Coachlight Bible
Study – Hebrews Chapter 4
Enter His Sabbath
Rest
The economy of the Jews was looked upon by the Hebrews as having two
main components: Moses and the high priest.
The apostle Paul shows Christ’s superiority over the high priest in
chapter four. In the last part of chapter three and the first part of chapter
four, we have the second exhortation in the book of Hebrews. The readers are to stay away from doubting
God’s Word like their ancestors did, and to enter into God’s rest. This rest has a condition. The condition on
the people of God is that, “We hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast
unto the end.”
Christ, the Apostle and High Priest is the builder of the house and the
Sabbath and has placed His people in the house of God and has given eternal
rest for His people. His people, can
enter into His rest, if they don’t let unbelief destroy their inheritance, causing them to fall as the evil congregation
of Israelites did.
As the Hebrew Christians did not need to think that they were missing
anything by becoming Christians, so Christians today need to forsake their
religion, and trust Christ, because He is superior over any religion – even the
Law which was only designed to point forward to Christ.
We need to be aware that we can fall and come short of God’s “Rest” by
only looking at the here and now, and not realizing and doubting our “Promised
Land” Christ.
Psalm 95:1 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful
noise to the rock of our salvation.
Psalm 95:2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make
a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
Psalm 95:3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all
gods.
Psalm 95:4 In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength
of the hills is his also.
Psalm 95:5 The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry
land.
Psalm 95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the
LORD our maker.
Psalm 95:7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and
the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,
Psalm 95:8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the
day of temptation in the wilderness:
Psalm 95:9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.
Psalm 95:10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and
said, It is
a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:
Psalm 95:11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter
into my rest.
(Also
read Numbers 13 and 14)
I. The Hebrew
Christians Really Need To Enter Into His Rest
Hebrews 4:1 Let us
therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of
you should seem to come short of it.
Hebrews 4:2 For unto
us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not
profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. Hebrews 4:3 For
we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my
wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from
the foundation of the world.
A. All the Israelites heard God’s Word
1. Some fell short and did not
enter into the “promised land”
2. The ones that fell did not mix the Word with faith
Psalm 95:11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter
into my rest.
B. The promised land was only a type – Finished from the foundation of
the earth
1. The Israelites in the promised
land was a type of the
2. Today we can
enter His Kingdom (Rest) by believing God can do what He said He would do, or
3. We can fall short by not believing God’s Word as some of the Israelites did
4. No one has the excuse that they
did not hear
Hebrews 4:4 For he
spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the
seventh day from all his works.
Hebrews 4:5 And in
this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
Hebrews 4:6 Seeing
therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was
first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
Hebrews 4:7 Again, he
limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is
said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
C. The Sabbath was made by God’s to point forward to the Kingdom
1. The “Rest” existed from the beginning of Creation:- Rest at completion of a task
Genesis 2:2 And on
the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the
seventh day from all his work which he had made.
2. The “Rest” is still a true promise today
a. The promised land was not the full fulfillment of the promise
b. Many years after, David said “don’t harden your hearts as they did”
Hebrews 4:8 For if
Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another
day. {Jesus: that is, Joshua}
Hebrews 4:9 There
remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. {rest: or, keeping of a
sabbath}
Hebrews 4:10 For he
that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God
did from his.
3. The “Rest” God is talking about was not limited to Joshua’s rest
4. There is a “Rest” for the people of God today
a. This rest is at the completion of Christ’s Work (Revelation & Daniel)
b. Just as God rested after His
Work of Creation
II. Exhortation To Labor
So That We Enter Into That Rest
Hebrews 4:11 Let us
labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same
example of unbelief.
A. How is it that we labor as in this exhortation?
B. By believing God will do what
He said He would do
1. Not only in salvation
2. But also in sanctification
3. If we truly trust Him, we won’t murmur and complain like they did
4. If we truly trust Him, We won’t have the sin resulting from unbelief like they did
C. It is the Word of God that discerns the heart – not man
Hebrews 4:12 For the
word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged 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.
Hebrews
A. The Word of God is Quick – (Living)
B. The Word of God is powerful – “energes”
C. The Word of God is sharper than the sharpest two-edged blade
1. It discerns the intents of the heart
2. It discerns the thoughts
3. No creature is excempt from the
scrutiny of the Word
III. Christ Is The
Hebrews 4:14 Seeing
then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus
the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
A. An Exhortation to know Who Christ is – The superior priest
B. An Exhortation to keep our trust in Him to the end
1. Know that He is our supplier
2. Conduct our lives without murmuring and complaining to God
3. Conduct our lives with a vision
of the “promised land rest”
Hebrews 4:15 For we
have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Hebrews 4:16 Let us
therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and
find grace to help in time of need.
C. The
1. He was God in the beginning
2. He became a man as His Word Prophesied
3. He is superior because He never sinned
D. He and His Word is faithful
1. He gives mercy in times of need
2. He gives grace in times of need