HEBREWS 10 God’s Rest (Heb 4:1-3)

“Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world.” (Heb 4:1-3)

The author of Hebrews says that the exodus story is just like our spiritual journey of salvation. God’s purpose for us is not just to forgive our sins and free us from the slavery of death. His ultimate plan is to restore his kingdom on earth and lead us to His eternal kingdom.
 
We were saved by believing in Jesus. That was a good start. But, that’s not the end. We must continually make every effort to keep our faith until our salvation is made complete in the promised eternal kingdom of God. As Paul said, we’re to be careful that we don’t fall even when we think we’re standing firm.
 
We’re to hold our original conviction firmly to the very end, and for that we should try to listen to God’s voice and encourage one another so that our hearts don’t become hardened.
 
The story of the exodus and the Israelites’ failures and rebellion were written as warnings, and we should heed those warnings, but we shouldn’t worry too much.
 
While it’s true that there are meaningful similarities between our salvation and the story of the exodus, there’s one major difference. They didn’t have Jesus, but we do. And, this one difference changes everything.
 
The Israelites couldn’t overcome their sinful nature and weaknesses in the wilderness, but we can do that through the precious blood of Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. Even though we’re so weak that we often find ourselves stumbling and falling down, God will never give up on us.
 
His unconditional love is always stronger than our sins and stubbornness, and his light is always enough to drive away our darkness. One of the verses that gives me comfort and confidence is Php 1:6. Paul says that he’s confident that “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Php 1:6).
 
That’s the new hope we have in Christ. Because we know that the Lord will always be with us, care for us, and help us keep our faith to the end, we can let go of our fears and be confident of our salvation. 

God’s Rest
In Hebrews chapter 4, the writer delves deeper into the meaning of God’s ‘rest.’
 
In the last part of Hebrews 3, the writer says,
“And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.” (Heb 3:18-19)
 
Here, the author is talking about the ‘rest’ that the Israelites had been promised once they reached their destination.
 
God told those who refused to go into the promised land that they would never see it or enter his rest. Here, we see the close relationship between God’s rest and the promised land. They could enjoy God’s rest only in the promised land. That was the purpose of their journey.
 
Right before the Israelites started to conquer the land of Canaan, Joshua said to them, “Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, ‘The Lord your God will give you rest by giving you this land.’” (Jos 1:13)
 
And, after conquering the land and distributing it to the twelve tribes of Israel, Joshua 21:44 says, “The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hands.” (Jos 21:44)
 
So, when they eventually reached the promised land and settled there under the leadership of Joshua, they entered into God’s ‘rest’, which they had been promised. Now, they could enjoy their new lives there. Through Joshua, the Israelites achieved their “rest.”
 
But, the idea of God’s rest takes on a new meaning in Hebrews chapter 4.
 
Hebrews 4:7-9 says,
“God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;”” (Hebrews 4:7-9)
 
A long time after the Israelites entered into God’s rest, David wrote Psalm 95, which forms the basis of Hebrews chapters 3-4. David wrote,
 
“Today, if only you would hear his voice, “Do not harden your hearts as you did… in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested me… So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” (Ps 95:7-11)
 
When the author of Hebrews interpreted this passage, he believed that David was speaking of a further, different ‘rest’ because of the word ‘today.’ He thought that Psalm 95 was looking ahead to another ‘rest’ which was still to come.
 
So, in Hebrews chapter 4, we read about a sequence of three ‘rests.’ First, God’s own rest on the seventh day of creation, second, the ‘rest’ that Joshua gave the Israelites when he brought them into the promised land. Then, what is the last rest that still remains as a promise in the future?
 
We can find what the future and final rest might be in Hebrews 11. In this chapter, the writer lists all the heroes of faith from ancient times. The feature they had in common was that they lived as foreigners and strangers on earth, looking for a country of their own that doesn’t belong to this world.
 
Hebrews 11:15-16 says,
“If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country - a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” (Heb 11:15-16).
 
So, from all these things, we know that the ultimate rest that the author of Hebrews is talking about and that God really wants to give us is not in this world, but in the world to come—the kingdom of God.
 
God is preparing this heavenly city for us. And, Jesus is also preparing places for us in God’s kingdom. Jesus said, “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (Jn 14:2-3)
 
That’s the true rest we’re seeking and looking forward to as Christians. There still remains a rest for the people of God. And, when we enter God’s rest, we’ll also rest from our works just as God did from his. So, looking forward to that day, we should “make every effort to enter that rest” (Heb 4:11).
 
This rest comes from Jesus. Here, we also see that the author is comparing the past rest Joshua gave to the Israelites in the land of Canaan with the future rest that Jesus will give us when he comes back.
 
In fact, the names ‘Joshua’ and ‘Jesus’ are the same name in Greek and in Hebrew, and both names mean ‘the Lord is salvation.’
 
So, Joshua gave the people the first ‘rest,’ while Jesus, the Messiah and the Son of God, will give God’s people their final ‘rest.’ And, needless to say, the rest Jesus gives us is far superior to the one Joshua gave to the Israelites.
 
The real rest that God promised hasn’t appeared yet. It still has yet to come. This rest is God’s gift to all his people that he will give us in the end.
 
But, we also know that in order to enter this rest, we may have to sacrifice our possessions and go through hardships here in this world. And, because of that, we’re continually tempted to give up our faith and seek worldly things instead.
 
That’s the reason we should continue to be reminded of the fact that this world is not everything, and that the new, eternal world is coming. We should fix our eyes on Jesus and what he will give us in the end. Then we will find true rest in the world.
 
Going back to the context of Hebrews, many Jewish Christians betrayed Jesus because of hardships and persecution. In other words, they sought ‘temporary rest’ in the world, without knowing that it was the same as giving up ‘true and eternal rest’ in Christ Jesus and in the kingdom of God.
 
I think that’s the fight we’re fighting as Christians. We’re surrounded by all kinds of worldly temptations and worries that keep us from seeking the kingdom of God.
 
All of us face the challenge of trusting God rather than trusting the way we feel or the things we see in front of us. Therefore, all of us need to stay focused on God’s promise of eternal rest in Christ so that we won’t fall back from our faith or drift away from Jesus, but continue to move forward as our ancestors of faith did.
 
I hope all of us find peace through Jesus Christ today so that we won’t be shaken by the ways of the world but keep our faith to the end so that we can all enter God’s true rest in His kingdom in the end.