Hebrews A Study In The Book Of. Hebrews Overview –Chapters 1 - 2 – Jesus, Name Above All Names –Chapters 3 - 4: 13 – Yes, A Sweet Rest Is Remaining –Chapters

HebrewsHebrews

A Study In

The Book Of

HebrewsHebrews• Overview

– Chapters 1 - 2 – Jesus, Name Above All Names– Chapters 3 - 4:13 – Yes, A Sweet Rest Is Remaining– Chapters 4:14 - 7 – Christ Receiveth Sinful Men– Chapters 8 - 10:18 – The New Song– Chapters 10:19 - 12 – Faith Of Our Fathers

Yes, A Sweet Rest Is Remaining

• Summarizing this section, Ch. 3 – 4:13– In the previous section Jesus was elevated to his rightful place in

the scheme of the universe and in the divine plan for the salvation of mankind

– Now the author advances to his main objective: to show how Jesus is the fulfillment of the old Law

– The writer takes us back to the very origin of the Law and points out how much greater Jesus is than the ancient hero through whom the Law came, Moses


• Summarizing this section, Ch. 3 – 4:13– Jesus outshines Moses, the most important character of the OT– The Law was not designed ultimately for a wilderness

community, but for a settled and organized agricultural and commercial nation

– The Law had its real effect when Israel entered into the Promised Land and found a rest from their wanderings

– Thus, the author must also show that Jesus is superior to Joshua, who led the people into Canaan


• Summarizing this section, Ch. 3 – 4:13– Joshua led the 12 tribes to victory and enabled them to

undertake the full practice of the Law as a settled nation– Yet Joshua must take a place far below Jesus because Joshua

accomplished something only partial and temporary while Jesus established something perfect and eternal

– Thus, Jesus is superior to both Moses and Joshua


• Heb. 3:1-6– 3:1 – Christians are the called

• “Holy brethren” – set apart• “partakers of the heavenly calling”• All Christians are called through the gospel (2 Thess. 2:14)

– 3:1 – Jesus the Apostle• Jesus was an apostle only in that he was appointed and sent

– Heb. 10:4-7

– 3:2-6, comparisons and contrasts are made with Moses and Christ


• Heb. 3:1-6

• Moses– Temporary servant– Was a witness

testifying to the things which were to appear later

– Was a steward of the house

– Was in the house

• Christ– The eternal Son– Is the revelation itself

of the things written aforetime

– Is the builder of the house

– Is over the house


• Heb. 3:1-6– Moses loved and honored God– But Jesus is God!– So, to forsake the way of Christ for the way of Moses

is to go from the greater to the lesser!!!


• Heb. 3:1-6– We are God’s house if we hold fast to the end

• Application: If as a church we depart from the NT pattern we are no longer the NT church!!!

– It doesn’t matter if we keep the sign “Church of Christ” on the door!

• Application: Apostasy is possible!– Sinning so as to be lost is possible for the Christian!

– Look at how many conditional statements are given!

– Vss. 6, 7, 14, 15


• Christians can fall– 3:6 “whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the

rejoicing of the hope firm to the end”– 3:7-11 “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your

hearts as in the rebellion … Where your fathers tested Me … So I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My rest”

– 3:14 “For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end”

– 3:15 “Today, if you will hear His voice …”– 4:7 “Today, if you will hear His voice …”


• Christians can fall– 3:12 “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart

of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you become hardened through the deceitfulness of sin”

– 4:1 “Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it”

– 4:11 “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience”


• Heb. 3:7-19

• Israel in wilderness– First followed Moses– Later turned away from

Moses– Wanted to go back to

Egypt– In rejecting Moses, they

rejected God– Were judged

• Hebrew Christians– First followed Christ– In process of turning

away from Christ– Wanted to go back to

Judaism– In rejecting Christ, they

rejected God– Will be judged


• Now is the accepted time, Today is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2)– There are two philosophies of life:

• “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today”

• “Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow”

– Do not put off the commands of God until tomorrow!• See how the Hebrew writer stresses the immediacy and urgency of

God’s warning!– He doesn’t say “This year” “This month” or “This week”! – He says “Today!”


• “They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways”– This is an allusion to Numbers 14:22 “They have already tested

me ten times”• God’s direct judgment was not given after a single incident but by

the persistent tendency to refuse his instructions

• The problem was a heart problem– The error was first in the mind and thus intentional

• They could not say they were ignorant of God’s will!!!– They refused to be restricted by it– They wanted their own way!


• “They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways”– This is an allusion to Numbers 14:22 “They have already tested

me ten times”– God gives men chances, plural!!!

• If you were just one year past the age of accountability and you attended services three times a week …

– You will have turned down the invitation 156 times! (52 X 3)

• Further, there’s nothing to say that one cannot obey the gospel on days other than Sunday and Wednesday

– It takes about ten minutes to complete the process of baptism– So, if you are just one year past the age of accountability you will have

wasted 52,560 chances to be baptized!

And we actually wonder about people whom we believe haven’t had any

chances!?


• Heb. 4:1-10– 4:2 – The gospel was preached to us and to them

• This doesn’t mean the wilderness generation heard of Jesus• The good news of rest is what is under consideration• This is promised to all the faithful

– 4:2 – The good news will not benefit us unless it is mixed with faith and obedience

• No one will stumble into heaven or get there by accident


• Heb. 4:1-10– 4:3 – God’s works were finished from the foundation

of the world• Heaven was always there. It was established before creation• Thus, the fear was groundless that God, since he had

excluded the faithless Israelites from his rest, would not allow anyone else to enter it

• Time is irrelevant for the fulfillment of God’s eternal purposes• That which was finished at the beginning is reserved for the

end– God had to take Abel and Enoch somewhere!


• Heb. 4:1-10– 4:4 – Comparison to the Sabbath rest

• When Israel entered the land of Canaan there was still much work to do

– Clearing out seven nations greater and stronger than them

– Dividing up the land by lot

– Dealing with everyday problems of survival

» Philistines, Edomites, Moabites, Midianites, Ammonites

• God’s rest was a complete rest (Gen. 2:2)– It does not mean we will have no activities

– It just indicates we will have no struggles!!!

Heaven, A Sweet Rest

• Rev. 21:2– Heaven is the New Jerusalem

• Jerusalem was the most active city among the Jews– So, how could one ever say, “There won’t be anything to do in

heaven” (?????)

• The temple of God resided in Jerusalem and so Jerusalem was also the center of worship for all of God’s people

– Faithful Jews would travel many miles to appear at least three times “before the Lord” annually

• Jerusalem of old was filled with the praises of God and so will the New Jerusalem be filled with praises (Rev. 5:11-14)

Heaven, A Sweet Rest

• Heb. 4:11-13– What would keep us from entering this rest?

• Disobedience (v. 11)

– God has a sword that cuts both ways: His word, v. 12• Against the non-Christian and Christian• It is possible for the saved to lose their salvation

– There is nothing that we can hide from God• He knows if we are hardening our hearts• He knows if we are backsliding and drifting• He knows if we are just trying to “play church”

And we will answer!And we will answer!


• For the true children of God

• Where there will be no complaining

• Never a chastening rod

• Home of the soul, beautiful home

• There we shall rest, never to roam

• Free from all care, happy and bright

• Jesus is there, He is the Light

Will Heaven Be Your Home?

Believe the Gospel (Mk. 16:16)

Repent of sin (Acts 2:38)

Confess Jesus (Acts 8:36-39)

Be Baptized (Acts 22:16)

Remain Faithful unto Death (Rev. 2:10)

Documents

Hebrews A Study In The Book Of. Hebrews Overview –Chapters 1 - 2 – Jesus, Name Above All Names –Chapters 3 - 4: 13 – Yes, A Sweet Rest Is Remaining –Chapters