F H L 1. Exhortation. "Let us revere, lest".
M 2. Reason. The Word of God.
J o 3-5. God's rest and its character.
p 6-8. Perfect rest future.
o 9,10. Rest for God's people, and its character.
H L 11. Exhortation. "Let us labor, lest".
M 12,13. God and His Word.
Hebrews 4)
1 Let us therefore revere, lest haply, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to have of it. (Some will fail to enter into His rest because they don't care enough about God's Word to know what promises have been made and to claim them.)
2 For we also were evangelized, as they also were: but the word of hearing did not profit them, since they were not united by faith to those that heard.
3 For we which believed do enter into rest, as He said, "As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest:" (see 3:11) although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. (Peace of mind and true rest belongs to those that hear with understanding. The works of God's rest and salvation were completed before satan's overthrow in the first earth age. God has a plan. He is in control.)
4 For He spoke in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, "And God did rest on the seventh day from all His works." (Quoted from Gen. 2:2. Don't correlate the seventh day in this verse with any of our current days of the week. It doesn't fit. Remember, one day with the Lord is as a thousand years (II Peter 3:8).)
5 And in this place again, "If they shall enter into My rest."
6 Seeing therefore it remains that some must enter into it, and they who were first evangelized entered not in because of disobedience: (Those that must enter therein are the elect. They do not have a choice. It was foreordained before the foundation of the world [in that first earth age.])
7 Again [seeing], He defines a certain day, saying in David (in Ps. 95:7,8. Pss. 92-99 [with the exception of 94] are used on "the Inauguration of the Sabbath"), "Today," so long after after so long a time; as it is said, "Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts."
8 For if Joshua (cp. Acts 7:45) caused them to rest, then would he not after these things have spoken of another day. (It was Joshua that would eventually lead God's children into the promise land. Joshua was a shadow, or a type, of the true rest that was to come, Jesus. Christ would become the light that allows you to escape.)
9 There remains therefore a Rest Day (i.e. the great day of "rest" under the rule of the great "Priest [King] upon His throne". See Zech. 6:13) to the people of God.
10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also has rested from his works, as God did from His own.
11 Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall in the same example of unbelief. (As you learned, the word rest in the three previous verses is from the Greek sabbaton, or sabbath. What must we do to enter that rest? Labor. How many of you have labored to bring the sun up to start a new day? I think none. God's Word is not talking about a day of the week in reference to sabbath. We should labor to increase our belief and faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus is our Passover (I Cor. 5:7). Jesus is our sabbath. There is no day of the week that is able to save your soul. Jesus is able and He will, if you love Him and believe Him.)
M q 12-. God Whose Word is wonderful.
r -12-. What His Word is. Living, powerful, a sharp sword.
s -12-. What His Word does. Pierces, divides asunder.
r -12. What His Word is. A critic of the heart.
q 13. God Whose eye sees all.
12 For the word of God
is living, and powerful, and sharper above any two-edged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and
is a discerner (Gr. kritikos) of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (The written Word is a sword [Eph. 6:17], and the living Word has a sword [Rev. 1:16; 9:15]. Once, and only once, has God used the word discerner; thus confining it to His own Word as a "critic". That Word is to be man's Judge [John 12:48]. Yet man claims the word "critic" and dares to sit in judgment on that very Word which is to judge him, in what he terms "higher criticism", which is only human reasoning based on the deceit of his own heart [Jer. 23:26]. "In the last day" man will be criticized [judged] by the same Word on which he now sits in judgment. "Dividing asunder of soul and spirit" means not only differentiating between that which is begotten of the flesh and that which is begotten by the Spirit [John 3:6] in the individual; but also between the natural man and spiritual man. See 1 Cor. 2:13-15.)
13 And there is not a created thing that is not manifest before His eyes (the Divine X-rays allow nothing to be hidden): but all things are naked and opened to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
D t 14-. Our Great High Priest. The Son of God.
u -14. Exhortation based on it.
t 15. Our Great High Priest. The Son of Man.
u 16. Exhortation based on it.
14 Having therefore a great High Priest (see 2:17), that is passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God (the heir of all things, see 1:2),
let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we have not a high priest not able to sympathize with the feeling of our infirmities; but was according to all things tempted like as we are, yet apart from sin.
16 Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, in order that we may receive mercy (cp. Ex. 34:6,7. God's own character of Himself, which the O.T. saint delight to quote. Deut. 4:31. 2 Chron. 30:9. Neh. 9:17. Pss. 88:15; 103:17; 111:4; 130:7; 145:8. Joel 2:13. Micah 7,18,&.), and find grace for seasonal help.