A Believer's Rest

Do you have rest in God?

We are at time when people are restless, and trying to find rest. What do you do to try and find rest? Some people veg out on the couch, while others try to find some hobbies. While we know the need for physical rest rest, we tend to forget out on spiritual rest.

Hebrews is written to Hebrew Christians who are being persecuted for their faith. They are even getting their houses destroyed the book says later. So because of that the writer (most say Paul) is trying to encourage them to stay in the race, by theologically and systematically showing them that Jesus is better. He starts off with showing how Jesus is better than the angels, and then goes to Moses, and the high priests and the sacrifices. Here he is in the middle of Moses and the high priests when he talks about rest. He mentions several different passages Psalm 95, Genesis 2, and Joshua.

The writer is saying that we should fear not having this rest. Meaning that if we do not enter in, it should be a fearful thing. It is not something to take lightly. It is something that if you miss, it should bother you. And people do not like missing out. You know people will camp out for days to get new technology, so they do not miss out. People use peer pressure and say you should do this so you do not miss out. And that fear of missing out should be here in this rest. Also the Bible says that we need to enter in and not follow the example of the Israelites who failed to enter into God’s rest. He is saying that because Christ is better than Moses, that the Hebrew Christians should not follow the Israelites example of not entering into the rest of God. God knows whether or not if you have entered into His rest and if not, the Holy Spirit will convict you. Many Christians fall short of this rest. We must fear to enter into God’s rest.

How do we enter into this rest?

What is this rest?

In Chapter 3, the children of Israel who were wandering in the wilderness are said to not have come into this rest. Not salvation-the promised land represented this rest. The promised land does not represent salvation. Moses is in heaven, but did he make it to the Promised land? No! The Passover and crossing the Red Sea is salvation. If someone uses the Promised Land as salvation, then they are saying that works are needed for salvation. Even people who say that to appear not to have this rest will be lost. We are called to labor or be diligent for this rest. So if we think this is talking about salvation, then we really mess some things up.

So the “gospel” is not the Gospel. But the good news for them that the people could take the Promised Land. They were already delivered out of sin.

In Numbers 14 the people were told by Caleb and Joshua that the Lord would give them the land, but they did not believe, so Joshua and Caleb preached to them, but it did not profit not being mixed with faith

The writer is saying in verses 7 and 8 that if the rest was done in the Promised land, than David would not talk about entering the rest in Psalm 95.

Also there is still a rest that remaineth to the people of God.

Also let’s consider this context: The Hebrew Christians were being heavily persecuted for their faith. They were wanting to go back to Judaism (The Israelites were wanting to go back to Egypt). So the writer is writing to them that just as the children of Israel could of have rest in the promised land, but did not, then they too could have been saved, yet not experience the rest God wanted.

There are 3 kinds of rest mentioned here, to show that rest in God has been from the start

Creation- God rested from His works

God rested from His works, because they were complete instituted the Sabbath,

Canaan- The Israelites were in the Promised Land, a land of rest from there enemies

Christian’s rest

So this rest as John Phillips puts it as the fulness of all that is in Christ, His victory, blessings of peace and joy, FB Meyer puts it as “Rest from the weight of sin, from care and worry, from the load of daily anxiety and foreboding. Fearing what is going to happen in the future, but the writer is saying you can have rest. It does not mean that there is not hardship, and life is going to be easy, or we can be lazy, but we will be satisfied in

It is not just being saved, but having access to all the blessings in the Christian life. Sa

Standby vs first class

How do we come short of this rest?

Unbelief- the people did not believe that God would give them the promised land.

Why did they not believe?

Their hearts were hardened through sin.

So sin causes us to doubt the Word of God

An example is worry, you cannot have any rest if you refuse to let go of your worries

1 peter 5:7 “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

Another example is pride, you cannot have any access to the promises of God if you are too proud to go to Him, or too proud to accept help from Him.

james 4:6 “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

1 peter 5:6 “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:”

v. 10 of ch 3 says that the people do not know God’s ways

How do we enter in?

You need the Word of God

We need to understand the promises that we can have

God will provide all of our needs

We can cast our cares upon God

He will keep us in perfect peace.

Hard to enter into the rest if you do not know the promises

He is also saying in v. 12 that it is the Word of God that allows us to enter into that rest

Not knowing what is in the word of God is like not knowing what is in your bank account

You need faith

God’s Word needs faith in order to profit

One does not get saved when they hear the Gospel, but when they put their faith in the Gospel.

Also faith is when we rest from our own works

When it comes to v. 9 and 10, the believer does not work for the blessings, but accepts them by faith

The children of Israel did not believe that God could, but Joshua and Caleb did

We can trust God because of v. 13. That God knows everything, and we can have rest in the storm, and we cannot be at a place where God is not with us

Psalm 139 7-12 “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; Even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; But the night shineth as the day: The darkness and the light are both alike to thee.”

Also we will quit trying to make our own rest, but in faith obey the Lord

The people did not enter because of unbelief, which showcased in disobedience

Jeremiah 6:16 “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.”

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Notice how the rest comes from obeying God. Imagine if the animal in the yoke is trying to fight the one driving the plow, there will not be rest, but when we submit to God in faith, we will have rest for our souls

So the way we enter into this rest is by knowing the promises of God’s Word, believing them and than obeying God

Have you entered into God’s rest?