BiblicalMastery Buddy's bible blog

Lesson 6

Heed the Word

Hebrews 4:1-16

October 25, 2015

 

The old description of the tools that God provided to each person holds true for me. I have never seen a set of instruction manuals that I like. What usually takes the normal person a short period of time to assemble or to understand how something works becomes a major project for me. The Bible can be that way for many of us. There are many things that are difficult to understand but the central core teachings are very clear. Having said that I came to realize a long time ago to make that happen I must put forth the effort to read and study what it says. Even though I am in the word every day I find myself forgetting details from one reading until I get back to that same material several months later. I cannot imagine how much I would lose if I chose to put the book on the shelf for many months or a year. God’s word will only have meaning if I read, study, read and study on a continual basis. Personally, I hope that at the end of my days God’s word will be just as dear to me as it is today. I truly want it to be the guidebook of my life. Drifting away would only allow false ideas to enter into me and cause me to get further and further from God.

 

Josh McDowell in his book, “God Breathed” gave an important perspective of God’s word. He wrote, “No matter who we are, or how varied our human experience, God’s word has been transmitted through the perspectives, emotions and circumstances of His spokesmen to meet our needs just at the right time.” This fact has been true ever since Moses wrote the first five books of the Old Testament.

 

Unfortunately, just the opposite is happening to many so-called churches around the globe today. Because the entire counsel of God is not important to them they have cherry picked the verses or passages they want to believe. To do so will lead them down a path of spiritual destruction and compromise with the world. All one has to do is turn on the TV to one of the many religious networks available and he will be inundated with  prosperity messages that say God is like a Sugar Daddy who will take care of all of ones needs. Their mindset is that God does not want His people to suffer at all. It is difficult to bring people back to the truth when the Word has been sugar coated and pretty much allows them to live in the world of false teachings.

 

As we continue our study we must not forget the reason the author penned this sermon/letter. The priests in Antioch were in danger of falling away from the faith and returning to dead religious practices. All the writer said was not only for them but to exhort each of us to keep strong in our faith.

 

Hebrews 4:1-2

The greatest fear that any man should have is to come up short and too late to enter into the place of rest with God. Resting in God signifies that relationship in which a man finds joy and peace. Man can hear the good news of the Gospel but because he refuses to heed its words he will receive no benefit from. To understand what God is trying to say it must be received with faith. To hear and respond is a clear indication of man’s salvation. A person who is truly saved will not lose it but, can spend a life of warring within himself full of anxiety and doubt.

 

1. What should be the greatest fear a man has? (Missing out on salvation and the peace and joy it brings)
2. How does a man miss that opportunity?
3. How long is it available to him? (Hebrews speaks of today because that is all any man is given.)
4. What has God given that leaves us without any excuse of coming into His rest? (The Gospel message)
5. What allows a man to profit from the word of God? (Faith in its truth.)
6. In what ways were the men of old, the recipients of the book of Hebrews and us alike? (We have all heard the message of God through the Gospel.)

 

Hebrews 4:3

For the children of Israel the idea of rest was a place, the Promised Land, that God had promised to them. The writer indicated that it takes faith to enter into God’s rest. Because the Israelites were stubborn, unbelieving and disobedient at Kadesh-Barnea they were not allowed to enter the place God had promised them. Everything they were to receive had been prepared before the world began. The way a man comes to salvation and rest in God was established long before Christ ever came.

 

1. In what way did the children of Israel think about the idea of rest in God? (It was a place, the Promised Land.)
2. Why could the Promised Land never be what God meant by rest? (Because it is a relationship not a physical spot on the earth. They did not trust Him therefore they missed out on what He wanted to do in their lives.)
3. What was the one act that kept them from the early entry into Israel? (Disobedience at Kadesh-Barnea.)
4. When was the work complete for the provision of man’s salvation? (Everything that God has planned for man from the beginning was already put into place before the foundation of the world)
5. How does that make you feel?

 

Hebrews 4:4-5

When God had completed His creative work on the seventh day, the Bible tells us that He rested on the seventh day. He saw that all was good and He rested. Although He had finished with creation, He has from that time kept His watchful eye on His creation. He wanted the Israelites to reach the point when their work of destroying God’s enemies was complete and they could rest in the comfort of all He wanted to provide for them. They however have never experienced that kind of peace because they have always been a disobedient people.

 

1. What does the Bible mean when it talks about God resting?
2. What would happen if He ever stopped watching over His creation for one second? (It would fly apart. He is the One who sustains the order of the universe.)
3. In what way were the Israelites to enter into God’s rest? (By completing the task God had given to them. They did not trust Him enough to finish the destruction of His enemies.)
4. How do we enter into His rest and not miss out? (Trusting Him with everything in our lives.)

 

Hebrews 4:6-10

Three things are obvious in what the writer had said:

• At the time he wrote Hebrews there were those who would still have the opportunity to enter the rest of God.
• Those for whom the promise was originally given by God did not enter into His rest.
• Much later David wrote that those who were living in his lifetime should listen to what God had to say and not become disobedient while they still had time today to do so.

 

He went on to say that David would not have written those words if the rest actually came at the time that Joshua led the people into Canaan. Therefore the opportunity to enter into that relationship with God is still available for man even today. The one who has availed himself of the joy and peace that comes with the completion of the task given to man is in the same position as the Father. Both are in a state of rest.

 

1. What assurance was the writer trying to give to the priests who were thinking about leaving the faith?
2. What does that mean to us?
3. How do you hear what God is saying to you?
4. How do we know that the rest about which David spoke is still available? (The writer of Hebrews argues that the Israelites did not obtain the rest because of disobedience. David then implies that the door is still open to each man who responds to God’s call while he has the opportunity and does close his heart to the word of God.)
5. How do we know that we can have the rest? (God has set the example and allows us to enter into His rest. In the Old Testament He gave them the Sabbath Day as a picture of what man is to do.)
6. How are so many hardening their hearts today?
7. What is the danger of doing so?

 

Hebrews 4:11

The recipients rather than giving up on their faith were called to be diligent in seeking that relationship with God. The writer once again encouraged them to remain steadfast and to not fall away in disobedience as their ancestors had about fourteen hundred years earlier and were not able to receive the promise of God.

 

1. What does it mean to be diligent in something? How do we stay diligent in our faith and obedience?
2. Why must we be diligent in our seeking after resting in God’s provision? (It is all too easy to drift away if our focus does not remain on Him.)
3. What are some of the things that may cause you to fall away?
4. What are some the ways that we show our disobedience to the Father?
5. The Israelites did not enter into the Promise Land because of fear of the unknown. In what way is fear a sign of disobedience?

 

Hebrew 4:12-13

The word of God is described as:

• It is dynamic and vital to understand our relationship to God
• It is active and effective in pointing out God’s ways to man
• Sharper than a two edge sword. It penetrates and exposes the very depths of man’s true being before the Father. Nothing can be hidden from Him for He knows every thought and sees every deed done by man. (See Psalm 139.) Ultimately, every man will be confronted by God in a way that leaves no room for an escape from His judgment.

 

1. How does the writer describe God’s word?
2. What does it mean for it to be living?
3. How is it effective in your life?
4. How do you react to the idea that there is nothing in your life that can be hidden from God?
5. In what way will you be judged at the end of time? (Two judgments are possible. The saved with their name in the Book of Life and the unsaved facing eternal separation from God. The second one every man will have to answer for his deeds and thoughts.)
6. What must we do to be pleasing to Him?

 

Hebrews 4:14-16

The writer returned to the theme of speaking of the high priest available to every man. He first indicated that Jesus had passed into the place in the highest of heavens where His Father welcomed Him and where He now sits at the right hand of God. Because man has such an eternal high priest he is to hold fast to the decision that was made at some point to follow Him. The reasons man can have confidence in Him are:

• He is able to sympathize with man’s weaknesses
• He was tempted as man but was completely without sin.

 

For those reasons man is able to come to His throne when he is in need and know that he will receive mercy and grace from the One who completely understands what man is experiencing.

 

1. How was Jesus as high priest different from the high priests of the Jewish religion?
2. What did the writer mean when he wrote that Jesus had passed through the heavens?
3. What is to be the result of viewing and understanding Jesus as our high priest? (We are to hold fast to the faith we have placed in Him.)
4. What did Jesus do that gave Him the right to be called our high priest? (Never sinned.)
5. Because of the completion of His work how are we able to approach Him?
6. What does it mean to receive His mercy and grace?

 

• In order to find salvation you must be sensitive to hear the Holy Spirit speaking to you through God’s word.
• Be on guard against the things of this world including false religions that will try in every way to separate you from God.
• Know that any decision you make must be made while you have time and no one knows how much you have.
• See that God’s word as living and effective.
• Know that no matter how hard you try to hide from God He is there. (Psalm 139)
• Put your total trust in Jesus Christ who has been proven to be the great bridge builder between God and man. It is the real meaning of priesthood.
• Know with all confidence that you can approach God in prayer and He will hear you.

 

Rest in God’s kingdom does not mean idleness. Even He after creating all that exists still watches over His creation with love and compassion. We have the opportunity to be at peace with the Father with the full assurance that He cares for us. He went to great lengths to make room for us in His family. Rather than falling away at any point in our lifetime we are to be busy serving Him and proclaiming the Gospel in a world that finds it difficult to accept the grace and mercy He provides.

 

He says over and over listen to and truly hear My word. It is only through diligence in studying and meditating on His word can we truly come to know Him. Only by staying in the living word are we able to persevere to the end of our days. In the message of the Bible we have the weapons to fight against the enemy and have the assurance of the victory He has guaranteed. Jesus was and is still the answer for each of us because He has won the victory over sin and death once and for all times. In confidence we can come to the high priest who will walk along side of us in all of life’s situations.