So, we’ve been talking about rest. The cessation of our efforts to produce change and control the situation. It is an attitude of surrender and a placing of our faith in a set of nail scarred hands. We finished a couple of weeks ago talking about the way that levels of rest mirror the stages of spiritual maturity. So the Hebrew believers had a rest that was available to them. They could accept God’s offer of rest, but they wanted rest on their own terms. The author of Hebrews has been reminding them of the cost associated with failing to enter the rest that God has designed for them.

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V. 11 – This may seem like a strange instruction when we have been talking about rest. How do you strive when you are supposed to be at rest? They seem antithetical. This word, strive is spoudazo (pronounced spoodadzo). It has the idea of promptly being diligent, studying, or endeavoring with earnestness. There is again a sense of timing and urgency here. This is less about us working hard to accomplish something and more about obediently moving to quickly do what he has commanded. Don’t miss it. It was there for the taking based on the finished work of Christ. They were not striving to potentially reach the rest – they were obeying “today” so that they could reap the rewards (physical and spiritual) of obedience. This author desperately wanted this group of people to experience rest. He didn’t want them to die, literally, but he also wanted them to move on to spiritual maturity (as we will see in the next chapter). Don’t fail to experience everything that God has for you. They didn’t trust God’s promises and never go to enter the Promised Land (even though they tried the next day). Their delayed obedience had consequences. That didn’t mean that they all went to hell, but there were blessings associated with obedience that they missed, and they died.

 

V. 12 – This may seem like a strange segue. He has been talking about Moses, Joshua, the Israelites – and now he is going to talk about the Word of God. So, there are a couple of things happening here.

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1. This verse is a reminder that the Word of God is the only authoritative source for right and wrong, good vs. excellent, and what is required to live godly lives in Christ Jesus. The Word of God reveals truth to us and shows us the only way to go. When we listen to man’s wisdom (like Israel did when they listened to the spies), we will almost always miss out on God’s best. Godly counsel is needed and that is a Spiritual principle that is encouraged. However, the only true authority is God’s Word. We filter the messages we are bombarded with through the lens/grate of Scripture. Sometimes it takes several passes through, but prioritizing a formula, program, or another person over Scripture will never lead to rest or truth.

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2. However, this is also important because the Word of God is a person. Jesus Christ, the very Logos of God is the one that is living and active. He is the one we cannot hide from. This is not just good truth to obey, it is the source of all Truth – capital “T.” The Word is effective because it is inspired by God, used of the Spirit to convict/lead, and because it is the very revelation of Christ as our Life.

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Living and active – because it is inspired of God. It is authoritative. However, it is also a living person who is actively revealing themselves to us if we are willing to be obedient and do what he has said. It is alive and it is effective or powerful to accomplish whatever he needs it to do.

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It is the eternal Word of the Eternal God. It is sharper than a double-edged sword. These people would have been so familiar with this word picture. The Roman soldiers patrolling the streets of Jerusalem all wore very straight, very lethal, double-edged swords. This was not an abstract idea to them. This statement would have been like ice water being thrown on their face. This was the thing they were afraid of and trying to avoid – persecution and violence, yet the Word is sharper than those swords that they were so afraid of. The admonition is not to take Christ lightly. Don’t take his power and strength for granted. He is actually the one who will ultimately judge. He can split soul and spirit or joints and marrow. Things that no one thought could be divided. Things that were hidden. There were no x-rays back then. You didn’t fully know what you were cutting into until you opened a person up. Yet, the Logos of God is able to discern between the holy and sensual, the selfish and the pure. The rebellion and the surrender. The fear and the faith.

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This Word can tell if they are resting or if they are fretting. It is important to note that the verse doesn’t say it gets rid of one or cuts one out. Rather, it divides them – it lays the truth of the matter bare for everyone, especially for us to see.

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Joints and marrow – it can cut through any obstacle and be precise. This isn’t some sort of willy-nilly operation. This is a surgeon’s scalpel, and he knows exactly what he is looking for. He knows our motives. He doesn’t just know what we say or do – he knows why we do it. He knows what is on our hearts.
 

V. 13 – No one is hidden. It doesn’t matter how well we are fooling everyone else – he knows. I remember reading Psalm 139 one day in college and feeling so overwhelmed. We read that chapter and typically feel encouraged – he knows our frame and every detail of our lives. However, it can also feel almost oppressive – when he says, “You hem me in…” that doesn’t necessarily sound positive. He literally says, “Where shall I flee from your presence?” Now, I think the Psalmist, like us (hopefully) ultimately finds joy and peace in knowing that God will never leave us nor forsake us. However, it is also intimidating to consider that he sees it all. Nothing escapes him and he is the one to whom we must be accountable.

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Now, I want to be clear, God isn’t sitting in Heaven with a huge hammer waiting on us to mess up. He is not vindictive in his watching. However, he is impartial. He knows, yet he also provides grace to obey, to rest, and to repent if needed – because while he is the standard, he is also our advocate

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V. 14 – We have a forerunner. We are not running this race alone. He has gone before us. He is our Archegos. He is our ruler and will never abandon us to our temptations or struggles.

And he is great – the word here is literally megas. He is bigger, greater, and it is often actually translated loud. Ultimately, he cannot be ignored. He calls us to obedience. Don’t miss the greater one in the midst of the pull of the world.

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We have one that made a permanent sacrifice for our sins and one who continues to intercede for us at the Father’s right hand.

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He has passed – he has gone through – he has pierced the heavens. This is such an amazing picture of the Temple veil. He made the way for us – his death has given us access to the Father and the glory of his presence and life. We’re going to talk more about the tabernacle in the next chapters so I won’t get into too much detail here, but I think I could ponder this verse by itself for an indefinite period. He has pierced the veil for us, and the most astounding thought here is that he had access before. He was already on the other side of the curtain. He was receiving the sacrifices. He was receiving the praise. He was perfectly complete and comfortable. He made the deliberate choice to step out from behind the curtain, to take on flesh and all the suffering that entailed so that he could then go back through the curtain and forge a path that not only we could follow as if he left us a map, but as the one who indwells us and makes it possible for us to rest in him. This is not a choose your own adventure journey. This is not a pat on the back with good luck wishes. We get to abide in him and he in us. It isn’t up to us to try hard to get there – he made a way, he is the way, and he is the one who empowers us to walk in the way – and best yet, he will be the one that greets us when our faith becomes sight. I don’t think we will be greeted by Paul or Peter when we get to heaven. I think we’re going to see Jesus. Right now, we walk by faith, not sight – yet one day we will have perfect sight of the one who has redeemed and continues to redeem (1 Cor. 5:7).

Because of this truth – don’t lose heart. Don’t abandon hope. Trust in the work he has already completed on your behalf. Don’t think that he does not know your motives. Don’t think you can hide your rest (or not) from God.

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V. 15 – This is not a distant High-Priest. Just because he has passed into Heaven and is sinlessly perfect does not mean that he is untried. He knows our frame. The author is getting ready to spend a lot of time talking about the priesthood, the tabernacle, and sacrificial system. However, he is setting the stage now to explain what kind of priest he is going to introduce. This is a completely different lineage, purpose, and covenant.

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This word, “cannot” is intense in this verse. This is the strongest negative. It is actually two separate words basically meaning never, cannot, God forbid. If you are worried that maybe he is a little out of the loop or maybe doesn’t fully understand your situation, rest assured – he knows. He can be touched with our feelings – literally has the idea of having compassion on us or commiserating with us. This is where we get the word sympathy. He knows our infirmities, our weaknesses or even our frailty. When we fail or feel insufficient, that is when his “Grace is sufficient for us, and his power is made perfect in weakness for when I am weak, then I am strong” 2 Cor. 12:0-10. Think about this, Paul is specifically talking about the most intense spiritual warfare that he experienced. Some people think he is talking about demonic oppression. This was his thorn in the flesh. If his response to demonic oppression (or at minimum strong temptation from the power of sin) was surrender – was to rejoice in God’s grace that is sufficient then that is the only response that is appropriate for us. Jesus, as he is tempted by Satan and felt overwhelmed in the garden, did not rely on his own strength.

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Peter, in writing to believers urged that just as Christ suffered, but “entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (2 Peter 2:21-25) so that should be the response of Christians as we encounter persecution (and I think temptation can fall into that category – it may not be persecution from the world, but it is definitely persecution from the enemy of our souls). Again, what we have been talking about, Jesus did not live the Christian life of his own initiative or efforts. He surrendered to the Father. He trusted that God’s eternal plan was best.

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He was tempted – this whole section here in the Greek has several words that deal with temptation, testing, proving, examining – but some of them also have the notion of time. That this wasn’t a one-time thing. It was an ongoing problem a daily temptation in all manner of things. He was tempted in similar ways as we are, yet without sin.

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This word “without” is translated 35/39 times in Scripture as “without.” However, when you drill down to the root word in the Greek, it also has the idea of a separate space – a land or region or even a gulf. He was completely removed from sin. Not because he stopped walking with sinners or encountering temptation, but because he chose, deliberately to walk away from temptation. He did not dwell in thoughts and lies that would lead him to sin.

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V. 16 – Because of this, let us go near – let us approach – it even has the idea of worship in this verse. So go – and how are we going to go? We are approaching boldly. It has the idea of boldness, confidence, but also with openness or honesty. We aren’t approaching with subterfuge or thinking that we are hiding our motives. After all, the author has already established that he knows it all anyway. He can discern the very thoughts and intents of our hearts.

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So he has told us to approach, how to approach and now he is going to tell us what kind of throne we are approaching. He passed into the heavens so that we can go to the throne of grace.

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The seat of his rule and authority, but also of is favor. The throne of rejoicing and gladness. This is the throne that gives us what we need in order to rest. We can trust and rest because we are not on the throne. We are not in charge. We center or hearts on the truth of the one who is in charge and then we can seek grace, joy, recourse, and life from the correct source.

 

There is not a direct equivalent in the tabernacle to the throne of God, but the mercy seat, where his presence dwelt would have been the closest OT Israel would have had. Their ability to approach the Mercy Seat was so limited. It was there always, but only one person could approach, only one time a year, in the hopes that he made the right sacrifices and didn’t forget a sin. How different this throne is now that the veil has been torn. Chapter 7-10 are going to continue this discussion of the tabernacle and priesthood.

 

In one of those chapters, we’re actually going to spend most of the study talking about the Day of Atonement and I have some diagrams for you guys, but for now understand this instruction to rest is not coming from a person who is unaware of our frame or limitations. He knows our weaknesses. He experienced temptation, family drama, betrayal, exhaustion – you name it – and yet he still entrusted himself and those who followed him into the hands of his father. See, even those he loved, he didn’t try hard to keep them safe – he prayed for them absolutely. He specifically talks about how much he prayed for them. However, he asked the Father to, “keep them” (Jn 17:11). Go read that chapter 😊 It will encourage your heart. When we can’t control the proverbial “them” we can find comfort in knowing that Christ’s answer was to entrust them to his father. He interceded yes, but he placed their hearts in the hands of the one who was empowering him. We cannot do better than Christ and to treat a problem or a person differently than this may make us feel like we’re helping, but it is futile. Don’t try to do more than – or less than depending on how you want to think about it – than Jesus.

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And we find this grace in our need. This also has the idea of timely aid – even when we feel like he is late and not on our timetable. He delivers exactly what we need, when we need it. However, we have to admit our need. We have to be honest in our approach. We have let go of the notion that we are on the throne – and then we can receive the grace we so desperately need.