Hebrews Chapter 4
1 – 3: Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 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.
1: Since we have been given God’s promise to enter His rest, shouldn’t we rejoice? Why should we be afraid?
What is there to be afraid of? They are afraid of not being able to enter His rest! And why can’t they enter? Because they can’t catch up! Why can’t they catch up? Because the word they heard is of no benefit to them.
Why would God’s Word be of no benefit to them? Because they had no faith to mix with what they heard.
Coffee powder must be mixed with hot water to produce a fragrance. Listening to God’s word must be mixed with faith in God to take effect.
Without hearing the word with faith, they could not accept the word of God, and the word of God was of no benefit to them.
The Israelites are an example of those who did not mix God’s Word with faith. Rather, they mixed God’s word with sight. When they witnessed the parting of the Red Sea, they praised God for saving them. When they saw that the land of Canaan was truly a land flowing with milk and honey, they reckoned that God had brought them to a good land; when they saw that the people in that land were tall and strong, they reckoned that God had brought them to a land of death.
They regretted leaving and wanted to go back to Egypt – they no longer wanted to enter the land promised to them by God.
As a result, they all fell in the wilderness, hence, the author of Hebrews encourages us not to be like them.
2. Is there a gospel preached to us as well as to them? Is there also a gospel in the Old Testament?
When we talk about the gospel, we think of the gospel of Jesus’ redemption, and we think that there is no gospel of Jesus’ redemption in the Old Testament.
In fact, the gospel means ‘good news’. The gospel of the Old Testament refers to the good news of entering the good land of Canaan as promised by God, and the gospel of the New Testament refers to the good news of entering the kingdom of heaven promised by God.
They received the same promise to enter God’s rest as we do, but they are not equally able to enter God’s rest.
3 What does the promise of entering His rest mean?
For the Old Testament elects, it meant entering the land of Canaan (3:17-19) as promised by God, and for the New Testament elects, it means entering the Kingdom of Heaven as promised by God.
Those who believe, have access to that rest, but those who do not believe are denied entry in the wrath of God.
4 If the work of creation has been completed since the creation of the world, why does God continue to do the work of redemption? Doesn’t this mean that it has not been completed yet?
From a human perspective, in terms of time, the work of creation has not been completed, because man created by God sinned and was kicked out of the garden of Eden. Death came upon mankind, so God’s work had been corrupted and has not been completed.
God’s work of creation encompasses the work of creation and redemption: God created man, but man sinned and became an adulterer and was kicked out of the garden of Eden; but God redeemed the adulteress and made her a bride, taking her back to the garden of Eden.
From God’s perspective, that is, from eternity, this work of creation and redemption has been completed for God. Therefore, Ephesians 1:4 explains that “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love”.
Today, when we look at the true church from a human perspective, we see many imperfections, human weaknesses, sins and failures, and bottlenecks that we cannot break through in our service in order to grow. But from God’s perspective, we see the perfection of the true church. The book of Revelation allows us to see the final perfection of the true church. God will definitely complete it, so there is no need to be discouraged.
4 – 11: 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”; and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.”
Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, 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.”
For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
1 There remains another Sabbath rest left for God’s people
Joshua led the people into the land of Canaan. They should be able to enjoy the rest in the land of Canaan, but they hardened their hearts and disobeyed God’s words, and as a result they were taken captive in Babylon. From this point of view, has God failed in calling people to enter His rest? God did not fail because God will establish another day so that people can enter God’s rest.
Joshua did not bring the Israelites into a true rest. There must be another Sabbath rest for God’s people. In the end, God will send His son Jesus Christ to preach the gospel of the kingdom of heaven, so that those who believe can enter into the promises of God. His rest is eternal rest in heaven.
2 We must strive to enter that rest. Why do we have to work so hard to get in?
Hasn’t the Lord prepared a resting place for us? Aren’t we able to enter that rest by faith? Why do we have to work hard?
Relying on faith is the beginning, and entering rest is the end. There will be obstacles and temptations along the way, and we must move forward with faith.
It is just as God promised the good land of Canaan, but the Israelites must still overcome difficulties to leave Egypt by faith, enter Canaan by faith and defeat all their enemies.
Therefore, we must strive to enter that rest, not by human labor but by human faith.
Back then, God’s people were not allowed to enter the land of Canaan promised by God because of their disbelief. Today, God’s people should not imitate that disbelief and fall.
12 – 13: For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
1 The Word of God is living. The original text is that the Word of God is living and brings life and vitality to people. The Lord has said: “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (Jn 6:63)
2 The Word of God is powerful and can produce good fruit. Paul said: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” (2 Tim 3:16). Many people receive hope, courage, and comfort when they hear the Lord’s words, which change their lives.
3 The word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword. God’s words are sharp and can pierce into people’s hearts and expose their thoughts and intents.
The word of God can discern everything about a person, even if it is hidden deep in the soul and spirit, the joints and marrow – they cannot hide even in the most secret places.
The heart is more deceitful than all things and desperately wicked, who can know it? (Jer 17:9). But the Lord searches the heart and tests the mind, to give every man according to his ways,
according to the fruit of his doings. (Jer 17:10)
Therefore, we should accept God’s way rather than being against God’s way, and we should obey God’s way instead of escaping from God’s way.
14 – 16: Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
1 We must hold fast to our confession: The word “confession” is a very heavy word, and it is a confession of faith. Even if you are beheaded, you must believe in this Word. Holding fast to the Word of God is one’s responsibility towards the Word of God. The Lord said to the church in Thyatira: But hold fast what you have till I come.
2 Why did the Lord Jesus need to be tempted?
*. The main purpose of being tempted was to prove that He was truly innocent, so He could be used as a sin offering.
The Lord is not sinless because He cannot sin, but He is sinless because He could have sinned but did not. This is truly being sinless.
*. The Lord has been tempted to give us a powerful testimony and an effective example. He can help us overcome sin because He himself has overcome the temptation of sin.
For example, if you have never taken drugs and you try to persuade others to quit taking drugs, your persuasion will not be effective because they will think that you do not understand the pain of quitting drugs at all.
If you have the experience of successfully quitting drugs, your persuasion will be powerful, and those who take drugs will be willing to get close to you and ask for advice because you were able to overcome the drug addiction.
*. The Lord Jesus wanted to be tempted to show us that He has been tempted just like us, but He has not sinned. He can help us, so we can come to the throne of grace without fear to receive mercy and receive grace to help in time of need.
3 Do we dare to come before God?
When we see that a preacher or our parents are very fierce, we dare not come to them. We see that God is holy and righteous, and He will judge those who are unholy and do not act righteously.
We dare not come before God; but that is for future judgement at the judgement seat of God. Now, we are at God’s throne of grace, and we ought to confess our sins and repent, and God will forgive our sins and unholiness. If we do not come boldly to the throne of grace now, we will have to face God’s judgement in the future.
