(Deuteronomy 4:2 [KJV]) Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I
command you.
(Proverbs 30:5, 6 [KJV]) Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
(Isaiah 28:10 [KJV])
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
(Isaiah 28:13 [KJV])
But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
(2 Peter 1:20 [KJV])
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
All of the studies, book or topical, found here, are done with research with mainly two things: The KING JAMES BIBLE and a plain old, 1828 Webster's Dictionary. Why? Outside of actually studying secular and Jewish history, archaeology, one needs nothing more. You do not need foreign, dead languages that no one speaks, lexicons, concordances or commentaries, because they differ not only with one another and with the KING JAMES BIBLE, but they create division, confusion, debate, and unbelief. We do not need them. That Word of God written and preserved for us in our own language is supposed to be enough, like the Old Testament was for the Jews, and the New Testament for the early Christians in Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish, German, etc. There are studies within as tangents on words, subjects found within the two testaments, as to broaden the scope of the study, to learn more, deeper truths. This is not an intellectual site with PhDs, theologians, and no worldly wisdom.. Check everything out, everything. Not just here, but with everything you read and see and hear. Be Bereans:
(Acts 17:11 [KJV])
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Always research for yourself, use all of the context, and never privately interpret!
HEBREWS CHAPTER 3: HARDEN NOT YOUR HEARTS, THE MASTER BUILDER IS CALLING
(Hebrews 3:1 [AKJV/PCE])
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
Wherefore, as in, "Now that you know these things I just told you,"
Holy brethren, not just brethren, declared righteous so by God Himself because of our Saviour, the LORD Jesus Christ, not because we deserved it, earned it
The most important, the first, the last, the most powerful, the most fruitful Apostle ever
Jesus being our High Priest means we need no other and, it meant to the Jews that they did not, either, much to the chagrin of the High Priest in Jerusalem
(Hebrews 3:2 [AKJV/PCE])
Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.
Jesus was all faithful, never failing to do the will of the Father
(Hebrews 3:3 [AKJV/PCE])
For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.
Again, this man is the Creator who built this house we live in, the nation of Israel, created Moses, created the Law
Nice houses are built by master carpenters. When people view, walk through, notice the house, often they ask, "Wow, who built it?", because they know that houses do not build themselves
(Hebrews 3:4 [AKJV/PCE])
For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.
Someone has to create (build) the man, grow the trees, create the earth where the man and trees dwell, create the earth where the house will be built, create the metals needed to make the saw, hammer and nails, create the mind to know how to measure, how to cut and nail it, create the measurements to give to mankind, without which, no house can be built
That someone is Jesus Christ (Creator), not mankind (created)
God in Him created ALL things, not some, not a few, not many-ALL
(Hebrews 3:5 [AKJV/PCE])
And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;
God spoke directly to Moses, giving him the law, meeting with him, carving the law into the stone tablets Himself with His finger
God speaks directly to us today, through His Word, all that we need to know and live by, nothing to be added nor taken away, by anyone, at any time
Moses need no prophet to say to him, "Thus saith the LORD", because God said, "This is me, go tell them"
(Numbers 12:6-11 [AKJV/PCE])
And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed. And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.
And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;
(Hebrews 3:6 [AKJV/PCE])
But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
We have to accept, believe, reach out, take and hold that Gospel message, not just hear it, over many times and many years, not "just be a good person"; none of that will save us
We are to be members of His house, not by working at it, but actually believing ion the Son, the LORD Jesus Christ and His sacrifice of His Blood for our sins, on the Cross
The following verses state this, as that is what happened in the Old Testament-they heard God's Word, hardened their hearts and were judged accordingly
This is a citation from Psalm 95:7-11
(Hebrews 3:7 [AKJV/PCE])
Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
The Holy Ghost said ti them, now says it to us, the exact same thing. You hear that Gospel, do not reject it
The Jews then got signs, wonders, miracles, and rejected their own Messiah, foretold in the Scriptures
They provoked God in and through their grumbling, complaining, their unbelief
We have those same exact Scriptures they reserved for us and "need to heed"
Brethren, let us not get into this mode when thigs do not go as we want, as we think they should. We should rejoice that our names are in the Book of Life, because this world is dying, passing
away
God grieves when we walk around in unbelief, grumbling
(Psalms 95:7-11 [AKJV/PCE])
For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.
(Hebrews 3:12 [AKJV/PCE])
Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
This shows clearly that it is unbeliever who reject Christ spoken of here, in context, not believers
Believers can walk away from the LORD also, in sin, unrepentant, unremorseful, for sure
The lesson here is from the unbelievers for us to not do what they do in our walk
The rest for them was getting into their land, having peace with their neighboring, pagan nations, no longer at war
Moses and Aaron were saved, but disobeyed God and were not allowed to enter into the promised land, earthly land given to Israel
If an unbeliever rejects the Gospel, they will never into God's eternal rest
If a believer rejects God's command and simply does what they want, they will have no rest from God doing it, with the conviction of sin over their head. They WILL enter eeternal rest, because our home is guaranteed by the seal of th Holy Ghost upon our soul, but (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) we can be taken home at any moment early because of our earthly behavious, caused by unbelief
NOT ENTERING THE REST OF THE LORD: MOSES, AARON
(Numbers 20:8-13 [AKJV/PCE])
Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. ΒΆ And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.
(Numbers 20:24-29 [AKJV/PCE])
Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.
Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor: And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there. And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.
(Hebrews 3:13 [AKJV/PCE])
But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Let each other know, "Do not harden your hearts"
Hardening comes through self-deception, excusing sin, justifying it with things like, "Well, everyone else does it, ____________ does it" or "I guess one will not hurt"
(Hebrews 3:14 [AKJV/PCE])
For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
Partakers are participators, not sideliners, so, as sideliners, we are participating in the work, but watching from a distance, idlers
It says "To day", which is every day we are on earth
(Hebrews 3:15 [AKJV/PCE])
While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
(Hebrews 3:16 [AKJV/PCE])
For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
(Hebrews 3:17 [AKJV/PCE])
But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
This is a quote from Numbers 14:35-37, below
The entire next chapter speaks of this, a good time to delve into the Old Testament account of it
They heard it, and did not put faith into it. They did not believe what God had promised them
Unbelievers hear that Gospel and do not believe it. God forbid we behave in this manner and die early because we are no longer used of God
(Numbers 14:35-37 [AKJV/PCE])
I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die. And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land, Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD.
(Hebrews 3:18 [AKJV/PCE])
And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
BELIEVED not, not just disobey. They disobeyed because they did not believe, the very point the author is making-this is about FAITH, BELIEF
Therefore, it is not about works, because our works only reflect our faith and show whether we believe or reject that Gospel as unbelievers
Therefore, it is not about works, because our works only reflect our faith and show whether we believe or reject that Word of God we are to live by, cover to cover, as believers
(Hebrews 3:19 [AKJV/PCE])
So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
We can enter because of our belief. We can stay in His rest when ours is disturbed by trials, tests, tribulations, if we hold steadfast to Jesus.
We can not and do not lose our salvation (eternal rest), but will never have any in this life if we walk away to the world, which provides nothing we need spiritually
