Entering Into Rest

As you turn in your Bible to Hebrews chapter 3, I want to ask you a question. Is it okay for a Christian to mow his lawn on a Sunday?

This question was going through my mind last Sunday afternoon as I was working at mowing my overgrown lawn.

(Cue slide about lawn)

While my lawn was not as bad as the one in this picture, it was high enough that my push lawnmower struggled to mow it, even though the machine was set about as high off the ground as I could make it.

Hebrews 3:7–4:13 ESV

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’ ” Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest, 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. For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” And again in this passage he said, “They shall not enter my rest.” Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Let’s begin by looking at

The Formulation of the Sabbath

Most of you probably know that the concept of the Sabbath rest goes all the way back to creation.

Genesis 2:2–3 ESV

And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

It is important for us to understand that resting on the Sabbath was instituted by God before sin ever entered into the world. It was instituted before the nation of Israel ever came into being. And it was instituted, not because God needed rest, but because man needs rest.

Jesus said it well,

Mark 2:27 ESV

And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

Note that,

God has Prepared a Sabbath Rest for His People

We are going to begin toward the end of our text. Look at

Hebrews 4:9 ESV

So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,

Notice who the Sabbath rest is for. It is for the people of God. But how does one become a part of the people of God? Well, let’s move on to consider how.

Let’s look at

The Primary Importance of Faith

Note that,

Only Those with Faith in Jesus Christ can Enter into the Sabbath Rest Prepared by God for His People

Sometimes a negative example is better than a positive example. And that is what the writer of Hebrews provides for us.

Our lengthy passage for today is bookended with references to the doctrine of the Word of God, which we looked at back in January.

The Holy Spirit is the author of Scripture

Hebrews 3:7 ESV

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice,

For those whom the Holy Spirit is preparing to respond to the gospel, the Word of God pierces them to the very core of their being

Hebrews 4:12–13 ESV

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

A song-writer once said:

By God’s Word at last my sin I learned

Then I trembled at the law I spurned,

Then my guilty soul imploring turned

To Calvary

Sometimes a negative example is more powerful than a positive example. The writer of Hebrews uses a negative example regarding faith, or the lack thereof. Look at

Hebrews 3:7–11 ESV

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’ ”

Look also at

Hebrews 3:16–18 ESV

For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?

In the immediate context the “rest” which the psalmist was referring to was possession of the land of Canaan which had been promised by God Abraham and his descendants. This rest is a picture of salvation, and that is how the writer of Hebrews is using it.

Within a local church there are basically two kinds of people. My dear friend who passed away in March used to describe these two groups as the remnant and the rest. And that is an excellent description. The remnant are those who have placed their true faith in Jesus Christ. The rest are those who have not.

Within the group I’ve referred to as the “rest”, not be be confused with the promised rest which we are referring to in this passage, are those who are pretenders to the faith, and those who are seekers. In either case neither has positively responded to the gospel.

The writer of Hebrews senses that there are those who are a part of his audience who have never responded to the gospel. They have been riding on the fence, so to speak, about Jesus being their Messiah, Lord, and Savior.

Let’s consider next

The Timing of Faith

Note that,

God’s Sabbath Rest is a Limited-Time Offer

I don’t know if you have picked up on the frequency of the use of the word “today” as found in this text. Mostly it is used in conjunction with the passage quoted form Psalm 95. The word “today” as used in our text refers to urgency — it is urgent that a person respond tot he prompting of the Holy Spirit to repent and believe the gospel. The period of grace may last for as short as one day. And that is what the writer of Hebrews is driving at.

Look at

Hebrews 3:12–15 ESV

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

Brother = fellow Jews

Fall away from God — not referring to believers losing their salvation, but to those who have never obeyed God’s call to repent and believe the gospel

Exhort — encourage — MacArthur pointed out that Exhort is from the Greek parakaleō, a form of the word used by Jesus of the Holy Spirit in John 14:16. The root meaning has to do with coming alongside to give help. The writer is saying to the believers among those to whom he is writing, “Get along side each other and help each other.” They are especially urged to help their unbelieving Jewish brethren by encouraging them not to harden their hearts but to accept Jesus as the Messiah. (John F. MacArthur Jr., Hebrews, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1983), 92–93.)

Exhort “fence riders” to get off the fence and make a commitment to follow Christ

Encourage believers who are discouraged in their walk

Reasons for discouragement are many

The difficulty of living the Christian life — i.e., the constant struggle with sin

Missing things belonging to the old life

Persecution

One of the chief reasons why are to meet together as a church body is to encourage each other in the faith.

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.