Actually that is not the case. The chapter begins with “therefore” so you have to read chapter 3 to understand what the conclusion that prompted the therefore is.
“Take care, brothers and sisters, that there will not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another every day, as long as it is still called “today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we keep the beginning of our commitment firm until the end, while it is said, “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.” For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.”
Hebrews 3:12-19 NASB2020
Take care, brothers and sisters, that there will not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another every day, as long as it is still ca
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This portion of chapter three refers to the dangers of unbelief and disobedience. Those that did not entered the promise land either by dying in the wilderness for unbelief or by being disobedient did not enter His rest.
“Therefore, we must fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.”
Hebrews 4:1 NASB2020
Therefore, we must fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.
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Talking to the Hebrew converts about the believer’s rest not about the sabbath rest.
“For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also did; but the word they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united with those who listened with faith.”
Hebrews 4:2 NASB2020
For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also did; but the word they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united with those who listened with faith.
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The good news was preached to the Hebrew converts but it did not benefit them because they are not united with those who listen with faith. The law is not of faith (Gal. 3:12). The gospel of good news does not include the law. This was an ongoing argument with the new converts from Judaism in that the law was no longer necessary but the Jews considered the law as part of their identity and culture (read Acts 21).
“For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, “As I swore in My anger, They certainly shall not enter My rest,” although His works were finished from the foundation of the world.”
Hebrews 4:3 NASB2020
For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, “AS I SWORE IN MY ANGER, THEY CERTAINLY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST,” although His works were finished from the foundation of the world.
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What is that rest? The same one talked about at the beginning of the chapter which is the believer’s rest not the sabbath rest. Any Jew could observe the sabbath and enter into the sabbath rest but the quote from Psalm 95 makes it clear the it is different rest.
“For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; and again in this passage, “They certainly shall not enter My rest.””
Hebrews 4:4-5 NASB2020
For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: “AND GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS”; and again in this passage, “THEY CERTAINLY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.”
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Look at the contrast. The writer clearly refers to the sabbath rest in the first part of the verse and then states that they are not going to enter such rest. Why would that be if any Jews could observe the sabbath? The temple was not destroyed yet so they could just go to the temple on the seventh day. No one is going to enter the believers rest unless they have accepted the gospel of good news and has faith.
“Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who previously had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience,”
Hebrews 4:6 NASB2020
Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who previously had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience
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This verse goes back to those that did not enter into the promise land depicted at the end of chapter three. They rejected the good news because if their disobedience and lack of faith as the previous verse teaches. See the use of the word “therefore” again?
“He again sets 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.” For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that.”
Hebrews 4:7-8 NASB2020
He again sets 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.” For if Joshua had given them res
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So a new day is set, today. There is urgency in accepting the gospel of good news and not continuing on the law. There is another issue here that the writer of Hebrews discusses in the next chapter that is also relevant here. The new converts remained uneducated about the gospel of good news (on milk instead of solid foods) hence still attempting to keep the law. Joshua (not Christ) walked the rest of Israel into the promise land but still did not give them rest even though he carried the law with him. There is now a different rest.
“Consequently, 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.”
Hebrews 4:9-10 NASB2020
Consequently, 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.
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The mention of the sabbath rest here is a shadow of the actual sabbath rest as evidenced by the previous verses. Joshua entered the promise land with the law at hand but did not provided them rest. Then those that do enter His rest, the believers rest, has rested from his works which here is the works of the law. Look at the sentence construction here. The fist part of the verse mentions a sabbath rest left but the second part of the post only mentions His rest which is consistent with the chapter so far talking about a believers rest.
“Therefore let’s make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience.”
Hebrews 4:11 NASB2020
Therefore let’s make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience.
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Notice here that it is THAT rest not the sabbath rest that we are to enter. The rest that we have to enter is the believers rest that we enter by faith. It even exhorts us to be careful not to follow the example of those listed at the bottom of chapter three that did not enter the promise land because of their lack of faith and disobedience.
Not really. You have to read the chapter in context. Remember that when the Bible was written there were no chapters or verse numbers so you have to read the reason for the conclusion in what is now chapter 4 by following the thread from chapter 3.
Yep. Context does indeed matter.
The problem with this interpretation is that the actual purpose of the sabbath commandment was not really to just don’t work that day but to reserve a day to worship. The cultural and historical context shows that life during and before biblical times was hard as a result of Adam’s sin (Gen 3:17). Most people would work seven days a week and not have time to worship God. Jesus rest now wants us to worship Him TODAY not just on Saturday. His yoke is easy because we are no longer under the toils of the law.
No works are necessary for salvation. Good works flow naturally from saving faith. The law no longer is our guardian because faith has arrived and Jesus nailed the law to the cross.
“Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
Romans 8:1-4 NASB2020
Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law c
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Why is there no longer condemnation for those in Christ? Why was the law weak? Why did the law of the Spirit in Christ set us free free from the law of sin? You have to factor these into your understanding. Paul is not bipolar defending the law in one place and then teaching that we are no longer under the law in another place. Your interpretation causes quite a bit of scriptural tension.
