The Rest God Gives

Hebrews 4: 1-16

Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 

We need to be afraid, if we're letting a promise of rest to not be experienced by us.

For unto us was the Gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 

The same Good News was taught them, that the Sacrifice would take their sins away; but they didn't believe they deserved that death, so it had no effect for them. The faith they needed was to trust God to do what He said He would do for them.

For we who have believed do enter into rest, as He said, 

As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into My rest (Psalm 95:11):

We who have trusted Jesus to be our Sacrifice, have entered into God's family and will experience that rest that He promised. 

although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 

Because everything that needed to be done to redeem us was determined before God created anything, so it is certain to happen, according to His Plan.

For He spoke in a certain place of the seventh day in this way:

And God did rest the seventh day from all His works (Genesis 2:2).

This is the basis for the Sabbath, when we are to rest from our regular work and take a break. Jesus said this was for our benefit, to break up our work week with a day off so we could be fresh for another week (Mark 2:27). 

And in this place again,

If they shall enter into My rest (Psalm 95:11).

Seeing therefore it remains that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached did not enter because of unbelief: 

Again he quotes the same verse, showing that this rest is still available, since they did not believe God.

Again, He limits a certain day, saying through David, Today, after so long a time; as it is said, Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts (Psalm 95:7-8). 

So long after the creation account, God has David write that "Today" is the day we need to pay attention to what God says, as "today" is the only time we have. The past is gone, and if we put it off for tomorrow, we'll never do it. Right now is the time to believe God. To put it off is to harden our heart.

For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.
There remains therefore a rest to the people of God. 

Since the children of Israel never could bring themselves to really trust God, even after all the miracles He performed for them, they never did enter into the rest that was promised. And since God always keeps His promises, there is still a "rest" that He has reserved for His people.

For he who is entered into His rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His. 

When a person has entered into rest, he's stopped doing all his work. When God finished Creation, He stopped. He hasn't created any more. And when we enter into the rest He has planned for us, then we won't be doing any more of the work we must apply ourselves to now in this World.

Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 

All right, he says we need to do work, but still believe. This is not working for salvation, this is doing the spiritual work in the power of the Holy Spirit that promotes God's righteousness in this World to bring His Kingdom.

For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

It looks like this dangerous weapon is not to be wielded wildly, but applied as a scalpel in our own hearts, to separate what is damaged or diseased from what is healthy, and what is in error from the Truth.

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. 

Nothing can be hidden from God. He sees each one of us all the way down to our molecules and the deep recesses of our subconscious thoughts. We will give account for every idle word (Matthew 12:36-37).

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, who is passed into the Heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 

A prophet speaks to men for God, and the priest appeals to God for men. The High Priest brought the blood of the sacrifice into the Holy of Holies, where God sat upon the Mercy Seat between the Cherubim. 

Our great High Priest, Jesus, presented His own Precious, Divine Blood into the very Holy of Holies in the Heavenly Temple, which was the Pattern God gave Moses for the Tabernacle. The Temple in Heaven itself, where God dwells. So it cannot be changed or corrupted.

This is why we need never let go of our hold on the Truth that has set us free, our testimony of what God has done for us.

For we have not a High Priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted just as we are, yet without sin. 

Just as I related yesterday from the last chapter:

Jesus faced tremendous temptations. In His flesh, He was just as vulnerable to temptation as all the rest of us are. The difference is, He never sinned. I have found several places in the Gospels where Jesus was tempted so strongly that He responded passionately in response, in forcibly rejecting the temptation. 

So He knows how hard it is for us, too, and He is fully able to help us through even the strongest temptations we also face.

Let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. 

This gives us the confidence to approach the Throne of God knowing that in His graciousness to us, He has put all the punishment we deserve for our sins and faults on Jesus, and we are cleansed by His Blood. 

And we have access to the power of His Holy Spirit living in us to strengthen us in the very time we need to overcome temptation and turn from it. 

O my Father, You are so good to us, to give us everything we need, and even to open the way for us to boldly approach Your own Throne for Your grace to help us when we need You. Your arms are always open to receive us, no matter where we are or what we've done or what we're facing. 

Father, help me to turn to You when I find myself in the throes of temptation to do or say something that is not in alignment with Your plan for me. Teach me to turn to You in the power of Your Spirit in me and rely on Your guidance of every step I take each moment of every day. 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!