KJV Hebrews 4:3
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JST Hebrews 4:3
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For 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.
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For
we who have believed do enter into rest,
as
he said,
As
I have sworn in my wrath,
If they harden their hearts they shall not enter into my rest;
also, I have sworn, If they
will not harden their hearts, they shall enter into my rest;
although
the works of God were prepared, (or finished,) from the
foundation of the world.
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The JST helped a lot on this
particular verse to make it coherent. Without the JST, it seems like Paul is
quoting something that says God makes an angry oath concerning those entering
His rest, as though that is not where they (or anyone) is supposed to be. The
KJV also makes it seem as though the work of salvation was finished before the
world started, and a few more people trying to be saved is an awful attempt to
mess things up.
All in all, a very confusing
idea of God, His plans, and the significance our choices have.
On the other hand, the JST
shows us Paul is paraphrasing Psalms 95:7-11 and simply collapsing the
important appeals together.
7 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,
8 Harden
not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the
wilderness:
9 When
your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.
10 Forty
years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do
err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:
11 Unto
whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.
The important parts of those
verses indicate that if someone hardens their heart against the truth, God
swears they will not enter His rest.
The JST then adds the
positive side of it too—those who do not
harden their hearts obtain a divine oath that they shall enter the Lord’s rest. And there is no anger associated with that oath.
Also, the JST shows us that
God prepares His works from the foundation of the world, not finishing them in
the sense that everyone is already sorted into “saved” and “damned” groups.
Rather, the divine machinery to save man is put in place with Christ’s
atonement and messengers, and church, and so on. Man need only receive it and
not harden their hearts against it.
So what is this rest Paul
speak of, which we can enter? “For we who have believed do enter into rest.” He
speaks of believers in Christ. We must believe in Christ enough to repent, and
then we can have rest from the gnawing burden of sin. We must believe in Christ
enough to pray for grace, and then we can have rest from the despair of our
besetting weaknesses, frailties, and faults.
I had a little experience
just yesterday with entering into the Lord’s rest. I had a nagging feeling at
the back of my mind for about three or four days that I had done something
wrong and I needed to make it right. It was such a little thing that I
questioned whether it was really necessary. But finally, I decided I needed to listen, so I fixed it and
repented. And immediately, I felt
at peace. It was real. And just think, that peace and rest is offered to each of us
if we will just respond to the Lord’s calls!
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