Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from Heb 4.1 and following. Indeed, until we enter divine rest, it is still for us, children of God, the time of fatigue related to walking, service and fighting. But we are not left without resources. Of the three mentioned in this chapter, the first is the Word of God. Today we hear His voice… This Word watches over our inner state. Alive, it brings us life; As it operates, it does its job in us (Eph 6:10-20 presents it to us as an offensive weapon). Finally, sharp: let us be probed by it. But besides the sin that the Word highlights and condemns, there is weakness and infirmity in us. God provided for it with two other resources. He has given us a high priest full of understanding and sympathy. Man here on earth, Christ knew all the forms of human suffering in order to be able “at the right time” to deploy to his redeemed weak all forms of his love.
Secondly, He has opened up to us access to the throne of grace. We are invited to approach it through prayer with all the more freedom and confidence as we meet our beloved Savior there. Is it there, and only there, that we seek help (Ps 60. 13)? Abandoning God out of unbelief, hardening oneself through the seduction of sin, like the Israelites in the wilderness, had the effect of irritating God and closing off the entrance of rest in Canaan. This thought of rest being introduced, gives rise to the exhortations addressed to the Hebrew believers. A promise was left for believers to enter into God’s rest. This promise can be implied in the “today” of the passage of the Psalms that was quoted above, and which was stated several centuries after the Israelites entered Canaan. Now the Israelites who came out of Egypt fell into the wilderness because of their unbelief, “let us fear therefore that someone among you,” before whom a promise of rest is also placed, “seem not to reach it,” seems to be staying behind. – To seek to settle here on earth in order to rest at ease, avoiding suffering and the good fight that is attached to the pilgrimage of faith, is to appear to have lost sight of the rest of God that is at the end of the race.
“We have been evangelized, as have those”; to us too, as well as to the Israelites, the good news of rest, not temporal as to them, but eternal, was announced. The very word of God assured the people of entry into the good land of Canaan. They heard this word, but it served them no purpose, because they did not believe it, as we see in chapter 13 of the Numbers. The spyes’ account was the touchstone that manifested their disbelief; they rebelled and perished in the wilderness. Without faith mixed in the heart with the word, what is the point of God’s promises? To nothing, our verse answers. And that’s a very seriousthing. “For us who have believed (or us believers) enter into rest,” in opposition to those whom their disbelief has excluded from rest. “We who have believed” is the character of those who enter into rest; rest still to come, but which belongs to them – they enter it by faith; they have the assurance of it. It is a rest promised by God and which is His rest.
For we are born of the flesh and have sin in us in the flesh, so we are tempted by the sin that is in us, and we commit sin (James 1. 14, 15). Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit, sinless therefore, alien to covetousness, so that temptation for him could only come from outside. But our infirmities, he felt them and so, apart now from pain, but with human nature which, in the time of his passage here on earth, experienced pain and languor, Jesus can lovingly sympathize with everything we go through here on earth. This leads us to the third point: the throne of grace, which is attached to the sovereign sacrificature of Christ.
“Let us therefore approach with confidence the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to have help at the right time.” For an unjustified sinner, God’s throne is a throne of holiness, justice, and judgment. Brought before this throne, he said: “It is made of me.” But then God makes known to him the sacrifice of Christ and the grace that forgives, and that reigns. Now, for him, the throne of God has become the throne of grace, and before this throne is the high priest, Jesus, the Son of God, the One who has accomplished everything so that we can stand before God, the One who sympathizes with our infirmities.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
The throne of divine majesty:
- Causes of Spiritual Loss
-Sin Jr 5:25 It is because of your iniquities that these dispensations do not take place, It is your sins that deprive you of these goods. Mt 16:26 And what would be the point of a man gaining everyone, if he lost his soul? or, what would a man give in exchange for his soul?
-Breach of trust Mt 25:27-28 you therefore had to give my money to the bankers, and, on my return, I would have withdrawn what is mine with interest. 28 So take away the talent, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.
Love of sin Mk 8:36 And what good is it for a man to win everyone if he loses his soul?
-Bad foundation Lk 6:49 But he who hears, and does not put into practice, is like a man who built a house on earth, without foundation. The torrent threw itself against her: immediately she fell, and the ruin of this house was great.
-Prodigality Lk 15:13 A few days later, the youngest son, having picked up everything, left for a distant land, where he dissipated his good by living in debauchery.
-Imperfect service 1 Cor 3:13:15 because the day will make it known, because it will be revealed in the fire, and the fire will experience what the work of each one is. 15 If the work of someone is consumed, he will lose his reward; for him, he will be saved, but as through fire.
- Divine Promises to Those Who Obey
Ex 20:6 and who has mercy to a thousand generations on those who love me and keep my commandments. Dn 11:27 The two kings will seek in their hearts to do evil, and at the same table they will speak falsely. But this will not succeed, because the end will only come at the marked time. Mk 3:35 For whoever does God’s will is my brother, my sister, and my mother. John 7:17 If anyone wants to do his will, he will know if my doctrine is of God, or if I speak of my leader.
- Divine Oaths
Gen 22:16 and said, I swear for myself, word of the Lord! because you have done this, and you have not refused your son, your only one; Ps 89:36 I have sworn once by my holiness: Will I lie to David? Luke 1:17 he will walk before God with the spirit and power of Elijah, to bring the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the rebels to the wisdom of the righteous, in order to prepare for the Lord a well-disposed people. Hb 3:11 So I swore in my anger: They will not enter into my rest!
- Priesthood of Christ
-Both human and divine Hb 2:17 As a result, he had to be made similar in all things to his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to atonement for the sins of the people; Hb 3:1 Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly vocation, consider the apostle and high priest of the faith that we profess,
-Merciful Hb 4:14-15 Thus, since we have a high priest who has crossed heaven, Jesus, the Son of God, let’s remain firm in the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses; on the contrary, he has been tempted like us in all things, without committing sin.
-Instituted by God Hb 5:5 And neither did Christ attribute to himself the glory of becoming high priest, but he takes it from the one who said to him: You are my Son, I have begotten you today!
-Without sin Hb 7:26 It was appropriate for us, in fact, to have a high priest like him, holy, innocent, spotless, separate from sinners, and higher than heaven,
-Raised Hb 8:1 The crucial point of what has just been said is that we have such a high priest, who sat at the right hand of the throne of the divine majesty in heaven; Hb 9:11 But Christ came as high priest of the goods to come; he crossed the tabernacle greater and more perfect, which is not built by man-made hand, that is, which is not of this creation; Hb 10:21 and since we have a high priest established on the house of God,
From all the above, we note that we must hold our confession firm, for Jesus does not cease to be there to maintain us. What is told to us is meant to inspire confidence in us -what the Lord is, what He has done, where He is, what He is still doing there, and all that is in His heart. How to stand firm in weakness, difficulties and in the midst of the enemy’s efforts? Through exhortation and encouragement. In this sense of our needs and helplessness, “let us confidently approach the throne of grace.” With confidence, for Jesus is there; with confidence, for it is the throne of grace that does not repel, it is the heart of God open in our favor. Let’s approach; Being close to God is our precious privilege. It is not said: Let’s draw near to the high priest; but let’s go directly to the throne of grace, where we have free access and where we find everything prepared for us. We need mercy, we poor and weak creatures who, even as Christians, lack in so many ways, and we receive it, this mercy, on the throne of grace; it is there for us. But we also need grace in our struggles, and we also find it on the throne of grace. Mercy and grace are constantly needed; we find them in God’s heart, and so we are rescued at the right time. They are frequent these moments. It can be said that it is every moment of our pilgrimage. But there are times when the distress is greater, when the danger is more pressing; Let’s go with confidence to the throne of grace where help is ready, where we only have to seize it. Our prayers are with you all.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow “Jesus Christ is superior to the priests of the old covenant.”
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.