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.”
In this passage, the author of Hebrews further emphasizes the importance of belief as the means by which we are able to connect with God. The stakes are high as the rest that God offers and belief are connected. Understanding the rest that God offers can help us to understand the beauty of the gift of God to those who believe as well as the importance of that belief. The rest that the author of Hebrews refers to combined with our understanding of the rest that God participated in the story of creation (Genesis 2:2-3) provides a lot of understanding for us:
The rest that God promises is available to those that believe.
The word in Greek that the author uses for “rest” is eiserchometha. This is a present-tense verb, telling us that the rest that God promises isn’t just a future, eschatological experience; it’s an experience available today as well as in the age to come.*
The rest that God entered at the end of creation, unlike the other six days of creation, had no end. This indicates that the rest that God invites us into continues for eternity. It’s an eternity that includes our present day as well as our future promised rest.*
The rest that God entered at the end of creation involved reflection, enjoyment, and satisfaction, but not necessarily inactivity as God remains active in our lives today.*
In the creation story, God included created mankind into His rest though they had not yet participated in any work (indicating that the rest of God was not earned, but it was a gift of grace).*
In Hebrews, the reference to the rest of God as “my rest” indicates that it is a rest that comes from God, and it’s a rest that God participates in.*
What if I told you that if you believe in Christ, God has a rest for you that looks like the satisfaction of completed work? What if I told you that this rest feels as beautiful as the dream of rest that will one day come in eternity? What if I told you that this rest is where you meet with God? What if I told you that this rest is so important and pleasurable that God participates in it Himself? What if I told you that God offers that rest to you freely, though you cannot deserve it? What if I told you that this rest is available today?
God has Sabbath rest for you in this hectic, busy, tiring world in which we live.
Believe in the finished work of Christ for you today. You don’t need to earn rest; He has it for you. Sabbath well. Don’t miss it.
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to take a Sabbath. Perhaps today God wants you to settle the rushing and racing in your soul. Maybe today God wants you to rest not just from work, but to rest with Him. Perhaps today God wants you to enjoy His completed work and allow that to overshadow your uncompleted work. Perhaps today God wants you to believe in the finished work of Christ.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.
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*Stedman, R. C. (1992). Hebrews (Heb 4:3–7). IVP Academic.
Grindheim, S. (2023). The Letter to the Hebrews (D. A. Carson, Ed.; pp. 239–242). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
France, R. T. (2006). Hebrews. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation (Revised Edition) (Vol. 13, p. 66). Zondervan.
Guthrie, G. (1998). Hebrews (p. 151–153). Zondervan Publishing House.
John H. Sailhamer, Genesis, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Genesis – Leviticus Revised Edition, edited by Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008), 72.
Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics: The Doctrine of Creation, Vol. 3, pt. 4. Edited by Geoffrey W. Bromiley and Thomas F. Torrance. Translated by Geoffrey W. Bromiley and Rudolf J. Ehrlich (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 2004), 52.