Thoughts and commentary on Hebrews 1:7

In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire." Hebrews 1:7

We are all his servants, if we follow him. Note how the term servant, in reference to those who are his, is scattered through out the bible.

2 Kings 9:7 (NIV) You are to destroy the house of Ahab your master, and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the Lord's servants shed by Jezebel.

Psalms 104:4 God speaks of his servants as flames of fire.

1 Corinthians 7:23 Tells us, we are bought with a price; do not be servants of men.
The implication there is that we are servants of God.

Romans 6:22 "But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God,"

Ephesians 6:6 "Not with eye service, as men pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;"

(ophthalmodouleia) – eye service - A term coined by Paul to express the conduct of slaves, who work only when they are watched, and whose motive, therefore, is not fidelity to duty, but either to avoid punishment or to gain reward from their masters.

Philippians 1:1 "Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ,"

1 Peter 2:16 We are told to live as servants of God

Revelation 19:5 says, "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him,

"his ministers (servants) a flame of fire."
The Greek word for flame is phlox. This is not a petite little candle flickering but a blaze, much like a roaring campfire. Houses, because of a little flame, tend to turn into huge blazes.

I had a dream in which I saw an old, dry shack and barn starting to burn. Because of their age I knew it would only be a matter of seconds before they would be completely engulfed and uncontrollable by the garden hose I had grabbed. Somehow I knew exactly where to apply the water first and then I directed my hose to the rest of the fire. I put the fire out, something totally contrary to logic. This all happened so quickly that no one bothered to call the fire department. - By the way; I am aware that when the fire department comes to a fire scene they tend to tear things up. That is because it is their responsibility to make sure that there is no aspect of the fire left to restart, and they search for any traces. If it smolders they stay and make sure it is out. In the camping scenario we would throw some water on the fire and really not worry about whether it was completely out, because it was relatively contained within the fire pit.

(What if God has moved upon your life to put out a fire that He did not start, and will consume you. Do you not think that he will do what it takes to make sure that the destructive fire is completely out. You might wonder how come then it is taking God so long to finish his work. Ask yourself this question: How many times have I grabbed the water hose from his hand, thinking I can do this myself, or prevented him from using the tool that He was using to locate the smoldering fire that might re-erupt into a blaze.)

Fire cannot exist without three components: heat, fuel, and oxygen. Remove any one of those components and the fire goes out. Think about this when you go into an angry rant or rage. If you could see clearly you would probably realize that there was a heat source (emotions, blocked desires, exhaustion), your broken human nature was the fuel, and some other aspect provided the oxygen. The clarity to see clearly usually happens long after the damage is done, relationships are destroyed, and it is now quiet.

Note: There is a possible analogy in that the angels may well be the wind fueling our fire with oxygen.

In Psalm 104:4 David writes, "Who makes his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire" What the NIV translates as winds the KJV translates as spirits.

The word that King David used is ruwach, and can mean a violent exhalation.
When God began to speak to Moses, he presented several situations to Moses in an effort to teach him what the voice of the Spirit sounded like. One of those examples was a strong wind that broke the rocks. (That must have been alarming) The word for wind in this case was ruwach, and clearly speaks of wind in its physical properties.

In comparison: The Greek word is pneuma. This is the same word used in Acts 2:4 when they were all filled with Holy Spirit. In Revelation 13:15 pneuma is used in reference to giving life to the beast.
Jesus spoke of the spirit (pneuma), in the life of a follower, as intangible, moving about freely.
John 3:8 (NIV)The wind (pneuma) blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

When King David said, "His ministers a flaming fire" it is hard to imagine what he was thinking. So much of what we say comes out of our emotions, and David certainly had his fill of them. What David may have been keenly aware of was how many times God rescued him. Just a thought.

Fire, the Greek means exactly that. Fire can warm us, entertain us, cook our food, purify metals through purging, and destroy everything in its path.
We are made to be fires by God.

Do we roar and consume constantly?
Jesus told his disciples that destroying people was not his mission, but loving them into the kingdom was; we are here to fulfill that mission.

So, it is possible that, at times, we are like a candle. A candle, with it's tiny flame can light a room. It has all the same characteristics as the huge blaze, and if given the opportunity becomes an inferno.

What if this is all just an analogy of the spirit within that was reborn in the image of Christ. If you will allow Him, God will adjust the flame in response to the need. The only thing that I can see preventing that adjustment is our fears, which may well be represented by the garden hose being used upon the flame. Your spirit, due to sin, was made dry and suitable for kindling; God and Satan know that and both want to use that kindling their way.

In the dream, I described how I was able to put out the potential inferno with a puny garden hose. I knew precisely where to apply the water that would quench the fire.
Fear is the thing applied that dampens God's attempts to ignite a fire within us, and sadly I, as well as you, know exactly how to use that fear to stop the fire.

Never think for a moment that the fire within you is meant to destroy those that God chooses to apply it to, for we are given specific instructions not to judge, but there will come a day when the one whose mercy saved us shows up, riding a magnificent steed, carrying a sword, and having flames of fire in his eyes. Then there will be destruction of fleshly things, but not until then.

Why would you respond to Gods moving upon you in fear? Certainly not because God will destroy us, although you may think so. Our fear of what God is doing often comes because we think:
- God will ruin our reputation. News flash, you have none, and God has some very ugly descriptions of your reputation.
- Perhaps I will lose my friends (I struggle with this), if they do not know Him then they are lost already.
- What will people say about me? They are already saying it, especially if you even try just a little to live for him.
Consider the prophets, they may not have run with the party circle, but people feared them, and those that understood them came quickly to them in time of need.

Therefore this is not a fire that destroys, but one that refines, brings light into a darkened room, and captivates those that look upon it.

This can only leave my fear of the unknown. What will people think of me if I actually do what God is asking.

The prophet Elisha was dying, so King Joash came to visit. (Read the story yourself - 2Kings 13:17) Elisha gave instructions to the King to strike the arrows on the ground. The King struck the arrows on the ground three times, what else was he to do. There were no specific instructions as to the number, but what if he knew in his spirit to do more. His lack of enthusiasm ended up meaning that he would only beat Syria in battle three times, when it could have been more.

God asked the prophets to do some very strange things, like marrying a prostitute, preaching naked, digging a hole through the wall of his own house, and escaping through it, because wanted to make a point to His people.

What is God asking you to do? Trust me, it is not preaching naked; there are laws against that.

Does any of this mean that I personally, have mastered my fears and I am now allowing God to freely work within my life? Not hardly, but if I am aware of what is going on then I can turn that over to Him, allowing him to correct that within me which trying to prevent His complete work in me.

The AA groups ask that you make an open and honest assessment of yourself, and that you come to realize that you cannot change yourself, and therefore must turn yourself over to your higher power, allowing Him to change you.
(There is only one higher power, Yaweh).

If you can be honest then you have to realize that God has to purge these things out of you. That requires fire. The fire may come in many forms, embracing it instead of grabbing the garden hose may be the hardest thing you will do. Keep in mind that all through out the new testament you will find reference to God preparing a bride for His Son, Jesus, that is us who follow after him.

Commentary on Hebrews 3:1

1 Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. Heb 4:14; Heb 6:20; Heb 8:1; Heb 9:11;

You have to look at scripture in context. Hebrews is a long continuing argument with two points; the superiority of Jesus Christ, and the need to remain faithful to the calling upon us, which is our life in Christ and continued growth in relationship to him.

Hebrews 3:1 opens with therefore, so it necessary that you have paid attention to what was previously said. Chapter two focuses on Christ's position. He is higher than the Angels, but you need to ask why? He has everything put under his feet, but again you need understand that He was the creator of those things; why then does the earth and angels have to be put under his feet again? He brought many sons (that would be us) to glory, and now sits at God's right hand as our mediator. It was his total assimilation as a human being that made him the perfect author of our salvation. As the perfect sacrifice He destroyed the the devil, the one who holds (or is that held) the power of death. We still die, that is inevitable as long as we are in these bodies, but why would the destruction of the one who holds the power over death be important, because there is fear in death. Again there is a purpose, for in doing this he is in the act of freeing those (this is the church) who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Try to ponder that statement! Obviously this is not everybody or is it? You can put on a good front, act tough, and make statements like it is all good, but in truth it is not.

As I said, it is a continuous, building argument, with Christ as beaming light that guides our way. The writer is trying to build an unshakable foundation for your faith by painting the picture of who he is and why he has the authority he had. Jesus, as John put it, was with God and is God, creating all things by His word. That would seem to be the end of all questions, but we see Jesus, coming to earth, taking upon himself the broken form of humanity, and rising to the top position of authority once again. Why? Because we were broken too, and this was the only way for God to regain His relationship with us again. There is nothing here but a solid, victorious foundation, meant to give you a faith that will carry you through this life.

If any scripture is to carry you through life then you have to see it as something that is tangible, something that you can hang your hat on. Verse one gives you one of those anchors that will help move you forward.
Therefore, "holy brothers, ... fix your thoughts on Jesus" Easier said than done, only because we have so many other distractions. Enoch walked with God; have you ever wondered what that meant? The Hebrew word for walked carries the meaning to be continually conversant. That works out relatively well when you are a sheep farmer, but what about me in my office environment. I, Ozzie, happen to work at Home Depot, and I get a little tense at times, because more times than not I do not get 30 seconds to have a thought of my own. It feels like my every attention is spent on customers and their questions.

The psychological world would not want you living in the past, but what if the past was the best place. I had one of those times and places. I remember what it took to get there, and to be honest the only thing that I can see that keeps me from getting to that place again is my lack of dedication. What transpired back then was a gradual intimacy with the Father to the point that I found myself talking with Him constantly. I chose to believe the He was speaking to me. (Read Proverbs and you will see that He/wisdom cries out constantly) The impact of God speaking, mixed with faith, transformed me. (Although it feels like that had all gone away, in truth it is only masked by my inability to push through the distractions. - Scripture tells us that God does not take away those gifts, nor is he sorry he gave them to you). I allowed the cares of this world to beat that out of me. (This is another subject that is touched upon as you weave through the letter to the Hebrews.)
When I talk about a transformation I am speaking about a shedding of fear. My faith began to rise as I trusted his voice. Fear was quickly becoming a thing that was foreign to me, my faith in His ability to heal was becoming very dominant, and although I was aware that God had spoken into my life about the prophetic ministry, it was during this time that I began to see it blossom.
I had so much to learn back then. I got involved in the "faith movement"; that is a horrible way to look at it because faith is who God is, but to be honest my training, in my opinion now, taught me to be rude and mean spirited. Thank God that with age comes a little wisdom. Big sticks used upon people do not necessarily change their minds, that is one the points that Jesus was trying to make when he corrected James and John for their desire to call down fire upon a certain town because it rejected Christ. Our mission in this world is to love people and bring them the good news. Good news can mean different things depending upon the receiver, but the basis for any of this is Christ is the redeemer.

When you fix your thoughts upon Jesus, you will be transformed, and your life will become filled. Stay in that place and the filling will be constant, for you cannot stop talking about that thing which you are completely sold on. As you give out He will give you more. There is no law like gravity that makes it so, but the word of the one who created gravity said it would be like this. The word says that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. As one man once said in response to an apology from a man that cursing, "at least now we know what is in you, in abundance!" That does not help the man, but realizing that you need to change is the first step toward making a change.
Be filled with the Holy Ghost, Jesus commanded. Do you realize how much he wants for us to walk in freedom. Seek first his kingdom and all these things will be added, probably because only then will you have a grasp, like Moses, how to handle the things that are addded. (Clue: Moses fell on his face to God most every time things started getting out of control - Hebrews touches on this too.)

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