Introduction/background
Recently I watched a movie called Minority report. In the movie, there are three psychics (pre-cogs) that can look into the future, they foresee the occurrence of future crime and hence prevent it from happening.
The pre-cogs are supposedly never wrong, in fact the movie tells us that sometimes they can disagree and one of them can submit a minority report.
Today’s message is also about a minority report.
We live in a democratic society, majority rules.
If we can go along with majority’s view – fine. Otherwise, what are our options? We have basically two options:
1. abandon our position, and follow the crowd.
2. maintain our position and face the consequence of not part of mainstream.
These were also the dilemmas facing the early Christians, who were the original audience of the letter. We mentioned last time that initially they were considered to be a sect of the Jewish faith. Then gradually, because of their belief in Jesus, they were separated from the synagogues, sometimes they left, other times they were ex-communicated. They were despised by the society and always under pressure to renounce their faith.
The former US President Bill Clinton in a speech delivered last December summed it up very well. That’s what he said: “From the dawn of human society up to the present time, we have been bedevilled by a persistent curse: the compulsion people feel to define the meaning of their lives in positive terms with reference to those who are like them racially, tribally, culturally, religiously, politically, and by negative reference to those who are different. People then feel compelled to oppress those who are different when they are small and powerless enough not to prevent it”.
Can we be facing the similar challenge? Perhaps not exactly with the same intensity that the early Christians faced. But like it or not, even we live in a so called western Christian society, I hope you will agree that the predominant value system and belief in today’s society is not the Judeo-Christian faith but rather materialism and humanism. Christians like it or not are a minority group in most societies. Hence, we always face pressure to conform especially in a materialistic and atheistic society. We always face the temptation to follow the crowd, if that means to abandon our principles and sometimes even our faith, we may succumb to it if the pressure or the temptation are too great.
This pressure to conform is probably greatest among young people and teenagers. Charles Swindoll in his book Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, p. 225 gives this illustration: “A few years ago psychologist Ruth W. Berenda and her associates carried out an interesting experiment with teenagers designed to show how a person handled group pressure. The plan was simple. They brought groups of ten adolescents into a room for a test. Subsequently, each group of ten was instructed to raise their hands when the teacher pointed to the longest line on three separate charts. What one person in the group did not know was that nine of the others in the room had been instructed ahead of time to vote for the second-longest line. Regardless of the instructions they heard, once they were all together in the group, the nine were not to vote for the longest line, but rather vote for the 2nd longest line. The experiment began with nine teen-agers voting for the wrong line. The stooge would typically glance around, frown in confusion, and slip his hand up with the group. The instructions were repeated and the next card was raised. Time after time, the self-conscious stooge would sit there saying a short line is longer than a long line, simply because he lacked the courage to challenge the group”.
How did the author of Hebrews combat this danger? this temptation to conform?
He adopted a two-pronged strategy. He gave encouragement on one hand and warning on the other.
Encouragement
From Chapter 1, he reminded his audience the exhorted status of Jesus. To continue this theme, he contrasted Jesus with Moses here in Chapter 3.
Why is it necessary to contrast Jesus with Moses? If in Chapter 1 the author already said He is greater than the angels?
Moses in Jewish faith is the prophet par excellence. Num 12:6-8. He was the mediator between God and the people. He was the emissary (apostle) to the court of Pharaoh. He performed the priestly function (Ps. 99:6). No one has the higher status than Moses in the OT. Some Jewish tradition even says he is higher than the angels.
Hence, the author contrasted the status of Jesus and Moses.
Jesus, is our apostle (emissary of God to proclaim the word of God 1:1) and high priest (mediate between God and us for our sins).
The author aligned Jesus with the founder of the house and Moses with the house that is being found. Jesus is involved in building the house and thus deserves greater honour than those who merely belong to the household.
So the author reminded us the esteemed position of Jesus in God’s household and since we are associated with Jesus by faith, we have nothing to fear.
Secondly, the author reminded us the mediative role of Jesus as our high priest before God. Let us jump ahead to look at 4:12-13, the image of God here as the judge is countered by God the protector/helper in 4:16. What sits in between these two images? It is the brokerage or mediation of Jesus. This can be both a tremendous source of comfort but also a stern warning.
We can take great comfort because we have Jesus as our great high priest, He has now gone into heaven interceding for us. He understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! Through we have access to the throne of God and received kindness and help (Heb 4:14-16).
However, we should also be mindful of the danger of drifting away. To lose this mediation through falling away would be to lose access to God’s throne of grace and to enter God’s throne of judgement and execution (DeSilva). This brings us to the warning passages.
Warnings
On one hand, the author encouraged them by contrasting Jesus with Moses and by their association with Jesus.
On the other hand, the author warned them by referring to a familiar historical incident recorded in the Bible concerning the Israelites.
This is the minority report we mentioned at the beginning.
Heb 3-4 refer to a rest. The quote is from Psalm 95:7-11, which in turn is based on Num 13,14. Psalm 95:7-11 succinctly summarises the incident in Number 14.
Background of Num 14.
The Israelites had travelled from Egypt to Kadesh-Barnea. They were on the verge of entering Canaan. After they left Egypt, followed by the crossing of the Red Sea, they finally arrived at the entrance of the Promised Land. There should be a sense of excitement and anticipation as they were prompted by God: “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan which I am giving to the Israelites” (Num 13:1-2).
Twelve spies were sent to survey and spy on the land. The purposes of their mission were specifically stated in Num 13:17-20.
After 40 days, they returned from their mission with both encouraging reports and worrying signs. On one hand, the land was indeed fruitful (Num 13:23-24) and flow with milk and honey (Num 13:27) as the Lord promised. On the other hand, the land was well fortified and the inhabitants were formidable opponents (Num 13:28-29, 31-33). By contrast, the Israelites were like grasshoppers. The majority of the spies concluded: “the land we explored devours those living in it” (Num 13:32).
However, this majority report was challenged by Joshua and Caleb (Num 13:30, 14:6-9). While not disputing the facts, they firmly believed this land could be conquered according to the promise of God. They were however overruled by the majority and even their lives were threatened.
Here the Israelites committed the sins of distrust and disobedience. They did not trust God would overcome the obstacles in front of them. And they disobeyed God’s command to take possession of the land. As a consequence, the entire generation with the exception of Joshua and Caleb perished in the wilderness.
The author tried to compare the historical situation with the current audience. Both have good news preached to them (4:1-2). The promise to enter God’s rest stands before the current generation just as it had stood before the Israelites.
There are two important concepts here we need to understand: the author repeatedly mentioned the phrase: “entering God’s rest” 3:18,19, 4:1,3,5,6 and “today” 3:7, 13, 15, 4:7.
Despite the views of many scholars, the “rest” is not referring to Canaan or present salvation but future promise of God. If they have already possessed the rest, then the author would not need to urge them to enter the rest. Hence, he reminded the audience not to be complacent. We have not arrived yet; it is something that they (and we) should “strive earnestly to enter” (4:11).
If “entering the rest” is a reminder for us not to be complacent, the message of “today” is an urgent reminder for us to accept God’s promise. The wilderness generation already missed the opportunity of “today”, the author reminded his audience not to miss the opportunity to accept God’s invitation. God’s promise is still available, but it won’t last forever. If we keep on delaying the opportunity to accept God’s promise, one day we will live to regret it.
Dr. George Sweeting wrote in Special Sermons for Special Days: "Several years ago our family visited Niagara Falls. It was spring, and ice was rushing down the river. As I viewed the large blocks of ice flowing toward the falls, I could see that there were carcasses of dead fish embedded in the ice. Gulls by the score were riding down the river feeding on the fish. As they came to the brink of the falls, their wings would go out, and they would escape from the falls.
"I watched one gull which seemed to delay and wondered when it would leave. It was engrossed in the carcass of a fish, and when it finally came to the brink of the falls, out went its powerful wings. The bird flapped and flapped and even lifted the ice out of the water, and I thought it would escape. But it had delayed too long so that its claws had frozen into the ice. The weight of the ice was too great, and the gull plunged into the abyss."
The finest attractions of this world become deadly when we become overly attached to them. They may take us to our destruction if we cannot give them up.
At this point, it may be worthwhile for us to examine whether we have the same hardness of heart as the Israelites.
There are four questions we can ask ourselves (Lane):
1. Do we also possess the hardened heart? Do we care more about human opinion than the counsel of God?
2. Do we also have these “giants of the land” to prevent us from accepting the promises of God in our lives?
3. Do we have a constant tendency to grumble and to complain?
4. Do we have a tendency to conform rather than to follow our conviction?
The final warning comes from 4:12-13. If the first two warnings are to guild us from complacency and procrastination, then this warning is to guild us from self-deception. We often thought sins committed in private are not sins. Here the author reminded us that nothing can escape from the scrutiny of God.
4:12-13 is not a proof text for the doctrine of Scripture. It rather explains why “to enter God’s rest” should be the first and foremost priority in our lives.
The image of these two verses is that of a defendant being hauled before a judge, whose eyes can penetrate into the depths of the soul, and therefore the guilt of the defendant. Nothing can remain hidden or unpunished forever.
Exhortations/conclusions
Finally, what are the practical lessons we can learn in these two chapters?
First, we should fix our thoughts on Jesus (3:1). We should appreciate the esteemed position of Jesus in God’s household, if we associate with Him, we are also accepted into the household of God and en joyed the privileges Jesus gained for us through His sacrifice.
Second, we should understand and accept the urgency to repent. Today won’t last forever (3:12).
Third, we should encourage each other daily (3:13). After all, this is why we come to worship together, and to pray together and to study the bible together. Even though we may belong to the minority group in today’s society, we should not and need not feel alone as we have the support and encouragement from each other.
Finally when we are facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles, let’s us hear the voices of Joshua and Caleb in our midst and take heart to enter God’s rest.
Let’s us pray.
