HEBREWS
In This Section:
HEBREWS 4:1, 4:11-12, 5:9
HEBREWS 4:1
As has been mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, to get a proper understanding of passages in Hebrews, we must get a proper understanding of Hebrews itself. As a foundational starting point, it is important for us to realize that Hebrews was written to actual Hebrews. The epistle was written to Hebrews by a Jewish Messianic follower of Jesus, traditionally recognized to be Paul the apostle. Going through Hebrews, it is quickly made evident that the epistle is written from the author's expertise in Judaism, and his revelation into various aspects of the New Covenant that was instituted by the Hebrew Messiah, Jesus. It is important to realize that Hebrews is written to an audience made up of the ones to whom Messiah was promised to come according to the Old Testament prophecies. These Hebrews had been looking for, and expecting the Hebrew Messiah. The language and flow reflect this fact. Additionally, the contents of Hebrews reveals that it served several purposes:
1) Hebrews is apologetic; meaning it offers a defense of the faith to any unsaved Hebrews who would read it, hear it read, hear quotes from it, or indirectly be influenced by the doctrine it contains.
2) Hebrews is evangelistic. It is meant to be an instrument in leading any unsaved Hebrews to receive Jesus as the true Messiah that they have been waiting for. Most, if not all, of the unsaved Hebrews knew about the miracle working Messiah. They were familiar with the Christian community and the movement. In fact many of them were in and among the Christians. Nevertheless, many of the Hebrews had not embraced Jesus as Messiah and sacrifice for their sins, so they are not saved. At the writing of Hebrews, they do not believe Jesus really resurrected from the dead, so they are lost. They know Jesus really existed, but merely being aware that Jesus was real does not save anyone. There is a similar group that is also the evangelistic focus of Hebrews. They are the unsaved Hebrews who claim to follow Jesus and his teachings, but they are selective. Their selectivity is like that of the Judaizers of Galatia who taught that to be justified, one must do something else. One must do some other works in addition to the work that Messiah did. The writer of Hebrews calls these works, "dead works" in Hebrews 6:1. So, the problem is that certain Hebrews, such as the Judaizers, have looked to the Messiah, yet in an inadequate manner, (in other words, on their own terms, as all cults do); because they seek other means to atone for their sins, they are not saved. The point is that Hebrews explains that the only way of salvation is through Jesus' completed work, completely on His terms, and the epistle lays it out in easy to understand language.
3) Hebrews is also theological; meaning it lays out truths that are important for all Hebrew people (both saved and unsaved alike) to understand important revelations concerning Jesus as the true Messiah, and His unique establishment of a New Covenant which supersedes the old one made 1500 years earlier with Moses. Actually this is the main theological thrust--preaching the superiority of Messiah and God's New Covenant through Him in fulfilling God's promises to the Hebrews as opposed to the Old obsolete Mosaic Law Covenant, (cf. Hebrews 8:13).
The overall destination the letter was meant for is a general Hebrew target community that is predominantly composed of those who already believe in Jesus as Messiah. Nevertheless, directives, warnings, and restated evangelistic urgings within the letter, demonstrate to us that the broad Hebrew audience to which the epistle is intended to reach, has unsaved Hebrews living among it--a fact which is explored in our verse to verse exegesis of the pertinent texts. The unsaved Hebrew audience is treated like they already know of Jesus and have a basic knowledge of His claim to be God's Messiah. The saved audience is getting a lot of teaching that builds upon the foundation that was already laid in them. So, it is important to understand that Hebrews is a letter that is intended for all Hebrews in general--both saved and unsaved. This particular point is important because it is a vital key to unlocking the meaning of the sentences that are wrongly interpreted according to the NEST.
A KEY
This leads us to recognize and important key, which will be repeated at the introduction of each section of this chapter for clarity. When the writer of Hebrews refers to ethnic Israelites, he simply refers to them as brothers. When he references saved Hebrews, he refers to them as holy brothers, (saints, set apart ones from GK. hagios, for holy). Along this line, it is important to recognize that the term "brother," or "sister," by itself is often used in other New Testament writings to refer to Christians, but "Holy," "set apart," "consecrated," "sanctified," brothers or sisters (New Covenant saints) is never used of non-Christians in, and under, a New Covenant context. Here in Hebrews, if the term, "brothers" is used by itself, but means a holy, sanctified, consecrated brother in Christ, it will always be qualified in the immediate context, in some manner, as referring to a Christian; for example, in Hebrews 10:19, where "brothers" is qualified by Hebrews 10:10 as sanctified, holy, set apart, brothers; or in the case of Timothy "our brother" singular in Hebrews 13:23, who is naturally qualified as being saved by the fact that we know (and the primary recipients of this letter knew) Timothy was saved. We know this from information about him in other epistles. Though Timothy's mother was Jewish, which would make him a Hebrew brother, Timothy was also saved, which would make him a holy, sanctified, set apart brother, ie, a Christian. Similar is the instance of the writer's closing remarks to the "brothers" in 13:22. We know that in this instance they are qualified in the context as being "in the body," in Hebrews 13:3, not having deserted, Hebrews 13:5, and have God working in them through Jesus Messiah in Hebrews 13:20-21. So the closing personal remarks are to those trustworthy brothers in Messiah who would initially receive this letter in hand to share with the broader Hebrew community of ethnic brothers, as was typical of the fact that every epistle was entrusted to mature dependable Christians (probably elders) in primary reception for guarding, reading aloud, and further distribution. The point is that the immediate antecedent describer of being holy, set apart, consecrated, and sanctified, indicates a Christian. If the immediate antecedent is absent, then the flow of the context will qualify the term brother (singular) or brothers (plural) by indicating, in some manner, that the brother or brothers are saved, or not saved.
To demonstrate this consistent language of unsaved Hebrews being referred to as merely brothers to other Israelites, but not holy, sanctified brothers of the saved remnant of Israelites, we will look at what Peter preached at Pentecost to the unsaved Jews. He says,
"29 Brothers, [Peter is talking to his own ethnic Hebrew people] I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day." (Acts 2:29)
These ethnic Israelites are not yet saved. They are not set apart, but to Peter, at this time, they are Hebrew brothers. We find Paul the apostle making the same reference when he preached in the Jewish synagogue to the unsaved Jews in Pisidian Antioch, saying,
"Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you," (Acts 13:38)
Paul's ethnic brothers in this context are not set apart. They are not holy brothers. They are Hebrew brothers according to the flesh. Paul makes the distinction crystal clear in Romans 9;
"3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Messiah for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, ..." (Romans 9:3-4)
This grammatical distinction of Hebrews according to the flesh, and holy Hebrews according to the Spirit, is exactly the same one we find here in the Hebrews epistle. Concerning the New Covenant's superiority over the Old, we read in Hebrews 10,
"10 And by that ["that" is the New Covenant sacrifice] will we ["we" is a reference to the saved Hebrews] have been set apart [sanctified, made holy by God] through the offering of the body of Jesus Messiah once for all ... 14 For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are set apart [made holy by God--sanctified]." (Hebrews 10:10, 14).
"Those who are set apart" in Hebrews 10, are saved Hebrews who have been perfected in Messiah for all time. Once we familiarize ourselves with this language, it becomes quickly intuitive to read the writer's intended meaning. As a final example, the distinction is made crystal clear in Colossians where Paul says,
"To the set apart [holy, sanctified] and faithful brothers in Messiah who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father." (Colossians 1:2)
The set apart, holy, and faithful brothers in Messiah at Colossae, are of course, saved people. It is easy to see, because we know the language.
With the above considerations in mind, we must also be alerted to the unfortunate practice of some expositors to dismiss important texts in Hebrews, that are typically used to build the Not Eternally Saved Theory, to the realm of exaggerated hypothetical fiction. In other words, it is arbitrarily asserted, by some well meaning teachers, that the writer relentlessly warned Hebrew Christians (spiritually saved people) of consequences for the damning action of rejecting Messiah, but that the author did so while really believing that such rejecting actions are not something that they will, or can, possibly do. The primary reason for this has to do with the presuppositional bias that all the points made in the epistle must necessarily be directed to saved Hebrews. It is then postulated that no particular point, by way of necessity, is being directed to unsaved Hebrews who have had the true Messiah revealed to them, and subsequently needed to be urged to act upon their knowledge. This theory is just as wrong as the Not Eternally Saved Theory. Recognizing this errant hermeneutic, we approach the epistle of Hebrews in recognition of the fact that the author meant what he said to really apply to the particular people that such points were directed.
This leads us to recognize one more important consideration that we must keep in mind in our exegesis of the following passages. Namely, the writer of Hebrews uses pronouns in a very loose and abrupt way. Just like the writer does this in Romans, and Galatians, the writer will speak of "we," and "us," and then will abruptly say "those," "they," and "you," but he will do it in ping-pong fashion from sentence to sentence. Such communication was not a problem for the original Hebrew audience. But, what this means for us, in our time, culture, and ingrained ways of thinking, is that if we try to blend all the various Hebrew groups together in each of the writer's points as a matter of arbitrary preference, then we will end up misunderstanding what the writer meant by a certain directive, urging, or warning, which is a mistake that is typical of those who believe in the NEST. The important task for us is to identify each Hebrew group, and in so doing, clear up the passages that are wrongly interpreted according to the NEST.
The next passage that will be dealt with out of Hebrews is Hebrews 4:1. Before we directly analyze the passage, we will take a moment to examine some important events in history that will help us to understand some of the references that the writer makes in Hebrews. The events have to do with the rebelliousness of the Hebrews in the wilderness that occurred at the time of Moses. There are two main events to be familiar with in the wilderness experience. The second one we will look at is the primary analogy reference here in Hebrews.
/1/
The first particular event is quoted by Jesus, Peter, Stephen, and Paul in many of their teaching examples. It is quoted as one of the premier examples of Israel's salvation experience. Along with illustrating Jehovah's provision of salvation of those He has elected, the event is also among the analogies often quoted in the New Testament of the consequence of rebelling against God in unbelief. It is an amazing story. Putting ourselves there in our thoughts, so to speak, to a time 1500 years before Messiah was born, we recognize that the Israelites are slaves in pagan Egypt. They are treated like dogs; like human cattle. This has been their state of existence for centuries. If the emperor says to kill masses of Hebrews, then the Egyptians obey their leader. Hebrews (Israelites, Jews), typically could do nothing but stand by and watch as they are killed or others among their people are killed, beaten, raped, and imprisoned. There is nothing that can be done about it. Israelites do not really matter to the typical Egyptian, except for one purpose. Their purpose to the typical Egyptian is to be used for his own good pleasure. All this, in spite of the fact that Hebrews are of the promised bloodline of Abraham through Israel. Consequently each Israelite has learned from childhood that Jehovah has a purpose for His people (the Israelites according to the ancient promise). Nevertheless, every single hot monotonous laboring day, the Egyptians shove their own purposes for the enslaved Israelites in their faces. This is what happened when the emperor ordered all the firstborn children of the Hebrews to be murdered in a mass post delivery abortion campaign. Such a horrendous action against Jehovah's elect people of that time in history is but a small taste of what they went through from day to day. Finally, after generation upon generation of this oppression, Jehovah unexpectantly raises up a man to be used as a tool in His hands to deliver Israel from slavery. The man's name is Moses. The deliverance is both dramatic and dazzling. Israel's deliverance is filled with supernatural events like the Nile river turning to blood; the ironic twist, where Jehovah aborts all the firstborn of the Egyptians, even the firstborn of all their cattle; the swift and mass exodus of Hebrews out of the country; the pursuit by the Egyptian army, which ends with the deliverance from the army by the miraculous parting of this huge sea of water before the eyes of the fleeing Israelites at just the right time, then the crossing on the dry land, then the closing back of the sea, like a double tsunami that envelopes the army that is chasing the Israelites. The Israelites saw miracle after miracle occur in those days of God's special visitation to bring salvation to His nation. The whole time must have been incredibly exciting. It must have been awe inspiring, and if one believes in many of the concepts espoused by Arminian theologians then one should think the whole experience would be incredibly faith building. After all, how could one not obey Jehovah in believing in Him after so much miraculous evidence? All the salvation that Jehovah accomplished was exciting and awe inspiring, at least for those who cared; at least for those who actually worship the one true God in the specific obedience that Jehovah requires, which is faith in Him. However, there is a depth to Israel's deliverance that transcends the philosophy of faith building. It is the theological fact of hardened hearts. They are the hardened hearts which demonstrate for us that the miraculous does not matter much when one is in rebellion against the Creator of the Universe. It is the absolutely stark reality that after all of this wonderful experience, there remained thousands upon thousands of Israelites who did not believe. This is why Jesus, Peter, Stephen, and Paul use this event as their great sermon illustration in the New Testament. This is why we find this great sermon illustration in the epistle of Hebrews.
What happened in the first part of Israel's rebellion in the wilderness was that directly after crossing the sea, Moses and the rest of the Hebrew people arrived at Mt. Sinai, where Moses ascended the mount to receive Jehovah's commandments. During the time that Moses was up on the mount, many of the Israelites started to manifest the evil in their hearts that they were able, to some degree, to hide beforehand. They began murmuring and complaining, which is bad, but what is worse is that they decide to make a false god. The apostates made an idol out of gold and began worshipping the art of their own hands instead of worshipping the One true God--the very God who just delivered them out of Egypt. They even went so far as to say, in rebellion against Jehovah, that it was this crude cow god idol thing that they made that really delivered them out of Egypt. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie in the form of a piece of metal. In spiritual blindness emitting from hardened hearts, they sought out false religion which saves nobody, and mocks the one true God of the universe. When Moses finally came down off of Mount Sinai, we read in Exodus 32,
"20 He took the calf which they had made and burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink it. 21 Then Moses said to Aaron, 'What did this people do to you, that you have brought such great sin upon them?' 22 Aaron said, 'Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, that they are prone to evil.'" (Exodus 32:20-22)
"Prone to evil" is what they are, and prone to evil is how they are judged. Moses then asks all who are for Jehovah to separate from those who are against Jehovah, because as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:7-10, not all the people rebelled against Jehovah; only some of the people rebelled against Jehovah. Once the separation occurred, the sons of Levi went out and led an execution of about three thousand of the unbelieving Hebrews. Those three thousand Hebrews were lost idol worshippers. We must make no mistake about it. They were not saved. In their sin and rejection of the one God, they were doomed from the outset. All along, they were living among, and experiencing, the blessing of God's called out ones by genetic proxy, but, for them, they had left Egypt to be made manifest and eliminated in their lostness. Fathers killed sons on that revealing judgment day, and sons killed brothers. Moses said,
"Dedicate yourselves today to Jehovah--for every man has been against his son and against his brother--in order that Jehovah may bestow a blessing upon you today." (Exodus 32:29)
This is serious, and it happened to Israelites. The lost Hebrew sons and brothers were most certainly Israelites according to the flesh, but they were pagans according to the heart. There is more to the history chronicle. God was not done yet. Moses went back up Mount Sinai to plead for the remaining people who had rebelled against Jehovah. Moses pleaded, yet God knows who are His, and He knows who are not His, and so we read in Exodus 32:33-35,
"Jehovah said to Moses, 'Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. 34 But go now, lead the people where I told you. Behold, My angel shall go before you; nevertheless in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.' 35 Then Jehovah smote the people, because of what they did with the calf which Aaron had made." (Exodus 32:33-35)
Jehovah brought action from His judgment to those people who rebelled against Him in unbelief in Him as the one true God. He blotted disobedient unbelievers out of His old covenant book (whether metaphoric or actual) in reference to being covenant blessing people of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (This is not the same book as the one referenced in the future New Covenant church age as the New Covenant Book of the Lamb, as is found mentioned in Revelation). The point is that God smites disobedient unbelievers who have rejected salvation by rejecting the Savior.
This illustration is important because it demonstrates the way things always are in respect to God's dealings with people. It is the way it was before the epistle of Hebrews was written. It is the way it was during the generation the epistle of Hebrews was written. It is the way it is today. One may ask, what seems to be logical questions that arise from perplexity at the actions of some of the Israelite people; namely, how could any Israelite in the time of Messiah's first coming, and the days shortly after His crucifixion and resurrection, disobey God in unbelief? How could Hebrews do this after so much miraculous evidence? The answer is that they are hardened against God in their hearts, just as some of their forefathers in the desert. They are full of deception in the very essence of their nature. This is why Jesus and the apostles proclaimed salvation to the Hebrews, and like Moses, they said if any Hebrews are truly for the Lord then they need to believe in Messiah in obedience; they need to follow Jesus the Messiah. He is the promised One. He is of the One true God. If He is not received by His grace through faith, then the unreceiver is lost and condemned like their forefathers who rejected God in the wilderness, and they will remain so forever and ever. It does not matter if one claims to be a descendant of Abraham through Israel. To not follow Jehovah on His terms, through His New Covenant, is to be in rebellion against Him, and in that rebellion, such people are doomed.
/2/
There was a second rebellion that also occurred a little later as the rest of the Israelites departed from Mt. Sinai. Amazingly, after all that they had been through, more Israelites began grumbling against God. They had actually put Jehovah to the test ten times beforehand (cf. Numbers 14:22) This second incidence of rebellion was also used by Jesus and the apostles to make contemporary points about apostate Israel of that age. The writer uses the history of that rebellion in Hebrews 3, of which was covered above in this same chapter. In this second rebellion, the survivors of the first rebellion, left Mt Sinai, and continued wandering through the wilderness. Finally, they arrived at the point where God told Moses that He was going to give the land of Canaan to the sons of Israel (cf. Numbers 13:2). It seemed easy enough. After all, the wandering sons of Israel had seen vast numbers of miraculous provision events lavished upon them by Jehovah. Moses sent out spies to look at the land to see what it was like. He wanted to know if there were strong people there. He wanted to know if there were fortresses there. The report came back from the unbelieving spies that the people of Canaan were unconquerable. It was based upon this report that a number of Israelites rebelled against Jehovah once again. They also rebelled against Jehovah's appointed leadership, and decided to raise up their own leader to guide them back to the bondage of Egypt. Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb pleaded with the congregation of dissenters to not rebel against Jehovah, but those who congregated at the meeting wanted to stone Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb. Consequently, all the unrighteous spies died by a plague, and the rest of the congregation was not allowed to enter the promised land. Their children would enter, but it would be 40 years later before Jehovah would let them.
With this brief survey of ancient Israel's rebellious history in the wilderness, we take a moment to look at the writer's flow of thought once again as we move into chapter 4. We must remember that the writer is urging unsaved Hebrews to believe in Jesus as Messiah, and we notice that the writer uses Israel's unbelieving history after being delivered from Egypt as the example in 3:7-19, saying;
"7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, 'Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, 9 where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works 10 for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, 'They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.' 11 As I swore in my wrath, 'They shall not enter my rest.' 12 Watch, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, that ['forsakes,' (NET Bible); or 'is departing from' (NKJV)], the living God. 15 As it is said, 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.' 16 For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 17 And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief." (Hebrews 3:7-19)
The analogy is that all those who do not believe God, do not enter the land flowing with milk and honey (cf. Exodus 3:8, with Numbers 14:8). In the writer's usage of the analogy in New Covenant application, eternal destiny is what is at stake. Any Hebrew who does not adhere to Jesus as Messiah, by grace through faith, will be damned in their unbelief. This is the contextual flow from chapter 3, which is so important in understanding chapter 4. Going into chapter 4, the writer continues talking to Hebrews (himself being a Hebrew) and so the writer says,
"Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it." (Hebrews 4:1)
According to the typical Not Eternally Saved Theory interpretation of this passage, truly saved people have not really entered God's rest, which they say means that saved people are not secure in Christ, and so since saved people have not yet entered God's rest, they must fear. They must fear because, according to the NEST interpretation, they run the risk of losing their salvation.
The NEST interpretation is wrong.
To see why, we will follow the writer's flow of thought to recognize what he actually means. Looking at his flow of thought so far, we keep in mind that the writer is reminding Hebrews of their rebellious ancestors as he continues,
"Therefore, let us ..."
["us" here is a pronoun reference to us who fear for another group, which is "any one of you," referenced next]
"... fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you ..."
[This "any one of you" clarifies who the "us" are fearing for. Any one of you, are the unsaved Hebrews of that apostolic generation that must be saved before they die]
"... may seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed we ..."
["we," are Hebrews of that age]
"... have had good news ..."
[the gospel of Messiah]
"... preached to us, ..."
["us" contemporary Hebrew people]
"... just as they also; ..."
["they" are Hebrews of the past who had words of good news preached to them through Moses and Aaron. He continues,]
"... but the word they heard did not profit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened." (Hebrews 4:1-2 ESV)
In other words, those who listened, entered God's rest as the promised land of Canaan. The other ones; the ones who did not listen, did not enter God's rest, (or sabbath) which is the writer's metaphor for spiritual-salvation in the New Covenant. Likewise, any Hebrew who listens to the gospel in the New Covenant period, and trusts in Jesus as Messiah, enters God's rest, in faith, as one who listens. Any unsaved Hebrews who do the same, join with all saved Hebrews, thus uniting by faith with those who listen. If any Hebrew does not heed the evangelistic message of the good news, they are not united by faith with the true people of God (saved people) in the New Covenant Community. The next verses go on to demonstrate this truth,
"3 For we who have believed enter that rest, ..." (Hebrews 4:3)
[This statement clarifies that the pronoun, "us" in verse 1, have no need to fear for the group called we who have believed. The writer wants to make it clear that Hebrews must understand that there are Hebrews who are saved in belief, and rest in Christ in eternal security. The saved Hebrews have already entered God's rest, ie. we Hebrews who have believed. This is the pivotal statement that blows away any theory concerning the writer's point that can be offered according to the specious philosophy of the NEST. The writer is talking about the great doctrine of justification by faith alone apart from any meritorious works at all. It is salvation by grace through faith, where a Hebrew can finally rest in their Messiah's finished work. So, the writer's point is that Hebrews who have believed, who enter that rest, are all those Hebrews who have listened and are united by faith as the remnant community of saved Hebrews. The writer goes on,]
"... just as He has said, 'As I swore in my wrath, they ..."
["they" are unbelieving Hebrews]
"... shall not enter my rest,' although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: 'and God rested on the seventh day from all His works'; 5 and again in this passage, 'they ..."
["they" are unbelieving Hebrews]
"... shall not enter my rest.' 6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, ..."
["some" is the writer's illustrative language that designates the remnant of Hebrews who in evangelization, will follow Jesus as Messiah and enter that rest of salvation. So the writer says, since "it," which is the "promise" mentioned in verse 1, remains for some to enter it,]
"... and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 He again fixes a certain day, 'Today,' saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, 'today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.' 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that." 9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God ..."
["the people of God" are truly spiritually saved Hebrews, verse 3. For the people of God, the Sabbath still exists--it still remains. The promise has not been lifted. Further, the evangelistic call is still going to gather in the people of God. Nevertheless, the evangelistic call is urgent. Today is the day for Hebrews to receive Jesus as Messiah. Those Hebrews who are elect, as the true remnant, will receive what still remains, which is salvation in Christ, called, "Sabbath rest"]
"10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His." (Hebrews 4:6-10)
The remnant, which are the people of God, in salvation in Messiah, will inherit the sabbath rest in Messiah forever and ever, and they do so right now as ones who have rested from works just like God did from His.
Once again context clears up the problem. This passage is not remotely suggesting that any one who is truly spiritually saved, can lose salvation, or must strive in fear to secure it. It is a passage where the writer is urging, in an evangelistic call to Hebrews of His day, to obey God and receive Christ in belief. Along with the call, the passage is also a tremendous declaration of eternal security in Christ for all those who have believed in the salvific sense of the word;
"3 For we who have believed enter that rest, ..." (Hebrews 4:3)
HEBREWS 4:11-12
Continuing with the flow of chapter 4 here, we quickly come to the next group of sentences that are misused by the NEST. The section is Hebrews 4:11-12, where continuing, we read,
"10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. 11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience." (Hebrews 4:9-11)
According to the typical interpretation of those who believe in the NEST, concerning this passage, saved people have not yet entered God's rest, but in some sort of diligence, saved people must strive to enter that rest.
The NEST is wrong. The context that has been covered in the prior sections, gives us the basis for understanding this passage in its right meaning.
As a first consideration, entering His rest is not something that the writer is saying that Hebrews are to work for. The writer, nowhere states that rest is something that is earned. In fact, what is actually stated in the text, is that the Hebrew who has entered God's rest, in salvation, has rested from works already. The statement is an evangelistic urging for ethnic Hebrews to be diligent to enter into rest, by ceasing works. The works, according to Hebrew 6, are dead works that do not save anyone. Further, Hebrews must do it right now--"today" as the appointed time, (cf. Hebrews 4:7). The writer has been making this evangelistic exhortation, and the urgency to take action to turn to Messiah, all through the last couple of chapters to this point. He continues to do so through the rest of the epistle. Clearly, the statement, made to all of us Hebrew nation, is for any of "us" Hebrew people to be diligent to not follow the same example of disobedience as those Hebrews who were rebellious in the desert, and thus fall away from the spiritual deliverance in the true Messiah that is being heralded. We know that the writer does not group himself, and other saved people, in this exhortation of needing to be diligent because he already stated he and all who are saved, have already done so, saying,
"9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God," (Hebrews 4:9)
in respect to
"3 For we who have believed [past tense] enter that rest, [as a necessity]" (Hebrews 4:3).
Therefor, the pronoun "us" in verse 11, is the Hebrew author's textual reference to Hebrews of the Israelite heritage, much in the same way that the writer calls ethnic Hebrews brothers for formal relationship customs in speech. These literary devices touch upon the brotherhood of Israelites, in much the same way that Paul calls Israelites, his brothers, and kinsmen according to the flesh, in Romans 9;
"3 For I [Paul] could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites ..." (Romans 9:3)
The diligence of 4:11, is to get on with the all-important obedience to the general call of the promised rest that is the good news of the message that was preached,
"2 For indeed we have had good news preached to us, ..." (Hebrews 4:2)
To do so, is to come against the rebellion against Messiah that is the predominate state of most ethnic Hebrews at this time. Concerning this, we must remember that most Hebrews have rejected Messiah in that first generation of Messiah's visitation. This rejection is paramount to the 23,000 Israelites who perished in the desert (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:8 for number), never entering into rest. So, the diligence is meant for right now; as David says,
"today if you [Hebrews] hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." (Hebrews 4:8)
This is why we see Paul saying,
"9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God." (Hebrews 4:9)
The writer's descriptive wording demonstrates that the people of God, (which, in context, are saved people out of the ethnic Hebrews) have a sabbath rest that is still in existence. Unsaved Hebrews, then are to be encouraged to know this, and turn to Messiah while they can. On the other hand, this also means that there does not remain a Sabbath rest for those who are not the people of God, and who choose, as apostate Israel, to remain not a people of God. Once again, we must keep in mind what the writer just said about saved Hebrews, including himself, where he goes out of the way to make the clarification. He says back in verse 3,
"3 For we who have believed enter that rest," (Hebrews 4:3)
"We who have believed" are the saved Hebrews. God's elect remnant are the true people of God. Saved Hebrews are the people of God. The writer gives the important details next, saying in verse 10;
"10 For the one who has entered His rest [already as a past tense action as a saved Hebrew] has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His." (Hebrews 4:10)
What we are seeing is the great gospel of grace proclamation that all Hebrews in bondage to dead works are urged to believe. The stark comparison is that saved people are the people of God who have rested from works. Works are gone. In their place, the Sabbath rest is all that remains. It remains in Messiah, in the body of Christ, where Christ is all in all. The remnant Hebrews are saved by grace through faith, and so they have found the true Messiah, and they place their hope and allegiance in Him. So the writer makes his distinctions intentionally as "we" Hebrews who believe already and have already entered God's rest, and "us" who are all Hebrews ethnically, who are some who still do not believe. With all of this in mind, we can do a quick break down of the Hebrew preacher's flow of thought, and we see that it is easily understood;
"11 Therefore let us ..." (Hebrews 4:11)
[The writer is being personal with his people, ethnic Israel. The writer is saying, let us Hebrew people]
"... be diligent to enter that rest," (Hebrews 4:11)
["That rest" is the true Sabbath of God, which is salvation, of which, when there, demonstrates whether any Hebrew is really "a people of God;" or not, because the writer already says that, "we who have believed enter that rest," as a matter of being a done deal already for past believers, in verse 3. So, in the flow of thought, the writer urges unsaved Hebrews to do the same, continuing]
"... so that no one ..." (Hebrews 4:11)
[Meaning no one who is a Hebrew of the ethnic people whom God has sent the Messiah of the promise]
"... will fall, through following the same example of disobedience." (Hebrews 4:11)
[Meaning to follow the example of disobedience of unbelief like our apostate, lost, Hebrew forefathers]
All of this is the verse to verse break down of the writer's continuing context and analogy of ethnic Israel, where some reject, and some (being the remnant) do not reject.
Continuing with the flow, the preacher explains that all of what he says is a promise, that the Hebrews can be assured of, based upon the sure foundation of God's word, and the fact that God judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. In fact nothing is hidden from God. Everything is exposed. The writer continues in an evangelistic tone with the importance of God's word and the reality of sovereign judgment for both the unsaved Hebrews, and saved alike, saying,
"12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." (Hebrews 4:12-13)
This appeal to the word of God concerning God's righteous judgment and the stark exposure of human hearts, is a wonderful way to cap off the writer's whole point. God knows everything. This is the writer's point flowing into his next point. The writer is going to say "therefore," to sum up all that he just said in his evangelistic call, and, also concerning assurance of security for those who have already heeded the call. The writer is about to focus upon encouraging saved Hebrews to cling to the facts of what they confess in their "rest," because even though "all things are open and laid bare" to God--and this is a fearful and awe inspiring fact--the saved Hebrews need to realize that they should still have boldness to draw near to the throne of grace for help in time of weakness, temptation, and need. Such drawing near is a huge benefit of their salvation in God's rest as the people of God, the remnant, the elect. The writer disciples the saved Hebrews in this privilege saying,
"14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. [Keep this word in mind, "confession." We will get back to it in a moment. First continuing here, we read] 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, [We also need to mark this word; "boldness." It has to do with the privilege of drawing near and approaching God even though hearts and intentions are exposed to Him. We are going to revisit that word, "boldness," again soon. Continuing,] so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16 emph. mine)
We know that the Paul the preacher is talking to, and encouraging, saved Hebrews now, because he repeats what he said back in 3:1 to the set apart, sanctified, "holy" brethren concerning their confession. This is why we need to keep in mind the word "confession" from 4:14 above. Notice the relationship to 3:1, where the writer said earlier,
"Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession;" (Hebrews 3:1 emph. mine)
For the saved Hebrews then, Messiah Jesus is the high priest of intercession, and additionally, He is the high priest of their confession that they really are delivered from dead works to the point that they can approach God with boldness in grace. They can enter the Holy of Holies, like the Old Covenant high priest used to do, because they now confess the great High Priest as Messiah. Unsaved Hebrews do not yet confess Jesus as their high priest. He is not their intercessor. So the writer, the preacher, is teaching doctrine here, and he is saying that the word of God judges everyone's exposed heart, and all is laid bare before God. It is a sharp sword that cuts. Nevertheless, despite such sobering facts, there is a word of encouragement for saved Hebrews to have boldness by clenching their confession as they approach God in a new way, under a new covenant, in ceasing from works, and actually resting for a change. So the writer is saying: holy brothers, trust what you are confessing as more than mere doctrinal data. Hold fast, clench tightly, hold onto with a secure grip, to what you are confessing concerning the mediating high priest of your confession, Who has saved you utterly from your sins, and from the wrath to come, so you will be able to boldly approach God with no concerns that you must somehow do something that was mandated in the Old Covenant Law. God can even sympathize with your weaknesses, (cf. Hebrews 4:15)! This is what it means to enter God's rest! This is the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith in Messiah in His completed work. In context, flowing from verse 12, the writer is saying to cling to this assurance that you confess when conviction of sin hits you according to the word of God, which is sharp, and cuts, and lays bare your heart. Let us saved Hebrews hold fast our confession of hope in redemption through the mystery of a crucified and resurrected Messiah who is greater than Moses, greater than any animal sacrifices, greater than any priest, and is the ultimate high priest; the ultimate sacrifice that we holy brothers confess. The writer, the great Hebrew preacher, has been making this point from the beginning. In Hebrews 1:3, Jesus is shown to be the mediator between sinful men and holy God who made purification for sins of all saved Hebrews. Jesus is identified as being "a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people" in Hebrews 2:17. There is more coming up in the rest of Hebrews concerning this. To get a fuller picture of what the writer means by all of what he is preaching, he writes a similar urging in chapter 10, which is the only other place this language is used concerning the saved Hebrew's "confession" and "boldness" in approaching God. This is where keeping those two words in mind becomes important. Reading chapter 10, starting with verse 10, to get the context, we see that the writer is talking about sanctified, holy, set apart brothers. The writer says in Hebrews 10:10,
"10 By this will we have been sanctified [made holy, set apart] through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all ..." (Hebrews 10:10)
The audience in this point (pericope) is identified as Christians. Now, verse 19;
"Therefore, brethren, [sanctified, holy, set apart, as qualified per 10:10] since we have boldness to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, [as per 10:10] 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, [Messiah is the last and only high priest over God's true house, which of course is solely His spiritually saved remnant] 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;" (Hebrews 10:19-23 emph. mine)
In other words, the writer is exhorting His Hebrew Christian brothers to not worry. They are cleansed by the blood, and God, who promised all the wonderful things that accompany salvation, is faithful. They do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with their everyday weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as they are. The writer is encouraging with the confession of our hope; "Cling to it in your minds without wavering because He who made all these promises to you is faithful." There are multitudes of Christians today that need this kind of assurance. Those who have made the mistake of believing in the NEST need this assurance. So, the writer is getting across the miraculous relationship that saved people have with Jehovah. It is more than merely mental assent to God. It is a real relationship of supernatural import.
Through proper interpretative considerations, the historical, cultural, urging here is evident as being precisely directed to those first century Hebrews who comprise the first people to be exposed to Jesus and His New Covenant. They have been exposed, but most of their friends and families are all still doing the same traditional Old Covenant sacrifices. The believers are being told that Christians are cultists who follow a dead rebel; "How can you be cleansed when you don't go with me to the temple for sacrifices anymore?" So, the Hebrew preacher to the Hebrews is encouraging them; "Don't waver because He who promised is faithful and full of mercy through this new work that is being done in Messiah in dealing with your sins. Have confidence and boldness to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus your promised Hebrew Messiah and high priest in this great transition from the Old Covenant to the New. You are clean. You have been sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, and your flesh has been washed with water that has no impurities in it at all." The unsaved disobedient in unbelief Hebrews on the other hand, are dirty, defiled, and their hearts are laid opened for the Lord to see and judge by His sharp double edged word. In rejecting Messiah, there remains no more sacrifice for sins. They are lost; doomed, with no confession of hope. Metaphorically, they have made a golden calf and must drink it. They will be blotted out of God's New Covenant book of the Lamb, as their ancestors were blotted out of God's Old Covenant book. They will be smitten. There is no rest for them. This is what the writer is getting across. Complete and utter security, boldness, and rest is for anyone who trusts in Jesus as Messiah, Lord, and Savior. Judgment and lostness is the doom of all who reject Jesus.
With these considerations in mind, we recognize that this passage does not remotely suggest that one can lose spiritual salvation, earn it through meritorious self effort, or maintain keeping it secure by meritorious self effort.
HEBREWS 5:9
"9 And having been made perfect, He [Messiah Jesus] became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation," (Hebrews 5:9)
According to a typical interpretation based upon the philosophy of the NEST, it is suggested that to disobey Messiah by committing a sin, is to personally nullify Messiah as one's source of eternal salvation. People who will not stop sinning are not good enough to remain saved. Such people disobey God, and so therefor they are damned forever.
The NEST is wrong.
This passage is very easy to properly understand in its context. Paul is describing Messiah as our High priest Who suffered, but the main point is that Messiah is particularly being contrasted with earthly High Priests of the Old Covenant priesthood. Along with this consideration, there is a key of divine revelation that opens up the correct doctrinal substance of what the writer is saying. The key to the passage is to recognize that to obey God is paramount to believing in Him, which is demonstrated in the writer's big point in chapter 3, where the writer says,
"18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief." (Hebrews 3:18-19 emph. mine)
Clearly, the writer says that to believe is what he means as to obey. So, later here in 5:9, when the writer says that Messiah, "became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation," the writer means that He became to all those who believe in Him, the source of eternal salvation. Adding a further consideration, John expresses this same necessity in the demonstration of the commandment that must be obeyed, saying;
"This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, ..." (1 John 3:23 emph. mine)
To not believe, is to disobey the commandment of Messiah concerning Himself. Jesus said the same thing in John 3:36;
"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." (John 3:36 emph. mine)
Therefor, it is plain to see that Hebrews 5:9 does not remotely suggest that one can lose, gain, or secure salvation through an obedience that is other than belief in Messiah as Lord and Savior.
