Hebrews

Thursday, 27 September 2018

…again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts.” Hebrews 4:7

The author continues his logical presentation of the sequence of events leading up to the rest which is promised to Israel. Again, it must be remembered that there is individual rest, and there is a rest provided to the collective body. The individual rest is the assurance granted to a person when believing in the finished work of Christ (verse 4:3), but Israel has still been promised rest as well. He now continues with that thought with the words, “again He designates a certain day.”

The rest was promised, but the psalmist shows that Israel failed to attain it. That is seen in the words of Psalm 95:11 –

“So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’”

However, before having said that, and while speaking to Israel directly, the psalmist says, “Today, if you will hear His voice.” A new day is being designated. In essence, “Listen all of you, your fathers disobeyed and I did not allow them the promised rest. However, Today is a new chance! Heed the voice of the Lord, for the rest is yet ahead!”

This promise of a new “certain day” came through the hand of David. As it says, “saying in David.” If you will take a moment and go back to the 95^th Psalm, you will see that no author is named. And yet, the author here in Hebrews, based on the Greek translation of the Old Testament, says that it was David. Before going on, make a pen and ink note in your Bible above the psalm saying, “David is the inspired author according to Hebrews 4:7.”

Understanding this is at the time of David, many hundreds of years after Israel’s entrance into Canaan (a bit more than 400 years from that time, and about 3000 years since the creation after which God is said to have rested), our author then says, “after such a long time, as it has been said.” He will now cite the psalm which came so much later than the Exodus, showing that the promise of rest still remains. It was not laid hold of by Israel in the past, and the promise has not been revoked by the Lord. Though Israel failed, God remains faithful. This is then seen with the words being cited from Psalm 95:7, 8 –

“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts.”

David could not say this concerning an issue which did not exist. If the promise to Israel was revoked, he could not have spoken of Today in relation to the past, yet unfulfilled, promise. But he does. “The promise was not attained, however, Today it is still open! Pay heed! Hear the voice of the Lord! The rest is yet ahead! Today is not yet over!” If Israel fails to heed, they too will again not enter into His rest. When they do, they will finally attain that which has so long been kept from them.

Life application: Let us logically look at the issue of rest for Israel. 1) What is the promised rest offered to them? It is rest resulting from having faith in Jesus as their Messiah. 2) Did Israel receive Him as such? No. Individually, many Jews did, but as a nation, they did not. They were dispersed and punished for rejecting Him. 3) Does the promise still stand? Yes, it must because the author of Hebrews says, “Today.” It is a day which any can come to Christ individually, and so the church has taken it as such for 2000 years. However, the promise is to Israel in the psalms, the promise is repeated to the Hebrews in the book of Hebrews, and the placement of Hebrews after the Gentile-led church-age epistles indicates that it is still open to them collectively at some future point, included in the word, “Today.” When you pray, be sure to pray for Israel. Pray that they will call on the Lord and enter His rest while it is still Today.

Lord God, there is a story of love, hope, grace, mercy; and of wrath, punishment, exile, and restoration all tied up in one group of people, Israel. Throughout their history, they have wandered away from You, breaking the covenant and rejecting Your word. And yet, You have been faithful to keep Your side of things, maintaining them and preparing them for a glory which lies yet ahead. In Your faithfulness to them, we can be assured of the same for each of us. What comfort we can take in this! Thank You, our ever-faithful Lord. Amen.

Wednesday, 26 September 2018

Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, Hebrews 4:6

In this verse, we have a continuation of the same logical progression of thought which has been presented: 1) God’s labors of creation are ended and He rested. 2) He promised rest to His people Israel. This rest was offered to those who came out of Egypt with Moses. However, that same rest was not appropriated by Moses, nor was it appropriated by Joshua (verse 4:8) who followed after Moses, and who brought Israel into Canaan. Because of this, 3) It, therefore, “remains that some must enter it.” What this means is “that which was available in past times still remains available.” Because it is promised, and because the promise was not laid hold of, the promise remains unappropriated.

This will be made evident in the coming verses. But for now, the author states it as a fact. And the reason for this is that “those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience.” As noted in verse 4:2, the term “preached” is not appropriate. It should say, “those who were the first to receive the announcement of the good news.” The Israelites were informed that they were selected as God’s people, and would receive the promised inheritance of His rest. However, because of disobedience, meaning unbelief, they did not enter into His rest.

With this understanding, we need to refer back to verse 4:3 which said, “For we who have believed do enter that rest.” It is clear that he is speaking of belief in the finished work of Messiah. The promise of entering God’s rest is open to His people Today. Any who believe in what Jesus has accomplished enter into God’s rest because Today is still available for them to enter. And yet, the promise of entering God’s rest is not confined to individuals calling on Christ. It is also a promise which is intended for Israel as a people group. Unless one believes that the church has replaced Israel, a teaching which is contrary to the entire tenor of Scripture, it must be that Israel as a collective whole will enter into His rest at some point.

Life application: Jesus saves. There is no salvation apart from Him. Individually, when we call on Christ, we will be saved. At that time, we enter into God’s rest. However, it is Jesus who also will save Israel collectively. As a people, they have definite and sure promises which pertain to them. On some day, called Today, they will call on Him and be saved.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the wonderful assurance that You are with us at all times. For those who have come to You through Christ, there is no place we can go, no trial which is too great, and no pain which is too grievous that we can say, “Where have You gone, O God.” Rather, we can confidently say, “Thank You for being here with me at this time.” Help us to remember this, and to never feel that we have been abandoned by You. Amen.

Tuesday, 25 September 2018

…and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.” Hebrews 4:5

Here we have a repetition from verse 4:3. God had rested (verb) on the seventh day, and yet the Psalmist said that the Hebrews of Moses’ time did not enter God’s rest (noun) because of unbelief. A place of rest was promised to the Hebrew people, but those with Moses did not enter into that place, and therefore it logically follows that some must still enter it (as verse 4:6 will explicitly state).

God rested from His works of creation on the seventh day. This implies that everything in creation has been completed; there is nothing else to create. If there is a place of rest within that creation as is clearly the case, and that place of rest is promised to the Hebrew people, then it logically follows that it is still awaiting them.

We are not to forget, however, that any who have believed do enter that rest (verse 4:3). This is true whether it is a Jew or a Gentile that believes in the finished work of Christ. We have attained what God has promised. But the promise to Israel collectively has not yet been attained. Until they, as a people, believe in the completed work of Messiah, they will not enter that place of rest. But it will happen. The prophecies of the Bible show it is coming. It didn’t happen at the time of Moses, meaning those under the law, but it will happen in Christ Jesus.

Life application: The repetition of the verses in Hebrews is given for precision of thought. A place of rest exists for the people of God. As God finished His works of creation and then rested, the place which is being spoken of was there in the creation at that time. It is a place intended for occupants to enter. Who will enter it? Those who have faith in His works, meaning that which is accomplished by Messiah within the stream of time which came at creation. Through faith in Him, that place of rest is granted. Believe in Christ, and enter God’s rest.

Lord, how faithful You are to Your promises! Though it may not be pleasant, why should we worry when things are difficult or filled with trial? These cannot take away the surety of the good things which lie ahead, and which You have promised, for those who trust in You. And so may we be joyful in our hope even if troubled in the here and now. Because of Jesus, only goodness and blessing is coming. Thank You that we are assured of this. Amen.

Monday, 24 September 2018

For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; Hebrews 4:4

Again as with both verses 4:2 and 4:3, the author begins with, “For.” One thought logically follows the next as he builds a case concerning the availability of God’s rest for his audience. The words, “For He has spoken in a certain place,” are the same formula found in verse 2:6. Instead of saying that Moses wrote the thought, he applies the utterance to God who is the inspiration behind the words of Moses. Thus, he says, “in a certain place.” More correctly, it should say, “somewhere.” The indefinite nature is a way of ascribing the writing of the whole body of the Hebrew Scriptures to God.

It is somewhere in this body of writing, given by God, that He has spoken “of the seventh day in this way.” He is equating God’s rest with the seventh day after creation. This is then supported by quoting the Scripture which says, “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works.” This is a quote from Genesis 2:2. God worked six days and then He rested on the seventh.

It is noticeable that each of the six days of creation was followed by a statement which said, “So the evening and the morning were the [n^th] day.” However, no such statement is given for the seventh day. God rested, and that state of rest continues on. It is speaking of the work of creation itself which is given as a pattern of the dispensations of redemptive history. There are seven dispensations, the last being the millennium.

The millennium, then, forms its own picture of God’s place of rest. This was what Canaan was to be for those who were redeemed from Egypt, but they did not receive their rest because of unbelief. And so God, through the author of the psalm, set another day which He called, “Today” (verse 4:7). Those who believe Today enter God’s rest (verse 4:3) which has been anticipated since the creation of the world. But it must be remembered that chapter 3 spoke of the Hebrew people in the plural. The promise of rest was given to them. It is accessible individually, but it is also left for them collectively. The rest of God is provided not through works of the law, but through belief in what the law pointed to, Christ. Until Israel comes to this collective understanding, they will not enter God’s rest as a people. Until then, only those who believe individually have access to this rest.

God rested from His works, and yet God’s work of redemption occurs within the stream of time through the work of Jesus Christ. The seventh day after creation is God’s resting from His labors, and yet His labors continue on in the Person of Jesus in anticipation of a final day when God’s people will enter the place of God’s rest. Understanding this, we can then grasp what Jesus was speaking of in John 5 –

“For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. ¹⁷ But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.’

¹⁸ Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. ¹⁹ Then Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.’” John 5:16-19

Christ’s works lead His people to the state of rest in His place of rest. This is seen in Isaiah 11:10 which speaks of the millennial reign of Christ. There, the word used is menukhah, the place (noun) of rest seen in Psalm 95, not shabat, or the state (verb) of rest found in Genesis 2 –

“And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse,
Who shall stand as a banner to the people;
For the Gentiles shall seek Him,
And His resting place shall be glorious.” Isaiah 11:1

Everything centers on what God has done and continues to do in Christ Jesus. Entering into God’s rest comes by faith (belief) in God’s word as it points to Him.

Life application: The concept of God’s rest is being precisely stated by the author of Hebrews for the express purpose of getting his Hebrew audience to understand their need for Jesus, both individually and collectively. For any who believe in Christ Jesus (Jew or Gentile), they enter God’s rest; ceasing from their labors. For Israel as a whole, they will enter God’s rest when they have been refined and purified through the tribulation. Someday, they will collectively believe in Him, and they will enter into His promised rest, a rest which they have thus far failed to enter.

Gracious and merciful Lord God! We know that Your works have been finished from the foundation of the world, and that Your rest is available to us as a promise. The question is, “How do we enter that rest?” The answer comes back to us from the pages of Scripture as “Believe in the One whom You have sent.” Christ accomplished all that was necessary to grant us access into that wonderful place of rest. Thank You for what You have done through Him. We believe He did it all, and so we receive what You promise. Thank You for Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Sunday, 23 September 2018

For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:
“So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest,’”
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.Hebrews 4:3

Again as with the previous verse, the word “for” is used to build one thought upon another. Verse 4:1 said, “Therefore.” That called for the reader to consider the lesson to the people about not entering God’s rest because of unbelief, as stated in Chapter 3. He then said, “For,” to say that the same good news of God’s rest which was conveyed in the past was again conveyed to the recipients of the epistle, showing that it was still attainable. However, those in the past did not profit from the message because of unbelief. With this understood, he now again says, “For.”

Each preposition is chosen to build a case concerning God’s rest and how to enter it. Understanding this, he says, “For we who have believed do enter that rest.” The thought looks backward and forward. “Believed” is contrasted to the unbelief of verse 4:2, while “enter that rest” looks forward to what he will say about the unbelievers as this verse continues.

The statement made by the author shows the certainty of the matter. The words “having believed” are from an aorist participle in the Greek. The action of entering the rest is accomplished in the belief. In other words, it points to the moment when the person put his faith in the finished work of Jesus. It was offered, it was accepted, and the rest was entered. There is nothing conditional about the matter. We are not in the process of entering, nor are we on the way to doing so. Rather, as Vincent’s Word studies says, it “is a fact which characterizes us as believers.” God’s rest has been attained through belief.

The importance of this statement cannot be overstated. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus is the place where God’s rest is found. He is the place of rest which the Sabbath only anticipated in type and picture. When the Sabbath was given in Exodus 20, it said –

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11

The Sabbath was given because it was based on the seventh-day rest of God. The author will refer to that seventh day in verse 4:4. The Sabbath was only a type of the Christ to come. He who is the means of access into that seventh-day rest. When a person believes in Christ, they enter into the true Sabbath rest of God. The substance (Christ) replaces the mere shadow (Sabbath observance). This is what Paul refers to in Colossians 2:16, 17 –

“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, ¹⁷ which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”

We are no longer bound to the shadow because we have entered into the substance; we are in God’s true rest. To support this, he then returns again to Scripture with the words, “as He has said.” In this, he will repeat the verse from Psalm 95:11 which he cited in verse 3:11 –

“So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest,’”

He has logically built his case. There was 1) a promise of Israel entering God’s rest under the Old Covenant. However, because of unbelief, 2) entry into that rest was denied. And yet, 3) the psalmist says, “Today,” when calling for hearing God’s voice. He is renewing the promise of entry into that rest. Now, 4) the author speaks of belief in Christ (verse 3:1) as allowing entrance into that same rest, which is 5) guaranteed the moment belief in His finished work is exercised.

The entire thought is given, and will continue to be explained, for the same reason as the rest of the book of Hebrews. It is a call to come to Christ through the New Covenant, and to not rely on the Old for one’s relationship with God. The author is showing the “better than” of Christ over Moses, and the superiority of the New over the Old. Finishing up the verse, he now says, “although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.” This will continue to be explained in the coming verse. But for now, the question is, “What works?”

There are works which are said to have been finished “from the foundation of the world.” There is the promise of a future access into God’s rest for the people of God. He cannot merely be speaking of the rest which is spoken of in Genesis 2:2 (which will be cited next in verse 4:4), because that was before the time of Moses. Further, the words used for “rest” in the Hebrew of Genesis 2 and Psalm 95 are not the same. In Genesis 2, it is shabath – the state of rest. In Psalm 95, it is menukhah – the place of rest.

It also cannot be the rest which came for those who entered Canaan with Joshua (coming in verse 4:8), because the psalmist speaks of another day (Today) after the time of Joshua. And so the rest which is being spoken of is the rest found in Christ who is referred to in 1 Peter 1:17-21 as having been foreordained “before the foundation of the world” to die as a “lamb without blemish and without spot.” And who is then referred to again in Revelation 13:8 as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

The answer to “the works” of this verse is, “The works of Jesus Christ who was ordained from the foundation of the world to die and thus allow God’s people into His promised rest.” Though they occurred in the stream of time, God’s works in Christ were finished from the foundation of the world. When God spoke the created order into existence, it was with the intent of allowing those works of Christ, which were already accomplished in God’s mind, to be performed by Him in the stream of time. This is why Jesus said in John 6:29, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

Our work is to believe in Him as the Christ and as the One to complete the works ordained for Him before the foundation of the world. In this, we enter God’s rest. The Sabbath, which is based on creation (and which was later said to be based on redemption in Deuteronomy 5:12-15), was simply a type of the rest which is found in Christ. The creation itself is merely the vehicle by which Christ could accomplish His work. Hence, the seventh-day rest after creation, which is referred to in Genesis 2:2, is a state of rest which exists in anticipation of what Christ would do by leading us into our place of rest. One thing leads to another, and all things find their fulfillment in Christ.

Life application: In Christ, we have entered God’s rest. Be at peace. The works are finished.

Lord God, thank You for the rest we have found in Christ Jesus. By faith in Him, we now possess that which was completed from the foundation of the world – a perfect, absolute, and guaranteed rest. Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.