Presents
Pamphlet #2603
From Hebrews chapter
3
You either believe the Word of God or you just think you do!
Presents
Pamphlet #2603
From Hebrews chapter
3
You either believe the Word of God or you just think you do!
What a report Paul has given us in the first two chapters of this great Book of Hebrews. The question is, do you really believe his report? Romans 10:16 "But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?" Paul not only told us and documented from the law and prophets who Jesus Christ was, the builder and the maker of all things, but he also told us and documented why it is He came to this earth to dwell in the flesh.
So it all comes down to this: You either believe Paul's report or you don't. You either believe the Word of God or you just think you do while stubbornly hanging on to traditions, thereby rejecting His Word in your unbelief!
You see, for many people if what they "hear" does not align with what they have been taught from childhood, then they turn a deaf ear and harden their hearts (minds).The problem for most is that the majority of those things they grew up believing are the traditions of men which have now become preconceived ideas and doctrines.
Here is what preconceived means:
Of course "pre" means prior to or beforehand, so "pre-conceived" means that your mind is already impregnated with ideas and beliefs! To that end, the topic in chapter 3 is put forth simply in the question, "Will you open up your eyes and ears to "hear" Christ's voice or will you harden your heart (mind) and hold on to the idolatrous preconceived traditions of men?" The choice is yours, while it is still "today", for when "tomorrow" comes it will be too late. Let us therefore read and understand and act upon what our Father has given us through His servant, the great teacher and Hebrew scholar, the apostle Paul.Main Entry: con·ceive
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): con·ceived; con·ceiv·ing
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French conceivre, from Latin concipere to take in, conceive, from com- + capere to take --
1 a : to become pregnant with (young) b: to cause to begin : ORIGINATE
2 a : to take into one's mind <conceive a prejudice> b: to form a conception of : IMAGINE
3 : to apprehend by reason or imagination : UNDERSTAND
4 : to be of the opinion
intransitive senses
1 : to become pregnant
2 : to have a conception -- usually used with of <conceives of death as emptiness>
synonym see THINK
- con·ceiv·er noun
Wherefore... as in consequently having heard and understood all that Paul has taught us so far in the first two chapters concerning just who Christ is and why He came to this earth to dwell in the flesh... you "holy brethren", you sanctified brothers and sisters who are partakers of the heavenly calling, i.e. you set aside ones who have a job to do as that "seed" of Ps. 22:31 who would come in the final generation and declare His righteousness, you "consider" the One sent to declare the Father (and to pay the price) and High Priest (made perfect through sufferings) of our profession (confession). You do profess to be a Christian, a man or woman who believes and follows Christ, do you not?"Are you one of those to whom Paul is addressing in this first verse?" Hebrews 3:1
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
So... the question is, "Are you one of those to whom Paul is addressing in this first verse?" In other words, do you have a heavenly calling, a destiny to fulfill as one of the "holy brethren" chosen from before the foundation of this earth age (Eph. 1:4)? Because if you are one of His and do have a purpose and a destiny, then right now, today, is the time to stop and "consider", which means to observe fully, perceive, fully comprehend, the faithfulness of Jesus Christ to Him that appointed Him.
Paul now points out in his teaching that Moses was also faithful, as in trustworthy, in all his house, i.e. in the house of the Lord... but you "see"... there is a huge difference between the two which Paul wants us to understand. He begins his explanation of this difference by quoting Numbers 12:7, so let's go there and see what we might learn in our "considering" of Jesus:[2] Who was faithful to Him that appointed Him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.
Moses was a faithful and trustworthy servant through whom God spoke "mouth to mouth", even "apparently" meaning very clearly and plainly and not in dark speeches. And he spoke after the manner of, or the image of, the LORD which simply means that all he spoke of and did was to behold the image of the Lord Jesus Christ who was to come! Paul makes this very clearly in verse 5 (Heb. 3:5) when he says that Moses truly was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after. In other words, Moses gave documentation, a complete foreshadowing as a witness to Christ who would be the fulfillment of all those foreshadowings, and he also gave testimony to the words that He would speak.Numbers 12:7-8
My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. [8] With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold..."
To wit, Moses was a teacher of the law which is the great "schoolmaster", and what he as a faithful servant of God built in the wilderness was a type, a clear and precise foreshadowing from beginning to end, so that we who are present in these last days could SEE, as in get a visual glimpse, of the real house which is Jesus Christ, the temple of the Lord, the body of Christ. So have you gone to "school" and learned from the schoolmaster? If you want to "consider" the Lord Jesus Christ and "see" how the temple of the Lord, His house, is built in these last days, it is ALL RIGHT THERE in the testimony of Moses who gave us a complete witness to Jesus Christ!
Paul continues concerning Christ:
Every house is built by someone. In other words, just as you cannot have a law without a lawgiver, you cannot have a house without a house builder! You see, "the One for whom and by whom all things are created" (Heb. 2:10), the One who brought into existence all there is and ever was, is the builder of His house, the many membered body of Jesus Christ. Again, Moses was just a servant of God, a faithful laborer in the construction of the type of the house which Christ would permanently build, even through His servants in these last days, who are of that house IF... upon condition of... they remain faithful to the end !!!(vs. 6)!!! That may be a little deep for some, but hang in there and continue to seek His wisdom if you are somewhat lacking (James 1:5)! James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given himHebrews 3:3
For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.[4] For every house is builded by some man; but He that built all things is God.
You see, just to believe that Christ is God or that there is only one God, is not what true belief is.
Paul is persuading us after the same manner in this great Book of Hebrews. What a report he is giving us!Acts 28:23-27
And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.
Heb. 3:5
And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;
[6] But Christ as a son over His own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Live Link to- Will you Endure til the end?
Let us dwell on the question of "belief" for a little while as we let Paul continue to teach us and explain the simplicity of all this by bringing to light the 95th Psalm.
Paul now quotes the 95th Psalm beginning with the SECOND HALF of verse 7 (above) all the way to the end of the Psalm. Hmmm... perhaps it would "behoove" one to read the first part of the Psalm, especially the first part of verse 7, in order to gain the context and put the whole Psalm in perspective.[7] Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear His voice,
Psalm 95:1-6
O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. [2] Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. [3] For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. [4] In His hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is His also. [5] The sea is His, and He made it: and His hands formed the dry land. [6] O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
Psalm 95:7
For He is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,
John 10:1-5
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
Jesus Christ, the Word of God, is the door to His sheepfold... even the door to His house! You see, the traditions of men, taught in most churches, will not gain you entrance to His house. You must "hear His voice" as one of His![2] But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
[3] To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
Jesus Christ, the Word of God, leads His own sheep and they follow His voice. The point is, He does not go behind them and drive them like a bunch of cattle!
[4] And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
[5] And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
Psalm 95:8
Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: [9] When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. [10] Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: [11] Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.
Hebrews 3:8
Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
You know, many think today that if they were back in the wilderness during the time of Moses that they would not be among those who hardened their hearts and did not follow after His ways. Oh foolish virgin... have you not read? Do you not see the picture, the type set forth?
Again, our fathers saw, they witnessed, all those wonders and great miracles of our Father for 40 years and still many did not BELIEVE! So our Father let them wander and wander until they died in the wilderness. Remember, that was a type for us to SEE in this generation. "for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come (1 Cor. 10:11)".[9] When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
We also have His Word printed and made available to any and all as never before in the history of mankind.
We are going to take a little side trip here to explain why you need to be cautious of what version of the Bible you read, Please bare with us.
We here at The American Wisdom Series feel confident that the official 1611 King James version of "The Companion Bible" is the most accurate and unaltered Bible still available and being sold today.
Readers of The Companion Bible are put in possession of information denied to former generations of translators, commentators, critics, and general Bible students. Because of "The Massorah".
All
the oldest
and best manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible contain on every page, beside
the Text (which is arranged in two or more columns), a varying number
of lines of smaller writing, distributed between the upper and lower
margins. This
smaller writing is called the Massorah Magna or Great Massorah,
while that in the
side margins and between the columns is called the Massorah Parva or
Small Massorah.
The illustration given below is a reduced facsimile of a Hebrew
Manuscript (16.25 x 12.375), written in a German hand, about the year
A.D. 1120.
The small writing in the margins in this particular
Manuscript is seen to occupy seven lines in the lower margin, and four
lines in the upper; while in the outer margins and between the three
columns is the Massorah Para.
The
word Massorah is from the root masar, to deliver something into the
hand of another,
so as to commit it to his trust. Hence
the name is given to the small writing referred to, because it contains
information necessary to those into whose trust the Sacred Text was
committed, so that they might transcribe it, and hand it down correctly.
The
Text itself had been fixed before the Massorites were put in charge of
it.
This had been the work of the Sopherim (from
saphar, to count,
or number). Their work, under Ezra and Nehemiah, was to set the Text in
order after the return from Babylon; and we read of it in Nehemiah 8:8
1(compare Ezra 7:6,11). The men of "the Great Synagogue"
completed the
work. This work lasted about 110 years, from Nehemiah to Simon the
first, 410-300 B.C.
The Sopherim were the authorized revisers of the Sacred Text; and,
their work being completed, the
Massorites were the authorized custodians of it. Their
work was to preserve it. The Massorah is called "A Fence
to the Scriptures," because it locked all words and
letters in their places.
It does not contain
notes or comments as such, but facts and phenomena.
It records the number of times the several letters occur in the various
books of the Bible; the number of words, and the middle word; the
number of verses, and the middle verse; the number of expressions and
combinations of words, etc. All
this, not from a perverted ingenuity, but for the set purpose of
safeguarding the Sacred Text, and preventing the loss or misplacement
of a single letter or word.
This Massorah is not contained in the margins of any one
Manuscript.
No Manuscript contains the whole, or even the same part. It is spread
over many Manuscripts, and Dr. C.D. Ginsburg has been the first and
only scholar who has set himself to collect and collate the whole,
copying it from every available Manuscript in the libraries of many
countries. He has published it in three large folio volumes, and
only a small number of copies has been printed. These are obtainable
only by the original subscribers When the Hebrew Text was
later printed, only
the large type in the columns was regarded, and small type of the
Massorah was left, unheeded, in the Manuscripts from which the Text was
taken. Therefore; When translators came to the printed
Hebrew Text, they were
necessarily destitute of the information contained in the Massorah; so
that the Revisers as well as the Translators of the Authorized Version
carried out their work without any idea of the treasures contained in
the Massorah; and therefore, without giving a hint of it to their
readers.
The Companion Bible,
is the first time, an edition of the Authorized Version has been
given
containing any of these treasures of the Massorah, that affect so
seriously the understanding of the Text. A vast number of the
Massoretic notes concern only the orthography, and matters that pertain
to the Concordance. But many of those which affect the
sense, or throw any additional light
on the Sacred
Text, are noted in the margin of The Companion Bible.
Some
of the important lists of words which are contained in the Massorah are
also given, videlicet, those that have the "extraordinary points"
(Appendix 31); the "eighteen emendations" of the Sopherim (see Appendix
33); the 134 passages where they substituted Adonai for Jehovah (see
Appendix 32); and the Various Readings called Severin (see Appendix
34). These are given in separate Appendixes; but other words of any
importance are preserved in our marginal notes.
Readers of The Companion Bible are put
in possession of
information denied to
former generations of translators,
commentators, critics, and
general Bible students.
For further information on the Massorah see Dr. Ginsburg's Introduction
to the Hebrew Bible, of which only a limited edition was printed; also
a small pamphlet on The Massorah published by King's Printers.
NOTE
1
The Talmud explains that "the book" meant the original text;
"distinctly" means explaining it by giving the Chaldee paraphrase;
"gave the sense" means the division of words, etc. according to the
sense; and "caused them to understand the reading" means to
give
the traditional pronunciation of the words (which were then without
vowel points).
IF
you don't have a Companion
Bible you
can
Download
a
Companion Bible free at: http://www.companionbiblecondensed.com/
When you open site click unto and download one book at
a time unto your disk or hard drive.
and
the appendix at: http://www.markfoster.net/rn/companion_bible_appendices.pdf
End of side trip. Sorry for the long distraction from out study of Hebrews chapter 3. Just be sure you are not studying from corrupted Scripture!
But STILL our people do err in their hearts (minds) and have NOT known His ways.
And the problem is... time is running out on this final generation and Yeshua (same in Hebrew as Joshua) will soon lead His people across the river to the promised land.
Hebrews 3:10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.[11] So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
So many of our dear brothers and sisters do not have "ears to hear" nor "eyes to see" though they have His Word in their possession, readily available to them in their own language.
They truly believe that what they do in their church traditions is pleasing to our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, but it is written that MANY will come to Him crying Lord, Lord, we have done all these wonderful things we were told (by our one verse Rev.) were pleasing to you.
Here is what is written concerning them:
Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Do you know from His Word what is pleasing to God?
They do err in their hearts, in what they "perceive" to be Christianity as exampled in the next verse.
[22] Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
They are still Biblically illiterate along with the majority of our people and consequently they do NOT KNOW Him!
[23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
You see, iniquity is "lawlessness", that which is contrary to the Word of God.
And it is written, those vain traditions make void the Word of God (Mark 7:13).
The Greek word for "err" used in Heb. 3:10 is "plano" which means to roam, to go astray, deceive, seduce, wander, be out of the way!
The corresponding word "err" in Psalm 95:10 means to vacillate, to waver or reel, to go astray, as in to stagger and wander.
In conclusion, let us go to the prophet Isaiah once again and see why our people "stagger".
Isaiah 29:9-13 Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
They are drunk on religion.
If they had a sure foundation in His Word, the Rock of our salvation, they would not stagger nor would they fall to their spiritual death in the final day of temptation.
[10] For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
To wit, most do not even know that many of the people of the US and Great Britain and Canada, etc. comprise the so-called "lost" tribes of the House of Israel.
[11] And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
They cannot see the simplicity of His truth for as it is written, no man in heaven or earth can open the seals of the book!
Only Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, can do that, and in order for Him to do that, you must come to Him. (PICK IT UP AND READ IT; YES, YOUR BIBLE (HIS WORD), IT's LAYING OVER THERE ON YOUR COFFEE TABLE GATHERING DUST!)
Rev. 5:3 "And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon."
[12] And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
Our brothers and sisters are told that one must be "learned" as in have a ThD or PhD or a seminary degree of some sort in order to be able read with understanding the letter their own Father wrote to them.
However, many of those who do have those degrees are all but clueless themselves regarding His truth and so they continue to perpetuate the idolatrous traditions of men and substitute praise and worship services in place of teaching His Word chapter by chapter and line by line.
[13] Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
It is really quite simple.
They just do not know His Word.
They have been fed milk all their adult Christian lives according as Paul declares in Heb. 5.
Therefore, all that most of our people know about the fear (reverence, i.e. love) of God is what they have been taught from the traditions of men, which are pre-conceived, pre-impregnated ideas!
So remember that the generation who wandered in the wilderness was a type for our admonition which Paul brings to our attention here in his teaching to the Hebrews, to the dispersed tribes of the House of Israel (Christians from north-western Europe to the British isles and, later, on to the Americas) "in these last days upon whom the ends of the world (earth age) are come" (1 Cor. 10:11).
SEE LIVE LINK TO- pamphlets #1020 & #1064
SEE LIVE LINK TO- Generation of the "Fig Tree"
In other words, it will not be "Today" much longer!
Tomorrow is coming when Joshua (Yeshua) will come and lead His people into the promised land.
Will you enter into that promise land, into His rest, or will you spiritually die in the wilderness?
By the way, did you know you can enter into His rest right now, today, if you "believe"?
Stay with us in this study of Hebrews and learn all about the "sabbath", His peaceful rest available to you right now.
You see, just saying you believe doesn't make it so.
What does the word "believe", as in to "believe in Christ", mean to you?
Whatever that is, I am sure you would agree that the opposite of "belief" is "unbelief"!
Here is the definition from Strong's Concordance of the word translated "unbelief" in this 3rd chapter of Hebrews:
unbelief = apistia, ap-is-tee'-ah, Greek 570; from Greek 571 (apistos); faithlessness, i.e. (negative) disbelief (want of Christian faith), or (positive) unfaithfulness(disobedience):- unbelief.
Now Paul is going to teach and show us what "unbelief" is lest any of the brethren don't quite "get it" because they have hardened their hearts, meaning they have become "hard hearted (hard minded)", or as we say today "hardheaded" and keep their ears closed by remaining stedfast in the idolatrous traditions of men.
And in order to help us "get the picture" Paul is going to exhort us to learn by the "ensamples" of our forefathers in the wilderness what "unbelief" is and to know that those who harbor that unbelief will NOT cross the (spiritual) river and enter into His rest!
The subject therefore of today's teachings of Paul in the remainder of this 3rd chapter of Hebrews is "unbelief" the purpose of which is that by "seeing" the unbelief of our forefathers hopefully we will be able to better understand what it means to truly "believe".
You see, just saying you believe doesn't make it so.
Hebrews 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
It is a word of warning to the brethren to beware and behold!
What is it we are to "take heed" and pay so much close attention to?
Remember we learned from Acts 28 that it was Paul's manner to teach Christ from the law and the prophets which all give witness unto Him.
You may also recall we saw in Mat. 7 that there shall be many Christians who come to Christ crying "Lord, Lord", who have not "taken heed" to His Word in trusting and obeying His Voice, but nevertheless believe that they as do-gooder Christians have pleased Him in all the things they have done in His name.
Unfortunately, in their ignorance of His Word they do not even know that what they do in their traditions is iniquitous and evil in the sight of the Lord and provokes Him to anger.
That may sound like we are judging them or "putting them down" which is not at all the case.
Paul is very blunt and clear on this matter in 1 Cor. 10 where he says that if you as a Christian think you stand, i.e. if you think in your heart (mind) that you are in good standing with the Father, and yet you haven't paid close attention to, studied and "taken heed" to the ensamples which are written for our admonition and understanding, then you are in big danger of falling (in the wilderness of temptation).
In other words, you will fall in the great falling away, the great apostasy Paul speaks of in 2 Thes. 2, and (spiritually) die in the wilderness when Satan shows up as the false-christ!
Why?
Because you do "err" and are "unstable" indeed!
Read the HIStory lesson Paul gives in 1 Cor. 10:1-10 concerning the children in the wilderness before reading what he says in these next two verses.
1 Cor. 10:11-12 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
[12] Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heedlest he fall.
The point is... if all one ever does is go to church and follow after the traditions of men... that person shows his or her "unfaithfulness" to Him in not hearkening unto His Voice... thereby demonstrating that he or she Does Not Believe in Him!
This should help us to more fully understand the word "believe" in the most quoted verse in all of Christiandom:
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
However, all that is called Christ is not Christ.
In fact, it is written that there is a false one coming soon who shall claim that he is Christ by showing great signs and wonders in the sight of men (2 Thes. 2).
The question is, Do you believe in the real Jesus Christ, the Son of God, or do you believe in the other Christ, the fake Christ?
Certainly not you!
That's really interesting when you
think about it,
because it is written that it
is the majority who shall be deceived and believe in the false messiah.
Well, the fact is that those who are deceived do not know or believe they are deceived.
That is the very mark of what deception is.
The question is, "Do you believe in the real Jesus Christ, the Son of God, or do you believe in the other Christ, the fake Christ, Satan as the spurious mesiah?
Hebrews 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
You see, in Heb. 3:12 we just read that God is a living God and it is only through His Son Jesus Christ, through believing in Him that we can be partakers of that everlasting life.
However, all that is called Christ is not Christ.
In fact, it is written that there is a false one coming soon who shall claim that he is Christ by showing great signs and wonders in the sight of men (2 Thes. 2).
The question is, "Do you believe in the real Jesus Christ, the Son of God, or do you believe in the other Christ, the fake Christ (Satan as the spurious mesiah)?
Of course there is no one who reads that question who is going to think that he or she believes in the false-christ, right?
Certainly not you!
That's really interesting when you think about it, because it is written that it is the majority who shall be deceived and believe in the false messiah.
Well, the fact is that those who are deceived do not know or believe they are deceived.
That is the very mark of what deception is.
So take heed!
Yes, you!
Take a look at the trustworthiness of your "profession", which is your confession or conviction, i.e. your professed belief in Jesus Christ as a servant of His.
You see, your actions, what you do, declares whose voice you listen to and follow.
Have you ever read what Christ says to the 7 churches that are in existence at his return? Rev. chapters 2-3
He knows their works, what they do! In fact, He says to each and every one of them, i.e. to all Christians, "I KNOW YOUR WORKS"!
And you know what?
Only two out of those 7 churches were found pleasing to Him and that is because they "kept His Word" (Rev. 3:10) and taught the truth... even concerning the kenites who claim to be God's chosen people but are not (Rev. 2:9 & 3:9).
So how do we stay on track and not be drawn away by those things that only appear to be good and of Christ in order that we might enter into eternal life?
Stay in His word, cast aside the traditions of men and listen to His voice, to what the Word of God has to say.
The more you live (dwell) with Christ, the Word of God, the better you will get to know Him and the more you will come to love and trust Him and walk in His ways. (Read 1 Jn. 4:15-16).
Hebrews 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
On a little deeper level, Paul is telling us if you want
to be a partaker of Christ (next verse) when He returns,
then hear His voice today,
even during this 6th and final day before the 7th Day,
the Day of Rest, the Millennium, has arrived.
So begin today, even this very day!
The warning is that you must hear (with understanding) and do those things which Christ commands in His Word, else you will miss the wedding and "the door" will be shut to you throughout the Millennium whereby you will have to wait until after the 1000 years and the great white throne judgment in order to receive life eternal, which is called the second resurrection, the second raising to the status of immortality.
One more thing in verse 13.
The "deceitfulness of sin" is the delusion (apate) that the iniquitous, idolatrous, traditions of men are good and pleasing to our Father.
They are not!
Proverbs 14:12 "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."
So hear and take heed to His Voice, Today, and walk in His ways!
Hebrews 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
The
apostle Paul, chosen by God before the foundation
of this world (Eph.
1:4)
to
carry forth His truth as an OBEDIENT servant of Jesus Christ, the Word
of God,
disagrees
with many of our preachers and ministers!
To be a "partaker" is to be "one who shares" and those who love the LORD will be crowned and share in the glory and honor of Jesus Christ at His return!
Who are those who love (agapao) Him?
You should know that by now from what Paul has taught us about Christ and Moses being trustworthy and faithful to the commands of God, to ALL of His commands.
In other words, those who truly believe and love the Lord, do keep His Word... all of it!
Of course, you do not have to take my word for it but perhaps you will believe the words of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself:
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
So Paul is simply saying in Heb. 3:14 that you are assured to be a partaker with Christ IF you love Him, because if you do love Him you will show that love by staying in His Word and keeping His commands!
And this you will do because you want to, not because you have to.
Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Hebrews 3:15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
One would have to say he has placed much emphasis on what is written there, right?
He keeps pointing to the lessons to be learned from the "ensamples" of the children in the wilderness who did not listen (hearken) to God's commands but rather provoked Him by going astray!
In doing so they "proved" by their actions that they were disloyal and unfaithful, and therefore demonstrated their "unbelief"!
In other words, Paul is documenting from the scriptures, from the law and the prophets (David was a prophet), what it means to "Believe in Christ!"
You must trust and obey His commands else He has a problem with you, just as any loving parent gets provoked when his or children are disobedient and do not listen.
The Greek word for "sinned" is "hamartano". Here is Strong's definition:[16] For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.[17] But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
sinned = hamartano, har-ar-tan'-o, Greek 264; perhaps from Greek 1(a) (as a negative particle) and the base of Greek 3313 (meros); properly to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize), i.e. (figurative to err, especially (moral) to sin:- for your faults, offend, sin, trespass.
Therefore God allowed them to die in the wilderness.
Those children who did not obey Him in the wilderness did not make it across the river into the promised land.
In the same spiritual sense, exampled to us by what we "saw" happen in the wilderness, those who not "take heed" to His Word in these last days shall also die (spiritually) in the wilderness.
Paul now documents that Almighty God does not mean "maybe" they will not enter into His rest, but He swares to it!
In other words, it is a PROMISE that those who provoke Him to anger in their unbelief shall not enter into His rest!
Take heed.
[18] And to whom sware He that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
[19] So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
That is certainly what the many preachers and ministers who come in Christ's name tell our people, isn't it?
The apostle Paul, chosen by God before the foundation of this world (Eph. 1:4) to carry forth His truth as an OBEDIENT servant of Jesus Christ, the Word of God, disagrees with them!
Furthermore, Jesus Christ warned all of us about the massive deception in these last days that would result in the unbelief of so many of our brothers and sisters who would provoke Him to wrath.
Take heed, study and believe His Word and see that you are not among those who are drawn away from Him.
To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.
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