Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Dead and Destroy

The Greek Meanings of  "Dead, Destroy, Lost, etc."

Luke 15:21-24
And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, 
and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, 
Bring forth the best robe, and put [it] on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes 
on [his] feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill [it]; and let us eat, and be 
merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. 
And they began to be merry.

• dead; 3498; nekros
Definition: dead
Usage: (a) adj: dead, lifeless, subject to death, mortal, (b) noun: a dead body, a corpse.
3498 nekrós (an adjective, derived from nekys, "a corpse, a dead body") – dead; literally, "what lacks life"; dead; (figuratively) not able to respond to impulses, or perform functions ("unable, ineffective, dead, powerless," L & N, 1, 74.28); unresponsive to life-giving influences (opportunities); inoperative to the things of God.
3498 /nekrós ("corpse-like") is used as a noun in certain contexts ("the dead"), especially when accompanied by the Greek definite article. The phrase, ek nekron ("from the dead"), lacks the Greek article to give the sense "from what is of death."
The word for "lost" here is (apollumi) meaning, he was cut-off

Matthew 2:13
And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and 
be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy 
him.

Matthew 5:17
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, 
but to fulfil.

John 2:19
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise 
it up.

1 Corinthians 3:17
If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is 
holy, which [temple] ye are.

1 Corinthians 6:13
Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now 
the body [is] not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.

Revelation 11:18
And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that 
they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and 
shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

Matthew 2:13
• destroy; 622; apollumi; 
Definition: to destroy, destroy utterly
Usage: (a) I kill, destroy, (b) I lose, mid: I am perishing (the resultant death being 
viewed as certain).
622 apóllymi (from 575 /apó, "away from," which intensifies ollymi, "to destroy") – properly, fully destroy, cutting off entirely(note the force of the prefix, 575 /apó).
From the base of 3639.
622 /apóllymi ("violently/completely perish") implies permanent(absolute) destruction, i.e. to cancel out (remove); "to die, with the implication of ruin and destruction" (L & N, 1, 23.106); cause to be lost (utterly perish) by experiencing a miserable end.

Matthew 5:17
• destroy; 2647kataluó; 
Definition: to destroy, overthrow
Usage: (lit: I loosen thoroughly), (a) trans: I break up, overthrow, destroy, both lit. and met., (b) I unyoke, unharness a carriage horse or pack animal; hence: I put up, lodge, 
find a lodging.
From kata and luo; to loosen down (disintegrate), i.e. (by implication) to demolish (literally or figuratively); specially (compare kataluma) to halt for the night -- destroy, dissolve, be guest, lodge, come to nought, overthrow, throw down.

John 2:19
• Destroy; 3089luó; 
Definition: to loose, to release, to dissolve
Usage: (a) I loose, untie, release, (b) met: I break, destroy, set at naught, contravene; 
I break up a meeting, annul.
3089 lýō – properly, loose (unleash) let go; release (unbind) so something no longer 
holds together; (figuratively) release what has been held back (like Christ "releasing" 
the seven seals in the scroll in Revelation).

1 Corinthians 3:17
• destroy; 5351phtheiró;
Definition: to destroy, corrupt, spoil
Usage: I corrupt, spoil, destroy, ruin.

5351 phtheírō (from phthiō, "perish, waste away") – properly, waste away, corrupt (deteriorate); (figuratively) to cause or experience moral deterioration – i.e. decomposition (break-down), due to the corrupting influence of sin.
[This root (pht-) literally means "waste away" (degenerate), "moving down from a higher level (quality, status) to a lowerform.]

1 Corinthians 6:13
• destroy; 2673katargeó;
Definition: to render inoperative, abolish
Usage: (a) I make idle (inactive), make of no effect, annul, abolish, bring to naught, 

(b) I discharge, sever, separate from.
2673 katargéō (from 2596 /katá, "down to a point," intensifying 691 /argéō, "inactive, idle") – properly, idle downrendering something inert ("completely inoperative"); i.e. being of no effect(totally without force, completely brought down); done away with, cause to cease and therefore abolish; make invalid, abrogate (bring to nought); "to make idle or inactive" (so also in Euripides, Phoen., 753, Abbott-Smith).
["2673 (katargéō) means 'to make completely inoperative' or 'to put out of use,' 
according to TDNT (1.453)" (J. Rodman Williams, Renewal Theology "God, the 
World & Redemption," 389).]

Revelation 11:18
• destroy; 1311diaphtheiró;
Definition: to destroy utterly, to spoil, corrupt
Usage: I destroy, waste; hence met: I corrupt.

1311 diaphtheírō (from 1223 /diá, "thoroughly," which intensifies 5351 /phtheírō
"defile, corrupt") – properly, thoroughly corrupt, totally degenerate (disintegrate); 
waste away by the decaying influence of moral (spiritual) impurity; "utterly corrupt"; becoming thoroughly disabled (morally depraved), "all the way through" ("utterly decayed").
[Vine, Unger, White (NT, 130), "1311 (diaphtheírō) comes from dia, 'through,' 
'intensive,' to corrupt utterly, through and through." The noun form, 1312 
(diaphthorá), likewise means "thorough decay."]

John 3:15-16

John 10:28

Monday, March 18, 2019

Hebrews 6:4-6 (Explained)

Solving The Major Riddle of Hebrews (Hebrews 6:4-6)
• So now comes one of the primary challenges in the entire New Testament
(Hebrews 6:4-6) 
• The "believing" Jews were tempted of danger by those that kept the Law of Moses to turn from Jesus Christ and to blaspheme His name.
• Remember what Saul did, before his conversion to the apostle Paul?
• Saul (before being renamed Paul) was persecuting the Church at one time, so he knew exactly what was going on.
Acts 26:9-10
New American Standard Bible
So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 
10 King James Bible
Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, 
having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, 
I gave my voice against [them].
• The Lord Jesus had to confront Saul to open his eyes.


Acts 26:13-14
At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. 14 And when we 
were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? [it is] hard for thee to kick 
against the goads. 15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom 
thou persecutest.

• Jesus is telling Saul that he was persecuting Him all over again, by persecuting His church.
• And now the apostle is telling those church members who are considering turning 
their backs on Jesus Christ that they were in danger of a relapse and forfeiting their inheritance.
• They were being compelled to publicly curse the name of Jesus Christ.
Acts 26:11
And I punished them oft in every synagogue,and compelled [them] to blaspheme;
and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted [them] even unto strange 

cities.
• The Jews that were still keeping the "Law of Moses" were compelling the Christian 
Jews to blaspheme the name of Jesus and turn back to Judaism.
• The writer of Hebrews is telling them;
4] For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5] And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6] If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify 
to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame.

• Weren’t these believers? Yes! "those enlightened"!

• They were once enlightened;
• They have tasted of the heavenly gift;
• They were made partakers of the Holy Ghost;
• They have tasted the good word of God, and powers of the coming age "of the world 
to come".

• Can these readers lose their salvation?

• The apostle Peter denied Jesus three times!
Matthew 26:74-75
Then began he to curse and to swear, [saying], I know not the man. And immediately 
the cock crew. 75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, 
Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.
• How does this passage impact your views of Eternal Security?

Preparation for this Session:

• Reexamine Numbers 14, then study carefully Hebrews 6 and formulate your own 
analysis of this passage and how it impacts your perspective of Eternal Security.
(There are 16 different views of this passage by various commentators!)

Alternative Views of Differing Scholars:

• These are professing, but not real, believers.
• Truly saved, then permanently lost.
• “impossible”means “difficult.”
• Repetitive lost and resaved, to a limit.
•Refers to Old Testament sacrifices.
• Purely hypothetical...
…and variations of each of the above.
4] For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
• This is the beginning of one long sentence (Hebrews 6:4-6).
• It identifies the first three of five qualifiers:
1) Once enlightened
2) Tasted the heavenly gift
3) Partakers of the Holy Ghost.
5] And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
The two remaining qualifying participles:
4) "tasted the good word of God"
5) Have seen miracles and signs (Hebrews 2:4)
“...world to come: World is the Greek word, aion : which is singular, a space of time, 
an age (not plural: “ages,” or “world”)
Specifically: Meaning the Messianic Age.
• They have understood the glory that awaits Christ and his Metachoi in the coming Millennial Kingdom, but they have turned away to go back to the world.
• They are in the same position as the Exodus generation at Kadesh-Barnea, refusing to
go forward to fight for their inheritance because of fear of the giants.

Qualifying Participles:

6] If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify 
to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame.
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural
Fall awayStrong's Greek 3895: parapiptóto fall in, into or away, to fail
From para and pipto; to fall aside, i.e. to apostatize.

Participle Dependencies:

• Notice in the Greek reading, verses 4 through 6 form one long sentence, modified by tenses of a series of participles.
• A participle is a form of a verb that is used to form complex tenses, such as “as loving” and “as loved” in English, and may also be used as an adjective.

adunatos

          (impossible)                                                   verse 4
              parapesontas              Aorist – completed action
                         (fallen away)
              anastaurountas           Present active
                         (crucifying)                                           a continuing
                                                                                     action
              paradeigmatizó     Present active (verb)
                         (publicly ridiculing, make a public example of)                 

                                              anakainizein eis metanoian         

                                           (being restored by repentance)
                                                                                  verse 6

• The string of participles that modify the adjective “impossible,” (adunaton) adunatos, are described as leading to an impossibility of being renewed (or restored) to repentance (anakainizein eis metanoian).


• anakainizein; to renew; from 340, anakainízō; the Greek, (from 303 /aná, "up, completing a process" and kainizō, "make new," which is derived from 2537/kainós, "new in quality") – properly, to restore (bring back) by renewing; literally, "make qualitatively new." See 342 (anakainōsis).
• eis; 1519; the Greek word meaning, to or into (indicating the point reached or entered, of place, time, purpose, result)
• metanoian; from 3341; the Greek word meaning, change of mind, repentance. See:3340 metanoéō (from 3326 /metá, "changed after being with" and 3539 /noiéō, "think") – properly, "think differently after," "after a change of mind"; to repent (literally, "think differently afterwards").

Hebrews 6:4-6
For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to 
renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame.

Matthew 12:32

And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: 
but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither
 in this world, neither in the [world] to come.

Grammatical Analysis:

• The impossibility continues during the present state of the one crucifying and in the present state of ridiculing Jesus Christ.
The grammar of the passage connotes that the main verb of the sentence (i.e., the verb “to be”), and its descriptive aorist participles that modify it in verses 4-5, are all limited and defined by the present tense of the participles in verse 6.
• That is, the actions described by the aorist participles occur during the time of the crucifying to themselves and the public ridiculing.
• After the person stops these two actions, at which time these behaviors become past tense activities as soon as they are ceased, the impossibility of renewal or restoration no longer applies, since they no longer are present tense activities relating to the word “impossible.”
• Once these two present actions cease, by the apostate person the impossibility to save this person is removed.

Matthew 26:69-75

69 Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou
also wast with Jesus of Galilee. 70 But he denied before [them] all, saying, I know 
not what thou sayest. 71 When he had gone out to the gateway, another [servant-girl] saw him and said to those who were there, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth."  72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. 73 And after a while came unto [him] they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art [one] of them; 
for thy speech bewrayeth thee. 74 Then began he to curse and to swear, [saying], 
I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. 75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
And he went out, and wept bitterly.

• If the impossibility were described by the author as being permanent, the two present tense participles would have to have been described with aorist participles

• The Apostle Peter denied Jesus three times, was he "impossible" to save?
• The answer of course is no!
• Jesus reinstated Peter, when Peter saw that his own strength could not save him.
John 21:17
He saith unto him the third time, Simon, [son] of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

Hebrews 6:6

If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame.

• The Apostle Peter denied Jesus three times and put Him to an open shame, but because he did not do it to purposely spite the Lord Jesus, he was not a true "apostate."


Matthew 19:25-26

When his disciples heard [it], they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can 
be saved?
26 But Jesus beheld [them], and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but 
with God all things are possible.

Hebrews 3:17-19

17 And who was He provoked with for 40 years? Was it not with those who sinned
whose bodies fell in the wilderness? (Holman Christian Bible Translation)
18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them 
that believed not? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

• The apostate crucifies Christ on his own account by virtually confirming the judgment 
of the actual crucifiers, declaring that he too has made trial of Jesus and found Him no true Messiah but a deceiver, and therefore worthy of death. 
• The greatness of the guilt in so doing is aggravated by the fact that apostates truly count Jesus as a curse in their heart. 

Hebrews 10:28-29

28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, 
wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit 
of grace?

• “This was the crime the Hebrew Christians were tempted to commit. A fatal step it must be when taken; for men who left the Christian Church and went back to the synagogue became companions of persons who thought they did God service in cursing 

the name of Jesus”.

Matthew 18:12-13

How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? 13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that [sheep], than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

Hope For The Hopeless:

• The author uses the present tense, thus giving hope to those who might otherwise be hopeless.
• If the author had used aorist participles, for the verbs “crucify” and “ridicule,” anybody who fell away for a season could never be renewed to repentance.
• In any case, the impossibility referred to is an impossibility to being restored to repentance, not to restore “salvation”(justification)
• And the restoration to repentance is connoted by the verbs as occurring only during the time described by the two present tense participles.
1. Peter denied knowing Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:69-75; Luke 22:54-57; John 18:15-27)
• Jesus restored Peter.
2. Jesus had once told Peter to forgive 490 times;

Matthew 18:21-25

21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, 
and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy 
times seven.

Luke 17:3-4 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke 

him; and if he repent, forgive him.
4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
Luke 9:56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save [them]. And they went to another village.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; 
but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Our Immutable God Numbers 14:

• The Israelite's had angered God so thoroughly that He swore on His name they 
would not enter the Promised Land.
• Inheritance is the key, that is what they lost, not their salvation.
• God made up His mind, and He would not repent.

Lets reexamine Numbers 13 & 14:

• All were “saved by the blood,” when they trusted the Lord and had put lambs blood upon the doors, yet only two entered into their inheritance!
• Inheritance is the key concerning these scriptures!

Numbers 13

16] These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.
17] And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you 
up this way southward, and go up into the mountain:
18] And see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they 
be strong or weak, few or many;
19] And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds;
20] And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes.
21] So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath.
22] And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, 
and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before 
Zoan in Egypt.)
23] And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with 
one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of 
the pomegranates, and of the figs. {brook: or, valley}
24] The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence.
25] And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.
26] And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.
27] And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.
28] Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.
29] The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.
30] And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
31] But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.
32] And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.
33] And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Numbers 14

1] And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that
night.
2] And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!
3] And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
4] And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.
5] Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
6] And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:
7] And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.
8] If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.
9] Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.
10] But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.
11] And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?
12] I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.
13] And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;)
14] And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.
15] Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,
16] Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.
17] And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,
18] The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
19] Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.
20] And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:
21] But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.
22] Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
23] Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:
24] But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.
25] (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.
26] And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
27] How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.
28] Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mineears, so will I do to you:
29] Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me,
30] Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
31] But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.
32] But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.
33] And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.
34] After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.
35] I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

Hebrews 3:17-19

But with whom was he grieved forty years? [was it] not with them that had sinned,
whose carcases fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom sware he that they should 
not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

36] And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,

37] Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD.
38] But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still.
39] And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.
40] And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned.
• They changed their mind—repented—but it was too late. God did not.
• Therefore they suffered defeat when they subsequently attempted to enter.

Lesson God is jealous about sharing His glory! :

• Those to whom He shows great and mighty works and His glory should take heed. The impossibility of repentance in Hebrews 6:6 might be on God’s part, not the individual’s!

Hebrews 12:16-17

Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat 
sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
• metanoia is the Greek word, a change of mind, as it appears to one who repents, of a purpose he has formed or of something he has done.

Genesis 27:32-40

And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau. And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed. And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father. And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing. And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son? And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. And Isaac his father answered and said unto
him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

The Judgement Seat Of Christ For Believers:

Hebrews 6
7] For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth
herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
8] But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing;
whose end is to be burned.
• People expect rain to produce and bring forth herbs but the result for fruitlessness will be rejection or disapproval.
The timing for this approval or rewarding will come at "The Judgment Seat of Christ":
1 Corinthians 3:10-15
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is 
Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, 
wood, hay,stubble; 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work 
of what sort it 
is. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

The Bema Seat Of Believers:

• They are believers; their justification is not at issue (Cf. 1 Corinthians 3:15).
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
• Judgment, not mercy, will emanate from the Bema seat, with a just recompense of reward for works—positive and negative as appropriate (Matthew 18:23-35; 24:42-51; 25:14-30; Mark 8:34-38;
Luke 12:1-12; 41-48; 19:11-27).

God’s Oath Unchanging:

9] But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
10] For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye
have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do
minister.
• Believers who press on to maturity receive God’s blessing of rewards for the Messianic Kingdom because they have lived a useful life for the Lord.
11] And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
12] That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
“..inherit the promises” Which promises were optional?
13] For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
14] Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
15] And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. Abraham exercised twenty-five years of patient endurance to obtain the promise of Isaac.
16] For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
17] Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
• The oath renders it immutable—unchangeable: not open to “repentance.”
18] That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
19] Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
1) When Abraham was 75 years old, God promised him a son. The promise contained the content of the covenant (Genesis 12).
2) The promise with an oath was given when Abraham was 99 years old (Genesis 17). The promise and the oath were the unconditional guarantees of the covenant.
20] Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
• By mentioning the order of Melchizedek, the author picks up where he left off (Hebrews 5:10).
• Earlier he told his readers why they might not be able to understand these difficult truths (Hebrews 5:11-14).
• Having again encouraged them to press on to maturity, he is now ready to expound on the Melchizedekian Order:
Hebrews 7:21
For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:

Here is a quote from the late Dr. J. Vernon McGee that is very interesting.
"Hebrews 5:2
Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

We have a great high priest, He could say when He came to the end of His ministry, “Which of you convinceth me of sin?” 

John 8:46
Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

Those men had been with Him three years, and if there had been anything wrong, why they would have known it, He was impeccable. He didn’t commit any sin.
But the important thing is He can have compassion on the ignorant.
Now what does it mean on the ignorant?
Well that refers to sin of ignorance.

Leviticus 4:2 Sins Of Ignorance:
Leviticus 4:2 
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any 
of the commandments of the LORD [concerning things] which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them: 3 If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of 
the people;then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering.

You don’t think that you have committed a sin in the past few days, and you feel like that you have been living high on the heights!
I’ve got news for you! You commit sins of ignorance, that you don’t even know about. And Jesus takes care of that, He can have compassion on the ignorant.

You see, in:
Proverbs 14:12
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.

Isaiah 53:6
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Sheep go astray, not goats, goats seem to be smarter than sheep! Sheep go astray, all we like sheep have gone astray.
And Aaron was compassed with infirmities, but Jesus Christ was touched with the feeling of our infirmities.
He knows how we feel about these things, He knows our weakness, He’s a perfect mediator.

I’ve always felt that the passage in the book of Isaiah, when Israel went through the wilderness and they fell, that somehow or another when they fell that He (Christ) fell with them.

But very candidly, that’s not what he did.
When they fell, He didn’t fall, but He was there all of the time to be a representative, He was able to lift them up!
And to keep them from failure that is the important thing and I recognize that it was not possible for Him (Jesus) to fall at all.
He did not get down into the dirt with them He was there to lift them out of the dirt.

He has compassion on the ignorant, He is the perfect mediator.
Now the problem with Aaron is, Aaron might have condoned those that had committed the sins, that would always be a danger.
He might condemn those who committed sins that he himself did not commit, and he may have condemned them of sins that he did not commit (because of self-righteousness).

Jesus Christ is able to show mercy, and he neither condones nor condemns, He can extend mercy when we come to Him, to make confession of our sin.
He does not give us a little lecture about doing better the next time, He doesn’t say, “Oh shame on you!” He doesn’t do that at all.
He just extends mercy to us, “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just”, a High Priest, to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
It’s wonderful to have a High Priest, like that."