Hebrews 3-4. Entering into the Lord's Rest

Read Hebrews 3:8–4:16 and the institute student manual commentary for Hebrews 3:11, “What Does It Mean to Enter into the ‘Rest’ of the Lord?” (p. 383). Write answers to the following questions:

• What group of people was refused entrance into the Lord’s rest? Hebrews 3 refers to the people Moses led out of Egypt. 

• What sins caused them to forfeit this privilege? They had evil and hatred in their hearts and did not believe. 

• How does Doctrine and Covenants 84:23–24 help define what is the Lord’s rest? D&C says how it is "the fullness of His glory" that those who are obedient will receive the final, eternal gift.

• What sins did Paul repeatedly warn against so as not to incur the same punishment? Paul encouraged us to not harden our hearts so we would not make the same mistakes and experience the same grief and consequences every time. 

• How do you think the warnings in Hebrews 3:12–15 apply to us? Each day we need to constantly teach one another to not harden our hearts so that we do not fall into the deception of sin. 

• List the counsel found in Hebrews 4 that will help a person enter into the rest of the Lord. This chapter teaches how "rest" means to return to the presence of God and receive his "fulness" which He has for us; exaltation. It also means to have peace  of conscience and strength in this life. 

• How do Matthew 7:21–23; John 7:17; James 1:22 help in understanding how the word needs to be “mixed with faith”? (Hebrews 4:2–3). We need to truly have faith in the things that are taught to us, and act upon them. It would be hypocritical to preach a certain principle, but not live by the principle ourselves.