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Hebrews 4: (6-10)

Heb 4:6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Heb 4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Heb 4:8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. and they to whom it was first preached G2097 euaggelizo yoo-ang-ghel-id'-zo From G2095 and G32; to announce good news (evangelize) especially the gospel: - declare, bring (declare, show) glad (good) tidings, preach (the gospel). G4386 proteron prot'-er-on Neuter of G4387 as adverb (with or without the article); previously: - before, (at the) first, former. Good news could refer to the declaration of any kind of good news, but in the New Testament refers, with rare exception, to the glad tidings of the coming kingdom of God and the salvation which is available by grace through faith in the atoning sacrifice of the Lamb of God. In short, the most frequent NT use of euaggelizo/euangelizo means to "evangelize" or to preach the gospel. Twice in Hebrews 4, the author uses similar phrases to refer to the specific good news. Many find it difficult to believe that either of these references to the good news represents the same gospel which is preached today. Certainly, they do not interpret this proclamation of good news to Israel in the wilderness as representing the gospel of Christ. One first needs to ask was the gospel (good news) of the Messiah even proclaimed in the Old Testament? Observe the following New Testament passages and what they teach about the good news in the Old Testament (Rom 1:1-2). So in his introduction to Romans, Paul explains that the gospel was not "new" good news, but was the same "old" "good news" God had promised in the Old Testament. In other words, the good news did not originate with Paul or even with Jesus earthly ministry. Paul makes it clear that the good news he teaches is really old news of the Hebrew Scriptures now fulfilled and completed in Jesus Christ. It follows that OT believers were "looking forward" toward the Cross, and NT believers "look backward" toward the Cross, the latter group obviously having a clearer understanding of the gospel than OT believers. So when did God promise the gospel through His prophets? The amazing answer is that immediately after Adam had sinned and the curse of death fell upon all mankind God issued this promise in Gen 3:15. Theologians refer to this as the "first Gospel" or "first preaching of the Gospel" [Protevangel or Protevangelium] In Galatians (3:8) Paul elaborates on this OT gospel writing that God would justify (declare righteous) the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand (proeuaggelizomai from pro = before + euaggelizo/euangelizo = to preach the good news) to Abraham (at a time before the Jews were known as Jews), saying, "IN THEE SHALL ALL NATIONS BE BLESSED." (Gal 3:8) Other references records passages that speak of the good news in the Old Testament (Acts 10:43 & 26:6, 2 Tim 3:15 & 1 Cor 10:3-4). entered not in because of unbelief

entered not - is more literally not to come into, where the word for not (ou) signifies absolute negation. In absolutely no way did they enter this rest. because of unbelief (disobedience) Delay hardens the heart, especially when we are fully aware that we have heard the voice of God in the inner soul. Every shrug of the shoulder that puts off acting on Gods urging for change, every toss of the head that says, I know I should, but I dont care, every attempt at outward conformity without inner commitment produces a hardening of the heart that makes repentance harder and harder to do. The witness of the Spirit must not be ignored, for the opportunity to believe does not last forever. Playing games with the living God is not only impertinent, but also dangerous. The good news of this passage is that God's offer of a rest, a Sabbath rest, still stands. Even though Moses' generation missed it, God's promise remains. His rest has been available since the dawn of creation. God rested from His work (Gen. 2:2) and decided it was such a good idea that He commanded a rest for His creatures. Notice that God's rest includes the cessation of work (Hebrews 4:10). In God's case, He rested because He was finished with creation--His was a rest of completion and satisfaction. If we are to enter God's rest today, what work must we cease doing? Part of the answer is that we are to rest from or give up our own efforts to save ourselves, since God's rest includes our salvation. The ""rest"" of salvation is entered only by faith. They to whom it was first preached (they to whom the promise was given; they who first received the good tidings; i.e., the Israelites, to whom was given the promise of entering into the rest of Canaan) did not enter in because of their unbelief (He 3:19); and the promise still continued to be repeated even in the days of David (We know this from the psalm David wrote - Ps 95); therefore, some other rest must be intended (And as discussed below that rest is in Christ - He is the believer's ultimate Rest). limiteth G3724 horizo hor-id'-zo From G3725; to mark out or bound (horizon), that is, (figuratively) to appoint, decree, specify: - declare, determine, limit, ordain. The meaning is, He gives another opportunity of securing the rest, and calls the period in which the opportunity is offered today. Opportunity for Gods rest remains, but it will not remain indefinitely. For each individual it will end before or with death; and for all mankind it will end in the Last Day. The age of grace is not forever. This is why immediate action is a basis of entering Gods rest, of being saved. saying in David Attributing the Psalm to David. David is not in the Hebrew text of Psalm 95, but the Septuagint (LXX) inserts the traditional author of the Psalm (in verse 1 "The praise of a Song by David"). after so long a time This refers to the time between Moses / Joshua and David. This phrase is not part of the original psalm, but refers to the fact that God, approximately five hundred years after His offer of rest to the generation under Moses, makes another offer of rest. This offer is accompanied by the warning that the people should not harden their hearts. By merely entering the Promised Land, the Israelites had not entered Gods rest, for David (years after Joshua had led the Israelites into the land) had warned his generation to not harden their hearts, so that they could enter Gods rest. Like David, the author of Hebrews called the present generation to respond to God today which is the day of repentance. today This is quoted twice in this verse. Today is the emphasis here. If we put of repentance another day, we have a day more to repent of, and a day less to repent in (W Mason).

For if Jesus had given them rest, Jesus G2424 Iesous ee-ay-sooce' Of Hebrew origin [H3091]; Jesus (that is, Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites: - Jesus. The Greek word Iesous is the transliterated word for "Jesus" or Joshua; and both the writer and his original readers would have been mindful of the connection of Iesous with the name of Christ, even though the emphasis in context is clearly on the man Joshua. In a sense, the author recounts the fact that there had been a "Jesus" (Joshua) who could not lead his people into the rest of God as another "Jesus" would be able to do.It is somewhat surprising that this is the only mention of Joshua in the NT (he is not even in the Hebrews 11 "Hall of faith" although clearly he was a man of great faith). The man Joshua could never have given Israel rest outside of the enablement of the God-Man Jesus (Son of David), so interpreting this passage as descriptive of Joshua the man (son of Nun) makes the most sense. One other way to explain it as actually a reference to Jesus, is to consider it a reference to the Angel of the LORD the One who led Joshua and Israel (cp Joshua 5:13 where the Angel of the Lord = the Captain of the hosts). However, the context argues against such an interpretation. The Old Testament Joshua (Jesus) son of Nun led Israel into the land of Canaan, but that was but a faint shadow or picture or type of the real rest prophesied by David in Ps 95:7 (Today...) ultimately fulfilled in the "greater Joshua", Jesus Son of God! Jesus is the "Pioneer and Perfector of our faith" the ultimate Joshua. then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. If Joshua had given them rest (Jos 23:1), God would not have spoken later about another day, as He did in Ps 95. The rest into which Joshua led Israel was... Temporal, Physical, and Natural. The rest provided by the greater Joshua (Jesus) is...Eternal, Spiritual, Supernatural. In this verse the writer is building his case to prove to his Hebrew readers that Jesus the Son of God is better than Joshua the son of Nun since He provides a better rest than Joshua provided. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. Rest G4520 sabbatismos sab-bat-is-mos' From a derivative of G4521; a sabbatism, that is, (figuratively) the repose of Christianity (as a type of heaven): - rest. Sabbatismos is used here to indicate the perpetual Sabbath rest to be enjoyed uninterruptedly by believers in their fellowship with the Father and the Son under the New Covenant in contrast to the weekly Sabbath under the Old Covenant of the Law. In this verse the writer is referring to a divine rest into which the believers enter in their relationship with God not just in eternity future but in the here and now while still on earth. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Rest (2663) (katapausis from kat = intensifies the verb + pao = make to cease) describes literally a ceasing from one's work or activity. Thayer cites a use in the active sense of a putting to rest as used in the sentence "a calming of the winds". Metaphorically as used in the present verse, katapausis speaks of the spiritual fulfillment which God provides for those who trust in His Good News and enter His rest, the wonderful place where we desist from our futile fleshly efforts to please Him and instead submit willingly and wholly to His Spirit's control/filling, finding our adoption and acceptance in the Beloved (Eph 1:6). We now have a description of at least part of what

the rest means. The writer reverts to the word for rest he has been using earlier instead of the "Sabbath-rest" of v. 9. There is still a rest that is available to us today. I would understand this to have present and future dimensions, just as salvation has. There is surely a salvation rest, a resting from our works in an effort to earn Gods favor, when we come to faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary. And there is the eternal rest which all Christians will experience. Hath ceased from his own works - Entering this rest does not mean the believer no longer needs to work nor that there is no longer any place for doing good works. The idea is that there is no longer any place for personal works performed in an attempt to merit God's acceptance or produce our own righteousness (which is really "self righteousness" which God calls "filthy rags" - Is 64:6). APPLICATION Meditate on Sabbath Rest (Gen 2:1-3) 1. Finished / ended 2. Rested 3. Sanctified

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