Hebrews Session 5 - Greater Than Aaron

The Christ Church Wednesday Bible Study Group is doing a study through the New Testament book of Hebrews. The word better is used thirteen times in the book of Hebrews as the writer shows the superiority of Christ and His salvation over the Hebrew system of religion.  Another word that is repeated in this book is perfect; in the original Greek it is used fourteen times. It means a perfect standing before God. Eternal is a third word that is important to the message of Hebrews. When you combine these three words, you discover that Jesus Christ and the Christian life He gives us are better because these blessings are eternal and they give us perfect standing before God.  This study is not a diet for “spiritual babes” who want to be spoon-fed and coddled. In this letter you will find “strong meat” that demands some chewing and enjoying.

In this session we talk about Jesus as our Great High Priest and why He is greater than Aaron the first high priest. He is greater because He has a superior title, a superior ordination, a superior sympathy, and offered a superior sacrifice

These are the notes to Session 5.

Click on the YouTube link at the end of these notes for the audio recording.  

What makes the Bible so exciting is not the book itself, but the fact that through it we encounter the person we love. The whole Bible is about Jesus. The New Testament is obviously about Jesus. However, Jesus said of the Scriptures that were available in his lifetime (that is, the Old Testament): ‘These are the very Scriptures that testify about me’

John 5:39 NIV You study  the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,

The more time you invest in studying and applying God’s word to your life, the greater benefit you will experience. Make this a high priority. Give time to embracing the words of Jesus and you will not regret it.

Greater Than Aaron

After warning his readers to be careful not to refuse to listen to the word of God now presented by His Son Jesus the writer gets back to his arguments about Jesus' superiority over anything and everything in and around the religion practiced by their fathers that they were not tempted to return to because of persecution.

He is greater than the prophets, greater than the angels, greater than Moses, and last week we said that he was greater in the rest that he gives.

Joshua led them into their physical rest, but not into the promised spiritual rest 

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

The Canaan rest is a picture of our present rest as we claim our inheritance in Christ

Hebrews 4:11‭-‬13 NKJV Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is  living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are  naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must  give account.

The first is the rest of salvation; the second is the rest of submission.

There is also a third rest that enters into the discussion, that future rest that all believers will enjoy with God. 

Hebrews 4:9 NKJV There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.

This word for rest in verse 9 is the Greek word sabbatismos—“a keeping of a Sabbath”—and this is the only place in the New Testament where this word is used. When the saints enter heaven, it will be like sharing God’s great Sabbath rest, with all labors and battles ended.

All of a sudden now the writer starts talking about Jesus as a priest that is superior to any  high priest who was very important in the Hebrew religion because he was the one who interacted with God on behalf of the people. 

But what about Aaron, the first high priest? Is it possible that the Aaronic priesthood, with all of its sacrifices and ceremonies, could bring a troubled soul into rest?

The central theme of Hebrews is the priesthood of Jesus Christ, what He is now doing in heaven on behalf of His people. Is the high priestly ministry of Christ superior to that of Aaron and his successors? Yes, it is, and the writer proves his assertion by presenting four arguments.

1. Jesus Christ has a superior title

2. Jesus Christ has a superior ordination

3. Jesus Christ reveals a superior sympathy

4. Jesus Christ offered a superior sacrifice

Hebrews 4:14‭-5:10 NKJV Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we  are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness. Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins. And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was. 

So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it  was He who said to Him: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek”; who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,”

Jesus Christ Has A Superior Title 

Hebrews 4:14‭-‬16 NKJV Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we  are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Aaron was a “high priest,” but Jesus Christ is the Great High Priest.  The writer had already referred to Jesus as our High Priest 

Hebrews 3:1‭-‬2 NKJV Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was  faithful in all His house.

But now he is referring to Jesus as a Great High Priest.  

No Old Testament priest could assume that title. 

What makes up our Lord’s greatness?

To begin with, Jesus Christ is both God and man. He is “Jesus, the Son of God.” 

Hebrews 1:4‭-‬5 NKJV having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son”?

The “more excellent name” that Jesus possesses is “Son.” While the angels collectively may be termed “the sons of God” (Job 1:6), no angel would be given this title individually. It belongs uniquely to our Lord Jesus Christ. 

He is the Firstborn who receives worship (v. 6). 

Hebrews 1:6 NKJV But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.”

He is served by the angels.

Hebrews 1:7 NKJV And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.”

He is God enthroned and anointed

Hebrews 1:8‭-‬9 NKJV But to the Son He  says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”

He is the eternal Creator

Hebrews 1:10‭-‬12 NKJV And: “You, Lord , in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will fold them up, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not fail.”

The name Jesus means “Savior” and identifies His humanity and His ministry on earth. “Son of God” affirms His deity and the fact that He is God. In His unique person, Jesus Christ unites deity and humanity, so that He can bring people to God and bring to people all that God has for them.

Not only in His person, but also in His position, Jesus Christ is great. Aaron and his successors ministered in the tabernacle and temple courts, and once a year entered the Holy of Holies.

Hebrews 4:14 NKJV Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

When He ascended to the Father, Jesus Christ passed through the atmospheric heavens and the planetary heavens into the third heaven where God dwells.  How much better is it to have a High Priest who ministers in a heavenly tabernacle than in an earthly one!

II Corinthians 12:1‭, ‬3‭-‬4 NKJV It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

Not only is He in heaven, but He is enthroned. 

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

His throne is “the throne of grace”.

The mercy seat on the ark of the covenant was God’s throne in Israel, but it could never be called “a throne of grace.” Grace does not veil itself from the people. Grace does not hide itself in a tent.

Exodus 25:17‭-‬22 NKJV “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall  be its length and a cubit and a half its width. And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of  one  piece with the mercy seat. And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall  be toward the mercy seat. You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.

Furthermore, the common people were not permitted to enter the holy areas of the tabernacle and the temple, and the priests got only as far as the veil in front of the Holy of Holies. 

The high priest alone went beyond the veil, and only on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16). But every believer in Christ is invited, and is even encouraged, to “come boldly unto the throne of grace”! What a great throne it is because our Great High Priest is ministering there.

Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest, is enthroned in heaven. 

Something else makes Him great: He is ministering mercy and grace to those who come for help. Mercy means that God does not give us what we do deserve; grace means that He gives us what we do not deserve. No Old Testament high priest could minister mercy and grace in quite the same way. When an Israelite was tempted, he could not easily run to the high priest for help, and he certainly could not enter the Holy of Holies for God’s help. But as believers in Jesus Christ, we can run to our High Priest at any time, in any circumstance, and find the help that we need.

Now because of the superiority of Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest, over Aaron, two important conclusions can be drawn. 

First, there is no need in giving up our profession just because we are going through testing and trial.

These Hebrew Christians were tempted to give up their confession of faith in Christ and their confidence in Him. It was not a matter of giving up their salvation, since salvation through Christ is eternal. It was a matter of their public confession of faith. By returning to the Old Testament system, they would be telling everyone that they had no faith in Christ. This kind of unbelief would only bring reproach to Christ’s name. After all, the great purpose of salvation is the glory of God.

Hebrews 4:14 NKJV Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

First, there is no need in giving up our profession just because we are going through testing and trial.  The second conclusion is this: There is no need to go back because we can come boldly into the presence of God and get the help we need 

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

No trial is too great, no temptation is too strong, but that Jesus Christ can give us the mercy and grace that we need, when we need it. 

Hebrews 5:1‭, ‬4‭-‬6 NKJV For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it  was He who said to Him: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek”;

No man could appoint himself as a priest, let alone as a high priest. 

Here are some examples of people in the Old Testament who tried to take on that role of priest.

King Saul invaded the priesthood and lost his kingdom.

I Samuel 13:7‭-‬14 NKJV And some  of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering. Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. And Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord .’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.” And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to  be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

In the wilderness Korah and his fellow rebels tried to make themselves priests, and God judged them.

Numbers 16:1‭-‬3‭, ‬31‭-‬35 NKJV Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men;  and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown. They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “ You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord  is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord ?” Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly. Then all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up also! ” And a fire came out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.

When King Uzziah tried to enter the temple and burn incense, God smote him with leprosy.

II Chronicles 26:16‭-‬21 NKJV But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God by entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. So Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the Lord —valiant men. And they withstood King Uzziah, and said to him, “ It  is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord , but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall  have no honor from the Lord God.” Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the Lord , beside the incense altar. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, he was leprous; so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he also hurried to get out, because the Lord had struck him. King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He dwelt in an isolated house, because he was a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord . Then Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.

Aaron was chosen by God to be the high priest, and he was duly ordained and installed in office.

Exodus 28:1‭-‬4 NKJV “Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest, Aaron and Aaron’s sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. So you shall speak to all who  are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest. And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister to Me as priest.

He was chosen from men to minister for men. His main task was at the altar: to offer the sacrifices God had appointed.

Hebrews 8:3‭-‬4 NKJV For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it  is necessary that this One also have something to offer. For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law;

Hebrews 9:14 NKJV how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Unless the sacrifices were offered in the right place, by the right person, they were not accepted by God.

The very existence of a priesthood and a system of sacrifices gave evidence that man is estranged from God. It was an act of grace on God’s part that He instituted the whole Levitical system. Today, that system is fulfilled in the ministry of Jesus Christ. He is both the sacrifice and the High Priest who ministers to God’s people on the basis of His once-for-all offering on the cross.

The subject of ordination stated in Hebrews 5:1 is further developed in Hebrews 5:5–6. 

Hebrews 5:1‭, ‬4‭-‬6 NKJV For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it  was He who said to Him: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek”;

Jesus Christ did not appoint Himself as High Priest. He was appointed by God the Father. The quotation in Hebrews 5:5 is from Psalm 2:7. 

Psalms 2:7 NKJV “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.

 This psalm was already quoted in Hebrews 1:5 to prove that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. But the emphasis in Hebrews 5:5 is on the priesthood of Jesus Christ, not on His deity.

Follow me here Remember I told you that this book is not milk but meat. 

Acts 13:33‭-‬34 NKJV God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.’ And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: ‘I will give you the sure mercies of David.’

The phrase, “This day have I begotten thee,” does not refer to the birth of Christ at Bethlehem, but to His resurrection from the dead. The Son of God was “begotten” into a glorious new life in His resurrection! He ascended to heaven in a glorified body to become our High Priest at the throne of grace. When Aaron was ordained to the priesthood, he offered the sacrifices of animals. But Jesus Christ, to become our High Priest, offered the sacrifice of Himself—and then arose from the dead!

But God the Father not only said, “Thou art my Son” in Psalm 2:7; He also said, “Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” 

Psalms  110:4 NKJV The Lord has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”

And quoted in Hebrews 5:6. 

Hebrews 5:6 NKJVAs He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek”;

When Aaron was ordained, God did not speak directly to him and declare his priesthood. He told Moses what to do to ordain Aaron (Leviticus 8-10).  

But the Father did make this special declaration concerning His Son.

Psalms  110:4 NKJV The Lord has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”

Two factors make Christ’s priesthood unique and, therefore, His ordination greater. 

First, He is a High Priest forever.

No Old Testament priest ministered forever, because each priest died and relinquished the office to his successor. The word forever is an important one in this epistle. At least six times the writer affirmed that Christ’s high priesthood is forever.

Hebrews 5:6 NKJV As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek”;

Hebrews 6:20 NKJVwhere the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7:17‭, ‬21‭, ‬24‭, ‬28 NKJV For He testifies: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him: “The Lord has sworn And will not relent, ‘You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek’ ”), But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.

And, since He is a Priest forever, He gives His people salvation forever.

Hebrews 7:23‭-‬27 NKJV Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who  is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

The second factor that makes Christ’s ordination unique is that He belongs to a different order from the Old Testament priests. 

The Old Testament priests belonged to the order of Aaron; He belongs to the order of Melchizedek. This is very important. We need to take some time to understand it.  

Melchizedek is mentioned in only two places in the entire Old Testament—Genesis 14:17–24 and Psalm 110:4 which we read earlier. 

Genesis 14:17‭-‬24 NKJV And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is,  the King’s Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him. Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was  the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all. Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.” But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord , God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will  take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’— except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.”

Psalms 110:4 NKJV The Lord has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”

His name means “King of Righteousness,” and he was also “King of Salem [peace].” But the fascinating thing about Melchizedek is that he was both a priest and a king! King Uzziah, whose name I mentioned earlier, wanted to be both a priest and a king, and God judged him. Only in Jesus Christ and in Melchizedek, who came before the law by the way, were these two offices combined. Remember we read that Jesus Christ is a High Priest on a throne!

Bible Study Audio

Hebrews Session 4 - Enter Into God's Rest 3:7 - 4:13

The Christ Church Wednesday Bible Study Group is doing a study through the New Testament book of Hebrews. The word better is used thirteen times in the book of Hebrews as the writer shows the superiority of Christ and His salvation over the Hebrew system of religion.  Another word that is repeated in this book is perfect; in the original Greek it is used fourteen times. It means a perfect standing before God. Eternal is a third word that is important to the message of Hebrews. When you combine these three words, you discover that Jesus Christ and the Christian life He gives us are better because these blessings are eternal and they give us perfect standing before God.  This study is not a diet for “spiritual babes” who want to be spoon-fed and coddled. In this letter you will find “strong meat” that demands some chewing and enjoying.

In this session we talk about entering into God's rest

These are the notes to Session 4.

Click on the YouTube link at the end of these notes for the audio recording of session 4.  

Christ Is Greater In The Rest He Gives

In this next section of Hebrews which is a long one from 3:7 to 4:13.  It is important that we understand the background of this section, which is the exodus of Israel from Egypt and their experiences of unbelief in the wilderness.

It was not God’s will that Israel remain either in Egypt or in the wilderness. His desire was that the people enter their glorious inheritance in the land of Canaan. But when Israel got to the border of their inheritance, they delayed because they doubted the promise of God (Num. 13—14). “We are not able” wept the ten spies and the people. “We are able with God’s help!” said Moses, Joshua, and Caleb. Because the people went backward in unbelief instead of forward by faith, they missed their inheritance and died in the wilderness. It was the new generation that possessed the land and entered into their rest.

With this background, we can now better understand one of the key words in this section—rest. 

The writer mentioned two different “rests” found in Old Testament history: (1) God’s Sabbath rest, when He ceased from His creation activities

Hebrews 4:4 NKJV For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”;

(2) Israel’s rest in Canaan 

Deuteronomy 12:9‭-‬10 NKJV for as yet you have not come to the rest and the inheritance which the Lord your God is giving you. But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety,

Hebrews 3:11 NKJV So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”

But he saw in these “rests” illustrations of the spiritual experiences of believers today. The Sabbath rest is a picture of our rest in Christ through salvation 

Hebrews 4:3 NKJV For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

The Canaan rest is a picture of our present rest as we claim our inheritance in Christ

Hebrews 4:11‭-‬13 NKJV Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is  living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are  naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must  give account.

The first is the rest of salvation; the second is the rest of submission.

There is also a third rest that enters into the discussion, that future rest that all believers will enjoy with God. 

Hebrews 4:9 NKJV There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.

This word for rest in verse 9 is the Greek word sabbatismos—“a keeping of a Sabbath”—and this is the only place in the New Testament where this word is used. When the saints enter heaven, it will be like sharing God’s great Sabbath rest, with all labors and battles ended.

Now let’s get to this section of Hebrews;

Hebrews 3:7‭-‬19 NKJV Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness, Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ” Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was  it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was  it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

1.  Let Us Take Heed

Take heed to what? To the sad history of the nation of Israel and the important lesson it teaches. In verses 7-11

The writer quoted from Psalm 95:7–11, which records God’s response to Israel’s tragic spiritual condition.

Psalms 95:7‭-‬11 NKJV For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness, When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work. For forty years I was grieved with that generation, And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, And they do not know My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”

God had delivered His people from Egypt and had cared for them, revealing His power in many signs and wonders. Israel saw all of this and benefited from it, but the experience did not bring them closer to God or make them trust Him more. 

In fact, just the opposite took place: They hardened their hearts against God! They put God to the test and He did not fail them, yet they failed Him.

Hebrews 3:12 NKJV Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;

The people of Israel (except Moses, Joshua, and Caleb) did not believe God could cause them to go into and conquer Canaan which means that their hearts wandered from God and His Word. 

They also had evil hearts of unbelief ; they did not believe that God would give them victory in Canaan. 

They had seen God perform great signs in Egypt. Yet they doubted He was adequate for the challenge of Canaan.

They even wanted to return to Egypt! Imagine wanting to exchange their freedom under God for slavery in Egypt! Of course, all this history spoke to the hearts of the readers of this letter because they were in danger of “going back” themselves.

God’s judgment fell on Israel in the wilderness at Kadesh Barnea. That entire generation was condemned to die, and only the new generation would enter the land. 

God said, “They shall not enter into my rest” (Heb. 3:11). 

But what message does this bring to a believer today? No believer today, Jew or Gentile, because we can’t could go back into the Mosaic legal system since the temple is gone and there is no priesthood. But every believer is tempted to go back into the world system’s life of compromise and bondage. This is especially true during times of persecution and suffering. 

True believers are willing to suffer for Christ, and they hold firmly to their convictions and their confession of faith.

Hebrews 3:6‭, ‬14 NKJV but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,

We are not saved by holding to our confession. The fact that we hold to our confession is proof that we are God’s true children.

It is important that we take heed and recognize the spiritual dangers that exist. But it is also important that we encourage each other to be faithful to the Lord.

Hebrews 3:13 NKJV but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Christians belong to each other and need each other. Moses, Caleb, and Joshua did try to encourage Israel when the nation refused to enter Canaan, but the people would not listen.  

It is clear from this section that God was grieved with Israel during the entire forty years they wandered in the wilderness. 

This didn’t start with the bad report from the spies that went into Canaan and came back with the report that they couldn’t take the land.  It started soon after they were freed from Egypt.

The Jews had not been out of Egypt long when they began to provoke God. After He supplied bread for them, they complained about a lack of water.

Exodus 16:1‭-‬5 NKJV And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt. Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”

Exodus 17:1‭-‬7 NKJV Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the Lord , and camped in Rephidim; but there  was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.” So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord ?” And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord , saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!” And the Lord said to Moses, “Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord , saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

“Massah and Meribah,” which means “provocation and trial.” 

The sin of Israel is stated in Hebrews 3:12—“departing from the living God.”

Israel departed from the living God by refusing God’s will for their lives and stubbornly wanting to go their own way back to Egypt. God did not permit them to return to Egypt. Rather, He disciplined them in the wilderness. God did not allow His people to return to bondage.

The emphasis in Hebrews is that true believers have an eternal salvation because they trust a living Savior who constantly intercedes for them. But the writer was careful to point out that this confidence is no excuse for sin. God disciplines His children. Remember that Canaan is not a picture of heaven, but of the believer’s present spiritual inheritance in Christ. Believers who doubt God’s Word and rebel against Him do not miss heaven, but they do miss out on the blessings of their inheritance today, and they must suffer the chastening of God.

So we are warned to take heed that we don’t make the same mistakes of the Israelites by not believing God’s promises,  and miss His rest, the rest prepared for us if we obey.  

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2) Let us fear (4:1–8)

Hebrews 4:1‭-‬8 NKJV Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.  For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; and again in this place:  “They shall not enter My rest.” Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.” For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.

Hebrews 4:1‭-‬8 NLT God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God.  For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, “In my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest,’” even though this rest has been ready since he made the world. We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.”  But in the other passage God said, “They will never enter my place of rest.” So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.” Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come.

Believers today may enter and enjoy their spiritual inheritance in Christ, but we must be careful lest we fail to believe God’s Word, for it is only as the Word is “mixed with faith” that it can accomplish its purposes. 

The argument in this section is given in several propositions: (1) God finished His work and rested, so that His rest has been available since creation; (2) the Jews failed to enter into their rest; (3) many years later (Ps. 95), God said that a rest was still available. 

Psalms 95:1‭-‬11 NKJV Oh come, let us sing to the Lord ! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord  is the great God, And the great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; And His hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness, When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work. For forty years I was grieved with that generation, And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, And they do not know My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”

That “today”, mentioned in Psalm 95 and in Hebrews 4:8 is still here! This means that Joshua did not lead Israel into the true rest, because a rest still remains. 

The Canaan rest for Israel is a picture of the spiritual rest we find in Christ when we surrender to Him. When we come to Christ by faith, we find salvation rest.

Matthew 11:28‭ NKJV Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  

When we yield and learn of Him and obey Him by faith, we enjoy submission rest.

Matthew 11:29‭-‬30 NKJV Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

The first is “peace with God”

Romans 5:1 NKJV Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

 the second is the “peace of God” 

Philippians 4:6‭-‬8 NKJV Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are  noble, whatever things are  just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are  lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there  is any virtue and if there  is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

It is by believing that we enter into rest; it is by obeying God by faith and surrendering to His will that the rest enters into us.

(3) Let us labor (4:9–13)

Hebrews 4:9‭-‬13 NKJV There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is  living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are  naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must  give account.

Diligence is the opposite of “drifting”.

Hebrews 2:1‭-‬2 NKJV Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward,

How do we “give diligence”? By paying close attention to the Word of God. Israel did not believe God’s Word, so the rebels fell in the wilderness.

In comparing the Word of God to a sword, the writer was not suggesting that God uses His Word to slaughter the saints! It is true that the Word cuts the heart of sinners with conviction.

Here's an example;

Acts 5:29‭-‬33 NKJV But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to  be  Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.” When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them.

and that the Word defeats Satan 

Ephesians 6:17 NKJV And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

The Greek word translated “sword” means “a short sword or dagger.” The emphasis is on the power of the Word to penetrate and expose the inner heart of man. The Word is a “discerner” or “critic.” The Israelites criticized God’s Word instead of allowing the Word to judge them.  Consequently, they lost their inheritance.

Of course, God sees our hearts, 

Hebrews 4:13 NKJV And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are  naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must  give account.

but we do not always know what is there.

Jeremiah 17:9 NKJV “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?

God uses the Word to enable us to see the sin and unbelief in our own hearts. The Word exposes our hearts, and then, if we trust God, the Word enables our hearts to obey God and claim His promises. This is why each believer should be diligent to apply himself to hear and heed God’s Word. In the Word we see God, and we also see how God sees us. We see ourselves as we really are. This experience enables us to be honest with God, to trust His will, and to obey Him.

All of this is possible because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. 

Hebrews 4:10 NKJV For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.

God rested when He finished the work of creation. God’s Son rested when He completed the work of the new creation. We may enter into His rest by trusting His Word and obeying His will. We can do this as we listen to His Word, understand it, trust it, and obey it. Only in this way can we claim our inheritance in Christ.

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