Hebrews 4:1-11 - Entering God's Rest

In some of the Greek speaking synagogues of the Roman Empire during the first, second, and third centuries, they would begin their Sabbath Day services with two particular readings from Scripture.

They would read from Genesis, with its description of "God's rest" on the first Sabbath day, and they would read from Psalm 95 with its invitation to worship, and its warning to those present about how the Exodus generation, because of their rebellion, grumbling, and complaining against God, how they were not able to enter into "God's rest" that was offered to them.

And the writer of Hebrews takes that practice which was found in some of the Greek speaking synagogues of the Roman Empire, and which these Jewish Christians were most probably familiar with, and he uses both of these readings in Hebrews three and four to emphasise what he has been saying about their need to continue to have faith in Christ, to remain faithful to Christ, and to not turn away from Christ and go back to trusting in the law, ritual, sacrifices, and the temple.

The writer then assures them that it is through their faith in, and their faithfulness to Christ that these people will find that "rest" that is to be found in God, and they will find that "rest" that ancient Israel failed to experience. In fact, the entire discussion in chapter four centres around that one word: "rest", a word which occurs eleven different times in Hebrews 3:11 to 4:11.[1]

As we think about God’s rest in Genesis, we read in Genesis 1 that God is shown to have created everything in six days.

The Earth, sun, moon, and stars.
He creates the seas with all of the sea creatures.
He creates the sky and the birds.
He creates the land, plants, and animals.
And, last of all, he creates human beings.

And then, having created all things, we read in Genesis 2:2-3:

And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.

The cessation of God's work is called his "rest", and the Hebrew word that is used here in Genesis 2 is Shabbat,[2] or "Sabbath". Now, we know that God has continued to be active since the creation, and we know that God continues to be active in our lives and in our world today.

But as the writer of Hebrews discussed Genesis 2, for him, God's "rest" was God ceasing from "work". And for God to enter into his "rest", required that God stop working.

We then read in Psalm 95 that the Psalm writer says that ancient Israel, because of their disobedience in the desert, will never enter into "God's rest". And this is a point that Hebrews emphasises, not once, but three times.

Hebrews 3:18:

And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, if not to those who were disobedient?

That is, to those in Numbers 14 who, having heard the report of ten of the twelve spies who investigated the land, refused to obey the command of God to go up and take possession of the land, God said about them in Psalm 95, "they will never enter my rest".

And then there is Hebrews 4:5-6:

“They shall not enter my rest.” Since therefore it remains open for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience.

And, as we saw last week, "disobedience" is the consequence of "unbelief". And, finally, Hebrews 4:11:

Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs.

These passages inform us that disobedience causes us to fall short of the "rest" that God desires, just as "we fall short of the glory of God" through our sin.[3]

But notice in each case, that the inability to enter into God's "rest" was the result of "disobedience", however, as Hebrews 4:3 says:

For we who have believed enter that rest.

But what is this "rest" about which he is talking? What is meant when he talks about "God's rest"?

Firstly, it isn't the promised land. It isn't merely entering into Canaan and taking possession of the land, as Hebrews 4:8 says:

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not speak later about another day.

After the death of Moses, Joshua did lead them into the Promised Land. They did come to possess Canaan, and they did, over time, build themselves into a nation and a great kingdom. But verse eight makes it clear that this wasn't the "rest" that God had promised, for, in Psalm 95, he "spoke about another day", calling it "today", where the people of God could find "true rest".

So what is this "rest" that Hebrews talks about? Simply put, "God's rest", is "resting", ceasing, from our own works, as verse ten tells us:

for those who enter God’s rest also cease from their labours as God did from his.

Just as God finished his work, and only then entered into "rest", for us to enter into God's rest we also need to stop working. We need to stop trying, by our own efforts, skills, abilities, and hard work, to get there. For "God's rest", is not a life of "work". Instead, "God's rest" is a life of "faith", as Hebrews 4:3 says:

For we who have believed enter that rest.

It isn't those who "worked" who entered into the rest of God, it was those who "believed". Those who trusted the promises of God and then lived by faith in the promises of God.

And as he tells the people these things he is clearly referring to their desire to return to the law, to sacrifice, to the temple, and to the ministry of the priests in the temple. He is referring to their desire to return to a dependence on works, upon what "I do", even my "religious works".

Depending on my good behaviour; depending upon my position in life, is to go down that same path of "disobedience". That same path of "unbelief". That same path of not trusting God which kept the Exodus generation out of the promised land. As Hebrews 3:19 says:

So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

It wasn't their lack of ability that prevented them from entering the promised land, it was their "unbelief". It was because they did not trust God, but instead they depended upon themselves, and what they could, or could not, do.

And what did they refuse to believe? They refused to believe the promises of God, for in Number 14, when the people heard the negative report of the ten spies, when they heard, as Numbers 13:31 says:

We are not able to go up against this people, for they are stronger than we.

The people refused to believe the promises of God that he would be with them and enable them, and out of their unbelief they refused to obey the command of God to go up and take the land. Instead of depending upon God and upon the promises of God, they turned and depended upon themselves and upon their own strength, ability, and wisdom.

And because they did not combine the message, the good news of God and the promises of God, because they did not combine this good news with faith, Hebrews 4:3 says that the message of God was of no value to them, and they could not enter into the "rest", the fullness of the promises of God.

The emphasis here on "God's rest" is a reminder to us that, in order to enter into God's rest, we need to do what God did on the seventh day, which is to "rest" from his labours. "Rest" is the opposite of "works". This is a rejection of "works" as a means of salvation, and it is a rejection of "works" as a means of sanctification or holiness. The "rest" of God emphasises to us the absolute need for "faith" in the entire Christian life, for according to Hebrews 4:3 it is "we who believe", it is those who have ceased working, who have ceased relying upon their good works, it is those who rely upon the promises of God who enter into the rest that God promises.

How many here, although we trust in Christ, how many here also say that "we must do . . . something".

We must go to church.

Now, going to church is good, and Hebrews encourages us to "not forsake the assembling of ourselves together".[4] But if we substitute our attendance at church for “faith”, or if we begin to say that our church attendance brings us either salvation or sanctification, then we, like these people here in Hebrews, are turning from "faith" to "works", and we are no longer "resting" in the promises that God has given to us.

Perhaps someone might say, "we must read our Bibles." Now, reading our Bibles is good, and I encourage each of you to read your Bible, and to study, think about, and put into practice what God has revealed to us in His Word. In fact, Hebrews 4:12 goes on to say that:

The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

But if we substitute reading our Bibles for “faith”, or if we begin to say that it is reading our Bibles that brings us salvation or sanctification, then we, like these people here in Hebrews, are turning from "faith" to "works", and we are no longer "resting" in the promises that God has given to us.

Perhaps someone might say, "we must pray, or we must give, or we must have lives filled with good works." And, again, each of these things are good, and the Word of God encourages us to pray, and give, and have lives filled with good works.

But if we begin to substitute our praying, or giving, or good works for “faith”, or if we begin to say that it is our praying, or giving, or good works that brings us salvation or sanctification, then we, like these people here in Hebrews, are turning from "faith" to "works", and we are no longer "resting" in the promises that God has given to us.

If we begin to trust in "what we do", then we are no longer resting upon God, having faith in God, and as a result, through trusting in ourselves we are instead beginning to miss and fall short of "God's rest" through "unbelief" and "disobedience". We are missing "God's rest" through a reliance upon ourselves, our actions, and on our abilities, just like those in Numbers 14 missed the Promised Land, because they relied upon their own abilities, and they refused to rely upon God's promises.

And so concerned is our writer for the spiritual welfare of these people, that he begins this chapter with a Greek word that means, "let us be afraid".[5] The NIV translates this phrase in verse one as "to be careful", and others have something like, "to be on our guard", but so concerned is he for these people and for the direction that they are going, he says to them, "let us be afraid".

Let us be afraid of the consequences of your actions.
Let us be afraid of the direction you are going.
Let us be afraid of where your current state of depending upon what you can do rather than having faith in what God has already done for us in Christ, let us be afraid of the end result of that choice.

As Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14:

Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

And John 3:36 says:

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God’s wrath.

Whoever believes in the Son of God, who puts their faith in him, enters into that "rest" that God has promised to us. But whoever disobeys the Son; whoever, like the people in Numbers 14, and like the people that the writer of Hebrews was speaking to, whoever "disobeys" the Son of God, will not see life, will not enter into "God's rest", but will remain on that broad road to destruction. Or, as Hebrews 12:15 says:

See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God.

And so he says to them in Hebrews 4:1, "let us be afraid . . . lest some of you fall short" of this promised "rest" of God, fall short of that "grace" of God that is found in Jesus Christ, as Hebrews 4:11 says:

Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs.

And this is why he emphasises to them that invitation from Psalm 95:7,

O that today you would listen to his voice!

"Today, if you hear his voice", do not be like those who turned from faith and relied upon their own works, upon their own ability. Instead, “Today,” respond in faith, and in the obedience that comes from faith to the call of God.

Five times in Hebrews three and four he challenges us to make a choice "Today". A choice of faith, of trust in his promises rather than our own ability. A choice we need to make "Today"! Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not next month or next year. But "Today", if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts" to the call and the invitation of God to enter into his rest. Or, as Paul put it in 2 Corinthians 6:2, quoting Isaiah 49:8:

For he says, “At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.” See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!

That "Today" that the writer of Hebrews talks about, is "now".

If you have never trusted Christ as saviour, the time to do so is "Today".

If you have trusted Christ, but, like this group of Jewish Christians, you are beginning to trust in your good works, your abilities, your gifts, and your own efforts, "Today" is the time to return to faith in Christ, and in Christ alone.

But, then in Hebrews 4:11, he says something strange. He had talked about "faith". He had talked about "resting from works". But in Hebrews 4:11 he says:

Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs.

That seems to be a bit contradictory, doesn't it? On one hand we are told to "cease from work", and then we are told to "make every effort". What is going on here? The Greek word that is used here means, "to hurry. To hasten. To be quick. To be diligent, to give oneself completely to the path that you have chosen.”[6]

It doesn't speak of "works", so much as an appreciation of what needs to be done, and a zealous response to the message that is given. Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15 to:

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.

In other words, "realise the importance of this Gospel message. Realise the need. Realise the greatness of your task and give yourself fully to it.

And so the writer of Hebrews tells us to "hurry" into God's rest. Be quick, to enter into God's rest. Be diligent, about coming into God's rest, of turning to him and living a life of faith.

That is what the writer of Hebrews is doing. He is informing them, and encouraging them, and warning them of the importance of a life of faith in God and in the promises of God, and he is also warning them of the dangers of a life of disobedience, a life that does not trust in God, and he tells them to:

Hurry to a life of faith.

Be quick to a life of faith.

Be eager and diligent in your life of faith.

Give yourself completely to the path of faith.

And in so doing you will enter God's rest, for instead of trusting in yourselves you will be trusting in God, just as Hebrews 4:1 says:

Let us be afraid that none of you should seem to have failed to reach it.

So now he tells them in Hebrews 4:11, "let us hurry, hasten, be eager" to enter into "God's rest". And let us enter into that rest, Today!

What, or who, are we trusting?

Are we trusting in ourselves?
Are we trusting in our religious duties, knowledge, wisdom, or actions?
Are we trusting in our skills and abilities?

If we are, then we are in the same position that this group of first century Jewish Christians were in. And if we are, then we need to be careful, we need to fear lest we fall short of all that God desires to give us and fall short of all that Christ died to make available to us. Falling short of "God's Rest", in Christ.

And if that is us, then we need, as verse three says, we need to remember that it is only through faith that we enter into that rest. Not by our works, our abilities, or through being the good people that we often, but not always, are.

And if that is us, then "Today", we need to be diligent, eager, and we need to hurry to a life of faith in Christ and Christ alone, and through that faith, we will find that "rest" that Jesus promised in Matthew 11:28-29, when he said:

Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.[7] Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest[8] for your souls.

[1] The noun κατάπαυσις (8 times) and the verb καταπαύω, (3 times) Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28-29 uses the related terms ἀναπαύσω and ἀνάπαυσις from the root παύω, “to stop, or finish”.

[2] שָׁבַת

[3] Romans 3:23

[4] Hebrews 10:25

[5] Φοβηθῶμεν

[6] σπουδάζω

[7] ἀναπαύσω

[8] ἀνάπαυσις