Rest for the people of God

Hebrews 4 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

The Believer’s Rest

Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. ² For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. ³ For we who have believed enter that rest, just 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 said somewhere concerning the seventh day: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; ⁵ and again in this passage, “They shall not enter My rest.” ⁶ Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, ⁷ He again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before,

“Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.”

⁸ For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. ⁹ So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. ¹⁰ For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. ¹¹ Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. ¹² For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³ And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

In today’s text it says:  There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.   The Sabbath is not a day set aside for the Lord, but rather it is the rest that we have when we abide in the Lord. In Matthew 12:8 Jesus says:   “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."   In Matthew 11:29-30 He says:   “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”    We find rest when we are yoked to the Lord. When we are yoked to Him, He does all the hard work. No matter what the task or the difficulty we face, if we will trust in Him, if we will remain yoked to Him, we will find rest. In Matthew 16:33 Jesus says:    “These things I have spoken to you, thatin Me you may have peace.In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer,I have overcome the world.”  In John 14:27 Jesus says:   “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”     The world believes and teaches that rest is found in slumber or in self indulgence.  True rest is found in the Lord. The world tries to attain peace through tolerance and acceptance of all people and their beliefs.  As opposed to finding  peace with the world, James 4:4 says:   Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.      The text reminds us that in truth it is when we disagree with God, not with people, that we have no rest. It says:  Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.    We are to be diligent in the word, not encouraging self indulgence, but rather obedience to God and unity with Christ. If we truly desire community, we will find it as we each are unified with Christ. The unity we have with others will be the common unity we have in Christ.  

The text says:  Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.    Jesus knows and has experienced every temptation we know and experience. He knows the temptation of trying to please people more than God. In John 15:18-25 Jesus says:   “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yetbecause you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.Remember the word that I said to you,‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.Butall these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin,but now they have no excuse for their sin.He who hates Me hates My Father also.If I had not done among themthe works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they haveseen and also hated both Me and My Father.But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law,‘They hated Me without a cause.’”   For grace, to overcome the disobedience of the world, Jesus died for their sins and still they hated Him. We will not find peace and rest in aligning ourselves with people. They will hate us without cause if we are aligned with and yoked to Christ. But, by grace, because of Jesus, we can find mercy, grace, help, peace and rest in obedience to, in abiding in God and Christ.

Thank You heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit for Your rest, Your peace, Your help; for mercy and grace; thank You that You are Lord of the Sabbath. You are Lord of Lords and most of all You are my Lord, my peace and my rest.    Amen.