nthebrews4

Caution to students of God's Word - Please remember two things when using our studies: #1. Our commentary is not God's Word. It is only our interpretation or understanding of "His Word" and even though we try our best to be accurate we may or may not be correct. #2. The King James translation, or any other translation, of the original Hebrew text has some words which were given different translations at different places probably because of the interpreters preconceived ideas of what they think God meant to say. For example: According to the notes in the "Dake's Annotated Reference Bible" the Hebrew word hayah in the KJV is Trans. (became) 67 times, (becamest or came to pass) 505 times, (become) 66 times, and (come to pass) 131 times, but for some reason in Genesis 1:2 it is translated (was)! That sure changes the way a person perceives the original creation of the earth, doesn't it? Gen. 1:2 And the earth was (became) without form, ... Having said that, let us continue with our "Key Knowledge" lessons. These are pamphlets containing knowledge, we believe, you must have to fully and accurately unlock and understand the Word of God.

John 15:26
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

John 16:13-14
[13] Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. [14] He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

This Bible Study was originally written by Roger Christopherson,
published at http://www.theseason.org/

Without the leading by the Holy Spirit, there is no understanding of the truths, for all the truth of the Scriptures are revealed to us by God's Spirit.

Hebrews 4:1 "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it."

When it appears that nothing is going right in your life, and everywhere you turn has a new problem, you are not in God's rest. That is when you must repent of all those little sins that creep into your life when your guard is down, and turn your problems back over to the Lord. When you are in turn with God, the Spirit of God will go before you, and sweep those problem stones from your path. He will make your job easier and make it easier to get along with people. He will even see to it that your money will go farther, because the bad things that cost money will be swept out of your path.

God is in control, and He is our rest. All of His promises in His Word belong to those that are in His rest, and we must claim those promises for them to be ours.

Hebrews 4:2 "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it."

The "gospel" that was preached was the "good news" that Jesus Christ has come into the world and paid the price for our sins. That message is the good news that God has offered us peace and rest in Him. That good news fell on the ears of both the good and the bad, but that news will not do the bad any good, because they will not listen. It was the same Word and the same promises delivered to both. There is a difference between hearing the Word and simply reading the Word, and that difference is when one hears the Word it goes into your mind, and it is absorbed into your life and becomes a reality to you.

When a person simply reads the Word, those words float over their head and out of their minds. The building of your faith requires preparation of your mind before receiving the seed of the Word, so that the seed will take hold and root. Then the Spirit of God takes those thoughts and makes them grow in your mind and hearing the Word becomes a reality in your life. This is what Christ taught in "the parable of the sower", where the seed which is the Word of God that fell on deaf ears because their minds were not ready to hear with understanding. This is because of the lack of mixture in the life and mind of the hearer.

People create their own problems, and they spend their entire time concentrating on what is wrong in their life. They look for problems that simply aren't there. The mixture in their mind is such that when good does come their way, they can't see it. A person sets their own course in life and brings about their own way. When you have Christ as the focus of your mind, your way will be beautiful.

Hebrews 4:3 "For we which have believed do enter into rest, as He said, "As I have sworn in My wrath, if they shall enter into My rest:" although the works were finished from the foundation of the world."

This verse can be translated in several ways. Your "rest" is your "sabbath" or "abode". It is a place where you can settle down and find some peace of mind. "Rest" as translated here from the Greek text is # 2663 in Strong's Greek dictionary, "Katapausis, kat-ap'-ow-sis, reposing down, i.e. abode." "Repose" is a place of resting where you are secure.

The word "foundation" refers to the time of the overthrow attempt by Satan in that first earth age. In other words, before all the trouble took place in that first earth age, the plan of God was already in place for those that would take part in the plan of salvation. It was ready for those that would believe on Christ and overcome. Those souls would be placed in this "cosmos" or "earth age", whereby you could come to that mixture that would bring you to your freedom from slavery to the world. It would be a place of rest where we could be free from the sickness, disease and troubles of this world.

God chose some souls even before the foundation of this world age that He would use to prepare the place to give others peace of mind. The elect show the way for others to accomplish their place of rest in Christ. You have to work in the Word of God just a little bit to absorb and understand, in order for the believing to come. Before the Word of God can be believable, it must be understood to where there is no confusion, and acceptable as truth. Why would you believe in anything that you believed to be a lie? The order within your mind would not allow it.There is a little bit of work and study before you can believe.

When you force your belief on someone when there is no understanding of what that belief is, then you are playing with the emotions of that person. You are not playing with fact, truth, and the reality of Christianity, but with the imaginations of the person's mind. The seed of those words have fallen on hard ground, and will be blown away with the first wind of false doctrine that comes along.

Hebrews 4:4 "For He spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, "And God did rest the seventh day from all His works."

The most important thing that we can get from this verse is that "rest follows work." For too many today, there is only rest, rest, rest; but in God's order it is work, work, rest. Rest is something earned by the work.

Hebrews 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:"

Because of a person's "unbelief", comes disobedience which always follows with chastisement. Paul is reminding us that we set the pace for our own lives. God is not the author of confusion, and if you want peace of mind, it comes from studying our Heavenly Father's Word, and following the instruction that He gives to us. From God's Word we can find peace of mind.

Note: When you read your Bible, pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you to see and understand all the Truths recorded therein.

Hebrews 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."

This is saying that there is a time when a person has waited just one day too long. And if you are waiting for that certain day to make up your mind, Paul is saying that this day will not come. There is a limit to how long God will wait on a person, and then He will just leave them alone. This verse comes from Psalm 95:7, 8.

Psalm 95:7 "For he is our God; And we are the People of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. To day if ye will hear His voice,"

Psalm 95:8 "Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:"

There is a day coming when it will be too late, and the result of delay then will be a quick walk into the fire. That day is the close of the Millennium age. However there will also be a time when the Spirit of God will leave you alone and not disturb your conscience anymore. He will allow you to go on sinning with a clear conscience, and at that time it has been one day too late. When the Spirit o f God is beckoning to you, you had better not put Him off. Only a fool will wait and continue to enjoy the things of the world and turn their back on God's offer to them of eternal life. Any pleasure you may get from that roller coaster ride of this world will be very short lived.

Hebrews 4:8 "For if Jesus had given them rest, then would He not afterward have spoken of another day."

First of all, understand that the word "Jesus" in the Greek, comes from the Hebrew word "Joshua". This verse is talking about the "Joshua" that followed Moses in the wilderness, and then led the children of Israel into the promise land. If Joshua [if man] was able to give you rest, wouldn't he have spoken of another day? Naturally Joshua did not, because when Joshua gave the order, they moved out to do the work and take the land. They were entering into the promised land, and there was no time for another day. It was to be now or never, cross the river and don't look back.

God has allowed Paul to draw from the time that the children of Israel were in the wilderness, to liken it to a time in the future when the end will come. This is not directed to "who would receive salvation", but as to "how salvation would come to pass". Man tries to save you, but he simply can't. Man can work over your emotions to get you to do what he wants you to do, but that isn't salvation.

"Salvation" is something you do when you are bold about it. It is absolutely fixed in your mind, and no man can sway that determination. Salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ is a gift that we can be bold about and rejoice in, rather then hang your head in shame. To imitate words formed in another man's mind, and dribbling out his lips, is not salvation and there is no substance to it.

However true salvation comes from the repentive heart, and originates within your mind and your repentive soul. Your "repentance" reflex the love that you pour out to our Heavenly Father, and your love and praise to Jesus Christ. It is formed by the Spirit of God in your mind, that convicts you of sin, and draws you to confession to the Father on your own. The point here is that you are honest with God, and not trying to get an outward emotional kick to impress some man.

The "rest" as used here is "sabbath", used differently then the rest used in prior verses. It is "#4520 in Strong's numbered Greek dictionary, "Sabbatismos, sab-bat-os-mos', a sabbatism, i.e. the repose of Christianity." "Repose" is a calm or peace that comes over you when you place all your trust in Christ. Your work then of planting seeds of the Word is seven days a week, and there isn't one day set aside, but all days are set aside for Christ. You rest in Christ, because He is your rest. When you accept Christ, you are in Him, and He becomes your sabbath. A day of the week cannot bring you rest, only God can.

Hebrews 4:10 "For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His."

When you have entered into the rest that is in Christ, then you cease from doing the sinful works of the flesh that is of the world. The focus of what you do is for the glory of God, not of your own self gratification, or worldly gain. Even the occupation that you have to gain a living becomes centered around letting others know about Christ, every part of your work becomes an act done to glorify God, and draw attention to Him. Before Christ entered your life, those worldly chores were a drudge, but after you learn to rest in Christ, those same tasks to earn a living for your family will seem so much easier.

Hebrews 4:11 "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, least any man fall after the same example of unbelief."

The rest must follow the labor, or there will be no rest or peace of mind. Most preachers today are promoting the idea that (all you have to do is believe), but there is work that comes first, and that is in your study of God's Word. That is where we get our instruction from, and unbelief or confusion is cleared up. When there is confusion, there is unbelief, and this is what causes a person to fall.

While you are laboring in your studies with God's Word, the Spirit of God will clear up the confusion, and give you rest in Christ. Paul is using the example here of those children of Israel in the wilderness, that allowed their faith to leave them in the wilderness. It is not good to use fear tactics to teach the love of our Heavenly Father, but in this example it should be said that there is a time period, and eventually that period runs out. It could come to an end with the close of this age, the Millennium age, or even as soon as the death of your physical body, but when it ends there is accountability.

Why would anyone set a limit for ending their sinning, before repenting of their sins? The whole idea is that, "I want to live miserably as long as I can. I want to be sick and hung over like the rest of the world." How foolish! That is the way that Satan wants you to think.

Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

This verse is talking about the "Word of God", that will change your entire life. His Word is "quick", it comes alive and it is powerful. It is sharper then the knife that the priest used to cut up the sacrificial offerings. The Word of God can cut even into your self and your intellect of your very being. The Word of God can take your soul and your spirit and reshape it to conform for the better. It can take your very thoughts and set a new standard of right and wrong in your mind that can change your life. When you live those new thoughts, you become an example for changing other people and bring them to Christ.

Your "joints and marrow" is your flesh body, and the Word of God will give you even a guide line in its health laws to change the complexion of your body. By changing your eating habits and getting off the diet of those filthy creatures, you will even feel better physically. God's Word will teach you how to keep poisons out of your diet, and exercise your body properly.

By placing the Word of God in your mind, it becomes the standard for your thoughts, and directs the intents of your very mind, which is your heart. Christ is the Living Word, and He can discern the intents of your mind, you can't fool Him.

Hebrews 4:13 "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do."

Man likes to step into God's place and do the judging, but when that time of limitation runs out and expires it will be on that day that only God discerns and judges. Only God can divide between the intent and the thoughts of a man's mind. The Word of God can do that, and that is the power that we have when we place His Word in our mind. Our Heavenly Father is the only judge that you will stand before at the final judgment. The "higher critics" are trash in comparison to the discernment that comes from God.

There is no creature that has existed at any time that God does not see, or isn't aware of. God created them all. God sees directly into your very thoughts before those thoughts even take shape into action, and He knows the exact intent of why you do what you do. Like it or not, there is nothing that you can hide from God.

The word "opened" as used here is "Trachelizomai" in the Greek tongue. This is the only place in the scripture that it is used, and it refers to when the priest would bend back the head of the sacrificial animal to cut its throat. It also refers to the time when the priest uses the knife to cut the animal into many parts. The priest opens that animal up completely to see into all parts of the sacrifice for the purity of the animal that is about to be sacrificed before God. Paul is using an analogy here, to give an example spiritually of how God can lay open our minds.

God sees all of you to the very innermost thoughts, as if you were opened up with a priest's knife and inspected for every imperfection. To see if you were fit to be that pure lamb, ready to be laid on the altar to be sacrificed. The deepest part of your soul is open to God. God doesn't have to do any cutting, for the Word of God does the cutting, and through repentance to the Father in Jesus Christ's name, those places of imperfections are removed. God loves you, and when he sees your soul has been purified by the blood of Jesus, he stamps you perfect. It is from that cutting process of the Word, that the rest and peace of mind comes from.

Christ was our sacrifice for one and all times for the sins of every soul that will believe on Him, and repent of their sins. Paul is not suggesting in any manner that any form of animal sacrifice is to be used, for the moment that Jesus died on the cross, the veil covering the door into the holy of holies was rent in two, and Christ became our sacrifice.

Hebrews 4:14 "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, That is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession."

On the fortieth day after Passover, Jesus Christ our High Priest ascended into heaven.

Acts 1:3 "To whom also He shewed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:" Then in verses eight through ten we read:

Acts 1:8 "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

Acts 1:9 "And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight."

Acts 1:10 "And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel."

"Profession" as used here is "homologia" in the Greek tongue, and it is what you know in your mind and confess with our mouth to be true. It is our acknowledgement that we believe that our Lord Jesus Christ died, and rose from the dead, and on the fortieth day ascended to be at the right hand of the Father in heaven.

Jesus Christ then became our High Priest, to take on the duties of the High Priest. He knows both the good and the bad that is in us, and through His Word, and His Spirit He does the work of changing our lives, and purging out the bad and bring forth what can be used for His service. One thing is for sure, our heavenly Father understands our every thought, and that is why we can bring every problem we have to Him in prayer. Paul is saying then, that we have a High Priest that is already in our Father house, sitting at His right hand, and what ever you bring up to Him goes right to the Father.

Hebrews 4:15 "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."

Paul is pointing out that our Priest that we have in Jesus Christ is not one of those priest that is too good to give you the time of day. Jesus is not one that is too good to soil his garments with your problems, but in all ways that we have been tempted, He has gone through the same temptation. yet He did it without sinning. He lived in the flesh, and faced the same attacks of Satan and his band of Kenites. Jesus showed us that he also would live in a flesh body, but during His time in the flesh He was without sin.

Hebrews 4:16 "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

We all have a need to ask His forgiveness every time we sin, and we must go to Him to repent for those times and things where we have fallen short of His Word. God is someone that we can take our burdens to, and talk over those things that are not going right. When we sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us of those sins, and purge even the thought of them from our heavenly account.

The common practice in the church world today is to force those seeking forgiveness for the sins that they have committed to come in great shame. They seem to get great pleasure in watching someone in great disgrace. If you sin, come to God boldly and confess up to what you have done to the Father. The sin you have committed is between you and the Father, and the forgiveness is in the name of Jesus, not that preacher.

Once you come to the realization that Jesus Christ is the Son of God come in the flesh, and that He died and is resurrected for your sin, boldly state; "I accept Him, and what He did for me." Don't allow yourself to ride the waves of the emotions of men to the point that it becomes a choice between walking down the aisle and my going to hell. That is not a reason to accept Christ, but we that accept Jesus will have joy and excitement. It is not a matter of roasting in hell, but coming to the point of seeing the great love that God has for you and wanting the inheritance that He has set aside for those that will just reach out boldly and take it.

We have nothing to be ashamed of except our weaknesses, and through that awesome price that Christ paid, we have salvation. Our salvation is not only eternal life, but we become the sons of God and joint heirs with Christ in that eternal kingdom. Christ paid with His blood for each and every sin that you will ever commit.

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals. We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.

doctrine of many of our Christian churches, (The Man on a White Horse)
political direction of our country, (The Man on a Red Horse)
economic direction our country has taken, (The Man on a Black Horse)
and teaching of our schools and media, (The Man on a Pale Horse)

The Four Hidden Dynasties of the New World Order Revelation 6:1-8
"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse"
Did you know all four are being ridden by Satan?