Hebrews 4:6-7

 

 

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Hebrews 4:6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience,  (NASB: Lockman)

Greek: epei oun apoleipetai (3SPPI) tieiselthein (AAN) eis auten, kai oi proteron euaggelisthentes (APPMPN) ouk eiselthon (3PAAI) di' apeitheian,
Amplified: Seeing then that the promise remains over [from past times] for some to enter that rest, and that those who formerly were given the good news about it and the opportunity, failed to appropriate it and did not enter because of disobedience
(Amplified Bible - Lockman)
Barclay
: Since then it remains that some people must enter into it and since those who in former times had the gospel preached to them did not enter because of their lack of trust (
Westminster Press)
NLT: So God's rest is there for people to enter. But those who formerly heard the Good News failed to enter because they disobeyed God. (
NLT - Tyndale House)
Phillips: No, it is clear that some were intended to experience this rest and, since the previous hearers of the message failed to attain to it because they would not believe God, (
Phillips: Touchstone)
Wuest: Since, therefore, it remains over that certain must enter into it, and they who were first the subjects of the proclamation of the glad tidings did not enter because of disobedience, (
Erdmans
Young's Literal: Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience,

References

Albert Barnes
John Calvin
Adam Clarke
Thomas Constable
Dan Fortner
Scott Grant
Dave Guzik
Matthew Henry
Jamieson, F, B
S Lewis Johnson
John MacArthur
Phil Newton
A W Pink
John Piper
A T Robertson
Ray Stedman
Ray Stedman
Marvin Vincent
Drew Worthen
Precept Ministries
Rest in Hebrews 4

Hebrews 4
Hebrews 4
Hebrews 4

Hebrews 4

Hebrews 4:1-16 Let Us - Entering into Rest
Hebrews 4:1-13 Resting With God
Hebrews 4
Hebrews 4
Hebrews 4
Hebrews 4:1-13 God's Rest and Man's Rest (audio)
Hebrews 4:1-13 Entering God's Rest
Hebrews 4:1-11 The Rest of Faith
Hebrews 4:3-10 Christ Superior to Joshua
Hebrews 4:1-11 Be diligent to enter God's rest

Hebrews 4 Word Pictures
Hebrews 4:1-13 Greater Than Joshua
Hebrews 4:3-7 The Tim of the for Response Is Today
Hebrews 4: Word Studies
Hebrews 4:1-10 Cease From Your Rest & Enter His
Hebrews Inductive Study Pt 1
Rest in Hebrews 4

THEREFORE, SINCE IT REMAINS FOR SOME TO ENTER IT AND THOSE WHO FORMERLY HAD GOOD NEWS PREACHED TO THEM FAILED TO ENTER BECAUSE OF DISOBEDIENCE: epei oun apoleipetai (3SPPI) tieiselthein (AAN) eis auten  kai hoi proteron euaggelisthentes (APPMPN) ouk eiselthon (3PAAI) di apeitheian: (9; 1 Corinthians 7:29) (Numbers 14:12,31; Isaiah 65:15; Matthew 21:43; 22:9,10; Luke 14:21-24; Acts 13:46,47; Acts 28:28) (2; 3:19; Galatians 3:8) (3:18,19)

Since (epei)  seeing or because, links words as dependent ideas

Remains (620) (apoleipo from apo = from + leipo = lack, leave, forsake) means literally to leave behind. Paul uses it in the active voice to describe leaving behind of his cloak (see note 2 Timothy 4:13 cp the two other uses of the active voice - 2 Ti 4:20; Titus 1:5)

The passive voice as used here in Hebrews means to be reserved or to remain, to be left over.

Apoleipo in the present verse conveys the idea that the promise of rest remains over from past times. The present tense indicates that it continually remains. In other words, even though the promise of rest had not been appropriated (by faith) by most of Israel in the wilderness, the promise of rest still holds good.

A T Robertson says...

This left-over promise is not repealed, though not utilized by the Israelites under Moses

Vincent adds that...

The promise has not been appropriated. It must be appropriated in accordance with God’s provision. The rest was not provided for nothing. God’s provision of a rest implies and involves that some enter into it. But the appropriation is yet in the future. It remains that some enter in. (Vincent, M. R. Word Studies in the New Testament 4:423)

Apoleipo is apparently a  technical term in wills in ancient Greek writings.

Apoleipo is used 14 times in the Septuagint (LXX) (Ex 5:19; 12:10; Lev. 22:30; Jdg. 9:9, 11, 13; 2 Ki. 10:21; 2 Chr. 16:5; Job 11:20; Prov. 2:17; 9:6, 12; 19:27; Isa. 55:7) and 7 times in the NT...

2 Timothy 4:13 (note) When you come bring the cloak which I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments.

2 Timothy 4:20 (note) Erastus remained at Corinth, but Trophimus I left sick at Miletus.

Titus 1:5 (note) For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might set in order what remains, and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,

Hebrews 4:6 (note) Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience,

Hebrews 4:9 (note) There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God.

Hebrews 10:26 (note) For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

Jude 1:6 And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day.

Good news preached (2097) (euaggelizo/euangelizo from euággelos = bringing good news from eu = good, well + aggéllo = proclaim, tell) means to announce good news, to declare or bring glad tidings. 

The Israelites in the wilderness had good news preached to them. The question is whether this good news was a reference to rest in a place or a Person. In this passage the fact that the possibility of entering this "rest" is still available for some to enter would exclude a "place". The "rest" by default has to be God's rest available in the Person of the Messiah by grace through faith (see Mt 11:28-30). And so, the author parallels the failure of the Jews to enter God's rest with the potential failure of his readers to enter that same "rest" by not exercising faith in the Messiah.

The mode of rendering this verse in various translations also supports the preceding conclusion...

(Amplified Bible - Lockman) Seeing then that the promise remains over [from past times] for some to enter that rest, and that those who formerly were given the good news about it (Ed note: About what? About the same rest that was available to the readers of the letter of Hebrews) and the opportunity, failed to appropriate it and did not enter because of disobedience. (Ed note: Their disobedience served as evidence of their unbelief, the same truth brought out by comparing Hebrews 3:18, Hebrews 3:19) (Bolding added)

(NLT - Tyndale House) So God's rest is there for people to enter. But those who formerly heard the Good News (Ed note: Who is he referring to? In context, Israel in the wilderness) failed to enter (Ed note: Failed to enter what? God's rest - see context Hebrews 4:5!) because they disobeyed God. (Comment: To reiterate - their disobedience was visible evidence that they did not truly trust or belief God.)

(Barclay's paraphrase - Westminster Press) Since then it remains that some people must enter into it (Ed note: "rest") and since those who in former times had the gospel preached to them did not enter because of their lack of trust

Good News
in the Old Testament

Good news could refer to the declaration of any kind of good news, but in the New Testament refers, with rare exception, to the glad tidings of the coming kingdom of God and the salvation which is available by grace through faith in the atoning sacrifice of the Lamb of God. In short, the most frequent NT use of euaggelizo/euangelizo means to "evangelize" or to preach the gospel.

Twice in Hebrews 4, the author uses similar phrases to refer to the good news...

we have had the good news preached to us (see note Hebrews 4:2)

those who formerly had the good news preached to them (Hebrews 4:6)

Many find it difficult to believe that either of these references to the good news represents the same gospel which is preached today. Specifically, they do not interpret this proclamation of good news to Israel in the wilderness as representing the gospel of Christ.

One first needs to ask...

"Was the gospel of the Messiah even proclaimed in the Old Testament?"

My experience as a Bible teacher for some 20+ years has been that many Christians, even evangelical and conservative, are not clear on how individuals were saved in the Old Testament, some even believing that salvation was by keeping of the law. However Scripture fortunately never contradicts itself and the clear New Testament teaching that men and women are saved by grace through faith is the same teaching that is taught in the Old Testament.

Observe the following New Testament passages and what they teach about the good news in the Old Testament...

In the opening to Romans we read

Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures (See notes Romans 1:1; 1:2)

So in his introduction to Romans, Paul explains that the gospel was not "new" good news, but was the same "old" "good news" God had promised in the Old Testament. In other words, the good news did not originate with Paul or even with Jesus’ earthly ministry. Paul makes it clear that the good news he teaches is really old news of the Hebrew Scriptures now fulfilled and completed in Jesus Christ. It follows that OT believers were "looking forward" toward the Cross, and NT believers "look backward" toward the Cross, the latter group obviously having a clearer understanding of the gospel than OT believers.

So when did God promise the gospel through His prophets? The amazing answer is that immediately after Adam had sinned and the curse of death fell upon all mankind (see note Romans 5:12) God issued this promise...

I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman (Eve), And between your seed and her seed (ultimately referring to the Messiah), He (the Messiah) shall bruise you on the head (see note Ro 16:20), and you shall bruise Him on the heel. (Genesis 3:15) (Comment: Theologians refer to this as the "first Gospel" or "first preaching of the Gospel" [Protevangel or Protevangelium])

In Galatians Paul elaborates on this OT gospel writing that...

the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify (declare righteous) the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham (at a time before the Jews were known), saying, "ALL THE NATIONS SHALL BE BLESSED IN YOU."  (Galatians 3:8)

More than once in the book of Acts, Luke records passages that speak of the good news in the Old Testament...

Acts 10:43 "Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins."

Acts 26:6 "And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers

In 2 Timothy, Paul's last epistle, he credits the teaching of the Old Testament as pivotal in the salvation of Timothy...

2 Timothy 3:15 (note) and that from childhood you (Timothy) have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (Comment: "Sacred writings" refer to the Old Testament Scriptures which Timothy's Jewish mother had exposed him to since he was a young boy. The clear implication is that the good news of salvation by faith in Messiah was taught in the Old Testament.)

Writing to the the saints at Corinth Paul states the Jews

all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. (1Corinthians 10:3-4)

Paul speaking of the Jewish fathers in 1Corinthians 10 makes a statement which implies an understanding that the events they experienced, the sacrifices they offered, the ritual they fulfilled, were all designed to teach them truth about Messiah,  Who was, to the eyes of faith, their ground of atonement with God, though He had not yet appeared as God incarnate. Of course these same elements could be experienced mechanically (intellectually), without genuine faith, and were thus meaningless as far as personal salvation was concerned.

Lest their be any doubt about the "antiquity" of the gospel, observe that Paul writes...

Titus 1:2 (note)  in the hope of eternal life, which God, Who cannot lie, promised long ages ago (Comment: The phrase long ages ago does not refer to ancient times but even before the foundation of the world, because the phrase really means "before time began". To be sure, God reiterated His plan of salvation to godly men such as Abraham, Moses, David, and the prophets but the origin of the "good news" was in eternity past, even preceding the bad news of Adam's sin! Amazing grace!)

Old Testament Gospel
by William Cowper
(Olney Hymns)

Israel in ancient days

Not only had a view

Of Sinai in a blaze,

But learn’d the Gospel too;


The types and figures were a glass,

In which they saw a Saviour’s face.

The paschal sacrifice

And blood-besprinkled door,


Seen with enlighten’d eyes,

And once applied with power,

Would teach the need of other blood,

To reconcile an angry God.


The Lamb, the Dove, set forth

His perfect innocence,

Whose blood of matchless worth

Should be the soul’s defense;


For He who can for sin atone,

Must have no failings of His own.

The scape-goat on his head

The people’s trespass bore,


And to the desert led,

Was to be seen no more:

In him our Surety seem’d to say,

“Behold, I bear your sins away.”


Dipt in his fellow’s blood,

The living bird went free;

The type, well understood,

Express’d the sinner’s plea;


Described a guilty soul enlarged,

And by a Saviour’s death discharged.

Jesus, I love to trace,

Throughout the sacred page,


The footsteps of Thy grace,

The same in every age!

Oh grant that I may faithful be

To clearer light vouchsafed to me!

Failed to enter - is more literally not to come into, where the word for not (ou) signifies absolute negation. In absolutely no way did they enter this rest.

As an aside the idea that the wilderness generation was finally rejected was one the Jewish rabbis found difficult to accept. And so we find in their writings statements such...

Into this resting-place they will not enter, but they will enter into another resting-place (Mid Qoheleth 10.20.1).

The Jewish rabbis also had a parable of a king who swore in anger that his son would not enter his palace. But when he calmed down, he pulled down his palace and built another, so fulfilling his oath and at the same time retaining his son. Thus the rabbis expressed their conviction that somehow those Israelites would enter their rest. The author of Hebrews, however, has no such reservations about the wilderness generation. They disobeyed God and forfeited their place.

Because of disobedience - The KJV renders it that they "entered not in because of unbelief" (because disobedience is the active expression of unbelief). Remember the principle that genuine (saving) faith is evidenced by obedience (cf. see notes Hebrews 3:18; 4:6, 4:11; Luke 6:46).

Disobedience (
543) (apeitheia from a = without + peítho = persuade) (Click study of related verb apeitheo) is literally an unwillingness to be persuaded, and thus describes the condition of being unpersuadable.

In the NT it always speaks of disobedience to God and is often shown as the result of or with the connotation of unbelief (apistia). In Ephesians 2:2 unbelievers are referred to as sons of disobedience or those who are the "offspring" (as it were) of disobedience.

The active expression of unbelief is manifested in disobedience.  Apeitheia thus denotes a willful unbelief and obstinate opposition to God's will. Note that apeitheia is not ignorance but obstinance.

Apeitheia is the third of the vices personified as virgins in black in Hermas Similitudes 9.15.3.

Apeitheia is not found in the Septuagint (LXX) and is used only 7 times in the NT...

Romans 11:30 (note) For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience

Romans 11:32 (note) For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all. (Here disobedience is virtually tantamount to sin).

Ephesians 2:2 (note) in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

Ephesians 5:6 (note) Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Colossians 3:6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience (Note that this use of apeitheia is found only in the Greek Textus Receptus from which the KJV is translated)

Hebrews 4:6 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience,

Hebrews 4:11 (note) Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience.

Notice that the failure of the Israelites to enter did not mean God's promise was no longer effective.

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Today in the Word  (click here) has the following devotional...

If you saw a notice in the newspaper listing you among potential heirs being sought for a great inheritance, would you make contact with the people placing the ad? Probably so. And if you checked things out and discovered you were a legitimate heir, would you be motivated to show up at the time and place designated to claim your inheritance? You'd be foolish not to go!

That's similar to the situation facing the readers of Hebrews--and us as believers today. God has a promised inheritance for His people called His rest. This rest was offered to the generation that Moses led out of Egypt, but they failed to claim it because they lacked the one prerequisite: faith.

The opening verses of Hebrews 4 continue the writer's train of thought. Having previously described the generation that angered God by its unbelief, he now applies the lessons of that generation to the believers of his day. And, as always, believers in every generation need to learn the same lessons.

The good news of this passage is that God's offer of a rest, a Sabbath rest, still stands. Even though Moses' generation missed it, God's promise remains. His rest has been available since the dawn of creation. God rested from His work (Gen. 2:2) and decided it was such a good idea that He commanded a rest for His creatures.

Notice that God's rest includes the cessation of work (Hebrews 4:10). In God's case, He rested because He was finished with creation--His was a rest of completion and satisfaction.

If we are to enter God's rest today, what work must we cease doing? Part of the answer is that we are to rest from or give up our own efforts to save ourselves, since God's rest includes our salvation. The ""rest"" of salvation is entered only by faith.

The writer urges the Hebrews, ""Make every effort to enter that rest"" (Hebrews 4:11). So the rest must go beyond salvation, since they were already believers. It seems clear that God's rest extends to the entirety of our lives, as we give up our attempts to live the Christian life in our own strength and rest in His promises.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY - The principle of Sabbath rest--one day in seven set aside for rest and worship--stands out in this passage. This is a rest God wants us to enjoy today. For us as Christians this special day is the Lord's day. But sadly, for many of us, this day is as hectic and noisy as the rest of the week. If your day of worship seems like every other day, except for church services, make a commitment to turn off the noise, unplug some of the activities, and spend more time in contemplation of God's goodness. (See
Moody Bible Institute's Today in the Word)

 

Hebrews 4:7  He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before , "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS." (NASB: Lockman)

Greek: palin tina orizei (3SPAI) hemeran, Semeron, en Dauid legon (PAPMSN) meta tosouton chronon, kathos proeiretai, (3SRPI) Semeron ean tes phones autou akousete, (2PAAS) me sklerunete (2PAAS) tas kardias humon.
Amplified: Again He sets a definite day, [a new] Today, [and gives another opportunity of securing that rest] saying through David after so long a time in the words already quoted, Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not harden your hearts.
(Amplified Bible - Lockman)
Barclay: He again defines a day, when in David, after so long a lapse of time, he says, “Today,” just as he had said before, “Today if you will hear my voice do not harden your hearts.” (Westminster Press)
NLT:  So God set another time for entering his place of rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David a long time later in the words already quoted: "Today you must listen to his voice. Don't harden your hearts against him."  (
NLT - Tyndale House)
Phillips: he proclaims a further opportunity when he says through David, many years later, "today", just as he had said "today" before. 'Today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts'. (
Phillips: Touchstone)
Wuest: again, a certain day He designates, Today, speaking by means of David after such a long time, just as it has been said before and is still on record, Today, if His voice you will hear, stop hardening your hearts.  (
Erdmans
Young's Literal
: He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS."

HE AGAIN FIXES A CERTAIN DAY, "TODAY," SAYING THROUGH DAVID AFTER SO LONG A TIME JUST AS HAS BEEN SAID BEFORE: palin tina horizei (3SPAI) hemeran Semeron en David legon (PAPMSN) meta tosouton chronon kathos (as) proeiretai (3SRPI) : (Heb 3:7,8; 2 Samuel 23:1,2; Matthew 22:43; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42; Acts 2:29,31; 28:25)

He again - used chiefly in two senses, (a) with reference to repeated action; (b) rhetorically, in the sense of "moreover"