Hebrews 4:1-13--A Rest for the People of God (CONT.)

​Hebrews 4:1-13 English Standard Version (ESV)
Listen:  https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/esv/Heb.4.1-Heb.4.13
1 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 2 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said,
“As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter my rest,’”
although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” 5 And again in this passage he said,
“They shall not enter my rest.”
6 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.”
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. 9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.
11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

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We discussed much of this in the last blog as I tried to make the connection between the Sabbath rest and our eternal rest.  The end of chapter 3 and the beginning of chapter 4 are all one passage that was too long to ask you all to read and digest in one sitting, so I broke it up at the chapter break for you guys and wrote two blogs from it.

What I failed to mention yesterday because it was more important to today's text is that there were two who were faithful and believed that God could take them into the Promised Land and do all that He had promised--namely Joshua, and Caleb.  Whether or not we enter God's rest (heaven) pictured by entering the Promised Land is somehow dependent on a choice that we make by faith that we are responsible for, yet we know that we don't even have that faith if it is not given to us by God and we cannot understand the gospel or the Word of God unless God gives us that understanding and that only those who are chosen of God to be His people (the Church eternal and the True Israel made of all tribes, tongues and nations and people of all times and places) will be faithful in following Him.  We have already studied how those who appear to be apostates and turn from the truth they know are actually just showing that they were never really part of the Church (the Body of Christ) to start off with because all real members of the Body submit to the authority and instructions given by the head.  Obedience is not optional.

Back to Joshua.  He became the military commander of the Israelites, but even the rest that he led the people into was imperfect.  It only was an image to show them what was to come.  We know this being in the land was not the final fulfillment of the promised rest because Jesus would later say "Come unto Me all you who are burdened and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  Jesus promised that we would find rest in Him and obedience to His teachings (the "yoke" that He mentioned).  This is a better rest than even Moses or Joshua could provide   One day we will enter into a Sabbath rest where like God we will rest from all of our work and be able to fully enjoy His presence and worship Him all the days of our eternal life that He has given to us in Christ.

So, what is it that God has provided to us to make sure that we are prepared to enter His rest?  If our faith is somehow measured by our obedience, what are we to be obedient to?  The end of this passage speaks to that.  The Word of God is what is living and active (it is at work in all times, in all generations, in all situations), and like a scalpel can do precision surgery to cut to the heart of the matter and show us what is truly inside of us and where we need to repent because we are in disobedience and how to live a life of obedience.  No one can hide from the presence of God and no man can hide from the Word of God....all he can do is harden His heart until he no longer hears the voice of God and is no longer convicted of His sin, but our passage yesterday spoke to how this just seals His fate because this is rejection of God, His Word, and His ways--especially the one Way that He made for us through Christ.  Do not be described by God like the rebellious Israelites in the desert--a "stubborn and stiff-necked people" who "will never enter My rest."