Where do we find true rest in a world gone crazy? Like Israel do we find true rest in a Sabbath or a land? Is there a land anywhere in this world where we can find true rest from all our problems and worries? Let’s find out what our true rest is, by looking at Hebrews 4.
Is His Rest the Sabbath
Hebrews 3:8, 11 “Do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me, As in the day of trial in the wilderness… As I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’” They rested each Sabbath, but did not enter rest? Is His rest the promised land?
Hebrews 3:18-19 “And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.” Disobedience is here directly linked to unbelief. Is entry into His rest by faith?
Is His Rest the Land
Hebrews 4:1 “Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.” Keeping Sabbath and entering the land did not give rest. They only picture His real rest. What is it?
Hebrews 4:6 “Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience” They kept Sabbath. So, the Sabbath is not the rest. There is something deeper. Why did they not enter His rest? Disobedience.
Another Day
Hebrews 4:7 “He again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.” Sabbath and land did NOT give Israel His rest. It is available today, any weekday.
Hebrews 4:8-9 “For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.” Joshua led Israel into the land but not to rest, there remains another rest and another Joshua, (Yeshua) Jesus.
Hebrews 4:10 “For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.” Salvation’s gift is not of works (Ephesians 2:8-9). “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
Neither Moses nor Joshua gave Israel rest. Sabbath and promised land were only a foretaste of the true rest God promises. Otherwise in Psalm 95 David would not have said that today, if we would hear His voice, we can enter the rest that neither Sabbath-keeping, nor Promised-Land-inheriting Israel entered.
Enter that Rest
Hebrews 4:11 “Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.” A greater rest than mere cessation of labor is intended, a rest from sin. We enter that rest because Jesus has already accomplished the work.
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” God sees our sin weariness.
The written, spoken and personal Word of God is alive and powerful. The Word of God cuts right through all pretense to perform spiritual exploratory surgery, discovering our innermost thoughts and intentions. “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
Hebrews 4:13 “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” Nothing is hidden and nothing is secret with God (Luke 8:17). God knows our thoughts (Psalm 139:2).
Hebrews 4:14 “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.” Jesus, our high priest, passed through the heavens, to enter heaven’s Holy of Holies. Hold fast; don’t fall away from this truth.
Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus was not a cold and aloof high priest. He fellowshipped and suffered with sinners, but without sin.
Hebrews 4:16 “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” This is His rest, not a day or a land in this world, but rest in His mercy and grace.
Conclusion
“She [Mary] will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) One way to think of salvation is as a rest from all our mistakes and the consequences of our wrongdoings. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28-30) Let us come!
Hebrews 4; Matthew 11:28-30; Luke 8:17; Psalm 139:2; Matthew 1:21
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
