Saturday, June 14, 2025

The Warning (Keep the Faith, Part 3)

 


Lesson Four

The Warning

Hebrews 3:7-11

 

Theme: Christ Jesus, the Son of God, is our Model of fidelity and is infinitely Superior to Moses. Therefore, hold firmly to your faith in Christ, God’s faithful Apostle and High Priest.

 

Reflection

Begin your study by sharing thoughts on this question.

 Think of a time when a Christian friend encouraged your faith. What did this person do to help you?

 

Bible Reading

Read carefully and thoughtfully Hebrews 3:1–19.

5.  What is the overall scope of this warning section in the chapter? (Heb. 3:7-19)

 

I.                 In the first exhortation (Heb. 2:1–4), the writer pointed out the danger of drifting from the Word because of neglect. In this exhortation, he explains the danger of doubting and disbelieving the Word because of hardness of heart. It is important that we understand the background of this section, which is the Exodus of Israel from Egypt and their experiences of unbelief in the wilderness.

II.               To begin with, we must understand that there are spiritual lessons in the geography of Israel’s experiences. The nation’s bondage in Egypt is an illustration of a sinner’s bondage in this world. Much as Israel was delivered from Egypt by the blood of lambs and the power of God, so a sinner who believes on Christ is delivered from the bondage of sin (Col. 1:13–14). Jesus Christ is “the Lamb of God” whose death and resurrection have made our deliverance from sin a reality.

III.             It was not God’s will that Israel remain either in Egypt or in the wilderness. His desire was that the people enter their glorious inheritance in the land of Canaan. But when Israel got to the border of their inheritance, they delayed because they doubted the promise of God (Num. 13–14). “We are not able” wept the ten spies and the people. “We are able with God’s help!” said Moses, Joshua, and Caleb. Because the people went backward in unbelief instead of forward by faith, they missed their inheritance and died in the wilderness. It was the new generation that possessed the land and entered into their rest.

IV.            What does Canaan represent to us as Christians today? It represents our spiritual inheritance in Christ (Eph. 1:3, 11, 15–23). It is unfortunate that some of our hymns and Gospel songs use Canaan as a picture of heaven, and “crossing the Jordan” as a picture of death. Since Canaan was a place of battles, and even of defeats, it is not a good illustration of heaven! Israel had to cross the river by faith (a picture of the believer as he dies to self and the world, Rom. 6) and claim the inheritance by faith. They had to “step out by faith” (Josh. 1:3) and claim the land for themselves, just as believers today must do.

V.              Now we can understand what the wilderness wanderings represent: the experiences of believers who will not claim their spiritual inheritance in Christ, who doubt God’s Word and live in restless unbelief. To be sure, God is with them, as He was with Israel; but they do not enjoy the fullness of God’s blessing. They are “out of Egypt” but they are not yet “in Canaan.”

6.  What warning does the Holy Spirit give to us? (Heb. 3:7-11)

To drive home God’s call to faithfulness and to warn of the consequences of stubborn disbelief, the classic failure of Israel at Kadesh Barnea which led to their 40-year detour in the wilderness is presented. That generation of Israel that came out of Egypt doubted God; therefore, they never entered the land of Canaan. Paul quotes from Psalm 95:7–11, which records God’s response to Israel’s tragic spiritual condition.

 

I.                 The Spirit’s Warning Issues a Command (3:7-8a).

a.      Hear His Voice,” whenever God speaks, we should be swift to hear. To doubt His word is to call Him a liar and to incur His wrath.

b.      Israel put God to the test—“temptation in the wilderness”—by asking, “Is the Lord among us, or not?” (Ex. 17:7)  Instead of trusting God in the midst of adverse circumstances, they demanded that He show His hand in order to demonstrate to them that He was in their midst to help them.

c.      The phrase “harden not your hearts,” forbids the continuance of an action already going on. These Hebrews were already hardening their hearts. Paul exhorts them to stop doing so.

d.      In view of the fact that Messiah is better than the prophets, the angels, and Moses, the warning is, not to harden their hearts in renouncing their professed faith in Messiah and returning to the sacrifices. —Wuest, Kenneth S.

II.               The Spirit’s Warning Illustrates a Calamity (3:8b-9).

a.      The “provocation in the day of temptation” refers to the murmuring of Israel against the Lord at Rephidim because of the lack of water (Ex 17:1–7).

b.      God had delivered His people from Egypt and had cared for them, revealing His power in many signs and wonders (Heb. 3:9). Israel saw all of this and benefited from it!

c.      But the experience did not bring them closer to God or make them trust Him more. This is an extraordinary calamity! All that God did for them did not benefit them spiritually. In fact, just the opposite took place: they hardened their hearts against God! They put God to the test—“proved”—and He did not fail them; yet they failed Him.

III.             The Spirit’s Warning Illuminates a Condition (3:10).

God’s keen displeasure with Israel in the wilderness brought forth this stern denunciation. He accused them of a perpetual proneness to wander away from Him, and of a willful ignorance of His ways. —MacDonald, William; Farstad, Arthur: Believer's Bible Commentary

a.      They Consistently Erred in Heart (Heb. 3:10).

                                                    i.     The heart of every problem is a problem in the heart. The people of Israel (except Moses, Joshua, and Caleb) erred in their hearts (Heb. 3:10).

1.      Their hearts wandered from God and His Word.

2.      They also had evil hearts of unbelief (Heb. 3:12); they did not believe that God would give them victory in Canaan. They had seen God perform great signs in Egypt. Yet they doubted He was adequate for the challenge of Canaan.

                                                  ii.     When a person has an erring heart and a disbelieving heart, the result will also be a hard heart. (Wiersbe, W. W. 1996, c1989. The Bible Exposition Commentary)

1.      This is a heart that is insensitive to the Word and work of God. So hard was the heart of Israel that the people even wanted to return to Egypt! Imagine wanting to exchange their freedom under God for slavery in Egypt!

2.      Of course, all this history spoke to the hearts of the readers of this letter because they were in danger of “going back” themselves.

                                                 iii.     Why was God grieved? (Heb. 3:10, 17)

1.      God was grieved according to Hebrews 3:9, which says, “When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.” But, why was He grieved? The two words “tempted” and “prove” hold the reason why God was so grieved with Israel. According to Wuest, “tempted” means “to put to the test to see what good or evil may be in a person.”  The nation of Israel was in affect saying ‘Can He provide and protect as He said?’  The people kept ‘testing’ God!  Then the word “prove” means “to put to the test for the purpose of approving the person if he meets the test.”  Israel was saying, ‘Is He really God?’ They were demanding more proof while ignoring a mountain of evidence. This is continuous unbelief. This is what grieved the heart of Jehovah. But note also what Carson said, Those who left Egypt with Moses had God’s words of promise and warning ringing in their ears, but they hardened their hearts and would not respond with faith and obedience. Rebellion and testing are translations of the Hebrew names Meribah and Massah (Ex. 17:1–7; cf. Nu. 20:1–13). At the beginning and end of their desert wanderings, the Israelites showed themselves to be particularly unbelieving at these places. They tested and tried God in the sense that they went as far as they could in provoking him to judge them (9). –Carson, D. A.1994. New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition

2.      The latter phrase of verse 9 says, “and saw my works forty years.”  This affords us the third reason why God was grieved with Israel. The forty-year period in the wilderness was an expression of God’s anger with that generation, but it was also an opportunity for them to experience his gracious ways, again and again (10). Since they refused to repent and trust him, he declared on oath in his anger that such people could not enter his rest in the land that he had promised to their forefathers as an inheritance (11; cf. Nu. 14). That privilege would only be extended to their children. –Carson, D. A.1994. New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition

3.      Israel’s behavior can only be described as continuous rebellion and unbelief. This grieved God greatly because He had given them so much evidence to persuade them to trust and obey Him implicitly. Although God had miraculously rescued them from Egypt and had demonstrated his power and care over his people, the people disobeyed God, complained against him, and refused to take possession of the land God had given them. They tested him, tried him, and saw him work both for and against them during their forty years of wandering. They tested his patience and challenged his authority. Despite seeing God's works for forty years, the people continually rebelled against him. –The Life Application Commentary Series copyright (C) 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000

4.      God’s keen displeasure with Israel in the wilderness brought forth this stern denunciation. He accused them of a perpetual proneness to wander away from Him, and of a willful ignorance of His ways. –MacDonald, W. 1997, c1995. Believer's Bible Commentary

5.      Wuest highlights the fact that their proneness to was due to their general ignorance of God—they had little experience with Him and His ways because they neglected Him.

6.      God was offended at the actions of Israel. … Israel was led astray with respect to the heart, the seat of one’s personal character and of one’s moral and spiritual life. The Hebrew has it, “They are a people of wanderers in heart.” … Israel’s ignorance of the ways of Jehovah preceded and was the cause of their being led astray. Their ignorance was due to their neglect of Jehovah, for the knowledge they lacked was experiential knowledge which was to be acquired through experience with the ways and character of God. –Wuest, K. S. 1997, c1984. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament

b.      They were Ignorant of God’s Way (Heb. 3:10b).

                                                    i.     In spite of God’s works and loving patience the Israelites failed to understand the ways He would have had them go to reach His Canaan rest (Ex 18:20).

1.      Yes, the forty-year period in the wilderness was an expression of God’s anger with that generation, but it was also an opportunity for them to experience his gracious ways, again and again.

2.      Instead they challenged God’s sovereign authority by their rebellion in the wilderness (Num 20).They cared not to take God’s road! 

                                                  ii.     Are we any better? Obedience from the heart goes beyond merely receiving instructions. One must respond to God’s wisdom with complete surrender and compliance.  That generation of Israelites perished because they willfully rebelled in spite of a full revelation at Mount Sinai.

                                                 iii.     When one despises the preachers of the gospel they are at the same time despising the message of Christ. Christ continued to speak through his apostles, and buy his Spirit. The general rule is that we should diligently attend unto him, and we are not to refuse any who speak unto us in the name and authority of Christ. This may be applied to all the faithful preachers of the gospel, but they may be despised in this world.

IV.            The Spirit’s Warning Issues a Condemnation (3:11).

a.      God’s judgment fell on Israel in the wilderness at Kadesh Barnea. That entire generation was condemned to die, and only the new generation would enter the land.

b.      God said, “They shall not enter into My rest” (Heb. 3:11).

c.      Dr. Newell made the following observations regarding this same matter.

                                                    i.     The wicked say to God, “We desire not the knowledge of Thy ways” (Job 21:14). The angel said to Daniel, “The people that know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”  Since not knowing God’s ways is shown as the vital lack in Israel of old, and assured their failing to enter God’s rest, let us ask How shall we know the ways of God?  Mark it well: do as Moses did.  Ask and seek to have His ways shown to you.  Or, with David, plead Psalm 27:11, and the like. We must know our God and His ways. Otherwise, we shall be mere “professing” Christians.

                                                  ii.     From all of these observations regarding the text, it can be concluded men dislike the ways of God because of ignorance, like of experience, spiritual laziness, and they simply did not pursue a knowledge of Jehovah and His ways.  Therefore, despite the abundance of evidence presented by God, Israel still did not know His ways.


Response 

Use these questions to share more deeply with each other.

 

 

11.  Why should believers distinguish between faith and feelings?

 

 

Question 7. Be careful to maintain balance here. It's easy to get into a gender-related discussion about emotions. Because a person is emotional doesn't mean his/her faith is not real. Faith can lead to emotion. It just can't be based on emotion.

 

 

 

12.  How can you determine if your faith is real?

 

 

Question 8. Read James 2:14–17 (read through verse 26 if you don't mind a longer passage). Discuss current examples of faith without works.

 

 

 

13.  What can you do to ensure that your faith will endure?

 


Prayer

 

Father, we ask you to deepen our faith in you. Give us the strength to withstand temptation, overcome doubt, and remain loyal to you. At the end of our lives, may we hear your words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

 

Journaling

 

Take a few moments to record your personal insights from this lesson.

 

 

What steps can I take this week to strengthen my faith in God?

 

 

 

 

 

Additional Questions

 

 

14.  How can you avoid hardening your heart against God?

 

 

 

15.  What is the danger for Christians who neglect the fellowship of other believers?

 

 

Question 11. If you can, offer some examples of how your own life is different in proportion to the time you spend in fellowship with believers.

 

 

 

16.  What Christian friend can you encourage in spiritual matters? How?

 


For more Bible passages about remaining faithful, see Deuteronomy 11:13–18; 1 Samuel 12:24; 2 Samuel 22:26; 1 Kings 2:3,4; 2 Chronicles 19:9; Psalm 97:10; Proverbs 28:20; Matthew 25:19–23; 1 Corinthians 4:2; 10:12, 13; 3 John 3–5; Revelation 2:10; 17:14.

To complete the book of Hebrews during this twelve-part study, read Hebrews 3:1–19.


 


Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Consider Christ (Keep the Faith, Part 2)

 


Lesson Four

Consider Christ

Hebrews 3:1-6

 

Theme: Christ Jesus, the Son of God, is our Model of fidelity and is infinitely Superior to Moses. Therefore, hold firmly to your faith in Christ, God’s faithful Apostle and High Priest.

 

Bible Reading

Read carefully and thoughtfully Hebrews 3:1–19.


3. Why is Jesus worthy of greater honor than Moses? (Heb. 3:1-5)

Next to Abraham, Moses was undoubtedly the man most greatly revered by the Jewish people. To go back to the Law meant to go back to Moses, and the recipients of this Letter to the Hebrews were sorely tempted to do just that. It was important that the writer convince his readers that Jesus Christ is greater than Moses, for the entire system of Jewish religion came through Moses. In this section, we learn that Jesus Christ is superior to Moses …–W. W. Wiersbe

Jesus’ superiority to Moses (Heb. 3:1–6). Moses stands as an example of faithfulness to God in the Old Testament and in history. Not only was the written Word of the Pentateuch given through Moses, but God commended this faithful man. Yet Jesus surpasses Moses, for Jesus is the Builder of the house in which Moses was a servant! We, who are the “house” that Jesus is now building, are to fix our eyes on Jesus, not on Moses, and to give Jesus honor. –Richards, Larry

 

I.                 The Superiority of His Person Makes Jesus Worthy of Greater Honor (3:3-6).

a.      Jesus is Superior as the Son (3:4, 6).

                                          i.     Jesus is greater because He is God (3:4). Every house must have a builder. The One who built all things is God. This implies the Son’s role in Creation (Heb. 1:2, 10) and certainly His identification as God (Heb. 1:8). From John 1:3, Colossians 1:16, and Hebrews 1:2, 10, we learn the Lord Jesus was the active Agent in creation. The conclusion is unavoidable—Jesus Christ is fully God.

                                        ii.     Jesus is greater as The Son (3:6). But Christ was faithful over God’s house as a Son, not as a servant, and in His case, sonship means equality with God. God’s house is His own house (3:6).

                                       iii.     Note what is meant by God’s house today. It is composed of faithful believer-priests of the Lord Jesus: we are only a part of this priestly house if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.  (3:6)

1.      First Possible Explanation.

a.      At first this might seem to imply that our salvation is dependent on our holding fast. In that case, salvation would be by our endurance rather than by Christ’s finished work on the cross.

b.      The possible meaning is that we prove we are God’s house if we hold fast. Endurance is a proof of reality. Those who lose confidence in Christ and in His promises and return to rituals and ceremonies show that they were never born again.

2.      Second Possible Explanation.

a.      Paul used “we” and by doing so included himself within the scope of his admonition (3:6).

b.      He is concerned that some of his Christian “brothers” have an unbelieving heart to turn away from the living God (3:12). Should anyone do this, they would forfeit their roles in the Son’s priestly house, which is only maintained by holding firmly to their Christian profession (see also v. 14 and 10:23-25, 35-36).

3.      The author did not mean, of course, that his readers could forfeit their eternal salvation; it is an error to identify the word “house” with the body of Christ…. As the context and the Old Testament background show, the author was thinking in priestly terms. He was also thinking functionally. The exalted Son presides over a priestly apparatus which is an operative reality. As long as the readership held firmly to their Christian commitment, they also functioned within this priestly arrangement. But just as one who was a true Levite by birth could withdraw from participation in the tabernacle of Moses’ day, so too one who is truly a Christian by new birth may withdraw from his priestly role within the functioning household. It was precisely this danger which concerned the writer. The Bible Knowledge Commentary

b.      Moses was only the Servant (3:5).

                                          i.     Hebrews extended its discussion of the superiority of the revelation of God in Christ to include Moses, the lawgiver, who was revered by Israel as one of the greatest men who ever lived. 

                                        ii.     Moses was the Hebrew prophet who delivered the Israelites from Egyptian slavery and who was their leader and lawgiver during their years of wandering in the wilderness. Moses was a leader so inspired by God that he was able to build a united nation from a race of oppressed and weary slaves. In the covenant ceremony at Mount Sinai, where the Ten Commandments were given, he founded the religious community known as Israel. As the interpreter of these covenant laws, he was the organizer of the community's religious and civil traditions. 

 

II.               The Superiority of His Performance Makes Jesus Worthy of Greater Honor (3:3-5).

a.      Christ built the house (3:3-4).

                                                    i.     The Lord Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses because the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.

                                                  ii.     The Lord Jesus was the Builder of God’s house; Moses was only a part of the house.

1.      We are the new household and Jesus is the One who cares for us.  Just as believers under the Old Testament are called the house of Moses, believers under the New Testament are called the house of Christ. And as Moses was faithful to an earthly household, Jesus is faithful to the heavenly household. –MacArthur, J. F., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary

2.      What exactly is the house? The word “house” is used six times in these verses. It refers to the people of God under the Old and New Covenants, not merely to a material building, though the tabernacle is included. Moses ministered to Israel, the people of God under the Old Covenant. Today, Christ ministers to His followers, the people of God under the New Covenant (“whose house are we,” Heb 3:6). It is also true that the Son has ministered to the “house of God” in all ages. See 2 Sam 7, where house means temple and family.  

b.      Moses served in the house (3:5).

                                                    i.     God’s house in which Moses was faithful was a kind of miniature representation of “everything,” that is, of the greater house over which the Son presides at God’s right hand in heaven (cf. 1:3 with 4:14). The “holy of holies” in His earthly house was but a shadow of heaven itself where Christ has now gone “to appear for us in God’s presence” (9:24). Moses’ fidelity consisted in erecting that shadow house, the tabernacle, so that it could properly prefigure the future order of priestly activity which now has the universe itself as its proper sphere. This is the sphere where the exalted Christ sits faithful in all His current ministrations as well as past ones, functioning as a Son over God’s house (3:6a).—John Walvoord

                                                  ii.     Moses was a faithful servant in all God’s house (Num. 12:7), pointing men forward to the coming Messiah. He testified of those things which were to be spoken afterward, that is, the good news of salvation in Christ. That is why Jesus said on one occasion, “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believe Me: for he wrote of Me” (John 5:46). In His discourse with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, Jesus began at Moses and all the prophets, and “expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27).

4.  How can people demonstrate that they belong in God’s house? (Heb. 3:6)

“We are God’s house if we do not play the traitor and desert.” –Robertson, A.T.: Word Pictures in the New Testament

The “if” clause (Heb. 3:6) needs to be understood in the light of the total context, which is Moses leading Israel out of Egypt and to the Promised Land. The writer is not suggesting that we, as Christians, must keep ourselves saved. This would contradict the major theme of the book, which is the finished work of Christ and His heavenly ministry guaranteeing our eternal salvation (Heb. 7:14ff). Rather, the writer is affirming that those who hold fast their confidence and hope are proving that they are truly born again.—W. W. Wiersbe

If we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” Paul had a way of using “ifs,” not as a condition but as a method of argument and of logic. We would understand him better if he had said, “Since we hold fast the confidence.” In other words, if we are sons of God and if we are partakers of the heavenly calling, we will be faithful and we will hold fast. This is the proof that we are of God’s house. –McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary

 

I.                By Living Confidently in Christ (3:6).

a.      In the word “confidence,” the dominant idea is the boldness exhibited in freedom of speech, the unreserved, unfettered flow of language which is opposed to fear, ambiguity, and reserve. This boldness would characterize the Jewish believers’ behavior.

                                                    i.     Likewise we are to be bold in our profession of Christ as God’s faithful Apostle and our High Priest (3:1).

                                                  ii.     Such open and unreserved behavior, would soon disappear in the case of those merely claiming to be Christian, but have never really trusted Christ.

b.      The word “confidence” literally means “freedom of speech, openness.” When you are free to speak, then there is no fear and you have confidence.

                                                    i.     A believer can come with boldness (same word as “confidence”) to the throne of grace (Heb. 4:16) with openness and freedom and not be afraid.

                                                  ii.     We have this boldness because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ (Heb. 10:19).

                                                 iii.     Therefore, we should not cast away our confidence (Heb. 10:35), no matter what the circumstances might be. We should not have confidence in ourselves, because we are too prone to fail; but we should have confidence in Jesus Christ who never fails.

 

II.              By Living Joyfully in Hope (3:6).

a.      Because of this confidence in Christ and this confession of Christ, we can experience joy and hope (Heb. 3:6). It is important to note that a spirit of rejoicing must accompany this spirit of confidence, stamping it as genuine, for a simulated confidence does not give rise to any real rejoicing.

b.      The writer exhorted these suffering saints to enjoy their spiritual experience and not simply endure it. Jesus Christ is the beloved Son over His house, and He will care for each member of the family. He is the faithful High Priest who provides all the grace we need for each demand of life. As the Great Shepherd of the sheep (Heb. 13:19–20), Jesus Christ is using the experiences in His people’s lives to equip them for service that will glorify His name.

c.      In other words, those who have trusted Christ prove this confession by their steadfastness, confidence, and joyful hope. They are not burdened by the past or threatened by the present, but are “living in the future tense” as they await the “blessed hope” of their Lord’s return. It is this “heavenly calling” that motivates the believers to keep on living for the Savior even when the going is tough.

 

III.            By Living Faithfully to God (See 3:14b, 16).

a.      The wandering of Israel in the wilderness is a major topic in this section. Two men in that nation—Caleb and Joshua—illustrate the attitude described in Hebrews 3:6. Everybody else in Israel over the age of twenty was to die in the wilderness and never enter the Promised Land (see Num. 14:26–38).

b.      But Caleb and Joshua believed God and God honored their faith. For forty years, Caleb and Joshua watched their friends and relatives die; but those two men of faith had confidence in God’s Word that they would one day enter Canaan. While others were experiencing sorrow and death, Caleb and Joshua rejoiced in confident hope. As believers, we know that God is taking us to heaven, and we should reveal the same kind of joyful confidence and hope.

c.      The proof that you are a child of God is that you hold to the faith. That doesn’t make you a child of God, but it does prove that you are a child of God. If you are a believer, you will hold on, not because you are able but because He is able to make you stand. (See 1 John 2:19)


Response

 

Use these questions to share more deeply with each other.

 

 

11.  Why should believers distinguish between faith and feelings?

 

 

 

 

Question 7. Be careful to maintain balance here. It's easy to get into a gender-related discussion about emotions. Because a person is emotional doesn't mean his/her faith is not real. Faith can lead to emotion. It just can't be based on emotion.

 

 

 

12.  How can you determine if your faith is real?

 

 

 

 

Question 8. Read James 2:14–17 (read through verse 26 if you don't mind a longer passage). Discuss current examples of faith without works.

 

 

 

13.  What can you do to ensure that your faith will endure?

 

 

 

 

Prayer

 

Father, we ask you to deepen our faith in you. Give us the strength to withstand temptation, overcome doubt, and remain loyal to you. At the end of our lives, may we hear your words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

 

Journaling

 

Take a few moments to record your personal insights from this lesson.

 

 

What steps can I take this week to strengthen my faith in God?




MaxEvangel's Promise

MaxEvangel's Promise
We will Always Honor Christ-centered Perspectives!