Hebrews 4:1-13.   Here in the first part of chapter 4 we see the importance of hanging on to our faith in what Jesus is all about (dying for our sins to provide the only way to be right with God).  The warning to fear is because this is serious business with serious consequences.  If we do not hang on to Jesus we will not enter the “rest” that Heaven is.  Instead we will not be allowed into God’s eternal kingdom.  An eternity without God is an eternity with out all of the goodness that exists in the universe.  In short that eternity is hell.  In verses 2 we see that our trust or faith in the story of Jesus (and it’s reality) is a key to where we will spend eternity.  What it takes for each person to be restored in their relationship with God is done from God’s end but it is still up in the air for each individual.  Each person must put their trust in Jesus.  According to verse 7 we should do it right away, “today”.

In verse 8 the author again speaks to that Jewish audience when he brings up Joshua.  Joshua was the leader who brought the generation following the one that died in the desert into the physical Promised Land.  The Jewish people though that that was the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises to their ancestors, but it was only a hint, a shadow.  That is why more than four hundred years later was still reminding them that they could relax in God’s pastures and be cared for by God if they would trust “today” (v. 7 and Psalm 95:7).  So the “Promised Land” wasn’t the end of the story, Jesus is the end of the story.

But there is risk (v. 11).  The specific “disobedience” the author is talking about is the same “disobedience” that the lost generation was guilty of, not believing in what god was doing, not trusting God.  While the test for them was going iin to the “Promeised Land” the test for the readers (and us) is believing in Jesus (Hebrews 2:14).  Hebrews 4:12-13 tells us that there is no fooling God the word of God is very precise, there are no loopholes in God’s plan, no back door into Heaven.  Either we believe in Jesus or we do not.

God thank you for Jesus.  Help all of us take this whole thing seriously.  Help none of us fall short of Heaven.  Help our “knowledge” about Jesus become profitable in our lives by tying it deep into our being by faith.  Help us truly believe.

Hebrews 3:1-19.  I think it is good to keep in mind that this letter was written to Jewish believers and probably to Jewish believers who had been priests.  Two things make it important to keep this in mind.  First Jewish people are tied to God through the Law given to Moses on Mount Sinai (See “The Old Testament Connection”).  For them a relationship with God involves obedience to the rules found in the first five books of the Bible (The Pentateuch) which were written by Moses.  The priest connection comes in, I think, in several places in today’s reading.  First in Hebrews 3:1 the author talks to the readers about their “calling”.  The Greek word there is “klesis”, it is a form of the Greek word “Kaleo” which means, “to call to”; you know to “shout out to” or “holler at”.  In this case the one calling out to them is God and the author is reminding them that they are believers in Jesus because God called to them and they responded.  The idea of calling is deeper thatn that though because it has the idea of a job, not just any job but one we are made for.  Some times we talk about the work we do in life (or plan on doing) as our “calling”.  We also use the word “vocation” for what we do for work (like ‘vocational training” talking about “job” or career training).  That English word “vocation” comes from a Latin word that means “to call”.

In the Old Testament the Jewish people had a group of men whose job it was to go between the people and God, the Levitcial (from the name of their ancestor Levi) Priests.  Theses priests survived by receiving part of the sacrifices and offerings given to God; they did not have outside jobs (at least under the Law of Moses).  If a priest became a believer in Jeus they would be cut off from their job.  It’s kind of like if you were a coach for the Dodgers and you were spending time helping the Angles players become better batters.  So the author here is reminding them they are doing the right job on the right team.

It would be hard though to abandon a set of rules that your family had been representing for almost 1500 years.  It looks like the author creates a bridge in verses one when he refers to Jesus as both the apostle and high priest.  The word translated “apostle” means “sent one” (kind of has the same idea as calling in a way), but it was also used in a special way in the New Testament of a group of men who were the founders of the church.  The High Priest was the main priest in the Israelite system and was the one who would offer the annual sacrifice for sin each year (Exodus 30:1-10).  So here in verse one we see Jesus being connected with both the church (believers in Jesus, the “New” way) and “old” Jewish system.

Jesus is further connected with the old way of life through Moses.  The first high priest was Aaron, Moses older brother.  But Moses was the one that God spoke through when he gave the Law to the Israelites.  While Aaron was the first priest Moses was the first prophet.  Both priests and prophets were honored in the nation of Israel (at least they were supposed to be).  In verse 2 we see that Jesus was faithful to his “calling” like Moses was.  But then the author of Hebrews makes a contrast; while Moses is compared to a house and Jesus is compared to the builder of the house.  The contrast is further explained when Moses is described as a servant but Jesus is described as a son.   We then learn that the “house” the author is speaking of is us, believers in Jesus.  While Moses was a faithful servant of God within the group of people who are trusting God to deal with their sin, Jesus is the one who puts the whole thing together.  But there is a catch, it’s faith.  In order to be a part of this group god is putting together for his forever kingdom we need to really trust that Jesus is the only way to be right with God (John 14:6).

In verses 7-11 we see another connection to the Israelites in the Old Testament but it is a warning.  In the history of the Israelites they did not obey and trust God when they left Egypt, as a result a whole generation died, wandering around the desert (See the “Old Testament Connection”).    This example from their history leads into a warning in verses 12-19.  IN verse 12 the Jewish believers are warned to “be careful” to keep believing.  In verse 13 they are encouraged to encourage each other.  The natural result of doubt would be to kind of back off from the group, maybe even go back to the old ways and old friends.  But if they really believe they need to stick together.  Verse 14 tells us that if we really have believed in Jesus it will show in our lives.  There is clearly a problem, under the surface of this book, with the Jewish believers starting to back out of church.  Just like the Israelites wanted to go back to the security of Egypt from the earliest days of the journey out of Egypt, there must have been a lot of pressure on these Jewish believers to turn back.  Verse 19 is a great summary so far; if you want to be a part of God’s forever kingdom keep trusting.

We can be tempted to run back to old friends and old ways too.  We need to not turn back.  We need to keep believing.  And we need to encourage others to do the same.  God help me trust.  Help me believe.  Help me stick by my eternal family.  Help me lead others on the right path, the path of Jesus.