HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 4:1 Continuing to use Psalms 95:1, the
author focuses on the word “rest.” The section makes most sense if
the rest is understood as having begun but still awaiting completion.
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HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 4:2 Comparisons continue between the exodus
generation and the church. Both received God’s declaration of
deliverance (GOOD NEWS). Both were called to respond in FAITH. The
exodus generation did not receive the promised benefit because they
failed to respond in faith. Their f... [ Continue Reading ]
HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 4:3 WE WHO HAVE BELIEVED. Faith in God’s
good news is necessary to ENTER God’s REST. The “rest” of God in
Psalms 95:11 (THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST) is connected with God’s
resting ON THE SEVENTH DAY after his work of creation. The fact that
the exodus generation was not all... [ Continue Reading ]
HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 4:6 Verse Hebrews 4:6 restates the
conclusions of vv. Hebrews 4:2. Verse Hebrews 4:7 advances the
argument by suggesting that the TODAY of Psalms 95:7 holds out to the
worshiper the possibility of entering even now in a partial way into
the end-time “rest” and blessing that t... [ Continue Reading ]
HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 4:8 FOR IF JOSHUA HAD GIVEN THEM REST. One
could conceivably argue that the “rest” that the exodus generation
sought was their entrance into the Promised Land. However, that
entrance occurred in the days of Joshua, and Psalms 95:1 (with its
promise of “today” entering into Go... [ Continue Reading ]
HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 4:11 THEREFORE (in light of the conclusion
from vv. Hebrews 4:9) STRIVE TO ENTER THAT REST. This phrase again
emphasizes the need for perseverance (see Hebrews 2:1; Hebrews 3:14;
Hebrews 4:14).
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HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 4:12 The warning continues: faithless
disobedience will not go unnoticed. WORD OF GOD. Usually this phrase
in Hebrews 1:1 refers to the message of salvation (Hebrews 13:7;
compare Hebrews 4:2), but here the “word” is pictured as God’s
personal utterance, LIVING, ACTIVE, sharp... [ Continue Reading ]
HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 4:14 As high priest, Jesus is superior to
the Mosaic priesthood due to (1) his ability to sympathize with human
need, (2) his perfect holiness, (3) his eternal call to the priestly
order of Melchizedek, (4) his initiating a new and better covenant,
(5) his ministering in the... [ Continue Reading ]
HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 4:15 TEMPTED. The Greek word can refer
either to temptation to make one sin (compare Matthew 4:1) or testing
designed to strengthen one’s faith (compare Luke 22:28). Here it
means temptation to sin. IN EVERY RESPECT. Jesus was tempted in every
area of personal life. He (unlik... [ Continue Reading ]
HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 4:16 DRAW NEAR is used consistently in
Hebrews 1:1 to describe a person approaching God (Hebrews 7:25;
Hebrews 10:1, Hebrews 10:22; Hebrews 11:6; Hebrews 12:18,... [ Continue Reading ]