Hebrews 4 - Listen to God While It Is Today!
A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God
4 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.[a] 3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”[b]
The observance of the/ Sabbath day was at the center of Jewish life. Honoring the Sabbath and keeping it holy is the 4th commandment. The Sabbath taught the Israelites to rest from work and set aside time to worship God. By not working, they were putting their trust in God to provide for them.
But the writer also refers to the rest the Israelites never entered because of their unfaithfulness. They never entered the rest of the promised land. Though they had the message given to them through Moses, they did not listen to him.
In the same way the Hebrew Christians had been given the good news, which led to rest in the ultimate sense of eternal life. The writer was giving them a subtle reminder that they needed to learn from their ancestors.
The old Puritan commentator John Owen described five features of this rest for the believer:
· Rest means peace with God.
· Rest means freedom from a servile, bondage-like spirit in the worship and service of God.
· Rest means deliverance from the burden of Mosaic observance.
· Rest means the freedom of worship according to the gospel.
· Rest means the rest that God Himself enjoys.
And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.” 5 And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”
This rest is after the pattern of God’s own rest on the seventh day from all His works, as described in the quote from Genesis 2:2. - Guzik
6 Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, 7 God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”[d]
Again the writer reminds them that every day is a day to put their trust in God. We can't say, "I will trust God tomorrow, I need a break today." Or, "I will do what God asked me to do when it is more convenient."
There is no time like the present to hear God's voice and obey it. And we know that it is the Holy Spirit who is that voice. The term for Holy Spirit mean "counselor and guide". Like any good counselor, they can give you direction, but if you don't listen to them, or don't the work required, you will never grow.
As I mentioned yesterday, every time we harden our heart toward God we take the risk of our hearts being increasingly harden until we don't listen to God at all.
When a Christian has a moral failure, like an affair, this is likely the result of a long period of not listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit. A series of bad decisions until one day you are in an adulterous relationship and have possibly destroyed your marriage. All of this could have been avoided if you would have listened to God's voice when it was "today!"
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works,[e] just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.
The Old Testament is full of examples of people through their disobedience who did not get to experience what God had for them.
Joshua entered a physical, temporary rest for Israel by conquering and settling the Promised Land, giving them peace from war (Joshua 11:23). However, the New Testament book of Hebrews explains this wasn't the ultimate "God's Rest," which is a deeper, eternal spiritual rest found in faith and obedience to Christ, something many Israelites, including Joshua's generation, failed to fully grasp, foreshadowing Jesus as the greater rest-giver.
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
These two verses are worthy of memory. They are a great summary of the importance of God's Word. The bible is living and active, meaning it is always speaking to us. In Latin it is called "Viva Vox", which means "living voice". God has surely spoken through the apostles and prophets, which is captured in the 66 books of the bible, but God continues to speak to us today. Of course, it is never out of alignment or in contradiction with the bible.
God's Word is like a sharp knife that reveals our inner heart condition, and the areas of our life that are out of alignment with God's Word. It is the "truth that sets us free". We sometimes don't want to hear the truth, but it is in these moments where sin's deceitfulness is exposed.
He reminds us that nothing is hidden from God in the first place. We may think we are fooling others, but we can never fool God. He knows our thoughts, actions, and motivations. In the end we are most accountable to God!
Jesus the Great High Priest
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,[f] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Fortunately the end of chapter 4 ends with the Good News. Though we all sin and stray from the voice of the Holy Spirit, we serve a merciful God. Because Jesus became one of us at Christmas, he knows what it is like to be human. Though he did not sin, he was tempted in every way. There is not a temptation you will experience in your lifetime, that Jesus has not gone through.
Not only has our high priest (Jesus) been tempted in every way, but he now sits at the right hand of the Father and intercedes for us. So, Jesus can help us in our time of need. Because of this we can approach God with confidence realizing that His grace is sufficient for us in Christ Jesus.
You not only find mercy, but also grace in your time of need.
Because we have a High Priest who is both omnipotent and compassionate, we can come boldly to His throne. Discouraging us from this access is a central strategy of Satan. The devil sometimes wants us to consider Jesus as unapproachable – perhaps encouraging us to come by Mary or by the saints instead of Jesus. Sometimes the devil wants us to think of Jesus as being powerless to help, not as one who sits on a throne in heaven.
Do you need to approach God for anything in your life?
When you pray or ask God for something are just hoping that he might listen and maybe even answer your prayer?
Or, do you approach God with confidence knowing Jesus is the source of your hope and grace?
Comments
Post a Comment