The Word Cuts Both Ways
Hebrews 4:11-16
The passage we are studying this morning is often cut out from the Book of Hebrews and preached by itself. This isn’t improper as it adds to our understanding of the power and discernment of the Word of God. We tend to equate “Word of God” with the Bible as the infallible and sufficient Word of God for our salvation. I would certainly affirm both. But I also feel that this passage becomes even richer when we understand it within the context of the Book of Hebrews. Let us not discover this better understanding. turn your Bibles to Hebrews 4:11-16 and let us read the text.
The Book of Hebrews should best be understand as a sermon rather than a letter. It is also helpful to remember that this sermon would have been read by the elder of the church or by someone who could read. A good reader would add the gestures and tome to the letter to make the hearer sound as if the writer of the sermon was physically present. Speaking and writing are processes by the brain differently. Speaking is rich because the speaker uses these gestures and inflection of voice to add meaning to the words themselves. A writer has to add these cues to a written document to tell us this information such as: “He pleaded with them....” But there is no rewind button on speech, at least not in the days before sermons could be recorded. But we are blessed to have this book in writing because it is a very rich book. But even the writer admits that it can be difficult to understand. The use of repetitions in the sermon addresses the lack of a rewind button. The author knows that this sermon will be spoken and writes it the way he does.
The Book of Hebrews is written in excellent Greek. It is highly structured and uses what grammarians call :discourse markers.” these markers are used to connect the previous thought to the next one in some matter or another. This provides for a rich context to the passage. For example, verse 11 uses the discourse marker “therefore.” We automatically process this marker to tell us that the following words are a conclusion to the previous words. In this case, it tells us how and why we are to respond to what has just been said in chapter 4. In this passage, The author uses the 95th Psalm to warn the readers of the dangers of falling into unbelief. this unbelief will cause one to fall short of the Sabbath rest (heaven) that awaits for those who persevere in the faith. In the Old Testament, the wilderness generation for the most part fell into unbelief and perished short of entering into the lesser rest of Canaan land promised to Israel. So we need to understand the passage we are studying this morning is connected to this theme.
Verse 11 then tells us that we must be most diligent in order to enter this rest that God has prepared for the believers. The warning of the dangers of unbelief goes back to Hebrews 2:1. The author repeats this warning throughout the sermon, including here. The exhortations to remain faithful unto the end serves as a warning that the Christian can fall short of heaven and perish even as the wilderness generation. This causes those who hold to the doctrine of eternal security (Once saved, always saved) some pause to think. Can a believer commit apostacy? If it were not possible, the writer to Hebrews would not have argued this way but would argue it in the sense that if you backslide, one’s current life will be miserable and one would lose his heavenly reward although that person would be saved as through fire. It would be deceptive to make an appeal based upon an impossibility. One could say that such a person was never truly a Christian, but that is another argument for another day. We need to take the warnings of Hebrews seriously. the conclusion is that the one who perseveres in faith enters the Sabbath rest. The one whose faith fails perishes eternally.
What does it mean to be diligent? In other words, “What shall we do to make sure of our salvation? there are many, like John Wesley, who tell us we should be diligent into attending to what is called “the means of grace.” One of these is attending to the public worship. Hebrews would agree with this when it tells us to “not forsake the assembling of ourselves together as the habit of some is.” Other means of grace include prayer, fasting, communion, and others. The context here tells us that the Word of God is a means of grace. We see the connection here in the use of the discourse marker “for” at the beginning of verse 12 which provides us additional information on what diligence is. “For the Word of God is living and powerful. It is sharper than any two-edged sword. But what is meant by the Word of God here? We have already affirmed that the Bible is the Word of God. But the Word of God is also a person. This person is Jesus Christ. The idea of the Word of God links back to the very beginning of the Book of Hebrews. The subject and main verb of the very long first sentence in the book is “God spoke.” The rest of that first sentence tells us to whom God spoke, when God spoke, and how God spoke. Then Hebrews begins to tell us about Jesus which is God’s final word to us. God speaks to us in the things Jesus taught us, and he also speaks to us by what He has done and who He is. Later on, Hebrews tells us that God speaks also by the Holy Spirit.
God still speaks to us today by both the written Word, the Bible, as well as by the Holy Spirit by whom we understand what God has spoken to us in and by Jesus Christ. So what we hear in this morning’s passage speaks to our hearts as well. Not only must we be diligent to study His Word, but we must study it prayerfully, asking the Spirit to illumine the Word in our hearts. The Word of God is living and dynamic. It is not the static words in the pages of a book. Jesus tells us that His very words are life itself.
The text goes on to say that it is sharper than a two-edged sword. This is a military metaphor. The sharp two-edged sword made the Roman Legions something to be feared. We should remember that any weapon is only as good as the skill of the person who wields it. A scalpel in the doctor’s hand is an instrument of healing. A scalpel in the hands of a two-year old is the cause for terror as that child presents a danger to himself and others. The roman soldier also had to be able to use his weapons in coordination with the rest of the unit. Constant drill and practice makes for success. In a like matter, we need to be trained in the proper use of the Word of God and learn as a church to wield this great sword together. Great damage has happened at the hands of unskilled use of the Scripture. This has caused harm to the preacher as well as to the flock. How diligent the teachers of the word must be. Being sloppy with the handling of God’s word makes one vulnerable to all kinds of heresy. Teachers are warned in Scripture that they will receive the greater condemnation. Let us be diligent in our teaching, and let the hearer be diligent to listen. Hebrews tells us in chapter 13 to obey our leaders.
When it was used properly, the sword could cleave joints and marrow. For the Christian soldier, the Word of God is able to discern the thoughts of our hearts as well. We are told that everything is bare and exposed before Jesus. The first of the two Greek words here is the word we normally translate “naked.” No one wants the thoughts of their hearts exposed and more than being found naked in public. The second word is very interesting. It literally means to expose the front of the neck. The neck is the most vulnerable part of the body. When a king in the Ancient world captured the enemy leader, he would lay the vanquished on his back and put his foot upon his throat. The victim was entirely helpless and could only hope for the grace of the captor. The victor could offer grace or step down on his victim’s throat, killing him. We learn earlier in Hebrews what this means here when Psalm 110:1 was quoted. “Sit thou at my right hand until I make thy enemies thing footstool.” Jesus is the vanquishing King whose finished work on the cross awaited for the time that the Father would place His enemies at His feet. In other words, Jesus would place His foot upon the neck of His enemies. We can see in the Garden of Gethsemane in John 18 where the Roman soldiers and the temple guard fell backward when Jesus identified Himself as “I AM.” They exposed their throats when they did so. But Jesus showed grace upon them at this point in order that the Father’s plan might be accomplished. He even restored Malchus; ear which Peter had rashly cut off with his sword. We should be warned that Jesus will return one day to judge the living and the dead. One will either have His neck exposed or will fall on his face in worship before Him. One will enter into eternal condemnation and the other into eternal life. But Jesus is Lord and King of all.
This is indeed a frightening thought which should cause us to think. what joy there is to remain faithful unto the end that we might enter into His rest. But we also have terror that we might lose our faith and fall short, even as the Children of Israel did int he Wilderness. Are we any better than they? Only Joshua and Caleb from that generation entered into Canaan. The rest perished because they lack faith. Indeed, it would seem that the odds are greatly stacked against us. Psalm 24 tells us that only those with clean hands and hearts can come and enter into His Temple. Now for the good news. Hebrews now tells us that Jesus is not just the Eternal King, He is also the Eternal High Priest. The One with whom we have to contend with is also our great High Priest who knows all about our weaknesses. We will also soon be told that not only is He the High Priest but His is the one and sufficient sacrifice for our sins. Christ comes as the better Joshua who will lead us into eternal life and rest. It is this which we must be diligent to keep in our memory. Our future will not be determined by our failure but his success. His willing sacrifice of Himself proves His willingness to save us. this should make us prostrate ourselves before Him in thanksgiving.
The Book of Hebrews is filled with rich theological truths. However, it is not directly a theological treatise on the person and work of Christ. all of this rich theology has the practical purpose of encouraging us to continue in faith. There are a lot of theologians who do not believe in Jesus who have been inspired by the book. But theological truth must be mixed with faith. The Children of Israel saw the mighty work of God in parting the Red Sea as well as other mighty works. Yet their faith failed in times of trial. Just appreciating the theology and understanding its power and influence is not enough. We must apply these truths to our heart in faith.
The recipients of this ancient sermon were under great stress to deny their faith in Jesus in the light of increasing persecution. Likewise, there are many Christians being persecuted today, and the rest of us are experiencing the greater threat of persecution. Even the test of COVID-19 has shattered the faith of many. Many have turned away, and many others are discouraged. We need to fortify our hearts that God is who He says He is, will do what He has promised, and is able to perform what He has promised. It is not just the deceitfulness of sin which discourages us but the threats and trials facing us, Let us therefore be diligent to attend upon His promise to us.
