HEBREWS 3-4

Structure of Hebrews 3:1-4:13

Faithfulness: Jesus as an Example (Key Verse: Psalms 95:7-11) (3:1-11)

A. Exhortation to Shun Sin (3:12-14)

        B. Psalms 95:7-8 (3:15)

                C. Good News: Believers Promised Rest Rejected by Jews (3:16-4:3a)

                        D. Psalms 95:11 (4:3b)

                                E. God's Sabbath Rest (4:3c-4)

                        D’. Psalms 95:11 (4:5)

                C'. Good News: Believers Promised Rest Rejected by Jews (4:6-7a)

        B'. Psalms 95:7-8 (4:7b)

A'. Exhortation to be Obedient (4:8-13)

Instead of being built around seven different scriptures as in the previous section, this one centers around only one OT passage.

This section is often entitled something like “Christ's Superiority to Moses.” A perusal of the structure, however, shows that there are other themes present (just as in the previous section). It is more exhortational than doctrinal in tone and deals primarily with the Jews' example of disobedience during the “day of testing in the wilderness.” The key word “rest” appears eleven times – we will find more about this rest when we examine the parallel section later in the book.

3:1-6

This is similar to the “superiority to angels” theme of the previous section.

v. 1 Older commentaries felt that “Holy brethren” could only refer to Jewish Christians in the Jerusalem church. It is not that clear-cut. “Consider” means “fix one's eyes upon.”

“The Apostle and High Priest” This is the only place in the NT in which Jesus is called an apostle. The fact that only one definite article here means there is only one basic title, not two. Jesus is God's apostle because he is His representative among men and mankind's representative to God. Also, Jesus is the complete revelation of God's word to man in word and deed.

v. 2 “House” in Greek also means “household.” Two similarities between Jesus and Moses – they were divinely appointed and faithful in their duties. Read Numbers 12:7.

Verse 3 calls Christ the builder (as in 1:2) but verse 4 calls God the builder. The faithfulness of Christ (fourfold use of the word) will be contrasted in the rest of the section with the faithlessness of the Jews in the wilderness and (implicitly) with the audience of the letter. This is the first comparison between Jesus and Moses that is unfavorable to the latter. Moses was part of the house while Jesus was the builder of the house.

vv. 5-6a The second comparison is also unfavorable toward Moses: Moses was a servant in the house while Jesus was the son.

v. 6b This is the personal application which forms the main theme of this section. It is the clearest statement in the whole NT regarding perserverarence as the test of the reality of one's faith. Read the parallel in Colossians 1:21-23.

3:7-11

Read this passage and then compare it to Psalm 95:6-11 for possible differences. The Book of Hebrews (a) translates Meribah and Massah as provocation and testing as in the Septuagint (early Greek translation), (b) reads “If you listen to his voice” (instead of “O that you would listen to his voice) in agreement with the Greek translation, and (c) omits the 40 years.

3:12-19

He next turns to his audience and warns them that they will not inherit the “rest” if they do not hold firm their confidence (vv. 6,14), have an evil and unbelieving heart that turns away from God (v. 12), harden their hearts in rebellion against God (v. 15), sin (v. 17), are disobedient (v. 18), and have unbelief (v. 19) even though they have heard God's word (v. 16a). Not everyone will go to heaven who has heard and happens to profess to be a Christian at one point in their life.

The verb for “fall away/turn away” in verse 12 denotes in the Greek a purposeful action, not just something that accidentally happens. We sometimes get the wrong idea from common phrases such as “fall from grace” or “lose our salvation.” Galatians 5:4 does contain the first of these phrases, but the Greek word is ekpipto = “to fall out of,” not just “fall from.” It indicates that one has to make an actual effort to do it.

4:1-11 There are hints in verses 1 and 11 that some of them may never inherit the rest God has promised. The promised rest is yet to come (v. 8 shows that it did not occur in Moses and Joshua's time since David was still talking about it in the future tense), but there is time still to obtain it (vv. 1,6,9). God's rest occurred on the 7^th day of creation and, according to the rabbis, it continues to the present day since Genesis does not say morning and evening (vv. 4-6). But it looks forward to our rest in heaven (vv. 9, 10). Hebrews 3:2 repeats the idea of 3:16a. Just hearing the word is not enough; we must have faith.

In summary, here is what we learn about this “rest:”

    It is God's rest (rest that He provides or rest that He himself enjoys). (Hebrews 3:11)

    It is associated with God resting on the seventh day (Sabbath). (Hebrews 4:4)

    It was offered to the Jews in the wilderness but they failed to enter it (i.e., Canaan). (Hebrews 4:6)

    It was not fulfilled when the second generation entered the promised land (Note that Joshua and            Jesus are the same word in the Greek). (Hebrews 4:8)

    It is still available to God's people today. (Hebrews 4:9)

    It involves ceasing from one's labors. (Hebrews 4:10)

Several definitions of “rest” have been proposed, basically the same as those proposed for entering God's kingdom:

1. Something spiritual that happens when one becomes a Christian and ceases trying to earn his own salvation

2. Equivalent to life in heaven.

3. Description of a believer's life during Christ's millennial kingdom on earth.

4:7 What is the “day? “Certain time period” is the best understanding, as in 3:13.

4:12-13

Trace the various quotation formulas that the author uses, all referring to the same portion of scripture: the Holy Spirit says (3:7), as it is said (3:15), as God has said (4:3), it says (3:5), he (God) says through David (4:7). II Timothy 3:16 can be seen as a parallel to these ideas. In v. 13, God is almost given as a parallel to His Word. “Account” (logos) in verse13 is same word translated “word” in v.12.

There are two basic schools of thought regarding the basic human make-up.

1. Tripartite: body + soul + spirit. Soul (psyche) = lower concept; allows connections between earthly things and is present in all living matter. The soul further consists of intellect, emotions, and will. Spirit (pneuma) = higher concept; allows connection with God and is present only in human beings.

2. A bipartite understanding combines spirit and soul as the immaterial part of man. In Latin, both are translated with anima. Paul usually uses this terminology.

The point is that what it is impossible for man to distinguish, can be done by God through his Word.

Thoughts/desires = intellect, emotions or will, depending on the commentator you read.

Intentions = intellect or will, again depending on the commentator.

The power of the Word is similar to Jeremiah 23:29: “Is not my word like fire, says the LORD, and like a hammer which breaks the rock in pieces?” That is not at all like our understanding of the Word at times (old, boring, obscure).

“Laid bare” in Greek calls up the image of a bared neck.

The final phrase is really obscure in the Greek. It may mean “which word applies to us” or “with reference to which our message applies.”