Colossians 1:14-16 "In whom (in the Son) we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: who (God the Son, the Man that we’re talking about in Hebrews) is the image of the invisible God, (He is the visible manifestation of the invisible God) the firstborn of every creature (do we get that? how is it possible?): for by him (by the Son) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: (here it is) all things were created by Him, and for Him:" Now we just shared an thought somewhere else which just seems to fit so here goes. When we can begin to see the spiritual side of what Jesus did at His last supper and then up through all that then took place. And when He said while hanging on the cross "IT IS FINISHED". What did He mean but this all the covenants God-Yehovah has established between Himself and Himself though they included a man God ended IN CHRIST. Then shortly after He started a New ONE sealed with and by His BLOOD, CHRIST is the New Covenant based on BETTER promises. The HIS doing all in all for HIS good pleasure. Man failed but God can never fail.
Hebrews 3:4 "For every house is built by some man; (Nothing happens without man putting his works of hands and fingers to whatever needs to be done.) but he that built all things is God." Remember, the God that we are speaking of here is the Man, Christ Jesus. Now verse 5.
Hebrews, 3:5 "And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, (We made that point in the last section - how that Moses never failed his commission. He was faithful in all that God has entrusted to him.) as a servant, (He was not the main player. He was simply a person that God saw fit to use, as a servant) for a testimony (witness or record) of those things which were to be spoken after;" Let’s go back to Deuteronomy 18 and we can see how this was all foretold way back in Israel’s beginning years as Moses is writing the Torah, the Decalogue or the first five books. The same verses that we looked at before, we think are appropriate. Verse 15.
Deuteronomy 18:15 "The LORD your God will raise up to you a Prophet from the midst of you, of your brethren, like unto me; to him you shall hearken;" Moses is writing from his own position as the leader of Israel, but he is speaking of this future One Who is Christ.
Deuteronomy 18:16-18 "According to all that you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. And the LORD (Moses said) said to me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, (That’s why Jesus had to come from the line of David and from the home of Joseph and Mary as He was born in Bethlehem.) like unto you and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him." Come back to Hebrews chapter 3. So, Moses was a faithful servant in everything that God had committed unto him. But this one is to speak to us as from the very mouth of God, so God speaks to us through His Son and these words are those recorded in the first four books which are in reality the end of the last days. (Psalm 72:6, Proverbs 1:23, Isaiah 44:3, Ezekiel 11:19, 36:25-27, 39:29; John 7:39, Titus 3:4-6)
Hebrews 3:6 "But Christ (See the comparison, over and over. Moses on the one hand and Christ on the other and how Moses just pales by comparison to the role of God the Son) as a son over his own house; (Moses was a servant of the Almighty Creator, so he couldn’t say that this is "my" house. He was merely the servant, but Christ as a Son over His own house, He is the owner! He is the total proprietor of this spiritual house that we are going to be looking at) whose house (Paul says) are we,..." What is the lesson? What kind of a house are we talking about? We are not talking about wood and stone and concrete. We are talking about something Spiritual. We are talking about a house being built in the heavens, for eternity! So as a son over his own house, whose house we are! Let’s pick this up in I Corinthians chapter 3.
We feel the Apostle Paul wrote this Epistle to the Hebrews and he is admonishing the Hebrews with the same basic doctrines that he has given to us. We cannot just separate the Epistle of Hebrews and say well, that has nothing to do with me because that was written to the Hebrews. No, this Epistle of Hebrews is full of information for us as Gentiles in this Grace Age as Believers become receivers.
I Corinthians 3:9 "For we are laborers together with God: (See that? We are a part and parcel of God’s building, the rest of the verse says it!) you are God’s husbandry, you are God’s building." We are a part of that which God is building for eternity! And, it is not wood, hay and stubble or gold, silver and precious stones, although those are used as examples of our building materials only to show that as we are laboring in this process of building the building that our labor is set up for rewards. So we are God’s husbandry, we are God’s building, but only in the effect that as a part of this building, we are now contributing to it with our works of faith and obedience. Then you come down to verse 12.
I Corinthians 3:12 "Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;" We always divide those three elements as the first three cannot be touched by fire, if anything fire would enhance them. But, the last three would go up in a puff of smoke! That’s what Paul is saying, that as believers, as we are building in this spiritual building, over which God is the Master and Paul is the contractor, who laid the foundation, which is Christ Jesus, then, as we labor, our works will be manifest! Our works are not the works of self effort or self sufficiency but rather are the deeds directed by God done for His glory and not ours. Are we putting in wood, hay and stubble that will disappear in a puff of smoke, as the material Levitical Law which only dealt with the physical world? Or, are we putting in gold, silver and precious stones? That boils down to several factors, most of which, we think, is motivation. As we'll see later in Hebrews God is our sufficiency. These are but metaphors or a play on words for spiritual things which are to become more real than any physical thing now seen or touched.
Why do we do the so-called good works that we do? To get the acclaim of men? Whenever we think of this verse we point out the fact that our good works mean absolutely nothing if the motivation for doing them is wrong! We can do ever so much and if our motivation is wrong it counts but as wood, hay and stubble. We're not to work for any gift because when we put forth our own efforts a gift becomes wages due and stops God from being who He is GOD the self-sacrificing one and our sufficiency. We're designed to be a receiver and Christ is our benefactor that being so we're to be receptive of His beneficence or Him as we're the beneficiary.
Why? Why are we doing it? Why do we give? If we give just so we can impress somebody how much have we given. We have to go back to my childhood, but I can remember when the treasurer of our church at the end of the year would read off the contributions of all the various church members. What was the motivation for his doing that? To get people to give! We give as a way of showing who we are and they give to show who they are or to buy our way into a group or even the kingdom of God and God see's this as foolishness before Him.
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