Hebrews 3:6, commentary and pictures

Christ is the faithful Son who rules over His own household and church, greater than Moses who served faithfully within that house as a servant. Believers together are His house only as they hold fast their confidence and the rejoicing of hope firm to the end, so belonging to Him requires persevering faith, trust and obedience. The warning joined to this promise recalls Israel in the wilderness, who heard the gospel but could not enter His rest because of unbelief, and the word still does not profit unless mixed with faith in those who hear it. Holding fast therefore means hearing His voice today and not hardening the heart, encouraging one another daily, guarding against the deceit of sin and Satan's snares, and continuing steadfast in living faith, prayer and looking to Jesus as great High Priest. This steadfastness is kept with all tenacity in conformity to God's will, by the strength of Christ and the filling of His Holy Spirit, and it determines rest, peace and triumph at last.

Christ Son Over House

Christ is the Son who rules faithfully over His own house, household and church. Believers are His house only if they hold fast their confidence and the rejoicing of hope firm unto the end, keeping trust and joyful hope with persevering faith. As Son over the house He is greater than Moses, who was faithful in God's house as a servant, and He alone is to receive glory rather than any human being, so no honor belonging to God is to be given to men nor are men to exalt themselves.

Moses is a type of Christ in leading toward an inheritance, for Moses led Israel toward earthly Canaan while Christ suffered and died to open the way to the heavenly inheritance He now leads His people toward. Christ is the invisible leader and Chief Shepherd of both the Jewish and the Christian church, leading the Christian church through angels and the Holy Spirit in harmony with the written word. Moses was the visible leader of Israel in the wilderness but led through direct communications from Christ, and ministers lead only in a subordinate sense.

Christ governs His house directly as Son, Priest, Advocate, propitiation, and King who after atoning by His blood received from His Father all power in heaven and earth, so His people are under His direct rule and not under human jurisdiction. No man is appointed to rule over fellow men, to put yokes of compulsion on them, or to bind their Christian work by man-made agreements. Every person is responsible to God, is given his own work by God, and is to do the work Christ did without being lorded over by fellow men, living under a divine theocracy where God's purposes extend to all the affairs of life.

Christ's faithfulness over the household was shown in His becoming human to share humanity's infirmities and help those who are tempted.

Believers as His House

Believers together are Christ's house only on condition that they hold fast their confidence and the rejoicing of hope firm to the end, so that belonging to Christ requires persevering faith and hope. Christ is the Son who rules over His own house and household, set over God's house as Son and ruler, greater than Moses who was faithful in the house only as a servant. Holding fast to the hope set before them in the gospel is the safe course for their present and eternal good, calling for persevering faith and joyful hope as part of belonging to Christ. The condition carries warning, for unbelief and sin can harden the heart and turn people away from God, as Israel's unbelief in the wilderness kept that generation from entering God's rest. Believers must therefore guard against unbelief and sin, encourage one another daily, remain steadfast in faith, hear His voice today and not harden the heart as in the provocation.

Some when they had heard provoked, though not all who came out of Egypt by Moses, and God was grieved forty years with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness, swearing that those who did not believe should not enter His rest, so they could not enter because of unbelief. The promise of entering His rest is still left, so there must be fear lest any seem to come short of it, for the gospel was preached to present hearers as well as to them, but the word preached does not profit unless mixed with faith in those who hear it. This identity as His house is connected with being a spiritual house and a people called to serve God, so that belonging to Christ is joined with faithful perseverance in service. The house is the Israel of God continuing till the close of time.

The history of wilderness Israel was chronicled for the benefit of that house as warning and instruction for His people in this age. God's dealings with the wanderers in their marchings, in exposure to hunger, thirst and weariness, in striking manifestations of His power for their relief, and in varied experiences, were a school of preparation for their promised home in Canaan. That record is to be reviewed in these days with a humble heart and teachable spirit, that Christ's house may be instructed in its preparation for the heavenly Canaan. Those who are His house hold fast in trust and obedience, and in the last days this life is the only and last probation to form characters fit for the future home prepared for all who are obedient to His commandments.

God is strength, support and ever-present helper if trusted, and salvation comes only by forming character like the character of Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit shown by outflowing heavenly love. Jesus as sin-bearer covers the repenting sinner and hides sin by clothing him with the perfection of righteousness, so that the more perfectly transformed to the image of God the greater the hatred for sin and the work to save the sinner. Holding fast confidence and hope in Christ belongs with genuine conversion, which unites the heart in faith and love and teaches reliance on Christ as the only hope. That confidence and hope are sustained by faith that works through love and purifies the soul.

Wilderness Warning Against Unbelief

The warning that follows tells that some who heard provoked, though not all who came out of Egypt by Moses, and that God was grieved forty years with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness, and swore that those who did not believe should not enter His rest, so they could not enter because of unbelief. Christ is the Son ruling over His own house, in contrast to Moses as servant in God's house, and believers are His house and household if they keep confidence and joyful hope firm to the end. Holding fast means hearing His voice today and not hardening the heart as in the provocation, but resisting doubt and unbelief. The wilderness generation's failure to hear God's voice, with its hardened and wandering heart, warns against resisting God and turning away from Him.

The promise of entering His rest is still left, so there must be fear lest any seem to come short of it. The gospel was preached to present hearers as well as to them, but the word preached does not profit unless mixed with faith in those who hear it. Unbelief prevents the word from benefiting its hearers and keeps them from entering His rest.

Unbelief and sin's deceit can harden the heart and lead people to turn away from God, so remaining part of Christ depends on keeping confidence steadfast to the end. Believers must therefore guard against unbelief and sin, guard the soul against Satan's snares, encourage one another daily to resist sin's deceit, remain partakers of Christ, and remain steadfast in faith. In this way they stay ready to meet the end of life with joy.

The history of wilderness Israel was chronicled for the benefit of Christ's house as warning and instruction for His people in this age, for the house is the Israel of God continuing till the close of time. God's dealings with the wanderers in their marchings, in exposure to hunger, thirst, and weariness, and in striking manifestations of His power for their relief, with varied experiences and striking deliverances, were a school of preparation for their promised home in Canaan. That record is to be reviewed in these days with a humble heart and a teachable spirit, that Christ's house may be instructed in its preparation for the heavenly Canaan.

Holding Fast to End

Holding fast means hearing His voice today and not hardening the heart as in the provocation in the wilderness. It is continuing in faith rather than turning away, resisting doubt and unbelief that would keep hearers from profiting by the word preached and from entering His rest. The wilderness generation that came out of Egypt by Moses warns of this, for some when they had heard did provoke, God was grieved forty years with those who sinned whose bodies fell in the wilderness, and He swore that those who believed not should not enter into His rest because of unbelief. That promise of entering rest is still left, so there must be fear lest any seem to come short of it, since the gospel was preached to present hearers as well as to them, but the word does not profit unless mixed with faith in those who hear it.

Holding fast is to be done with all the tenacity of the being, holding firmly to faith in conformity to the will of God by keeping confidence and the rejoicing of hope firm unto the end. This steadfastness comes through the Lord's blessing and being filled with His Holy Spirit with faith and courage and hope. It is maintained by the strength of Christ the great High Priest as believers continually look to Jesus.

Holding fast requires watching unto prayer, keeping holy and perfect trust in the Lord, and guarding the heart with all diligence at every point of attack. This is necessary because Satan is playing the game of life for every soul and works through unsuspected agencies with deceptive arts to obtain a hold. Even men in responsible positions, ministers of the gospel, and physicians with a true sense of responsibility can become unguarded, let precious opportunities to speak a word in season slip by, be caught in snares, fall suddenly after long testing, and fail to close their earthly account with joy if they give way to negligence and temptation.

Holding fast means continuing in living faith, claiming God's promises and praying constantly, for prayer is the believer's only safety. It is laying hold by faith and trusting in Christ who gave His life, holding confidence and faith firm unto the end, with reward coming to those who keep faith. Holding fast the profession of faith unto the end means conforming to Christ as the Great Pattern and continuing in labor of love for Him. It is regaining first love by repentance, self-denial and self-sacrifice and turning from selfishness, for those who refuse to deny self have no hope, and unless they repent they will never receive the overcomer's reward.

Holding fast to the hope set before them in the gospel is the safe course for present and eternal good. Holding the beginning of confidence firm unto the end determines rest and peace and prosperity now and triumph at last. For God's steward in handling the Lord's money and goods this means praying much not to be deceived, not moving by impulse but investing from conviction to advance God's glory in saving souls to Jesus Christ, and continuing steadfast in that confidence and faith and trust brings eternal benefit to himself.

The call to keep the first confidence firm unto the end and stay fastened to Christ is urgent because soon everything that can be shaken will be shaken and the end of all things is at hand. This steadfastness, sustained by the Holy Spirit's filling with faith, courage, and hope, sustains the work of bringing souls nigh and afar off, including aged men, to a knowledge of the truth. Confidence in God must be held firm to the end with God trusted to establish the believer securely. This call applies as encouragement to remain courageous and steadfast in faith through present hardship, trusting God to help until the promised release.

Steadfast in Truth and Duty

Holding the beginning of confidence firm to the end means holding high the banner inscribed with the third angel's message, bearing it aloft and letting no one take it from the hand. It means serving as God's sentinel among the lowest class and the highest, standing as a representative for present truth, and doing a solemn substantial work throughout the world in giving the last message of warning. Such steadfastness determines rest and peace and prosperity now and triumph at last.

Keeping firm means reviving the sacred truths that called God's people out from the world and made them what they are, and yielding up no feature of the faith. It means proclaiming as of special importance the messages given through John, and giving no place to doctrines that are not in harmony with the truth for this time. Holding fast the beginning of confidence firm to the end is done by casting sophistries out of the mind and having the mind cleansed from the theories presented in Living Temple. It requires separating entirely from its bewitching misleading commingling of truth and error, warning others to let spiritualistic sophistries alone, and preaching the Word as in the past with the promise of Christ's Spirit and accompanying holy angels.

Holding fast means staying true to the Word despite deception and pressures to depart from the faith. Those who occupy positions of trust and leadership must hear Christ's counsels and be governed by His will in order to be benefited by His intercession, to receive the rich blessings of His approval, and to be owned by God in the judgment. Holding confidence firm to the end means never deviating from a plain thus saith the Lord, never turning from a clear word of Scripture to their own wisdom or worldly policy, and putting away prevarication even in the slightest shadow, every jot and tittle of it, because no falsehood can honor God. Human wisdom exercised without Christ is a dangerous element that misleads.

Holding fast the truth, drawing near to God, and becoming partakers of the divine nature belong with this steadfastness, for God gave His Son to redeem His people and make them vessels fit for His use. For God's steward in handling the Lord's money and goods, holding fast confidence and faith and trust in God firmly to the end means praying much that he may not be deceived. It means moving not by impulse but from conviction that he must invest his Lord's goods to advance the glory of God in saving souls to Jesus Christ, and continuing steadfast in that confidence brings eternal benefit to himself.