Hebrews Part 5
Notes
Transcript
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1 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.
2 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.
So, the first word is “therefore”,
and we are seeing that word
or other similar words often.
And the reason is because the author is making this compounding logical argument
which builds off of all that he has said previously
So we will see “Therfore, For, Indeed”, and so on come up frequently.
So, recall what was said last week in chapter 3.
Jesus is greater than Moses
Not all of them followers of Moses believed or obeyed him
and They could not ent his rest.
THERFORE…
And the Author is about say that we have the same conditions
They heard the good news from Moses
We heard the good news from Jesus
If they didn’t enter the rest because of unbelief and disobedience
Then we surely won’t
because Jesus is even greater than Moses.
So, what holds true for Moses’ words
Will certainly hold true for the words of Jesus.
That is the gist of the argument being made.
And I want to touch on this point about unbelief and disobedience being connected.
It was brought to my attention that the KJV version translates two Greek words the same way.
In Heb 3.18
18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?
The word “Disobedient” is the Greek word: ahh-pee-thay-oh
According to the BDAD, it means…
BDAG ἀπειθέω
ἀπειθέω: disobey, be disobedient
The “a” makes this word the opposite of “pee-thay-oh”.
That word means to convince or persuade.
So, adding the “a” seems to me “not persuaded”.
In Verse 19, however, we see another word used.
19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.
Instead of “disobedience”, we see “unbelief”.
It is the Greek word ahh-piss-tea-uh:
BDAG ἀπιστία
ἀπιστία: unwillingness to commit oneself to another or respond positively to the other’s words or actions, lack of belief, unbelief
Again, the “a” just makes this word the opposite of “piss-tea-uh”.
“piss-tea-uh” is typically translated as belief or faith.
So, naturally, adding the “a” simply means no faith.
Ok, what does all this mean?
First, we know that two different Greek words were used.
If the author intended to say “unbelief” twice
he could have used the same word
He must have used two words for a reason
Secondly, if the two words were the same
It would end up being redundant at best and circular reasoning at worst
They didn’t enter because of unbelief
so, then we see they didn’t enter because of unbelief.
The second statement seems to be trying to confirm the first one
and that is hard to do if they say the same thing.
And, in the Greek, we see that they do not say the same thing.
Which is why two different words are used.
So, why did the KJV put unbelief twice when it is clearly two different Greek words.
The answer is a hard one
The KJV translators did know that this word could mean disobey
Because we can look the exact same word using in Rom 2.8
8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
The KJV matches the ESV here..
8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Now, you might be asking, why not use “unbelief” here.
It seems liek “unbelief” would fit too.
Those who did not believe the truth works.
However, the context is clear that the Greek word ahh-pee-thay-oh
means disobey here.
I’ll read it in the ESV, but the word choice is almost identical in the KJV.
Just with modern English.
6 He will render to each one according to his works:
7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;
8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek,
10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.
If we bring that back to Heb chapter 3
The KJV tries to harmonize the meaning of ahh-pee-thay-oh
with the next verse about unbelief
However, the unbelief was not passive.
ahh-pee-thay-oh is a verb
It wasn’t that they were simply “unconvinced” that God wanted them to enter the rest
It was that they actively rebelled against the command of God
And that “action” of rebelling is “disobedience”
Which is directly tied to their lack of faith.
If we look back a couple verses
we see verse 16 referring to their “rebellion”
16 For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses?
They were not disbarred from entering simply because they did not believe
It was because they actively rebelled against God’s command to enter the promise land.
And active rebellion, is disobedience.
Which is why the verb ahh-pee-thay-oh is used
instead of only using the noun ahh-piss-tea-uh or “unbelief”.
The author is saying, they actively disobeyed God
So, we can see they had unbelief.
In other words, the proof that they did not believe
Was in there action of disobedience
Jesus said, if you love me, you’ll keep my commandments.
And in chapter 11 of this book
We will very clearly that the author connects faith with action
Just like James said, Faith without works is dead
The evidence of your faith is in what you do.
And in Hebrews 3, the evidence for their lack of faith
was in what they did not do
They heard, but they did not obey.
Which brings us to chapter 4.
1 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.
So, premise one here is that we still have a promise of rest
This is based on everything leading up to this
hence the “therefore”
However, in hinges on a “while”
While the promise stills stands
Indicating that this promise is not going to be on the table forever.
If you disobey, God will take the promise away just like he did for those in the wilderness.
and then “you will fail to reach it” just like they failed to reach it.
2 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.
Why? Because we heard the gospel just like they did.
We heard it from Jesus
They heard it from Moses
But the gospel didn’t do them any good
Because they were not united by faith with those who listened
There is a distinction being made between those who hear
and those who “listened”
Everyone of them heard the word of God
but only Joshua and Caleb “listened”.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
3 For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’ ” although his works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Here the author is still preaching from Psalm 95.
he quotes it again when he says “as i swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest.”
and then alludes to the 7th day of Creation.
where God rested
And “that” rest is what I think the author is referring to here
When he says that we who beleived will enter “that” rest.
Because then the author goes on to quote from Genesis in the next verse
4 For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.”
So, now we are not talking about the rest under Moses
but the Rest under God.
Remember, Jesus is greater than Moses
Because, Jesus is God
His rest is better.
And now the author is going to argue that because Psalm 95 uses the word “Today”
He is prophetically talking about another rest
Not just the Rest that moses and Joshua were promised
and that the people in the wilderness did not enter
but another rest to come in the future
a better rest
A Spiritual rest with God
And we will start to see this line of reasoning unfold as we continue to read on.
5 And again in this passage he said, “They shall not enter my rest.”
Quoting again from Ps 95
6 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience,
They shall not enter my rest
Indicates to the author
that the rest remains unentered.
So, Ps 95 says “they shall not enter my rest”
And the author is saying, since “they” didn’t enter
We can still enter
and it isn’t the phyiscal rest
It is God’s rest
I hope I’m articulating this well.
“the Rest remains for some to enter it’
Is based on the conclusion that “they did not enter it”
and verse 7 is going to explain why
7 again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
He is emphasizing the word “Today” in Ps 95.
Today, don’t harden your hearts
Instead of saying “Yesterday they did hardene their heart”
The Psalmist says “Today don’t harden your hearts.”
Meaning, there is still a chance to enter the rest
so long as “today” is still called “today”.
As he said earlier in chapter 3.
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on.
Some of them didn’t enter the “rest” that Joshua provided them in Cannan
But Joshua and Caleb did enter it
and they took a new generation with them
so, some might think Ps 95 was fulfilled by Joshua
but the author of Hebrews is arguing that if that were true
God wouldn’t have inspired the psalm to say “Today”
It would have said “Yesterday”.
Verse 9 and 10 concludes that line of reasoning by says…
9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,
10 for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.
Now, this verse, to me, is foreshadowing a later conversation that
the author is going to have about the works of the Law
Remember, the letter is a sermon to persuade Jews
not to go back into Judaism
So, this line here is setting up the concept
That once we enter God’s rest
We are resting from our works
11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.
So, a powerful statement here.
The slaves that came out of Egypt
refused to obey God and enter the promised land
That was their disobedience.
The author says, don’t do what they did.
Strive to enter “that” rest
Not the rest of entering the promised land
but God’s rest
where we are resting from the works of the Law
So, going back under the Law of Moses
Is the same sort of disobedience as staying in the wilderness
and not entering the promised land
That’s what the author is conveying here in verse 11.
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
This is a very familiar verse.
One that is often memorized and quoted
And it is with this type of verse we often have the hardest time understanding
because it has be quoted so many times out of context
we forget what exactly it meant in the original context
But, let’s try and ground our minds in what has been said already
We are talking about some entering rest
and some not entering rest
There is a division created by those who Belief or don’t believe
Or those who obey or disobey
Those who heard and those who listened
And, here in verse 12, we are reminded that the word of God is what causes that division.
It is the word of God that is sharper than any two-edged sword
It is so sharp, the author says that it can even divide the soul and the Spirit.
The Soul here refers to the mind.
it is the Greek word “phyche”
This is your “thoughts and intentions of the heart”
The Spirit here, I think is talking about your life.
It can mean wind, spirit, breath, ect
But in this context, I think it is talking about what makes you alive
The breath of God that is in you
making you a living being
So, you might act one way with your life
but think another way with your mind
and you can fool most people
but you can’t fool God
Why? Because he know what you are thinking
He can separate your actions from your thoughts
and judge them independently.
Men can judge actions
God can judge thoughts and actions
and tell when they are not going in the same direction.
Is there anyone that can escape this judgment of God?
not according to the next verse
13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Creature here is a word that means any thing that God created.
If God made it, God can see inside of it,
down to the thoughts and intentions.
And it says, we will all give account to him
not just based on what we did
and not just based on what we said
but even what we really thought
You won’t fool God
There are many that will try according to Jesus
They will say “Lord Lord”
and he’ll say, I don’t know you
Jesus also quoted the Prophet Isaiah in …
8 “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;
On this note, about judgement
Now, we transition to the Great High Priest
14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
We often quote verse 15 without verse 14.
I do it all the time
It is another memorable verse
Jesus felt what we felt
But when we put it back into context here
we see just why he felt what we felt
So, that we will be without excuse if we don’t hold fast to our confession
Jesus knows what it is like to be tempted
In every way that we have been tempted
so, you won’t be able to convince him that you were tempted in a way
that justifies falling away from the faith
He knows the thoughts and intents of your heart
He has been through every temptation that we have been through… and he didn’t sin
This gives him the right to judge us
and removes any excuses we will think to come up with.
But this shouldn’t cause us to be concerned since we’ve all sinned.
That’s where Grace comes is.
16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
This verse has a twofold meaning to the audience
God knows your heart, and your faults and failures, and nothing escapes his eyes, but Grace is there.
Grace is only in one place… his Throne. You won’t find it if you go back to animal sacrifices or try real hard to keep the law of Moses. Draw near to his throne. that’s the only place of grace.
So, verse 16 is telling us both that Grace is available, and that it is only available in one place.
So, in summary:
Summary
Summary
Chapter 1:
Jesus is better than everything in the OT
Chapter 2:
We have a better salvation through his gospel message
Chapter 3:
Jesus is better than Moses
Chapter 4:
Jesus has a better “rest” prepared for us
And running through all of these chapters there is this message to
Not fall away, but hold fast.
In chapter 5, we are going to look more into how Jesus is our High Priest,
and why he is a better High Priest that the OT ones.
