True to our native land, p.91
True to Our Native Land, page 91
The writer’s use of Psalms 2:7 as God’s utterance to the Son reflects the understanding of the early church about the God-bestowed kingship that Jesus holds. This psalm was one of many that were viewed as messianic. Originally part of an enthronement liturgy from the time of King David, the psalm reports God’s pleasure with the one being installed as king over the nation. Here in Hebrews, that commendation is cited in tribute to Jesus as the kingly Son; it is an acclamation of his worthiness to receive honor and to be obeyed. The early church did so honor him, and Psalm texts were among the lively tributes utilized in worship settings as well as in church writings.
The citation of Psalms 45:6–7 in vv. 8–9 points to the supreme virtue of Jesus as the one who always honored the will of God in his decisions and deeds: “You have loved righteousness and hated evil.” The word “righteousness” appears six times in this letter (1:9; 5:13; 7:2; 11:7, 33; 12:11), and later, in 5:13–14, the writer will make an appeal to his readers to develop character within that righteousness, so that by moral discernment and a love for what is right, genuine spiritual growth can steadily take place in their lives.
In vv. 10–12, Psalms 102:25–27 is quoted, probably to emphasize the eternality of the Son over against the changing patterns and systems of human history. The faithful are reminded that they are secure through the unfailing ministry of an eternal, unchanging Lord. This emphasis will again be in view at 13:8, where the writer proclaims that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and throughout the ages.”
2:1–4, Exhortation Based on the Contrast between Jesus and Angels. “Therefore” in 2:1 introduces an important conclusion to the writer’s statement about the status of Jesus: We must give serious attention to him—or suffer the sad consequences for failing to do so. Although angels have been sent as “servant spirits,” intimately involved in human ventures, God has backed their word and work, punishing all who refused to honor what those servant spirits were sent to accomplish. The word Jesus has given is the ultimate and final word from God, and it is therefore indispensable. It is the word about salvation in its richest dimensions, a salvation brought into effect and fully guaranteed only for those who seriously listen to Jesus and look to him with right understanding about who he is. The exhortation is a warning about what is lost by those who, having heard the message about salvation, selfishly and faithlessly “drift away” from it.
2:5–18, The Son’s Relation to Believers. Having completed his preliminary statement about the superiority of Jesus over angels, and having issued a warning not to be part of the awesome fate of those who neglect the witness and work provided by the Son of God, the writer moves on in 2:5–18 to begin a discussion about how the Son stands related to those who do believe in him.
In this section of Hebrews we get our first insight from the writer about the extent to which Jesus as Son fully identifies with our humanity and its attendant experiences. Like the first humans, Jesus lived for a while “lower” in condition than angels (2:9), but, unlike them, he never failed the high purpose for which he entered the world. He too had to live by faith, by a steady trust in God as he lived his way across the years. The writer documents the Son’s need for faith by quoting Isaiah 8:17b, using it at 2:13 as a confessional word from the Son about his life under God: “I [myself] will firmly trust in him.” The writer thus accents attention upon Jesus as religious subject in order to highlight the importance of Jesus as religious object. In so doing, the writer’s insight into the human experience of Jesus accents his obedience in pilgrimage; it shows him as a figure of hope for those who look to him as the worthy “pioneer of their deliverance” (v. 10). In looking to Jesus, the writer asserts, we can maintain our bearings, discern our possibilities, and anticipate our future. That future will ultimately involve life within another order God has planned for his people: thus the expression “the coming world [order]” (v. 5), a world (oikoumenē, “inhabited, ordered community”) under the manifest lordship of Jesus as exalted Son, now raised above the present world order and “crowned with glory and honor because of the [particular] death he suffered” (2:9). The sovereignty humans lost by sinning stands modeled in him in his victory over temptation, sin, and death. Jesus now heads the household of the faithful, who will inherit the new order when this old earth order passes away.
Reflection: On “Seeing” Jesus
The help Jesus offers is available to all, but that help is more readily gained by those who “see” (blepomen, 2:9) him for who he is. Jesus has fulfilled the proper end of his divine assignment (1:3b), and has been “crowned with glory and honor,” so he is the one human God has deemed worthy to have “all things subject” to him. Because of human sin, the subjugation of all things to the human race has not happened, but meanwhile believers are helped to manage the difficulties and disparities of life by keeping Jesus in focus.
The writer’s assertion “but we do see Jesus” (2:9) emphasizes a central insight in his theological message. At 3:1–6, a passage with an artful blend of history, theology, and doctrine, the writer exhorts the readers to “consider [katanoesate, “fix the mind upon,” “discern and act wisely”] Jesus” (3:1); at 5:9, salvation is promised to all who “obey him”; and at 12:2 the need is stressed to keep “looking [aphorontes] to Jesus.” The writer’s emphasis upon “seeing” Jesus and “looking to Jesus” takes the New Testament tradition of seeing the Lord to another level. The writer does not refer here to seeing Jesus by normal vision blessed with an objective appearance, such as the disciples experienced who met with the risen Lord and afterward confessed, “We have seen the Lord” (John 20:25). Our writer rather refers here to sight of another kind, namely, “insight,” a spiritual perception by which the believer is actively influenced by and identifies with Jesus. This kind of seeing is a grace-assisted understanding of who Jesus is, and it includes a realization of the personal benefits Jesus makes available in the believer’s experience. “Seeing” Jesus has occurred, and still occurs, in more than one way. Influenced by the African American contemplative way of reading the scriptures and of speaking about Jesus, veteran preacher Gardner C. Taylor used Hebrews 2:9 to preach about Jesus as “The Christian’s Dearest Sight” (Words of Gardner Taylor, vol. 2, compiled by Edward L. Taylor [Valley Forge, PA: Judson, 2000], 72–77.) Near the close of that sermon Taylor mentioned having preached one night, early in his ministry, in Shreveport, Louisiana, when at some point during his delivery the lights in that section of the city failed and the church was plunged into darkness. Startled by the event, Taylor stopped preaching. But a voice soon rang out from one of the pews, “Go on, Preacher; we can see Jesus in the darkness.” Seeing Jesus is experienced in more than one way.
What Jesus accomplished benefits all who identify with him. Jesus was a “pioneer” in our interest, intent to lead “many sons to glory” by his delivering deed of salvation. The “many sons” are, with him, full members of the very family of God. This was the concern of the incarnation: Jesus wanted to identify fully with humans in our plight, even becoming subject to death, so that he could make death itself his victim—from inside the experience. According to vv. 14–16, the grand result for believers is release from the fear of death. Angels did not need such help; humans did, and Jesus eagerly made that help available.
At 2:17–18, the author introduced the theme of the high priesthood to highlight further the great ministry of Jesus to believers. The writer will continue to unfold and accent this theme across the bulk of the sermon. The rather extended treatment of this theme, together with the many details connected with the Day of Atonement ritual, provides grounds for viewing this writing as written to and for Hebrews. (This is the only New Testament writing that explains the ministry of Jesus in terms of priesthood.) As one who suffered the round of human experience, Jesus can represent us well since he understands and identifies with our needs. He is before us as a victorious winner and with us as the sympathetic helper. The believer need only cry out for his assistance.
The rich song tradition in the Black church has long encouraged this faith response to Jesus as gracious Helper. The following lines are readily familiar:
Jesus knows all about our troubles
He will guide us ‘til the day is done
There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus
No, not one. No, not one.
So are these lines:
Jesus is on the mainline,
Tell him what you want.
Call him up
And tell him what you want.
3:1—4:13, The Superiority of the Son over Moses and Joshua
3:1–6, The Son Greater than Servants in the Household. Having set forth the high rank and great ministry of Jesus on behalf of his people, the writer issues an exhortation: “consider Jesus.” That word “consider” (katanoēsate) was a call to fix the mind and heart upon him. The titles that follow increase the weight of his example and importance for the believer. Jesus is “apostle” and “high priest” of our confession. This introduces a planned comparison between Jesus and Moses, the point being to show that Jesus has a superior ministry to that of Moses. Although both Moses and Jesus held appointments from God, were faithful to their calling, were deliverers of their people, established covenants, were suffering servants, and had face-to-face dealings with God, the ministry of Jesus was superior, because he is Son, while Moses was but a servant within the household of God. The confession of the church centers on Jesus, who is God’s superior messenger (apostle) and the perfect representative of the needy people (high priest). In both instances of service, Jesus acts on behalf of others. Thus, however great others have been in their service to God, Jesus is worthy of greater honor. Problems abound when Jesus is not properly “considered,” when his personhood and ministry are not kept in proper focus.
As Son, Jesus presides over the “house-(hold) of God” (vv. 5–6). The belonging to that household is conditional; it happens through faith and steady “confidence and pride in our hope.” A right pride in belonging stimulates faithfulness to the family name and leadership.
3:7–19, Exhortation Based on the Contrast. The second warning section, which begins at 3:7—4:2, recalls Israel’s failure in the wilderness and the sad consequences of that failure by a people called by God to live as his nation.
The writer quotes Psalms 95:7–11, reporting God’s displeasure with the generation that provoked him by its waywardness and sin. It was a generation that lacked a listening ear for God’s word. That generation was united in a shared sin, and its members fell in a shared fate. Though they succeeded at sinning, the gains were fleshly and destructive. The gains of sin are always deadly, making the disobedient losers. God had offered them “rest,” but their sinning blocked the benefits of the offer.
4:1–10, The “Rest of God” Explained. The privilege God offered the earlier generation still remains open. The promise God originally made still holds: one can “enter God’s rest.” Our period of time does not make us “come short” (hysterēkenai, “arrive too late”) of it because the promise about “rest” involved something more than settling peacefully in the geographical spot called Canaan.
The “good news” about rest involves more than a promised land; it involves a promised life in the will of God. The levels of fulfillment in the promise begin to be experienced when the promise meets with “faith in [on the part of] the hearer.” Israel first heard the promise, which included cessation of warfare after victory over the enemies blocking their entrance into Canaan, but that generation did not even enter Canaan “because of unbelief” (v. 19). God was not obligated to bless those who resisted his terms, but neither did God withdraw the offer of rest. A future realization was implied in the promise, and at the highest level of fulfillment. Possessing Canaan was not all that God had in mind for ancient Israel, and salvation here and now is not all that God has planned for believers now. The people of God will enjoy a coming “Sabbath rest” at the dawning of “another day” (4:8b), the reference here being to the ultimate life with God.
4:11–13, Exhortation to Full Obedience. “Let us be eagerly diligent (spoudazō, ‘concentrate with eager interest to succeed’), therefore, to enter into that rest.”
A full striving will mean staying open to God in heart and mind, with eagerness to hear God’s word in order to know and do God’s will. The reference in vv. 2–13 to “the word of God” as a confronting sword no doubt recalls the encounter Joshua experienced with the angelic commander of the Lord’s forces just before his attack upon Jericho (Josh 5:13–15). When Joshua realized that he was confronted by the Lord’s angelic messenger, he fell submissively before him, listening for instructions. The writer here appeals to his readers to take the listening posture before the word of God. Openness to that word keeps one in right relationship with God, to whom all are unavoidably accountable.
4:14—10:39, Jesus the Great High Priest
4:14–16, The Priesthood of Jesus Introduced. His life on earth now done, his mission here accomplished, Jesus has “passed away into heaven,” where he now ministers on our behalf before God, representing us as “the great high priest” at “the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and obtain grace for timely help when in need” (4:16). The believer has every encouragement, then, to remain faithful and trusting: as members of God’s household, there is a definite belonging and access to blessing from God. Prayer is offered to one who responds graciously, and there is an attitude of mercy that the believer meets when help is sought through prayer.
Receiving “grace” has to do with being understood, accepted, regarded, favored, and supported by God. As Henry H. Mitchell has commented, the “Black Church has never viewed ‘grace’ as but a theological nicety, it was and is to the Black man a means of life and strength—a source of support and balance and self-certainty in a world whose approval of Blacks is still in extremely short supply.”2
5:1–4, The High Priesthood Ministry Explained. This section begins an extended discussion of the high priesthood of Jesus. First mentioned at 2:17, then restated at 3:1 and 4:14, this title and theme of the Son’s high priesthood are now expanded in 5:1—6:20.
Recalling Exodus 28–29, where consecration for the priesthood is treated, the writer enumerates some of the qualifications necessary for someone to attain and hold the priestly role. The person must be “chosen from among men,” actually from Aaron’s lineage: “appointed to act on their behalf” in matters relating to God, primarily through the offering of “gifts and sacrifices for sin.” The priest was not someone in general but someone in particular, divinely set apart for a distinctive service.
5:5–10, Jesus as Divinely Appointed High Priest. Jesus fills every requirement for the priesthood—except one: he was not from Aaron’s line. Yet he supersedes the Aaronic priesthood, because he holds an eternal appointment “after the order of Melchizedek” (5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:11, 15, 17). This is a more distinctive priesthood, because Melchizedek was the first priest mentioned in Israel’s history, one whose importance was not granted by human descent but by divine decree, a fact testified when Abraham offered tithes to him. The priesthood associated with Aaron and his descendants was a later and more limited order than that accorded by God to Melchizedek.
The role of the Aaronic high priesthood constantly passed on from one priest to another, because each priest died. The priestly ministry of Jesus, however, continues eternal and unchanged, unaffected by the passage of time, because “he always lives,” standing before God on our behalf. His place of privilege remains his by divine right, but it was gained by his obedience to the terms of sonship. Now successful through his pilgrimage in the world, Jesus has become “the source of eternal salvation to all those who obey him” (5:9).
5:11—6:3, Exhortation to Become Mature in Understanding. The confession of Jesus as high priest is a great truth that demands a mature understanding and appreciation. Those who are spiritually sluggish and “dull of hearing” (v. 11) miss the depth of meaning this truth holds for their lives. Thus the writer’s third warning passage. He chided the readers to move from a child’s milk diet to the solid food of righteousness, which would prepare them for the rigors of life that believers face. He wanted them to learn how to endure stress in the spirit and manner Jesus exemplified during “the days of his flesh” (5:7). The readers needed to become “mature,” trained by practice to distinguish good from evil (5:14). Maturity in faith depends upon the same logic as does any other growth: one must advance stage by stage, and not be forever preoccupied with beginning anew. As in the natural, so in the spiritual: the key to proper nurture is appetite and the will to advance.
The writer thus advised, “Let our movement be toward maturity” (6:1). He was eager to stimulate the spiritual appetite of his readers for the deeper truths about the person and ministry of Jesus. He hoped to leave behind, without mention, the foundational teachings with which they were presumably familiar, i.e., the meaning of repentance, how baptism differs from other ceremonial washings, the ritual import of laying on of hands, the resurrection hope, and the expectation of a final judgment (6:1b–2). But as he reflected further on the foundational matters, his covenantal concern stirred the writer to voice another warning. The warning this time is about the possible irremediable loss of salvation through apostasy.
6:4–8, The Awesome Problem of Apostasy. Although there is great danger involved in any sinning, apostasy is most devastatingly dangerous. The tragedy of apostasy is that one deliberately steps aside from the truth, with a full change of mind about it all, and with an offensive attitude toward what one once embraced as worthy of trust. Only someone who has once believed can be guilty of such a sin, which shows the spirit of rejection where faith once motivated them.
