Hebrews chapter 4

 

Memory verse: Hebrews 4:12

 

Some people find the book of Leviticus to be uninteresting and irrelevant to Christians. Some people even go so far as to dismiss the entire old testament. Although we no longer perform the animal sacrifices and other rituals, we cannot fully understand the meaning of what Jesus fulfilled for us when He came and died for us without understanding how the old and new testaments are related. Also, much false doctrine is based on misunderstanding this relationship. This is the main purpose of the book of Hebrews. It is the new testament explanation of the book of Leviticus. All of the details in the tabernacle of Moses have symbolic meaning which is fulfilled in the new testament (1Corinthians 10:11, Galatians 3:24-25, Colossians 2:17, Hebrews 8:5, Hebrews 10:1). A key word in the book of Hebrews is “better”, comparing the superiority of the new testament to the old  testament. Jesus is better than angels (Hebrews 1:4). We have a better hope (Hebrews 7:19). We have a better testament or covenant (Hebrews 7:22, Hebrews 8:6). We have better promises (Hebrews 8:6, Hebrews 11:39-40). We have a better country (Hebrews 11:16). We have better blood (Hebrews 12:24). Jesus is better than Moses (Hebrews 3:1-6).

 

Day 1 – mixed with faith

Verses 1-3

God promised Israel they would inherit a land where they could be at rest from slavery and their enemies. However, the generation that came out of Egypt with Moses could not enter in because of unbelief (Numbers 13-14, Hebrews 3). We need to realize the same thing can happen to us. God has promised us a place in His kingdom, but we can also miss it because of unbelief. Just we have been given the word of God, the Israelites had the word for their day. However it did  them no good – not because it had no power, but because they did not mix their faith with the word that was preached to them. Everyone has faith, even an atheist (Romans 1:18-32, Romans 12:3). God gives us the ability to choose where we place that faith. To boil it down, we either place our faith in the word of God, or in man. God ordained from the beginning of time that there would be a church that would enter into His rest, and this will happen. We as individuals must exercise our faith in order to be part of it. The new testament does not apply to any specific group of people. Each person must choose for themselves.

 

Day 2 – the biggest word in the Bible - if

Verses 4-6

In Genesis chapter 1 and 2, when God created the world in 6 literal days and rested on the seventh, He was establishing a precedent for the future. He was establishing the principle of the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11). He was also establishing the basis for the eternal rest He will give to His people. However there is an “if”. That means this promise is not unconditional, as almost all the promises in the Bible are. There are 118 verses in the new testament alone that show that saved people can be lost. There are 101 verses in which a promise related to salvation is made conditional with the word “if”. The conditions are not on God. They are on us. We must believe and obey.

 

 

Day 3 – after so long a time

Verses 7-9

Here Paul quotes Psalm 95:7-11, upon which this passage is based. When we hear the voice of God, we should not harden our hearts in unbelief like Pharaoh (Exodus 4-14, 1Samuel 6:6). When God speaks, and we don’t listen, we are hardening our hearts (Mark 3:5, Mark 6:52, Mark 8:17, John 12:40). God is very patient. It was over 400 years between Numbers 13 and Psalm 95. God was still admonishing His people to believe, but there comes a time when our opportunity to receive what God has for us passes us by because of unbelief. God is not asking us to do some impossible thing. He does require our faith, though. If we hear His voice today, we need to believe today. In verse 8, this is not Jesus Christ. It is Joshua. That is the Hebrew version of the name Jesus. It is talking about when Joshua lead Israel into the promised land. Since God later spoke of another day, He is talking about the future eternal blessing He has for His people.

 

Day 4 – the word of God is quick

Verses 10-13

As a man works looking forward to his retirement, we can work for God looking forward to our eternal rest. The word of God is alive, powerful, and sharp. It is not just words on a page. It is piercing, even to the separating of soul and spirit. Although the terms mind, heart, soul, and spirit are interchangeable throughout the Bible, here the word of God is so precisely discerning that it can separate them. It can penetrate into bone and joint. It can critique and judge the thoughts and motives of our innermost heart. There is nothing hidden from God. He knows all about us, inside and out. We have to answer to Him, so we might as well be honest before Him. He knows if we really believe or not. He can handle the truth, and works with us when we are sincere.

 

Day 5 – come boldly unto the throne

Verses 14-16

Jesus Christ is our high priest. As the high priest would go into the holy of holies in the tabernacle once a year by blood to obtain pardon for the people, He went into heaven for us by His own blood (Hebrews 9:12 & 23-24). He knows what it is to face temptation and overcome it, so He is able to help us do it too. Therefore we do not have to be intimidated when we come before the throne of grace (2Timothy 1:7). We can speak freely and openly with confidence, courage, and assurance. We need to fear God (Hebrews 4:1), but the fear of God does not drive us from Him, but to Him. He has grace to help us when we need it, and we always need it. We should not speak foolishly before God (Job 1:20-22, Ecclesiastes 5:1-7), but neither should we be afraid to come to Him.