Joshua and Judges: Crossing the Jordan - Obeying God's delegated authority, part 20. Jos 1:16-18; survey of Heb.Title: Joshua and Judges: Crossing the Jordan - Obeying God's delegated authority, part 20. Jos 1:16-18; survey of Heb.
Announcementsopening prayer:
Heb 10:32 But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings,
Heb 10:33 partly, by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated.
Heb 10:34 For you showed sympathy to the prisoners, and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an abiding one.
It was exactly in the sense of this exhortation that these Hebrew Christians, under a persecution that would only stop if they stopped professing the gospel openly, took the plundering of their property not merely in a spirit of equanimity but joyfully. For them and for himself Paul would write:
Rom 5:3-5 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Heb 10:34b knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an abiding one.
The eternal inheritance laid up for them, which included the spiritual blessings which no one could take away, was so real in their eyes that they could lightheartedly bid farewell to material possessions that were short lived in any case. This attitude of mind is precisely that "faith" of which our author goes on to speak. It is in this that faith is truly tested.
They manifested this faith in the early days and he is entreating them not to depart from it and that he is confident that they will not, even though the trials that they confront are more intense then when they were then.
Heb 10:35 Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
To throw away our confidence is to abandon the faith that God can always deliver us from any situation.
This word for "confidence" has already appeared in this epistle.
In courageously maintaining our confession of Christ and the truth.
Heb 3:6 but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.
In confidence in approaching the throne of grace since Christ sits there as our prevailing High Priest. This is in attention to the teaching of the word of God as well as prayer.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.
In confidence of pursuing the plan of God for our lives through failure on our part and others and in spite of the trials brought upon us because of such a walk.
Heb 10:19-20 Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil
We might call this a Christian freedom of speech and expression. Though the world tries to silence it, it is our right as children of God, saved eternally, and possessors of an everlasting kingdom which abides forever.
As with Peter and John in front of a very antagonistic and dangerous Sanhedrin:
Act 4:13 Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling
This confidence has great reward, as our Lord first taught.
Luk 6:23 "Be glad in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.
And so, what they need is patience.
Heb 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.
It is clear here that confidence and patience go together. Doubt and fear manifest impatience.
God will certainly fulfill His promise; they will receive what was promised, they will be delivered, and they will realize the fullness of Christ's inheritance.
They must remain loyal to God and patient; constantly claiming His promises, constantly being reminded of them in Bible study, and praying without ceasing, meaning, always being ready to pray.
In our claiming of promises and doctrines as well as learning them the HS is always bearing witness of that truth, as long as we are not grieving or quenching Him.
Rom 8:16-18 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
In the meantime they must remain loyal, and not give up doing God's will.
Our Master has come to do the will of God in the face of all opposition, even to the point of death, and we are called to do the same. This has already been mentioned by the writer.
Heb 10:7 "Then I said, 'Behold, I have come (In the roll of the book it is written of Me) To do Thy will, O God.'"
Heb 10:8 After saying above, "Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast not desired, nor hast Thou taken pleasure in them" (which are offered according to the Law),
Heb 10:9 then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Thy will."
Heb 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.
For some the promised deliverance is close at hand and their suffering, for a time, comes to an end and life turns to prosperity. For others that deliverance is only found in death as they are face to face with the Lord. In either case, since none of us can really say when the hour of deliverance is at hand, all of us must rest assured that the Lord is not slack concerning His promise.
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you
Sometimes, the "little while" or the "momentary" seems like forever, and it is at these times, a day here or there, or a string of days, where the temptation to fall back rather than hold fast is so very strong. At these times we must refocus the eyes of our heart upon the promises of God and let our hearts take courage as we wait for the Lord.
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