Hebrews 4:9-16 KJV

Our Great and Compassionate High Priest

WHAT IT SAYS:
 
9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
11 ¶  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

WHAT IT MEANS:

9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

The rest remains available to the people of God. We can only enter into God's rest through belief in Him. We can only become "His people" through faith in Him. When we put our faith in God, we enter into His rest. Believing -- is -- the peace that comes from trusting God.

Romans 9:25  As He says also in Hosea: "I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved."

Even if we did not believe in Him before, when we hear His word and incline our hearts to Him and repent of our sins, and become converted, we actually become His people. He allows us to walk under the umbrella of His love. That is Grace!!

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

For he that believes in Jesus Christ (who is the one who has "entered into his rest") has ceased from his endless striving to improve himself, or to prove himself worthy. He also ceases from working towards the things that will satisfy himself -- his own selfish goals and self glorifying works.  He also no longer tries to work his own way into Heaven on his own merit. Trying is hard work. Believing is resting. The only way into heaven, is through belief in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Deliverer.

John 6:28-29  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

The writer of Hebrews then uses the picture of God resting after His amazing work of Creation as the example of what we should also be doing -- resting after we cease from our own puny selfish works.

11 ¶  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Let this be your work: to continue to believe in the continued and eternal grace of God. Our new labor is not to earn something, but to trust that God has already given us something -- salvation -- which is another name for "the rest." By God's good grace, we are saved and enter into God's rest.

Our present labor then is to continue to trust and rest in the Lord Jesus Christ. We know this is what is being said by the contents of the last phrase: "lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." Our "falling" can only take place if we do not believe, so our rest comes from continued belief in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God!

Matthew 11:27-30  All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Even this verse that speaks of us coming to Jesus and receiving rest for our souls, then tells us to take the yoke of Jesus upon us which is a completely different kind of work and done for a very different reason.

The work that must now be done is to walk with Jesus and trust that He will take us where He wants us to go. We are to learn of Jesus. We are to take on meekness, because he was meek. We are to be lowly in heart, not exalted in heart, because He was lowly in heart.  Jesus said that when we take His yoke upon us, we will find the rest we desire for our souls. Amen!

The promise also says that the yoke of Jesus is easy, and his burden is light. It is so much easier to trust in Him, the one with the Mighty Power and the Everlasting Love, than it is to trust in our own measly selves.
 
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.

The word of God is quick. In a heartbeat we can turn from unbelief to belief. The word "quick" actually means "living." The word of God is living and powerful. The demonstration of this living power is seen in the fact that one sincere believing prayer of repentance from our sins, and acceptance of Jesus as our Savior, will instantaneously save us from destruction and give us new life in Christ!

The word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword. It can pierce our hearts and reveal our own thoughts to us. If you want to know who you are, then seek God who created us and His word will reveal things to you that you could not see before. The word of God, when we are willing to hear it, will separate our souls from our spirits. What life! What power! What sharpness! Reading God's word with a believing heart will be the thing that lets us discern the real thoughts and intents of our own hearts.

It will also shift the burden from our little shoulders to His big and powerful hands. The word of God divides the soul from the spirit. It also divides the joints and the marrow. The joints are where physical actions take place, and the bone marrow is where the blood is made. The word of God will reveal to us why we do some of the things we do and where the thoughts and intents come from. It will reveal to us what our intentions really are. But it does not leave us there, because it is quick, living, and full of power to change us. All we need give is consent. 

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.

There is nothing that God does not see. He is the All Seeing God. No matter with what we try to cover ourselves and our deeds, we are always exposed before Him. There is nothing about us that is hidden from God. And He is the One with whom we have to do -- there is no other.

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.

Let us hold fast our profession. We have become Christians by a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. Let us hold on tight to our profession and our belief in the great high priest who has intervened for us and rescued us and then who passed into the heavens. Jesus the Son of God, is our hope.
 
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.

Jesus never sinned but he has lived our infirmities. He knows our weakness and our temptations and has compassion on us. He can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities -- our ills, our pain, our suffering. He has been there, and done that, and He loves us because He is one of us.

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 have absolutely no need to fear the throne of grace that Jesus sits upon. If we need mercy and forgiveness we may come boldly to His throne and ask Him for it. When we need grace to help us in our times of need, He is ever faithful to provide all and sufficient grace.

2 Corinthians 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

How much grace do you need? You need just enough grace. He has a sufficient supply of grace for all your needs. I love to think of "grace" as "good will."  God has good will towards men and it showed up on the day that Jesus Christ of Nazareth was born in Bethlehem!! Praise the Lord!!

Luke 2:14  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Romans 15:13 ¶  Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

 All you have to do to remain is His rest is to continue to believe in Him. Amen!!

1 John 5:12-13  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may (continue to) believe on the name of the Son of God. (Parentheses mine.)



READ THE PASSAGE FROM HEBREWS AGAIN AND SEE IF YOUR UNDERSTANDING HAS DEEPENED:

9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
11 ¶  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Hebrews 4:2-10 KJV

If Ye Will Hear His Voice Today

REVISED:

WHAT IT SAYS:

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.
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.
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.
5  And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
6  Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
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.
8  For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

WHAT IT MEANS: 

2  For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: 

The gospel is the good news and glad tidings of salvation in Jesus Christ, the Messiah. The children of Israel knew that the Messiah was coming and that He was their salvation. Salvation was preached unto us, and also unto them.

Just exactly what is salvation? If you look up the word in Merriam Webster's online dictionary it says: a : preservation from destruction or failure b : deliverance from danger or difficulty -- and it comes from the Late Latin word: salvation-, salvatio, from salvare meaning: "to save."

The thing that Jesus saved us from is death. Not physical death but spiritual death. He payed the price for our sins because we were not able to. Only a spotless sacrifice could atone for all of us. Jesus lived the sinless life that made it possible for His death to rescue all of us from death.

John 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

That we live depends on the finished work of Jesus Christ. Where we live depends on whether we believe in Jesus Christ and follow His teachings. Or not. If we believe in Him and produce good fruit because of it, we shall live in Heaven with Him. Our focus will be on Him.  If we reject Him, we choose to live without Him... in Hell. Our focus will forever be on the pain we feel. Our acceptance or rejection of His sacrifice affects our personal everlasting life.

Notice the following three words from Strong's concordance of Biblical words:

This first word, below, is the word that has been translated "salvation" in the English KJV. This Hebrew word would be pronounced by an English speaker as "yesh-oo'-aw."

Notice the definitions and that this Hebrew word was translated into six other English words also -- depending on usage -- but the vast majority of the time (65) it was translated "salvation." Each synonym has a similar meaning and denotes some benefit to the receiver.

03444 העושׁי y@shuw‘ah yesh-oo’- aw

AV-salvation 65, help 4, deliverance 3, health 3, save 1, saving 1, welfare 1; 78

1) salvation, deliverance
1a) welfare, prosperity
1b) deliverance
1c) salvation (by God)
1d) victory

The second word, below, is the name translated into English as "Joshua" in the OT.  This Hebrew word would be pronounced by an English speaker as "yeh-ho-shoo’- ah ".  Say them out loud.  Do you hear how similar they are when they are spoken? That is because the name Joshua means "Jehovah is salvation" -- or God saves us.

03091 עושׁוהי Y@howshuwa‘ yeh-ho-shoo’- ah or עשׁוהי Y@howshu‘a yeh-ho-shoo’- ah

from 03068 and 03467, Greek 2424 Iησους and 919 βαριησους;

AV-Joshua 218; 218

Joshua or Jehoshua means "Jehovah is salvation"

The third word, following, is the Greek variation of the Hebrew word which an English speaker would pronounce  "ee-ay-sooce" (found in the New Testament) and describes the root of the name "Jesus" which also means "Jehovah is salvation" -- or God saves us.

2424 Iησους Iesous ee-ay-sooce’

of Hebrew origin 03091 עושׁי; TDNT-3:284,360; n pr m

AV-Jesus 972, Jesus (Joshua) 2, Jesus (Justus) 1; 975

Jesus means "Jehovah is salvation"  1) Jesus, the Son of God, the Saviour of mankind, God incarnate


The English word "Jesus" is a translation of the Greek word "Iesous" which is a translation of the Hebrew word "Joshua" and they all mean that God is our Savior. The coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, was predicted by Old Testament prophets and the Jews were expecting to be saved by Him:

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

They knew that a child was going to be born. They knew the child would be a son born amongst their own people. They knew he would govern them as a leader or king does. They knew he would be called Wonderful because of the wonders or miracles that would accompany him. They knew he would be the Counselor sent from God to tell people about God and how to draw near to Him.

They knew he would be called The mighty God, and The everlasting Father. They knew the Prince of Peace was going to be God, Himself, come to Earth. They had heard the message from God that He was coming to save them. They knew his name would be Immanuel, meaning "God with us."

Isa 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isa 8:8  And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.

Look at the definition of the name or title: Immanuel:

06005 לאונמע ‘Immanuw’el im-maw-noo-ale’

AV-Immanuel + 0410 2; 2

Immanuel =" God with us" or "with us is God"

The title "Immanuel" has the same result as the names "Joshua" and "Jesus."   If God is "with us" then He is our Savior.  The word "salvation, the names "Joshua", "Jesus" and the title of "Immanuel" all mean that salvation comes from God, and that God is with us to save us, and He himself, was going to be the Messiah -- Savior. God incarnate.

Isa 43:3  For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: ...

They knew the Messiah would be born of a virgin and would be called Immanuel and that he would be their Savior. They knew that he would be of the tribe of Judah but that he would not limit himself to one tribe. He would overflow and reach "even to the neck," the highest point, of the government and of all peoples. They were expecting him to spread out his wings over the whole land, and the use of the words "O Immanuel" is obviously a prayer of praise addressed to God.

but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

When the gospel or the good news of coming salvation was preached to them they did not believe it. They feared men -- rather than fearing God. In the desert they did not take it into their hearts that God is their Savior and put their faith in Him. They simply refused to obey Him and they would not go into the land he had promised them. They complained that they wanted to go back to Egypt where life was easy and familiar and where they did not have to follow God. They actually went so far as to begin to attack Moses with stones, but God put a stop to that. (See Numbers 14:8-11)

They forgot that God is their Savior. They would not obey Him. So, except for their young children, plus Joshua, and Caleb, God never allowed the old and disobedient into the Promised Land because of their unbelief. Their carcasses fell in the wilderness.

Does it need to be said again that faith in God is paramount? God is Supreme and faith in the deliverance of The Supreme God is the thing that lets us into God's rest. Have you ever thought about resting in God? It seems so relaxing to me, to let go of trying to run my life, and simply let God have His way. He is good. He loves us. He always wants the best for us. He can be trusted to bring to us what we need in order to grow in knowledge of Him. He can be trusted to bring us to Himself, if we will but believe Him.

3  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said

Jesus Christ, the Messiah, has come and ascended up to heaven after his resurrection, and we who believe in the Son of God -- and God His Father -- do enter into "God's rest." The writer of the book of Hebrews then gives an example of God angrily mentioning his rest in the scripture.

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.

The works being finished from the foundation of the world is a reference to Genesis where God rested after doing the work of Creation. The author of Hebrews then adds a few more references as a way of verifying that there really and truly is a "rest" available to believers. He wants it to be perfectly clear that there is such a thing as "God's Rest" and that it is something that we can enter into by putting the following two ideas together:

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.
5  And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.

Think about what is being said here. The idea that God rested after the creation of the world, and the idea that we can enter into that rest have been brought together and stated as one inter-related concept. God rested after he created the universe and the earth. We are part of that creation. If we enter into His rest, we are "entering into His creation" -- which is finished. Are you getting an inkling of what that means? We are no longer fighting with God, but we are accepting Him. Finally we can look around and see life in a new light of freedom.

Creation is finished or "accomplished." Salvation, too is already finished or "accomplished" in Jesus Christ. All we need to do is believe in God and His rest. We do not have to work hard to be saved, we only need to accept that it is already available. It is there for the taking. It is more like a "relaxing" because we are already saved. It is a done deal. Faith in the finished work of Christ, allows us to rest from our works of trying to improve ourselves, or to reach the top, or change who we are, or whatever it is that incessantly drives us and pressures us. Once we really surrender the "self" of ourselves to His Sovereignty that means that everything about us is in the Very Good Hands of God, Himself. There is nothing more for us to do on that front. How did God put it?

Micah 6:8  He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

"Do justly" -- do the thing that you know is right -- what God has told us is right.  "Love mercy" -- Love the mercy that God has given us. Love to be merciful to others.  "Walk humbly with thy God?" -- In humility letting God be Master and Friend and walking under His protection and peace. Oh it is bubbling up in me! How Awesome is our God?!! Do justly. Be obedient. Love mercy. Love forgiving. Walk humbly with thy God. Relaxing our grip and letting God be as BIG as HE IS!! He will lead us, guide us, speak to us, provide for us, and bring to us the good will of His heart. He knows our hearts and always provides precisely what we need -- if we will only trust Him. That new circumstance is a new opportunity. It really is OK to let go of our old circumstances and live in the new ones God gives us every day.

Clearly there is a rest that is still waiting to be taken advantage of. God did not remove "the rest" -- he kept the people who did not believe in it, away from it. It's not like He did this arbitrarily, either. God is not arbitrary, He is Sovereign. He made them a promise based on them trusting Him. Since they did not trust Him, he gave them what they did trust in: themselves. Oh what a sad and shallow ending that was.

6  Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

Clearly the ones who first heard salvation preached, did not believe it, which leaves "the rest" still available to those who are willing to believe that God is their Savior.

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.

God has been calling us from the beginning of time!! Oh how patient He is. Soften your heart and hear Him calling you now. In this verse He is pointing out that the time to believe is now. David is the prophet who told us we have today, but are not promised tomorrow. The opportunity to trust in God is for today. If we trust in God today, we don't need to worry about tomorrow -- because when tomorrow comes, we will be well practiced in trusting in God today. Each day we eat breakfast. Each day we put our trust in God. Today is the day we are breathing. Today is the day we are believing.

God's rest is still available today. Don't harden your heart, listen to what God is telling you today!

8  For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

Obviously Jesus did not speak of another day, or any thing about there being some other day, in which to believe and to rest. He told us today is the day that repentance should be done. God and His kingdom are here now. Today is the day of salvation!!

Mt 4:17  From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

2Co 6:2  (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

1Th 5:8  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.


Faith. Love. Salvation. Put them on like a new garment. Today.

9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

O happy day!! The people of God do have a rest available to them. And look at what that means:

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

Praise the Lord, he is talking about GRACE and SALVATION!! We no longer have to work to be saved. We only need to believe in Jesus Christ and we are saved!!  Right now!! We can rest in that fact!! We can rest in Him!!!

John 6:28-29  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

We truly are not saved by our own works. God, our Saviour, has given us a free gift. It is goodwill from God. It is grace! It is His Rest!! It is the gospel of Salvation.

Eph 2: 8-10  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.


Do justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly with your God. Put on faith. Put on love. Wear salvation like a garment and REST in Him -- Jesus Christ. Abide in Christ and He will abide in you!!

John 15:3  "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
4  "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5  "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
6  "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
7  "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8  "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

READ THE PASSAGE FROM HEBREWS AGAIN AND SEE IF YOUR UNDERSTANDING HAS DEEPENED:

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.
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.
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.
5  And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
6  Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
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.
8  For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

Hebrews 3:6-4:2 KJV

Hearts that Believe God, Please God

WHAT IT SAYS:

6  But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

7 ¶  Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,

8  Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

9  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

10  Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.

11  So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

 12  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

13  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

14  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

15  While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

16  For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

17  But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?

18  And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?

19  So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

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.

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.

WHAT IT MEANS: 

REVISED:

6  But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

We begin where we left off, with remembering that Jesus Christ was not simply a servant of the house of God as Moses was. Jesus has inherited the house and is sovereign over it. Just as anyone who inherits a house becomes the new owner, Jesus is the Master of the house of God.

"House" meaning all the occupants and we are the occupants of His house. We are the "house of God" by the grace of the Father. Jesus has redeemed us from hell and let us into His house.

We shall continue to be His house if we continue to hold fast to Him with firm enduring confidence. Confidence that He is the Son of God, and rejoicing that He has redeemed us, and hope that we shall one day live with Him in heaven. Confidence that He hears our prayers!!

7 ¶  Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,

This is a quotation from Psalm 95 verses 6 through 11. Notice that the writer of Hebrews refers to the scripture "as the Holy Ghost saith." We know this Psalm was written by David, but clearly this reiterates that all scripture comes from God, who is the Holy Ghost. David wrote what the Spirit of God impressed upon him to write.

"To day if ye will hear his voice," -- Today is always this very day. When it was written and when it is read, it is always "today."

Then we see the big little word "if." "If" and "then" often travel together to create a contingency. The contingency we are reading is based upon hearing, but not only the hearing, it is also based on the "will." I like to read it like this: "if ye will", and then I read "hear his voice" because it changes the emphasis. It points out the questions: "Will you hear?"  "Will you listen?"

To what? His voice. Plain and simple. Are you willing to hear the voice of God speaking to you, personally, in scripture and in prayer?

8  Harden not your hearts,

The "then" of the "if/then" contingency is implied.  It does not change the meaning even one iota to insert the word "then" at this point: "Then," "harden not your hearts."

If you want to hear the voice of God, then do not harden your self against Him. A hardened heart is a prideful heart. A stoney heart has turned off its ears and fortified itself against Him. A stoney wall has gone up. We can limit God's influence on us and our lives by our own unbelief -- as it says in:

Psalm 78:40 ¶  How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert!
41  Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel.
42  They did not remember His power: The day when He redeemed them from the enemy,
43  When He worked His signs in Egypt, And His wonders in the field of Zoan;

A hard hearts puts limits on what God can do for it. It does not believe God is Good or will do good for them, personally. A heart could be hardened by bitterness, or unforgiveness, or simply by arrogance and pride, but a hard heart is not willing to hear the Lord speaking to it. It refuses to believe God. It refuses to believe there is anything of worth in knowing God. In fact a hardened heart prefers to judge God. Since God is the actual Judge a hardened heart has placed itself on the throne.

A hard heart prefers to decide for itself whether or not God exists, and refuses to listen for Him, so when it does not hear Him speaking, it believes He does not exist. Did you notice that? The hard heart makes a decision, acts on it, then believes it. Rather than believe God, a hard heart believes itself and is mislead as a result.

Those who have a soft heart for the Lord, will hear Him speaking to them. A soft heart is a heart that believes in God. It is a heart of love, of peace, of patience, and of trust. If you soften your heart towards God then you will hear Him speaking to you.

God speaks but we must incline our ears to hear Him speaking or we simply are unaware of His speaking. He speaks in His scriptures. Do you read them? He speaks in our spirits. Are you listening? He speaks in His creation. Have you noticed it? So in the command "harden not your hearts" is also the implied command to "soften your hearts, look for Him and listen to Him."

8  Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

Provocation means: irritation. In Numbers 14:11 we read:

Numbers 14:11 ¶  And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?

God had shown them great signs, great wonders and they did not believe in Him in their hearts. They allowed themselves to grow weary and untrusting. They forgot God as they focused on their trials and on themselves. This thing, we are also apt to do. Do you recall a time when God did a great miracle in your life? He is still the Miracle Making God, today. Do not allow yourself to forget. Cultivate a heart of gratitude: Jesus said when we drink the cup and eat the bread, "Do this in remembrance of Me."

"The day of temptation" refers to the people tempting God, as it says in our Hebrews study:

9  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

10  Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.

11  So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

His rest. A believing heart is a place of rest and tranquility created by God -- inside of us. Where we err is always in the heart. God wants our hearts and it grieves Him when we simply choose to ignore Him and go our own way. God wants us to know His ways. He showed the Isrealites His works for the next forty years: they ate manna every day, their shoes never wore out, they had water and all that they needed -- and the younger people believed. Too bad for the old folks who had refused to trust Him.

When we take the time and put in the effort to learn what God's "ways" are, we find that He keeps His promises. When we look for His works we see them plainly. He always loves and protects those who follow Him. He is gracious and kind and just. When we become familiar with how God really acts in many situations, how He never changes, and never leaves us and never forsakes us, we begin to have a soft heart for Him. We begin to desire Him. That is all He wants: our hearts trusting and desiring Him. (Note: for wonderful teachings on this subject, read, "The Attributes of God," Vols I and II, by A. W. Tozer,)

The adults had refused to go into the Promised Land because they were afraid of what they had seen there. They had investigated and had perceived the people who lived there as if they were unconquerable "giants." By comparison they thought that they, themselves, were "grasshoppers" in the sight of the giants -- but they were looking through their own eyes and seeing how little they were. They were not looking at God and how Big He Is. They thought they would surely lose the battle and got frightened and fearful of the giants. By fearing them, instead of fearing God, they lost out. They were depending on their own strength and not God's promise and His strength. (Remember David and Goliath? The giant did not win on that day, and the Lord would have saved the people from the land of giants, too. But they did not even give Him a chance -- they limited Him.)

When they refused to go in, God refused to let them in. Only Caleb and Joshua had enough heart and faith to speak for the Lord who had parted the Red Sea for them to cross on dry land, then led them in the wilderness with a column of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night.

Can you imagine seeing that every day, and witnessing that God had made a way for you through an impossible situation, and not trusting that God would go before you and fulfill His promise to you of making another way for you?

Their refusal to enter the Promised Land revealed their short memories, their self centered hearts, and their lack of faith in Him. Here is a question: Do we do the same thing?

They were really irritating to God. So He refused to let them "enter into my rest" meaning the Promised Land. Forty years later, Joshua and Caleb were the only two of that generation who ever set foot in the Promised Land, again. Even Moses did not go in because of his own later sin. God allowed him to see it just before he died, but Moses did not go in.

12  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

Take heed means to pay attention to what you are doing. The writer is speaking to his Christian brothers and sisters. Do not let an "evil heart of unbelief" move into your life. I think this description of "unbelief" is really quite amazing. He is saying that unbelief comes from an evil heart. A heart that is in a bad condition becomes evil when it ceases to believe in God. We might let it happen from too many annoyances and hardships if we take our eyes off of God and His goodness or His promises. I once heard it said that the opposite of joy is unbelief. How true.

Notice also that the description of how "unbelief" acts, is stated in the last phrase: "in departing from the living God." The only way a person could leave God behind is through unbelief -- and unbelief comes from a forgetful, wayward, and wicked heart. As Christians we need to take heed that this does not happen to us. We need to continue to nurture our own continuing belief in Jesus Christ. We also need to support our brothers and sisters in doing the same, as it says in the following:

13  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day;

Each day. This very day, we need to exhort our fellow Christians to continue to believe. The root word for "exhort" was translated this many different ways in the KJV of the Bible:

AV-beseech 43, comfort 23, exhort 21, desire 8, pray 6, intreat 3, misc 4, besought 1; 109

-- meaning that of the 109 times the original Greek word showed up in the original writting, it was translated into different English words the number of times listed next to each word.

It rather surprised me to find that we can "exhort" our Christian friends and family by offering comfort in times of distress, and most especially by praying for them, and desiring good for them. We also exhort by encouraging or entreating them to do the right thing (to come to church or whatever the situation calls for). We can exhort and comfort one another and we must do this every chance we get. Love your neighbor as yourself.

lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

We are exhorting them (and ourselves) against the hardening of the heart that comes from forgetting what God has done for us and by following sin rather than God. People begin to believe the lies, the deceitfulness, of sin. Temptations are actually bold faced lies for which we seem to "fold up" if we do not watch out for them and pray for God's help to turn away from them. Sin is deceitful. Sin is a liar. There is no joy in evil ways, the wages of sin is death. The longer we sin, the harder becomes our heart. Sin takes us farther and farther away from Christ.

14  For we are made partakers of Christ,

Praise the Lord, we have been made "partakers of Christ!" We are made "partakers" of Christ by our faith in Him. We continue to be partakers by continuing to believe in Him -- We walk by faith, not by sight. We have become partakers of the blessings (Eternal Life) with which Christ has blessed the Earth. Don't sin. Stay close to Christ.

1John 5:10 NKJV ¶  He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.
11  And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12  He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13  These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
14 ¶  Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

The "beginning of our confidence" means the same joy, the same faith, the same purpose that we had and felt when we first put our confidence in the saving grace and the wonderful resurrection power of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is not easy for us to stay in that place where it is all fresh and new but it is easy for the Lord to bring us back to it. Trusting in Him will keep us new and steadfast.

How odd: If we trust Him, we remain steadfast. If we forget Him, we limit Him -- and by consequence, we have limited ourselves. Continuing to turn to Him in all things. at all times, will continue to keep you feeling close to Him. He is never more than a breath away, but we can lose the "feeling" of His presence by sin. He never leaves us, so when we get distracted by anything, and that means any thing, we can always humble ourselves before Him and He will give us "times of refreshing from the Lord."

We need to stay close to Christ because it is imperative that we continue to steadfastly hold on to our confidence in Him unto the last. This is the thing the Children of Israel in the wilderness did not do. They did not steadfastly continue to believe that God would keep His promises to them, which grieved and irritated God, especially after all He had done for them and all that He had shown them of Himself. They still forgot Him.

15  While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

Today. If you wish to hear His voice, then soften your heart towards Him today. Do not harden your heart and follow the example of the rebellious, wicked, and self centered adults who insisted upon provoking God and doing things their own way. 

16  For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

There were some at that time who did tempt and provoke God -- but not all. In fact there were only two of the adults who did not, and they were Joshua and Caleb. God forgave the children and took them into His rest, but not the willful and rebellious parents. Let us be like Joshua and Caleb and trust that the Good Lord can do all Good things in our lives!! He can, you know!! He is Able!! He is All Powerful! He is the Almighty God of Heaven and Earth!! Praise the Lord!!

17  But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?

It was the sin of not trusting God, of attempting to take things into their own hands and return to the bondage from which He had just delivered them, that really upset God.

The carcases (bodies) that fell in the wilderness were of all those adults who had refused to go in earlier. God did not kill them off instantly because of Moses prayer for them, but he let them wander for forty years while all the old folks who had sinned passed away and only their children, plus Joshua and Caleb, actually crossed the Jordan river and entered into the Promised Land forty years later.

18  And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?

19  So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Minor or major, sin always comes from unbelief. Whether it is a small patch or a large patch, unbelief grows sin. If you have a sin that is hard for you to conquer, check out what it is that you think God cannot do in that patch.  Then repent and change your mind!!

The thing that kept the Isrealites from entering the rest that had been promised to them (the Promised Land) was their own unbelief. They did not believe God would deliver them... again. Whether it is a moment of sin or a lifetime of sin, it is always "forgetting to believe in God" and to trust in Him and nurture your relationship with Him that keeps us from entering into our own Promised Land, which is the Kingdom of God, itself. That place where God is King!!

Jesus Christ has given us access to God, but it is based on belief in Him and in God, the Father. It is so simple and so obvious, but we can be so blind. If you feel the blindness or confusion creeping in, then immediately hit your knees and ask God to forgive you and to search your heart and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

Ask Him to show you what is happening in your own heart -- we need that because our minds get cloudy and we become blinded to our own actions and motives. Somehow, we always think we are right. Our amazing God knows our hearts and, thankfully, He does forgive and does restore us.

1 Peter 5:6-7  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

1 ¶  Let us therefore fear, 

In our modern days people don't like to listen to the idea of "fearing God." They only want to remember the soft, loving, forgiving side of God and don't want to accept the idea of His Justice. God is All Mighty, All Powerful, and Sovereign and deserves our respect and our fear of His Ultimate Power, especially, when we do wrongly.

Hebrews 10:30-31  For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Ps 103:8  The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

Thank God! He is also slow to anger. He gives us time to come to Him and set our lives right again with His help and intervention. We set our lives right by repentance and continuing to believe and trust in Him and His Goodness and His mercy, but, we need to remember His justice and His vengeance, too. Remember God.

 lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

We do not want to fall short of entering into His rest as they did. We will not fall short if we simply continue to believe and trust in Him for all things in our lives. Continue to walk with Him daily.

2 Peter 1:9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
11  For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

 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 was preached in the Old Testament and in the New, but there are many examples of how some folks did not mix faith with their hearing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. What profit is there in the hearing of God's goodness and not believing it? That changes nothing in us. That is evidence of a hardened heart which leaves us to our own devices. We know the result of having no faith in God. Hearing the gospel is of great import, but believing it in our hearts, is of even more importance -- and absolutely necessary to salvation.

Ro 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

What more needs to be said? Jesus Christ has the power of death and of Hell in His hands. He captured them for us. He also has the power of eternal life in His hands. Keep your faith in Him. Let us do as Paul said of himself:

2Ti 4:7  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

And he entered into His rest! Praise the Lord who keeps His promises!! Keep the faith you were given!! Keep it real. Keep it alive. Jesus Christ is The Living God. God the Father is The Living God. The Holy Spirit is The Living God. We are alive in Christ Jesus, our Lord!!

1 Corinthians 15:20 ¶  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

Praise the Lord!!

Let us read the verses again with our new understanding:

6  But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

7 ¶  Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,

8  Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

9  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

10  Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.

11  So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

 12  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

13  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

14  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

15  While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

16  For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

17  But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?

18  And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?

19  So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

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.

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.

Hebrews 2:18-3:6 KJV

The Son Inherits the House and Authority Over It

WHAT IT SAYS:

18  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
1 ¶  Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
2  Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.
3  For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.
4  For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.
5  And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;
6  But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

WHAT IT MEANS:

18  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

We begin where we left off, with remembering that Jesus Christ came to this earth as a man who suffered all the same temptations that we suffer. Who He is and what He has experienced has made him able to give aid to those who are being tempted. He understands us, because He is one of us. This is part of the precious gift that God gave us by His grace.

1 ¶  Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

Notice where the Capitol Letters are: Apostle, High Priest, Christ Jesus. Those Capitol Letters mean those words represent Jesus. An apostle is a messenger and Jesus Christ was God's Holy Messenger. His message was that God is light, that God loves us, and God wants us back in His Fold. His message was that we need to repent and turn to God for forgiveness and life everlasting. He told us that the kingdom of God is at hand.

A High Priest is the one who mediates for all the people. The Mediator is "The Go Between" -- between God and us. In the Old Testament church when the people wanted to repent of their sins they would bring a pure clean animal and give it to the regular priest who sacrificed the animal for their sins and spoke to God for them. The High Priest was the only one who could go into the Holy of Holies -- the most sacred part of the temple -- once a year to offer the sacrifices on the Day of Atonement -- the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. Jesus Christ is our High Priest, who sacrificed Himself for our forgiveness. He is the Apostle (Messenger) and High Priest (Mediator) of our profession. We have professed, or shared with others that we have put our faith in Jesus. He is the one whom we profess to belong to us.

Verse one of chapter three (above) starts off with the word "wherefore" meaning that what is about to be said depends on our remembrance of what has just been said. What has just been said is that Jesus Christ is able to help us in our times of temptation to sin. But it actually includes everything from chapter one, verse one. All that has been said about Jesus Christ up to this point in the writing.

We are also addressed as: "holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling." This reminds us that in verse eleven of the previous chapter we are called "they who are sanctified" -- meaning made holy. It is fitting for those who have repented of their sins and accepted the sacrifice that Jesus made for the forgiveness of their sins, to consider themselves to have been made holy by his sacrifice. Because of their profession or belief in Him, we are now called "holy brethren"... with lower case letters. It is also a reminder of how we now need to conduct ourselves.

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

1Pe 1:15-16  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

The idea of us "being holy as God is holy" is not something that was "cooked up" in the New Testament. This was the commandment that God gave to the children of Israel which is quoted many many times in the Old Testament in Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and

Numbers 15:40: That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.

We are "partakers of the heavenly calling"... Those wonderful words: "the heavenly calling" -- God has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. We are partakers, participators, sharers of his marvellous invitation. We have been given a call to come to heaven, because of His Grace, through His Son, Jesus Christ. By our profession of faith in Him, we have accepted that call and become Christians. Obedience to God is the foundation that keeps us close to Him. Obedience comes from love and the greatest commandment is to Love God. The next greatest is to love our fellow man. You remain holy by faith and obedience unto "your God." The kind of life we live now is important.

1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Now, because we are partakers, we need to consider (or contemplate or be aware of) who Jesus Christ is and take Him as our example of faithfulness.

2  Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.

In this verse we see the beginning of a comparison between Jesus and Moses. Remember, the book we are studying was written to the Hebrew people and the most important prophet they had was Moses. They respected him, they revered him, they honored him -- and Jesus Christ is now being compared to him so their understanding of Jesus may be ripened.

The thing these two had in common was that they were both faithful to God (him that appointed him). God had appointed Moses and God also appointed Jesus Christ. Moses was called "faithful in all his house", being the house of Israel. The word Israel means "God prevails" and the "el" is the name of God as in "Elohiym" meaning The Ruler, The Judge, The One True God. Moses and Jesus were both faithful to the God of Israel and they were both appointed by God for their positions. They were both "deliverers" but Moses delivered their bodies from Egypt, and Jesus delivered their souls from hell.

3  For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.
4  For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

"This man," meaning Jesus Christ, was "counted worthy of more glory than Moses." Jesus has a higher status than Moses. Moses died, just as all have died since Adam. But Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead and now sits on the right hand of God. He was worthy, in God's eyes, for a great deal of glory. "Inasmuch" meaning "to the degree that" or "in the same way as" the architect or builder of a house has more honor than the house that was built. Frank Lloyd Wright was a famous architect and his houses are famous and cherished only because he built them. Jesus Christ, being God, is the builder of the house of Israel and of all things. Moses was a member of the house.

Philippians 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.


5  And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

Moses was a servant of God who was faithful to serve the house that God built -- called Israel. Moses was also a prophet who bore testimony of future things.

6  But Christ as a son over his own house; 

But Jesus Christ, because he is the Son of God, was faithful over his own house. He has authority that Moses never had. Moses was a servant of the house, but Jesus was the Son who inherited the house as his own. Jesus has authority over the house because it belongs to him. What house are they talking about?

whose house are we,

We are the house that Christ built with his ultimate sacrifice on the cross and He has authority over that house as a Son. He sought us and he bought us with His redeeming blood. He sacrificed Himself for us and we became the house that He built.

if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end

"IF" is a big little word. Our being a part of His house depends on if we hold fast the confidence -- meaning continue to trust in the work that Jesus did. Hold fast, like glue. We must be fastened or stuck to Jesus AND the rejoicing of the hope... what hope is that? The hope of eternal life in Jesus Christ. He is our hope, our future. And we must remain confident and hopeful to trust in Him "unto the end."

The word "firm" is important for us to notice. It means to not show weakness or uncertainty. It means forceful, hearty and vigorous. We are to keep a strong hold on Christ and our profession of Him. We are to keep our faith in Him strong unto the end.

We remain confident that He is the Way, and rejoice that we shall live in heaven with Him!! If we hold fast, remain firm, and endure to the end of our trials here. It is important that we remember we have been cleansed by Christ for the purpose that we may be re-united with the Father of Jesus. We continue to confidently face our trials knowing that Jesus Christ is there with us when we need Him and He is able to help.

We continue to look forward to heaven, to rejoice in what He has done for us knowing that He is the Son of God and owns not only us but the keys to death and hell. He closed the door to hell and opened the one to heaven for us!! Praise the Lord! We shall remain members of His household if we firmly hold fast until the end. And if we hold fast the firm confidence it is easy to hold fast to the wonderful rejoicing because He is holding on to us!! We belong to Him and He keeps us!! Praise the Lord!!

1 Peter 1:3 ¶  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 ¶  Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

John 10:28-29  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

RE-READ THE VERSES TO RELISH THE FULL UNDERSTANDING:

Hebrews 2:18-3:6 KJV

18  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
1 ¶  Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
2  Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.
3  For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.
4  For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.
5  And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;
6  But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

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Hebrews 2:10-18

Freedom in Jesus, Who Helps in Our Times of Need

9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
10 ¶  For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
11  For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
12  Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.
13  And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
14 ¶  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
15  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
16  For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

17  Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

18  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Our study begins with a reminder from our last lesson:

9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

We can see Jesus through the Bible stories that we read. They are the witness, or the testimony, of the men who wrote them for us so that we may have access to this knowledge, just as the ones they spoke to in person -- so they and we could come to see, to know and to trust Jesus Christ.

This is what they told us about him: He was made a little lower than the angels -- just as we have been made a little lower than the angels. In other words, Jesus became a man, in exactly the same way we were born as men and women, from our mother's womb. Jesus' mother was Mary, but the Father of Jesus was not like our earthly fathers who have dominion over us. The Father of Jesus Christ was the Holy Spirit, God, Himself who has dominion over all creation. Jesus came here for the express purpose of "the suffering of death." A sacrifice was needed and we were unable to make that sacrifice because we did not have the right spirit within us. We did not have the spirit of obedience and truth within us, but Jesus did.

Because he came and suffered death for us, he was (and is still) crowned with glory and honor. All of this occurred by the grace of God -- from start to finish -- it was God's grace that had planned before the Earth was even created to provide the way of salvation for us. Jesus tasted death for every man by the power of the Holy Spirit and the Grace of God the Father!

10 ¶  For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

The word "became" means: beauty, befitting, suitable. It was both fitting and suitable and part of the beauty of the Father and His goodness. Clearly "for whom are all things" and "by whom are all things" is a reference to God being the Creator who created all things for his own good pleasure and purpose -- and it was his pleasure and purpose to bring "many sons" unto glory. He is talking about us! God wanted to bring us back into his fold, that we might live with him in "glory," or heaven.

The thing that pleased the Father most was to make Jesus the "captain of their salvation." He gave His own Son -- a part of Himself -- to rescue us and to lead us to God. The word "captain" implies that there is an army behind him. God the Father is the Most High and Holy General and Founder, and Jesus is the "Captain" who brings us to the Father. Every captain is someone who has "been through it all." We won't usually follow someone who is imposed on us from a foreign source because we do not know them or trust them. Men will follow a captain whom they know has suffered with them, and worked shoulder to shoulder with them. Someone who has already proved through experience that he loves his men. They trust that he would die for them. That was the suffering that Jesus endured. His life had the same temptations that ours does -- but without sin -- which is also why Jesus is the captain of our salvation.

11  For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

He that performed the sanctification and those who were thereby sanctified are all "of one."  Sanctification means to separate from the dirt and clean it up. In it's highest form it means to make holy, to dedicate to God. Jesus sanctified us and made us "one" with him. We became a part of him. Notice that he came to be a part of us, and then, through his suffering and death on the cross, we became part of him. He died for every single man, woman, and child that has ever been born on this earth. We all became part of the family of God, because Jesus, being God, claimed us as his own. He never was, and never will be ashamed to be associated with us -- to call us his brothers and sisters.

12  Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

This is a quote from Psalm 22:22. Jesus did the same thing. Jesus declared the name of God, the love of God, the salvation of God unto his "brethren" -- his siblings, which is us. He did this in the middle of the church -- just as we do. We recognize the acknowledgment of God as "praise unto thee," oh God! That was the reason that Jesus came: that we might be made aware of God, that we might be re-united with him, that we might come to know Him and what He has done for us, and that we might give him praise and honor because he is so very very GOOD to us -- but the choice is ours.

The gift of salvation is freely available to anyone who will call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. It sits in waiting for anyone who is willing to ask for it. That is why it only takes a simple prayer of repentance and profession of faith to become one with Jesus. By Jesus, we have entrance into heaven and an everlasting relationship with the Father. Without Jesus, we are dead in our sins. Whether we live or die depends on our own acceptance or rejection of the gift

13  And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the.   children which God hath given me.

Jesus not only declared God to us, he put his trust in the Father. He is an example to us. Jesus also wanted us to "behold" to look at, to recognize the children that God gave him. Jesus became our captain, or father, and was pleased to announce that we belong to him. He is not ashamed of us.

14 ¶  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

Here we again see the confirmation of what we have been seeing. It is repeated so we would know for sure that Jesus became like us so that through death (which is our lot) that he might "destroy." Let's look at that word "destroy." It is the opposite of "create." To create means to bring into existence and to destroy means to take out of existence. What got taken out of existence? The power of death. The power of death was the opposite of "sanctification." It is what separates us from God. Sanctification re-unites us with God. God is life and if we are to be with him, we must have life. We are given this life, in Jesus Christ.

Notice it said that "the devil" "had the power of death." When Jesus died on the cross he died a different kind of death than what we will suffer. He changed death! He stole the power from the devil, took it back, and became it's rightful owner. He shares this with anyone who will put their faith in Jesus and in God, His Father! Praise the Lord! God had originally given man life in Adam, and Jesus returned that life which had been stolen from us by his victory over death and hell. We are make conquerors, in Jesus! We are freed from the devil's power -- from death and it's horrific consequences of eternal separation from our Creator! Our physical bodies will still suffer death because they are flesh, but our souls are saved because we have been forgiven, sanctified, and glorified. We will live in a new resurrected body, just like the one that Jesus has! He became like us, so we could become like Him! Praise the Lord!

15  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage

We no longer need to fear death. Jesus changed all that for us. We no longer have to live a life of bondage to sin and to separation from God. We have been re-united with God and given a new life. We have become a new creation in Christ! Everything is different!

16  For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

Look at this: Jesus did not become like the angels in order to save them. Jesus took on the seed of Abraham. Jesus became like us. He was not here to save the angels. He came here to this earth to save us -- the inhabitants of earth!

17  Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, 

"Behoved" means "necessary, and proper." It "behoved him" or it was "necessary" that he be made like us -- the ones he calls "his brethren." Our salvation could not come in any -- any -- other way! Notice the words "in all things."  In every way he became like us. He was one hundred percent like man. He was also one hundred percent the Son of God. He had an earthly mother and a heavenly father and was entirely like each one of them. This is the concept that is so hard for our finite minds to comprehend. We exist on this finite plane and in this place called earth. Our minds can only grasp so much on our own. If you are separate from God -- if you are not "born again" you cannot even "see" the Kingdom of God. It takes a work of the Holy Spirit for us to even begin to recognize who Jesus Christ is and was. The most amazing thing is that when we recognize Him -- we begin to recognize ourselves!! We recognize the sameness and the difference. The difference is sin. We sin. Jesus did not sin. He was "The Sinless Sacrifice."  He was "The Lamb of God." The lamb that God provided for us.

Genesis 22:8  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God,

Jesus has been through what we are going through. He knows us -- and he has mercy on us because he knows us. He is faithful because he knows God. He represents us to God. He represents God to us. He is the High Priest who has mediated and continues to mediate for us in the things pertaining to God.

to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

"Reconciliation" means to bring peace, to re-unite. The process of re-uniting us with God includes the forgiveness of our sins.

18  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted,

Jesus has lived through the process of being tempted -- without sinning. Recall the forty days in the wilderness when he fasted and the devil came to tempt him at the end -- but Jesus rebuffed him with the use of the word of God.

he is able to succour them that are tempted.

The word "able" means: having sufficient power, or skill, or resources to accomplish his objective. It also means that he is likely to take action to treat the problem. His solutions are marked by his intelligence, his knowledge of God, and his own competence. Jesus is able.

The word "succour" is the British variant of the word "succor" which means: to go to the aid of, or relieve. "Succor" is something that Jesus does to give help to someone who is suffering or in a difficult situation.

Temptation is a difficult situation but if you go to Jesus for help, you will receive the help you need because he is the power of God. He is the way to God. He is the life we seek. He is the truth of God. It is the truth of Jesus Christ that sets us free from death, temptation and sin by the power of the Holy Spirit!!

Romans 15:13  Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

HERE ARE OUR VERSES AGAIN: Re-read them and see if your understanding has deepened through your study and the power of the Holy Spirit who opens all thing to our own eyes:

9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
10 ¶  For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
11  For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
12  Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.
13  And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
14 ¶  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
15  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
16  For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

17  Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

18  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Hebrews 2:1-9 KJV

A Little Lower Than the Angels

 
1 ¶  Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
2  For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
3  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
4  God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
5 ¶  For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.
6  But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
7  Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:
8  Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.
9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

We have been looking at who Jesus Christ is and we have found out that he is the Son of God, and Very God, Immanuel, meaning "God With Us."  This has been pointed out by comparing the things that are said in the scriptures about him, both Old Testament and New Testament, with the things that have been said about the angels. We ended up finding out that angels are "ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation" and that Jesus Christ is far above them in rank.

1 ¶  Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 

Because we now know who Jesus Christ is, should we not listen and obey the things he said to us? Should we not give "earnest heed" meaning close, serious, attention, to what we have heard Him say? If we do not give serious intent to what we have heard and attempt to understand and respond with living obedience, we might just let them slip away and then pay the consequences for our negligence.
 
2  For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

We know that the messages that have been received from angels are stedfast, meaning firm, fixed, and settled, and we also know that when their words were disobeyed the rebellious received the payment for every transgression and disobedience. For example: when the father of John the Baptist was being addressed by an angel and he questioned the message with disbelief, he was struck dumb for a season.

Luke 1:19-22  And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings  And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.

Clearly there are just rewards, or consequences, attached to the messages and the ministering of angels. They rank above us and should be obeyed because they do dwell in the Presence of God. This means they have authority over us. 

3  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

A great salvation was first spoken of by the Lord, Jesus Christ, which was also confirmed by the apostles who reported the message of this great salvation. The question is "How shall we escape, if we neglect" to hear what God has spoken unto us? If what the angels said was stedfast and sure, would not what Jesus has said to us be of even more importance? 

4  God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

Should we not listen to the testimonies the apostles left for us concerning Jesus Christ? God, Himself, also bore witness of what the apostles taught about Jesus Christ and the salvation he wrought for us, through the  signs and wonders, many different miracles, and also gifts of the Holy Spirit that we read about in the New Testament as having accompanied the preaching and teaching of the apostles. 

He did all these things according to his own will. It was God's purpose to give us this great salvation and it was his objective to make sure through the signs and wonders that we understood that Jesus Christ's message was the message of God's love and salvation for us. 

5 ¶  For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.

Even though the angels are the messengers and ministers of God, God did not put the world to come under subjection to them. Notice that we are speaking of the world to come -- the one that will appear after this one has been changed.

Heb 1:10-12  And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. 

Who will that world be in subjection to? We are about to begin looking at man. 

6  But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?

This is a reference to the book of Job where Job is wondering why God has man in his thoughts at all. What is it about man that God even pays attention to him? Why did God, the Supreme and All Powerful Creator, come to visit the children of man? 

7  Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

God made man a little lower in rank than the angels. God crowned man with glory and honor and gave him dominion over the things that God created.

Genesis 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

8  Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. 

The Earth and everything on it is subject to the influence and doings of mankind. God left nothing outside the domain of man. 

But now we see not yet all things put under him.

Right now, we do not see this domain as being under the power of man. Yet. The big word "yet" -- meaning, at this time, we do not see all that God has given us. What do we see?

9  But we see Jesus,  

Oh, but we see Jesus!! Jesus we can see in the pages of scripture. Jesus we can see in our prayers and praises. And what do we see about him?

who was made a little lower than the angels 

We see that Jesus was "made a little lower than the angels" just as man is. 

for the suffering of death, 

Jesus came and lived in a body like ours. He became a man so that He, in His great love, might pay the penalty of death for us. His whole purpose was so that he might suffer death in our place and free us from the bondage that we live under on this Earth.

crowned with glory and honour; 

We see Jesus crowned with glory and honor, knowing that every knee shall bow to Him.

Philippians 2:9-11  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
 
 that he by the grace of God 

What Jesus did for us He did by the wonderful grace of God the Father! Even the announcement of the birth of Jesus Christ by the angels was announced with praise to God and His great goodwill toward men:

 Luke 2:12-15  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 

The shepherds heard the message the angels delivered. They heard about God's good will (grace) and God's confirmation that the baby being in the manger was the sign that this was the correct child. The shepherds wanted to see the event that had taken place of which the Lord had told them. If you read farther on in the account you will find that they found Jesus and looked upon Him and rejoiced, telling everyone there about him and the angels.

Here is what Paul said to Timothy about how we should behave in church and why:

1 Timothy 3:15-16  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
 
Great is the mystery of godliness! There is much we do not understand, but this we do understand: God was manifest in the flesh as Jesus Christ. He was justified in the Spirit by the signs and miracles that He performed. Angels saw Him and spoke of Him. Jesus was preached to the whole world, not just the Jews, and many in the world believed. Jesus was received up into glory and dwells on the right hand of the Living God.

And what is it that Jesus did for us?

should taste death for every man.

Jesus died a different kind of death than we shall have to suffer. He came in the form of a man but did not sin as a man does. He was the sinless sacrifice who was able to taste the horrible death in our place, so we would not have to. Yes, our physical bodies still have to die, but after that everything is different because of what Jesus did for us.

2 Corinthians 5:6-8  Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord  (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 

The difference for the one who believes in the Sinless Sacrifice is that when we leave this body, we shall instantly be present with the Lord where He lives in heaven. Praise God for his boundless selfless love and mercy! Thank you Jesus for doing for us, what we could not do for ourselves!! Hallelujah!

Here are the verses again:

Hebrews 2:1-9

1 ¶  Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
2  For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
3  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
4  God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
5 ¶  For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.
6  But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
7  Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:
8  Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.
9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.