Hebrews 4

Good morning. Hope you've had good mornings, or days, or nights, wherever you are on this planet.

In general, Hebrews 4 continues the theme of "entering into God's rest", goes on to partially say how we may enter that rest, and ends with the exhortation to enter into that rest by holding fast to our confession that Jesus is the Son of God.

In vv. 1-2, the writer talks about how we as Christians must perservere the promise that God gave first the Israelites, then to all Jews and Gentiles who believe. The Israelites did not measure up to the promise because they failed to be "united by faith with those who listened" (v. 2). It doesn't help us Christians if we adopt the same attitude as those Israelites who received the message but "failed to reach" the rest promised us because of disobedience (v. 1, cf. v. 6).

The next passage was rather difficult for me to understand, so my thoughts on this will seem kind of fragmentary. The writer in vv. 3-10 gives somewhat of an ambiguous meaning of what "rest" in God is. Verse 3 emphasizes the importance of faith, saying that "we who have believed enter that rest", not "we who have received the message". Verse 4 describes what God's rest is, referencing Genesis 2:2, where God rests on the seventh day of Creation. I agree with the Expositer's Commentary's interpretation in that this means that He is resting in the knowledge that all He created was very good and taking satisfaction from that, not that He is idly lounging about. In vv. 5-7, the writer talks of the fulfillment of God's promise. The original generation to whom He gave it (i.e., the "wilderness" generation of Israelites who were led out of Egypt) and the writer's contemporaries (i.e., Christians of the 1st century A.D.). I think verse 7 is most illuminating about this. The writer quotes Psalm 95:11, something David wrote: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts". The use of the word "today" stresses the urgency with which we must act on our faith. We cannot be complacent and apathetic in our faith, but active and alert. Then we enter the hard part, at least for me. Verse 8-10 concludes this section by directly addressing the rest that is promised to those who believe. Verse 8 talks of Joshua, which is the Hebrew name of the Greek name "Jesus"; I don't think it refers to Jesus though, because it says "For if Joshua had given them rest", which is a contrary-to-fact condition - Joshua, the successor of Moses, didn't lead them into God's rest did he? Then, in vv. 9-10, the writer talks about rest as a "Sabbath rest", a kind of rest from works, just as God rested after Creation. It is indeed a promise, but one gained through faith and not from mere reception. Hopefully what I wrote about vv. 3-10 was not too...obfuscated.

I like the next passage. It speaks of how we should work to enter the promised rest. It is through God's Word (Jesus is also known as God's Word). Verse 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." I don't think God's Word is literally cutting us to pieces, but does in fact penetrate our innermost being. It convicts us when we read it, because it speaks truth! This is how we may "strive to enter that rest" so that we may not "fall by the same sort of disobedience" [as the Israelites did] (v. 11). We are all completely exposed before God and eventually we will have to give an account to Him (v. 13).

Okay, deep breath. Almost done.

The writer writes in verses 14-16 about Jesus as the "Great High Priest". This is a reference to the Jewish custom of the High Priest offering sacrfices on the "Day of Atonement"; it is not just any priest who does this, but the High Priest. And our High Priest is Jesus, who has given the perfect sacrifice for all sins. Verse 15 also says that we don't have an arrogant High Priest who holds himself holier than the people to whom he ministers - He is "one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin" (v. 15). Jesus is divine, but also fully human and did not succumb like we do to temptations and the deceitfulness of sin. So, in a hortatory sentence, the writer concludes that we should approach the throne of grace in confidence (i.e., in faith), "that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (v. 16).

I got the most out of vv. 11-13. If you notice throughout Hebrews, the writer references many verses from the Old Testament to support the argument expounded in this letter. The writer knows the Word of God well and uses it to defend the faith. This is how we should read the Bible as well. Actively. Alertly. With a mind and attitude towards knowing God and not just reading. We'll also know what God wants us to do, what disobedience to God means. We'll know how sin affects us as inviduals and collectively as the community of the Church. I could go on listing things, but I think the point is pretty much there.

It's very easy to not read. Especially since we're on break. But if we don't read even on break...how will we read when we're busy with school? With a job? With a family? And it's not enough to read and know. We have to do it. Just like Josh likes to say. Do it.

Thanks for reading. I know I wrote a lot.

- Tim