the Week of Proper 22 / Ordinary 27
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King James Version
Hebrews 4:1
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Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.
Therefore, let us fear, lest, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have fallen short of it.
Now listen, we've still got that promise from God. We can still have the rest he promised us, but you've got to be careful you ain't left in the dust.
Let us then, though we still have God's word that we may come into his rest, go in fear that some of you may be unable to do so.
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left of entering into his rest, any one of you might seem to have failed [of it].
Let us fear therefore, lest perhaps a promise being left of entering into his rest, anyone of you should seem to have come short of it.
Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest, any of us should altogether come short of it.
Therefore let us be on our guard lest perhaps, while He still leaves us a promise of being admitted to His rest, some one of you should be found to have fallen short of it.
Let vs therefore feare, lest a promise being left vs, of entring into his rest, any of you should seeme to come short of it.
Therefore, let us fear lest perhaps a promise having been left to enter into His rest, that any of you may seem to come short.
Let vs feare therfore, lest eny of vs forsakynge the promes of entrynge in to his rest, shulde seme to come behinde:
Let us therefore fear, lest any of us by rejecting the promise of entring into his rest, should be excluded from it.
For as long, then, as that promise of resting in him pulls us on to God's goal for us, we need to be careful that we're not disqualified. We received the same promises as those people in the wilderness, but the promises didn't do them a bit of good because they didn't receive the promises with faith. If we believe, though, we'll experience that state of resting. But not if we don't have faith. Remember that God said, Exasperated, I vowed, "They'll never get where they're going, never be able to sit down and rest." God made that vow, even though he'd finished his part before the foundation of the world. Somewhere it's written, "God rested the seventh day, having completed his work," but in this other text he says, "They'll never be able to sit down and rest." So this promise has not yet been fulfilled. Those earlier ones never did get to the place of rest because they were disobedient. God keeps renewing the promise and setting the date as today, just as he did in David's psalm, centuries later than the original invitation: Today, please listen, don't turn a deaf ear... And so this is still a live promise. It wasn't canceled at the time of Joshua; otherwise, God wouldn't keep renewing the appointment for "today." The promise of "arrival" and "rest" is still there for God's people. God himself is at rest. And at the end of the journey we'll surely rest with God. So let's keep at it and eventually arrive at the place of rest, not drop out through some sort of disobedience. God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God's Word. We can't get away from it—no matter what. Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let's not let it slip through our fingers. We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.
Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still remains and is freely offered today, let us fear, in case any one of you may seem to come short of reaching it or think he has come too late.
Let us fear therefore, lest haply, a promise being left of entering into his rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it.
Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest remains, let us fear lest any of you be judged to have failed to reach it.
Let vs feare therfore lest eny of vs forsakynge the promes of entrynge into his rest shulde seme to come behinde.
Let us fear therefore, lest perhaps, a promise being left of entering into his rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it.
Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left [us] of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
We may fear, then, lest a promise being left of entering into His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short,
Now, since God has left us the promise that we may enter his rest, let us be very careful so none of you will fail to enter.
Therefore we must be wary that, while the promise of entering his rest remains open, none of you may seem to have come short of it.
Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be deemed to have fallen short of it.
The promise to enter the place of rest is still good, and we must take care that none of you miss out.
Therefore, let us be terrified of the possibility that, even though the promise of entering his rest remains, any one of you might be judged to have fallen short of it;
Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.
Let vs feare therefore, least at any time by forsaking the promes of entring into his rest, any of you should seeme to be depriued.
LET us therefore fear, while the prom ise of entering into his rest remains, lest some amongst you find they are prevented from entering.
Therefore, while the promise to enter His rest remains, let us fear that none of you should miss it.
Let us fear therefore, lest perhaps a promise being left of entering into his rest, anyone of you should seem to have come short of it.
Therefore, as long as the promise of entering his rest remains valid, let us be afraid lest someone among you fails to reach it.Hebrews 12:15;">[xr]
Let us fear, therefore, lest, while there is a confirmed promise of an entrance into his rest, any one shall be found among you remaining from entering in.
Let us fear, therefore, lest while there is a firm promise of entering into his rest, any among you should be found coming short of entering.
Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.
God's promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it.
The same promise of going into God's rest is still for us. But we should be afraid that some of us may not be able to go in.
Let us fear therefore, lest haply, a promise being left of entering into his rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it.
Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest is still open, let us take care that none of you should seem to have failed to reach it.
Let us therefore fear, lest at any time, although there is left behind a promise of entering into his rest, - any one from amongst you should be deemed, to have come short;
Let us fear therefore lest, the promise being left of entering into his rest, any of you should be thought to be wanting.
Therefore let us fear, while there remains a promise of entering into his rest, that none of you appear to fall short of it.
Let vs feare therfore, lest at any tyme, by forsakyng the promise of entryng into his reste, any of you shoulde be defrauded.
And we still have the promise that God gave those people. That promise is that we can enter his place of rest. So we should be very careful that none of you fails to get that promise.
Therefore, we must fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.
Now, God has offered us the promise that we may receive that rest he spoke about. Let us take care, then, that none of you will be found to have failed to receive that promised rest.
Therfor drede we, lest perauenture while the biheest of entryng in to his reste is left, that ony of vs be gessid to be awei.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
us therefore: Hebrews 4:11, Hebrews 2:1-3, Hebrews 12:15, Hebrews 12:25, Hebrews 13:7, Proverbs 14:16, Proverbs 28:14, Jeremiah 32:40, Romans 11:20, 1 Corinthians 10:12
a promise: Hebrews 4:9, Numbers 14:34, 1 Samuel 2:30, Romans 3:3, Romans 3:4, 2 Timothy 2:13
his: Hebrews 4:3-5, Hebrews 3:11
any: Matthew 7:21-23, Matthew 7:26, Matthew 7:27, Matthew 24:48-51, Matthew 25:1-3, Luke 12:45, Luke 12:46, Luke 13:25-30, Romans 3:23, 1 Corinthians 9:26, 1 Corinthians 9:27
Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 11:16 - Take heed Psalms 2:11 - rejoice Psalms 90:7 - For we Isaiah 11:10 - his rest Micah 2:10 - for Matthew 11:28 - and I Matthew 19:30 - General Matthew 25:8 - gone out Mark 4:8 - fell John 20:25 - Except Acts 5:11 - General Acts 24:25 - Felix 2 Corinthians 7:1 - therefore 2 Corinthians 7:11 - fear 2 Corinthians 13:5 - Examine Philippians 2:12 - with Colossians 2:17 - the body 2 Thessalonians 1:7 - who Hebrews 2:3 - How Hebrews 13:22 - suffer 1 Peter 1:17 - in fear 1 Peter 4:18 - if
Cross-References
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.
And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed.
Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.
Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Let us therefore fear,.... Not with a fear of wrath and damnation; nor with a fear of diffidence and distrust of the power, grace, and goodness of God; but with a cautious fear, a godly jealousy, a careful circumspection, and watchfulness:
lest a promise being left [us] of entering into his rest; not the land of Canaan, the type of heaven, but rather heaven itself, the ultimate glory: there is a rest of the body in the grave, from work, service, and labour, and from distempers and diseases, where it rests under the guardianship of the Spirit, until the resurrection morn; and there is a rest of the soul before the resurrection, in the arms of Christ, with whom it immediately is, upon its departure from the body; and there is a rest both of soul and body after the resurrection, from sin, from afflictions, from Satan's temptations, from unbelief, doubts, and fears, and from all enemies: and this may be called the rest of God, because he is the author and giver of it; and it will lie much in communion with him; and besides, heaven is the place of God's rest, Isaiah 66:1 and the possession and enjoyment of the heavenly glory is often signified by an entering into it: and there is a promise of this, which is left in Christ's hands, and shall never fail; though some who have hoped for it may come short of it, or at least seem to do so: but rather a rest under the Gospel dispensation is here intended, since it is a rest believers enter into now, Hebrews 4:3 and since the Gospel church is represented as a state of peace and rest, Isaiah 11:6 and which lies in a more clear and comfortable application of the blood and righteousness of Christ to the saints; in a freedom from a spirit of bondage to fear, and from the yoke of carnal ordinances, and in the enjoyment of Gospel privileges and ordinances; and this is God's rest, which he has provided for New Testament saints, and into which they enter by faith, and a profession of it; and the Gospel is the promise or declaration which was left among these Hebrews, and in the world, to encourage them so to do: lest
any of you should seem to come short of it; either of the promise, or the rest promised; which if understood of the heavenly glory, the sense is, that though true believers shall not come short of that, yet they may "seem" to others to do so; and therefore should be careful of their lives and conversations, that they might not seem to come short; and this they should do, for the glory of God, the honour of Christ and his Gospel, and the good of others; but if the rest, and the promise of it, intend the Gospel and its dispensation, the meaning is, that saints should be concerned so to behave, that they might not seem to fail of the doctrine of the grace of God, and to be disappointed of that rest and peace promised in it. One of Stephens's copies read, lest "any of us"; which seems most agreeable both to what goes before, and follows.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Let us therefore fear - Let us be apprehensive that we may possibly fall of that rest. The kind of “fear” which is recommended here is what leads to caution and care. A man who is in danger of losing his life or health should be watchful; a seaman that is in danger of running on a lee-shore should be on his guard. So we who have the offer of heaven, and who yet are in danger of losing it, should take all possible precautions lest we fail of it.
Lest a promise being left us - Paul assumes here that there is such a promise. In the subsequent part of the chapter, he goes more into the subject, and proves from the Old Testament that there is such a promise made to us. It is to be remembered that Paul had not the New Testament then to appeal to, as we have, which is perfectly clear on the subject, but that he was obliged to appeal to the Old Testament. This he did not only because the New Testament was not then written, but because he was reasoning with those who had been Hebrews, and who regarded the authority of the Old Testament as decisive. If his reasoning to us appears somewhat obscure, we should put ourselves in his place, and should remember that the converts then had not the full light which we have now in the New Testament.
Of entering into his rest - The rest of God - the rest of the world where he dwells. It is called “his” rest, because it is what he enjoys, and which he alone can confer. There can be no doubt that Paul refers here to heaven, and means to say that there is a promise left to Christians of being admitted to the enjoyment of that blessed world where God dwells.
Any of you should seem to come short of it - The word “seem” here is used as a form of gentle and mild address, implying the possibility of thus coming short. The word here - δοκέω dokeō - is often used so as to appear to give no essential addition to the sense of a passage, though it is probable that it always gave a shading to the meaning. Thus, the phrase “esse videatur” is often used by Cicero at the end of a period, to denote merely that a thing “was” - though he expressed it as though it merely “seemed” to be. Such language is often used in argument or in conversation as a “modest” expression, as when we say a thing “seems” to be so and so, instead of saying “it is.” In some such sense Paul probably used the phrase here - perhaps as expressing what we would by this language - “lest it should appear at last that any of you had come short of it.” The phrase “come short of it” is probably used with reference to the journey to the promised land, where they who came out of Egypt “came short” of that land, and fell in the wilderness. They did not reach it. This verse teaches the important truth that, though heaven is offered to us, and that a “rest” is promised to us if we seek it, yet that there is reason to think that many may fail of reaching it who had expected to obtain it. Among those will be the following classes:
- Those who are professors of religion but who have never known anything of true piety.
(2)Those who are expecting to be saved by their own works, and are looking forward to a world of rest on the ground of what their own hands can do.
(3)Those who defer attention to the subject from time to time until it becomes too late. They expect to reach heaven, but they are not ready to give their hearts to God “now,” and the subject is deferred from one period to another, until death arrests them unprepared.
(4)Those who have been awakened to see their guilt and danger, and who have been almost but not quite ready to give up their hearts to God. Such were Agrippa, Felix, the young ruler Mark 10:21, and such are all those who are “almost” but not “quite” prepared to give up the world and to devote themselves to the Redeemer. To all these the promise of “rest” is made, if they will accept of salvation as it is offered in the gospel; all of them cherish a hope that they will be saved; and all of them are destined alike to be disappointed. With what earnestness, therefore, should we strive that we may not fail of the grace of God!
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
CHAPTER IV.
As the Christian rest is to be obtained by faith, we should
beware of unbelief lest we lose it, as the Hebrews did theirs,
1.
The reason why they were not brought into the rest promised to
them, 2.
The rest promised to the Hebrews was a type of that promised to
Christians, 3-10.
Into this rest we should earnestly labour to enter, 11.
A description of the word of God, 12, 13.
Jesus is our sympathetic High Priest, 15.
Through him we have confidence to come to God, 16.
NOTES ON CHAP. IV.
Verse Hebrews 4:1. Let us therefore fear — Seeing the Israelites lost the rest of Canaan, through obstinacy and unbelief, let us be afraid lest we come short of the heavenly rest, through the same cause.
Should seem to come short of it. — Lest any of us should actually come short of it; i.e. miss it. See the note on the verb δοκειν, to seem, Luke 8:18. What the apostle had said before, relative to the rest, might be considered as an allegory; here he explains and applies that allegory, showing that Canaan was a type of the grand privileges of the Gospel of Christ, and of the glorious eternity to which they lead.
Come short — The verb υστερειν is applied here metaphorically; it is an allusion, of which there are many in this epistle, to the races in the Grecian games: he that came short was he who was any distance, no matter how small, behind the winner. Will it avail any of us how near we get to heaven, if the door be shut before we arrive? How dreadful the thought, to have only missed being eternally saved! To run well, and yet to permit the devil, the world, or the flesh, to hinder in the few last steps! Reader, watch and be sober.
