Chapter 4
V1 Again Pauline speech typical of that used in Phil 2:12; 1 Cor 2:2-3. This is not a new concept. Deut 5:29 is very clear regarding what we should fear. Wilfully transgressing the Torah places the believer in a greatly precarious situation.
V2 The gospel profiteth nothing without faith cf 2 Cor 5:7. It is interesting to note that the evaggelion/gospel was nothing new in Yeshua’s day. It was preached with the same tenets in the wilderness wanderings of Moses’ day. This clearly exposes the lie that the gospel of Yeshua eliminated the Torah, as Yeshua clearly preached the same Torah which He dispensed by his angels on Mt Sinai, His preaching of this Torah gospel being in spirit and in truth in contrast to the false traditions of men which were being spewed out by the Pharisees and Sadducees, and being spun as Torah truth. Cf Matt 5:17-20.
V3 Belief in Messiah to the very end guarantees eternal life. Unbelieving Christians jeopardize the fulfilment of this promise. These last 3 verses compare the current believer’s belief with that of the Israelites in the wilderness of Moses’ epoch. This incontrovertibly brings to light the everlasting nature of the gospel, which is the Torah. It was never a new concept in Yeshua’s time. Yeshua was simply bringing back the Israelites to Torah truth, as it had been hi-jacked and staggeringly corrupted by the false teachers of His day. Unbelief hence is disobedience of Torah. Belief is obedience of Torah. This is an unequivocal truth.
V4 -6 Let us study Ex 31:13-18. YHVH rested on the Sabbath day and consecrated that day for perpetuity. Note no other commandment was mentioned before Moses was given the 2 stone tablets, signifying the extreme importance of this particular law. The 4th commandment takes up the greatest volume in the 10 commandments as great emphasis is placed on the importance of observing the sabbath. Unfortunately, pharisaic Judaism created a myriad of ring-fencing man-made laws around sabbath day keeping, which made the law burdensome, instead of liberating as was its initial intention. Yeshua detested this and deliberately broke these man-made laws regarding the sabbath.
He never broke the actual Mosaic sabbath that was written by the very finger of Elohim on the stone tablets and codified in the scrolls kept in the ark of the covenant. This is where modern day Christendom are awfully mistaken. He is Lord of the sabbath because He instituted the sabbath law. The theme set has been of the wandering Israelites’ disobedience of the law/gospel in the desert. If we scrutinize the chastisement they were subjected to, disobedience to sabbath keeping was prominent cf Ex 16:26-29; Num 15:32-36. The author connects unbelief with disobedience of the Sabbath, which is central in Torah keeping, carrying immense weight.
V7 -9 If the Sabbath was only for a specific period of history, and had the rest spoken of been fulfilled in times past, then Yeshua would not have bothered mentioning it again. Yet David’s period was approximately half a century after Moses, and the Sabbath rest was still being mentioned. How can we then believe that the Sabbath has been done away with? It boggles the mind how the book of Hebrews is twisted by antagonists of Torah and more-so of the Sabbath to denounce both, when the rhetoric is quite the contrary! The admonition ‘Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts’ was in reference to the Sabbath day as this is the context being touched upon without a doubt. Today was valid in David’s time, as much as it was in the times of Moses, as it is to us the people of Elohim as expressed succinctly in v9. Please do not believe the lies, be they of ignorance or of malice, that are preached from the pulpits denigrating so sacred a day.
V10 -11 In these verses we receive further insight into the author’s mindset to understand the message being delivered. The rest being referred to is not figurative, but well-defined rest on 2 planes. Firstly, weekly Sabbath rest observance. Secondly rest promised us in eternal life attained at the end of our successful Christian walk, as that attained by Yeshua who is resting in glory and exaltation in heaven, having conquered death and Hades. We are exhorted to strive to achieve this state of eternal bliss, through our labour of upholding the ways/laws of YHVH the Son to the very end, lest we fall through unbelief, which is defined a few verses earlier as disobedience of Torah exemplified by the Israelites who fell short of this rest in the wilderness.
V12 The logos/word of Elohim is Yeshua. The believing Christian has the Holy Spirit of Yeshua residing within him. Thus, the Holy Spirit is life giving, translated quick-Greek zao/alive, lively. The Holy Spirit is also powerful, from whom believers receive power to perform signs, wonders and miracles and gifts Heb 2:4. The Holy Spirit unlike any other force e.g. Satan and his angels, is able to discern every thought and intents of our hearts, as He is able to divide our Spirit and soul, to do so. Additionally, the Holy Spirit is able to divide asunder the joints and marrow. Life is in the blood and blood is made in the marrow-only the Holy Spirit of Yeshua is able to sustain the life that is in our blood. Satan is incapable of creating nor regenerating life. When Adam was created, he was pure, his spirit being in union with that of Elohim, ruling his soul and his body. The devil and his minions work through our souls via the lusts of the body to corrupt our thoughts and intentions, which if acted upon lead to sin which leads to death James 1:13-15.
When Adam fell his spiritual union with Elohim died as was promised in Gen 2:17. The death that occurred was not physical, nor soulish, since Adam lived to 930 with a soul and body. However, his spirit died, paving way for soulish domination over the body, which has beleaguered mankind ever since cf Rom 7:14-25. In the new birth of Jn 3:5-6 a new Spirit is put in man Ez 36:26 by the logos/Yeshua who divides spirit and soul. The new spirit is now able to work hand in hand with the Holy Spirit of Yeshua, being guided to have dominion over the soul and crucifying the flesh with its lusts in order for us to be in communion with Elohim once again cf Rom 6.6. The completion of this union shall be when we are given totally new incorruptible bodies at Yeshua’s second advent, whereby death would have lost its sting 1 Cor 15:52-55 hallelujah!!
V13 All creation, earthly, heavenly, terrestrial or celestial cannot hide their thoughts from Yeshua their creator.
V14 For this reason that Yeshua is able to see all things hidden, are we admonished to latch onto our confession of upholding His gospel for dear life, that life being life eternal promised to those who cling on to the very end. Homologia/confession is translated profession which loses its intended meaning.
V15 The author reverts to his reassurance for us that Yeshua has experienced all travails that may have or might appear in our lives, and hence we should not fear that we may fail in upholding that precious life-giving gospel to the very end through thick and thin. We should have the same optimistic mindset of Paul and consider this life on earth but greatly inferior to the promised eternal life that awaits us cf 2 Cor 11:23-30; Phil 4:10-13.
V16 Having this understanding of the rest that awaits those who believe and obey to the end, we should with confidence come unto that throne of grace given by YHVH Elohim, knowing that our High Priest Yeshua HaMashiach has shed the untainted blood that was required to be a propitiation for our sins, in order for those who believe to obtain mercy from the Father. It is a done deal and fully guaranteed. We simply need to actively approach that throne to have our sins washed away in order for us to live in the light of Messianic truth, led by His Holy Spirit along the path that leads to eternal life and rest in Him cf 1 Jn 1:5-9
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