“Rest for the People of God”
(Hebrews 4:1-13)
Series: Captivated by Christ (Hebrews)
Rev. Todd A. Linn, PhD
Henderson’s First Baptist Church, Henderson
Please take your Bibles and join me in Hebrews, chapter 4.
If you’re visiting with us we are in a series of messages on the Book of Hebrews, the Book of Hebrews is actually a letter, a letter written to Jewish Christians, to Hebrews, believers who had been raised in the Old Covenantal system. Because of persecution for their newfound faith, many of them were tempted to go back to the old ways of thinking and abandon their Christianity for the old way of Judaism.
And the writer is saying: “Don’t do that! Don’t neglect this great salvation found in this great Person, Jesus Christ.” Jesus is better. Chapters 1 and 2, Jesus is better than the prophets, better than the angels, better than the law, chapter 3 better than Moses.
And much of chapters 3 and 4 is a sermon on Psalm 95. Knowing that is immensely helpful to understanding Hebrews 3 and 4. The writer of Hebrews is quoting word-for-word the second half of Psalm 95. In fact the very last word of Psalm 95 is the word “rest.” And it’s like the writer of Hebrews has been meditating on that word “rest” (which is what you do, right, when you read the Word of God? God gives you a verse, or a phrase, or a word and you begin to mediate upon it and it leads to all kinds of wonderful spiritual benefits). The writer of Hebrews, it seems, has been meditating upon the word “rest” in Psalm 95 and what comes out of this reflection is found in chapters 3 and 4.
The writer is using this illustration of the promised land in Canaan as a foreshadowing of a greater promised land in Christ. That’s helpful to remember throughout this passage. The promised land in Canaan is a foretaste of a greater promised land, a fuller promised land in Christ.
In essence, he is saying: “Look, don’t be like the Israelites you read about in the first 5 books of the Old Testament. Don’t be like them when they failed to believe that God would provide for them and care for them and bless them by bringing them across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey—a place of abundance, a place of joy and peace, and rest.”—rest from all the bad stuff they had encountered and a rest in the provision and promises of God.
And what the writer does is he uses those who failed to enter into that rest of the Promised Land as a bad example to us. You know we’re all setting examples all the time, aren’t we? We’re either a good example for others or a bad example for others. The disobedient, disbelieving Israelites were a bad example. So the writer is saying, “Don’t follow their bad example.” It cost them entrance into the Promised Land, a place of great rest from turmoil and strife. And they blew it. They lost their chance.
And the writer uses that Exodus event and the wilderness wandering of the Israelites back then as an example of what could happen spiritually to the Hebrews today. The hearers of this letter, as they heard this letter being read to them 2000 years ago in the context of worship, the hearers were warned not to follow that bad example. If they did not remain faithful to God and believe that He has provided for them everything they need, and every spiritual blessing through Christ Jesus, the writer says that they are no better than the Israelites of old—and, in fact, worse off, because the writer is talking about a fuller Promised Land, a fuller and complete rest, a rest in God’s promises; something to be enjoyed both now and in the future in heaven forever. Failure to enter into this rest has horrible and eternal consequences, separation from God forever, like dying in a spiritual wilderness.
Now if we can remember all of this as we read, then our study will be fruitful. Okay, let’s read the text.
Please stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word.
1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.
2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.
3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:
“So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’” (Psalm 95:11) although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. (this rest goes all the back to the seventh day, following the six days of creation)
4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”;
5 and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.”
6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience,
7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David (Psalm 95), “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.”
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.
9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
Pray: “Father, open up Your Word to us, and open us to Your Word. Today, as we hear Your voice, give us grace to not harden our hearts, through Christ Jesus our Lord, amen.”
Well, if you could sum up this entire passage in one word it would be the word “rest.” And if you could sum up this entire passage into one action to which the writer calls all readers, it is: “Enter that rest.”
The message to the Hebrews is the same message to the Hendersonians: “Enter that rest.” But what is this rest about which he speaks? We all know something of the word rest. Most of us know we don’t get enough of it. Most of us know what it is to be “restless.” There is a general restlessness pervasive in our culture. What with all of our running around and rushing around we are a restless people. We have even diagnosed some people with a peculiar kind of restlessness—I remember some years ago seeing a commercial to address those who have what is called “Restless Leg Syndrome.” You have this? Know anybody with it? Some people are always moving their leg around in a never-ending motion of restless energy. Restlessness.
Much of our need for rest arises from a culture that suggests work is the supreme good of all things. Many people in our day work every day, never taking a day off.
In his book, 24/6: A Prescription for a Healthier, Happier Life, Dr. Matthew Sleeth argues for the importance of taking one day off—sound familiar?!—noting a link between overworking and depression. Americans tend to work more hours than any other country in the world; Japan coming in second. Citing a study of The World Health Organization, Sleeth reports that roughly 1 out of every 10 Americans is being treated for depression.
The writer of Hebrews writes about rest and in this passage he essentially gives us something to know, and something to do. Or, more pointedly, something to learn and something to live. Let’s take these in turn. First, let’s note here, something to learn:
I. Learn about God’s Rest (1-10)
**Examine it!
Let’s examine it. Let’s study it. Let’s see what the writer is teaching here about this word rest. Recall that he has just said in the end of Chapter 3 that—because of the unfaithfulness of the Israelites in the Old Testament, because they refused to believe in God’s promises and provision—they died in the wilderness and were not able to enter the Promised Land. The writer, citing Psalm 95, quotes God as saying, “They shall not enter My rest.” So, the writer concludes in verse 19: “So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” Verse 1, chapter 4:
1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.
This is the writer’s greater concern. Just as there were those in the Old Testament who failed to enter the rest of the Promised Land because they didn’t believe, the writer says, “Now don’t you be like them! Don’t you fail to go on believing and come short of entering the fuller, richer, Promised Land of God’s rest in Christ.”
2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it (or not having faith, not believing).
Did you know the gospel is in the Old Testament? We usually think of the gospel as a New Testament term, but the gospel is in the Old Testament too, because the Bible is a unit. There is continuity from Old to New Testament.
The word gospel means “good news.” And the good news of the gospel is largely that man is made right with God—or justified—not by something he must do, but by someone he must believe, namely the One True and Living God, and His promises to us. Now, in the New Testament, we have a fuller revelation of the One True and Living God in the doctrine of the Trinity and especially in the eternal Son of God made flesh in Jesus Christ. We know that the foundation of the gospel is that Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose for us.
But the Good News of the gospel is always that which is received by faith. Remember when the Apostle Paul was making his case for the doctrine of justification by faith in the letter to the Galatians? Remember how he did that? He went back to the Old Testament. He went back to Father Abraham in Genesis 15. And the Apostle Paul in Galatians 3 verses 6 and following writes about how Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” The just shall live by their faith. And so Paul says in Galatians 3:8, “And the Scripture (from Genesis 15), foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’”
The writer says that the gospel was preached to us as well as to them—the Israelites in in the wilderness—but, verse 2: “but the word which they heard did not profit them.” Put another way: “The word which they heard fell on deaf ears.”
Here is a reminder to us that we must have, as our Lord Jesus says, “Ears to hear” the proclamation of the Word of God. Sometimes I pray, “Lord, help me preach as never sure to preach another message.” And I pray that we would hear the word as never sure to hear another message. Give us spiritual ears, ears to hear, God open your word to us and open us to your word, to receive it.
The word that went out to the Israelites did not profit them, they hardened their hearts. They would not believe.
3 For we who have believed (we Christians) do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Verse 3 is a bit tricky. To paraphrase, the writer is saying that the Promised Land is a picture, a foreshadowing of a greater rest in Christ. The unbelieving, hard-hearted Israelites failed to enter into that picture of rest across the Jordan because they did not believe. But that rest across the Jordan River was part and parcel of a greater rest promised by God—a rest that is available to all who believe in Him, a rest that has been available, and remains available to all who believe.
This greater rest in the Lord has been available since the Lord finished creating the world. Last part of verse 3: “the works were finished from the foundation of the world,” and then verse 4:
4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; (that’s a quote from Genesis 2 and the 7th day, following the six days of creation. God rested.)
So this rest the writer wants us to learn about, to examine, is a rest that has been around for a really long time. Since the 7th day, following God’s creation. This rest did not begin in Joshua’s time with the Israelites in the wilderness. Their failure to enter into the Promised Land was a failure to enter into that which is part of a greater rest, a fuller rest, a resting in all the promises, and providences, and pleasures of the Lord. So quoting again from Psalm 95 is verse 5:
5 and again [God says] in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.”
And again, the point of the writer is to stress that the geographical sense of the Promised Land is but a part of, a picture of, a greater Promised Land of true rest in Christ. And that fuller, greater, rest has been available and remains available to all who will believe. Verses 6 and 7:
6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it (this rest remains available), and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience,
7 again He (God) designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.”
So the writer is saying, “This rest remains. This true rest is still available to all who believe.” God was not merely concerned with the Promised Land of Canaan. He has a greater rest in view. That’s why King David—who was alive some 500 years after Joshua—could speak of this same rest in Psalm 95. That’s verse 7:
7 again He (God) designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.”
The writer explains more fully in verse 8:
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.
The writer is pointing out that Joshua lived a long time before David. So if the rest is understood to be only that rest that the Israelites could receive by entering the Promised Land, then David would not have spoken of another day, some 500 years later; saying “Today,” you can enter this rest. David, the Psalms, were written some 500 years after Joshua.
So we see that the writer of Hebrews has a fuller “rest” in view here, a better rest than the rest that awaited the Israelites in the Promised Land of Canaan. Remember: Jesus is better—better than the prophets, better than the angels, better than the law, better than Moses, and now better than Joshua. Jesus offers a better rest.
Now, before we move on, I do want to call attention to something there when the writer appeals to Psalm 95 again. You remember when he introduced Psalm 95 in chapter 3 last week. In verse 7 of chapter 3, the writer introduces Psalm 95 by writing, “Therefore as the Holy Spirit says,” and we talked about God’s being the ultimate author of Scripture. The Holy Spirit says.
Now in chapter 4, introducing Psalm 95 again, the writer this time writes in verse 7 of chapter 4, “again He designates a certain day, saying in David,”
So who wrote Psalm 95? Was it the Holy Spirit or David? And the answer is, “Yes!” Both. This is what we refer to as the confluent nature of Scripture. God the Holy Spirit inspires, breathes His Word into and through human writers. This is:
2 Peter 1:21, “for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
God moved through men to write His Word. The Holy Spirit moved them, using their distinct backgrounds, personalities, and literary styles so that, ultimately, what God wanted written down was exactly what was written down.
Back to our study. The land of Canaan was a picture of a better rest to come. The Promised Land across the Jordan was a foretaste, a foreshadow of a brighter land, a better land, a heavenly land found in Christ Jesus! That’s why the writer says in verse 9:
9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
Yes, not a rest found merely in the geographical land of Canaan well over 3,000 years ago, but a fuller rest, a rest that remains, a rest that is eternal, a rest that lasts forever—a rest you can now enter into and begin enjoying something of it before it is more fully known and experienced in the ultimate fullest rest to come.
10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
Those who enter into God’s rest really enjoy that rest! And I think there is also here a suggestion that we do nothing to merit this rest. We cannot earn it. We don’t work our way into heaven. We rest in the promises and pleasures and provision of rest in Christ. We enjoy the rest that God the Father Himself enjoys.
This takes us to the second point. We’ve said there’s something to learn and something to live. Something to examine, something to enter. Learn about God’s rest. Secondly:
II. Live in God’s Rest (11-13)
**Enter it!
Here now is the writer’s main concern, verse 11:
11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest (that fuller rest), lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
Remember the context: the Hebrews were undergoing problems and persecutions. They were tempted to go back to the Old Covenantal system of levitical priests, the law, the sacrifices—essentially going back to Judaism. And the writer of Hebrews is saying: “No! There’s no ‘rest’ in that!”
Don’t be like the unbelieving, hard-hearted Israelites of old! Don’t fail to enter into the greater rest that is found in Christ, a fuller rest, a complete rest. Don’t “fall according to the same example of disobedience” by failing to believe in the promises of God and settle for a world outside the Promised Land.
Many people mistakenly seek rest in this world alone. There’s no real rest in this fallen, broken world apart from Christ. Yet so many people are seeking rest here.
Even the rest we enjoy here as Christians is but a glimpse of the greater rest to come. What did Paul say in 1 Corinthians 15? “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable (1 Corinthians 15:9).”
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
What is the connection of verse 12 to what precedes it? When the Israelites heard God’s Word in the wilderness, they hardened their hearts. They didn’t allow the Word of God to bring them into the Promised Land. And the writer has said more than once: “Today, if you hear His Word, don’t harden your heart.” The Israelites heard God’s Word and the Word examined the depths of their hearts, revealing what they needed to do—but they chose to ignore God’s Word. They hardened their hearts to God’s Word.
So here is a reminder that when God speaks, His Word searches the depths of our hearts, examining our true thoughts, our true motives, the intentions of our hearts. And God uses His Word to get into us, to search us, to show us our sin. Verse 13:
13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
God’s Word exposes our unbelief, our pride, our inner rebellion. God’s Word cuts through every veneer of play acting or feigned agreement or tacit acceptance of what God says. But God knows. His Word cuts deeply. His Word exposes our true feelings, our true thoughts, our true actions—in a word, our true sin. So we must hear and heed God’s Word.
Again, this is why it is important to hear God’s Word, to read God’s Word, with an attitude of humility and submission. The Bible exposes our true condition and calls for change for our good and for God’s glory. It searches our hearts like a two-edged sword.
We may read a lot of books, but the Bible is a book that reads us. It’s God’s Word. I want to talk more about that next week. Lord willing, next week, we’ll look closer at verses 12 and 13, but for now: “Live in God’s rest.”
Live in God’s rest. Enter it. That really is the main point of the text. The writer, preaching from Psalm 95, has one main point: Live in God’s rest. Let us be diligent to enter that rest—the fuller rest found in the promises, pleasures, and provision of God, namely what He has provided us through Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Are you living in God’s rest? Have you entered into it through faith in Christ? Are you enjoying a foretaste of that rest now—a forecast of a greater rest to come in our future, final, heavenly rest?
I have to tell you, when I read this passage in my study Monday morning, I got to verse 9 and just stopped for a moment and allowed these words to get in me. Verse 9: “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.”
If I were to memorize just one verse from this passage it would be verse 9, “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.” Just say that over and over again. What’d the preacher preach on today? “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.”
There’s a rest for God’s people—a rest from sickness, strife, and sin. A rest for the people of God. Are you facing a difficult week? There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. Enter into that rest afresh and anew each and every day of your Christian life this week. Regularly throughout the day—as it is ‘today.’ Remember?—the Christian life is a life that is lived today. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. Live in that rest. Enter into it.
Do you have a rebellious child and you’ve been praying for that child day after day, night after night? There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. Enter into that rest.
Are you battling a sin, a sin that so easily ensnares you? There remains therefore a rest for he people of God. Let go of that sin and take hold of Christ and enter into that rest found in Christ.
Is the devil accusing you, telling you that you are too great a sinner to enjoy the promises, pleasures, and providences of God? Well, there remains therefore a rest fo the people of God. Sink your sin into the wounded side of Christ and find rest in His work on your behalf. Rest in what He has provided for you.
After all, it is Jesus who said in Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Rest in the Lord. Be captivated by Christ!
Let me invite you to bow your heads as we prepare to respond to God’s Word.
With heads bowed and eyes closed, we have heard from God’s Word this morning. And we hear the writer say, “Today, if you hear God’s voice, don’t harden your heart.”
One simple question for every one of us: Have you entered into the rest of Jesus Christ? Are you living in Him and for Him?
If you’re a Christian, are you truly resting in Christ, finding joy and peace and life in Him?
It’s awful easy to slip into worldly notions of rest—the worldly rest found in a sinful escape of some kind, worldly rest fount in a recreational weekend, aspirations for some kind of worldly retirement where we focus on self. True rest is found in Christ alone. Run to Christ this morning and enter into that true rest.
If you’re not a believer, today if you hear His voice, don’t harden your heart. This rest we’re talking about is a rest “for the people of God.” Not everyone will enter into this rest. Only believers. The writer says, “For we who have believed do enter that rest.” Believe. Don’t die in the spiritual wilderness. Run to Christ and be saved.
In a moment when we sing and respond through song, I’ll be up front here if you want to come forward for prayer, for salvation, baptism, joining the church—you can respond by coming forward and I’ll meet you here and pray with you afterwards.
And you can respond right where you are. Before we sing, we pray:
“God, we run to Christ when chased by fear and find a refuge sure. ‘Believe in Me,’ His voice we hear, His words and wounds secure.” We run to You Jesus. We run to you afresh and anew and enter into Your rest. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Now stand and sing and respond however you need to respond.
RESPONSE:
I run to Christ when chased by fear
And find a refuge sure.
“Believe in me,” His voice I hear;
His words and wounds secure.
I run to Christ when torn by grief
And find abundant peace.
“I too had tears,” He gently speaks;
Thus joy and sorrow meet.
I run to Christ when worn by life
And find my soul refreshed.
“Come unto Me,” He calls through strife;
Fatigue gives way to rest.
I run to Christ when vexed by hell
And find a mighty arm.
“The Devil flees,” the Scriptures tell;
He roars, but cannot harm.
I run to Christ when stalked by sin
And find a sure escape.
“Deliver me,” I cry to Him;
Temptation yields to grace.
I run to Christ when plagued by shame
And find my one defense.
“I bore God’s wrath,” He pleads my case—
My Advocate and Friend.
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