CHAPTER 4

(A.D. 64)

UNBELIEF

¹Let us (modern Believers) therefore fear (refers to the fact that Salvation can be lost if the Believer ceases to believe), lest, a Promise being left us of entering into His rest (the Promise of Salvation), any of you should seem to come short of it. (This proves it is possible for such to be done, which means the loss of the soul.)

²For unto us was the Gospel Preached, as well as unto them (there is only one Gospel, and that is Jesus Christ and Him Crucified): but the Word preached did not profit them (if the Cross is abandoned as the Object of Faith, Christ will profit no one anything [Gal. 5:2]), not being mixed with Faith in them who heard it.(The Israelites had Faith, but not in the right object. It must be Faith in Christ and the Cross, or its not valid Faith.)

³For we which have believed do enter into rest (proclaims unequivocally that Faith is the key, but let it be understood that its Faith in Christ and the Cross), as He said, As I have sworn in My wrath, if they shall enter into My rest (the condition is Faith): although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. (This refers to this great Plan of Salvation through Christ and the Cross having been formulated even before the world was created [I Pet. 1:18-20].)

⁴For He (God) spoke in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise (Gen. 2:3), And God did rest the seventh day from all His Works. (God ceased from the Work of Creation simply because the Creation was finished.)

⁵And in this place again (Ps. 95:7-11), If they shall enter into My rest (conditions are to be met).

⁶Seeing therefore it remains that some must enter therein (speaks of the New Covenant and the Church), and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief (proclaims from Verse 2 that the Israelites of Old had the same Gospel preached unto them as we do, but to no avail):

⁷Again, He (God) limited a certain day (proclaims in no uncertain terms that even though the Call of God is unlimited, the opportunity to accept that Call is definitely limited), saying in David, Today, after so long a time (the Holy Spirit said today then, and He is continuing to say today at present, referring to the fact that tomorrow may be too late); as it is said, Today if you will hear His Voice, harden not your hearts (once again refers to unbelief).

⁸For if Jesus (should have been translated, Joshua) had given them Rest (refers to the fact that even though Joshua was able to lead Israel into the land of Canaan by the Power of the Holy Spirit, this was only a symbol of the True Rest which was to come, namely the Lord Jesus Christ), then would He (God) not afterward have spoken of another day (meaning the Law could not bring about what was desired, but definitely did point to that which was to come, namely the Lord Jesus Christ).

⁹There remains (what the Law couldnt do, Christ would do) therefore a Rest to the People of God. (This is found only in Christ and through what He did at the Cross, to which everything in the Old Testament pointed.)

¹⁰For he who is entered into His (Gods) Rest (due to what Christ did at the Cross, anyone can enter into this Rest), he also has ceased from his own works (we enter in by Faith, which refers to Faith in Christ and what He did at the Cross), as God did from His. (God rested on the seventh day when Creation was finished. And we can Rest in Christ because the Plan of Redemption is finished, of which Gods Rest was a type.)

¹¹Let us labour therefore to enter into that Rest (could be translated, let us hasten therefore to enter into that Rest), lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. (This tells us that the root cause of the fall of any Believer is unbelief, and it refers to unbelief in the Cross, which was the True Mission of Christ.)

¹²For the Word of God is quick (alive), and powerful (active, energizing), and sharper than any two-edged sword (refers to the ability of the Word of God to probe), piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow (doesnt mean the dividing asunder of soul from spirit or joints from marrow, but rather that the Word of God pierces the soul and the spirit, adequately proclaiming what man ought to be and can only be in Christ; as well, the Word of God portrays to us the Holy Spirit and His Power, and proclaims the fact that He Alone can quicken our mortal bodies [Rom. 8:11], which refers to giving us power to yield this physical body to that which is Righteous [Rom. 6:12-13]), and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (carries the idea of sifting out and analyzing evidence).

¹³Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight (refers to God as the Creator of all things): but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do (to Whom we must give account).

HIGH PRIEST

¹⁴Seeing then that we have a Great High Priest (Christ acts on our behalf to God), Who is passed into the Heavens (has to do with a legal process), Jesus the Son of God (presents the fact that Jesus is not only man, but is God as well), let us hold fast our profession. (Let us hold fast to Christ and the Cross, which was necessary for our Lord to be our High Priest.)

¹⁵For we have not an High Priest Who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities (being Very Man as well as Very God, He can do such); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin (His temptation, and ours as well, was to leave the prescribed Will of God, which is the Word of God; but He never did, not even one time.)

¹⁶Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace (presents the Seat of Divine Power, and yet the Source of boundless Grace), that we may obtain Mercy (presents that which we want first), and find Grace to help in time of need (refers to the Goodness of God extended to all who come, and during any time of need; all made possible by the Cross).