Disciples Digital Library

Disciples must hold fast to their confession and approach Jesus in boldness, especially in times of great need . After urging believers to enter God’s “ rest ,” the section concludes with a description of the powerful word of God, then returns to the subject of Christ’s priesthood. Believers must strive to enter His “ rest ” while the opportunity remains - “ TODAY, hearken to His voice .”

After expounding on the “ household of God ” and demonstrating the superiority of the Son over Moses, the “ servant of God ,” the letter to the  Hebrews  continues with a lesson drawn from the story of Israel. During its sojourn in the wilderness, the Israelites complained bitterly against Moses for leading them to a place lacking sufficient water.

The letter continues using the example of Israel’s rebellion in the wilderness to summon believers not to make the same error of unbelief and thereby fail to enter God’s “ rest .” In the desert, Yahweh decreed that the generation of Israelites freed from Egyptian bondage would not enter the promised land. And so, disciples who fail to “ hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end ” will face a similar fate.

The first chapter of Hebrews stresses the supremacy of the high priest who now sits at the “ right hand of the majesty on high .” First, the eternal sovereignty of God is described (“ Your throne, O God, is to times everlasting ”), then, the qualifications of the Son for the priesthood are stated (“ You loved righteousness and hated lawlessness ”).