The early part of this chapter has been a difficulty to many young believers. Difficulties in Scripture, where there is faith and dependence on God, often lead to valuable exercise of soul not to be repented of. It greatly helps to clear up the matter to see that the inspired writer is not raising any question as to the possession of eternal life, which, as we learn from other scriptures, can never be lost. He does not even apply the teaching directly to the Hebrews themselves, concerning whom, he says, he is persuaded better things, for he had seen the fruits of life in them.
We have already seen from the end of the previous chapter that the writer exhorts them not to remain in the condition of babes, but to go on to that of full-grown men; and he pursues the same line of teaching in the portion before us. The things of which he speaks in verses 1 and 2 were all known before Christ came. Repentance from dead works, faith towards God, the doctrine of baptisms (or, as we have the same word translated in chapter 9:10, "washings"), laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment—all these, though true in themselves, did not go beyond what existed under Judaism.
Now one of the great objects before the Holy Spirit in the Epistle is to direct the hearts and faith of those to whom He speaks from the contemplation of an earthly Messiah to a heavenly Christ above. He had begun with this in chapter 1, and He continues with it all through. And when the writer says that it is "impossible" to renew again to repentance those who were once enlightened, he is not taking up the case of what we commonly call backsliders; if he were, there would be no possible hope for the recovery of such. But the case in point is that of persons who had left Judaism and embraced Christianity, professedly at least, and who were in danger of going back. Again, a man may enjoy all the outward privileges of Christianity, without being born again and possessing eternal life. When we read that it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who had tasted of the heavenly gift, were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, had tasted of the good Word of God and the powers of the millennial age, if they should fall away: we must not suppose that this passage goes the length of asserting that they had received these blessings in the soul by faith, or that they had eternal life. There were those who accompanied our Lord Himself, shared in the privileges of His disciples and witnessed His miracles, and yet who were wholly untouched in heart and unregenerate. There were some, even professed disciples, who believed not, and who went back and walked no more with Him. But if one such as those to whom the Epistle is addressed, and who had left Judaism with all its elementary shadows and observances, and embraced Christianity, were to give up Christianity and a heavenly Christ and return to that which had been left behind and superseded in Christ, what was there left for him? Absolutely nothing but judgment, and so much the more because he had despised and cast aside as worthless that which alone was of value in God's sight. It is an exceedingly solemn warning—and the warnings of Scripture are essential for our good or they would not be there. All this, however, does not contemplate the case of a true believer who may fall into sin. For such there is the precious provision in 1 John 1 and 2, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous," and "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Our Epistle then exhorts them to diligence: not to be slothful, but followers of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. To the Hebrew Christians this exhortation was particularly appropriate, for they were accustomed to look for earthly blessings. But these two things are needed by us all—"faith" and "patience"—so that we may persevere, realizing that our true portion is above, where Christ is. Abraham is then given as an illustration; and truly he had to wait long—to "patiently endure"—before obtaining the promise. The words here quoted from Genesis 22:1717That 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 sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; (Genesis 22:17), are those which God spoke to him after he had shown such unwavering faith, when he was put to the greatest test of his life in the offering up of his "only son" Isaac. God swears by Himself because He could swear by no greater. How wonderfully He condescends to human language and human custom: in order that He might show to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, He intervened with an oath. The basis of the Christian's hope is thus absolutely unchanging—the counsel and the oath of God Himself. But the great point is to direct the eye to heaven, to link the heart with heaven. There our forerunner, even Jesus, has entered as High Priest: and His priesthood is not of a transient or passing character as that of Aaron, but after a new and eternal order, namely, that of Melchisedec.