This a question for both
@SabbathBlessings and
@tall73. What rest that God said "they shall "never" enter my Rest... Heb 4:5
Thank you
The section where we see the argument about rest begins back in chapter 3. As in all of the book he is discussing the superiority of Christ, who is a better High Priest, better Sacrifice, has a better Covenant, is superior to angels, superior to Moses, etc. It is that last point that he develops in the beginning of chapter 3.
Hebrews 3:1-6
1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, 2 who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. 3 For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. 4 For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. 5 And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, 6 but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. (NKJV)
Jesus is over the whole household. He created all and He rules all. Moses is a servant in the house who was faithful. Christ is the Son over the household. And if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope in Him, we are a part of God's household.
He then makes an extended appeal to respond to Christ and hold fast to Him. We see in the larger context that the people being written to had stood for Christ in the past, even if it cost their possessions, etc. but had not gone on to maturity.
He quotes from Psalm 95, which he is going to use to build his appeal. So we can take a look at what the psalm says.
Psalms 95:1-7
1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
3 For the LORD is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.
4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
5 The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land.
6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
7a For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand. (NKJV)
The first part of the Psalm acknowledges God as ruler, Creator, and the Shepherd who cares for His sheep. Then in the middle of verse 7 it makes an appeal to not harden your heart, which is a message his listeners needed to hear.
Psalms 95:7b-11
7bToday, if you will hear His voice:
8 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion,
As in the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 When your fathers tested Me;
They tried Me, though they saw My work.
10 For forty years I was grieved with that generation,
And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts,
And they do not know My ways.’
11 So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ” (NKJV)
He recalls the experience in the wilderness when the Children of Israel were freed from slavery in Egypt. God brought them through the wilderness to the land prepared for them. However, they frequently doubted, grumbled, turned away from Him, turned to idolatry, etc.
The Psalmist is saying "Today", don't be like those who rebelled back then. Rather respond with sincere hearts, in faith. In context for the audience of Hebrews this seems to indicate holding fast to Christ, despite persecution, not falling back.
He swore they would not enter His rest. In the book of Numbers we read that God told Moses to send spies into the land that He promised to give them, to see what the land was like. Then they gave a report:
Numbers 13:1-2
1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.” (NKJV)
Numbers 13:25-31
25 And they returned from spying out the land after forty days.
26 Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.”
30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” (NKJV)
The Israelites doubted, even though they had seen God deliver them miraculously from the Egyptians. But Caleb, one of the spies, called them to be faithful, and trust the Lord. The people refused.
Numbers 14:1-10
1 So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.”
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
6 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey.’ 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them.”
10 And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel. (NKJV)
Joshua and Caleb tried to appeal to them to not rebel, that the Lord was able to do all He promised. But they would not listen.
After their repeated rebellion God declared judgment upon that generation.
Numbers 14:20-25
20 Then the LORD said: “I have pardoned, according to your word; 21 but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD— 22 because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, 23 they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it. 24 But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it. 25 Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valley; tomorrow turn and move out into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea.” (NKJV)
The entire generation, 20 years or older, who came out of Egypt, and saw the wonders there, who continually rebelled, died in the wilderness over the 40 year span. Only Joshua and Caleb went in to see the land. The people who rebelled did not enter the rest of the promised land, because of doubt and unbelief.
It is with this background in mind that in Hebrews 3:7 the author begins an appeal to those Christians who are in danger of doubting and losing heart:
Hebrews 3:7-15
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.
10 Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they have not known My ways.’
11 So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”
12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end
He is saying that God has a rest for the recipients of the letter to the Hebrews, if they are faithful and do not turn away. They are to exhort, encourage, each other daily, while it is called "today" so that they do not harden their heart as they did in the wilderness, and fail to receive the rest God has for them. He indicates we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the same confidence to the end.
Hebrews 3:15-19
15 while it is said:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. (NKJV)
Here he summarizes the history of how all those 20 and older who went out, started the journey, but failed to finish, because of rebellion. And the cause of their rebellion was unbelief. They did not hold fast their confidence they started with. They did not believe, and that lack of belief translated to their rebellious actions. Their lack of faith meant they could not enter God's rest. Literally this was the promised land. Beyond that though, without faith they do not have that participation in the houshold of God referenced back in the beginning of chapter 3.
Chapter four continues the argument:
Hebrews 4:1
1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. (NKJV)
Here he takes the wording of Psalm 95, "today if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart" to indicate there is an ongoing rest that the readers of the epistle can still enter. "Today" God is still calling us to enter His rest, to not harden our hearts through doubt, but to have faith.
Hebrews 4:2-3a
2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:
“So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ” (NKJV)
The wilderness generation did not put faith in God's word. He says the gospel was preached to them, because they had an opportunity to rest totally in Him for salvation, not just physical rest, but ultimate rest. Even though that generation failed, there is still that remaining to be entered into in the time of Psalm 95. And there is still that rest in the time of the the author of Hebrews.
He says we who have believed DO enter that rest. The rest is faith in God, trusting to the end, in context, standing for Christ despite resistance for the recipients of the letter. And in doing they will be a part of God's household, entering into true lasting rest for eternity. The wildeness generation failed due to lack of faith. But the author of Hebrews says "we who have believed do enter that rest".
Then in the middle of that verse 3 he begins referring to Genesis 2.
Hebrews 4:3b-5
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; 5 and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.” (NKJV)
The author points out that God ceased His creative work on the seventh day. God is resting from His creative work, and invites us to that ONGOING rest. He has been resting ever since from His works. But the context already made it plain what that is, and continues to. It is not the weekly Sabbath. The weekly sabbath is a once a week reminder of God's rest after creation. Here they are being invited to enter that ongoing rest of God.
Hebrews 4:6-10
6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, 7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts.”
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. (NKJV)
He is still referring to those who did not enter in back in the wilderness. They did not enter in because of lack of faith, resulting in disobedience. But the possibility of entering the rest still remained in the time of David.
Joshua did not give them rest. Now he did lead them into the promised land, but something more is involved that goes beyond the physical promised land. There is still the spiritual rest of trusting in God and resting from your works. Under Joshua they went into the promised land, but then when Joshua died they again doubted and never totally trusted in God, did not remove the inhabitants of the land, etc. but continued to rebel.
The "Today" rest continues on, even though the generation with Joshua was now in the past. God speaks of another day after Joshua. It is the "Today" already mentioned throughout, that was stated in the time of the Psalmist. Today, when you hear His voice, do not harden your heart.
Hebrews 4:9-10
9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. (NKJV)
The whole context leading up to this makes clear what this rest is. We enter into the "today" rest with God through faith. We do not harden our hearts through lack of faith like those in the wilderness. We start the journey with God, and trust Him to the end. We enter into His rest, become a part of His household.
Now it says there "remains" a sabbath rest for the people of God. In a book about fulfillments of the Old Testament types the author explains a Sabbath rest that remains.
The context makes plain this is not the observance of the Sabbath day. Because even the people in the wilderness started doing that after a few false starts. But they did not enter the rest spoken of. Rather, verse 10 tells us the rest:
Hebrews 4:10-11
10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. (NKJV)
We rest in faith. We don't worry about the giants in the promised land, and fall back. We continue the journey. We rest from our works, as God rested from His. We trust in Him. In context, they endure for Christ, despite persecution, through faith.
The purpose of the Sabbath was a sign with Israel. It recalled their Creator, as the command states. It recalled their redemption from Egypt as Deuteronomy 5 states. And it was a sign that God is the one who sanctifies them, per Exodus 31.
But in Hebrews the rest that remains is to enter, TODAY, that you not harden your heart, and that you continue to hold on to faith. That you not turn away as those in the wilderness did, but rest from your own works to trust in the One who started you on the journey. And in the end you enter true Spiritual rest with Him, in His household.
