February 2, 2012 – Hebrews 3 – 4

Another definition look-up.

Midrashic - an early Jewish interpretation of or commentary on a Biblical text, clarifying or expounding a point of law or developing or illustrating a moral principle. Footnote for 3:1-6.

I think sometimes we have a short memory. We forget what God has done for us and lose our focus in our Spiritual journey. Here we see a warning against that and the use of Israel in the wilderness as an example. Even thought they saw God’s miracles, were released from slavery, had Manna in the dessert, they were disobedient and lost faith. We are called to not lose that faith, to remember what God has done for us and to continually rely on God.

The idea of entering into God’s rest and the relationship with the Sabbath is interesting. Here, it does not relate so much to a day of the week, but the eternal Sabbath that comes after all time or that we enter into after our earthly life is over. Everyone will rest at that time. Whether you enter into God’s rest, depends on whether you did God’s work. God did His work and on the 7^th day rested. We are called, not only to live this out on a weekly basis, but throughout our lives to do God’s work, so that we can enter into His rest on the Eternal Sabbath. I don’t think I have ever seen it explained that way before.

Pierced by a two edged sword is something that we discussed in a Bible study I was in. I had the imagery that a two edge sword would be used more for piercing, for finding the crack in the armor and piercing it. It seems that with a one edged blade, you are striking at the person instead of trying to pierce them. Think of a sword stabbing verses an axe chopping. This may not be historically accurate with weaponry, but it was no accident that a two edge sword is described and described as piercing. God is not a glancing blow, He is a piercing strike that drives deeply into us.