Hebrews 4 Overview: At the end of closing Hebrews Chapter 3 we see the failure of Israel to enter God’s rest because of unbelief. The author gives a reminder that those who rebelled against God died in the wilderness.
1. Transitioning to Chapter 4 the Hebrews see a comparison of their fathers in the wilderness and them today that since the promise still remains for us to enter into His rest , let us fear lest we seem to fall short of it.
a. Moses indeed preached the gospel of entering into God’s rest which is the promise land flowing with milk and honey which means they heard gospel of God’s rest. So why did they not enter into this place of rest?
b. Answer: Because according to Verse 2 the gospel was not received mixed with faith.
2. Faith in God Must Be mixed with Fear of God
a. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom – Proverbs 9:10
b. Don’t fear of what man can do to you but fear God.
c. According to Exodus 5:21 Israel feared Pharoah more than they trusted God that he was going to deliver them from Pharoah. They wouldn’t disrespect Pharoah the way they did Moses. They were scared of Pharoah so they obeyed Pharoah.
d. So in this the Hebrews are to learn that faith in God brings forth rest.
e. Verse 3 says “For we who have believed do enter that rest” but since the Hebrews heard the words preached but did not mix it with faith God continues by saying
i. “So I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest,”. – Psalm 95:11
f. God has been resting since the beginning of creation (Genesis 2:2-3)
g. God worked for six days and rested. He never went back to work to the good works that He has created. Everything obeys God from them six days except man Jesus has come to redeem man back into the rest of God. Or the obedience of God.
h. For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”. Hebrews 4:4
3. God’s Rest is in the faith of Jesus Christ: - Matthew 11:28-30; Romans 3:21-22; Ephesians 2:8-9
a. Cease from the law of works and accept by faith the rest in Christ
b. Verse 5 and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest”
c. Verse 6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience.
d. Why did the people who heard it not enter God’s rest?
4. Verse 7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David “Today, after such a long time, as it has been said:
a. “Today, if you will hear His voice
i. Do not harden your hearts.”
b. Here Paul applies Psalm 95 as a warning to men today not to harden their hearts and be cut off, as Israel was in the wilderness.
5. Christ rest is greater than the rest Joshua could offer.
a. Joshua came up under Moses but Moses died on Mount Nebo before the children of Israel made it into the promise land.
b. Joshua was the one to lead the children of Israel into the promise land in war and division of the territory to the 12 tribes of Israel.
c. The children of Israel finally made it to the promise land but in Verse 8 it says
i. “For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.
d. Meaning that the rest Joshua had given of the promised land was not considered the resting in God
6. Christ provides eternal rest for your soul; Joshua did not
7. Verse 9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God which is Eternal Rest
a. The rest that remains for the people of God could not be:
i. The Sabbath of (Genesis 2:1-4, for this was God’s rest not man’s rest)
ii. The Sabbath of Exodus 20:8-11
iii. The rest of the promised land because David and Paul spoke of a future rest even after these 3 rests
b. The rest that remains for the people of God could only be:
i. Rest in Christ (Matthew 11:28-30)
ii. Eternal Rest in the next life (Hebrews 3:11; 18; 4:1; Revelations 14:13)
8. Rest means katapausis; cessation from labor so that the weary body can be refreshed
9. Verse 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
10. Even though Israel entered Canaan they still worked and missed God’s rest
i. God wants us to rest spiritually in Him by surrendering.
ii. Surrendering means to ceased from all of your dead works or to give up
iii. For Abraham had faith and it was counted to Him as righteousness. Christ makes you righteous in God and not your works.
iv. Rest comes by faith in Christ
11. Adherence to God’s word disciplines you into God’s rest
a. Verse 11 Let us therefore be (diligent) to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
b. For when God speaks His words are alive and powerful and cuts even down to the soul and spirit. God’s word discerns meaning it reads between the falsehood of our heart, thoughts, and intentions.
c. So God knows if you are truly diligent because nothing is hidden from Him but all things are naked before Him. (Verse 13) This is the same God that we all must give an account to.
d. Therefore we shall be diligent about God’s word so that we can enter that rest
12. Christ is Our Great High Priest and we no longer have to look to Priest on earth to atone for our sins.
a. So Jesus is not only word of God (John 1:1) but He also is our High Priest
b. Christ was sinless High Priest
c. Christ is a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18-20; Hebrews 5:6; 10; 20)
d. What is a High Priest? Who was a High Priest in the Old Testament?
e. He is not only just a High Priest but He is the GREAT HIGH PRIEST who pass through the heavens.
f. Verse 4:14 Seeing then that we have a (GREAT) High Priest who has passed through the heavens, his name is Jesus who is the Son of God,
13. Christ Sympathy
a. Verse 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all pints tempted as we are, yet without sin.
b. Verse 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.