Hebrews 4:1
Part i
Let Us Therefore Fear
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. (Hebrews 4:1)
The Message From The Abyss
Chapter 4 verse 1 is a verse for all men. It is a verse of divine thought and contemplation; for what is before man, the man who has not Christ? We need to contemplate the eternal endless torment in the lake of fire with no hope. Why don’t we ask such a man that is without hope?
There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: (Luke 16:19)
And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, (Luke 16:20)
And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. (Luke 16:21)
And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; (Luke 16:22)
And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. (Luke 16:23)
And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. (Luke 16:24)
But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. (Luke 16:25)
And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. (Luke 16:26)
Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: (Luke 16:27)
For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. (Luke 16:28)
Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. (Luke 16:29)
And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. (Luke 16:30)
And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. (Luke 16:31)
Should not this message from the abyss bring fear to the heart of man? We have the finality of the whole matter laid before us. The Lord Jesus did not introduce this as a parable, and any redeemed soul would see the finality of the judgment of God against the wicked and the eternal fires of hell. The modernist either refuses to preach on this section of Scripture, or when they do preach on this section they make sure that you believe that this is a fairy tale. This is no fairy tale, beloved! And an unsaved man reading this section of Scripture should truly fear the Lord — Let us therefore fear lest this comes upon us. This was a distinct statement of discord by the Lord Jesus to the Pharisees, it was a continuation of His condemnation against them in the history of this particular rich man. We should see the reality of Luke Chapter 16; we must see the natural actions of the unsaved that they resist the truth of God, and the longer that God’s truth is resisted the greater will be their punishment in the lake of fire. The Lord Jesus is trying to awaken the hearts of the Pharisees on what lies ahead for them. You would think that the natural reaction of these men would be to fear the Lord. And that each one of them would consider his final destination, for it is fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Lazarus
The Lord presents to us a beggar by the name of Lazarus. We see by the text that the Lord Jesus considers Lazarus as one of His own; however, in this life Lazarus was a beggar. He was feeble and sick, and waited for a few morsels or crumbs from the table of the rich man; while he ate with the dogs they licked his sores. The rich man, however, was clothed in purple robes, he strutted around like royalty, and he had need of nothing. The Lord Jesus went on to tell us that this poor beggar Lazarus died, and God sent His angels to bring Lazarus home to Abraham’s bosom. This was a familiar term used by the Jews; it depicted a place of peace and rest from all the trials and sorrows of this life. We could say: Abraham’s bosom was an expression of heaven. This is our place of rest. Lazarus was brought into God’s presence by God’s holy angels. All his suffering and trials were over. He was in the bosom of God, and had a glorified body that God had given to him. Notice in the text from the book of Luke that there is no mention of Lazarus being buried. God left out any form of burial for Lazarus simply falls asleep; and in that sleep he was transported by the angels of God. In John 14 the Lord Jesus said, Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. (John 14:1) In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2) In John 14 the Lord Jesus declared how He is going to give peace and to prepare a place for His own. In Luke Chapter 16, we see His own being carried by the angels of God to the very place that was prepared for Lazarus. This should take every bit of trouble away from the heart of the redeemed; for God in His divine redemption has prepared a glorious place in His glory for each and every child of God.
The Rich Man
Let us now consider the rich man: he also died, but of him we read, he was buried. There were no angels, but a descent into hell. When the rich man awakes he awakes in the eternal fires, he opens his eyes and finds himself in a place of torment and suffering. Through the smoke and the fire, however, he sees Abraham far off, but not only Abraham, he sees Lazarus as well, and there Lazarus dwells in Abraham’s bosom. There is no mention of any conversation by or to Lazarus; it seems that all the cares of the past and his sufferings have been completely erased. He is truly in God’s rest. The rich man, however, was in torment, and asked Father Abraham to have mercy on him. In our lives this could be a friend, a family member now gone out of the reach of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ wandering endlessly in the smoke and fires of torment with no hope and without God. Why should we be in fear of this place? Because without Christ it is an endless state of torment, an endless state of suffering; as heaven was a reality to Lazarus, so hell was a reality to the rich man. This place is prepared for all who have rejected God’s Christ. As they mocked Him on the cross, they still mock Him today; consequently they are preparing their eternal destiny in the lake of fire. The rich man was in such deep torment that he begged for merely one drop of water to quench his agony. Think of the condition of state that just one drop of water would quench or cool his torment. The Holy Spirit of God makes sure that each and every one of us realize that he was in a state of torment, and that torment was the flames and suffering of hell. Some say that there is no consciousness after death, I would like you to tell the rich man that, for he was very conscious of his suffering and torment. These are his words repeated by many over and over, I am tormented in this flame. This flame is continuous, it is one flame ever burning, but not consuming. The description is continuous torment. It is not only a condition, but in the text it is a place of torment. And in this place of torment the rich man had a real and vivid memory of his life and also remembered the sufferings of Lazarus. For Abraham said to the rich man, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things. It was in his lifetime or time of life given to him, he had full recollection of the period of time that he was on earth. Now I will set some food on the table: in thy lifetime the Almighty has a remembrance, this remembrance continues after your death. God remembers each and every transgression that you commit upon this earth. The only way your transgressions or sins can be forgotten is through the blood of God’s dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, there is a record, and the Lord Jesus is declaring this record before the Pharisees that Jehovah remembers. And as the rich man, they also would remember in their torment in the lake of fire. According to the rich man’s confession, he remembered quite well. His memory was clear and not clouded. So many today while they are in this life, when they are confronted or brought before a magistrate for their sins or transgressions declare with no shame, I do not remember, or I do not recall. This is all buried, however, in their conscience and they will remember each and every moment in the heat and torment. The fires actually stirred his memories, and Abraham makes sure that he understands that it was in his lifetime that these transgressions were committed. His was a specific life, separated from other men, and yes, that means that every man will have to face his own sin and his own penalty for that sin without Christ. In this text the Holy Spirit, working behind the words, brings out that he had a opportunity in this life to help Lazarus, and yet, refused.
Scriptural Examples of Compassion and Kindness
Remember David: when Saul and Jonathan were killed and their houses destroyed there was only one left, a cripple by the name of Mephibosheth. David in compassion and his love for Jonathan brought Mephibosheth to David’s own house and gave him a chief place at David’s own table. Mephibosheth was brought in by David’s kindness and grace just as Lazarus was carried to Abraham’s bosom.
We could also consider the Samaritan as he was conducting his business and traveling, he came upon a poor soul who had be beaten and robbed and left for dead. Others had passed by, even religious men had crossed over to the other side of the road, but this Samaritan had compassion on this poor helpless victim. His conscience and the Almighty would not let him pass by. He had every excuse to go on his way for apparently he was on the way to a business transaction. He put all that aside to help this poor man. He dressed his wounds, put him on his own beast, and found a safe haven for him, and then provided funds for his care, and instructed the inn keeper that if there was any added expense that he would pay it on his return. Not only did he have compassion on this man, but he determined in his heart that when time had gone by he would return. This showed a determination for the man’s welfare. He wanted to see the man totally restored to health.
Let us consider the rich man in torment. He had no such memory, he could not say like David, I gave him a place at my table; he could not say, I dressed Lazarus wounds and sores, and gave him a safe dwelling. And yet his memory told him just the opposite, for he remembered seeing the dogs lick the very sores of Lazarus and not lift a hand to help this poor beggar. He would have visions of Lazarus grabbing for crumbs among the hungry dogs. Even the hungry dogs would have compassion in letting Lazarus take the crumbs. Have you ever tried to take a bone away from a hungry dog? Do you understand the scene that God is putting before us? That these dogs are portrayed as having more compassion then the rich man. They allowed Lazarus to eat the crumbs and seeing his misery they even licked his sores. The beasts had more compassion than man who was created in the image of God. Do you realize that the image ceased the day that Adam brought sin into the world? We also realize that the very first seed of Adam was a murderer. So it is no great thing for this ungodly rich man to have no compassion and no feeling of compassion for this poor beggar named Lazarus.
Accountability
God wants us to know in verse 25 of Luke 16 that this rich man had the good things in life, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things. There is a reminder of the good things that the rich man had. Not only that he would remember, but he would feel the weight for in all those good things he did not help Lazarus who received evil things in his lifetime. The Holy Spirit in Luke 16 is giving us a formula of self accountability to God. We are to examine our ways in this life while one has breath. There has to be a godly sense of compassion towards those who have not, and for those who are suffering. God wants to see if there is any generosity in our hearts. We saw generosity in the Samaritan and in David, but none in the rich man. Your generosity could be a test of God, a test of your soul and spirit, and this test could be just for you. Would you help, or would you walk on the other side of the road? But there will always be a memory. When God the Holy Spirit gives a conviction that conviction is written down, you either obey it or you turn away from it, but always remember, Jehovah remembers. There will be many who will have complete recollection of their lives, of their selfishness, of their sin, and of their deceptions; all will come to memory in the lake of fire.
The Mind and Heart in Self Examination
The tragedy is that there is no return or escape from the suffering pit. The apostle related this very simply in Hebrews 4:1, Let us therefore fear. These are not just words on a piece of paper, these are words given of the Holy Spirit of God. This does not leave the writer without responsibility for I am accountable for every thing I speak or write. God does not deal in generalities. He is specific with both fact and detail, all surrounds His truth. When I write I am responsible for each and every line. I am not telling or directing people in their life, I am reflecting on my own life before the Almighty God. If you will, I am drawing a portrait of my life every day before the Lord Jesus Christ. What goes through my mind, what I see, the thoughts of both my heart and soul are all before God. And there will be a day of accountability even for the children of God — yes, we have escaped the lake of fire through the finished work of Christ. We must walk worthy of our calling, and listen with all intent to the voice of the Spirit of God. There is a vast gulf fixed between the unsaved and those who are redeemed. They will have many memories of what took place in their life on earth. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth; there will be tears and sorrow in the torment of fire. What is going through your mind right now? We must have a mind of recollection, a mind of examination, and cast that forth in the light of the Spirit of God. The rich man lifted up his eyes, but there was nothing he could do. The cross of Christ was far beyond his reach, and there was not salvation for his soul. The differences and distance between the rich man and Lazarus were great. The one difference, however, that has preeminence is the divine grace that was given to Lazarus by the love of God through the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the individual responsibility that a man with plenty should help the man with little. Paul speaking to the Corinthians tells us that those who have much should share with those who are less fortunate. Of course, it would be a wonderful world if this was the norm, but it is not. But that should not stop the godly man from helping and sharing with those less fortunate. This does not have to be through a building, or an organization, the simplest thing in the world is from one hand to another.
The rich man was not condemned because he did not belong to a charity, or a religious group; he was condemned because he had the opportunity to help a helpless beggar and would not. There is no greater joy in the world then to reach out with a helping hand, not looking for gain, nor prestige among men, but simply being a good Samaritan. On that lonely road that day as the Samaritan walked he had no idea that his act not only would be remembered by God, but all the people of the world would use the term, ‘good Samaritan,’ and the people of the world not even knowing the root or the beginning of that saying. God has made sure that the people of this world has remembered this for over 2000 years, and God will remember the Samaritan’s kind act for eternity.
The Simple Story
I will tell you a story, I do not know it’s origin or even if it is true, but it was related to me and I will pass it on to you. There was a motorist broken down beside the road, he simply had a flat tire; his car was old and ragged and it was a typical hot day in Florida. And to top that off whoever put the wheel on must have used a 20′ pipe. The man was a senior and struggled in the intense heat. Then a fine and fancy new car went speeding past, the only vehicle in the last twenty minutes. The old man struggled and finally got the tire changed. Tired, he continued on his way about 10 miles further on he saw that fancy car parked beside the road, and yes, it was the very same car that sped by him. The trunk was open and a tall bewildered young man was staring into the trunk. He was trying to figure out how to begin. Still wet with his sweat and the memory of his own dilemma the older man pulled in and parked his old car. His wet and tired state did not deter him; and as he walked up to the younger man he asked if he could help. The young man said, I have a flat tire and I have never changed a tire before. The senior said, I will be glad to help; he therefore kindly changed the man’s tire, and while doing so he instructed and showed him every step of the way. When he was done they both walked to the front of the car, the young man remembered that same old car beside the road that he had sped past without any thought, and he asked the older man, Why did you stop? The older man said, The Lord would not let me pass by. Perplexed, for as a church member, the younger man did not have that feeling when he sped by the old man. What was this wonder that the old man had, he even refused the payment of thanks of a twenty dollar bill. The old man had no motive and was just happy to help. Once again, the younger asked, Why did you stop? The old man replied, Many years ago a man I did not know stopped heaven and earth for me on a lonely cross above Jerusalem. He died for my sins, and gave to me eternal life and salvation freely. They prayed together and another church goer came to Christ on the lonely road without a building or a steeple, no preacher or congregation, just two souls brought together by the Almighty. And yes, not only would they remember that day, but Jehovah remembered it as well.
Safe and Secure in God’s Rest
Let us, therefore, fear and understand the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ for when we cross this road of life and we leave this world to go into the glorious presence of our Lord Jesus Christ — as we fall into our sleep — the angels of God will carry us into the Savior’s bosom. The apostle Paul is beckoning the Hebrews to examine themselves in the light of Christ and not in the light of the law. He wanted them to know for certain that they were in Christ and had entered into God’s rest.
We are in Chapter 4, however, let us reflect on the first three chapters. Chapter 1, the Holy Spirit presents to us the majesty of the God of eternity with the first word — God; then in Chapter 2, it begins with the word, ‘Therefore,’ this is the chapter where man must consider what the God of eternity has done for them. In Chapter 3, it begins with ‘Wherefore,’ God presents to the individual that he should consider the God of heaven through his journey through this life and his wanderings through this wilderness. And now in Chapter 4, we need to have the surety of the ground that we stand upon; for the Spirit speaketh expressly that we might have the result of the conviction of our soul. We must know of assurety that we have life in the Lord Jesus Christ. As we study Chapter 4, God will display His eternal rest before us, and we have the unction of the Holy Spirit that none should fall short of this rest. This is the message of the Spirit of God concerning your standing in Christ. God’s rest is not added to your salvation it is part of your salvation. When God works His divine miracles and creates a new being in Jesus Christ, that being is for ever in God’s rest. God tells us that in this rest we have ceased from our own works. Man always takes pride in his works, however, man’s pride is cast away in the rest which is of God. For we stand on the finished work of Christ, and each and every child of God has entered into His rest. Amen.
© Copyright 2016, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)