Hebrews 3:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?

NIV: And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?

NASB: And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient?

CSB: And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, if not to those who disobeyed?

NLT: And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him?

KJV: And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?

NKJV: And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey?

Verse 16 mentioned rebellion as one of the ways in which our spiritual failures can result in a loss of fellowship with God. Verse 17 used the term "sin" as a more generic reference to our physical behaviors. Here, the third of four such problems is given: defiance. This is apeithēsasin in Greek, a word carrying a strong flavor of stubbornness and refusal. This, in other words, covers those moments when our sinful natures take on the form of a toddler: stamping our feet and saying, "no!"

The context of these warnings is that of Psalm 95: Israel suffered for decades without entering the Promised Land, because they were stubborn and rebellious towards God. When faced with something difficult, they failed to "hold fast" to their faith (Hebrews 3:6). Christians face the same risk. The author of Hebrews is warning believers to guard their lives (Hebrews 3:12), and to lovingly encourage each other (Hebrews 3:13), to avoid this discipline.

Hebrews 3:15–19 ties several of the previous sections together. Using four primary forms of spiritual error, the author shows why Israel was disciplined by God. This discipline meant a loss of the Promised Land—not a parallel to salvation, but to spiritual rewards. Rebellion, sin, defiance, and faithlessness were all present in the nation of Israel, and that generation was denied their potential victory. Christians are warned, in this chapter, to avoid these mistakes so they don't forfeit their own spiritual inheritance.

Hebrews chapter 3 uses a reference to Israel's wandering in the desert from the story of the Exodus. In this incident, the nation of Israel came to the border of the Promised Land and then lost confidence in God. Rather than trusting Him, most of the people gave up hope. As a result, only a tiny remnant of the nation was allowed to enter into Canaan. This chapter explains that Jesus Christ is superior to Moses and all of Moses' accomplishments. Christians, therefore, need to encourage each other to fully trust in God, in order to see fulfillment of His promises.

In chapters 1 and 2, the author of Hebrews showed that Jesus was not an angel. In fact, Jesus' role as Messiah required Him to be fully human. Starting in chapter 3, the author will explain how Jesus is also superior to various Old Testament characters such as Moses. This will help to set the stage for later references to Christ's superiority. Part of the warning in this chapter extends into chapter 4. Namely, that Christians who doubt God's promises risk missing out on the victories He has in store for us.

The book of Hebrews is meant to challenge, encourage, and empower Christian believers. According to this letter, Jesus Christ is superior to all other prophets and all other claims to truth. Since God has given us Christ, we ought to listen to what He says and not move backwards. The consequences of ignoring God are dire. Hebrews is important for drawing on many portions of the Old Testament in making a case that Christ is the ultimate and perfect expression of God's plan for mankind. This book presents some tough ideas about the Christian faith, a fact the author makes specific note of.

Accessed 5/16/2024 5:55:14 PM