The Rest of the Story – Hebrews 4

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“If Joshua gave the Israelites rest, God wouldn’t have spoken about another day later on. So you see that a sabbath rest is left open for God’s people. The one who entered God’s rest also rested from his works, just as God rested from his own. Therefore, let’s make every effort to enter that rest so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience, because God’s word is living, active, and sharper than any two-edged sword. It penetrates to the point that it separates the soul from the spirit and the joints from the marrow. It’s able to judge the heart’s thoughts and intentions. No creature is hidden from it, but rather everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of the one to whom we have to give an answer” (Hebrews 4:8-13, CSB).

The Hebrews writer gives us yet another Old Testament perspective of the Christian life. As we concluded in the previous post, our salvation in Christ and hope for eternal life is a reality that we should live out each day of our lives on earth.

In Hebrews 4 the Hebrews writer tells us that there is a “Rest” for God’s people to enter into. It has always been God’s plan since the Creation and still is today for His people to join Him in the restfulness of eternal life where God Himself abides (see vs. 1-4).

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Running Out of Time – Hebrews 3:1-15

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“Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception. For we have become participants in Christ if we hold firmly until the end the reality that we had at the start” (Hebrews 3:12-14, CSB).

Have you ever tried to imagine what life would be like without Time? It’s hard, if not impossible to imagine because our whole existence in this world is measured by Time: how old we are, what year it is, when we are born and when we die.

Everything we are and we do in this world is defined by the dimension of Time. Tomorrow becomes Today and then Today turns in to Yesterday. We progress through our lives from one element in time–an hour, a day, a week, a month, a year–to the next.

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A Birds’-Eye View of Incarnation – Hebrews 2:14-18

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Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through his death he might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. For it is clear that he does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring. Therefore, he had to be like his brothers and sisters in every way, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in matters pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. For since he himself has suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:14-18, CSB).

In these verses the Hebrews writer paints a powerful picture of the significance of Jesus’ incarnation in the context of Jewish temple theology.

But, I am reminded of a story told every Christmas season by legendary radio announcer Paul Harvey that provides a most interesting and insightful perspective on incarnation.

Paul Harvey recounted in his radio broadcast the tale of a good but not very religious man who had stayed at home while his family went to church on Christmas Eve. Then…..

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Drifting – Hebrews 2:1-10

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For this reason, we must pay attention all the more to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away. For if the message spoken through angels was legally binding and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment, how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? This salvation had its beginning when it was spoken of by the Lord, and it was confirmed to us by those who heard him. At the same time, God also testified by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions of gifts from the Holy Spirit according to his will (Hebrews 2:1-4, CSB).

Have you ever heard the the old saying, “up the river (or creek) without a paddle.” If you don’t have a paddle in your boat, you flow whatever direction the river current takes you. The boat drifts with the current.

But, a paddle lets you steer the boat; it lets you set a course and sail in a direction. It keeps you from drifting.

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Are You Listening? – Hebrews 1:1-4

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Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son (Hebrews 1:1-2, CSB).

Are you listening? Because God is speaking.

God spoke in a variety of ways in the Old Testament. The revelation given through the Old Testament prophets was brought in various ways – sometimes through parables, narrative, prophecy, psalms, proverbs, and sometimes through some very dramatic or unorthodox methods:

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What’s In a Name? – Exodus 3

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Then Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them: The God of your fathers has sent me to you and they ask me, ‘what is His name?’ what should I tell them?” God replied to Moses “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation. (Exodus 3:13-15, CSB)

In Exodus 3 God commissioned Moses to lead the people out of 400 years of Egyptian slavery and revealed both His nature and His name to Moses on Mount Horeb. There is some significant wordplay at work in this revelation that is not so apparent in the English translation. Knowing a little of this Hebrew wordplay can certainly strengthen our understanding of God’s purpose in our lives and our world.

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Paying Attention – Acts 16:11-15

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“A God-fearing woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying” (Acts 16:14, CSB).

The events in these verses take place during Paul’s second missionary journey. Paul and Barnabas had decided to go visit the churches they had established during their first missionary journey. When they disagreed about who should be on their evangelistic team, they parted company and Paul selected Silas to accompany him on his second missionary journey.

Paul and Silas set out across the regions of Phrygia and Galatia, which is in the eastern half of the modern country of Turkey. But, Paul’s plans to journey north into the region of Bithynia were constrained by the Holy Spirit and instead they traveled west to Troas on the coast of the Aegean Sea.

At Troas Paul had a vision of a man pleading with him to cross over the Aegean Sea into Macedonia, just to the north of the modern country of Greece. Paul and Silas would evangelize in Macedonia and eventually travel south into the Greek cities of Athens and Corinth.

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God Is Good, All The Time – Genesis 50:15-21

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Originally posted February 11, 2011

But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people. Therefore don’t be afraid. I will take care of you and your children.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them (Genesis 50:19-21, CSB).

This response by Joseph to his brothers has been a recurring theological theme of the saga of Abraham and his offspring in the book of Genesis. It is the result of God’s covenant with Abraham.

Upon the death of Jacob, Joseph’s brothers were afraid that he would take revenge on them for selling him into slavery many years earlier. So, they sent a message to Joseph begging his forgiveness.

When Joseph received their message, he wept because his brothers still feared reprisal from him. Then they came to Joseph and bowed down before him and told him they would be his slaves.

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No Membership Requirements – Acts 14:26 – 15:35

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Originally published March 9, 2011.

“For it was the Holy Spirit’s decision—and ours—not to place further burdens on you beyond these requirements: that you abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. You will do well if you keep yourselves from these things” (Acts 15:28-29, CSB).

After arriving back in Antioch after their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas reported to the church that God “had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles” (vs. 14:27) in Asia. But some men came to Antioch from Jerusalem teaching that unless you are circumcised you “cannot be saved” (vs. 15:1).

Paul and Barnabas debated with these men about this doctrine and were unable to reach an understanding with them. So, the Antioch church sent Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem to discuss the issue with the apostles and elders there. At this time the Jerusalem church was considered the headquarters of the Christian movement.

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The Cosmic Struggle – Genesis 32:24-32

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Originally published on August 21, 2013.

Picture of Jacob wrestling with God

“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” he said. “It will be Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.” (Genesis 32:28, CSB).

After twenty years of separation, Jacob attempted to reconcile with his estranged brother, Esau, whom Jacob had tricked into giving up his birth right to him.

Fearing that his encounter with Esau may be a hostile one, Jacob appropriated from his flocks a considerable gift to assuage any revenge Esau might want to take on Jacob and his family. Then, Jacob sent his gift ahead with some of his servants to meet Esau first while Jacob and his immediate family remained behind.

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