- Who is the author or Hebrews referencing in 4:2 when he says “but the message they heard did not benefit them, since they were not united with those who heard it in faith”? (Hint see 3:9)
- How is entering Jesus’s rest similar and different from the rest the Israelites experienced coming into the promised land?
- How is faith tied to obedience and unbelief tied to disobedience?
- How does a person’s actions reveal what they truly believe?
- In 4:12, what is the word of God compared to? What is the word of God able to do?
- In 4:12-13, what is comforting and what challenging to you about these two verses?
- What is the difference between Jesus as our great high priest compared to the high priests that served in the tabernacle on behalf of the Jewish people? (Read Leviticus 16)
- What did Jesus as our high priest enable us to do that the Jewish people could never do under their high priest?
- How are we to approach God throne and why can we approach God in this way?
- What message would be sent to the surrounding people if the Hebrew Christians returned to Jewish sacrificial practices?
Application:
- How have I received mercy and found grace in Jesus recently?
- What have I personally experienced/found when I have approached God’s throne of grace?What things may be keeping me from feeling like I can approach God’s throne?
- Like the people being tempted to return to a system of sacrifice that was null and void, what types of things am I tempted to turn to for help, comfort, acceptance or relief outside of Jesus?