Wednesday, April 19, 2023

To "Lay Hold" of us.....

"It would have been a vast descent for Him to take upon Himself the nature of angels. But He would not limit Himself to this, but would compass the entire descent to man's low estate. 
To this the apostle plainly testifies: "For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham." Heb.2:16
 
---That is, He assumed the nature of the children of men, that He might, as the margin reads, "lay hold" of them. 
 
Thus He humbled Himself, and took upon Him the form of a servant, by consenting to take the fashion of puny, mortal, sinful man (Phil.2:8). 
In the likeness of sinful flesh (Rom.8:3), He reached down to the very depths of man's fallen condition, and became obedient to death, even the ignominious death of the cross. 
He "was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death." "As the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil," and thus deliver them who were subject to bondage. Heb.2:9,14,15
He who was exalted became abased, that we might be exalted."  
Uriah Smith