Hebrews Study - The Believer's Rest (3)
Notes
Transcript
Hebrews 4:8-16
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. 9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. 11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. 14 Therefore, since 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 cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
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Review:
What does it mean that, “There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.” (vs.9)
What did Joshua provide to the people?
43 So the Lord gave Israel all the land which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they possessed it and lived in it. 44 And the Lord gave them rest on every side, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers, and no one of all their enemies stood before them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hand. 45 Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.
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So then what is this other day that is spoken of?
6 Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. 7 For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness,
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11 “Therefore I swore in My anger, Truly they shall not enter into My rest.”
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Starting all the way back in chapter 3 the writer of Hebrews has been encouraging these Hebrew believers toward faith and warning against unbelief from Psalm 95. He’s echoing what David was saying to the Israelites in the promised land. What the writer is saying is
If Joshua provided a rest for the people of Israel, why did David in the height of Israel’s glory appeal to the people of Israel to consider their hearts making sure they would not be deprived of the rest God has yet to provide like those at Meribah.
I think it’s safe to say that even David understood that the hearts of some in Israel had not yet come out of the wilderness. That’s why the warning is there. Don’t let your hearts be hardened, else you may never know the eternal rest of the believer even while you live in the rest that Israel as a nation provides.
Application:
How might we tend to make a Joshua-like rest (the rest of Israel in a land at peace flowing with milk and honey) more important than the rest we find in Christ (the rest of faith in the salvation which Christ provides)?
In what ways are we tempted to make our peace with the world more important than our peace with God?
For us as Christians we recognize the risk of stumbling and temptation, but for the writer of Hebrews I believe he’s encouraging those who have perhaps only been wearing a facade. Those whose hearts have never really been changed.
The contrast from verse 3 and verse 11 I believe make this clear.
3 For we who have believed enter that rest, just 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.
We as believers know that rest. We have believed and now “today” enter that rest.
So then what is the charge of the writer in verse 11?
Hebrews 4:11
11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.
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What is this disobedience?
(vs. 6 for a hint.)
Diligence isn’t an outward activity as much as it is a fervent inward dependence of faith in the good news! Diligence is not absent the ongoing faith and resting in the person and work of Christ. If we look beyond Christ and believe ourselves to be alone in our diligence, then we’ve committed the exact sin the writer of Hebrews is warning against: Israel at Meribah believed they were alone, left to find their rest and provision alone in the wilderness.
When we recognize the emphasis the author is making, I believe this familiar verse makes a lot more sense to us.
12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
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In light of everything we’ve just seen in Hebrews 3, 4 Psalm 95, what is the function of the word of God. How does it help us?
The word of God cuts away an facade we may have put up as our ‘righteousness’.
The word of God convicts us of the ways in which our good deeds might be lacking.
The word of God shows us our real intentions.
What are some scriptures that expose the thought and intentions of the heart?
26 “You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 “So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
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3 “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
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7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.
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16 “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
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19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
The good news of Joshua’s rest vs. the good news of Christ’s rest.
The Word of God and the ministry of Christ first and foremost exposes us. Much like the shepherds before the angels.
13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
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“with whom we will give an account”
What hope is given to those who are exposed before God? (Adam and Eve)
15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
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What hope is given those who are exposed before the glory of God? (The shepherds in the fields)
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
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What hope is there for those who recognize before Jesus’ teachings, my outward actions have given me peace before men but heart is sinful and wicked before God.
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. 26 “Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 27 “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Those who have much to appeal to on the outside (the wise and the intelligent) often miss the good news because they see no need for it, but who is it that receives this rest?
The weary and the heavy-laden. Those who’ve let the word of God expose them and even condemn them with a just law. It’s these who recognize their need for a savior who find rest.
The writer of Hebrews continues this theme. He calls them to examine themselves, consider how the word of God might expose an unbelieving heart in them that sits below the facade, but he doesn’t leave them in self examination.
14 Therefore, since 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 cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
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This isn’t the time to doubt. When our hearts are laid bare before God that is the time to lay hold of our confession because Christ stands ready to forgive. One who understands our weaknesses. The writer of Hebrews has a very similar calling to that of the angels to the shepherds and even Christ to those who listened. “Draw near.”
The angels said, “You will find Him.” It’s implied in that statement, “Go find him. Draw near to him.”
Jesus said to those burdened by the law, “Come to me.”
The basis of this call though is founded in Jesus’ own experience with temptation. I believe this can be of great comfort to us.
In what ways was Jesus tempted in all things as we are?
The lust of the flesh:
“Matthew 4:3
3 And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
The boastful pride of life:
6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’ ”
The lust of the eyes:
9 and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.”
We can spend a lot of time on all the ways we are tempted and fall to that temptation. The emphasis here is Jesus understands. He was fully man. We can approach Him boldly knowing he understands, but even more so because we know he is gracious and merciful and ready to help us in our time of need.
