with Elder Elico Manenji
✝️In this chapter the author says there is a rest for those who believe which is only obtained by faith.
So believers should beware of loosing it through unbelief as did Israel of old who hardened their hearts.
The rest promised to the Hebrews was a type of that same promised to believers.
To obtain this rest believers should earnestly labour to enter and so they should resist the tendency of unbelief and stubbornness and maintain faith and confidence in what God has promised to fulfill to them.
Since many who shared in the deliverance from Egypt did not enter the promised rest, believers should know that the rest is still promised by faith in
Jesus Chrisy our sympathetic High Priest, for through Him we have confidence to this rest as long as we come to God in confidence.
1️⃣Hebrews 4:1-11: The Sabbath rest for believers still remain.
⏹️When God created the world and everything He entered His own rest from His own works, this rest was characterized by peace, beauty and order became the first Sabbath after the work of creation, when all was new, lovely and pure.
The Scriptures say, "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." (Genesis 2:2)
"For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: why the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."
(Exodus 20:11)
⏭️When God delivered Israel from slavery and bondage in Egypt, He promised them His rest in the land of Canaan but most of those who were delivered from bondage did not enter into this rest because stubbornness and unbelief.
The Psalmist says, "For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if you will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work." (Psalm 95: 7-9)
⏭️When God sent Jesus Christ into the world He promised believers to enter a Sabbath rest of eternity to come but many will not enter this “rest of God” which is characterized by the beautiful emblem of what dwells around His throne in heaven because of unbelief. But to those who will belief and have faith, there remains a Sabbath rest for God's people who will come boldly with confidence to the throne of God.
The Lord said, "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest."
(Exodus 33:14)
⏹️The idea of "God's rest” is seen in the finishing of the work of creation whereby God instituted the Sabbath, it is seen in deliverance from sin with the promise of eternal salvation and it is seen by the appointment of the Sabbath rest for those who are His own people who will have heard the preaching of the gospel by faith in Jesus Christ the High Priest of our profession.
The Scriptures testify saying, "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: has he said, and shall he not do it? or has he spoken, and shall he not make it good?"
(Numbers 23:19)
The Apostle Paul says, "If we believe not, yet he stays faithful: he cannot deny himself."
(2 Timothy 2:13)
2️⃣Hebrews 4:12-16: God's living Word shall judge the thoughts and intentions of the mind.
⏹️"The Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged 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", the sense is that the truth of God is all-penetrating, it is all searching and that the real thoughts and intents of the heart will be brought to light, that if there is insincerity and self-deception there can be no hope of escape.
The prophet Isaiah says, " And he has made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand has he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver has he hid me."(Isaiah 49:2)
⏭️ No person can escape the notice of God, all insincerity, unbelief, hypocrisy is detected by Him and that since our hearts are perfectly open before Him, we should be sincere and should not attempt to deceive ourselves before Him.
The Revelator says, "And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shines in his strength."
(Revelation 1:16)
"Repent; or else I will come to you quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth"(Revelation 2:16).
⏹️The author presents two arguments:
1. That we have a High Priest of our profession who is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God; therefore let us hold fast our profession and not doubt Him.
The author of Hebrews say, "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." (Hebrews 9:11)
⏭️That Jesus Christ as the High Priest of our profession has entered heaven to make reconciliation for the sins of the people, all who will believe His Word, Work and Ministry.
The Apostle Paul says, "And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them; and has committed to us the word of reconciliation."
(2 Corinthians 5:18-19)
2. That this High Priest is Jesus the Son of God, He is not a descendant nor did He transcendent from the Aaronic line but directly from God, not to enter once every year in the Holy of Holies before God but to appear daily before the presence of God, for He is touched by the feelings of our infirmities, He knows our weaknesses and how they can be overcome.
The Apostle says, "For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted."
(Hebrews 2:18)
The Apostle Peter says, "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth." (1Peter 2:22)
⏭️That He passed through the veil into the holy place and He entered through the second veil into the Holy of Holies where is the true presence of the majesty of God to become immediately our Intercessor that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
The Apostle says, "Why in all things it behooved him to be made like to his brothers, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."
(Hebrews 2:17)
🅰️Appeal
The word of God is quick and powerful, for by the word of God we understand that all things were created by God, we know that sin came into the world through disobedience and that redemption is God's way of bringing humanity to their original purpose that God intended for them.
The Word of God tells us that salvation is by faith in the merits offered for us by Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, and there is no other way we can be reconciled to God except through the cross.
The Apostle Peter says, "But the word of the Lord endures for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached to you"(1 Peter 1:25).
Amen !!!
Elico Manenji
(+263712952704)
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