Enter into His Rest

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:8-13 ESV).

 

To further convince his readers the writer of Hebrews now uses Israel as an example of why it is so essential to have faith. He continues to compare Israel’s situation in the wilderness to the situation of believers in his day. In both cases it was not a lack of information that kept them from entering God’s rest. Israel had good news preached to them just as they did. God’s word to Israel from Mount Sinai: “Then the Lord . . . proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin.’” (Exodus 34:6–7). It was good news of love and mercy and forgiveness of every kind of iniquity and transgression and sin. And it was the good news of God’s promise that God would bring them into the land of promised to Abraham and be with them if they would trust him and not rebel (cf. Numbers 14:8–9).

 

The Israelites had heard the gospel just like his readers had. Of course it was full story as revealed and accomplish in Jesus, which his readers had heard, but, still the promise that God is merciful and forgives sins and promises rest and joy for those who trust him was clearly revealed to them. So, there is a very similar situation between Israel and the readers of this letter, and the point is: this good news was not believed by Israel and so they did not enter God’s rest, God’s promised joy (v. 2). They simply didn’t believe it. They doubted God. They distrusted him. They did not have faith in his promise to give them a better future than they had in Egypt and so they gave up on God and wanted the old life.

 

The result of that unbelief was that the promise “did not profit them” (v. 2). It was of no value to them. It did not save them; they did not enter God’s rest (Hebrews 3:19). They fell in the wilderness. God swore in his wrath that they would never enter his rest. It is a clear picture of missing heaven. This was the result when the good news to Israel was not united to faith, it profited them nothing and they perished in the wilderness (v. 2). The main point is: fear this happening to you. Fear hearing the promises of God and not trusting them. Because the same thing will happen to us as to them: we will not enter God’s rest — God’s heaven — if we do not trust his promises. There is no other way to enter God’s rest than believing in His work through Jesus.

 

My question to you today is very simple. Since you also have heard this message of grace and deliverance, what is your response?