Hebrews 4:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

NIV: Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

NASB: And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him to whom we must answer.

CSB: No creature is hidden from him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.

NLT: Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

KJV: Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

NKJV: And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

The Bible often points out the futility of hiding from God. Adam and Eve attempted to hide from God after they sinned in Eden (Genesis 3:8–10). Cain tried to hide his murder of Abel from God (Genesis 4:9). Jonah hid on a boat (Jonah 1:1–4). Everything we think is hidden is crystal clear to God, including our own thoughts and motivations. We may fool other people (1 Samuel 16:7), and we may even fool ourselves (Jeremiah 17:9), but we cannot fool God (Psalm 44:21).

Chapter 4 encouraged Christians to seek God's will through obedience. The most powerful tool we have in this task is the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12). Like a razor-sharp blade that can even separate the joints and ligaments of an animal, the Bible distinguishes between even the most closely-related thoughts of our hearts. This, then, is how we are meant to know the difference between truly godly actions and selfish piety (Matthew 7:21–23). God's judgment will make it clear what is worthy and what is not (1 Corinthians 3:11–15; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

The Bible is an important tool to use. According to this verse, nobody is beyond God's knowledge. We must come to God, through Christ, in faith for salvation (Hebrews 2:9–10). We must be diligent in studying our faith in order to avoid catastrophe (Hebrews 2:1–4). We must be obedient to God in order to fulfill our "rest" and find our spiritual inheritance (Hebrews 3:12–14). And ultimately, we are accountable to God and God alone. This makes the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12) our most important tool as we strive to "hold fast" to our faith (Hebrews 3:6).

At the same time, and critically important to the Christian faith, God sympathizes with our struggles. We can seek mercy and forgiveness, with confidence, specifically because we know Christ has endured the same temptations we have. This is the message of the final three verses of chapter 4.

Hebrews 4:1–13 reassures Christians that they have not missed their opportunity to enjoy the ''rest'' promised by God. Chapter 3 warned about the dangers of losing faith and disobeying God. In this passage, the writer points out that psalmists like David, who came long after Moses, encouraged Israel to obtain God's rest ''today.'' Since God's rest on the seventh day of creation came only after His work was done, and Israel only suffered loss when they failed to complete their assigned work, Christians should strive to complete the work given them by God, in order to obtain the greater heavenly rewards. The most potent tool we have in this effort is the razor-sharp Word of God.

In Hebrews chapter 4, the author refines the theme of chapter 3. An entire generation of Israel lost out on their inheritance of the Promised Land due to a lack of faith. Here, the author points out that the rest promised by God is still offered, through Christ. The razor-sharp truth of the Word of God will separate what is truly spiritual from what is faithless. We should make every effort to obtain our inheritance in Christ, which is something separate from our eternal salvation. We can also be confident, knowing Jesus can uniquely sympathize with our temptations and sufferings.

Chapters 1 and 2 explained how Messiah could not be an angel, but had to be human in order to become our example and the ''Captain'' of our salvation. Chapter 3 described Jesus as worthy of greater glory than Moses, since Jesus fulfilled the promises Moses only spoke of. Chapter 4 will continue to place Jesus as a higher example than Old Testament figures, including Joshua. This chapter bridges the focus of Hebrews from our need to ''hold fast'' in faith to Jesus' status as our ultimate High Priest.

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.