Hebrews 4:1-10 – Our assured rest

What a tragedy it would be for a person to come to the end of his life journey only to discover that he has not been saved all along. This is what the author wanted to prevent as he embarked on his discussion of Hebrews 4:1-10. He was more concerned that the readers had a genuine faith in Christ. Therefore, he warned them against having a false security just because they thought they knew Christ by mere association with Christianity. In essence, to be truly saved, one must not merely profess to be a Christian, but be a believer in practice. The word “rest” used in these verses is not merely referring to an inner sense of peace and serenity, but the experience of salvation. Taking the different occasions the word “rest” was used in the Old Testament, the writer demonstrated that he was referring to the ultimate experience in a person’s salvation. He was pointing out that God had attached condition to this promise of rest. God requires that we be obedient and believe; and failure to meet these conditions would mean forfeiture of the promise. Hence, the readers were exhorted to make the effort to meet the conditions.  Similarly, those who had also heard the good news were challenged to exercise faith in what they’d heard, and not to be like the wandering children of Israel. They should not render the Gospel preached to them of no effect because of their unbelief.

In the later part of verse 3 as well as verses 4 and 5, the writer wanted to prove that the rest God talked about in Psalm 95:11 is not the Sabbath rest. Here, the author gives a concept the Jews had concerning the Sabbath. This holy day finds its foundation in the creative activity of God. God created the world and mankind in six days and on the seventh day He rested and hallowed the Sabbath. It was a day set apart for God’s creatures to enter into a refreshing communion with the Creator. However, the writer wanted to show that keeping the Sabbath is not entering into the rest that he was talking about. This is seen clearly in verse 4. God had established the Sabbath rest long before the unbelieving Israelites were denied entrance into the rest. Hence, this is not the rest that the author was talking about. Verse 5, quoting Psalm 95:11, showed that the disobedient Israelites were forbidden to enter into God’s rest. Although they had kept the Sabbath yet they were said to have failed to enter the rest. The language clearly indicates that keeping the Sabbath is not the kind of rest that the author was talking about.

Verses 6-7 tell us Canaan is only a type of the rest that salvation would provide. Some Israelites, like Joshua and Caleb who had faith, were granted access into the Canaan rest. However, a majority of them did not enter in because of disobedience. That’s the reason David spoke of another opportunity to enter in. David said in Psalm 95, “Today, if you would hear His voice, do not harden your hearts …” The writer argued in verse 8 that if the experience of entering into Canaan led by Joshua is the salvation rest, David would not have spoken of another opportunity. Thus, in verses 9-10, the writer concluded that a future rest for God’s people had been offered. This rest would be very much like the Sabbath where the believers of God would completely cease from work and strife, just as God ceased from His work at Creation.  

In all that was said, we are challenged to face the truth of the Gospel squarely. We need to have faith in the message to enter into the rest God had promised. The call is for us not to be derailed by the things we see or feel, but to believe and focus on Christ and the rest He has promised.