Hebrews: The New Covenant Administration of Christ Max A Forsythe (c) Anno Domini 2002

From the Pulpit at Pilgrim's Rest Presbyterian Church in America

“Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear least any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.  For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.”

Introduction:  There is much here for digestion and there are many who fail to connect the theological dots precisely.  John Brown quotes another commentator in this regard:  “for, as Tholuck justly remarks, ‘few commentators have succeeded in clearly tracing out the connection of the ideas.’”  Further, he notes “The cause, however, is not to be found in the passage, but, as Ebrard says, ‘in the commentators bringing too much of their own ideas with them, and wanting the self-denial simply to surrender themselves to the words of the writer.’”

One of the most persistent problems in today’s Media is the sad fact that almost always and ever  today’s irreverent amorality is scripted into the past, present and future scenarios detailed in: song, film and on the stage, and through every variation thereof!  That is why the critics panned the film Of Gods and Generals, because they did not like nor appreciate the theological scenery persistent throughout the whole long and to use their descriptive term “boring” storyline. 

It is a problem that affects all of the great classics of literature when they are brought to the screen for a modern audience.  A few weeks ago, I started to watch a celebrated media series on the greatest heroine of antiquity:  Helen of Troy.  I didn’t last long, since the screen writers decided to trivialize the nature of mankind and demean the human instincts to the lowest common denominator!  Within the first hour and a half there wasn’t much of any reason to launch a thousand ships for the “sake and reputation” of Helen or even the symbolic trade issues seemingly behind the original tale.

So I must tell you the theme of the story in a more modern setting:  the context of the American Revolution  specifically the Battle of Saratoga in 1777.  The story concerns the “Hellenic” character of a young: “Jenny McCrea, the beautiful daughter of a Scotch clergyman of Paulus Hook, [who] was at Fort Edward, visiting her friend Mrs. McNeil, (a loyalist) … On the morning of July 27th, a marauding party of Indians burst into the house, and carried away the two ladies.”  The very “next day a savage of gigantic stature, a famous sachem, known as the Wyandot Panther, came into the camp with a scalp which Mrs. McNeil at once recognized as Jenny's, from the silky black tresses, more than a yard in length. A search was made, and the body of the poor girl was found hard by a spring in the forest, pierced with three bullet wounds.”  How she came to her cruel death was never known. “

“The popular imagination soon framed its story with a romantic completeness that thrust aside even the fewest of facts.” As the popular version of the story developed  the hue and cry of revenge for her death went up and down the frontier, thereby contributing in no small part to the increasing resolve and especially in the numbers of American volunteers who stepped forward to protect their homes, property and families. 

Bookmaster and Historian: John Fiske, writing in 1891 carefully observes: “It would be hard to find a more interesting example of the mushroom-like growth and obstinate vitality of a romantic legend. … Such an instance, occurring in a community of shrewd and well-educated people, affords a suggestive commentary upon the origin and growth of popular tales in earlier and more ignorant ages.”

“Remember Helen or Jenny” and thereby you have the strongest of emotive powers imaginable to lead warriors of any era to risk everything for her sake and safety.  You think it absurd?  Then just consider our own generation’s Mountain Lass from the remote hills and valleys of West Virginia:  Jessica Lynch.  She may not have launched a thousand ships like Helen of old  but at least there were a dozen or more choppers involved and who knows how many special operations personnel?

Development:  Now, why on earth do I take the longest route possible clear around Robin Hood’s proverbial barn to explain what might be construed an arcane point of literate theology?  Because of who you are, how you were raised and what you believe: you may not get the point of the Apostle’s message today!  After all, Helen, Jenny and Jessica were really only very small parts of greater goings on than any writer or historian is willing to admit.

Now, let us turn to our passage today and read the second half of verse one:  “let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach [the promised rest].”  Commentator John Brown notes:  “There is a peculiarity in the phraseology which deserves notice.  The Apostle does not say, ‘Lest any of you come short of this rest of God;’ but, ‘Lest any of you seem to come short of it.’”  The earth shaking importance of this emphasis is the all too common Christian mediation on the fact that if I am in Church than I will also be in heaven.  No doubt many, if not most of the great multitude who left Egypt  fully expected to enter the promised land of Palestine.  Spiritually of course  some received the promised rest, but one and all with few exceptions; they literally died in the desert because the Lord God of heaven and earth decided it so!

There are some of course, whom Commentator John Brown acknowledges would rather believe that none of the company of Christ can or will fall short of attaining the promised rest in eternity.  “They consider it as intended to intimate this sentiment: ‘You cannot, indeed, fall short of the rest of God, but you may seem to fall short of it.’  This is certainly to destroy the force of the caution” intended in these verses.

In every age of the church  there are those who would rather simplify the theology of the scriptures.  Therefore John Brown outlines a school of theology that in his time down played the important impact of the word “seem” in our context today.  Thereby  everyone is encouraged to expend the least amount of religious fervor in contracting with our awesome and holy God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. “Many,” reports Brown “have adopted a scheme of doctrine which tends to set believers free from every kind of fear, as being inconsistent with faith, which, they think, is a person’s believing that he will be saved at all events; and especially if he has been once enlightened, and has received the word with joy, it is supposed that he can never fall away; so that, whatever symptoms of  apostasy may appear, he is to consider them only as the infirmities and failings of God’s children, but has no cause to fear lest he finally come short, which, in their estimation, is the great sin of unbelief.”

But this is not what the Apostle is writing about in our text for today.  It is specifically to assist Christians against unbelief and its dreadful consequences that the text is focused.  The whole issue is that we are as the scriptures encourage “to examine ourselves” whenever we come to the table and we are to be consistent in our studies in the Word and constant in prayer.  The “fear” enjoined in our verse is not a blind “fear” that there is hardly any prospect for us in the endeavor through faith.  Calvin says it well:  “Here fear is commended to us, not to destroy the certainty of faith, but to instill such great carefulness that we may never lapse into complacent torpor.”  Brown goes on to quote an un-named American who observes: “the teaching of the Scriptures, that while we exercise an implicit and triumphing confidence in the fidelity of God, we should exercise a jealous watch over the treachery of our own hearts.  These ideas are here also by implication.  The promise abides; it is we who may seem to come short.”

Isn’t this the whole of the covenantal concept  that the God of Creation will sovereignly administer the Covenant of grace revealed in Christ and even promised to the saints in the Old Covenant?

Application:  Therefore, we as common Covenanters  under both Old and New Covenants may indeed have a hope in Christ because He is precisely the Lord of the Covenant.  Well did the Apostle write of our commonality in verse two:  “For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.”  So we see that the hearing alone of the gospel offer was insufficient.  Well does the Apostle Paul set this hearing in the proper context:  “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” ( Romans 10: 17).  Thus, we may understand that our Covenant God has worked the same angle on conversion throughout the whole history of the world and not in some pattern of dispensations as many would suppose.

Now, that doctrinal assertion is not the primary intent of our passage.  F.F. Bruce writes on this verse that “The parallel between those Israelites and the people of God in the new age is impressive enough for the disaster that befell the former to serve as a warning to the latter.”

And so again we come back to the admonition of the Apostle here that we as Christians must make our calling and security certain through prayer, study and thankful worship.  But, as throughout the whole of our discourse  let us not be carried away with a mere story line that grips our attention  like those we began with.

Throughout twenty-five years of public service I heard on many occasions selected speakers who used fictionalized proverbs to sound authentic, spiritual and deep.  One involved throwing starfish back into the sea and another focused upon an unopened door to freedom.  Profound was the common comment  and so it is that many will be attracted to the mere profundity of the biblical stories and while their affection for the stories that God gave us is sincere  they do not go on and fully appreciate the gospel call therein!

And that is all the Apostle and I am saying today.  Just as there are many teachers of religion in this world who can well explain the differences between the various religions better than the common man.  It is still beyond the wise men of any age to hear and believe unless the Covenant God invokes the concept of faith within their hearts.

Therefore it is well that you all be challenged to think things through very carefully now and again:  Am I in the faith or do I just love the music, enjoy the fellowship or respect the pastor? I am reminded of a gentleman that I witnessed to, who chose his churches from the performance ability of the choirs. None of those examples are sufficient for salvation, so I would implore you to follow the advice of Paul when he urges the Corinthians to “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.  Test yourselves.  Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?  unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5)   May the God of heaven encourage you in your faith through His only Son Jesus Christ.  Amen.