question that we posed before the hymn was sung we posed before the hymn was sung is jeremiah 31 talking about the time is jeremiah 31 talking about the time not yet come when the lord jesus christ not yet come when the lord jesus christ will return to the earth and the stony will return to the earth and the stony heart will be taken out of israel's heart will be taken out of israel's flesh and they will if they repent be flesh and they will if they repent be given a heart of flesh with god's law given a heart of flesh with god's law written upon it written upon it or is it talking about the days when the or is it talking about the days when the letter to the hebrews was written in our letter to the hebrews was written in our own time too when the way of grace with own time too when the way of grace with the law written in our hearts is the law written in our hearts is available to men now which is it in the available to men now which is it in the future future or any time from 2000 years ago onwards or any time from 2000 years ago onwards and the answer is that it could have and the answer is that it could have been either been either for those who believe it's now for those who believe it's now for those who have postponed their for those who have postponed their belief it can be never or not for two belief it can be never or not for two thousand years thousand years israel brought about upon themselves israel brought about upon themselves their own their own two millennia of darkness when they two millennia of darkness when they rejected christ rejected christ it touches that problem that we can't it touches that problem that we can't solve as to what it would have been like solve as to what it would have been like have things been otherwise you know the have things been otherwise you know the hypothetical case suppose adam hadn't hypothetical case suppose adam hadn't seen suppose israel hadn't crucified seen suppose israel hadn't crucified christ and things of that kind to which christ and things of that kind to which we can never give an answer we can never give an answer and we have to bear in mind that the and we have to bear in mind that the providence of god knew as it were how providence of god knew as it were how people were going to behave in working people were going to behave in working out his program out his program you get things like this from the you get things like this from the writing of paul they that dwell at writing of paul they that dwell at jerusalem jerusalem because they knew him not because they knew him not nor yet the voices of their prophets nor yet the voices of their prophets which are read every sabbath day they which are read every sabbath day they have fulfilled them in condemning him have fulfilled them in condemning him because they didn't understand and because they didn't understand and wouldn't listen to what their prophets wouldn't listen to what their prophets were really saying they brought about were really saying they brought about the fulfillment of the prophet's words the fulfillment of the prophet's words by doing it the prophet said they would by doing it the prophet said they would and crucifying their christ and crucifying their christ things would have gone wrong if they'd things would have gone wrong if they'd known too much as it were but god knew known too much as it were but god knew they weren't going to know too much and they weren't going to know too much and he arranged it accordingly again he arranged it accordingly again we speak the hidden things of god in a we speak the hidden things of god in a mystery mystery which none of the princes of this world which none of the princes of this world knew for had they known it knew for had they known it they would not have crucified the lord they would not have crucified the lord of glory of glory so god's providence brought about the so god's providence brought about the crucifixion of christ because he knew crucifixion of christ because he knew that the peoples of the world would that the peoples of the world would largely be oblivious to what was the largely be oblivious to what was the meaning of the thing that they were meaning of the thing that they were doing doing sometimes of course they could know not sometimes of course they could know not what they were doing and then repent and what they were doing and then repent and do the right thing afterwards as when do the right thing afterwards as when the lord jesus christ cried upon the the lord jesus christ cried upon the cross father forgive them for they know cross father forgive them for they know not what they do not what they do and peter said i know that in ignorance and peter said i know that in ignorance you did it as did also your rulers you did it as did also your rulers repent ye therefore and be converted repent ye therefore and be converted and so though the deed was done in the and so though the deed was done in the providence of god even those who had providence of god even those who had connived its being done could repent of connived its being done could repent of what they had taken part in and come what they had taken part in and come back to the way of grace by repenting back to the way of grace by repenting when they were pricked in their hearts when they were pricked in their hearts and said men and brethren what shall we and said men and brethren what shall we do do so it is then with this promise promise so it is then with this promise promise of jeremiah that in those days i will of jeremiah that in those days i will write my law in their hearts and i will write my law in their hearts and i will make a new covenant with them not make a new covenant with them not according to the old covenant that i according to the old covenant that i made with them in sinai made with them in sinai that offer was made open when the lord that offer was made open when the lord jesus christ came the first time jesus christ came the first time then life and immortality were brought then life and immortality were brought to light by the gospel to light by the gospel then the lord said i am come to give you then the lord said i am come to give you life but you will not come to me that life but you will not come to me that you might have life then the nation made you might have life then the nation made its decision its decision no no and for the nation postponed for two and for the nation postponed for two thousand years thousand years the fulfillment of jeremiah's prophecy the fulfillment of jeremiah's prophecy they the nation will not receive the they the nation will not receive the grace which is here prophesied until the grace which is here prophesied until the lord jesus christ comes back lord jesus christ comes back until they shall look on him they until they shall look on him they pierced and mourn as i him said pierced and mourn as i him said until they will consent to the excision until they will consent to the excision of the heart of stone from their flesh of the heart of stone from their flesh and its replacement by the heart of and its replacement by the heart of flesh until they will come in penises flesh until they will come in penises before their god and admit the folly of before their god and admit the folly of their forefathers deeds that's the roots their forefathers deeds that's the roots for natural israel considered as a for natural israel considered as a nation and that means that jeremiah's nation and that means that jeremiah's prophecy for them is not fulfilled yet prophecy for them is not fulfilled yet and will not be till god comes till god and will not be till god comes till god sends jesus christ back sends jesus christ back but for those jews in the first century but for those jews in the first century who did repent who did repent for those who did accept the grace for those who did accept the grace offered to them from pentecost onwards offered to them from pentecost onwards and were baptized and did continue and were baptized and did continue steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship and in the breaking of bread fellowship and in the breaking of bread and the prayers and for any of israel and the prayers and for any of israel who would join them subsequently even who would join them subsequently even now now then that covenant is there then that covenant is there alive alive open available for men to come and open available for men to come and accept it and join the company of those accept it and join the company of those who believe in god and are the subjects who believe in god and are the subjects now of his grace one of the things which is revealed in these verses is these verses is not easy for us to apprehend and not not easy for us to apprehend and not always sincere for us to claim to have always sincere for us to claim to have experienced and that is experienced and that is that the lies outward that the lies outward in all that it offers in all that it offers you see things that you can touch you see things that you can touch you behold a high priest offering a you behold a high priest offering a sacrifice sacrifice you see him you see him offering prophecies of better things to offering prophecies of better things to come come but all the law could do is reveal the but all the law could do is reveal the reality of sin reality of sin secure perhaps the penitents of sinners secure perhaps the penitents of sinners but not do anything for their inward but not do anything for their inward parts parts but in this promise of grace given in but in this promise of grace given in jeremiah 31 we learn jeremiah 31 we learn verse 10 of hebrews chapter 8 verse 10 of hebrews chapter 8 for this is the covenant that i will for this is the covenant that i will make with the house of israel after make with the house of israel after those days saith the lord those days saith the lord i will put my laws into their mind and i will put my laws into their mind and write them on their hearts write them on their hearts and i will be to them a god and they and i will be to them a god and they shall beat me a people shall beat me a people and they shall not teach every man his and they shall not teach every man his neighbor and every man his brother neighbor and every man his brother saying know the lord saying know the lord for all shall know me for all shall know me from the least to the greatest for i from the least to the greatest for i will be merciful to their will be merciful to their unrighteousness unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities i and their sins and their iniquities i will remember no more will remember no more in that he saith a new covenant in that he saith a new covenant he has made the first old he has made the first old now that which decayeth and waxethold is now that which decayeth and waxethold is ready to vanish away now in addition to pronouncing the death knight of the old covenant as the knight of the old covenant as the prophecy of the way of grace prophecy of the way of grace because the new and living way has now because the new and living way has now been opened up through the lord jesus been opened up through the lord jesus christ christ the letter also tells us that for those the letter also tells us that for those who accept this message of grace god who accept this message of grace god will write their law his law in their will write their law his law in their inward parts inward parts that it will not be needful for every that it will not be needful for every man to teach his neighbour saying know man to teach his neighbour saying know the lord the lord that all shall know him from the least that all shall know him from the least unto the greatest and while that by no means removes from us the need to learn from our teachers us the need to learn from our teachers and they from their scriptures and they from their scriptures the things that god has to tell us about the things that god has to tell us about his dealings with men his dealings with men yet it does say that there is an yet it does say that there is an approach to god which no longer requires approach to god which no longer requires the mediation of men the mediation of men we should not go to a priest and have to we should not go to a priest and have to ask him ask him does not ask him to make an offering does not ask him to make an offering and does not watch him disappear into and does not watch him disappear into the invisible as he goes into the most the invisible as he goes into the most holy place holy place what it does say now is that those who what it does say now is that those who trust in the lord god through the lord trust in the lord god through the lord jesus christ heaven high priest who is jesus christ heaven high priest who is active for them all active for them all who is in god's presence on account of who is in god's presence on account of each one of us through whom each of us each one of us through whom each of us one by one with no other mediation may one by one with no other mediation may go into the presence of the father and go into the presence of the father and by whose grace by whose grace if we will submit ourselves to him if we will submit ourselves to him his law can be written in our hearts his law can be written in our hearts written not with ink written not with ink but with the flesh in the fleshy tables but with the flesh in the fleshy tables of the heart as the apostle paul puts it of the heart as the apostle paul puts it in the chapter we have already quoted in the chapter we have already quoted the law the apostle says can never as the law the apostle says can never as affecting the conscience affecting the conscience make men perfect make men perfect but the lord jesus christ he adds can do but the lord jesus christ he adds can do that that so having reminded ourselves of those so having reminded ourselves of those words quoted the other day words quoted the other day about the word of god being quick and about the word of god being quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword and knowing the lord sees deep sword and knowing the lord sees deep within us what our needs are and our within us what our needs are and our sins too sins too that if we confess our sins and admit that if we confess our sins and admit our needs we are told that the lord's our needs we are told that the lord's mediation with the father can be mediation with the father can be effective in strengthening effective in strengthening in purifying and in leading us from in purifying and in leading us from within as it were on the way of life let us pray oh lord god our heavenly father oh lord god our heavenly father through our high priest jesus christ our through our high priest jesus christ our lord lord we do ask you to lift up our countenance we do ask you to lift up our countenance upon us upon us to see us to see us in our hopes in our hopes in our penitence in our penitence in our weakness and our need in our weakness and our need and having received us into the calling and having received us into the calling of our most holy faith of our most holy faith by allowing us to be baptized into the by allowing us to be baptized into the dying of christ our lord dying of christ our lord and having caused us to sit in and having caused us to sit in fellowship with him in the heavenly fellowship with him in the heavenly places in christ jesus places in christ jesus i would open and guide and lead and i would open and guide and lead and direct our hearts direct our hearts into the ways everlasting into the ways everlasting through jesus christ our lord