The Epistle to the Hebrews is
a very precious book and it directs us so wonderfully really to Christ
and we're thankful it is so and therefore we should come tonight
recognizing that by his grace we can come boldly unto the throne
of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time
of need. and perhaps we've passed through
times of need and we found that God has graciously given us that
grace to hold on our way and to pursue the narrow way, notwithstanding
all the difficulties and all the obstacles that perhaps confronted
us. Well, the chapter begins with
these words. 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. For unto us was the gospel preached
as well as unto them, but the word preached did not profit
them. not being mixed with faith in
them that heard it. Of course we can remember the
picture we have in the scripture so clearly of Israel who were
wonderfully delivered out of Egypt, God brought them out wonderfully
across the Red Sea into the wilderness and then after a relatively short
time They were told to go and possess the land of Canaan. And of course Canaan represents
for us today that place of glory, that place of heaven. But of
course the people decided not to obey the Lord. And so many people today decide
not to believe the Lord. And so the apostle goes on and
says, We which have believed do enter into rest, as he said,
as I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest,
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place
of the seventh day on this wise, and God did rest the seventh
day from all his works. And what a wonderful example
and testimony that was. when the earth was created and
the seventh day was a day of rest and of course that wonderful
pattern has followed right down through time up to our present
day. But how few people really follow
and rest on that seventh day. But what a mercy it is that we
still have it. And so here we have the statement,
let's read it. For he spake in a certain place
of the seventh day on this wise, and God did rest the seventh
day from all his works. And in this place again, if they
shall enter into rest. Seeing therefore, it remaineth
that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first
preached enter not in. because of unbelief. If you follow
the pattern we have in the life of the children of Israel, we
realize there were very few in the end who came out of Egypt
by comparison with the great multitude that were delivered. And we know that there were only
those who were over 40 years old, because all of those died
in the wilderness. who had not believed those who
were over 20 years of age. So it was a solemn situation. Those who disobeyed God over
20 years of age never came into the Promised Land. And we can
read that quite easily, can't we? But to think that it has
a reference to each one of us, really, because we have the promised
land of glory set before us. And the Lord has given us wonderful
directions how to live our life on this earth. And of course,
really one of the most important statements as we have here in
this word, because they could not enter in because of unbelief. What a blessing it is if God
gives you and me faith, faith to believe the truth of God. We should be so thankful because
the Word goes on to tell us again, He limiteth a certain day saying
in David, today, After so long a time, as it is said today,
if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Left to ourself,
mankind hardens his heart. And the result is, he says, I
will not have this man to reign over me. I will not obey his
laws. I will not do his will. And so we see how many today
follow that pattern and do not follow the gracious words, but
their hearts are hardened. Well, it's a warning for all
of us, isn't it? Not to be left, to harden our
hearts. And really that means to rebel
against almighty God. And he goes on, for if Jesus
had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken
of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest
to the people of God. And that's a promise. And that's
something that the Church of God can rely upon. as you and
I travel on through this wilderness, just like Israel did of old.
They were in a wilderness, they had to travel through it. We're
in a wilderness, we have to travel through it. But what a great
blessing it is if God brings us safely home to the promised
land, brings us safely home to glory. And therefore, he tells
us, there remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. That's a wonderful thing to be
able to look forward to. For he that is entered into his
rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from
his. Let us labour therefore. It's
not easy, the journey's not easy, the opposition's great, but let
us labour. Let us labour therefore to enter
into that rest, to come at last safe home to glory. That means
to seek for grace to turn away, from all the vanities of the
world, which drag us down and drag us away from that celestial
place. And so he, for he that entereth
into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did
from his. Let us labor, therefore, to enter
into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of
unbelief. unbelief is spoken of many times
in the Word of God. And in the third chapter of this
same epistle we read, and in the twelfth verse, take heed,
brethren, lest there be any of you have an evil heart of unbelief
in departing from the living God. Easy it is to turn away. Easy it is to find ourselves
wandering in the broad way which leads to destruction. What a
blessing if God keeps us in that narrow way which brings us at
last home to glory. And then he says, For the word
of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged
sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and
of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts
and intents of the heart. You see, God's Word penetrates
and it shows to us the evil which exists within us because of our
sin, because of that fall which we've inherited from our forefather
Adam. And so he says here that this
great truth and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of
the heart. God knows every thought and every
intent. Neither is there any creature
that is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and
open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. We cannot
hide from God. We cannot hide anything from
God. We cannot hide our thoughts from God. He knows everything. And how striking that is and
how important it is that we may recognise this important truth. Seeing then that we have a high
priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast our profession, hold to the great truths of the
gospel. The devil wants us to cast them
away. He wants us to perhaps think
that we have an easier life, but there's no more blessed life
than following the Lord Jesus Christ, that despised and crucified
man. and we have him described, for
we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings
of our infirmities. He knows all about us, but was
in all points tempted like us. We are, yet without sin, a brother
beloved. Our gracious God fully understands
the temptations that we face because he faced them on this
earth. but he didn't fail and he didn't
sin. And may that be a wonderful consideration
for us as we are faced with temptations and that prayer the Lord spoke
to his disciples is so wonderful. Lead us not into temptation but
deliver us from evil. Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find
grace to help in time of need. That's a gracious and glorious
invitation to unworthy sinners to come to the throne of grace. And it's lovely to see we have
a word like this to come boldly We may perhaps be timid, we may
think sometimes we cannot do it, we're just too bad. It doesn't
say about that. It just says, come boldly unto
the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to
help in time of need. Well, may we prove it tonight,
the mercy and blessing of Almighty God.