"For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it."
Hebrews 4:2
Why is it that people can hear the preaching of the Word of God so differently? With some, any little bit of the Word is soaked up like water in a sponge. Others can hear it and have no response to its truth at all. Our verse for today gives us one answer to this question.
“For unto us was the gospel preached,”
“Lit. we have had good tidings proclaimed to us” [1] (translation, Vincent).
This “good news” here in Hebrews chapter four is that the “rest” God promised, has been proclaimed to us. That is excellent news for the believer. We do not depend upon our own merits for salvation. Our “salvation rest” provides us rest in Christ through salvation that only He can give. And our “submission rest” provides our inheritance in Christ by our submission to Him.[2] We started into His rest as we trusted Him as our Savior. And as we submit to Him, we enter His rest. This could never have happened to us without this “good news” being shared with us.
“As well as unto them:”
We are not the only ones who have been given “good news.” They also, the Children of Israel, heard the right message but would not enter His rest (v. 6), because they did not believe what they were told (see Deuteronomy 12:9; Joshua 21:43-45; and Hebrews 3:11). They would not trust in God or in His promise of provision for them. They came up to the border of the land, but would not go in.
“But the word preached did not profit them,”
They received the same message but to no profit. The truth of the good news did them no good. How is it possible that they heard the same word but did not receive it? They did not take it to heart. In their case, we know the reason for their failure to enter into God’s rest for them…
“Not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”
No faith! Faith is what makes the difference in how the message is received. Active faith is the difference between believing the Word and not believing.
“He [the author] says that although the good tidings were announced to them, they did not profit them. The word did not profit them because it (the word) was not assimilated by faith in those that heard. They did not make the promise of rest their own. Their history was marked by continual renewals and rejections of the promise” [3] (Vincent).
“For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them: We have heard the promise of God’s rest, just like the children of Israel did. They heard the word, but it did not profit them, because they did not receive it with faith” [4] (Guzik).
Believers, remember, “we walk by faith and not by sight!” Believe what you read and what you hear from God’s Word!
[1] M.R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, the electronic version in eSword.
[2] These terms, “salvation rest,” and “submission rest” are borrowed from Dr. Warren Wiersbe.
[3] M.R. Vincent, ibid.
[4] Guzik, David, David Guzik’s Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword.