The Letter to the Hebrews

Chapter 4Jan-Apr 2014 FXCC

Hebrews 4

• Rest (vss 1-13)– Remain faithful

• Jesus is the ultimate High Priest (vss 14-16)• God’s word is living, active & powerful• Jesus removes/destroys all barriers to God• The warning - Flee from disobedience!• Vss 1 & 11, urge perserverence

Thought Questions

• Do you find it easy to rest?• Do you have regular (weekly, daily) time to

read/study God’s word?– For information?– For formation?

• High Priest – thoughts about

Hebrews 4:1-10

• 1 Therefore we must be wary (fear) that, while the promise of entering his rest remains open, none of you may seem to have come short of it. 2 For we had good news proclaimed to us just as they did. But the message they heard did them no good, since they did not join in with those who heard it in faith. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my anger, ‘They will never enter my rest!’” And yet God’s works were accomplished from the foundation of the world.

Hebrews 4:1-10

• 4 For he has spoken somewhere about the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works,” 5 but to repeat the text cited earlier: “They will never enter my rest!” 6 Therefore it remains for some to enter it, yet those to whom it was previously proclaimed did not enter because of disobedience. 7 So God again ordains a certain day, “Today,” speaking through David after so long a time, as in the words quoted before, “O, that today you would listen as he speaks! Do not harden your hearts.”

Hebrews 4:1-10

• 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken afterward about another day. 9 Consequently a Sabbath rest remains for the people of God. 10 For the one who enters God’s rest has also rested from his works, just as God did from his own works.

Hebrews 4:1-10

• God promised Israel rest in the promised land– IF they were FAITHFUL and OBEDIENT

• We have the same promise re Heaven• Fear/wary– A proper “fear” of God results in respect and

reverence– Knowing “our place”– Knowing He is God and I/we am/are not

Hebrews 4:1-10

• Israel did NOT properly fear God• If they/we properly “fear” God, then we will

have no fear of failing to enter His rest• Israel is the primary example of that lack of

proper fear.

Hebrews 4:1-10

• They had heard “good news”/the gospel– Deliverance from slavery in Egypt– A covenant btwn them and God– Therefore a special relationship with God– Hope of a rest in Canaan/the Promised Land

Hebrews 4:1-10

• We too have heard “good news”/the gospel– Deliverance from slavery to sin and death– A covenant btwn us and God– Therefore a special relationship with God– Hope of a rest in heaven with Him

• Israel did not have faith in what they heard– Therefore they did not receive the promise

• Do you have faith? – Then you will find rest.

Hebrews 4:1-10

• Just hearing was not enough for Israel• Just hearing is not enough for us either• Faith is more than hearing and acknowledging

facts• Faith changes us, changes our perspective,

changes our actions, changes…

Hebrews 4:1-10

• Rest?– Sabbath vs 4 (God’s rest)– Canaan vs 8 (Israel’s rest)– Eternal/heaven vss 9-10 (our rest)

• When we enter His (God’s) rest, we will share in the rest God Himself enjoys (vss 1,3,5)

• As a noun or verb, rest appears 11 times in 11 verses

Hebrews 4:1-10

• All was good after the creation and God was at rest

• Then sin entered the picture and mankind lost access to God’s rest

• Ever since God has been calling us back, so we can enjoy His rest

Hebrews 4:1-10

• OT quotes– Vs 4 is a quote of Gen 2:2– Vss 3 and 7 quote Psalm 95 (also quoted in

chapter 3)

• Vs 8 – Joshua and Jesus are the same in Hebrew!– The readers would have known that

Hebrews 4:1-10

• Remain faithful, means what?– Slavish obedience to the rules?– Hearts devoted to God out of love?

Hebrews 4:11-13

• 11 Thus we must make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by following the same pattern of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from God, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.

Hebrews 4:11-13

• Strive to enter the Eternal Rest– Depending on/using God’s word

• God’s word is– Living, not dead– Active, not dormant, not useless– Sharp, not dull, not boring, not uninteresting– Piercing, not silent, not weak

Hebrews 4:11-13

• Living word– Acts 7:38 (Stephen speaking) “This is the man

(Moses) who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors, and he received living oracles to give to you.”

– I Pet 1:23 “You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.”

Hebrews 4:11-13

• God’s word reveals our true selves to us– Exposes us as we really are vs 13– We can’t hide our true nature from God

• Inform or form?– We need to allow His word to change/influence us– Yes, we need to learn “stuff” too– BUT God’s goal is to change/improve/perfect us

Hebrews 4:11-13

• The Word– The Bible?– Jesus?– Both?– More?

• If you are Biblically illiterate, then you are also God/Jesus/Spirit illiterate

Hebrews 4:11-13

• The Word (aka Bible) teaches us about THE WORD (Jesus and God)

• We worship THE WORD, not The Word• The Word reveals God to us– Nature, to some degree, also reveals God

• Being Biblically literate does not mean we can pass a test– Multiple choice, true/false, even essay

Hebrews 4:11-13

• Being Biblically literate means we are transformed– We are becoming like Jesus– Yes, even like God– God wants us to be holy, even as He is holy

Hebrews 4:14-16

• 14 Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.

Hebrews 4:14-16

• Here the writer returns to the concept of Jesus as High Priest (mentioned in chapter 2)

• Hold fast your confession– Confessing Jesus as Son of God– Confessing Jesus as Lord– Confessing Jesus as High Priest– Remember, be changed, be faithful

Hebrews 4:14-16

• The “heavens” in vs 14– Shows Jesus as exalted– OT always refers to the plural, i.e. heavens– Heb 7:26 “…such a high priest (Jesus)…exalted

above the heavens.”– Eph 4:10 “He (Jesus)…the one who ascended

above all the heavens,…”

Hebrews 4:14-16

• High Priest• Jesus was human, like all other priests– Therefore He understands us– Understands our temptations

• Better than any other High Priest– Experienced temptation, YET did NOT sin– Does not have to offer a sacrifice for Himself– BUT can still sympathize with us

Hebrews 4:14-16

• Americans have a hard time understanding the concept of High Priest

• We also really have a hard time understanding the incarnation– Yes, He was human, but we may tend to see Him

as “teflon human”– Not really tempted– Not really feeling pain

Hebrews 4:14-16

• High Priest• Jesus now stands in front of God– Eye to eye, face to face– No human High Priest could/can do that!

• THIS MEANS….

Hebrews 4:14-16

• THIS MEANS….• We can BOLDLY approach God’s throne of

grace– AND RECEIVE MERCY– AND FIND GRACE– DURING our time of NEED

Hebrews 4:14-16

That is GOOD NEWS!BOLDLY/WITHOUT FEAR

Receive MERCYFind GRACE

References

• F.F. Bruce, “The Epistle to the Hebrews”, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Eerdmans, 1967

• Edward Fudge, “Our Man in Heaven: An Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews”,, Baker, 1974– Available on-line for free– http://www.edwardfudge.com/written/omihtext.

html

References

• Edward Fudge, “Hebrews: Ancient Encouragement for Believers Today”, Leafwood Publishers, 2009

• John Mark Hicks, Hebrews, Word Doc– http://johnmarkhicks.com/wp-content/uploads/

sites/10/2009/03/hebrews-edited.doc

References

• Referenced in John Mark Hicks, Hebrews, Word Doc are the sites for a sermon series (Strength for the Journey) by Rubel Shelly and John York on Hebrews– http://www.rubelshelly.com/content.asp?

lShow=20&ListSG=316&Start=121&SortAlpha=– http://www.rubelshelly.com/content.asp?

lShow=20&ListSG=316&Start=101&SortAlpha=– http://www.johnyork.org/content.asp?

lShow=20&ListSG=260&Start=161– http://www.johnyork.org/content.asp?

lShow=20&ListSG=260&Start=141

References

• Bobby Valentine’s “Stoned-Campbell Disciple” blog – http://stonedcampbelldisciple.com/2013/08/20/

paul-and-the-unquestioned-authority-of-the-old-testament/