This is the eighth class on the book of Hebrews. This Bible class was taught at the Pilot Point Church in Pilot Point Texas.
The following is the outline of the class.
Jesus the Son is greater than Moses
Recap of Chapter 3 verses 1-6
Moses and Jesus were the only two Apostles of God sent to be exodus leaders. vs. 1
Both were faithful ln carrying out their Apostleship vs. 2
Jesus was worthy of greater honor because he created the Israelite race while Moses was an Israelite- Moses did not make men, children of God, but Jesus does vs 3-4
Moses was a servant as an exodus leader, but Jesus is a Divine Son vs. 4
If we want to follow Jesus, our exodus leader, all the way into the promised land of heaven we need:
1. A hope of salvation to the degree that you glory in it.
2. An outspoken faith
Hebrews 3(NKJV)
6but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. 7Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness, 9Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years. 10Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.’ 11So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’”
Hebrews 3(NKJV)
6but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. 7Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness, 9Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years. 10Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.’ 11So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’”
2 ways you can test God
1st way is to trust God – this is a good way.
For example a missionary’s prayer.
2nd way is to not believe/trust God – this is a bad way – this is how the Israelites did it – To question God’s motives.
Hebrews 3(NKJV)
6but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. 7Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness, 9Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years. 10Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.’ 11So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’”
Numbers 30 (NASB)
1Then Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the sons of Israel, saying, “This is the word which the LORD has commanded. 2If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
3“Also if a woman makes a vow to the LORD, and binds herself by an obligation in her father’s house in her youth, 4and her father hears her vow and her obligation by which she has bound herself, and her father [a]says nothing to her, then all her vows shall stand and every obligation by which she has bound herself shall stand. 5But if her father should forbid her on the day he hears of it, none of her vows or her obligations by which she has bound herself shall stand; and the LORD will forgive her because her father had forbidden her.
Hebrews 3(NKJV)
6but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. 7Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness, 9Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years. 10Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.’ 11So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’”
Hebrews 3(NKJV)
12Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 13But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, 15while it is said, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.” 16For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? 17And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.
Chapter 4 an exhortation to enter God’s rest
Hebrews 4 (NIV)
4 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.
“Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands”
Difficulties with the word “rest”
Definition: anything which God initiates and brings to a conclusion
1st Rest:
Gen 1&2 creation started and completed. Was God tired?
2nd Rest:
Moses leads God’s people out of the bondage to the promised land
3rd Rest:
Jesus leads people out of the bondage of sin to the promised land of heaven Rev 14:13
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
Hebrews 4 (NIV)
4 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed 3Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. 4For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.” rested from all his works.” 5And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”
Hebrews 4 (NIV)
6Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, 7God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” 8For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works,[e] just as God did from his. 11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.
“Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands”
Difficulties with the word “rest”
Definition: anything which God initiates and brings to a conclusion
1st Rest:
Gen 1&2 creation started and completed. Was God tired?
2nd Rest:
Moses leads God’s people out of the bondage to the promised land
3rd Rest:
Jesus leads people out of the bondage of sin to the promised land of heaven Rev 14:13
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
2 HELPERS TO MAKE US MORE DILIGENT
- THE WORD – 12For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart
Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
2. God – 13Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Jesus our Great High Priest Vs 14 – 16
Jesus is our Great High Priest
14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
One Mediator
Gal 3:20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Mediation – access to GOD
OLD COVENANT:
GOD
Prophets
Angels
Moses
Human priesthood
THE LAW
Man
NEW COVENANT:
Jesus the God/Man our Great High Priest
