Hebrews 4
A Promised Rest And A Great High Priest for God’s Faithful People
In chapter 3, the author quoted Psalm 95 and argued that unbelief had prevented a generation of Israelites from entering Canaan and that his audience was facing the same test of faith in their own context. In this section, he emphasized that, just as in previous generations, God still desired to satisfy His faithful followers, to offer them “rest,” but they must not abandon Christianity. They must not return to the former practices of Judaism, looking to a lesser priest, because Jesus had “entered heaven” (14) for them.
There Remains A Rest
We Who Believe
Vs. 1 (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.
Verse 1 provides a thesis statement for the rest of this section: “There is still a coming rest, but beware, because only God’s faithful followers will enter it.”
Vs. 2-3 (NLT) - 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.
In the previous section, the author quoted Psalm 95 to emphasize how unbelief prevented a generation of Israel from entering the promised provision of “rest” in Canaan. In chapter 4, he argued that a greater “rest” was at stake for his audience, and that they should both fear and persevere in faith to obtain it.
God’s will was that the people of Israel, having been freed from bondage in Egypt, should find rest in Canaan, the land God promised them. In the same way, God wants people everywhere to be freed from the bondage of sin and find rest in Jesus Christ. But, as with Israel, unbelief will exclude them from this promised rest. - Don Fleming
A Rest Remains
Vs. 1 - the promise to enter his rest remains
Vs. 8-9 - For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people.
With the sobering lesson of the wilderness generation still echoing in the background, our author then makes a remarkable statement in 4:1: “The promise of entering his rest still stands.” In other words, whatever rest God offered the Israelites is still available to the readers of the letter to the Hebrews (and therefore also available to us today).
The point here is profound, especially for a Jewish audience that revered Joshua. Even though Joshua was famous for leading God’s people into the physical land of Canaan, even crossing the Jordan miraculously (Joshua 3:1-17), he did not lead them to the ultimate rest God had in mind. The ultimate rest could only be achieved by another Joshua (Jesus is the Greek version of the name Joshua!) who would come at a later time to deliver his people. - Michael Kruger
The author described God’s rest after creation (Genesis 2) and the psalmist’s reference to a future rest (Psalm 95) to argue that the patterned and promised “rest” for God’s people had yet to be completely fulfilled. There was still a type of Canaan for these Christians to pursue.
Commentators provide various interpretations of this coming “rest.” Some say Christians enter the “rest” of God when they become followers of Jesus. Others say they wait for it upon entrance into God’s new creation. They agree, however, that the author saw this “rest” as only found through faith in Jesus as Messiah.
We are faced, then, with a sequence of three ‘rests’: God’s own rest on the seventh day of creation; the ‘rest’ which Joshua gave the people when he brought them into the promised land; and the future ‘rest’ which the Psalm promised, and which, according to Hebrews, remains still as a promise looking into the future. Joshua gave the people their first ‘rest’; Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, will give them their final ‘rest’. - N.T. Wright
Make Every Effort to Enter God’s Rest
Beware of Falling Short
Vs. 1 - let us beware that none of you be found to have fallen short.
Vs. 11 - Let us, then, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience.
Israel enjoyed the salvation and blessings of God, yet failed to enter the rest. The warning is very simple: what happened to Israel can also happen to us. - Brent Kercheville
We are also in a wilderness-like environment where we have to trust God for the future rest in God’s new creation. Let's make sure that we don't rebuild like Israel did in the wilderness and lose out on God's gracious offer to enter into his new creation. - Tim Mackie
God’s Word As Judge
Vs. 13 - “No creature is hidden from him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.”
The author called his audience to “make every effort” (11) to avoid the disobedience of unbelief. “For” (12) God is the ultimate Judge. He sees our faith and our unbelief. His word divides between truth and falsehood. There is no deceiving God before Whom we must “give an account.”
People must make every effort to remove unbelief and all other hindrances to the enjoyment of God’s rest. To help them in this, God has given them the Scriptures. His living Word penetrates into the heart, separates the merely natural from the truly spiritual, and exposes people as they really are before God. - Don Fleming
A Great High Priest
The picture of Jesus Christ as High Priest is the most distinctive theme of Hebrews, and it is central to the theology of the book. - Fanning
The author introduced Jesus as a greater high priest in chapter 2, picked it up again in this section, and will continue to examine the implications through the end of chapter 7. It is one of the most important themes of the sermon. As the author will continue to explain, it would be foolish for these Christians to return to an inferior priest (a figure) when Jesus (the fulfillment) had entered the very presence of God for them.
Hold Firmly
Vs. 14 - So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe.
Because people were in danger of denying their Christian faith and going back to Judaism, they are reminded that Christ’s priesthood is incomparably superior to Aaron’s. Christ needs no tabernacle or temple, for he has passed through the heavens and into the presence of God. Through him, believers also may enter this presence, and ask God’s help during their temptations. - Don Fleming
Come Boldly
Vs. 15 - For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.
The high priests of Judaism were also able to sympathize with the weaknesses of those they represented, but unlike Jesus, they were not tempted as we are, “yet without sin.” They were weak in their human condition. They served as symbols, patterns for the greater high priest Whose intercession would be perfect and eternal.
Jesus, as the author has presented him thus far in this sermon, was perfectly positioned as God incarnate to suffer with us and for us and now to intercede (as high priest) on our behalf.
The divinity of Jesus did not prevent him from experiencing the feelings we feel, the emotions we have, the tests we face, the temptations we see, or the pain we endure. In fact, he knows our struggle far more than we do because he never caved in. He never let sin get him. He never folded under trials. He never quit while suffering. - Brent Kercheville
Vs. 16 - Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.
The high priests of Judaism could only approach God at His earthly throne, in the holy of holies in the tabernacle or temple, once a year. God’s throne of judgment, for the Israelites, has become a throne of grace for us now. - Thomas Constable
Jesus knows the battle. He fought it all the way to the end. He was tested like we are. He is a sympathetic High Priest. He does not roll his eyes at your pain or cluck his tongue at your struggle with sin. The confession is simply our unshakable hope that God is for us and will work to bring us into his final rest and joy. Hold fast to that because you have a great High Priest. - John Piper
