Hebrews 4

Rest

another warning

v1 there is a promise to enter God’s rest

let us fear

lest we come short of it

what is the rest?

what does coming short of it mean?

what are we fearing?

v2 we all heard the gospel

it did not profit those who came out of Egypt

Why?

it wasn’t mixed with faith

How did they show their lack of faith?

Complaining. It showed unbelief. Do we see complaining as unbelief?

v3 it profits us

Why?

we have faith/have believed

we enter into rest

what rest?

God rested the 7th day

the rest of the Promised Land

The rest spoken in of Psalm 95

the rest of being a Christian

they didn’t enter into His rest even though He prepared it

v4 God rested on the 7th day

v5-7 Psalm 95 David wrote about resting

There is still a rest to enter -

Today if you hear His voice - then you can enter into His rest. Don’t harden your heart

v8 the ‘rest’ was more than the Promised Land

v9 there is a rest for God’s people

How do we rest?

believe God

we need to know what God’s word says about our standing in Him

we need to cast off unbelief - ‘fear’ unbelief in our lives

v10 - How do we rest?

1. day by day. Each day we choose to believe God. We don’t harden our hearts in unbelief.

2. we rest in the work of Jesus

Matthew 11:28–30 NKJV

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

3. There is a final rest when we are finally with Him - the race is over

CCBS Hebrews Hebrews 4

God is resting now in His work of salvation. It is finished, all is fulfilled. Jesus completed it all, there is no more to do.

1. If we enter into God’s rest, we have to get away from trying to work or earn our way into God’s rest. Salvation was free. We have to stop trying to add to what God has already done.

2. It could also be that Jesus is resting from His work of salvation. He finished it, this leads us back to #1

Remember this is written to Jewish believers....

George Guthrie

Leviticus 23:26–30 NKJV

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.

In verse 14 of this chapter the author is going to introduce Jesus as the great High Priest. The imagery being used very soon will be the Day of Atonement.

I find that very interesting

Day of Atonement - sabbath rest = Jesus was our atonement - we have rest

The sacrifices are done. There was one, and by that One, we have ceased from our work and trusting in His work

I rest in the complete work of Jesus Christ, and now I live in the ‘sabbath’ honoring God - not working for my salvation but worshipping the Lord of my salvation!

NT361 Book Study: The Letter to the Hebrews Biblical Faith

Biblical faith is not a leap in the dark, it is a step into the light