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. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
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). ⇐... [ Continue Reading ]
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 ]