I want us to turn again in the
Word of God to that text that we were considering this morning
in Hebrews chapter 2 and in particular verse 16 Hebrews chapter 2 verse
16 for Verily he took not on him the nature of angels but
he took on him the seed of Abraham and I did remark As we came to
a conclusion this morning that in this verse we have a number
of words appearing in italics and of course in this we observe
the faithfulness of those who were responsible for this translation
of our authorized version. Their approach in that great
work of translation was what is sometimes referred to as the
formal equivalent. In many of the modern versions
the approach is quite different, what they call the dynamic equivalent, these are
the technical terms that are used by the translators, the
dynamic equivalent. In other words, they are not
so much concerned about the actual wording in the original, but
they want to convey something of the dynamism of what they
judge to be present in that version, whereas with the authorized version
they are much more concerned with regards to the actual words
that we find in the original autographs. And so they seek
to give a very formal, almost a literal rendering. And when we see words in italics,
remember it's indicative that here they've introduced additional
English words in order to bring out the proper sense as they
judge it in the original Greek as it would be here. They have a very high doctrine
there, or they had a very high doctrine, we should say, of inspiration,
those who were responsible for our authorized version. They
didn't feel that they could play fast and loose with the words,
and if it was necessary to introduce additional English words, they
faithfully indicate that by employing the italics. And so, If we were
to omit those italicized words, the verse would read like this,
For verily he took not on angels, but he took on the seed of Abraham. And we remarked also this morning
that that is really what we have in the margin. For verily he taketh not hold
of angels, he took not on angels, he taketh not hold of angels,
but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold. And I want us tonight
to consider the verse in terms of the alternative reading that
we have in the margin. Now this morning we were seeking
to say something with regards to the humility of the Lord Jesus
as we see it unfolded in the doctrine of the Incarnation and
we sought to say something with regards to the great mystery
of the person of the Redeemer. How that in the Incarnation we
have God manifest in the flesh, that is a great mystery. in the
person of the Lord Jesus we have those two natures he is divine,
he is God and yet he is also a man he's not two he's one person
but there are those two distinct natures and there's no confusing
of the of the natures are distinct and yet in everything that he
does he is God and he is man it's a great mystery And so,
when the Apostle Paul speaks to the Ephesian elders and makes
reference to the death of the Lord Jesus, he speaks of how
by his death he has purchased redemption. But he speaks of
God. God, as it were, redeeming his
people by the shedding of his blood. It was, of course, in
his human nature that Christ had blood. He was that one who
was a partaker of flesh and blood as we see here in verse 14, for
as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself
likewise took part of the same. It was that physical blood that
was shed when his soul was poured out. And yet in dying he was
never anything less than God. and so Paul strangely there in
Acts chapter 20 speaks in terms of the church that God has purchased
God has purchased with his own blood or we thought then of that
great mystery the mystery of the person of the God man and
we said something then also of how in the scriptures and in
the gospels we have revealed to us his majesty as God, he
is seen to be God in the miracles he manifests something of his
glory as God and then also we spoke of that manifestation in
the flesh tonight as we come again to the words of this particular
verse but reading The alternative in the margin, I want to speak
of Christ's determination in the Incarnation. Christ's determination. For verily, he taketh not hold
of angels, but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold. First of all though, let me again
say a little with regards to what we see of his humiliation.
when we think of the great mystery of his coming into the world,
how he humbles himself to become a man. Here, we are not only
told of his incarnation, but we have the consequence being
spoken of, remember, in what follows. He takes not hold of
angels, but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold. 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 the people. It behoved him, it says, to be
made like unto his brethren. in order to take hold of those
that have been given to him by the father in the covenant he
must this is the consequence if he's going to take hold of
them he must be made like unto them And so we read of him also,
remember, in Philippians chapter 2, who being in the form of God,
thought he had not robbed his way equal with God, but made
himself of no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men. Or he takes upon him
the form of a servant. He is God's servant in terms
of that eternal covenant. And God says it, does he not?
God says it there in the book of the prophet Isaiah chapter
42, Behold my servant, whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. And we think in terms of His
majesty as God's, why he is equal to God the Father. I and my Father
are one. There is no superiority and no
inferiority in the Godheads. God the Father, God the Son,
God the Holy Spirit, they are co-equal as they are co-eternal,
but in the covenant. God the Son so willingly becomes
the servant of God. Behold my servant, says God. I have laid help upon one that
is mighty. Well, God himself has laid hold
of one who is mighty in the Covenant. One who is able to say, this
is the Lord Jesus Christ. But what humiliation! that he
should so readily, so willingly undertake to become the servant
of God and so when he is born when he is born into this world
he comes to do all that will of the Father all that he had
engaged to undertake and to accomplish in the eternal covenant I must be about my father's business,
he says. He's mindful of that even as
a child. We see it there in the end of
Luke chapter 2. It's his father's business that
he's come to accomplish. My mate is to do the will of
him that sent me, he says. And to finish his work, I came
down from heaven, not to do mine own will. but the will of Him
that sent me." Such is His great love to the
Father. He will obey all the Father's
will, whatever be the cost, and the cost was tremendous. He was
to give Himself as that one sacrifice for sins forever. He was to honor
and magnify God's holy law, not only by a life of complete obedience,
a sinless life, though he must also make the great sin atoning
sacrifice. He must suffer and bleed and
die as a substitute of his people. If he's going to execute the
work that the Father has given to him, his great love to the
Father, his Father's business that he's concerned for. but
also His great love for those that were given to Him by the
Father. For as He is born to serve the
Father, is He not also that One who is born as the sinner's friend,
the sinner's Savior? Wherefore in all things ye behold
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. For we took upon
him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men,
it says. So he became a man. We read of
God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and
for sin, he comes and he all together identifies himself with
his people he becomes bone of their bone, flesh of their flesh he identifies with them not as
those who are innocent doesn't identify himself with Adam in
the state of his innocence but he comes to identify with Adam
as that one who has transgressed, who has fallen God 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 so intimate is the union that all that sin of
his people it's imputed to him, it's put upon him He has made
sin for them. He bears the punishment of their
sins. Or to save sinners, the Holy
Son of God became a man. He took hold of men. Verily,
He taketh not hold of angels, but of the seed of Abraham. He
taketh hold. And yet, we know that he himself
was altogether without sin. That's a remarkable thing. He
never sinned. Never sinned in deeds, never
sinned in word, never sinned in thought. He was ever that
one, holy, righteous, just man that lived on the face of the
earth. Yes, the first man was created holy and upright, but
that first man was of the earth, earthy, and Adam fell. But here
is the second man, the Lord from heaven, the last Adam. Oh, and
he is free from every taint of that sin. And yet this sinless
one comes to die as a substitute. Peter says, Christ also hath
once suffered for sin, the just for the unjust. He is the just
one and He is dying for those who are unjust in order to bring
them to God. Oh, this is the great work then.
And in this great work He is taking hold of sinners look at
what we are told previously, the context here in verse 9 we see Jesus who was
made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death
crowned with glory and honor that he by the grace of God should
taste death for every man Now what are we to make of this statement?
He comes and He takes hold of sinners and He will come in their
place, in their stead and they will suffer and bleed as they
die and die as their substitute and it says here that by the
grace of God He should taste death for every man. Now is that to be understood
in terms of our universal redemption. There are many who would say
that. How many sees on that particular statement at the end of verse
9 and say, ah look, how clear it is. The Lord Jesus has died
for every man that has ever lived on the face of the earth. That's
what it says. There's no disputing these things. But is that what
it really means? What does it say when we come
back to our text? He taketh not hold of angels
but of the seed of Abraham. He taketh hold. The seed of Abraham. They which are of faith the same
are the children of Abraham. These are the ones who He has
taken hold of in the Incarnation. This is His determination, to
take hold of a particular people. Now, they are a great multitude. When we go back to the Old Testament
and the promises that God had given to Abraham, there in Genesis
chapter 13 and verse 16, God says, 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 also be numbered. All that seems to be every man,
a remarkable multitude. Like the dust of the earth, it
says there in Genesis 13. And does that promise concerning
A great multitude, the seed of Abraham is repeated when God
enters into covenant with Abraham in Genesis chapter 15 we see
that promise being repeated. Again we have it in chapter 22
that great chapter where we see Abraham with Isaac on the Mount
Moriah the place where he was commanded to take his son, his
only son, and to sacrifice him, and he was obedient, how the
Lord was testing him concerning that promised seed, which was
Isaac. He doesn't sacrifice his son,
there is provision made, there's a substitute, there's a ram that
is to be taken and killed instead of Isaac, and it's as if Abraham
is receiving Isaac back from the dead. And so it's spoken
of here in Hebrews chapter 11, he receives his son as he were
from the dead. What a remarkable chapter is
Genesis 22 because it sets before us great truths concerning he
who is Abraham's true seed, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now to Abraham
and his seed were the promises made, he saith not unto seeds
as of many, but as of one. and to thy seed which is Christ."
Well, Christ is that one who is the great seed. But where we see Abraham so obedient
in that 22nd chapter, so the promise concerning a multitude
is repeated. We have it in chapter 13 at verse
16, we have it again in chapter 15 at verse 5, and there in that
22nd chapter of Genesis. Look at the language. After Abraham is obedient to
the Lord God. You see what God says, verse
17, that in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will
multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven and as the sand
which is upon the seashore and thy seed shall possess the gates
of his enemies, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the
earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice. Here is
the seed in which all the nations are blessed, that's the Lord
Jesus Christ. But now there is a multitude, I will multiply
thy seed. As the stars of heaven as the sand upon the
sea, sure, why Abraham's seed is an innumerable seed, a great
multitude. Not surprising then that when
he comes to the work of the Lord Jesus he should say that he by
the grace of God should taste death for every man. Again, here in this epistle,
there in chapter 11 and verse 12, concerning Abraham and Sarah, it says, therefore
sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many
as the stars of the sky in multitude, and the sand which is by the
seashore innumerable. All the multitude, saved by the
death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Going back to those words in
verse 9, that he by the grace of God should taste death, for
every man. Now in the following verses we
see just who every man is. Who is every man? Who is every
man? Verse 10. It's many sons. For it became Him for whom are
all things and by whom are all things in bringing many sons
unto glory. Many sons. unto glory, to make
the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Verse
11, every man is spoken of as those who are sanctified, those
who are set apart. And he's not ashamed to call
these his brethren. They were set apart in the eternal
covenant. Then they were committed to him, that is brethren. Both
he that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one,
for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren. Then in verse 12 again they are
referred to as his brethren and they are also the church. I will
declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the church will
I sing praise unto them. And then furthermore in verse
13 they are the children which God had given to him. I will
put my trust in him and again behold I and the children which
God hath given me for as much in us as children I partake of
flesh and blood. These are the ones who he's taken
hold of. They are the seed of Abraham. There is nothing here
of universal redemption. Because the Lord Jesus didn't
die just to make salvation a possibility for everyone. The Lord Jesus
died to make salvation sure and certain for those who are the
seed of Abraham. And how did he redeem them? Oh,
the depth of that humiliation. He humbled himself in the incarnation. He humbled himself when he comes
to die upon the cross. Being found in fashion as a man,
he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the
death of the cross. All the humiliation, the curse
that he had to bear, that terrible curse that is upon those who
are the transgressors. As many as are of the works of
the law we are told are under the law, for cursed is everyone
that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law
to do." If you don't do all things that are written in the book
of the law, you're under the curse. That's what it says. There
in Galatians chapter 3 and verse 10, If a man, James says, should
keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he's guilty of
all, he's under the curse. And there in Galatians 3, the
Apostle goes on to speak of Christ. Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, for it is written,
cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree, or the cross. the
tremendous cost as he would take hold of those that the father
had given to him in the eternal covenant and he will redeem them
he loves them oh he loved the father but how he loved those
also that the father had given to him he loved them unto the
end That's what we're told there in the opening words of John
13, having loved his own which were in the world, he loves them
unto the end. What was the end? Oh, the end
was that death and he must die upon the cross. How he humbles
himself in the incarnation, how he humbles himself in the crucifixion
as he takes hold of Abraham's seat. But let me You see, in
the second place, something with regards to his determination.
We've emphasized again his humiliation, but what of his determination
in this work of salvation? Well, this expression that we
have, this verb, to take. Verily, he
took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the
seed of Abraham. Or as we're considering it in
the margin, he taketh not hold of angels, but of the seed of
Abraham he taketh hold. Now it's a strong verb. It's a verb that has the idea
of violence and vehemence. And we see how it's used elsewhere
in the New Testament. It's used, for example, in the
Acts of the Apostles. when in chapter 18 of Acts and
verse 17 we read of how Sosthenes suffers. What does it say? The
Greeks took Sosthenes and beat him. Now the same word is used
there. They took him. Or they laid their
hands upon him with violence. They took him that they might
beat him with stripes. It's a very violent word, you
see, that we have. We see the same later in Acts
21 and verse 33, where the apostle himself, Paul, is taken and bound
with chains. They took him with violence and
bound him. There, in the Acts, we see in
those uses of this particular word how significant a word it
is. It has that idea of doing something
with great vehemence and violence, taking hold of a thing. But it
is also, in the Gospel, used in a good sense. Yes, it still has the idea of
great vehemence, grabbing hold of a thing, but it's a good sense.
In Matthew chapter 14, where Peter walking on the waters,
having seen the Lord Jesus, remember the incident, there are the disciples,
they're in the boat and they see the Lord coming to them,
walking on the water. and that impetuous man, Simon
Peter, why he climbs out of the boat and he begins to walk himself
to meet the Lord Jesus and then he becomes so conscious of the
of the elements all around him, the wind and the waves and it
seems as if his eye is taken off the Lord Jesus, he begins
to sink and he cries out, Lord save me and the Lord we're told
immediately stretched forth his hand and caught him, or took
him, it's the same word, and said unto him, O thou of little
faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? O how the Lord sighs him, you
see, Peter is there in all his unbelief now, he's beginning
to sink below the waters and the Lord puts forth his hands
and snatches him from the wires this is the word you see, this
is how the Lord is pleased to take hold of his people of the
seed of Abraham he takes hold, he doesn't just take hold of
them in the incarnation when he comes to work all that is
necessary in order to their salvation, in order to their redemption,
he takes hold of them inside him, that's what he did with
Peter he saved Peter and this is what the Lord does
time and again when he comes to the deliverance
of the children of Israel out of the bondage which was Egypt
later in this epistle in chapter 8 and verse 9 it says that what
God did to Israel was to take them I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt. That's what the Lord did. He
took them. He grabbed hold of them. And He delivered them. And what it was, was a mighty
hand. It was a stretched out arm. Isn't that the language that
we find in the Psalms when these things are referred to in the
136th Psalm? Verse 11, He brought out Israel
from among them for His mercy endureth forever with a strong
hand and with a stretched out arm for His mercy endureth forever. This is that psalm where we have
that refrain, His mercy endureth forever, after all these statements. But here it is, you see, their
deliverance. He brought them out from Israel
from among them with a strong hand and with a stretched out
arm to him which divided the Red Sea into parts and made Israel
to pass through the midst of it but overthrew Pharaoh and
his host in the Red Sea but that refrain really at the end of
every verse all but God's way with them there it was a strong
hand it was a stretched out arm this is the way of God and really
this text is to be read in the present tense. It's what God
is doing now. He taketh not hold of angels,
but of the seed of Abram. He taketh hold. He's doing it
now in effectual calling when he draws his people to himself.
Paul could say, writing to the Philippians in the third chapter,
I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. How the Lord laid hold of him,
seized him there at the very gate of Damascus. That was the
great effectual call of the grace of God that he experienced. Thus
the Almighty Council ran, Almighty Love, arrest that man. Oh, this
is how the Lord must do it. He must overcome all the oppositions
of his people as he applies that great salvation that he has wrought
forth. It's effectual calling. It's not offers and proffers
of grace as if there is something for the sinner to do in order
to seize the matter as it were. No, it's the Lord Himself who
takes hold. Salvation is of the Lord in every
sense. In the purpose of God, yes. The electing love of the Father.
In the way in which it is purchased by God the Son at Calvary. He
has done the work. He has made the great sin-atoning
sacrifice. He has accomplished redemption.
Not just made salvation a possibility, but a certainty. But then that
salvation must be brought home. And it is by the effectual call
of the grace of God, the gracious work of the Holy Spirit in the
heart of the sinner. For the Lord Jesus is that one
who has taken hold of the seed of Abraham. He taketh hold. Now, as Christ is that true seed
of Abraham, So all those who are Abraham's
children, Abraham's seed also, they will be like the Lord Jesus
Christ. To Abraham and his seed were
the promises made. The promise is to Christ, but
the promise is also to all those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And what is true of Christ will be true of them. What does this
mean? Well, we've sought to say something
with regards to the Lord's own determination. Is there not then
a determination in those who are Abram's seed? We preached last Lord's Day on
those words, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent
take it by force. Oh, there's the mark of the seed
of Abram. how that kingdom is taken by
force. There's not passivity there when
the Lord is dealing with a person, when there's all that work of
God going on in the soul of the sinner. Why there's such earnestness?
There's such vehemence in the way in which they seek to take
hold of these things. And Paul says it there in Philippians
3, we've already referred to that particular chapter, where
he speaks of being apprehended by Christ Jesus, laid hold of
by Christ. But what does he go on to say?
I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also
I am apprehended. The Lord lays hold of Paul, Paul
will lay hold of the Lord Jesus. For there is, you see, that determination
in those who are Abraham's seed. And Abraham's seed, why? That's
the seed that comes down through Isaac and through Jacob and Jacob.
Jacob, the man who becomes Israel. And we know that they're not
all Israel, that are of Israel. There's a spiritual Israel. But
how was it that Jacob became Israel? Well, we are told it
was there at Peniel in Genesis chapter 32 when the angel wrestled
with him. And he was a prince because he
had power with the angel. And what determination, I will
not let thee go except thou bless me. This is the seed of Abraham.
Is the Lord taking hold? of Abraham's seed, Abraham's
seed will take hold of the Lord. The spiritual Israel of God are
just like Jacob, they will not let the Lord go, except He bless
them. But we don't preach passivity,
we are so misrepresented. They say because we're not telling
the people do this, do that, do the other, that we've got
nothing to say to sinners. We've got much to say to sinners. We want to see these evidences
that they are Abraham's three days determination. That determination
to lay hold of the Lord and never let the Lord go without His blessing. But together with that determination,
remember there's also humiliation. We see it in the incarnation
of the Lord Jesus. He's made a little lower than
the angel. how he humbles himself to become
a man he thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made
himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant
who was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion
as a man he humbled himself oh what humiliation and so it is
with those who are the seed of Abraham they
are humble people Christ says, if any man will come after me,
let him deny himself and let him take up his cross and follow
me, or to deny ourselves. How do we deny ourselves? We
confess that we're nothing but weakness, we're nothing but sin.
We can do nothing. We're so impotent, we're so utterly
helpless. Our situation of ourselves is
hopelessness. But these are the sinners that
the Lord comes to save. He comes not to call the righteous
but sinners. Or the whole they have no need
of the physician. It's those poor sin sick souls. Or that we might know that humiliation
and that determination that we witness even in the Lord Jesus.
Verily He took not on Him the nature of angels But he took
on him the seed of Abraham, wherefore in all things it behoved him
to be made like unto his brethren. Oh, verily he taketh not hold
of angels, but of the seed of Abraham, he taketh hold. Oh, the Lord be pleased in his
great mercy to come and to take hold of us, take hold of you,
take hold of me, take hold of our minds, and our hearts, and
our wills, and to form and fashion us as those who are truly Abraham's
seed. Well, the Lord grant His blessing
on His Word. Amen.