Hebrews 2:12, 13
In the Midst
Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. (Hebrews 2:12)
And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. (Hebrews 2:13)
The Lord of glory promised His presence to His body the Church. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20) His presence is to guide the Church, His brethren. We have been called from many walks of life; the collection of the saints of the Lord Jesus Christ is truly diverse. We have been taken from many nations, many languages, whether we come from the north, or the east, or the west or the south, we are united in Christ, for we are His brethren. He joins us in the midst of the Church, this is His rightful place, this is the jewel of His redeemed. They are possessed by Him, and to Him, and He is not ashamed to call them brethren; for He has redeemed them by His blood. Here is Hebrews 2:12, He is walking in the midst of the candlesticks. And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. (Revelation 1:13) He has a work as the High Priest of God to both minister and to rejoice; He is singing in the midst of His brethren, singing and rejoicing of His finished work on the cross. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:11)
Why do I approach this verse in Hebrews in this way? It is because it is a quote of the Spirit of God from Psalm 22; the suffering Psalm of the Christ of God.
I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. (Psalm 22:22)
My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. (Psalm 22:25)
Psalm 22 brings us to the very center of the suffering of Christ. This great agony that the Lord Jesus suffered on the cross brings forth rejoicing, My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation. What a wonder that the glorious Lord of all things joins us in song. He sings to us of the glorious victory over sin and death on the cross. He sings of the triumphant day of resurrection. His voice is clear and strong as He takes us through His suffering, and shows us the great love that He had for us, His brethren. The Spirit of God takes His song and echoes it into our hearts, so that each one of us can sing of His wondrous glory. “Was it for me, for me alone, the Savior left His glorious throne; the dazzling splendors of the sky, was it for me, He came to die?”*
This bond that we have with our Savior is both individual and collective all over the world. He sees His children united in Him, never to be separated from Him.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (John 10:27)
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:28)
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. (John 10:29)
The Lord Jesus Christ is the great unifier of His body. Though we may be typical of different members, we are seen by Him as one in Him. The Church, whether one or many, are gathered to Him in complete unity. He sees them all, for they are marked by His blood.
And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him. (Exodus 29:21)
In Exodus we have a solemn ceremony of the dedication of Aaron and his sons. They are sprinkled with the blood of the sacrifice. This is an example or type of the cleansing power of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: (Hebrews 9:13)
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14)
With Aaron and his sons we have a type of the priesthood of all believers under the blood of Christ.
To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, (1Peter 2:4)
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1Peter 2:5)
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (1Peter 2:9)
Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (1Peter 2:10)
The Spirit of God has given us the privilege and right to approach God as a royal priesthood. We can offer up spiritual sacrifices which is the fruit of our lips of praise unto our God. We approach God the Father in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are seen by God the Father as priests unto our God, we have a High Priest in the Lord Jesus Christ, after the order of Melchisedec. He will lead us in praise unto our God. He is in the midst, whether it be one saint ( (Revelation3:20) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.) or many as in Psalm 22:25. My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
We have this assurance through the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that we have His continued presence. We have been separated by the Holy Spirit of God unto Christ, and we are accepted in the beloved. I, as an individual Christian, stand before God washed in the blood of His dear Son. Heaven resounds with worship for the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. It is the Son of God as the Lord of lords that as He looks on the collective Church He sees all the individual souls that make up the collective gathering of His Church. In His work on the cross, He saw the travail of His soul, and He was satisfied. When He came to Paul on the ship that was about to sink in the great Euroclydon, He told Paul not to fear for all would be saved. We assume that Paul was the only child of God on that ship; yet, Christ was there with him. No matter what peril or circumstance we might find ourselves in, He is in the midst of His brethren. When He told His disciples, it is I; be not afraid (this phrase is recorded in the New Testament 3 times), we have a reminder of a comforting Savior that He is the God of all Comfort. He spoke to John on Patmos, (Revelation 1) as John was on the isle of Patmos for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. This was his sentence of banishment for his first hand knowledge of both the written word and the living Word of God. In his banishment John was ministered to by the Holy Spirit of God on the Lord’s day. Both the Spirit of God, and the Lord Jesus revealed themselves to John on this day; for John testified that he was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day. John was a holy man as those holy men of old; yet, he was put aside by the world, and to some extent he was put aside by the professing church of his day.
I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. (3 John 1:9)
Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church. (3 John 1:10)
Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God. (3 John 1:11)
Although rejected like his Savior and God, he was in the spirit on the Lord’s day. As he was musing, he heard a great voice; there are 2 facets to this voice: great in character, and loud in truth. One cannot miss these qualities as the trumpet, for His voice is truth, for the truth is in Jesus. If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:. (Ephesians 4:21) John was one man alone, on an island, banished from man; yet, this man like Daniel of old was a man greatly beloved. John was dear to the Savior.
Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? (John 21:20)
Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? (John 21:21)
Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. (John 21:22)
Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? (John 21:23)
This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. (John 21:24)
These two men, Daniel and John, were shown prophetical things to come in the history of man, and in the kingdoms of men. Till the stone comes that is cut out without hands, and crushes the armies of rebellion and of this world, and sets up His righteous kingdom.
And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. (Daniel 2:44)
Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. (Daniel 2:45)
The Lord Jesus will subdue all the kingdoms of the earth and both Daniel and John were allowed to see the end thereof. As we see John on Patmos, he was receiving the revelation of Jesus Christ; this was the revelation that God had given to His Son to show unto His servant John. John had tarried and not seen death till He had seen the Son of man in all His glory. This is exactly what the Lord told Peter in the Gospel of John 21:22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.
The Lord Jesus, as the son of man, was revealing to John His glory as the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. John sees the Lord Jesus as the son of man walking as a priest of the Most High God among the seven golden candlesticks. The Lord Jesus, here, is in a position of service. He is not clothed in His priestly garments, nor wearing His mitre of His royal Priesthood. And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses. (Exodus 39:1)These garments were made for Aaron, the high priest, these were only used when he went into the Holy of Holies. Now the Lord, in Revelation 1, is walking among the seven golden candlesticks of the churches.
And the cloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office, (Exodus 31:10)
And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do. (Exodus 31:11)
As the linen garments in Exodus 31 were made for priestly service, so in the Book of the Revelation we see the Lord Jesus as the son of man doing service in trimming the lamp stands, and pouring in the oil of the Spirit of grace by the Spirit of truth. He is revealing Himself in a special way of fellowship. He is correcting and revealing the imperfections He has found in the 7 churches. This is why, John sees Him as the son of man, and not the Son of God; for He is in position of purifying the Church. (Hebrews 12:5). Whom the Lord loves He chastens as sons. We have a great High Priest entered into the heavens.
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. (Hebrews 4:14)
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
As we are gathered in the light of the candle sticks, as He ministers to us grace and truth to help us in time of need whether individually or collectively; He is in the midst of His brethren. Whether one on Patmos, or the thousands in the great congregation (Psalm 22:25) the Lord of glory sings praises as He leads our hearts in song. * ‘It was for me, yes, all for me, O love of God, so great so free, O wondrous love, I’ll shout and sing, He died for me, my Lord and King!’ Both the words and music of this hymn, ‘Was It for Me?’ were written by J. M. Whyte. As the Lord of glory sings of His great love and accomplishment, let us sing with Him the great love from our hearts to Him, who loved us, and washed us through His own blood. Amen.
© Copyright 2015, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)
Was It for Me?
Was it for me, for me alone, the Savior left His glorious throne;the dazzling splendors of the sky, was it for me He came to die?
Was it for me sweet angels strains came floating o’er Judea’s plains?hat starlight night so lone ago, was it for me God planned it so?
Was it for me the Savior said, “pillow thy weary, aching head, trustingly on thy Savior’s breast?” Was it for me? Can I thus rest?
Was it for me He wept and prayed my load of sin before Him laid; that night within Gethsemane, was it for me, that agony?
Was it for me He bowed His head, upon the cross, and freely sheHis precious blood-that crimson tide, was it for me the Savior died?
Chorus:
It was for me, yes, all for me, O love of God, so great so free,
O wondrous love, I’ll shout and sing, He died for me, my Lord and King!