Explore the Bible Lesson Preview Sept. 17, 2006 "Remain True" Background & Lesson : Hebrews 3:1-15 Motivation: The emphasis is upon perseverance - keeping on keeping on. If Satan's most used weapon is discouragement, then the Christian's biggest challenge is to overcome. Examination: I. Faithfulness of Jesus and Moses (1-6) A. Jesus Has Proved Himself Faithful "Who was faithful to Him who appointed Him" (2) 1. As an Apostle (1) - An apostle was simply the bearer of a message. The content of that message is revealed by the description of the recipients. a. "holy brethren" - Jesus' message sets us apart from worldly practices and unites us into one body. (1Cor. 12:12) b. "partakers of the heavenly calling" - Jesus' message calls us to a higher mission. Our citizenship is in heaven. (Phil. 3:20, 1 Cor. 1:26). 2. As a High Priest (1) - Priest (Lat. - pontifex) literally means "bridge builder." Christ bridged the chasm caused by sin that separates humanity from God. Much will be said in later chapters about Christ's high priestly role. B. Jesus is Superior to Moses "For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses..." (3) Jesus is to Moses as... 1. A Building is to Its Creator "He who builds the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God." (3-4) The theme of God as creator runs deep throughout scripture. It begins in Genesis 1:1 and is magnified in Revelation 4:11. Jesus' role in creation is explained in Colossians 1:15-16. The Jews recognized no greater leader than Moses; yet, as Moses' creator, Jesus is clearly superior. (John 1:1-5) 2. A Servant is to A Son "And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the 1 / 8
confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end." (5-6) Believer's Study Bible, p. 1741: 3:5, 6 "Moses was a servant, but Christ is a Son. Moses served in the house but Christ rules over the house. All believers today comprise this house.' Note the conditional clause beginning with if' in the middle of v. 6. Here, and repeatedly throughout Hebrews, we find that perseverance in the Christian life is the test of whether one's Christian commitment is genuine." No depreciation of Moses is intended; he is lifted up. The point is that although Moses was great, Christ is better. Vs. 6: introduces the second warning, a more severe warning than the first. The rejection of Christ is far worse than the rejection of Moses. It is an admonition to persevere for the saints. Rather than one losing something he had if he doesn't "hold fast," the warning is that a failure to persevere is evidence of never really being saved. Faith that fizzles before the finish is false faith from the first, or as John writes "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might me made manifest, that none of them were of us." (1 John 2:19) Believer's Study Bible, p. 1784: 2:19 "This verse provides further insight concerning the false teachers ("antichrists," v. 18) who were troubling the church. John reaches several conclusions about their departure from the Christian community. (1) They were never really a part of us.' Even though they had publicly identified with the church, this association was merely superficial. (2) If they had experienced genuine regeneration, they would have continued in the faith. Genuine Christians carry on in the faith (cf. 2 John 9-10). (3) In their departure from the church, they demonstrated that they had lacked saving faith all along." II. Unfaithfulness of Moses' Generation (7-11) Explore the Bible Commentary, (Fall, 2006, p. 35) "Most of Hebrews 3:7-11 consists of a quotation from Psalm 95, in which David the psalmist (Heb. 4:7), writing for Israelites living in his time, looked back at the failure of the Israelites living under Moses' leadership. Then, beginning in verse 12, the writer to the Hebrews applied the psalmist's warning to first-century believers. I will show how the warning also applies to believers in the 21 st century. As you study Hebrews 3:7-11, keep in mind all four settings. These settings are as follows: 2 / 8
Original O.T. Setting Later O.T. Application New Testament Setting Application to Us Moses' Generation David's Generation Hebrews' Generation Our Generation Israelites in the 3 / 8
Wilderness Israelites in the Land Early Christians Today's Christians After 1446 B. C. Around 1000 B. C. About A. D. 66 A. D. 2006 4 / 8
Exodus 17 Numbers 14 Psalm 95 Hebrews 3 This Commentary (1 Cor. 10:11) A. A Warning Against Hardened Hearts "Do not harden your hearts..." (8) 1. What is a Hardened Heart? (Prov. 29:1) a. It begins with a failure to listen to God "Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you will hear His voice..." (7) God speaks to us primarily through His Word. Failure to regularly read and study the Bible is a failure to listen to God. "Seven days without hearing from God makes one weak." (2 Cor. 6:2) b. It continues with clear disobedience "As in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works for forty years." (8b-9) A departure from God's Word lead to a rebellion against God's ways. Associating with God's Work (" Forty years ") does not put us in tune with God's will. (Demas - 2 Tim. 4:10) c. It concludes with a breach in fellowship "Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways.'" (10) If we find ourselves apart from God's fellowship, He is not the one who went "astray." (Isa. 55:7-13) 5 / 8
2. What Results from a Hardened Heart? From this passage we see: "rebellion" (7) - Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep my commandments." "trial" (8) - Trials are inevitable but, we don't have to be unsettled by them (I Thes. 3:3). "wilderness" (8) - Hardened heart's put us in a spiritual desert. "testing" (9) - We're promised that the test won't be beyond our ability in Christ. (1 Cor. 10:13) James 1:12-15 "God's anger" (10) - His wrath of judgment was propitiated by Jesus' death on the cross; however, sin still makes God angry. (1 John 2:2, 4:10) "separation" (11) - While our eternal salvation is not in jeopardy (if it is genuine), our daily fellowship can be breached. The reference is to the children of Israel wandering in the wilderness, Moses' intercession persuaded God not to destroy everyone. It was serious for the Israelites to rebel against Moses; it's even more serious to rebel against Christ. (Ex. 32:30-35) B. What is Spiritual Rest? "So I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest.'" (11) Believer's Study Bible, p. 1695: 3:11 " Rest' is used in this section in at least four senses: (1) the land of Canaan (3:7-19); (2) salvation as rest (4:1, 3, 8, 9); (3) God's rest at the completion of creation (4:4); (4) heaven, the Christian's ultimate rest (4:10, 11). In all such cases the word means to desist from one form of activity in order to give oneself to a wholly new enterprise. There is no reference whatsoever to sleep or slumber. To enter God's eternal rest is to devote oneself to the worship and work of heaven, in which there is neither frustration nor exhaustion." (Rev. 21:22-23) III. Faithfulness Required of Christians (12-15) A. Take Heed "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God." (12) Believer's Study Bible, p. 1741: 3:12 "The phrase evil heart of unbelief' can mean (1) an evil heart produced by unbelief, (2) an evil heart resulting in unbelief, or (3) an evil, i.e., unbelieving, heart." 6 / 8
B. Take Stock "but exhort one another daily, while it is called Today,' let any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." (13) Exhortation is not always positive encouragement. It may also be "reproof" or "correction" (2 Tim. 3:16). We're to warn each other of encroaching sin. Believer's Study Bible, p. 1741: 3:13 " The deceitfulness of sin' is a phrase in which sin is personified and represented as an active, aggressive power. This is the sin' of unbelief (cf. also 12:1-5)." C. Take the Long Look "For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end." (14) The implied admonition to the saints is to hold fast to their commitment; they should press on. God gives us the strength to surge ahead. Perseverance is a must to salvation. Don't be so vocal about depending on God that you do nothing yourself. (Phil. 3:13-14; Matt. 5:10-12) D. Take Action While it is Said: "Today if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." (15) Today is the operative word. Don't live in the regrets of yesterday or in the fears of tomorrow. Take action today. Application 1. Jesus is our example in perseverance. 2. Perseverance prevents hardened hearts. 3. We're to guard against Satan's attacks and exhort others to do the same. Teaching Packet: Item 5 Poster: Lesson Outline; Item 6 Handout: Believing or Unbelieving Heart Biblical Illustrator: p. 46 "Moses in the Book of Hebrews" Notes/Dates: 9/12-10/24 - Beth Moore Tues. Bible study, Sept. 22 - CSI Houston; Sept. 29-30 Ma rriage Conf./ Rosbergs, Oct. 7-8 - Luis Palau City Fest, Oct. 14 - First Hope Job Fair; 7 / 8
Oct. 27 - CSI Houston, Nov. 10-11 - INSPIRE Conference, Nov. 19 - Christmas Store donations, Nov. 24 - CSI Houston, Nov. 26 - Full Schedule (Thanksgiving), Dec. 2 - MTC Christmas Store, Dec. 8-9 - Christmas Presentation; Dec. 15 - CSI Houston, Dec. 24 - Christmas Eve - (both a.m./ss opt; 5 & 11 pm), Dec. 31 - New Year's Eve (Full Schedule). 8 / 8