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Chapter 6: urges readers to go on unto perfection, and to leave the things which are
elementary, otherwise they, as Israel in the wilderness, will fade away, and fail to attain
unto the "better things," namely, "things which accompany salvation," which are
manifested by the exercise of faith, hope and love, in its work, labour and patience
(6: 9-12; cf. close parallel with I Thess. 1: 3). "That ye be not slothful, but followers of
them who through faith and patience inherit the promises." These promises are
connected with the covenant made with Abraham, in connection with Christ in His office
as Priest after the Order of Melchisedec, and consequently heavenly (6: 13-20;
7: 11-22). The goal is something more than salvation. It is inheriting the promises, it is
going on to perfection (6: 1; 7: 11, 19). The "better things" of Heb. 6: 9 are connected
with the "better hope" (7: 19), and the "better covenant" (7: 22; 8: 6). To encourage
their faith they are reminded that though they may suffer the spoiling of their goods, they
had in heaven a better and enduring substance. This brings us to Heb. 11: Every example
there given is that of an overcomer through faith. In some instances the most pointed
reference is made to the fact that their faith took hold upon that which was future and
unseen--that is the characteristic of the faith of Heb. 11: as defined for us in verse 1.
Noah was warned of God concerning things "not seen as yet"; Abraham "went out not
knowing whither he went"; Moses "endured as seeing Him who is invisible." "These all
died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off." "They
desire a better country, that is, an heavenly." They desired a better resurrection and
would enter, with all those who thus endured and overcame, the better thing of
Heb. 11: 40, which was connected with their being made perfect.
This is touched upon in chapter 12: where we read of "the heavenly Jerusalem, and the
spirits of just men made perfect" (verses 22-24). The references from chapter 3:, Caleb
and Joshua, to Christ Himself in 12: 2, 3, emphasize this fact of overcoming and of
entering rest and glory as a result. The argument is concluded in 13: 13, 14:--
"Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach. For here
we have no continuing city (cf. Heb. 11: 9-16), but we seek one to come." "God is not
ashamed to be called their God for He hath prepared for them a city" (Heb. 11: 16). "And
I John saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven. . . . he that
overcometh shall inherit these things: and I will be his God, and he shall be My son. . . .
Blessed are they that do His commandments (or have washed their robes, cf. 7: 14) that
they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city"
(Rev. 21: 2, 7; 22: 14).
The epistle to the Hebrews touches something beyond what we may call salvation
simply, it goes on to inheriting promises and being perfected. Typically, at least, those
whose carcasses fell in the wilderness were redeemed by the blood of the Passover Lamb.
They did not miss salvation, though they missed Canaan, and this is the point of
Hebrews, and a help to understanding "the better thing" of chapter 11:
The church which is His body does not come into view either in Hebrews or
Revelation, although useful lessons may and should be learned by pondering these
weighty things in the light of II Tim. 2: 11-13.