Hebrews repeats the promise to carry God's Old Testament assurance of faithfulness into the believer's New Testament experience.
The writer of Hebrews pulls from the Old Testament and applies the warning against unbelief directly to his readers. Les teaches that Hebrews was written primarily to Jewish believers and that believers face temptation daily, so the promises are there to be held onto. The repetition shows that God's faithfulness was never limited to Israel alone, but also extends to the church.
Hebrews 4:14-16 — This New Testament passage reveals how the repeated promise of God's help is meant to encourage believers to hold fast and approach the throne of grace.
Hebrews 3:7-11 — Hebrews repeats the Old Testament warning against unbelief, showing why the same kind of assurance is given again to a new audience.
Hebrews 3:7-11 quotes the Old Testament, reminding readers of the wilderness generation that hardened their hearts and was barred from entering God's rest. Hebrews 3:12 warns against an evil heart of unbelief and departing from the living God. Hebrews 3:13 encourages daily exhortation so that believers are not hardened through sin. Hebrews 4:14-16 points to a great high priest who was tempted in every way like us, and calls believers to approach the throne of grace with confidence to receive mercy and help in time of need.
Les teaches that the original promise was given to Joshua in the Old Testament as Israel prepared to enter the land, and that setting was directed to the nation under the law. In Hebrews, the same assurance is repeated for believers in the age of grace. Hebrews, written primarily to Jewish believers, quotes the Old Testament and comments on it, applying the lesson to believers who face unbelief and temptation. Les emphasizes that Israel is an earthly people with earthly promises while the church is a heavenly people with heavenly promises—so the repeated promise is not a guarantee of material reward, but of God's faithfulness and presence in the spiritual battle.
Hebrews 3:7-11 quotes the Old Testament and tells readers not to harden their hearts as Israel did in the wilderness. Then Hebrews 3:12-13 applies that warning to the readers themselves, telling them to take heed and to exhort one another daily. Les points out that the writer moves from quoting the text to commenting on it, making the analogy current for his audience. Because believers face temptation every day, the repeated promise in Hebrews 4:14-16 gives them something concrete to hold onto.
Les teaches that the original Old Testament promise was given to Israel in its national setting, but Hebrews applies the same faithfulness to New Testament believers. Hebrews was written primarily to Jewish believers, so the readers would recognize the Old Testament language. At the same time, Les is careful to distinguish Israel as the earthly people with earthly promises from the church as the heavenly people with heavenly promises. The repeated promise therefore does not guarantee earthly prosperity for the church; it guarantees God's spiritual presence and faithfulness.
Rahab's Shocking Faith — How a Harlot Ended Up in Jesus' Genealogy
Unto thy seed have I given this land from the river of Egypt. Now I'm even going to be a little bit lenient. I'm not going to call it the Nile. I think there was another river back in antiquity a little ways east of the Nile, which was called the river of Egypt, but whatever. So unto thy seed have I given this land from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.
Promises to hold onto in daily temptation
But God is faithful, who will not permit you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it." Well, while we were having a break and a cup of coffee, I happened to think of a verse back here in Hebrews. So turn with me a minute to Hebrews chapter 4, because it goes along this same line.
Hebrews written primarily to Jewish believers
It is stark unbelief. That's all their problem was. Now, we've used it before, but, you know, I'm great on repetition. Go to Hebrews chapter 4. In fact, I think we used it maybe just—time goes fast, I know, but I think it was just a few weeks ago, but I'm going to use it again because I think it is so appropriate for you and I right now today at this present time.
Quoting Psalm 95 about Israel's wilderness unbelief
And that is in Hebrews chapter 3, Hebrews chapter 3, this is a new Bible, you can tell it, the pages are still stuck together, I had to borrow one this morning. All right, Hebrews chapter 3, and begin at verse 7, Hebrews chapter 3, verse 7, "...Wherefore, as the Holy Spirit saith, today," you see now he's quoting from Psalms 95, "...
Applying the warning against unbelief to brethren
Now verse 12, you see Paul I think wrote Hebrews, now he's departing from the actual text, and he's commenting on it. So he says, "...take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of immorality," an evil heart of any other sin you can name, but an evil heart of what? Unbelief, see unbelief, "...in departing from the living God.
The writer making an analogy from the wilderness generation
as the Holy Spirit is in the provocation, in the day of temptation or testing in the wilderness, when your fathers tested me, and proved me, and saw my works for forty years, wherefore I was greed with that generation, and I said, They do always err in their heart, and they have not known my way, so I swear in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest.
God's promises stand regardless of Israel's behavior
And then in verse 16 it says, "'And thy house and thy kingdom shall be established forever, before thee thy throne shall be established forever.'" Now, that's a promise that God has made, and regardless of what Israel does, God's promises stand. They will never be broken. All right, let's turn quickly to another verse that might help us understand, and I'd like to take you to Jeremiah.
Israel earthly promises vs. church heavenly promises
Now remember, the closing comment I made on my land three, four weeks ago now, was that Israel is the earthly people with earthly promises. Do you remember that? The church are a heavenly people with heavenly promises. Nowhere in our church-age doctrine are we promised that simply because we're obedient to God and we're faithful in all the things that God will reward us financially, materially.
Hebrews 3:7-8: 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:
Hebrews repeats the Old Testament call to hear God's voice and not harden the heart, showing why the promise is re-stated.
Hebrews 3:12: Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
The warning against unbelief is applied directly to the readers of Hebrews.
Hebrews 4:15-16: For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
The promise of help is tied to Christ's high priesthood and the throne of grace.
Psalm 95:7-8: 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:
This is the Old Testament passage Hebrews quotes to warn against unbelief.
1 Corinthians 10:13: There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Les pairs this promise of God's faithfulness with Hebrews 4 to show believers what to hold onto.
2 Samuel 7:16: And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
A reminder that God's promises to Israel are not broken, while Hebrews applies the spiritual assurance to believers.
The Old Testament promise had a national context for Israel, but Hebrews reapplies the principle to believers. Les teaches that the church is a heavenly people with heavenly promises, so the repetition is spiritual rather than earthly.
Believers face temptation every day. Les points to Hebrews 4:14-16 as a promise to hold onto, and Hebrews 3 warns against unbelief. The repetition gives confidence in spiritual conflict.
No, Les teaches that earthly material blessing is not part of church-age doctrine. The promise assures God's presence and faithfulness, not financial reward.
Watch the Teaching: Rahab's Shocking Faith — How a Harlot Ended Up in Jesus' Genealogy