Day 648: A rest from works - Hebrews 4 vs 1 - 10

1-2 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. 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. 3-4 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. 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.” 8-9 Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. 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 labours, just as God did after creating the world. Hebrews 4:1-10 New Living Translation Paraphrase. (For English Standard Version)

I used a paraphrased version for today's post as it captures well the meaning of what these verses express. In the last chapter the writer had urged these Jewish converts to not ‘harden their hearts’ against the gospel message which tells of a wonderful rest God has promised. Moses had spoken of a physical rest Israel would experience when they crossed the Jordan river to live in the land He was giving them. (Deuteronomy 12:10) But many of their forefathers missed out on that rest. Why was that? (vs 1-2)

Many of those who were led out of Egypt failed to reach the promised land because they didn't believe God was able to give them the rest He promised. This was especially true when the man called Joshua had sent spies to scout out the land, and they brought back a report that the cities had strong walls, and there were even people who looked like giants! Many of the Israelites became so afraid they refused to cross the Jordan – so God swore that they would never enter His rest.

The writer says that this rest from God was already implied in the 'rest' which God took on the seventh day after creating the world. It's not that God needs to rest, it was rather a hint of the rest He had in store for men and women. In vs 7 he quotes again the words from David in Psalm 95 which said “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.” He says that, seeing as David said those words long after Joshua had lived, there must be a special rest still waiting for the people of God. But what is this rest? Does vs 10 give us a clue?

The ultimate rest for all who believe the gospel is surely the rest they'll experience beyond the grave in the presence of their Saviour. In Revelation 14:13 the apostle John said: “I heard a voice from heaven saying, 'Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' 'Blessed indeed,' says the Spirit, 'that they may rest from their labours, for their deeds follow them!'” But there is also a rest we can experience even now. Jesus Christ said “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) That was very much about a rest from the heavy burdens that the Jewish Scribes and Pharisees laid on the people. The writer of Hebrews was encouraging his readers to not go back to trying to find peace with God by works of the law - but to go on believing in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. That's where our souls find true rest.