Hebrews 4:1-16

How can I get to heaven?

Hebrews

Ian Mackervoy

Chapter 4

Warning to obey 3:7-4:2

4v1 The same promise of entering the place of God's rest is still there for us. We should be afraid that some of us may miss our chance to go in. v2 We have heard the good news just as they did in the desert. The message that they heard did not benefit them. They heard it, but they did not accept it.

Verses 7-9 Moses was true to God and trusted in him. Most of the people who came out of *Egypt with him failed to trust in God. They did not listen to what God said to them. They did not obey what God told them through Moses. As a result, God did not take them to the *promised land. Instead he led them in the desert for 40 years. Although they saw God’s great works, they still refused to obey him. They strained God’s patience. The Holy Spirit now says to us, ‘Do not be like them’. When God speaks, we are to listen to what he says and to obey him. In those days God spoke by Moses. Today God speaks by one who is greater than the *prophets or the *angels or Moses. The Word of God to us is Jesus and he demands that we put our trust in him and obey him. The Hebrews in the desert let their hearts become hard as they turned from God. (The word ‘heart’ in the Bible often means how we think or feel.) It would be easy for us to do the same, but the Holy Spirit warns us not to do so.

Verses 10-11 The Hebrews did not trust God. They turned away from him in their hearts and minds. They refused to do what he wanted them to do. They did not know God's ways because they would not listen. For these reasons God was angry with them. God was so angry that he declared that they would never know his rest. So it was that all the adults who came out of *Egypt died in the desert (Deuteronomy 2:14). Only a couple of them, Caleb and Joshua, did go on trusting in God. They entered the *promised land.

The rest of God points to a future of peace and plenty. It is a place where God will bless and keep his people forever. It is the *promised land, where the *Messiah is king. It is the place that will be home to all who trust in Jesus. (Verses 7-11 are from Psalms 95:7-11)

Verse 12 The writer warns us to take care that we do not turn away from God. It is possible for Christians to go back to their old ways and to forget God. We must make sure that we do not do that. To God that would be the action of an evil heart that does not trust in God. To go back from following Jesus would be to fight against the God who is alive and active. All who do turn back will one day have to stand before him and face his judgement.

Verse 13 We need to help each other to be strong in our *belief in Jesus. Each one of us needs the strength that comes by sharing our lives with others who trust God. We should at all times encourage each other to be true to God. There is much in this world that would lead us away from God. There are many things that speak lies into our hearts and could make us forget that we belong to God. With the help and teaching that we can bring to each other we can be strong in our *belief. Without this help it is easier for the devil to cause us to fall away from our God.

Verse 14 When persons first trust in Jesus, they have a real confidence in what he has done. The new *believer is sure that he has a new life in Jesus. This life is sharing in the very life of Jesus. But to start the Christian life is not enough. We must go on in this life and grow in Jesus until he takes us to be with himself. We do not dare to turn away from our confidence in him.

Verse 15 In the desert the Hebrews had made their hearts hard. They turned away from God. As a result God did not let them go into the *promised land. This is a warning for us. In our day when we hear the word of God we should obey it. We must not be like them and refuse to listen to God.

Verse 16 In verses 16 to 18 the writer asks 3 things and gives 3 answers. These are about the people who turned away from God. Who were the people who heard God's voice and yet would not obey him? It was the men and women whom Moses led out of *Egypt. They had seen all the wonderful works that God had done to make the king set them free. God gave them food and drink and all that they needed. In the desert he led them and kept them safe. Yet they would not accept God as their ruler.

Verse 17 Who was it that made God angry for the 40 years in the desert? It was those people who did not trust him. They all died in the desert because of their *sins. God is always angry about *sin, but he will forgive all who *repent of their *sin. He can do this because Jesus has accepted our punishment by dying for us on the cross.

Verse 18 Who did God say could never come in and rest with him? It was those people who would not obey him. God had done so much for them, yet they still went their own way. They refused to do what God wanted them to do.

Verse 19 They would not accept God as their leader. They did what they knew to be wrong. They would not obey God, but did what they wanted to do. They did not put their trust in God. They could not enter the land of blessing that God would have given to them. They are a warning for us. We must put our trust in God and do what he wants us to do. As we believe in Jesus, we can be sure that God will bring us to his *promised land. If we do not trust and obey him, we too shall not be able to go in.

Verse 1 God has promised a place of rest that will last forever. This place is open to all who walk in God's way. The *promised land of the Hebrews is to us a picture of that place of rest. The adults who came out of *Egypt failed to go in because they did not trust God. The promise of rest forever with God still stands and is for us. We must take care not to miss our chance to enter that place of rest. We must make sure that we are in the way that leads there. When we die, God will judge us and, if we are not walking in his way, it will then be too late.

Verse 2 The Hebrews heard the good news of the promises of God. We also have heard the good news as they did. They were slaves in *Egypt, but God set them free. God did many powerful works to make the king let them go. God then promised to lead them as a nation to a new land. To receive the promises of God they had to put their trust in him. They failed to do this, for they did not accept the word of God. It was for this reason that they died in the desert and did not go into the new land.

We have heard the good news that Jesus has come to save us. He has taken our *sins away in his own body. He has died for us, so that we might live to God. We shall also fail, if we do not trust in Jesus. The way to God's rest is in Jesus and is for all who follow him.

The Hebrews failed because they did not trust God and obey what he said. We shall not fail, if we hear the good news of Jesus and accept it.

Warning not to miss God’s promised rest 4:3-13

v3 We Christians enter that place of God's rest. The Hebrews in the desert would not accept the good news. That made God angry. He said, ‘They shall never enter my place of rest’ (Psalms 95:11). Yet he finished his work when he made the world. v4 Somewhere in the Bible God spoke of the seventh day in these words: ‘And on the seventh day God rested from all his work’ (Genesis 2:2). v5 Now, in the earlier words above, God says, ‘They shall never enter my place of rest’ (Psalms 95:11). v6 That means that some other people will enter it. But the people who heard the good news in the past did not enter it, because they did not obey God. v7 So God fixed another day, calling it ‘today’, when a long time later he spoke by David. He said, ‘Today if you hear the voice of God, do not make your hearts hard’ (Psalms 95:7-8). v8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not speak later about another day. v9 So there still remains a perfect rest for the people of God. v10 Anyone who enters God's place of rest, also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.

v11 So let us be eager to enter that place of rest. We must be careful not to miss our chance, like the people in the desert who did not obey God. v12 The word of God is living and full of power. It is sharper than any sword that cuts on both edges. It cuts between *soul and *spirit. It cuts between joints and muscles. It knows people’s thoughts and attitudes. v13 No one can hide from God. His eyes see all things as they really are. It is to him that we all must give an account for what we do.

Verses 3-5 The *Jews believed that they were the people of God. Because they were the children of Abraham by birth, they were sure that they would go to heaven. They were wrong, because to enter God’s place of rest, people must obey him. When we know and accept Jesus Christ, we become the people of God. God has said that the people who did not have *belief in him would never enter his rest (Psalms 95:11). Nobody can go in without *belief in what God has said. God has spoken to us in his Son, Jesus Christ, who is the only way to life with God.

God rested after he had made the earth and the sky (Genesis 2:2). So the place of rest that we speak of has been ready since then. It remains open for us to enter and to be at home with God.

Verse 6 God has made this place of rest to be the home for *human beings. There is nothing that can stop God from keeping his promises. They can be for us, but only if we take hold of them in *belief. The people to whom God made the promises at first did not obey him. They heard the good news, but they failed to go in. It is God's plan that some people will enter. So the promises are now for us to accept.

Verse 7 Because the people who first received God’s promise failed, God has fixed another day. That day is today, and we can now trust God and enter his place of rest. So David warns us all (Psalms 95:7-8). He said that when you hear God's voice today, do not let your hearts become hard. We need to hear and obey the call of God or we too shall not rest with God.

Verse 8 Joshua, who came after Moses could not lead the people to this place of rest. He did lead them into the land that God had promised them. That land was not the place of God’s rest, but it was a picture of it. If it had been that place, God would not have fixed another day. The name ‘Joshua’ in *Hebrew is the same as ‘Jesus’ in *Greek. The ‘Jesus’ (Joshua) of the Old Testament could not lead them into rest with God, but Jesus Christ can lead us there.

Verse 9 There is still this place of rest for the people of God. The word ‘rest’ can have more than one meaning. Here it has a special meaning. God had told the Hebrews to keep one day each week as a holiday. On this day they were to do no work. It was a day for praising God. It was a day for them to spend time with God. This 1 day in 7 was the *Sabbath day. Here the writer speaks of the rest like the *Sabbath. It will be a time when there is rest from all work. It will be a time when the people of God will enjoy him.

Verse 10 When God had made the earth and sky, he rested from his work. When a person enters God's place of rest, he stops doing his own work. There men and women live with God and enjoy each other.

Verse 11 We must be eager to enter this place of rest. We must make sure that we get there by coming to know God in Jesus. We must be careful that we do not fail like the people in the desert. They did not trust God.

Verse 12 The word of God is anything that God says. Jesus is also the Word of God. It is by Jesus that God has spoken to us. Jesus is God shown to us in a human body. Here the word of God is what God speaks and teaches. We have this word of God written down in the Bible. It is normal for God to speak to us through the Bible. His words are alive and full of power. God’s word goes right into our inner life. It is like a sharp sword that cuts on both edges. In a fight a sword cuts into the body. It can cut between bones. The word of God is like that with our minds and *spirits. It makes plain all the hidden parts of our lives, whether good or bad. Our lives are completely open to God and he knows all that there is to know about us. There can be no secrets hidden from God.

Verse 13 God sees and knows all about every living thing. He sees and knows all that there is to know about every man and woman. To him each life is like an open book. We cannot hide anything from God. One day we must stand before him and give an account of our lives. He will judge us by what we have done and by what we accept about Jesus his Son. It will be a terrible thing to stand before God for the people who do not know Jesus.

3 The greatest chief priest 4:14-7:28

Jesus is superior to Aaron 4:14-5:14

Our confidence 4:14-16

v14 We have a great chief priest who has gone through the heavens. He is Jesus, the Son of God. Let us never fail in our *belief and trust in him. v15 We have a chief priest who can feel with us when we are weak. He knows how weak we are. He had to suffer testing in every way like us. We fail, but he did not do anything wrong. v16 Let us approach God’s royal seat with boldness, that is, where God’s goodness is. We shall receive from him his goodness, support and the help that we need.

Verse 14 We have a great chief priest. He has gone on our behalf to the place where God lives. The *Jews spoke of many heavens, perhaps 3 or 7. Jesus has gone above all the heavens to the top place. The chief priest of the *Jews was only a man. He stood before God in the *temple on earth. Jesus as our chief priest is more than a man. He is the Son of God. He is always there with God himself. As we have such a chief priest, we must go on trusting in him. We can be sure that he will not fail us.

Verse 15 When Jesus came to earth, he became a real human. He lived as a man in all the experiences of life, the same as any person. He did not do any wrong, but he took all our *sins to himself. He died a terrible death of real and extreme pain. Now he shares with us all that we feel in our bodies and in our minds. He knows how weak we are, and when we suffer, he suffers with us.

Verse 16 Here is a chief priest whom we can trust. He took our *sins away when he died on the cross. He is now with God and is the agent for all who trust in him. So we do not need to have a chief priest on earth to go to God for us. We can be bold to approach God himself, because of the work of Jesus. We can always look to him for help when we need it. In his love he will be kind to us, for he knows how weak we are. He will pardon all our *sins and make us clean again. He will give us the strength that we need to help us in difficult times.

Egypt ~ a country where the Israelites were slaves before the exodus.
Israelites ~ the people of Israel.
exodus ~ a word used to refer to the time when God brought the people of Israel out of Egypt.
Israel ~ God changed the name of Jacob to Israel (Genesis 35). The sons of Jacob were the beginning of the nation of Israel. The land that God promised to them is the land of Israel.'promised land ~ the land that God promised to give to Abraham and his family.
angel ~ a spirit person made by God to serve him and take his messages. There are angels who sinned and now serve the Devil.
spirit ~ that part of a person which we cannot see but which can speak to other spirits or to the soul; there are other spirits which can be good or evil.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God; sins are the wrong things that we do.
soul ~ the part of a person that we cannot see that is in us during our life and lives after we die; it is our inner life (not the body); it is that part of people that God speaks to through their spirits.
Messiah ~ the special servant of God, the name God chose for Jesus Christ. The person that God sent to save his people from their sins. God promised the Jews that Messiah would come. Jesus is that Messiah but the Jews still do not believe it.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God; sins are the wrong things that we do.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children. It is also a name for the people of Israel.
Israel ~ God changed the name of Jacob to Israel (Genesis 35). The sons of Jacob were the beginning of the nation of Israel. The land that God promised to them is the land of Israel.
belief ~ what we accept as true... see faith.
faith ~ to trust someone or something; belief and trust in God and in Jesus his Son; belief that the Bible is true.
believers ~ those who know and accept Christ.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God; sins are the wrong things that we do.'repent, repentance ~ a change of mind and heart, to turn away from sin and turn to God.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God; sins are the wrong things that we do.
soul ~ the part of a person that we cannot see that is in us during our life and lives after we die; it is our inner life (not the body); it is that part of people that God speaks to through their spirits.
spirit ~ that part of a person which we cannot see but which can speak to other spirits or to the soul; there are other spirits which can be good or evil.
spirit ~ that part of a person which we cannot see but which can speak to other spirits or to the soul; there are other spirits which can be good or evil.
soul ~ the part of a person that we cannot see that is in us during our life and lives after we die; it is our inner life (not the body); it is that part of people that God speaks to through their spirits.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children. It is also a name for the people of Israel.
Israel ~ God changed the name of Jacob to Israel (Genesis 35). The sons of Jacob were the beginning of the nation of Israel. The land that God promised to them is the land of Israel.
Hebrew ~ a Jewish or Israelite person. The language of the Jewish people.
Greek ~ the language in which the authors wrote the New Testament.
Sabbath ~ the Sabbath was the seventh day of the week which was special to the Jews. It was a day on which the people were to rest from work (Exodus 20:8-11).
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children. It is also a name for the people of Israel.
Israel ~ God changed the name of Jacob to Israel (Genesis 35). The sons of Jacob were the beginning of the nation of Israel. The land that God promised to them is the land of Israel.
temple ~ a special building for the worship of God. The Jews had one in Jerusalem for the worship of the true God.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise, thanks and respect.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children. It is also a name for the people of Israel.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel; the temple of God was there.
Israel ~ God changed the name of Jacob to Israel (Genesis 35). The sons of Jacob were the beginning of the nation of Israel. The land that God promised to them is the land of Israel.