“This is quite an extensive study, isn’t it?” King asked.

The others agreed that it was.

“So what have we seen in Hebrews thus far?”

“We’ve seen.” Barrington began, “that the recipients of this Letter are strongly tempted to desert Christianity and return to their former Judaism.”

King nodded. “This passage that we’re going to get into is an impassioned exhortation to them to be faithful to Christ, to resist the rebelliousness shown by their ancestors, and to fear God who fully comprehends the wavering allegiance of the inner person. This passage is a fairly complex and lengthy argument -- and very rich. So let's focus on the writer's four main sections here. The writer draws on his readers' understanding of Scripture to help his readers recall, first of all, God's Household. This compares Moses' role as steward over God's household with Christ's role as a Son in God's household. We’ll be reading this in the first six verses of Hebrews 3. The second section of our focus is found in Hebrews 3:6 - 4:7, and we’ll also read them later, too. This section is A Call to Faith rather than Rebellion. This is an exhortation to faith in Psalm 95:7-11 based on the negative example of the Israelites' rebellious refusal to enter the Promised Land when God told them it was time.”

“Are we going to read Psalm 95:7 - 11?”

King smiled at her. “Yes, we are.”

“Okay. I just don’t want to miss anything.”

“You won’t. Now, the third section is called Entering into the Christian's Rest. This is a meditation on what it means to enter God's place of spiritual rest, drawn from the promise of entering Canaan and of God's resting from His work on the Seventh Day. We’ll read this later in Hebrews 4:8-11. This will then bring us to God's Discerning Word, which is the awesome and penetrating nature of both God's Word and His all-seeing Eye recorded in Hebrews 4:12-13. Now even though these are the four sections we’ll be getting into, they will also be broken up into other areas as we go along. And there’s one more thing…”

“Oh oh,” Lenox replied, “this sounds serious.”

“It is, I assure you. Before we begin, let me caution you that you'll find warnings in this passage that may trouble you. Are they merely hypothetical? The writer of Hebrews is writing with all earnestness to convince his readers not to turn away from Christ. The warnings are part of his pastoral urgency -- for them and for us! Now let's examine these verses in greater detail.” He paused. “God's Household…Faithful as a Son Over God's House. Hebrews 3:1-6. Staci, go ahead and read that please.”

Staci nodded and read Hebrews 3:1 - 6. “‘Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him that appointed Him, as also Moses was faithful in all His house. For this Man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who hath built the house hath more honor than the house. For every house is built by some man, but He that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all His house as a servant, as a testimony of those things which were to be spoken thereafter; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His own house, whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope, firm unto the end.’”

King smiled. “Thank you, Staci.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Now, first, the writer points to Jesus as our apostle and high priest -- the Sent One and the One who appeals to God on our behalf.”

“In other words,” Fuller replied, “fix your thoughts on Jesus. At least that is what it appears the writer is saying.”

“It's so easy to get our eyes elsewhere and lose our focus,” Erin added. “People, churches, doctrine can distract us. But it’s on Jesus we must focus!”

King nodded in agreement. “Yes. You’re all hitting the mark. Next, the writer compares Jesus to Moses. Why do you think that is?“

Shiva leaned forward. “Well, both were faithful.”

Fronk held up a finger as if to emphasize a point. “Ah, yes, my ex-wrestling dude, but Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses. Why, you ask? Because Moses acted as a servant over God's house or household, while Jesus was the Son.”

“There is an exhortation here in the end of verse 6,” Fuller pointed out. ‘…whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope, firm unto the end.’ Stick with it, people. Hold fast unto the end. Don’t let go. Don’t give up.”

“Amen, brother,“ King agreed. “Now these Jewish Christians are tempted to return to their former Judaism. The writer gives them a stern warning -- you are only part of the Messiah's household if you continue firm in your faith in him. Paul says something similar. ‘…If ye continue grounded and settled in the faith, and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel, which ye have heard and which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, am made a minister. 1’ The writer uses four Greek words to underscore this. They are courage. We see this word appear again and again in Hebrews. Confidence! Courage! The second word is hope. The third is boast. It is okay to take pride in the Living God. And the fourth is a phrase. It is hold on to. So keep holding on, my brothers and sisters! Don't ever let go! Continue in your faith and confidence in Jesus as the Messiah, as He commands.”

“The next part is a lengthy section that consists of an exhortation to the readers based on a careful study of Psalm 95:7-11,” King began, "and the story it tells of unbelieving Israel's rebellion. This is the negative example of unbelieving Israel in the Wilderness. I will read Hebrews 3:7 - 11, and I would like one of you to read Psalm 95:7 - 11. You will note the similarities.”

Fronk cleared his throat. “I’ve got it.”

King nodded. “I will begin. Hebrews 3:7 -11. ‘Therefore as the Holy Ghost saith: Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness, when your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My works forty years. Therefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart, and they have not known My ways. So I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter into My rest.’”

Fronk took it from there. “Psalm 95:7 - 11. ‘For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if ye will hear His voice: Harden not your heart as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness when your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known My ways. Unto them I swore in My wrath, that they should not enter into My rest.’”

“The writer quotes Psalm 95 in order to illustrate his point, which is that we remain part of the Messiah's household only if we hold onto our faith and courage. The Psalmist recounts the sad story of Israel's forty-year sojourn in the wilderness. Under Moses they had been brought out of Egypt and seen the Egyptian army destroyed by God's mighty hand. But then the complaints began. No food. God provided manna. No water. God directed Moses to strike a rock and water gushed forth at Massah and Meribah. ‘And he called the name of the place Massah [that is, Temptation], and Meribah [that is, Chiding], because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us or not? 2’”

“Then came the test,” Fuller pointed out.

King nodded to him. “Continue, my brother.”

“The crucial test took place on the brink of entering the Promised Land. Twelve spies had been sent north from the Israelite camp at Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land of Canaan prior to the conquest. When they returned, ten reported that they would not be able to defeat the walled cities and giants in the land. Only two -- Caleb and Joshua -- reported that through trust in God, ‘Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it. 3’ At that point the people of Israel rebelled. They were filled with fear from the negative report of the ten spies. There was talk of selecting another leader to take them back to Egypt. This wasn't just resistance against the authority of Moses, whom God had appointed, but unbelief of God Himself. It was ugly! The Psalmist calls it rebellion. Why?”

Shiva said, “Because it constituted treason against both Moses and God.”

Fuller nodded. “Exactly. God's response was anger at the unbelief of the entire generation. Listen to the way God responded as I read Numbers 14:21 - 23. ‘But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD. Because all those men who have seen My glory and My miracles which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted Me now these ten times and have not hearkened to My voice--surely they shall not see the land which I swore unto their fathers, neither shall any of those who provoked Me see it.’”

King nodded. “Amen, brother. None of the men and women twenty years old and older would enter the Promised Land and rest from their sojourn. They would die in the desert; only their children would enter the land. Why? Because they would not continue in faith -- the same temptation the Jewish Christian readers were struggling with. That is why the writer spends quite a bit of time in Psalm 95 looking at the implications of their unbelief.”

“I believe the writer of Hebrews now drives the lesson home,” King replied as the Bible study continued. “Al, please read Hebrews 3:12 - 14.”

Barrington nodded and turned the pages of his Bible to Hebrews 3:12 - 14. “‘Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is still called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the confidence we had in the beginning steadfast unto the end.’”

“Thank you,“ King said with a nod. “Now he warns them to realize their own weakness. He describes the kind of heart that commits apostasy. Sinful or evil is ponēros, which is pertaining to being morally or socially worthless. It is wicked, evil, bad, base, worthless, vicious, degenerate. And then there is unbelieving or unbelief, which is apistia. It us an unwillingness to commit oneself to another or respond positively to the other's words or actions. It is also a lack of belief. It is unbelief.”

Fuller nodded. “This kind of heart is liable to turn away from the living God just as the Israelites did at Kadesh-barnea in the wilderness.”

“Turns away and departs is aphistēmi, which is to distance oneself from some person or thing...to go away, withdraw, fall away. To become a backslider. This is a compound verb, apo, which is away from…histēmi, meaning to stand. Now in the Septuagint the term becomes almost a technical one for religious apostasy. Indeed, our English word apostasy comes from this word.”

Shiva considered what he was hearing. “Sounds like the writer realizes that it is possible for Christians to be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.”

King nodded. “One's heart can become gradually hardened if one gives in continually to sin. The writer recognizes that sin is deceitful. The word is interesting, isn‘t it? Deceitfulness, apatē, can mean both deception, and pleasure, or pleasantness. Thus it seems to carry the idea of seductiveness. Seduction. The sin seems pleasurable at the time, but it is deadly.”

“‘Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, 4’” Erin replied.

“The writer of Proverbs observes in Proverbs 14:12, ‘There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.’ It is said that Apatē is rather a trick, a stratagem, and a deceit than the quality of deceitfulness. The warning is against being hardened by a trick, which their sin may play on them. But here is an important antidote to sin's trickery. Christian fellowship.”

“That’s it?” Staci asked.

King nodded. “‘But exhort one another daily, while it is still called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.’”

“How can we expect not to fall for sin's false face if we isolate ourselves from our brothers and sisters?” Fronk inquired. “We aren't that strong. I know I’m not. Fury is big and strong like bull, but not even he is that strong to stand on his own. We need each other! We need one another's encouragements and exhortations to live for Christ! I don’t care what anyone says. Man, I love you people and the greatest thrill to me besides redemption through Christ is to be hanging with my peeps!”

Shiva raised a fist. “Right on, brother.”

“Now the writer zings home another warning,” King continued. “See its similarity to what we've just read in Hebrews 3:12 - 14 and Hebrews 3:6.”

Lenox nodded. “We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly until the end the confidence we had at first.”

“And we are His house,” Barrington replied, “if we hold on to our courage and the hope in which we boast, which is Him.”

“This is the writer's main point,” King said. “To fall away from Jesus as Messiah is not just too bad. It is spiritually perilous, it is spiritually deadly. Without faith or confidence, we are no longer sharers or partners in Christ. Now we are not talking about loosing salvation, because salvation cannot be lost. But as Christians, we will loose privileges here on this earth given to us or meant for us by God. We cannot just take our faith in Christ for granted. We must hold it firmly.”

“Now the writer continues his argument for faithfulness,” King continued on with the study of Hebrews, “and he is basing it on Psalm 95:7 -11. Erin, please look up this Psalm and read it, and, Staci, you take Hebrews 3:15 - 19.”

Erin and Staci turned their Bibles to the verses they were given. Erin began by reading hers, which was Psalm 95:7 - 11. “‘For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.’”

“And then, Staci…?”

Staci read Hebrews 3:15 - 19. “‘While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.’”

King said, “So we see here that rebelliousness and unbelief toward God is what made it impossible for Israel to enter into the Promised land. Now let us continue on with the message of faith.”

“My brother…Marc,” King said, turning to the ex-wrestler, “take us into Hebrews 4:1 - 3. But read only up to the first part of verse three.”

Shiva nodded and then read Hebrews 4:1 - 3a. “‘Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest…’” He paused. “The author does insist that the promise of entering into His rest still stands. That’s a promise to all Christians. We’re all going to enter into this rest.”

Fuller smiled. “Let me tell you this…I love each and every one of you, and feel that my life has not been wasted. I’ve been permitted by the grace of God to stay here on this earth with you and serve Him with you. But even so…I am looking forward to that rest.”

There were a chorus of amen’s and agreements around the table.

“Let’s continue with this thread,” King said. “The promise of entering into His rest, according to what Marc has just read to us from God’s Word, still stands. But why?”

“All promises of God stand,” Staci answered.

Erin nodded. “That’s right. God is the same. He never changes. And whatever He says He will do, He does. His Word is the only thing we can hold to because we know it’s not going to be broken.”

“Those are good answers,” King assured them. “And they are certainly true, but in this case, the promise stands because this was not just a promise to the Israelites in the wilderness to enter into the Promised Land. This also has a spiritual application to all Christians who have placed their trust in Christ. We’ll consider this rest in a moment. But let’s take careful notice of the writer’s point in this passage.” He paused. “The Israelites in the wilderness had the promise of rest in Canaan declared to them, but the message they heard was of no value to them because those who heard the message did not combine it with faith. Here…let’s do some math.”

Lenox rolled his eyes. “I hate math.”

“You will love this one. Ready?”

The bible study group assured him they were ready.

King nodded. “Good. Promise of God…plus Faith…What does that equal?”

Fuller understood. “Ah. Well, that’s real easy. It equals Receiving Fulfillment of the Promise.”

Fronk whistled. “Wow. I really like that kind of math.”

Barrington let out a chuckle. “There, Knox. You’re safe as long as David doesn’t give us any real math with real numbers. We all know how you can’t stand to count.”

“Well, David, what’s the bottom line of this math equation?” Fuller asked.

“I’m glad you asked. It is simple really.” King paused. “The writer is simply exhorting his readers to continue in faith. That is the bottom line. Continuing in the faith. Now in getting back to the promise of rest…what exactly is this rest that the writer is talking about? Our interpretation of this word is important to our understanding of the entire passage, so let's begin with the Old Testament. This is where it gets tricky, so just bear with me. In Hebrews 3:11, it says, ‘So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.’” He looked at each member of the Gatherers with him. “In our passage that Marc read to us, the word katapausis is rest, and translates the Hebrew word for rest as menūhā, which is simply resting-place. This occurs twenty-one times in the Old Testament. The root nûah signifies not only absence of movement, but being settled in a particular place - whether concrete or abstract - with overtones of finality, or - when speaking abstractly - of victory, salvation, and so on.…” He looked at Staci. “Are you with me? You look confused.”

“It’s just those words you are using are a little intimidating,” Staci told him, “like Math intimidates Michael.”

“Whoa!” Lenox protested. “I’m not intimidated by Math.”

“David, I’m following some of what you are saying. I’m getting the point of rest, and that’s all I’m focusing on when you talk about it.”

King nodded. “Alright. Good. Let me say this…Basically the root nûah relates to absence of spatial activity and presence of security. Rest, or resting-place is used in the Old Testament speaking of the Promised Land, Canaan, as the final land where Israel can settle. Why don’t you read Genesis 49:15, and you will see this?”

Staci turned to the first book of the Bible, found Genesis 49:15, and read it out loud. “‘And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.’”

“Deuteronomy 12:9...Erin?”

Erin read Deuteronomy 12:9. “‘For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the LORD your God giveth you.’”

“Then verse 65 of chapter 28...William?”

Fronk read Deuteronomy 28:65. “‘And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind.’” He turned to King. “It doesn’t sound like they’re getting any rest.”

King nodded. “Right. Because of their disobedience and unbelief. Now, Darren, please read I Kings 8:56.”

Fuller read I Kings 8:56. “‘Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.’”

“Now rest is also used of having one's own permanent house or dwelling place. Take for example Ruth 1:9, which says, ‘The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband.’ And, Michael, what does Isaiah 32:18 tell us?”

Lenox flipped through his Bible until he came to Isaiah 32:18, and then he read it for the group. “‘And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places…’” He nodded. “I really like that verse.”

“Finally,” King continued, “rest is used in the temple in Jerusalem, which is God's permanent home following the tabernacle. ‘Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength. 5 For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. 6’ Al, please read II Chronicles 6:41, and then, Michael, take Isaiah 66:1, since you may still be in Isaiah.”

Barrington read II Chronicles 6:41. “‘Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness.’”

King nodded to Lenox.

Lenox read Isaiah 66:1. “‘Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?’”

“Now in these and other passages of the Scriptures,” King began, “rest refers to settling down in one’s own home, one’s own land, after a period of sojourning. It certainly bears that meaning in Psalm 95:11, ‘Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.’ In all likelihood, it carries a similar idea for the writer of Hebrews, who seems to be building an analogy between Israel’s sojourn in the wilderness and entry into the Promised Land, and the Christian’s experience. It has been noted that the New Testament bears witness, in a number of places, to a primitive and widespread Christian interpretation of the redemptive work of Christ in terms of a new Exodus. Now, Al…please read the second part of verse 3, where Marc left off, up to verse 7, and we shall continue.”

Barrington read Hebrews 4:3b - 7. “‘…Although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.’”

“The writer calls on God resting the Seventh Day,” King said, “to buttress his argument for the future nature of this rest. ‘And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 7’ Now the Rabbis argued that for the first six days there was morning and evening. But for the Seventh there is no mention of an end at all. They reasoned that the day of God's rest had no ending, for it was eternal and everlasting. Using this argument might suggest that the writer of Hebrews is equating rest with eternal life.”

King regarded the Gatherers at the table with him. “The writer of Hebrews reasons that God wouldn't have spoken of this rest in Psalm 95 if it had already been fulfilled. The today in Psalm 95:7 suggests that there is still a future promise of rest. ‘For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice…’ And verse 8, ‘Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness.’” He held up a finger, emphasizing his next point. “Now comes a crucial passage for interpreting the meaning of rest in Hebrews 4:8 - 11. Darren, you haven’t read to us in a while. Please do so now.”

Fuller nodded. “Thank you, David. It will be my pleasure.” Fuller read Hebrews 4:8 - 11. “‘For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.’”

King sat forward. “You see, the writer here uses the word sabbath-rest, or rest, sabbatismos, which means sabbath rest, or sabbath observance. He isn't trying to do away with the sabbath by this statement, but to compare the believer's rest to God's seventh day rest.”

“The author introduces the explanatory phrase, ‘for he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.’ Is this some kind of Pauline faith-righteousness versus works-righteousness transplanted into this passage? Well, some commentators seem to think so. But the phrase could just as well mean that in that rest, we too can relax in God's eternal Day, in the sense as it is spoken of in Revelation. ‘And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. 8’”

“Now many commentators also see it in this latter sense, which compares rest in the Promised Land to eternal rest in our heavenly home. This kind of theme underlies many African-American spirituals built on the spiritual analogy of crossing Jordan into Beulah land. I tend to agree. Let’s do a math equation. I know how much Michael enjoys math.”

Lenox let out a weary sigh. “I hate math, David.”

Barrington laughed. “He’s not good with numbers. He can only count to twenty, using his fingers and his toes.”

King grinned. “Well, this is really an easy equation. It is simply this…God’s Rest equals…what?”

“Heaven,” Staci replied.

King nodded. “That’s right. Heaven, which is our final settling place, our spiritual home. We can’t see it now, but one day soon, we will. And what a glorious time we will have there because of Who will be there with us. That’s Jesus Christ our Lord.” He paused. “Now when the writer's argument is so consistent that Christians must hold onto their faith in Christ and not let it go unless they miss out on the promise, why would some interpreters read the passage as if it meant to cease from self-righteous works and rest in the finishing work of Christ? I think one of the reasons is that some find if difficult doctrinally to accept the writer's warnings at face value. So instead of making heaven dependent upon continuing in faith, they would rather see this as a resting in faith.”

“Resting in faith in Christ for our salvation is, of course,” Erin replied, “the privilege of all true believers.”

“Amen, sister,” Shiva agreed.

“The writer doesn't let us conclude there,” King continued, “but urges us again in verse 11 to, ‘Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.’ We are to make every effort, and labor which is spoudazō, meaning to be especially conscientious in discharging an obligation, to be zealous or eager, to take pains, to make every effort, and to be conscientious. Now before we move onto the fourth part of our study, there is one more point to learn from in regards to Jesus as the Giver of Rest.”

“Finally,” King began, “the writer points us to the seriousness of the Word of God.”

“And you cannot get any more serious than that,” Fronk pointed out.

“You’re making sense there, brother,” Shiva told him.

“The Word of God must be taken seriously.” King regarded the Gatherers. “This is the second of the five warning passages in Hebrews. Does anyone remember what the first warning was?”

The group began to consult their notes.

Fuller didn’t. “The first warning is not to ignore Christ’s salvation and it is found in Hebrews 2:1 - 4, which says, ‘Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?’”

“I was just looking that up,” Staci said. “You’re memory is good, Darren.”

“What is the second warning?” Erin asked.

“Well, if the first is ignoring Christ’s salvation,” Barrington began, “then I would have to say the second is don’t ignore God’s Word.”

King nodded. “If ignoring and rebelling against the Word kept the Israelites out of the Promised Land, we must take it seriously. It is the Word of God that has a way of uncovering our tendencies to go astray and also uncovers our weaknesses.”

“It cuts right to the heart of the matter,” Fronk replied. He mimicked slicing through the air with an imaginary sword. “Like a rapier!”

“‘For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.’” Fuller said, reading Hebrews 4:12 - 13.

“The author describes the Word as living and active, does it not?” King inquired rhetorically. “The Word is full of vitality. It is alive. The Word produces life…offers life. For a Christian, the Word is energizing. The Word is also more powerful than a double edged sword. Notice that the writer mentions the Word is like a two-edged sword…not a single edge. So the Word is not only sharp, but dangerous because it penetrates deep into us. It divides the soul, the spirit, the joints and the marrow.”

Barrington looked up from his notes. “In the verse Todd just read and in one other verse is the only place where the soul, and the spirit are distinguished from each other. In I Thessalonians 5:23, it says, ‘And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.’”

“Well, the Word of God is so powerful,” Lenox began, “it can separate the inseparable and scrutinize the inscrutable.”

“While the Hebrew Christians may justify themselves,” King began, “and we may justify our actions before God, it is God's Word that will be the ultimate Judge, since it can discern what cannot be seen from the outside. The hidden thoughts and intentions of the heart. In other words, Hebrews is saying, don't ignore the message of salvation, and the Word of God to you. For if you do, God's Word will pierce through all of your defenses and expose your true motives. This passage is a sober exhortation, a sober reminder, of the consequences of unbelief. We must lay hold of Christ and His Word, and hang on! Then we may finally enter into His rest, the Promised Land, heaven, where Christ dwells.” He paused. “Let’s close by reading out loud the three key verses to this part of our study. Staci, please read Hebrews 3:6. William, take Hebrews 4:9 - 11, and Marc, re-read Hebrews 4:12 - 13. Then, I will close in prayer.”

Staci read Hebrews 3:6. “‘But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.’”

Fronk cleared his throat and read Hebrews 4:9 - 11. “‘There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.’”

Shiva turned to his Bible and read Hebrews 4:12 - 13. “‘For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.’”

King bowed his head and prayed. “Father, we so need to enter into the rest of faith right now and look forward to entering into Your rest in heaven. We trust You. Keep us from straying and pull us back when we get off the path. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.”

1 - Colossians 1:23
2 - Exodus 17:7
3 - Numbers 13:30
4 - Hebrews 11:25
5 - Psalm 132:8
6 - Psalm 132:13 -14
7 - Genesis 2:2
8 - Revelation 14:13

This Concludes Hebrews Part 3.