Abide

Read: Hebrews 4:1-11

The author of Hebrews in the first part of chapter four is making an argument the rest that was promised to the Israelites leaving Egypt was available to them, was available to David in the Psalms, and is also available to the readers of Hebrews. He does this by showing a chronology of God’s rest.

1. God entered into rest after on the seventh day after his work was finished (Genesis 2:1-2).
2. The Israelites that left Egypt had the option to enter rest but did not because of their disobedience (Psalm 95:11, Numbers 14:20-24).
3. Joshua gave Israel rest (Joshua 22:4, Joshua 23:1).
4. God spoke of another rest. The author of Hebrews shows that Psalm 95 was speaking to the Hebrews in the “today” of King David (Psalm 95:7).
5. The author argues that the rest still remains available for his readers in New Testament times.

In light of this, the author encourages his readers to not harden their hearts as those many generations before them did; rather they should strive to enter into God’s rest.

Christians today are still living in the era between Jesus’ first coming and second coming like the original readers of Hebrews. The promise of rest is still available even today for those who do believe and who do not yet believe.  For those who do believe they should be encouraged by this and strive to enter rest rather than disobey. For the one who does not yet believe, upon seeing the real peace that comes from knowing God, they too should want to enter into God’s rest by believing in Jesus. As the Psalms says, “We are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand” (Psalm 95:7) and Christians can know that he wants the best for his people and will take care of them! (Psalm 23)

Lord, help everyone to find rest in you while it is still today!