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The Commentary

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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 14, 1868

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 32, No. 8.

Read the full edition

The Commentary.

By J. H. W.

Tell me the meaning of Scriptures. One gem from that ocean is worth all the pebbles of earthly streams.—M. Cheyne.
Battle Creek Bible Class. July 25, 1868.
Verse 12. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Q. Why does this verse begin with the word “for?”
A. It connects our danger, through unbelief, with the fact of God's perfect knowledge of our hearts.
Q. What is here meant by “the word of God?”
A. There is a difference of opinion. Probably it means the written word, especially the law.
Q. What is meant by “quick?”
A. Living, energetic; not inert or lifeless.
Q. How is it powerful?
A. To awaken the conscience; to discern, correct, convert.
Q. What do you understand by “sharper than a two-edged sword?”
A. It is penetrating, reaching the heart. It was customary to sharpen the sword on both edges, that it might be more effective, or penetrate more easily.
Q. What is meant by dividing soul and spirit?
A. Separating life and that which sustains life. Psuche, soul, person; pneuma, breath, spirit. The figure is easily understood; it is able to slay, divide, or dissect the man, laying every part open to view. Joints and marrow: carrying out the same figure. Discern: exposes to view, even as we know our own thoughts.
Verse 13. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight; but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Q. What is the design of this?
A. To guard against self-deception. Everything is wholly known to God—nothing hid from Him to whom we must render account.
Verse 14. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the Heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
The apostle now passes to another point in his argument respecting the superiority of Christ.
Q. Why is he called “great” High Priest?
A. He is above the priests of the Levitical law. Barnes says this expression conforms to a usage among the Jews; that there were high priests besides the one who actually held the office. In this we think he is mistaken; his references, Luke i, 5; Matt. xxvi, 3; do not seem to justify the assertion. There were courses of priests, and at the head of these courses were chief priests, but only one high priest. Christ is above these high priests—a great high priest.
Q. What is meant by our priest passing into the Heavens?
A. Into the heavenly sanctuary—he has also a temple service, without which they could have had no idea of his priesthood. Son of God—not of Aaron.
Verse 15. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Q. What seems to be the design of this verse?
A. To contrast Christ with their priests. Aaron and his sons were weak, as ourselves, ignorant of the true condition of the heart, and unable to sympathize in every trial. Christ passed through temptations; by experience he is able to sympathize with us.
Q. What is meant by his being tempted?
A. He was tried by the weakness of human nature.
Q. How in all points?
A. It is generally supposed that his temptations were classified, as are our duties in the ten commandments. But we know merely nothing of what passed during those forty days of trial. We may safely leave it with the written word, assured by the experience of all, that he fully understood our trials, and can give the troubled spirit rest when there is no other source of help and comfort.
Q. How without sin?
A. He did not yield to temptations; he always kept his Father's commandments. In this he was entirely above the Aaronic priests, who fell into sin.
Verse 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Q. What is the throne of grace?
A. God's throne, where grace is dispensed, through our High Priest.
Q. Why come boldly?
A. Because we need not doubt the power or willingness of our High Priest to procure our pardon.
Q. What is it to obtain mercy?
A. To get pardon of sin.
Q. What is meant by help in time of need?
A. To overcome, or live above temptation.
Q. Whose grace is referred to?
A. God's grace given us through Christ.
Remark. The Apostle speaks briefly of the superiority of Christ to angels, to Moses, and to Joshua. But his superiority to the priests under the law is the burden of his argument, and occupies most of the letter from chapter iv, 14. The reason of this is obvious: On his priesthood the whole plan of redemption rests. Without this all else would be a failure, or rather a nullity. As a key to the Old Testament the letter to the Hebrews is most important. As an exposition of the subject of the sanctuary it is deeply interesting, especially at this time when our Great High Priest has passed into the “holiest of all,” to blot out our sins.
J. H. W.