The Rest You Need
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
The hardest thing to get children to do is to rest, and the second hardest thing to do as adults is to rest. Most of us look forward to rest, although at the same time most dont know how to rest. Dont believe me think about vacations - supposed to be a time for rest but usually by the time it is over we need a vacation from our vacation. We are always focused on rest - even though we may not realize it. We have an entire phase of life in which we dedicate to rest - called retirement.
The Christian life involves rest, in fact our service requires it. In the passage I will be covering this morning “Rest” is the main subject of it - the word “rest” occurs no less than 12 times and then no where else in Hebrews. The book of Hebrews is written to those who were not growing spiritually and in danger of turning back to Judaism. They were worn out and in danger of throwing in the towel and going back. What they needed was rest - maybe that’s where you are this morning. In your service to God in your life lived for God you find yourself in need of rest - tired, weary, etc. Don’t turn away instead this is the time to brace yourself - for God has promised rest. Those of you not there yet brace yourself and prepare yourself to obtain the necessary and promised rest.
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, 9 where your ancestors tested me, tried me, and saw my works
10 for forty years. Therefore I was provoked to anger with that generation and said, “They always go astray in their hearts, and they have not known my ways.” 11 So I swore in my anger, “They will not enter my rest.”
12 Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception.
14 For we have become participants in Christ if we hold firmly until the end the reality that we had at the start. 15 As it is said: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. 16 For who heard and rebelled? Wasn’t it all who came out of Egypt under Moses?
17 With whom was God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, if not to those who disobeyed? 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.
1 Therefore, since the promise to enter his rest remains, let us beware that none of you be found to have fallen short. 2 For we also have received the good news just as they did. But the message they heard did not benefit them, since they were not united with those who heard it in faith.
A Rest That Can Be Missed
A Rest That Can Be Missed
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, 9 where your ancestors tested me, tried me, and saw my works
10 for forty years. Therefore I was provoked to anger with that generation and said, “They always go astray in their hearts, and they have not known my ways.” 11 So I swore in my anger, “They will not enter my rest.”
12 Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception.
14 For we have become participants in Christ if we hold firmly until the end the reality that we had at the start. 15 As it is said: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.
The writer - quoting scripture from the Old Testament and attributing it to the Holy Spirit and the author and inspiration of the scriptures. This scripture comes from Psalm 95:7b - 11. The writer starts off in the second half of verse 7 of Psalm 95 - which the first half of verse 7 gives our context for the word therefore - which connects us back to what was said previously in Hebrews 3 verses 4-6 in which they are more than the people of his pasture and sheep under His care — now they are of the household of the Son if they hold fast to their confidence and hope.
22 You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
2 We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God.
Hebrews written to those Christians ready to give up or at least back off because the intensity of the fires of persecutions and trials were tiring and trying. The Psalm is a call to worship - which is our true worship or reasonable service (as some translations render it) according to Romans 12.
1 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.
The quotation of Psalms covers the nation of Israel in their wilderness wandering. A record of a weary journey full of complaint and doubt. Think of Israel in the wilderness and what they had seen at the hands of the work of God.
The plagues of Moses to Pharoah and Egypt
The Passover
The parting of the Red Sea
The bitter waters
The water from the rock
Manna
Quail
Clothes and Sandals never wearing out
Ten Commandments
Pillar of Fire and Cloud of smoke
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion on the day of testing in the wilderness where your ancestors tested me, tried me and saw my works for forty years. While there are many incidents in the desert - Mt Sinai, Korah’s Rebellion, Rephidim - complained of lack of water and doubted God’s presence - ten different occasions. The one in particular that is focused in on is at the wilderness of Paran at Kadesh Barnea.
25 At the end of forty days they returned from scouting out the land. 26 The men went back to Moses, Aaron, and the entire Israelite community in the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh. They brought back a report for them and the whole community, and they showed them the fruit of the land.
27 They reported to Moses, “We went into the land where you sent us. Indeed it is flowing with milk and honey, and here is some of its fruit. 28 However, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We also saw the descendants of Anak there.
30 Then Caleb quieted the people in the presence of Moses and said, “Let’s go up now and take possession of the land because we can certainly conquer it!” 31 But the men who had gone up with him responded, “We can’t attack the people because they are stronger than we are!”
32 So they gave a negative report to the Israelites about the land they had scouted: “The land we passed through to explore is one that devours its inhabitants, and all the people we saw in it are men of great size. 33 We even saw the Nephilim there—the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim! To ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, and we must have seemed the same to them.”
2 All the Israelites complained about Moses and Aaron, and the whole community told them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us into this land to die by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “Let’s appoint a leader and go back to Egypt.”
This one particularly provoked the Lord to anger - they always go astray in their hearts and they have not known my ways. So I swore in my anger they will not enter my rest.
11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people despise me? How long will they not trust in me despite all the signs I have performed among them?
20 The Lord responded, “I have pardoned them as you requested. 21 Yet as I live and as the whole earth is filled with the Lord’s glory, 22 none of the men who have seen my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tested me these ten times and did not obey me, 23 will ever see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have despised me will see it.
It is possible to miss out on what God has for you, His best for you, His rest. Numbers 14:20 shows that this rest is not salvation - for the Israelites were pardoned of their sin by God but still did not enter the land. Moses and Aaron did not enter the land either. They missed out because they went astray in their hearts and have not known Gods ways - or have not acknowledged or understood God’s ways.
The warning to the Hebrews is to watch out (brothers and sisters) for those in the faith to watch out or be aware of and pay attention so there wont be in you an evil unbelieving heart. It is the unbelieving heart that turns someone away from God and miss out. In fact this is more than unable to believe or understand — it is an unwillingness to trust, involving the will and not the intelligence.
8 “ ‘But they rebelled against me and were unwilling to listen to me. None of them threw away the abhorrent things that they prized, and they did not abandon the idols of Egypt. So I considered pouring out my wrath on them, exhausting my anger against them within the land of Egypt.
On top of being aware and on guard for an unbelieving heart they are exhorted to encourage each other daily. While it is still called today - today occurs 5 times here and comes with the idea expressed that while the present exists or while the opportunity presents itself or exists - while you have a today. Understand also if you are out of fellowship you can neither encourage nor be encouraged. We need to be encouraged and to encourage so that sin does not work to harden our hearts. The deceitfulness of sin and our own sinful propensities threatens to harden our hearts. Hardened in unbelief - willful unbelief. The hardened heart is the one that turns away from the Lord and His word and His promises.
The promise is that we have become participants in Christ if we hold firmly until the end, the reality that we had at the start. Today if we hear His voice and do not harden our hearts we become participants in Christ. The word for participants is synonomous with koinonia- (communion and fellowship). You must hold firmly until the end. It matters more how you finish than how you start.
Do not harden your hearts. Many times we talk about how other circumstances, situations or people have hardened a heart or caused bitterness. Here we must see that only we are responsible to not harden our own hearts.
A Rest Entered By Active Faith
A Rest Entered By Active Faith
16 For who heard and rebelled? Wasn’t it all who came out of Egypt under Moses? 17 With whom was God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, if not to those who disobeyed?
19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. 1 Therefore, since the promise to enter his rest remains, let us beware that none of you be found to have fallen short. 2 For we also have received the good news just as they did. But the message they heard did not benefit them, since they were not united with those who heard it in faith.
3 For we who have believed enter the rest, in keeping with what he has said, So I swore in my anger, “They will not enter my rest,” even though his works have been finished since the foundation of the world.
4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in this way: And on the seventh day God rested from all his works. 5 Again, in that passage he says, They will never enter my rest.
To hear and rebel is to disobey from unbelief (remember unwillingness to believe). Those who choose not to believe and obey will not and cannot enter into His rest. Unbelief and lack of confidence in God is the ultimate reason for not entering into the land and into the rest. Israel’s unbelief was an insult and affront to God. To not believe God as true is to say God is a liar. To not believe that God can do it or will do it - is to say that God is weak, limited and not powerful enough. To not trust is to say that God has done before but cannot and will not do anymore. Unbelief says God can not or will not bring me through what God has brought me to.
That remains that the key to entering into His rest is faith - active and obedient. Now the writer says that since the promise to enter remains let us beware that none of you are found to be short. None found to be lacking or fallen short of the requirement.
Interesting to me that the word for beware is the word from which we get phobia from - phobia is not just fear but a paralyzing fear. The Israelites of that generation never entered the land of Canaan because they feared the report brought to them from the ten spies. Their fear overshadowed their God and they did not enter the land and instead setup to depart back to Egypt in disobedience. Fear is no reason or excuse to disobey the Lord. Says if you want to fear something fear being found lacking or short of being able to enter rest.
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.
For we have received the good news just as they but the message they heard did not benefit them since they were not united with those who heard it in faith. For we who have believed enter the rest. They have received the good news just as they did before, but the message heard was of no benefit to them. Just hearing the message, the promise is of no benefit - something must be done with the message. It did not benefit those who did not believe but only those who believed. Belief in God and His word dictates action and obedience. Hearing gives opportunity but without faith it profits nothing.
A picture of coming short - Israel across the Jordan from the promised land - the rest. Unable to enter and instead of leaving the wilderness being buried in the wilderness.
Adam Clarke “It is an allusion, of which there are many in this epistle, to the races in the Grecian games: he that came short was he who was any distance, no matter how small behind the winner.”
No matter how much you hear God’s word, promises, etc without mixing in faith one will ALWAYS fall short.
A Rest That Remains Open Today
A Rest That Remains Open Today
4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in this way: And on the seventh day God rested from all his works. 5 Again, in that passage he says, They will never enter my rest.
6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news did not enter because of disobedience, 7 he again specifies a certain day—today. He specified this speaking through David after such a long time: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.
9 Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people. 10 For the person who has entered his rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, then, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience.
The writer uses the fact that Moses didnt bring the people in and Joshua didnt give them the rest promised either, because otherwise God would not have, through David - spoken about another day. Since He did though there remains a Sabbath rest for God’s people. The one who enters this rest rests from His own works
God entered into rest when He completed His work of creation. In fact if you look at the creation account we can rightfully see that God is still resting. Day 1-6 include that it was morning and evening and Day 7 has no conclusion. It seems from this model that those who complete their works are able to rest.
The reward for finishing the life of faith - persevering to the end is the promised rest.
The scripture says that today we can enter that rest - while still pointing to the further fulfilment of that rest. We who have believed enter into this rest today - when by faith we believe that Jesus Christ has completed the work.
If we believe Jesus completed the work - we have no reason to worry about doing enough or being good enough. We have no reason to fear - the trials, the battles, the hard times, the persecutions.
Faith in Jesus is rest from everything else
God’s rest is experienced when we truly believe and understand that we are loved, cherished, protected and provided for by God. The encouragement is to make every effort to enter that rest.
The rest is there - promised still and provided for even today, but it is not forced upon by God. He wants that rest for us, but we must seek it. We must ENTER that rest, and we must do so by faith. Faith is not passive though it takes diligence to trust in, rely on, and to hold fast to Jesus and His finished work for us. We must make every effort to enter into the rest
The Israelites were careless and they treated God’s word and promises with contempt. In their troubles and trials they became fearful and desired Egypt and bondage again. Their lack of active faith kept them from the rest promised them, we are told to heed the warning that we do not enter into the same pattern of disobedience for we too will miss the promised rest
Conclusion
Conclusion
The passage of scripture warns against a hardened heart - which leads to unbelief, going astray and not entering into the promised rest.
23 Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.
Rest is attained in its fullness only after persevering with a faithful and obedient heart. We are prone to wander when we are not submitted to God and to His word.
Today - urgently - Today is the only time that we have - no one is promised a tomorrow all we have to work with is right now. Hear His voice and do not harden your hearts — Trust him, continue to trust in Him and in trusting Him we are participants.
It is when we stop trusting and start doubting and looking beyond Jesus that we begin to find ourselves REST-less in His service.
REST is what allows us to be like Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah - resting confidently in the ability of God to save them - but more so resting in that God is the only one worthy of worship and praise. REST allows us to be like David - who faced the giant not because he wasnt scared but because He knew the God whom he served. REST allows us to be like the Apostles in Acts and the Believers throughout church history.
When we REST in our God and His promises and His Word and His Son and His cross - then we find that we are truly at rest in Him.