Hebrews

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon title is Letter, Passage and Word. My focus is our Epistle (Hebrews 4:1-16). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

The Early Church argued over whether the Book of Hebrews belonged in the Bible because the identity of its author was unknown. Some suggested the author was Paul; others thought it was Luke; and still others said it was Apollos or Barnabas, but each is problematic. There are several reasons why Paul is not thought to be the author. For one reason, there are great difference of vocabulary and style between Hebrews and Paul’s letters. Another is the different method of citing the Old Testament. Nevertheless, the book was finally accepted into the canon without knowing the author because it agrees with the teaching of the Apostles and puts Jesus Christ and His salvation at the center.

The book focuses on Jesus Christ’s fulfillment of and superiority to every institution in the Old Testament – Sabbath, sacrifices and priesthood. Because the writer talks about the priests offering sacrifices—an activity that ended with the destruction of the temple by the Romans, we know it was written before 70 AD. And in view of the fact that 13:24 says those in Italy send greetings, it may have been written in Rome.

The pattern of Hebrews’ writing is homiletic. It is a sermon written to Jewish Christians suffering persecution for their faith and contemplating a return to Judaism, which was legally protected in the Roman Empire, unlike early Christianity. The letter reminds them of the glory they would be giving up and the divine judgment they would bring upon themselves if they abandoned Christianity and returned to Judaism.

The danger of apostasy of these Christians was not due to any persecution from outsiders but to a weariness with the demands of Christian life and a growing indifference to their calling. Hence, the letter’s main theme – the priesthood and sacrifice of Jesus – was not developed for its own sake but as a means of restoring their lost fervor and strengthening them in their faith.

By using a device common in Greek and Roman rhetoric called synkrisis, that is, placing one person alongside of another in order to praise the first one, Jesus is compared to Moses and to angels. The letter begins with a reminder of the preexistence, incarnation and exaltation of Jesus that proclaimed him the climax of God’s word to humanity. Christ is God’s final word of salvation communicated not merely by word but through his suffering in the flesh common to him and to all. This enactment of salvation went beyond the pattern known to Moses, a prophet faithful to God’s word, for Jesus as high priest expiated sin and was faithful to God with the faithfulness of God’s own Son.

Another important theme of Hebrews is that of the pilgrimage of the people of God to the heavenly Jerusalem. This theme is intimately connected with that of Jesus’ ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. Because Christians are people of faith, we recognize the reality of what is not yet seen and is the object of hope. The saints of the Old Testament gave a striking example of that faith. Their perseverance is shown forth in the earthly life of Jesus. Despite the afflictions of his ministry and the supreme trial of his suffering and death, he remained confident that God would bring him triumph. The author was trying to convey that the difficulties of human life have meaning when they are accepted as God’s discipline, and if Christians persevere in fidelity to the word in which they have believed, they are assured of possessing forever the unshakable kingdom of God.

The letter concludes with specific moral commandments, where the author recalls again his central theme of the sacrifice of Jesus and the courage needed to associate oneself with it in faith. We’ve got a thumbnail sketch of Hebrews. Now, let us proceed to my second point, Passage.

In verse 12, we read that “the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Now, when we hear or read the Scriptures, quite a lot can happen to us. This passage points out that the Scriptures have the power to pierce to the deepest part of our hearts and minds. They can uncover our sin and lead us to repentance. They can cut away what is excess baggage in us, pruning us so that we can bear even more fruit for the Lord.

But the Scriptures do more than pierce us. They can also sharpen us. God's word has the power to make things clearer to us, helping us to see the world more as it really is and as God intends it to be. They can help us to become more aware of who we are and what's happening inside of us. That kind of sharpening makes us more effective in drawing closer to the Lord. As the psalmist prayed, “The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The command of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eye.”[1]

Conversely, if we are not reading the Scriptures, we run the risk of our minds and hearts growing dull. We risk losing our heavenly perspective, thinking and acting primarily with an earthly perspective. We miss out on the privilege of being led by the Lord and end up going our own way instead. Ultimately, without the input of God's word in Scripture, we risk losing sight of Jesus, for as St. Jerome said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”

Given all that is at stake these days, I urge you us to take up the Word of God! Let the Scriptures cut away all that stands between the Lord and you so that – as individuals and as a congregation – you know how living and effective his word can be. And that, folks, brings me to my third point, rest.

This passage cites Psalm 95 three times. Psalm 95 is the invitatory psalm I pray almost daily. The version I memorized is this one.

Come, let us sing to the Lord and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us. Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving and sing joyful songs to the Lord. The Lord is God, the mighty God, the great king over all the gods. He holds in his hands the depths of the earth and the highest mountains as well. He made the sea; it belongs to him, the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands. Come, then, let us bow down and worship, bending the knee before the Lord, our maker, for he is our God and we are his people, the flock he shepherds. Today, listen to the voice of the Lord: Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did in the wilderness, when at Meriba and Massah they challenged me and provoked me, although they had seen all of my works. Forty years I endured that generation. I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray and they do not know my ways.” So I swore in my anger, “They shall not enter into my rest.”

Until recently, I had not thought of Psalm 95 in terms of its use in Hebrews. Psalm 95 invites people to worship God as the supreme deity and shepherd, and is classified as an enthronement hymn.[2] God is Savior, Creator and Great King – the title borne by emperors of the ancient Near East. After citing the fact that he is our God and we are his people, the flock he shepherds, the tone of the psalm abruptly shifts to a warning about infidelity, echoing Israel’s testing of God in the wilderness at Meribah and Massah.[3]

Why did the author of Hebrews cite Psalm 95? He cited it because he was warning Christians not to harden their hearts as the Israelites did in the wilderness. Hence, the original point of verses 7-11 of the psalm was to warn against disobedience rather than recount God's act of deliverance.[4]

Israel’s wilderness wandering period was one of wrath whereas the Church's is one of divine blessing. Hebrews told its original readers that the age in which they live, and the blessings of which they partake, are themselves a certain and true witness to God's ongoing faithfulness in bringing this new Exodus community to its rest. The promised land is where God’s people could rest from their wanderings and wars and enjoy a permanent dwelling place. Since this land belongs to Yahweh, he refers to it as ‘my land.’[5]

By citing Gen 2:2, Hebrews argued that the rest that is the reward to the faithful is not physical land, but the rest that God enjoyed after He completed creation.[6] We read, “God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”[7]

Before I conclude, let me ask: Do we rest? Rest is commonly known as freedom from activity or labor or a state of motionlessness or inactivity. We rest our bodies as well as our minds. Although its origin is uncertain, the original meaning of the Germanic noun rast was probably a measure of distance after which one rests.

The word Christians and Jews associate with rest is Sabbath. It comes to us from the Hebrew word shabbath meaning ‘day of rest.’

Jewish teaching defined rituals and activities to both remember and keep the Sabbath and to sanctify it at home and in the synagogue. In addition to refraining from work, the sanctification of the day through blessings over wine, the preparation of special Sabbath meals, and engaging in prayer and religious study were required as an active part of Shabbat observance to promote intellectual activity and spiritual regeneration on the day of rest from physical creation. Jewish teaching stated that the best food should be prepared for the Sabbath, for one who delights in the Sabbath is granted their heart's desires.

As Christians, you already understand that Sunday – the Lord’s Day – is meant for worship, religious study and fellowship. You are here worshipping. You also fellowship. Hopefully, you are engaged in some type of religious study, spiritual reading or prayer time. That would complete your sabbath trifecta.

I must confess, that even as a pastor, I saw my free time on Sunday as an opportunity to get ‘er done on our house and our 21-acre property. Thankfully, my wife’s spiritual director suggested that we create our own sabbath from Saturday afternoon through Sunday night. We started that over three years ago. I would like to suggest the same to you.

Cindy ordered and read a book entitled Rhythms of Rest by Shelly Miller. Miller founded the Sabbath Society in 2013. It is a community of people living all over the world who persevere on the path of finding rhythms of rest because life is full of interruptions and roadblocks. You can find the book or view Miller’s website, but I want to tell you what we do and how we benefit.[8]

After leading two worship services, we eat lunch and nap. We read spiritual or nonspiritual books and magazines. Most Sundays, we eat leftovers or have our meals delivered. We do not watch much TV, clean the house, mow or work our property. We have one day of regeneration to refocus on the Persons of the Trinity.

Because we are not cramming so much on the weekend, we are not exhausted as we begin our jobs Monday morning. I did this even when I worked as a Background Investigator and as a Pastor. Our sabbath is our time to rest in God’s presence, and that means that we have to plan ahead to do those activities that we used to do on Sunday.

The primary benefit of our sabbath is that we have developed a more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. We are also calmer and more relaxed when facing issues or concerns throughout the week. Our sabbath works for us, but our sabbath is not yours. Each of us must develop our time to rest in the Father as did our Lord. Throughout his lifetime, Jesus found time to rest in the Father as the Spirit guided him.

Friends, the kingdom of heaven is our final and everlasting rest. God rested from his work. The Israelites rested on their Sabbath. We have the opportunity to rest every week. Let me close with this quote from St. Augustine – maybe you can make it your maxim. “Our heart is restless until it rests in you.” May God give you the time to rest today, and may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] Psalm 19:9.

[2] John S. Kselman and Michael L. Barre, Psalms in The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Pentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs NJ (1990), p. 542.

[3] See Exodus 17:1-7.

[4] Peter E. Enns, Creation and Re-Creation: Psalm 95 and its Interpretation in Hebrews 3:1-4:13. Westminster Theological Journal 55 (1993) 255-80.

[5] Kselman, p. 542.

[6] Enns, p. 275.

[7] Genesis 2:2-3.

[8] www.shellymillerwriter.com.