Hebrews 3:1-13

Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception.

A short rundown on rest in the Bible

Rest began after creation

Genesis 2:1–3 CSB

So the heavens and the earth and everything in them were completed. On the seventh day God had completed his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it he rested from all his work of creation.

Genesis 4:9–12 CSB

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s guardian?” Then he said, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! So now you are cursed, alienated from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood you have shed. If you work the ground, it will never again give you its yield. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

Genesis 4:12 CSB

If you work the ground, it will never again give you its yield. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

“The Ark came to rest..”

“The dove found no rest ....”

Noah’s name means “rest”.

God hung up his bow (weapon of rain agaist mankind)

Exodus 16:23–26 CSB

He told them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil, and set aside everything left over to be kept until morning.’ ” So they set it aside until morning as Moses commanded, and it didn’t stink or have maggots in it. “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a Sabbath to the Lord. Today you won’t find any in the field. For six days you will gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.”

Leviticus 23:26–32 CSB

The Lord again spoke to Moses: “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. You are to hold a sacred assembly and practice self-denial; you are to present a food offering to the Lord. On this particular day you are not to do any work, for it is a Day of Atonement to make atonement for yourselves before the Lord your God. If any person does not practice self-denial on this particular day, he is to be cut off from his people. I will destroy among his people anyone who does any work on this same day. You are not to do any work. This is a permanent statute throughout your generations wherever you live. It will be a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you must practice self-denial. You are to observe your Sabbath from the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening.”

Year of Jubilee

The farmers and the land were given a year of rest. The Lord would provide a double harvest the prior year. This was never practiced.

2 Chronicles 6:41 CSB

Now therefore: Arise, Lord God, come to your resting place, you and your powerful ark. May your priests, Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and may your faithful people rejoice in goodness.

Jesus and rest:

“I am the Lord of the Sabbath” - Matt. 12:8

“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” - Mark 2:7

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” - Matt. 11:28

Now for some questions.

Do you sleep better during the vacation, or the night you get home?

What keeps people from following a warning?

Why don’t we take a rest more often?

Hebrews 4:1–13 CSB

Therefore, since the promise to enter his rest remains, let us beware that none of you be found to have fallen short. For we also have received the good news just as they did. But the message they heard did not benefit them, since they were not united with those who heard it in faith. For we who have believed enter the rest, in keeping with what he has said, So I swore in my anger, “They will not enter my rest,” even though his works have been finished since the foundation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in this way: And on the seventh day God rested from all his works. Again, in that passage he says, They will never enter my rest. Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news did not enter because of disobedience, he again specifies a certain day—today. He specified this speaking through David after such a long time: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people. For the person who has entered his rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from his. Let us, then, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience. For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. No creature is hidden from him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.

Hebrews 4:1–3 CSB

“Therefore” = previous promise of “Today” in Chapter 3.

“Let us beware” -> call to everyone for the promise.

“Good news just as they did” -> author connecting the gospel with the OT promises of God.

“enter his rest” -> present tense…we share now in future rest.

“even though his works have been finished since the foundation of the world” -> rest is part of Creation.

Hebrews 4:4–7 CSB

For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in this way: And on the seventh day God rested from all his works. Again, in that passage he says, They will never enter my rest. Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news did not enter because of disobedience, he again specifies a certain day—today. He specified this speaking through David after such a long time: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.

Gen 2:2 and Ps. 95 are used to contrast what God did and we do. God rested, and we enter that rest through belief. God did on the 7th day. We must do it TODAY!

I can imagine the preacher raising his voice on “TODAY!”

Hebrews 4:8–11 CSB

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people. For the person who has entered his rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from his. Let us, then, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience.

1 What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!

2 Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer! Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer!

3 Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge-- take it to the Lord in prayer! Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In his arms he'll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Hebrews 4:12–13 CSB

For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. No creature is hidden from him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.

This is the second major warning. God’s word is full of grace, but that grace is from a powerful weapon—that same word. You cannot fool God, not even a little bit. Not even a little bit. You will give an account.

NT361 Book Study: The Letter to the Hebrews Summary

Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart but open it, and open it in obedience and faith.

We can be tempted to make Jesus less than he is.

In what ways do people talk about Jesus in a why that is less than who he is?

Are you personally tempted to think about Jesus in ways that are less than who he is? The author of Hebrews begins here.

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