Hebrews Chapter 4

Entering God’s Rest

4:1

THEREFORE; Once again we see the building of our Faith on what we have previously learned by the use of the word ‘Therefore’. Therefore, because of the Truth that God’s promise remains and is still offered to us today; let us all be afraid, actually this means terrified, of thinking that we might be judged to have fallen short of receiving the promise of entering into God’s Rest. Why or how would we “fall short” of receiving His promise of Rest? Do you have rest today? Are you literally “Resting in Christ Jesus”? Or are you anxious, fearful, worried, struggling, exhausted, tense and irritated? Do any of these verbs describe your feelings or responses to your situation? Do you distrust His promise? If we really believed Jesus, we would be ENTERING His Rest! Now, most of us are thinking, “That’s crazy! How can I ‘rest’ when such and such is happening?” When Jesus spoke of “His rest”, He did not mean at ease, or relaxing, or taking it easy. The word often means the cessation of activity. Stop what you are doing. He specifically referred to Resting, or completely Trusting in Him, it is tied to our inheritance with Christ. We enter into a Faith/life Rest of continuously trusting in Jesus. (Note: The word Rest will be explored further as we continue our study of Hebrews.) If we are anxious and fearful, we really and truly DON’T TRUST JESUS! So, we need to immediately seek Jesus. We ask the Holy Spirit, within us, to calm us down, confess our sins, repent, seek forgiveness; then pray, read God’s Word and TRUST IN HIM to resolve, or guide you through, the situation you are facing. Sometimes, we need to step back and pray fervently for Jesus to intervene and we do nothing actively, that is physically, until we are CERTAIN that God wants us to DO something. If we step in, without direction from God, we often make matters worse. Sometimes we try to alleviate the sufferings of others, when that very suffering is being used by God to bring that person to Him. We actually interfere with the working of the Holy Spirit. Yes, it is hard to see those you love suffer, yet we know that God is in charge, and lessons sometime need to be learned the hard way, even for ourselves! No! We don’t want to hear that do we? If we have begun our day with Jesus, in prayer, then we know whatever is happening around us is part of His plan, no matter what it is, He can use it for our ultimate benefit. Just think about it for a minute, don’t you REALLY want what is ultimately best for you, and those you love, for all eternity?

TRUTH: A man is truly wise who would give up what he knows he will ultimately lose, for that which he knows he will never lose. Our Faith, lived out in obedience, will bring us God’s Rest.

4:2

The Gospel was preached to the Israelites of old? The Truth that was brought to the Israelites in the desert, was God’s Truth. This Truth pointed to their coming Messiah. God revealed Himself in miracles, in His redeeming them from their bondage and slavery of Egypt. The redemption pointed to Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross for all of mankind. He redeems us from the slavery of sin. Yet, despite all the miraculous care God provided for them, they doubted His promises and disobeyed. The final disobedience was in Numbers 13 and 14. Twelve men came back from the promised land with their report. Two gave God’s Truth, the others looked at the circumstances only and gave a bad report. The Israelites chose to believe the bad report, rather than trust in God to keep His Word and give them the promised land. As a result they were cursed to roam the desert for 40 years, until all the original Israelites who left Egypt had died. The result of disobedience can be devastating. God’s Truth of the Gospel, that is, the Truth that Jesus came to earth as the Messiah, the perfect God/man, taught us His Truth; He suffered and died on the cross for our sins; then rose from the dead on the third day; appeared to His disciples, teaching and training them (and us) ~ all this is the Truth. However, this Truth does us no good, if we fail to believe it in Faith and obedience. So it was with the Israelites, they failed to truly believe God and thus failed to enter into His Rest of entering the promised land.

4:3

As we study about God’s Rest, we are told that as Believers we do enter His Rest. Yet we are reminded that the Israelites were told that in God’s anger He swore they would not enter His rest. God’s Rest already existed. The Jewish Bible states that it is “We who have Trusted that enter the rest.” Notice that the entering into God’s Rest is a continuous action. Just as we are continuously obeying the Holy Spirit within us, we are entering into His Rest. The life of a true Believer is one of constant change and growth, of becoming more like Christ. The Sanctification process requires us to rest in Christ. Just as God is still working, yet He is the source of the Rest.

4:4

Remember He entered into His Rest on the Seventh Day, after creating the Universe. (Gen. 2:1-4) Eventually, we, as faithful believers, will enter this Rest. Some believe that this complete “Rest” will only be a reality when we enter into the Messianic Age or Millennium age, the thousand years when Jesus rules on earth.

4:5

The writer is now quoting the loss of their rest from Psalm 95:11. He links the ‘Rest of God’ with the ‘Sabbath Rest’ at the time of Creation with the ‘Rest’ the Israelites forfeited in the desert. He wants to make certain the readers understand how important this Truth is so that they do not lose or jeopardize their Rest in Christ. God decreed that the Israelites would miss their Rest, and He also decrees we will miss our Rest IF we are disobedient and fail to Trust Him. Are we beginning to understand the seriousness of entering into God’s Rest?

4:6

Because of disobedience and unbelief the Israelites failed in their Faith and lost the opportunity of entering into God’s Rest. Yet we are told that some may, or must, enter into His Rest. These are those who obey God’s word in Faith and Truth. This ongoing offer of entering into God’s Rest is for us, right now. We can chose to believe and obey in Faith, and enter into His blessings of Rest. Are we beginning to see how belief and obedience are tied together?

4:7

The writer again reminds us of the TODAY theme. Do it Today, don’t put it off. Today is the day of Salvation. We even have a saying “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do Today.” Good advice, especially in the spiritual realm. The famous Rabbi Eliezer told his talmidim (these were dedicated full time students who lived full time with him) to “Repent one day before you die”. They objected to his advice, by saying “But, we don’t know when we will die!” So the Rabbi explained “All the more reason to repent and obey today, lest you die tomorrow. This way your entire life will be one of repentance!” Not “hardening our hearts” means our hearts are soft and open to hearing God’s Word and obeying. The Rabbi’s teaching sounds like wise advice for us.

4:8

Y’oshua is the same name as the Hebrew Yeshua. Yeshua, or Jesus, in Greek. Some Bibles translate it as Joshua, others believe it should be Jesus. Yet the context of the scripture indicates it was referring to Joshua giving them “rest” in the promised land. Yet, Joshua knew they would disobey and lose the promises of God. Joshua, the son of Nun, prefigured the Messiah whose name he shared. In many ways we see Joshua prophetically acting out, or giving a glimpse, of the future of the Messiah, Yeshua.

4:9

The ‘rest’ for the Jews had been ordained as the Sabbath, or Saturday. The Jews were fanatical by their obedience to the Sabbath rituals. This meant absolutely no type or kind of ‘work’ could be done. As Jews, the Hebrew Believers were probably forced to continue to observe this Jewish law of the Sabbath. To ignore it meant severe punishment and perhaps death. The Jewish community was tight knit and it would have been very difficult for these Jewish Believers to ignore this and other Jewish law requirements.

4:10

The Believer who enters into God’s Rest ceases from the weariness and struggles of human work. We are warned that we need to rest from our work, just as God rested from His Creation work. We can take this as God telling us to rest at least one day a week (in their time it was to be the Sabbath rest) from our own work. We know that working too much is not good for us. Our bodies and minds need rest from work. We also need time to be alone with God. Remember, Jesus often went alone to a place to pray and rest. Beware of thinking that you can get in your “prayer time” while continuing to work. Jesus didn’t, so neither should we. Stopping, resting and praying is the best way to really focus on God.

4:11

It almost seems as though we are being urged to work at resting! Really, the writer is strongly encouraging us to set aside time, or commit and schedule time for God. This would mean prayerfully entering into God’s Rest. How? By first praying, then carefully reading His Word to hear what God would say to you. Listen for the Holy Spirit to speak to you from His Word. Try beginning each day with prayer and reading God’s Word. Seek to hear Him speak to you. Be diligent and faithful about your commitment to obey God.

4:12

We are reminded that God’s word is LIFE. Jesus is the Word of God. His Word is Alive and speaks to us Today. God’s Word is so discerning that It penetrates like a sharp two edged sword (think of it as sharper than a razor blade) into our hearts, minds and souls; revealing everything. When Jesus returns to earth a sharp sword comes from His mouth! This means His very Word reveals and controls everything. If we approach God’s Word expecting Him to reveal His Truth to us, we must be prepared for the Holy Spirit to show us areas of sin that we need to repent of. Then we must immediately repent, turn away from whatever sin is revealed. We must have open hearts, minds and spirits; be willing to let God penetrate deeply into our lives, our thoughts, our desires. Our true inner reflections and attitudes of hearts will be revealed and judged. We must be totally honest, confess our sinful attitudes and selfishness and be willing to repent and change. The Power of God’s Word not only reveals Truth about ourselves, it also heals us. We confess and repent and we are forgiven! Why would we want to cling to a miserable sin and not confess and repent? Nothing is hidden from God; not even sins we are unaware of! God knows us better than we know ourselves; He knows our very thoughts and even why we are thinking the way we do. To get an even clearer and better perspective of the power of God’s Word see: Isaiah 49:2 & 55:11; Jeremiah 23;29; Psalm 149:6-9; Ephesians 6:17; Revelation 1:16 & 2:16 & 9:20, 21 & 19:11-15.

4:13

Everyone and everything is known by God and is in existence because of His Power. We are all clearly and completely exposed before our God and Creator. So God will someday ask each of us to give a complete account of our entire lives. We have no choice, we MUST account for everything! (See Romans 14:10-12; 2 Corth. 5:10) If our lives are marked by failures we have been warned against, we will suffer loss of our reward/inheritance. (See 1 Corth 3:11-15) We must remain loyal to God. (Rev 2:1-3) Remain faithful 9Rev 2:8-110. Be spiritually zealous (Rev 2:19) Not deny Jesus Christ (Rev 3:8, 10) Not defile our garments (Rev 3:4) Keep the Word of His patience (Rev 3;10) The readers of this Epistle must have been very concerned, if not terrified by this point! Because they are told they will each be judged by Yeshua/God. However, we know that becoming Sanctified means we are Partaking, or entering into his Rest, which leads to Overcoming sin, which leads to Inheriting alongside Jesus! Fervently seek God’s cleansing forgiveness and as you do you will enter into His Rest.

4:14

Now the writer assures them that Yeshua, the Son of God, has already become their Great High Priest! He has already died on the cross for their sins, and is now in Heaven. We already know and understand that Jesus is our High Priest. He is our Savior and Lord. He alone is the One Who gives us Eternal Life. There is absolutely no other way into Eternal Life. In fact, all other ways lead to Hell and the Eternal Lake of Fire, damnation, suffering and agony, forever. The writer reminds them that Yeshua is their High Priest, not the earthly “high priest” serving in the Temple. He urges them to hold fast to their Faith in Yeshua. In fact, that earthly high priest was soon to be removed and the Temple destroyed, as we know happened in 70 A.D..

4:15

Now the writer goes on to encourage them that Yeshua, as High Priest, understands their weaknesses and failures. He suffered in all areas of His life on earth just as we have, yet He never sinned. Only Jesus knows the full force and power of temptation because only He has always resisted it. Yet He alone has the greatest compassion on sinners; freely accepting the sinners confession and repentance, granting full and complete forgiveness. Jesus is our intercessor before God as well as our advocate. He gives us His Holy Spirit to stand strong against the enemy, which is sin. We have His power against temptation and sin, yet, we must use it. We must put on the whole armor of God. (See Ephesians 6:10-18)

4:16

Therefore, Now the author summarizes what we are to do. Now that we understand all these Truths, we can boldly and confidently enter into the throne room of God; with Jesus as our Advocate, Savior, and Lord; with the strength and courage provided by the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. The Jews had been trained and taught from childhood that ONLY the High Priest could enter into the “Holy of Holies”. Only the High Priest could give the sacrifice for sins and confess the peoples sins. Now, they can realize that Yeshua IS their High Priest, and they, and we, as His followers, can also enter into the Holy of Holies, the very throne room of God; the throne of Mercy, Grace and Forgiveness. We can speak to God directly. We can Praise Him, Honor Him, Glorify Him and confess to Him, and seek and receive His forgiveness. (See Romans 8:1)

Hear the Word of God: If you feel worn out and frazzled, at your wits end, then God is urging you to enter into His Rest. Quit your struggling. When we enter into His Rest we will experience peace and confidence, knowing in our soul and spirit that Jesus is in control. We can be certain and sure that Jesus will take care of us and meet our needs. Our minds will focus on Jesus and His Eternity, not on the turmoil surrounding us. We will relax and Praise and Glorify Him regardless of our circumstances. We will gladly ‘allow’ Jesus to control His world and seek His Will for our lives.