How Does the Book of Hebrews Apply to Christians Today?

The question I'd like to ask is, the book of Hebrews, and how does the book of Hebrews apply to Christians today? How does the book of Hebrews apply to Christians today? The author was probably Paul. Whoever wrote the book forgot to put his name on there. Actually, that was God's doing, God inspires every word of the scripture. We don't know for sure, but it probably was Paul.

And written, as far as we know, in the early 60s AD, or about 30 years after that great day of Pentecost, at which 3,000 people were converted. And so God's purpose for writing this book is the same purpose that he has given to the ministry today. And that purpose is to keep God's people, every one of us, focused on our calling. We are to be, and we are to remain, focused on our calling. That's the job of the ministry today, to keep us all focused, again, on our calling. And this is the kind of a world with all the confusion, all the chaos.

It's hard to stay focused. I think it's planned that way to keep us off-center, off-focus. There's so many interruptions, so many things going on, really at the same time. And it's hard to keep focused. But God wants us and indeed demands that we remain focused upon our calling.

So what Scripture, then, could be turned to, could be read, that would kind of summarize what our focus is, what our, you know, we're on a journey. And just what is that focus all about? Let's turn to Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 11, and we will look at, in Hebrews 11, we will look at verse 35. And, you know, somebody could give a whole sermon on this particular chapter as well, the chapter of the faith chapter. Women receive their death, their dead, raised to life again. There's examples in the Bible of that. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that might, that they might obtain a better resurrection. That's our focus. That's where we're heading. We're heading for the first resurrection. We're heading for the better resurrection. And the whole book of Hebrews is put together to keep us in mind of this first resurrection. So how do we get there? How do we achieve? How do we attain God's wonderful kingdom?

Well, God tells us how to do so in Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 1. Let's turn to Hebrews 6 and verse 1.

Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary or the basic principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, faith towards God, doctrine of baptisms, laying out of hands, and so on. But He said, let us go on to perfection. Now in Matthew 5 and verse 48, Jesus Christ said, therefore be perfect even as your heavenly Father is perfect. One basic meaning of perfection is maturity, being fully mature.

In strong concordance, this particular word is defined as mental and moral perfection.

Thayer's analytical concordance has basically the same concept, moral and spiritual perfection.

God wants us to become morally and spiritually perfect. So to accomplish this purpose, there are many admonitions, there are many encouragements, and there are many strong warnings that are mentioned in this book. Paul gives to us strong warnings in this book. So he starts out in Hebrews chapter 1. In order to accomplish this purpose, Paul points us to someone, and that someone is the Son of God, the very Son of God. Let's take a look at Hebrews chapter 1, certainly a marvelous chapter. Hebrews chapter 1, and we'll look at, again, the very first word, which is the most important word of the whole world. There's no word more important than this word, God. God, okay? The Father. Now Christ sits at the Father's right hand, so the Father is the center of the universe. The Father is the center of everything, and the Father is inspiring Paul to highlight and to praise the name of his Son, Jesus Christ. Now God, who at various times, in various ways, spoken times, passed to the Fathers by the prophets, and I'll just stop there for a moment, there are people that like to be prophets, wish they were prophets, be nice if they were a prophet, but who wants to be a prophet? Who wants to be swallowed by a whale and spend three days and three nights battling seaweed? He said the seaweed, he says, God who was around him, he said, you know, wants to be like Ezekiel, who lay down one side for 300-some odd days, the other side for 40 days, eating lentils, and the cooking fuel was a little disgusting, so we won't go into that. Isaiah, Jeremiah, who wants to be a prophet?

But people want to be prophets. Well, back in the old days, God spoke in times past to the Fathers by the prophets, but has in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, and through whom he also made the world. So there's a lot packed into verse 2, but God speaks to us today by and through his Son. Now, when I was at camp a couple of weeks ago, and I was a dorm parent for boys dorm 1, I encouraged the boys to read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I said, guys, read this. You know, read the Gospels. Get to know the Gospels, because God tells us here he speaks to us through his Son, through the life of Christ, the teachings of Christ, the death of Christ, the resurrection of Christ. God speaks to us through his Son, his Son is heir of all things, and his Son is the one that created the universe.

In Colossians 1 and verse 16 says the same thing. All things were made by him, and through him all things exist, who being the brightness of his glory, and the expressed image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand where he is today, at the majesty on high. So he's going to go on and on and talk about Jesus Christ and the greatness of Jesus Christ. Now, many, many years ago, a very wise man by the name of Mr. Armstrong gave a series of Bible studies on the book of Hebrews, and I was told by somebody they're still out there somewhere online, out there on the web somewhere, and I listened to them. I listened to recordings of them, and he really hit the nail on the head. He said, if you want to know what Jesus Christ is doing today, read the book of Hebrews. So if we want to know what Christ is doing today, read the book of Hebrews.

The first great theme of Hebrews is Jesus Christ and how he lives today. Jesus Christ functions as our high priest, and again and again and again we're going to read the priestly role of Jesus Christ in the book of Hebrews. The book of Hebrews shows his greatness and his priesthood, and Paul takes a great deal of time to extol the Son of God. Jesus Christ is being pointed to as the better one. Looking here now at verse 4, having become so much better than the angels he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. So already we have a partial list of the greatness of Jesus Christ. In chapter 1 verse 2, we read where he is identified as God's Son. In chapter 1 and verse 3, he's the express image of God. That's an interesting word, and I will comment on that particular word momentarily. In verses 4 and 5, he is better than the angels.

In verse 14, chapter 2, it is revealed that he is our Redeemer. Hebrews chapter 2, 14 and 15, it is much then as the children have partakers of flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in the same that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death that is the devil. In verse 15, release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

That's a way of calling him Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. He is our High Priest, as we see in verse 17 of Hebrews 2. Therefore, in all things he had to be made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make propitiation for the sins of the people. He's called our Apostle, chapter 3 and verse 1. Consider therefore holy brethren partakers of the heavenly calling. Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus. Skipping over to chapter 7, we see these other names and titles of Jesus Christ. In verse 2, he's called the King of Righteousness. In verse 2, he's also called the King of Peace.

And this is actually about Melchizedek who is the one, you know, Jesus Christ is Melchizedek.

And we see that as Melchizedek he is, verse 3, without father, without mother, verse 3, without beginning of days nor end of life, you know, he exists eternally.

So the Apostle Paul is telling us all these things about Jesus Christ.

The other one I want to comment on is found here in chapter 13, Hebrews 13 and verse 8, Hebrews 13 and verse 8. We see this here. And we probably have this all memorized. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The same one that he was 2,000 years ago, you know, the same one that he was 2,000,000,000 years ago, 20,000,000,000,000 years ago, he is the same today as well. Not only was Christ better than, and the term better, next time this is going to be like a two or three-part sermon, but I want to talk to you about how Paul liked to use the word better, you know, better resurrection, better than the angels, you know. But at any rate, not only was Christ the better one, he was also one of us. He belonged to the human family as well. Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 17.

Hebrews 2,17, Therefore in all things he had to be made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest, and things pertaining to God to make propitiation or atonement or payment for the sins of the people. For in that he himself has suffered, Christ in the flesh suffered, being tempted, Christ was tempted, he is able to aid those who are tempted. So we see that this high priest that we have is one of us. Now looking at verses 17 and 18 of Hebrews 2 and the context that's there, it brings us to the golden text of Hebrews, the golden text of Hebrews, and that's chapter 4 and verse 14. Seeing then, chapter 4 verse 14, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we, yet without sin. Jesus was the Son of God, he was the Son of man, he too was tempted yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Now what is a priest? A priest is a go-between or a mediator, you know, between God and man. And what priest do we have? What high priest do we have? Jesus Christ, who was one of us. And therefore when we come and we pray to the Father in Jesus name, Christ is there at the right hand interceding for us as our as our priest. And we can therefore find mercy and grace and he can understand us because again he was one of us. So again the first great theme of Hebrews is Jesus Christ and his priesthood and what he is doing on our behalf today. The second great theme of Hebrews is the better theme. I've already mentioned it, but Jesus will find as we review this is better than the heroes of the Old Testament. He's better than the angels, he's better than Moses, better than Joshua, he's better than the heroes of the Old Testament. You know the spiritual is better than the physical. The New Covenant is better than the Old Covenant. You know the heavenly Jerusalem which is coming to this earth is better than the earthly Jerusalem. There's a third great theme and this great theme is the warning not to fall away. Now this kind of a warning is not just any old warning and it's not your general garden variety warning.

This is a warning to veteran Christians. Now the book of Hebrews has been rolling around in my mind in this sense the last couple of three months because you know one day it hit me and just wait a minute. Hebrews was written to the Hebrews of Palestine. You know it was written to the Jews who were probably there on the day of Pentecost. It was written to charter members. You know and again if this is in the 60s AD and the Pentecost we're talking about was in the 30s, you've got Christians that have been around for 30 years and he gives some very strong warnings not to fall away. Now we have brethren in the church that have been around 30 or 40 years. Maybe you're 30 years old and you've been raised in the church so you're already a veteran and it's the ripe old age of 29, 30. You've been around practically all of your life so it applies to you and these words apply to you as well. So he is telling these Hebrews, these charter members not to fall away.

Scripture is telling us today not to fall away. And this book, because of the target audience, has got to be the strongest warning in the Bible not to fall away. And here's the short list of some of the things that we, you know, that he warns us about and we could fall away through neglect.

You know, we could fall away through false doctrine. That's always been the killer of Christians.

Somebody comes along with a crazy idea and all of a sudden it's the gospel truth they think.

Bitterness. Hebrews warns us against bitterness, immorality, treading the Son of God under foot, loss of faith. I mean, Paul had a long list of danger areas that again he was warning veterans.

He was warning veterans in the church to be careful of. So getting back, though, to Hebrews chapter 1. I kind of left off there in verse 4. I want to pick it up in the same context. But let's look at this again word in verse 3. Christ being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person. Express image in the Greek is charatir, charatir.

And we get the word, English word, character from it. The interesting thing about this Greek word, this is the only place that's found in the New Testament. The only place. And what God is telling us here is that Jesus Christ is in the exact character or has the exact character of the Father. The express image, exact perfect character of the Father. And it means exact likeness, it means full expression. Christ is the exact likeness of God. Doesn't stop there, though, does it, brethren? It doesn't stop there. Christ wants us to be that way, too. Christ wants us to be Christ-like. In 1 John chapter 3 and verse 1. 1 John chapter 3 and verse 1, Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God. Therefore, the world does not know us because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. God wants us to become His children. God wants us to become members of the divine family of God. He wants us to be just like Him in character. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies Himself just as He, just as God, is pure. Hopefully, wherever it be, where we work or where we contact people, that we stand out, not as the loudest, not as the most boisterous, not as the funniest, best joke-teller, but hopefully we stand out because we have that mind of peace, we have that mind of love, there's a gentleness about us, and there's the fruits of God's Holy Spirit. And hopefully we stand out and are recognized in that way. And again, our goal is to put on the righteousness of God. Now, let's continue on in Hebrews chapter 1. Again, we've covered verse 3 and verse 4, having been better than the angels. For which of the angels did He ever say? You are my Son. Today I have begotten you. So again, the Apostle is going to the Old Testament to prove who and what Jesus Christ is. And again, I will be to Him a Father, He shall be to me a Son. And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, let all the angels of God worship Him. That right there is proof of Christ's divinity. And of the angels, He says, who makes this angel spirits and his ministers a flame of fire? But to the Son, He, to the Son, God says, you're thrown, O God. Verse 8 is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness.

You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Brethren, do we? Do we?

Are we like Christ in that we love the righteousness of God, we love His way of life, and we can't stand sin. You know, we hate lawlessness. That's what Christ is all about.

He loves the righteousness. He hates the lawlessness. There's a lot of lawlessness in this world. We're not careful we could become, you know, too attracted to it, fatally attracted to it.

We want to be, we must be like Christ, the one who loves righteousness, hates lawlessness. Therefore, God, your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness. That's one of the descriptive terms of God's Holy Spirit. God's Holy Spirit is not the oil of gloom and doom. God's Holy Spirit is the oil of gladness more than your companions. And you, verse 10, O Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. Ever been to a planetarium?

Those are neat places to be. You go to a planetarium, they say, okay, here we are, here's the earth. Look out there, that's the moon. Look beyond the moon, that's the sun. Oh, and then there's the nebulae way out there. It's just mind-boggling. Jesus Christ made the heavens. They will perish, but you will remain, verse 11. They will all grow old like a garment, like a cloak. You will fold them up, and they will be changed. And while the Bible speaks of the new heavens, the Bible speaks of the new earth. But you are the same, and your years will not fail. Again, to which of the angels has he ever said, you are my right hand, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. And then it gives, in verse 14, the purpose of the good angels. They are sent, they are all ministering spirits sent forth to minister or to serve those who will inherit salvation.

We see here this chapter where God inspires the apostle to talk about Jesus Christ. And if he is our focus, if the Son of the Father is our focus, we're going to hang on, and we're not going to lose out. Now, let's go to the next chapter. Before I go, well, we'll go to the next chapter. I just wanted to again look at verses 10 and 11 of chapter 2, because this shows us that God and Christ have a goal. And we go in verse 10, it was fitting for him, it was fitting for God the Father, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, and bringing many sons to glory to make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Christ became perfect through sufferings. For both he who sanctifies or makes holy, for both he who makes holy and those who are being made holy, are all of one, for which reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren.

Now, the NIV, I think, does it very well in verse 11, because it says they are of the same family, you know, the one family, the same family, and that's what we are, the family of God, all of one.

And I love the last part of verse 11, for which reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren.

Not ashamed. Now, does anybody, don't raise your hands, have an uncle that, you know, he just hates to see an uncle so and so coming because of the family reunion, because you know, he's going to embarrass us, you know, and he's going to make us feel ashamed.

And we may all have an uncle or a relative like that. Jesus doesn't. He says, he's not ashamed. He's not ashamed to call any of us his brethren. I think that's a wonderful thought.

Now, let's look at some of the warnings and the admissions, the admonitions that we find in Hebrews. I appreciated the comment that Mr. Cain made about giving earnest heed. So, I don't need to comment on that because he already has. But chapter 2 and verse 1, the more earnest heed, that was his first scripture, to the things which we have heard, lest we drift away.

Now, the setting again of this book is to veterans, veteran Christians who, as unbelievable as it might sound, were in danger of drifting away, slowly drifting away. For if the word, verse 2, spoken through angels, proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received the just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard him?

Now, these veterans, looking at this passage here, they were in danger of slowly drifting away. Did you ever have the experience of, you know, going camping or picnicking on a lake, and you tie your boat to the mooring, or maybe you tie it to a little branch or something, and all of a sudden the rope comes loose and it starts drifting away, and you say, ah, no big deal, I'll get it later, and you're amazed at how quickly a boat can just drift away. Or maybe you're fishing in the middle of the lake, and you drop your oar, you know, your paddle, your oar in the water, and you say, oh, no problem, I'll get it later.

Amazing how the wind, the waves can take that paddle and drift it away so quickly. And here we have some of God's very people, some of the veterans, some of the charter members were in danger of falling away. They were letting their salvation slip through neglect, and God was warning them, not just in this passage, not just in this chapter, but in every single chapter. Let's look at chapter 3, maybe not every single one, but very close to that.

Hebrews chapter 3 and verse 1, therefore holy brethren. Wow! He's calling God's people holy brethren. That's a compliment. That's really, you know, paying them a compliment. But what else did he say to the holy brethren? Well, let's look at verse 6. But Christ as a son over his own house, whose house we are, that is, in my father's house are many mansions, John 14, 1, whose house we are, if we hold fast, the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

Paul was concerned. He was concerned about these holy brethren. Would they hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope to the end? Scripture tells us, I won't turn to Matthew 24.13, but it does say, Matthew 24.13, he that endures to the end, the same shall be saved. He that endures to the end, the same shall be saved. So he was very concerned that they would slowly drift away.

Let's turn to Hebrews 6 and verse 17. Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 17. Thus God determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise, brother, that's you and me, heirs of promise, that's you and me, the immutability, the unchangeability of his counsel confirmed it with an oath. So that by two immutable things, that in which it is impossible for God to lie, that we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold. They were supposed to hang on or lay hold of the hope set before us.

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and that which enters a presence behind the veil. That's talking about the presence is actually God the Father. But then what I want to focus on right here is the the anchor of the soul. Now Paul is using, and whether he planned it this way or not, rather nautical terms, he's using the term drifting away, and the way to not drift away is to have an anchor. Supposing you're fishing, you have family fishing day, and you're in this nice boat, and you're right over a place full of fish, and you're starting to catch these fish.

But unfortunately, you start drifting away, and this little spot where all the fish are, you move away from it. Well, the solution is to drop an anchor and stay put, stay there. And that's why he's saying that the hope we have is like an anchor. The hope we have as an anchor of the soul. In other words, we're anchored to Jesus Christ, we're anchored to the Father, and all the blessings, and all the hope, and the glorious future that we have to look forward to.

So he's telling Holy Brethren, chapter 3 and verse 6, to hold fast. And you better hold fast if we hold fast the confidence of rejoicing of the hope to the end. Therefore, Hebrews chapter 3, verse 7, therefore as the Holy Spirit says, today if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. We have the example, you know, of the Old Testament Israelites, and now hardened their hearts became. And brethren, look here, God is warning us, do not harden your hearts as in rebellion. Can you imagine 30 year, 30 year veterans hardening their hearts? And yet, brethren, we've been around 30 years, we've probably seen brethren harden their hearts. It's a very scary thing. He says, do not harden your hearts. Dropping down to verse 13. Well, let's go to verse 12.

Beware brethren, lest there be in any of you 30 year veterans an evil heart of unbelief and departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Now again, given the context and given the audience to whom the apostle is writing, this is pretty strong admonition to not fall away. Very strong admonition. He's not talking to a bunch of newbies.

Verse 14, for we have become partakers of Christ. Now he's going to repeat basically what he said in verse 6. If we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. He repeats the thought again, if we hold steadfast, the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. This is very, very strong language. Verse 15, today if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts in the rebellion. Do not harden your hearts as they did in rebellion.

Let's take another look at verse 13 because there's at least three major concepts, at least three in verse 13. Exhort one another daily. Talk to each other on a regular basis. You know, let's talk to each other on a regular basis. Encourage and strengthen and help each other while it is called today. Paul is saying, you know, do it today, do it now, be a Christian now. Don't wait next month, next year, after the feast. Do it today, do it now, lest we end up being hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Chapter 4 in verse 7, again he designates a certain day, saying in David, today after such a long time as it has been said, today now act now.

If you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. So the warnings against the hardening of the heart are found in chapter 3 verse 8, verse 13, verse 15, and chapter 4 and verse 7. Now Paul is not just quoting the Old Testament because he can't think of anything else to do. This is a warning for me. This is a warning for you. This is a warning for us, that we don't become hard-hearted like the society is around us. Let's turn to Ephesians chapter 4.

Ephesians chapter 4, and we'll look at this verse. It's a very modern verse to be, you know, to be applied in this modern world. Ephesians 4, 17, this I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk. And by modern application, it simply means that we should no longer walk as the rest of the world walks. You know, the ways of the world, which are getting worse and worse, don't walk in the ways of the world, and the futility of their mind. What a way of describing modern society today, futility of mind. Having their understanding darkened and getting darker and darker all the time, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart. You know, the Gentiles are hardening their hearts. Remember, when I say Gentiles, I'm speaking of the world. Who being past feeling? What a way of describing society today, past feeling. Now, this past week, I will say that the Supreme Court got it right.

And it is nice to see them get it right once in a while, five-four decisions, but they got it right.

They said that Hobby Lobby, if Hobby Lobby has religious convictions against funding abortions for their employees, they don't have to fund those abortions. You know, they're a privately owned company. It is a company that, you know, that, again, privately owned, is not government funded. And if they feel that way, they don't have to fund abortions. They got it right. Five-four decisions, but they got it right. Now, amazingly, you talk about hardening of the heart and people being past feeling. As soon as it was ruled that way, outcome men and women carrying signs saying, you're taking away our rights. You know, we have the right over our own bodies. We have the right to carry on with abortions because, after all, it's our hard-hearted right. Now, what boggles my mind in this discussion of abortion, we're always talking about their rights. Their rights. Their rights. But what about the right of the baby in the womb? Doesn't that baby have rights? Who's going to speak for the baby? So, you know, you talk about a hardening of the heart. You talk about being past feeling. Having given themselves over to licentiousness, what a sad day it is in America when people are saying, you're taking away our rights. You know, you're not giving us insurance because I work for Hobby Lobby and I, therefore, I can't have an abortion unless I pay for it myself. That's horrifying. That is horrifying. Past feeling, hardening of the heart.

Well, let's go back to the book of Hebrews again and continue on, going back to Hebrews.

And so, he gives some very strong warnings again that we must not be like the Israelites of old. Again, to summarize chapter 3 and verse 15, today, now, if you'll hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, for who, having heard, rebelled, indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses, now with whom was he angry forty years? Was it not those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who did not obey? They didn't enter the rest because they didn't obey, the rest being the promised land.

And so, we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. And Paul is telling us, let's not let it happen to us. Let's go on here to chapter 4. Therefore, again, these are holy brethren Paul is talking to. Since the promise remains of entering his rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. Paul is spending much time warning veterans not to lose it. For indeed, the gospel was preached to us as well as to them. It's the same gospel, you know, whether it be to them or to us. But the word which they heard did not profit them not being mixed with faith and those who heard it. For we who have entered, for we who have believed, do enter that rest as he has said. So I swore to my wrath they shall not enter my rest.

Now, the Greek word is catapousen. It can be a noun. It can be a verb. And it means several things. It can mean the entering the promised land. That's a type of rest. It can mean the believer's rest, the peace that we have because we believe in God and live by his laws. It can mean the millennium, the millennial rest, the kingdom of God. It can mean the verb can mean the rest that God rested on after, you know, on the seventh day. So I swore in my wrath they will not enter my rest. Although the works were finished from the foundation of the world, for he has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way, and God rested on the seventh day from all of his works. Now, Paul is going to say something here which a lot of commentaries don't want to comment on. I'm speaking specifically of verse 9. I was reading a commentary last night where they were giving notes on various verses. They skipped verse 9, and then he went on and gave other notes.

But he's plainly talking here about verse 5. Again, in this place, they shall not enter my rest, which is ultimately the eternal life in God's kingdom.

Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, verse 5, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience that is continually brought up.

Again, he designates a certain day, saying in David, today, after such a long time as it has been said, today, now, now is the time, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.

For if Joshua had given them rest, given them the kingdom of God, at that time, then he wouldn't have to speak of it for another day. But now, verse 9, there remains therefore a rest for the people of God. Now, if you have some marginal references, have the word, you know, Sabbath rest on that, this is a different word that is used here. This word is sabbatismos, that remains therefore a sabbatismos for the people of God. That remains therefore a keeping of the Sabbath for the people of God. And again, in the context, what else could it be except the seventh day of the week? I mean, he's talking to Hebrews. The Hebrews know which day the seventh day of the week is, even when they came back to Palestine back in the 1940s from all around the world, or maybe all through the 1900s. They knew which day the Sabbath was. They didn't have an argument with that. So the only day that remains as a rest to the Hebrew mind is the Sabbath.

God here is saying there remains therefore a rest for the people of God, not just the Hebrews, but for all of the people of God. A very powerful and a very strong admonition to keep God's Sabbath day. For he who has entered his rest has himself also ceased from works as God did from his.

What day of the week did God rest? He rested, of course, on the seventh day of the week.

God rested that. We're going to follow his example. We're going to be like God, and we're going to rest on the Sabbath as well. There's a lot of good reasons for that, but I would like to turn to Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. Again, a lot of good reasons. Let us, and we'll start in verse 23, let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering. For he who promised is faithful. Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and in good works. Let's continue to exhort, encourage one another, not forsaking, verse 25, the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, encouraging, exhorting, uplifting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching. So let's continue on. This is, again, a very fascinating part of the book of Hebrews. We've already covered chapter 4, verses 14, 15, and 16 about the golden text of the book of Hebrews, and that we are to be able to come boldly to the very throne of grace. Let's take a look at Hebrews chapter 5 and verse 1. For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men and things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sin. And the high priest, you know, that started with Aaron and went on down the line, he can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, and see himself as also be set by weaknesses. Because of this, he is required as for the people so also for himself to offer sins. We know that the priest, the first thing the priest would do would be to offer a sacrifice on behalf of his own sins. And no man takes this honor to himself, but just as he is called by God, just as Aaron was, so also Christ did not glorify himself to become high priest. But as it was said, but it was he who said to him, you are my son, today I have begotten you. And he said, you are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.

Now the next couple of verses show us why Christ was successful as a high priest, who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered a prayer, supplications, with vehement cries and tears unto him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his godly fear. Although he was a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered. And having been perfected, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obeyed him, called by God as high priest, according to the order of Melchizedek. Now, there's something about Paul.

Was Paul very tactful? Was Paul very polite and tactful? Look at the next few verses that the apostle tells veterans, veteran Christians. Verse 11, of whom we have much to say and hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing.

He's saying you veterans have become dull of hearing. Now, what was going wrong? Were they getting tired of the preaching? And were they getting dull? And were they getting dull of hearing? That means were they getting tired of the preaching? Were they slacking up in their own Bible study? He said in verse 12, for by this time, you ought to be teachers. You again need someone to teach you again of the first principles of the oracles of God, and you've come to need milk and not solid food. I think we can see here that there was an alarm in Paul's voice, or there was an alarm in his writings here. Because he was saying, you ought to be the teachers, you ought to be leading the way, but you've got to come back to milk and not to solid food. And he says you have become dull of hearing. So there was certainly an alarm in his voice. For everyone who partakes of verse 13, only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Now we had commented a little earlier on chapter 6 about the elementary principles of Christ. Let us go on to perfection, or let us go on to maturity, moral purity, mental purity, not laying again the foundation. Now here are the foundational teachings, the foundational doctrines of the Bible. The first one is repentance from dead works and faith towards God. This is the starting place. This is where we all start, you know, repentance and faith. We see that in Mark chapter 1 and verse 14. Let's go to Mark chapter 1 and verse 14. We see this basic fundamental starting place that we all have to start from. Mark 1 verse 15, this was Christ, John had been placed in prison, Christ came to Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying, the time is fulfilled. Now the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.

This is the starting place. This is where we all start. And that's why Paul was saying, this is the foundation. Repentance, you know, from dead works and of faith. Then he moves on to say the doctrine of baptisms and the laying out of hands. Verse 2, well that's the next in the order of the progression of these foundational teachings, these foundational doctrines. And we see baptism and laying out of hands mentioned in the book of Acts. Let's go to Acts chapter 2 and verse 38. Acts chapter 2 and verse 38.

So we repent, you know, obviously we have faith and then he tells us here in Acts 2.38, repent and let everyone of you be baptized in or into the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. So we have faith, we have repentance, then we're baptized. After baptism comes the laying out of hands. Acts chapter 8 and verse 17. Acts chapter 8 and verse 17. Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

Well then after that comes the resurrection. You know, the better resurrection. We're not just here now to be good guys and good ladies and then that's all there is to it. You know, the resurrection is what comes next and then eternal judgment which goes even far beyond what we can possibly imagine.

Now when we read what Paul is saying we can get a little maybe nervous, scared, you know, whatever, but we're not supposed to be nervous and scared about what Paul is writing. He's very concerned, there's no doubt about it, but he tells us again in Hebrews chapter 12 what the solution really is.

Hebrews chapter 12, and we'll end with this particular verse here, Hebrews 12 verses 1 and 2.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, in other words, many people have died in the faith. You know, from able forward many people have already died in the faith. So we're surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus. That's the key to our spiritual success. Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. The one who started it, the one, as long as we keep an obedient spirit, an obedient attitude, he will finish it as well. He's both the author and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him. There was no joy in the nails being driven into his hands and feet and the merciless beating that he received. The joy that was set before him was you and me to have our sins washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ. And for him, he found joy in that. The joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and it sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. So Paul is pointing to the way of perfection, and that way of perfection is looking to not only God the Father, but to his dear son, Jesus Christ. Well, there's a lot more to be covered in this book, and we'll pick it up again another time.