Hebrews 4, Entering God's Rest

The picture from Exodus, begun in the previous chapter, is of an Israelite nation on the verge of the promised land, stalling for 40 years across the Jordan River, unable to enter their promise because of their (deliberate) "unbelief".  The writer of Hebrews continues this metaphor, with a warning.

4:1-2
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.  For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. 

What is the rest?  In this metaphor, it is the "promised land".  Is it Heaven?  Eternal salvation? Confidence with God?  Commentators differ.  I think it is overly simplistic to call it "(eternal) salvation."  It is most likely a stable place of steady confidence in God.

4:3-5
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.'" And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world.  For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: "And on the seventh day God rested from all his work."  And again in the passage above he says, "They shall never enter my rest."

The author quotes from Psalm 95:11, continuing the study of the last half of that psalm.  In that psalm, David (or another psalmist) praises God for all of creation, ending with a warning about the importance of moving forward in trust and obedience, not turning back like the nation of Israel did in events named Meribah ("quarreling") and Massah ("testing".)

The author then reminds his/her listeners of the creation story, where "somewhere" it was written that God rested on the seventh day.  Clearly the author and the readers know where that was written!  The phrase "somewhere" is not one of ignorance but one of intimacy, an expression along the lines of "as we all know..."

A reading of Psalm 95 would make one naturally turn to the opening chapters of Genesis, as the psalm emphasizes God's creation.

4:6-10

It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience.  Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.  There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;  for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.

The quote in verse 7 ("Today") is again from Psalm 95, verses 7 and 8. The word "Today" is being used here as a way to emphasize the urgency of this message.  The readers need to respond to this message now.

The Greek word Yeshua appears 14 times in the book of Hebrews.  It is the Greek name for Jesus, but here, in verse 8, it is surely meant to mean Joshua, the Old Testament hero.  The names Jesus and Joshua are the same!

A basic interpretative question here is, "What is God's rest?  What is this 'Sabbath-rest' for the people of God?"

4:11-13
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.  For the word of God is living 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.  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.

In Christian cultural circles (in the US) it seems common to use "word of God" as a phrase for the Bible.  But the Bible has a number of different, related meanings for this phrase occurring in verse 12.  In Genesis 1, Jeremiah 23:29, Isaiah 55:11 (& 1 Thess 2:13) and other Old Testament places, the "word of God" is simply God-in-action.  When God acts, God's Word acts.

In John 1:1, we see Jesus identified as "The Word [Logos] of God".  This is not especially surprising.  If God's "Word" is God-in-action, and if Jesus is the "exact representation" of God in human form then, yes, Jesus represents God in action.

Occasionally, the "word of God" means the scriptures, as described throughout Psalm 119:9-11.  So there are three meanings of "word" in the Bible:  (1) God's commands, (2) Jesus, the embodiments of God's action, (3) Scripture.

Which is meant here?  Surely some combinations of meanings 1 & 2.

How is "the word" living and active?

4:14-16

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin.  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

What does it mean to have "gone through the heavens"?

How is Jesus described here?  Why are we to have confidence?

The high priest both comforts us and stands for us.   This repeats the theme of 2:18: our high priest is sympathetic to us.

Hebrews 3, One Greater than Moses

In the first two chapters of this letter, our author emphasizes that Jesus is God, far above the angels. Now the author compares Jesus with that ancient Jewish hero, Moses.

3:1-4
Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.  He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house.   Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.  For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.

What is the house here?  How does the metaphor of house & house-builder fit into the Jewish point of view?

What role does Jesus have?  What is he called here?  Note how the roles & titles of Jesus seem to morph; the author is not consistent; his metaphor is fluid.

3:5-6
Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the future.  But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

Jesus is the architect/owner of "God's house"; Moses is the butler who welcomes you in.

"God's house" is equivalent to God's kingdom, or (in New Testament language) the universal Church.

3:7-11
So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice,  do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did.  That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, `Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.'  So I declared on oath in my anger, `They shall never enter my rest.'"

We are quoting from Psalm 95 (verses 7-11) here.

Note the new metaphor, from ancient Jewish history.  What is the "rest" implied here? How is Jesus involved? Moses?

3:12-15
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.  We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.  As has just been said: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."

More from Psalm 95.  The nation of Israel, as recorded in the book of Exodus, saw dramatic displays of God at work, yet backed off at the last moment, unable to enter the Promised Land.

"as long as it is called Today" -- what does this mean?  What is the concern here?

3:16-19
Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?  And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert?  And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?  So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

The action that kept the Jewish people out of the promised land was (active) unbelief, an active refusal to acknowledge God's plan.  The writer of Hebrews is concerned here that his/her readers may also back away at the last moment, snatching defeat from victory.

Compare the ending of this passage with the beginning.  The overall comparison is of Moses and Jesus; what Moses began, Jesus completes.  So move on and don't get left behind!