Thursday, September 26, 2019

Teaching Notes HEBREWS Chapters 3 and 4

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Teaching Notes HEBREWS Chapters 1 and 2

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HEBREWS

CHAPTER 3

Chapter 3:1-6. Christ Compared to Moses

Many Jewish- Christians, in their infantile state, 5:11-13, had
 not yet fully learned the Relation of Christ to Moses. It seems
 that they still thought of Moses as the Law-Giver, and of Christ
“as an Executive to Enforce the Law of Moses on All Other
Nations:Moses First, Christ under him”.

But they had it just backward. Christ is as far Above Moses,
as the Heir and Owner of a house is Above the Servants in the house.

Chapter 3:7-19. Warning Against Unbelief

We become Partakers of Christ IF we Hold Fast unto the End.
Be on Guard against Falling into Unbelief and Disobedience.
This Warning is one of the keynotes of the Hebrews, repeated with
increasing earnestness in verses 6:4-6 and 10:26-29.

The example is cited of the Israelites, who, after being de—
livered out of Egypt with Mighty Signs and Wonders, yet, be-
cause of Unbelief and Disobedience, Perished in the Wilderness,
and Never Reached the Promised Land, 16-19. If they Failed
because they were Disobedient to the Word of Moses, what hope
can there be for those who are Disobedient to Christ?

The danger of Apostasy among the Jewish Christians must have
 been Imminent and Serious. The writer may have had in mind
 the approaching Fall of Jerusalem, most awful calamity in Jewish
 history, which would tempt Jews to Lose Faith in Jesus.

CHAPTER 4

Chapter 4:1-11. Canaan: A Type of Heaven

Those that entered the Promised Land under Joshua found an
Earthly Haven, 3. land of Liberty and Plenty. An Earthly Picture
of the Heavenly Homeland in the Eternal Beyond.

Chapter 4:12-13. Power of God's Word

God’s Word, Living and Active, has Power to Penetrate the
Inmost Depths of the Human Heart, to Separate and View Every
Motive and Desire and Purpose and Will, and Evaluate them at
their Intrinsic Value, when we ourselves scarcely know our own
motives. Israelites of the Wilderness missed the Promised Land
through Disregard of God's Word, 3:17; 4:11. Our Best Hope of
Reaching Our Promised Land is in Obedience to God’s Word.
If only our we would realize what Power we would gain
by giving God’s Word its proper place in our lives. the services!
Our world now teaches everything (save the whales) but God’s Word!

Chapter 4:14-16. Christ Our High Priest

Here begins the Main Theme of Hebrews, Comparison of
Christ with the Levitical Priesthood, continuing into Ch10.

Chapter 5:1-10. Christ Compared to Levitical Priests

They were of the Tribe of LEVI: Christ was of the Tribe of
JUDAH. They were Many: He was One. They offered Animal Sac-
rifices: He offered Himself. They Died: He Lives.

Chapter 5:11-14. Dull of Hearing

Here is a personal message to the original recipients of this
Hebrews. In former time they had been notably zealous in Min-
istering to the Saints, 6:10. But now they had Forgotten even the
First Principles of the Gospel, 5:12.

If the traditional view that Hebrews was addressed to the
Judean Church is correct, then this passage evidently refers to
the Decline from the-Spiritual and Brotherly quality of the Jeru-
salem Church described in Acts 4:32-35. The Hebrews of James,
written shortly before, implies a Worldly, Selfish Church.

As time passed, many thousands of Jews had accepted Jesus as
their Messiah, Acts 21:20, still holding to the old Materialistic
idea of the Messianic Kingdom, that it would be а Political King-
dom in which the Jewish Nation. under their Messiah, would
Rule the World. So that their Christian Faith was largely of the
nature of a Political Slogan.

After the death of James this Idea seems to have so largely
Dominated the Jerusalem Church, that the writer tells them that,
instead of being Teachers of the Christian World, as the Mother
Church should have been, they, like little children. needed to be
instructed over again in the First Principles of the Gospel ‚of
Christ, 12.

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Hebrews 3 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Greater Than Moses

3 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. 2 He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. 3 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5 “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,”[a] bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.

Warning Against Unbelief
7 So, as the Holy Spirit says:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
8     do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,
    during the time of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your ancestors tested and tried me,
    though for forty years they saw what I did.
10 That is why I was angry with that generation;
    I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray,
    and they have not known my ways.’
11 So I declared on oath in my anger,
    ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”[b]

12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. 15 As has just been said:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
    do not harden your hearts
    as you did in the rebellion.”[c]

16 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

Footnotes:
Hebrews 3:5 Num. 12:7
Hebrews 3:11 Psalm 95:7-11
Hebrews 3:15 Psalm 95:7,8

Hebrews 4 New International Version (NIV)

A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God

4 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.[a] 3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,

“So I declared on oath in my anger,
    ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”[b]

And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.”[c] 5 And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”

6 Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, 7 God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
    do not harden your hearts.”[d]

8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works,[e] just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Jesus the Great High Priest
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,[f] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Footnotes:
Hebrews 4:2 Some manuscripts because those who heard did not combine it with faith
Hebrews 4:3 Psalm 95:11; also in verse 5
Hebrews 4:4 Gen. 2:2
Hebrews 4:7 Psalm 95:7,8
Hebrews 4:10 Or labor
Hebrews 4:14 Greek has gone through the heavens

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New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Some content adapted from Halley, Henry H., Bible Handbook, Grayson Publishing, Minneapolis, MN.  © 1927 - 1959.

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Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia

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