Hebrews 3:1 - Homilies By D. Young

Heavenly things.

There are four heavenly things spoken of in this Epistle which it may be well here to connect together.

I. THE HEAVENLY CALLING . Elsewhere the upward calling. A voice out of the pure, the abiding, the unchangeable. A voice of love, pity, invitation, authority, such as could not sound from anywhere in this distracted, defiled world.

II. THE HEAVENLY GIFT . The δώρεα —the free donation of God; the gift bestowed for men to taste and live by; the bread of eternal life. Remember what James says, that "every perfect gift is from above" ( Hebrews 1:1-14 :17).

III. THE HEAVENLY COUNTRY . The fatherland; the πατρίς of the Christian. The voice from heaven calls us there. The heavenly gift is for our provision by the way; the manna of our desert life ( Hebrews 11:16 ).

IV. THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM Where all the glory of the heavenly fatherland is concentrated. The treasures of a land are represented in its capital city. Jerusalem gave a site for the temple, a palace for the king ( Hebrews 12:22 ).—Y.