Hebrews 3:12-4:13 -The Second Warning

Hebrews 4:12-13 concludes the third section and the first division of Hebrews

The first division of Hebrews began by explaining the reason every Christian must renew their scrutiny of the message God has communicated to the human race through Jesus, the God-Man and supreme ruler of creation because the message is of ultimate importance. It is a message about the fulfillment of your role in creation. To bring that about Jesus died so we can be reconciled to, and children of the living God.  Through this message we can find total rest for our souls. This rest is none other than the rest God entered at the end of creation, a rest intended for humanity to live, a rest that means we never have to worry about God’s loving care even in the extremely unpleasant circumstances of this life. Hebrews doesn’t just present us with facts, but makes an emotional appeal in Heb 3:7-13. We are warned that even though we accept God’s invitation to become His child by trusting His promise of eternal life through Jesus, we still need, day by day to choose to hold His promises close to our chest, to choose to find solace, comfort and total inner peace in Him rather than in anything we do. Not doing so displeases God and puts us in a wrong relationship with Him. After making these points, the author closes this first division of his sermon by pointing out another reason we need to pay close attention to God’s message and to enter this rest is that God’s word exposes our very inner being and assesses our innermost desires and thoughts such that nothing about us escapes His notice. The Message paraphrases the thought of these verses this way:

God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what. 

What’s it to me?

What are we to do TODAY?

• Heb 3:8,15; Heb 4:7; Heb 3:12; Heb 3:13; Heb 4:11

What words does God use to describe His children when they are anxious because they don’t trust Him?

• Heb 3:12,13,15,16,17,18,  4:6,7

Is living by faith, that is resting in God’s promised care optional for a Christian?

• Heb 3:18, Heb 4:1,9,11

Is this a surprising or hard lesson for you?

• If so be prepared, Hebrews is going to get harder but it’s worth the work and has an absolutely glorious finish.

Christians can live in a way that grieves God.

• In  Eph 4:30 Paul tells us the same thing “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” ^[1]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995)