Hebrews 4:1-10

Getting the most out of God’s rest.

Understanding a true Sabbath- Rest

Theological Meaning: It is a commandment for spiritual rest, reflecting on creation, and aligning with God.

Jewish Tradition: Shabbat runs from Friday sundown to Saturday nightfall, involving lighting candles, meals, and prayer.

Christian Tradition: Generally observed on Sunday to commemorate Jesus’ resurrection, though some denominations observe Saturday.

Overview:

This is a chapter continuing the thought and mindset of rest from chapter 3. The author writing to believers first a warning to them. Then he add in a history lesson. Followed by a theology lesson. finalizing the chapter with a declaration of the Position and Authority of Jesus.

It is the goal of this chapter to provide the following applications

Rest is only found once you have placed your faith in the what has already been done.

Staying in the word will help you enjoy the rest that Christ has given

Rest found in Faith alone.

Hebrews 4:1–2 KJV 1900

Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

Do not miss out on God’s Rest

The author is giving us a clear warning in verse one. Hebrews 4:1 “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.”

Let us fear

That fear means to be terrified, to be frightened

We should be afraid of missing out on the promises of God.

we have been given a great promise .

We are given the chance to enter into God’s Rest.

This rest is not based on ourselves but on God himself.

We do God gain access be any merits but by our belief.

We have been given to path to that Rest Hebrews 4:2–3 “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”

We have given the way through the Gospel.

We have all heard the Gospel. As well as those of the old testament.

The gospel was not just a New Testament message.

The Gospel is profitless if it is not mixed with Faith.

The issue was the not the Word, but the hearers.

You are not lacking in knowledge, you are lacking in faith.

God has design it so that we have to respond to it. He lays it out for you. but we have to believe in it when we hear it.

Verse 3 is a quote from Psalm 95:6–11 “O come, let us worship and bow down: Let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; And we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, And as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, Proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, And said, It is a people that do err in their heart, And they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath That they should not enter into my rest.”

Those who believed were allowed to enter into Rest; those who did not were left out.

Think back to Numbers 13:30-31

Numbers 13:30–31 (KJV 1900)

And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.

Caleb told them, “We are able”

The non believers said “ We are not able.”

God wants us to have his rest

It grieved him, it broke his heart to see the people not believe on him. (Heb 3:10, Ps. 95:10)

God wants me to be saved. 2 Peter 3:9

2 Peter 3:9 (KJV 1900)

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

He was not surprised when they did not believe

God had already completed the work from the beginning.

He knows the heart of mankind, but he is a loving God and it still wanted those people to come to him.

Why we can have that Rest

Hebrews 4:4–5 (KJV 1900)

For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.

Genesis 2:2 KJV 1900

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

The rest God wants for you is a Sabbath Rest.

God rested on the 7th day because the work was finished .

He had looked at everything he did and saw it was good.

God Rested from all work, nothing else needed to be done.

He sanctified the 7th day and made it holy.

When we believe in God, we get to have that sabbath rest.

We don’t have to work anymore

we can cease from all our works

we can relax, because to work is done. Nothing else needs to be done.

Jesus has finished the work on the cross.

He fulfilled the Scriptures John 19:28

John 19:28 (KJV 1900)

After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.

He paid the sin debt John 19:30

John 19:30 (KJV 1900)

When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

And he ended the need to keep the law Rom 10:4

Romans 10:4 (KJV 1900)

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

He offered himself once and put away our sin forever Heb 9:22-28

Hebrews 9:22–28 (KJV 1900)

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

The Rest belongs to the Lord

He calls it “My Rest”

He is the one who finished the work of creation, the work on the cross, and the work of deliverance into the Promise Land.

We can’t do anything to buy our way to salvation and peace. It is all a matter of Faith.

That Rest is Still available

Hebrews 4:6–7 (KJV 1900)

Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

The Rest is still there.it is not too late

Without faith, you can not enter into the rest that God has provided. God requires faith

Ephesians 2:8 (KJV 1900)

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Romans 1:17 (KJV 1900)

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

We need to believe today

We need to not harden our hearts

It is not knowledge that stops us. it is a willingness.

A hard heart refuses to believe

Hebrews 4:8–9 (KJV 1900)

For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

Jesus is the greek translation of the Y’hoshua or Joshua.

The people did not find rest in the wilderness, which is why Joshua talks about rest coming to the next generation. Joshua 1:12-16

Joshua 1:12–16 KJV 1900

And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying, Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, The Lord your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land. Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them; Until the Lord have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord’s servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising. And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.

Joshua 23:1 KJV 1900

And it came to pass a long time after that the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age.

If we could be save any other way than through Jesus, we would not be challenged to believe in Jesus

If we could find rest any other way but by faith, we wouldn’t need to be warned about the dangers of unbelief.

Hebrews 4:10 (KJV 1900)

For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

If we truly know that they are God’s child, that they have been forgiven and they have a eternal destination. We will realize that it is not about what we can do to get there.

When we enter into his rest, We get to Sabbath as God did on the seventh day.

Application

Rest is only found once you have placed your faith in the what has already been done.

The only person Stopping you from God’s Rest is you.

Get out of your own way and accept what God has done.