Let us turn again to the portion
of Scripture we were reading in Hebrews and turning to the
second chapter, Hebrews chapter 2. And I want, with the Lord's
help this morning, to direct your attention for a while to
the words that we find here at verse 16. Hebrews 2.16 For verily He took not on Him the nature
of angels, but He took on Him the seed of Abraham. Hebrews 2 and verse 16. For verily He took not on Him
the nature of angels, but He took on Him the seed of Abraham. And you will observe that there
are a number of words that appear in italics and the significance of that
of course is that it indicates that they are words that have
been introduced by the translators, not a rendering of words that
are there in the original Greek as it were, but brought in in
an effort to bring out the proper sense in our English language. It does, of course, indicate
to us something of the faithfulness of those men who were responsible
for the translation of this authorised version of the High Doctrine. of the Word of God, so whenever
they found it necessary to bring extra words into the English,
they indicated by the use of italics. But if we read the verse
omitting those words, it reads, For verily he took not on angels,
but he took on him the seed of Abraham. He took not on him angels,
but he took on him the seed of Abraham. And, in a way, that
rendering is very close to the alternative that we find in the
margin. Obviously, it's a verse that
the translators had some difficulty with, so they've indicated also
an alternative way to read the verse in the margin. And there
we would read it, for verily, he taketh not hold of angels,
but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold. And what I want
to do this morning really is to consider both the reading
that we have in the actual text to do that first of all and then
in the second place to consider the words with reference to what
we find in the margin. And the theme really that I want
to take up is that of the humiliation and then the determination of
the Lord Jesus Christ He, of course, is the person that is
being spoken of here in the verse. He, that is the Lord Jesus, took
not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of
Abraham. Or we could say, he is the one
who taketh not hold of angels, but of the seed of Abraham he
taketh hold. And when we think of the Lord
Jesus as it were, as that one who was taken hold of the seed
of Abraham, surely we recognize that that was something that
he did in terms of the incarnation. He becomes a partaker of flesh
and blood as we read previously here at verse 14. for as much
as the children are partakers of flesh and blood. He also himself likewise took
part of the same. And so it's in the incarnation
that he has taken hold of Abraham's seed. In the opening chapter
we find remarkable statements concerning the truth of the glory
of his deity. the mystery of this person of
Jesus of Nazareth. In that opening chapter we see
something of his majesty as God. The Apostle refers to various
portions and verses in the Old Testament. The passage of verse
5 there in chapter 1, unto which of the angels said he, said,
God, at any time thou art my son. This day am I begotten,
referring of course to the words of the second son. And again,
I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son, referring
to the words of David back in 1st Samuel, or 2nd Samuel rather,
chapter 7. Verse 6 again, when he bringeth
in the first begotten into the world, he saith, and let all
the angels of God worship him. And of the angels, he saith,
who maketh his angel spirits, and his ministers a flame of
fire. But unto the sun, he saith, thy throne, O God, is for ever
a sceptre of righteousness, is a sceptre of thy kingdom." Referring
to the words of Psalm 45. These tremendous statements then
that we have there in the opening chapter that establish the truth
of the deity of the Lord Jesus, that He is indeed God, He is
to be worshipped. worshipped by the angels, worshipped
by men, is the eternal Son of the eternal Father. And then
of course when we come into the second chapter, the theme that
is running through this chapter is the truth of the Incarnation,
that in the fullness of the time God does indeed send forth His
Son, made of a woman and made under the law. And so here, in
the words that I've announced this morning for our text, this
is the truth that we see. It's the humiliation, really,
of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Incarnation. That He humbles
Himself, and in that sense, as a man, we might say, in His nature,
He is now below the angel. He took not upon him the nature
of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham. And so first of all, to consider
the verse as it stands before us in the very text that we have
here in verse 16. And then we're immediately reminded
of the reason the reason why he has taken upon him the seed
of Abraham. In the 17th verse, Wherefore,
in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren,
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of his people. Why he has humbled himself, in
order that he might save sinners of mankind. He has humbled himself
in order that he might ultimately humble himself again in all that
he has to endure in the crucifixion where we see him as that one
who is the great sin-bearer. How remarkable it is when we
think of the consequences He is that one who became a man
in order that he might die for the sinful sons of men. Remember the words that we have
in Philippians 2. We read of him being in the form
of God. He thought it not robbery to be equal with God, yet made
himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant
and was made in the likeness of men. Oh, he is in the form
of a servant. How strange, how strange when
we think that this is that One who is God's Eternal Son. When we read then in the opening
chapter of John's Gospel, we're reminded how the Word was made
flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, the glory
as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. This is His glory. He is the
only begotten of the Father. He is very God of very God. He is the Son of the Father in
truth and in love. And yet He who is God's Son and
equal to the Father is that One who in the covenant so readily
and so willingly becomes the servant of God. What does God say in the language
of David in the 89th Psalm? I have laid help upon one that
is mighty. I have exalted one chosen of
the people. Who is this one who is mighty?
It is none other than Him who is the eternal Son of God. He becomes God's servant in terms
of that eternal covenant of redemption. Behold My servant whom I uphold,
Mine elects, in whom My soul delights, that I have put My
Spirit upon him. Or when the fullness of the time
is come, God sends forth His Son, made of a woman, made under
the law to redeem them that were under the law, that they might
receive the adoption of sons. Or the fullness of the time is
sent then in the Incarnation, and then how the Spirit is poured
forth upon him at his baptising the Father giveth not the Spirit
by measure unto him how the Spirit descends there in the form of
a dove and there subsequently is led of the Spirit how he returns
in the power of the Spirit he is that one then who comes as
God's servant and in this world is he not one who is born to
serve the will of the Father. I must be about my Father's business,
he says. Time and again we read it there
in John's Gospel. My meat is to do the will of
Him that sent me, and to finish His work. I came down from heaven
not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me. He
is here to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. And don't we see him as that
one who is very much born as the sinner's saviour? He's born
as the sinner's saviour. Isn't this what we are reminded
of here in the context? those words we've already referred
to them in verse 17, and the significance of that opening
word there, the word wherefore, he's making a deduction, is the
Apostle. What does he deduce from what
he has just stated in our text this morning? And we took upon
him the seed of Abraham. Why so? In all things it behoved
him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a
merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God,
to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. Or we took upon him the form
of a servant. And he is made then in the likeness
of sinful man. We read of God sending his own
Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin. He hath made him to be sin for
us, says Paul, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. Why, he is that one who in his
birth, of course, is free from every taint of sin. when the
angel speaks to the Virgin Mary and tells her that she will be
with child of the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost shall come upon
thee the power of the highest shall overshadow thee therefore
also that holy thing that shall be born of the earth that holy
thing all that human nature that body, that soul a real man joined
to the eternal son of God joined to the person of him who
is the second person in the Godhead that's the wonder of the incarnation
the miracle of the virgin birth that holy thing that shall be
born of them says the angel shall be called the son of God he was
sinless as we read here in chapter 7 verse 26 holy harmless undefiled
separate from sinners made higher than the heavens and yet this
sinless one there in the crucifixion of course he's made sin he has
once suffered for sins the just for the unjust says Peter that
he might bring them to God. He is the just one, they are
the unjust ones. All the humiliation then of the
Lord Jesus, not only do we see it in the incarnation, in becoming
a man made lower than the angels, taking upon him the seed of Abraham,
but not only that, when we see him as a man how he continually
humbles himself. And again, there in Philippians
2, are we not reminded of that blessed truth? Being found in
fashion as a man. Paul continues, he became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross. It's humiliation upon
humiliation upon humiliation when we read those remarkable
verses of the Apostle in that second chapter of the Philippian
Epistle. Oh, how the Lord Jesus Christ
humbles himself. And why so? Well, we're told
here in verse 9, aren't we, that he, by the grace of God, should
taste death. that he by the grace of God should
taste death. Who does he taste death for?
Well, it says every man. It says every man. But don't
we have to be careful to understand the whole passage in its full
context here? He doesn't take upon him the
seed of all men, does he? He takes upon him, we're told,
the seed of Abraham. And they which are of faith,
they which are of faith, are the seed of Abraham, we read
in Galatians 3 and verse 7. If ye be Christ's, then are ye
Abraham's seed. Again there, Galatians 3 and
verse 29. But looking at the context here
in this passage, from verse 9 following. Do we not have a definition of
those who the Lord Jesus Christ has become a man in order to
taste death for? We read at the end of that 9th
verse how he should taste death for every man. But then the definition of who
every man is. Verse 10, it became him for whom are all things and
by whom are all things in bringing many sons unto glory to make
the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Every man now is spoken of as
many sons in verse 10. Verse 11, both he that sanctifieth
and they who are sanctified are all of one, for which cause he
is not ashamed to call them brethren. And so they're further defined.
Every man here is referred to in verse 11 as those who are
sanctified, the ones that he calls brethren. And then again in verse 12, I
will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the
church will I sing praise unto thee. In verse 12, every man
is defined further as my brethren, or the church. And then verse
13, again I will put my trust in him and again behold I and
the children which God hath given me. Why here, in verse 13, every
man is now spoken of as the children which God hath given thine. We must never, friends, take
any part of scripture, any verse, and tear it out of its context.
We're to see every scripture, of course, in its local context,
but also we're to understand it in the context of the whole
of the Word of God, what the old writers called the analogy
of faith. We have to interpret Scripture in the light of Scripture. We've said many a time how important
it is that we always remember to interpret the Old Testament
in the light of the New Testament. That's the only way we can really
understand so much of what's written in the Old Testament
Scriptures when we have the fullness of God's revelation here in the
New Testament Scriptures. But clearly, It is a particular and a specific
people that are being spoken of here. And they are referred
to in our text as the seeds of Abraham. He took not on him the nature
of angels, but he took on him the seeds of Abraham. And that's an innumerable seed.
That's an innumerable seed. Why isn't Abraham told back in
Genesis, I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth, so
that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall
thy seed be numbered. That's a promise to Abraham. It's a great multitude of those
who are to be saved. And how are they to be saved? or by this one of whom we're
reading in our text who takes upon him the seed of Abraham
in order to be their merciful and faithful priest making reconciliation
for the sins of the people. They were all by nature dead
in trespasses and sins. They were those who were deserving
of the wrath of God They were transgressors. They
were under the law. They were debtors to do the whole
of that law, but Christ comes and is made under the law. He
stands in their law place. He answers for them with regards
to all the demands of that Holy Lord of God. There He honours
and magnifies it by the obedience of His life. For He is the Lord,
their righteousness. He is the end of the law for
righteousness to all those who are believing in Him. There is
their justification in the righteousness of Christ, but He who is their
righteousness is also the one who has made reconciliation,
because He has borne that penalty that was their just desert, He
has died. in their place, in their room,
and in their stead, has died as their substitute. Or this
is the one then, who has humbled himself. This is the great love,
you see, that Christ has towards his people. Having loved his
own, which were in the world, we are told how he loves them
unto the end. The wonder of that love of Christ
spoken of there in the opening words of John 13, He loves them
to the end. What does His love? Terminate
it. It terminates in the death of the cross. Oh, He bears their
punishment. Christ has redeemed us, Paul
says, from the curse of the law. Be made a curse for us, for it
is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a truer. But as in the text, and here
is the wonder of this text really, it's such a full text and I would
say again that the translators of our authorised version have
recognised that in that they've given quite a detailed alternative
reading in the margin because here we see not only the humiliation
of the Lord Jesus, in being made a little lower than the angels
for the suffering of death, taking upon Him the seed of Abraham,
we also see, if we read with the margin, His determination. Oh, His determination to save
His people. He taketh not hold of angels, but of the seed of
Abraham he taketh hold. And you see, in the margin we
really see the strength of the verb that is being used in this
verse. In the actual verse, twice we
have the verb he took. Verily he took, not on him, the
nature of angels, but he took on him. the seed of Abraham. Now it's a very strong verb and
really it's the alternative reading that brings out the strength. It has this idea of taking hold
of the thing. There's vehemence and there's
violence even in this particular word that is being used. Now
we see that when we compare Scripture with Scripture. As I said, this
is how we're to interpret the Word of God. We have to look
at other parts of Scripture and the way in which this particular
verb is employed. For example, in Acts chapter
18 and verse 17, we read of a man called Sosthenes. Acts 18 and 17 we read of Sosthenes
at Corinth and it says the Greeks took Sosthenes and what did they
do? They beat him. They take hold
of the man, they take, it's a fierce encounter really, they take hold
of him with the purpose they're going to beat this man Sosthenes
because of his faith. Again, in Acts 21 and verse 33,
we have Paul at Jerusalem, and he's taken hold of by the
Romans. It's the Jews, isn't it, in their
hatred to the Apostle, moving the Roman authorities against
him. And there, in verse 33 of Acts
21, Paul is taken hold of And it's bound with chains. It's violence. It's violence. It's a firm taking hold of a
man. But you know, it's wonderful, isn't it? Because we also have
the same words being used in reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. When the Saviour comes to minister
to Peter, Peter in Matthew 14 you remember the incident there's
the Lord walking on the waters and there's the disciples are
in the boats and they see him appearing walking on the waters
to them they're afraid but when they see that it's the Lord what
does Peter do? Why? bold, impetuous. Immediately he's climbing out
of the boat and Peter's walking on the waters, going forward
to meet the Lord. But then Peter becomes aware
of other things. He's aware of the elements about
him, the waves and the winds, and he begins to sink. His faith
fails him. And what do we read? Matthew
14 verse 31, Immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and
caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore
didst thou doubt? Immediately the Lord Jesus stretched
forth his hand, it says, and caught him. Literally, it's the
same verb. It takes hold of him. It takes
hold of him. and immediately he's safe and
sound and again he's in the boat with the other disciples and
also with the Lord. This is a way, you see, in which
the Lord Jesus has taken hold of the seed of Abraham. It's
not just that he's humbled himself made a little lower than the
angels for the suffering of death. and He comes to take hold of
His people. Isn't that a truth friends? Does He not have to
do that with us? Of the seed of Abraham He taketh
hold. And we see it throughout the
Scriptures, we see it of course in the Old Testament when the
Lord is delivering His people, His covenant people, the children
of Israel from the bondage that they were having to endure there
under the Egyptians Well, what does it say? It's
recorded even here in chapter 8 and verse 9. God says, I took
them by the hand. Chapter 8 and verse 9, I took
them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. That's
how He did it. He took them by the hand. But look at the words that we
find when the psalmist is speaking of God's gracious works there
in the 136th psalm. It's speaking of God's dealings with Israel. It's that psalm where we get
the recurring expression, His mercy endureth forever. His mercy
endureth forever. and verse 11 He brought out Israel from among
them for His mercy endures forever with a strong hand and with a
stretched out arm for His mercy endures forever this is how God
comes to apply that great salvation that is in the Lord Jesus Christ
it's with a strong hand It's with a stretched out arm. He
has to take hold of his people. He has to take hold of us. Why
were those who are dead in trespasses and sins if we're going to know
anything of salvation? The Lord must come and seize
us in order to save us. That's our condition by nature.
So utterly helpless. We can do nothing to save ourselves. He has to come with a strong
hand and a stretched out arm. And you know, here in the end
of the text, we do have the present tense. He takes hold. He takes hold of
the seed of Abraham. He's doing it. In our day and
in our generation, the seed of Abraham. Who is this, the seed
of Abraham? Why? They are those children
that were given to the Lord, as he says there at verse 13,
Behold, I am the children which God hath given me. Will not the
Lord save those that were given to Him in the eternal covenant?
Will He not come and break down every barrier and all that resistance
that's in the old nature? he is able to say to the uttermost
as John Newton says determined to say he watched all my path
and like a blind slave I sported with death always sporting with
death and yet he comes and he watches over us and he takes
hold of us and how the apostle knew that I am he says apprehended
of Christ Jesus. Again, there in that Philippian
epistle in the third chapter this time, where Paul is there
speaking a little of himself and his own experience, and he's
speaking of how he finds all his salvation, all his justification
in the Lord Jesus Christ. To be found in him, he says,
not having my own righteousness which is of the law, but that
which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which
is of God by faith, but how was he brought, how was he brought
to see that blessed truth? Why the Lord apprehended him,
arrested him? As he says there in Philippians
3.12, I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Thus the eternal counsel
ran, almighty love, arrest that man. Or we sang it just now in
that lovely hymn of Jehoiada Brewis. That's the decree of
God, you see, worked out in time, where the Lord truly does take
hold, seizes the seed of Abraham. How Job's plea for a day's money
is so wonderfully answered, isn't it? Or remember what Job desired? the day's man betwixt us, who
may lay his hand upon us both. He could lay his hand upon the
Lord, but he could also lay his hand upon Job, lay his hand upon
all those who are to beside. That's the day's man, it's the
Lord Jesus. It's that one who is spoken of
here in the opening chapter as God. He's worshipped as God. He's the eternal Son of God.
Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. And here we see how
He accomplishes that great salvation when we come into the second
chapter. We see how He humbles Himself. But He humbles Himself
in order to be that One who is the Savior of sinners. But as we come to the conclusion,
just a couple of points by way of application. Are we not to recognize here
that Christ's people are to be like him? Abraham's true seed. Who is Abraham's
true seed? You know, really the Lord Jesus
Christ himself is that one who is the seed of Abraham. We see
it clearly there in Galatians 3.16 to Abraham and his seed
with the promise he's made, he saith not to seeds as of many,
but as of one, and to thy seed which is Christ." Abraham's seed
is Christ and of course, naturally speaking, Isaac is the seed.
He is the son of Abraham, the son of promise. But Isaac is
a wonderful and remarkable type of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ
is Abraham's seed and yet there is also that sense in which there
is a seed which is innumerable. I will make thy seed as the dust
of the earth promises God to Abraham. If a man can number
the dust of the earth then shall thy seed also be numbered. We've thought a little of Christ
as that one who is the true seed. And we've just been thinking
of his determination, determined to say, he watched all my path,
says John Newton, all his determination. Well, if we're the seed of Abraham,
are we not also to manifest a certain determination? If we're those
who are going to experience the salvation that is in Christ,
are we not to be Christ-like? The Kingdom of Heaven, we're
told, suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. Or we have to be those who are
determined in our seekings after God, our cryings to Him, our
callings upon Him. Paul says, I follow after that
I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended. He was
apprehended of the Lord Jesus but now Paul has to apprehend
the Lord Jesus Christ himself, lay hold of the Lord Jesus Christ. I follow after that I may apprehend
that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus, he says. Isn't that the mark of those
who are the the true Israel of God. When Jacob becomes Israel,
where is it? It's a penual. There in Genesis
32, he was Jacob the supplanted, but then he becomes Israel, the
prince with God. He wrestles with the angel and
he prevails. How does he wrestle? Oh, he says,
I will not let thee go. I will not let thee go except
thou bless me. How we have to be those friends
who have that determination to take
hold, to lay hold upon the Lord Jesus. Look at what we read here
in chapter 3 and verse 6. We read of Christ as a son over
his own house And Paul says, if we hold fast the confidence
and the rejoicing of the hope, firm unto the end. Oh, it's holding
fast. It's a firm hope. That's what we need. It's he
that shall endure to the end that shall beside, says the Lord.
We need then that determination that we see in the Lord Jesus
Christ, He takes hold, and we're to take hold firmly. But then
also, as I said at the beginning, when we read the verse as it
stands before us in the text, oh we see so much of the humiliation
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And of course that's the whole
context of that great Christological passage in Philippians 2. where
Paul says, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ
Jesus. And that introduces us to those
tremendous words. It's such a practical setting
really for a great doctrinal portion of God's work. He says at verse 2, Fulfill ye
my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of
one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife
or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind. Let each esteem other
better than themselves. Look not every man on his own
things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this
mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, or the mind
of Christ. Humiliation upon humiliation
is in the form of God. He's equal with the Father. He makes himself of no reputation,
takes upon in the form of a servant. He's found in fashion as a man.
For the servant in the covenant becomes the man Christ Jesus.
And the man Christ Jesus is the man who is crucified. He humbled himself and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore
God also hath highly exalted him. Or that we might be those
who do indeed know the Lord Jesus Christ and we like the Lord Jesus
Christ. We have that determination of
Christ, that humiliation of Christ. And so we can have that blessed
hope and expectation. that we will yet reign with him,
the one who was made lower than the angels, who took not on him
the nature of angels, but took on him the seed of Abraham. Therefore
in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren,
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God, to make reconciliation. for the sins of the people. May
the Lord be pleased to bless His truth to us. Amen. We're going to sing as our concluding
praise this morning the hymn 1099. The tune is Sorely 231. Jesus, omnipotent to save, exalted
Prince of grace, light, life, and love thou dost
bestow on men of vilest race. Thy dying love, thy mercy felt,
makes godly sorrow rise, and tears of penitential grief gush
from the sinner's eyes. We sing the hymn 1099, the tune
231.