Meditation of October 14th 2024 HEBREWS 4 – JESUS Gives The Rest That The Old Testament Believers Missed
Day 1
Hebrews 4
Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.
As we have seen so far, the book of Hebrews is an essential book. However, if we are to understand it well, it will be important to have also read the book of Leviticus. This is because Hebrews shows us how much better the new covenant is compared to the old covenant, as detailed in Leviticus.
In chapter 3 of Hebrews, the emphasis is on believing in Jesus as God’s Son to experience the benefits of the new covenant. Verses 2 and 6 state that Jesus is not on the same level as Moses. Whereas Moses is like a servant in the house, Christ is the builder of the house! So, they are not at the same level. Any servant or prophet is always someone serving, but Jesus is God because He is the Son of the owner of the house.
In verse 5, even Moses testifies that Christ is superior, for he prophesied that Jesus would come and be greater than him. That is important to note. No wonder Hebrews gives a very serious warning about the dangers of periods of unbelief in Jesus.
If you are not truly faithful in God’s house and do not take what the Son has told you seriously, what hope do you have? Understand that the Israelites in the Old Testament were rebellious and obstinate. Finally, God punished them by declaring that they would not enter His rest!
The writer of Hebrews is exhorting us to trust in God fully, especially when you look at what happened under the old covenant. Now, you see the advantage of the new covenant. So, you must not doubt who Christ is. Take care to avoid unbelief. Unbelief is the source of all evil.
Remember, what matters is not just what history tells you but, more importantly, where you are standing today. You must guard against being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin so that you do not lose your trust in Jesus, despite your past testimony.
Day 2
Hebrews 4
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.
The main concern here is the issue of apostasy. The only safeguard against apostasy, which is a form of backsliding, is to continue hearing God’s voice daily—today! as Hebrews 3:15 says:
15 As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”
With a series of rhetorical questions, the writer illustrates the obvious truth that Jesus is the final spokesperson for God. He then concludes by stating that the Old Testament saints failed to enter God’s rest. The Israelites, despite receiving God’s message through Moses, did not attain God’s rest. Why? Because they failed to believe! Therefore, you must be careful not to end up where they did.
Since Old Testament Israel failed to enter God’s rest—that fellowship with God where one experiences no stress—it means the promise of rest still stands. It is available to those who, unlike the Israelites of the Old Testament, maintain their belief in God. This is another reason you should be careful not to repeat Israel’s mistake. They heard what Moses was saying, they heard what God was promising, but they failed to continue in that belief. Yes, they heard the message, but they did not have the faith to act on it.
You must put the message and faith together. Even if you know something, if you do not have faith in it, it will be of no help to you. That is something very important for us to understand.
This brings us to chapter 4 of Hebrews. In verse 1, we read:
Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.
Yes! The Israelites did not enter that promised rest. They did not enjoy God’s rest, not because God did not keep His word, but because they never trusted His message. The same thing can happen to us today, and scripture makes this clear. Just listen to this:
For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them,
Why? Because those who heard did not combine it with faith. You cannot obey something you do not fully believe in!
Verse 3 says:
Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”
And yet, His work of preparing the rest has been finished since the creation of the world.
For somewhere He has spoken about the seventh day in these words:
“And on the seventh day God rested from all His work.”
And verse 5 says:
“They shall never enter my rest.”
Scripture clearly states that they never gained the rest God wanted them to have. Why? Because they did not mix their knowledge with faith—believing what they knew and acting on it. It is important to reflect on that. Do you act on the message you hear?
Day 3
Hebrews 4
And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.”[c] 5 And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”
6 Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience.
But what is this rest? The Bible refers to a divine rest, not just like taking a siesta. Yes, it is divine rest! Why divine? Because it is God-given. You may have a lot of work or challenges around you, but when you enter that rest, you are at peace regardless of your circumstances.
Secondly, it is divine because this rest is available due to God’s promise. Look at verse 8:
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God.
So, he is proving that this rest, which the Israelites never enjoyed, is now available to us. He explains that if what Moses predicted had been fulfilled in Joshua’s era, David would not have spoken about a future day of rest. David calls it "today" long after Israel failed to enter that rest. God would not have spoken of a rest to come if it had already been fulfilled. The promise to Moses had not yet been realized.
We must understand, therefore, that believers need to strive to enter this rest because it is still available. In other words, the rest is so important that we should not approach it flippantly. It is something you must believe in and work hard to enter.
Day 4
Hebrews 4
9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works,[e] just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.
The action is to strive! That is the word in verse 11:
Let us, therefore, make every effort.
That is the meaning of striving! Strive so that none of us will fall by following their example of disobedience. I know we are in the days of grace, and it may seem like there is nothing for us to do, but the devil is still around, even in the days of grace! He will tempt you to stop believing in what God has promised or to claim belief while doing nothing. So, you must fight the devil actively. You must strive!
What happens if you do not strive? Trouble! There is no message like "once saved, always saved." You will lose the rest if you do not strive to the end. That is why Hebrews says to make every effort. It will not happen automatically—you must make every effort.
Of course, the gift of salvation is already given, but to take it, you must decidedly claim it. You must fight the devil, who is tempting you not to bother stretching out your hands to receive the rest on offer. Paul, assuming he wrote the book of Hebrews, keeps reminding us. Remember Israel’s disobedience and the example it sets in their losing the rest. How could we ever repeat their mistake? If we do, by becoming faithless, by not listening and acting on what God has said—what His Son has said—we end up with the same result: failure to receive the promise.
He wants you to be motivated to remain faithful to God and to finally enter His rest. Let me repeat verse 12:
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints, and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
Do you see why we must strive? Because we cannot con God! He sees right through us. That is what verses 12 and 13 are saying—God’s word is sharp, and it will show you who you are. Yes, nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. He knows the truth. If you are not acting on the knowledge He has given you, He knows! Do not think you can fool God with hypocrisy, by saying things like, "Once saved, always saved," or "Oh, grace!" or "We are saved by grace." If you use those claims to justify ignoring sinful living, it proves you never truly trusted in Him. If you trust Him, He will convict you of sin, so you cannot continue in it. The fact that you continue sinning shows you do not feel convicted. Now, you live in hypocrisy and negligence and still hope you are a Christian! He knows who we are, for His word is sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints, and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
In other words, you can be doing something good, but your heart’s motivation could be wrong. You could be doing something good, but your heart may not be at peace with God. He knows! Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
In other words, Paul wants you to know that you should not live righteously just for your pastor to see, or for your wife to see, or for your boss to see. You are dealing with God Himself, and it is He who holds you to account. If you want to enter His rest, you must completely surrender your will and do what He wants, so that you do not become disobedient and live a life of sin.
Day 5
Hebrews 4
7 God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”[d]
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This Jesus—not only is He the final spokesperson for God, but He is also a priest. According to verse 14, He is a high priest of a special nature: he has passed through the heavens. Let us look at verse 14:
"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess."
You can see that this is a very special priesthood. He has passed through the heavens, unlike the earthly priests who were born like us. Verse 15 says,
"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin."
Why should we trust Jesus, this spokesman of God? Because He is our high priest, and His is a special priesthood. He has passed through the heavens and is now in the real Most Holy Place. You know, the earthly temple had both a holy place and a Most Holy Place, but that isn’t where Christ is! It was just a representation of the heavenly one where the real Holy Place is.
Our priest is in heaven, interceding for us. That is why believers should hold fast to their confession—because now we know we have a high priest who understands us and can empathize with us. He was human, and He is the one interceding for us. What a privilege!
Look at verse 16:
"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
That is why you should hold fast to your confession. Have you confessed that you are a Christian? Then do not waver—stick with your confession! How could you fail to hold fast when you have just learned that God sees the thoughts and intentions of your heart? But remember—He does not see the thoughts of your heart to condemn you, but to convict you so that you may confess, and He can forgive you.
Yes, He understands your weakness because He was tempted just like you, yet without sinning. He is the kind of advocate who can truly present your case to heaven because He understands where you are coming from. Given that, never allow the devil to tell you that what you have done is so evil that you cannot be forgiven. As long as you have breath in your body, forgiveness is available.
Because the priest understands you, He knows what you went through, how you landed there, and He is waiting for you to repent. You can approach God with confidence, for He will never reject your repentance. And that is something very important for us to understand as we strive onward.
So, what are we learning from Hebrews chapter 4? We are learning that there is a certain rest for the people of God, and it comes in two parts. You can start experiencing that rest—the peace that Paul elsewhere calls "peace beyond understanding"—right now. You can enjoy it today.
I wrote a book called The Secret of Contentment, where I explore Paul’s words in Philippians chapter 4, where he says you can be content in any and every situation. That is what it means to enjoy God’s rest. It is a kind of rest where, even though you face challenges all around, you are still at peace!
That is what we read in verse 1:
"Therefore, since the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it."
One thing is clear: there is a rest available now. But another thing is also clear: it is possible, even for those who claim to be Christians, to miss it! This letter to the Hebrews was written to Christians in dispersion, and the author is warning them: watch out! You could be found to have fallen short of this rest.
You cannot enter that rest unless you practice your faith. You cannot walk with the Lord carelessly just because you are a Christian. Remember those who missed God’s rest—do not repeat their mistake.
Day 6
Hebrews 4
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints, and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
When you hear people telling you, “Oh! You are okay, for we are saved by grace!” be careful. Let them not start using grace as a license to do evil. I repeat, the First Letter of John talks about backsliders as it says, “They went away from us!” In other words, people can leave the fellowship and then depart from it. John concludes that the reason they went from us is because they were not part of us from the beginning. Similarly, if you do not continue to the end, it will just be proof you were wasting time and misleading others in the fellowship. You are a tare in a wheat field.
That is rest, type one. You can lose that rest. That rest, according to verse 3, is for those who believed. So, the key to that rest is trusting yourself in God’s hands. I often give the example of swimming: if you have not been taught how to swim and you go into the water, you will fight it, fearing it cannot hold the heavy you! You are fighting, not swimming. But a guy who knows how to trust the water, who can trust his body on the water, will enjoy swimming. He will lie on the same water you are fighting and getting frightened of, and float, even if he is heavier than you. He will just lie on it. He is enjoying himself. He can do backstrokes, breaststrokes, whatever style he prefers! And you wonder, “How come he can do it? It is the same water I cannot float in!” It is because he has put his faith in the water. He believes the water can hold him. Similarly, you will be on the same earth, and you will even be workmates facing the same challenges, you may be in the same church, but you are struggling with your life while the other one is restful. That is the rest that God is giving us today.
But if you rebel, Hebrews 4 is telling you, you will miss it. Yes! Just like in the Old Testament, He swore they would not enter His rest, and even you will not enter once you rebel. Yet you know, this offer of rest is a done deal. According to verse 3, His works have been finished since the creation of the world.
In other words, whatever He set out, He did, and even this rest is already created. The question is whether you trust Him to give you that rest. And the thing you need to understand is that it is not something you say you will do in the future. The word He uses here in verse 7 is today. If today you hear His voice, do not harden your heart, because you will not enjoy that rest until you stop hardening your heart, failing to believe, and trusting Him.
So, Hebrews 4 is telling you, clearly remember that there remains a rest—what verse 9 calls a Sabbath-rest for the people of God. It is available for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their work or labour, just as God did from His. Once He gives you that rest, work will stop being a drudgery. You will start enjoying your work, just as God rested from His.
With that understanding, shouldn’t you, like verse 11 says, make every effort—strive—to be part of that rest? Strive to enter that rest. You cannot hide or be a hypocrite and still hope to enter as we saw earlier. Why? Because the Word of God is alive and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, and it penetrates right to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints, and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. So, you cannot pretend your way into the rest. You must open up. God will control every part of you—no hidden place—if you want to enter the rest. He wants to control every part of you.
So, how will that happen? Hallelujah, the bill has been paid. Christ died on the cross to achieve this promise. He is the great high priest, and He is the kind of priest who understands what you are going through. Having been human, having been tempted, He understands what you have been going through.
Day 7
Hebrews 4
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,[f] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4 concludes by saying, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
So, this idea of striving does not remove the word ‘grace’ because there is nothing you are doing for yourself. It is about forcing yourself to trust that grace. The work has already been done by Jesus. Therefore, you are going to enjoy this rest by grace. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence. Your prayer is not a begging mission. You approach with confidence that the One you are approaching loves you, that the One you are approaching is interested in helping you, and that the One you are approaching is very happy to forgive you. When you go to Him, you can be sure you will receive mercy and find grace to help in your time of need. You are sure of God’s mercy and God’s help.
May the Lord help us to understand this message of Hebrews 4: the rest that is available to the people of God, and the rest that you can lose if you are rebellious if you do not trust God fully, or if you want to modify what He has said instead of fully accepting it. We are not assured of getting this rest if we do not mix faith with action.
Please remember that heaven will be Rest Type Two, where there will be no need to strive—but that is yet to come. And that is why Jesus came! In the Old Testament Israel ended up losing His rest. Now, in the book of Hebrews, we are learning that we are not in the days of Leviticus, with all the priests performing blood sacrifices. No! Now, you simply trust the work of Christ. In the days of Leviticus, they had to work, they had to do. Now, you no longer have to do it—you just put your trust in God.
And so, whatever your challenges are, bring them to God in prayer. What a friend we have in Jesus, all our griefs, all our strivings to bear. Oh, why don’t we carry everything to God in prayer? In other words, there are many burdens we carry simply because we do not trust in such a friend. There is no embarrassing situation where you feel like it is too humiliating to tell the Lord—because He already knows! That is what we have learned: the Word of God will penetrate into you! You read it, and it opens your mind like a mirror, showing you who you really are—it penetrates to the inmost parts of your heart.
So, there is nothing you can hide from God. You need to come to a place where you entrust yourself fully into His hands, knowing He will help you and walk with you despite your past. You start enjoying the rest right here on this earth. The confidence that He is with you will give you that rest. The knowledge that you are not facing anything alone, that you are at peace even before you see any results, and that by faith, you start enjoying what is only a promise—this gives rest today. That is the message He wants us to understand from Hebrews 4: there remains a rest for the people of God, and that rest is only available to those who truly trust in God
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