Understanding the New and Living Way - Part 4
Promised Rest for God’s People
1 God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. 2 For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. 3 For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said,
“In my anger I took an oath:
‘They will never enter my place of rest,’”
even though this rest has been ready since he made the world. 4 We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.” 5 But in the other passage God said, “They will never enter my place of rest.”
6 So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. 7 So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted:
“Today when you hear his voice,
don’t harden your hearts.”
8 Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. 9 So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. 10 For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. 11 So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.
12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.
This is something that many struggle to understand - God's promise of entering His rest. We hear much about keeping a day of rest but what about the place of rest - the promised place of God's Rest? That is what this chapter is speaking about. I believe in keeping a physical day of rest, it is good for your spirit, soul and body. Remember what is good for your spirit is also good for your soul and your body. But this 'promised place of rest' is not just one day each week, but it is for every moment of every day. It goes beyond, not doing any work on a Sunday.
This scripture in Deuteronomy 5 v 15 says
Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, but the LORD your GOD brought you out with his strong hand and powerful arm, THAT IS WHY the LORD your GOD has commanded you to rest on the Sabbath day.
This is Moses speaking to the children of Israel. He is reminding them that it was God who delivered them from slavery, it was God who brought them out, in his strength, not their own. Like many other things in the old testament, this was a picture, pattern or symbolic of what was to come in the New Testament. The 'Rest on the Sabbath day' was given to remind them what God had done for them. They rested from their own work - and today in this New and Living Way, we must remember that we have been saved by Grace through Faith and not our own works. We could never earn salvation, it is a gift from God. So we are reminded here in Hebrews chapter 4, we are not relying on our own good works, but we are completely depending on the Finished Work of Salvation, that Jesus worked for us, on our behalf, just like God finished his work of creation so Jesus has finished his work of salvation. We must therefore enter into that prepared and promised place of rest.
Some translations say - "labour to enter that rest" others say "make every effort", "do our best to enter", "strive to enter" or "we should be diligent". It is all different ways of saying the same thing - We have the responsibility to enter in. So if the work has been finished by Jesus, how then do we labour, strive, be diligent or make every effort? Does that not imply that we have to do something? What we have to do is to BELIEVE. We read in chapter 3 v 19 "so we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.
This was much more than entering the promised land, but it was a place of complete trust in God as their provider, protector, their God and King. Today, we must not be complacent or disobedient, but to serve the Lord and put our total trust in him alone in every thing.
As we study through the Bible, we clearly see that disobedience is not about keeping all the 'rules' or the 'law' but BELIEVING GOD.
I love how Psalm 91 puts it "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty". This secret place, where all the promises, blessings, peace and joy is found, has been prepared for us by Jesus Christ. We have no righteousness or good works of our own, but we are made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, though Jesus Alone, can we enter this secret place or promised place of rest. There we find mercy and grace without measure.
Lets finish reading chapter 4
14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Again I urge you to read this chapter over a few times carefully asking the Holy Spirit to reveal this truth to you.
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