EPISODE 625 – THE 5 BETTER NOTS 4 (Gleanings From the Book of Hebrews)

THE 5 BETTER NOTS 4

(Gleanings From the Book of Hebrews)

“This is what the scripture says: “If you hear God’s voice today, do not be stubborn, as your ancestors were when they rebelled against God.”

Hebrews 3:15 (Good News Translation)

These gleanings from the book of Hebrews under the subject matter: THE 5 BETTER NOTS, are going to help you get deeply rooted in the revelation of the Lord and also to remain resolute in faith amidst this season of contradictory doctrines.

There are many glorious things Christ had accomplished for the saints.
And the adversary knows the only way the believer wouldn’t enjoy these things or the glorious inheritance which Christ has accomplished and the things Christ is presently doing for the saints is when they disregard the Words of Christ.

Thus, the need for the author of  Hebrews to warn the saints.

Someone reading this may think “I am a believer in Christ and not a Hebrew. Therefore the message is not written to me and not a crucial matter for me as it may be for the Jews.”

It is a fact that the Epistle was written with details which will help bring the Jews into the understanding of what Christ has done. However, all scriptures are written for our learning (Romans 15:4).

Everything written in the scriptures is for all who believe in the Lord as Abraham believed.

“So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.” Galatians 3:9 (New Living Translation)

Moreover, the “Jews” (there is more to say about the name Jews, but we’ll look into it later), are not the only Hebrews.

To get into the Second warning the author of Hebrews gave in his epistle, we must understand who a Hebrew is.

In truth, the first Hebrew wasn’t a Jew. In the scriptures, Abraham was the first to be called a Hebrew.

“… Abraham the Hebrew…” Genesis 14:14.

And this verse was the first time the word “Hebrew”  was used in the Bible

The word Hebrew speaks of one who had come from the other side of the river. To be a Hebrew means to be a river crosser. It means one who has passed over from the other side.

In the days of Abraham, he was technically the only one who believed in the only one God. All those who were of his tribe believed in other gods. And these people were beyond the river.

When Joshua was helping the new generation of Israel elders and heads of the tribes to understand their roots, he made profound pointers to help them understand what it means to be a Hebrew.

Let’s look at the summary of what Joshua said:

“And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.
And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac…And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat. Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
Joshua 24:2-3,13-15 (KJV)

From Joshua’s Prophetic utterance, you can see that he established the distinction between the Hebrew (Abraham and his descendants) and those who remained on the side of the flood or the river. To be a Hebrew is a symbolic reality of one who has departed from idols to serve the only true God.

To be a Hebrew suggest something more spiritual than ones genetic status. It is more about your spiritual connection than your physical location.

Do you know the believer in Christ can also be referred to as a Hebrew?

Has the believer in Christ not passed over from death to life?

The believer in Christ has crossed over or transversed or passed over from the power of darkness to the kingdom of the Son?

Precious saints, by the revelation of the scriptures you are also a Hebrew.

This means you must highly esteem the writings in the book of Hebrews as a message of the Lord to you. Every matter addressed must be taken to heart.

Which means as the Lord warned the Hebrews through the author of the epistle, the Lord is also warning you.

1. DON’T DISREGARD THE WORD OF CHRIST TO YOU.

2. Second warning:

DON’T DOUBT GOD’S WORD!

As you can see in the opening verse:

“This is what the scripture says: “If you hear God’s voice today, do not be stubborn, as your ancestors were when they rebelled against God.”
Hebrews 3:15 (Good News Translation)

Abraham who is the first Hebrew, didn’t  disregard the Word of the Lord that came to him to leave his tribe to a land where the Lord will show him. He didn’t also doubt the Lord.

To act stubbornly towards the Word of God is to demonstrate a hardened heart. This is what produces doubt. To doubt the Word of the Lord is to deny the potency of His Word.

When you deny the potency of the Word of God in your heart you have automatically submitted your heart to another voice which is not of God.

This was the condition of the Israelites who couldn’t enter their inheritance while they were in the wilderness. These Israelites who doubted the Word of the Lord died in the wilderness without witnessing the land God promised them. They couldn’t enter and enjoy the rest of God. It wasn’t that God was wicked, it was because their DOUBT resisted them.

Your greatest limitation is the doubt in your heart.