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. 2 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. 3 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. 4 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. 5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
“He says that Canaan was not the promised rest. IT would be a picture of the promised rest, yet it was not that rest. Verse 8 confirms that Joshua did not lead them into this rest. That means that even the rest spoken of in the OT was a spiritual rest of obedience to God and not the land of Canaan. Canaan was only a picture, only an illustration of this doctrine of rest. Israel inhabited Canaan, yet this was not the rest of God. Only an illustration. Therefore there is no physical location or piece of land where this rest was or is or can be fulfilled. Israel was in Canaan, yet still had to seek that rest. If Canaan had fulfilled the promised rest of the OT then Paul would not have put Heb. 4:9 in here. There still remains a rest for God’s people.” (Hyles)
“Therefore refers, of course, to Israel’s unbelief and consequent failure to enter God’s Canaan rest. As long as a promise remains, there is opportunity to be saved and to enter God’s rest. Otherwise appeal for belief would be a mockery. (MacArthur)
You certainly don’t want to ‘come short of’ Heaven…be fearful about this…check your heart carefully…do you have a hardened heart of unbelief?
The gospel was preached unto you (the lost person), but it will not profit you unless you mix it with faith… with belief. This is how you enter into His rest (Heaven): hear the gospel…and believe it. Belief of the gospel is the requirement for enterring into Heaven. His resting on the seventh day is a picture of salvation; it was taught from the very beginning; teaching that someday (6000 years later?) there will be a rest to enter. Reference is given here to Psalms 95.
Sabbath rest was instituted as a symbol of the true rest to come in Christ. That is why the Sabbath could be violated by Jesus, and completely set aside in the New Testament. When the true Rest Land came, the symbol was useless.” (MacArthur)
6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: 7 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. 8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Those first preached to were the Jews…then it was preached to the Gentiles. There is a rest for the people of God… that is, Heaven. The Jews were focusing on the earlier ‘rest’, that is, the Promised Land. They thought that they would be going there because they were Jews. But, Jesus spoke of another ‘rest’, that is, Heaven.
“Those who sinned while wandering in the wilderness not only forfeited Canaan. Unless they exercised personal faith in God sometime during the forty years, they also forfeited eternal life – of which Canaan was only a symbol.” (MacArthur)
“Now Paul refers to David again and the 95th psalm. Now, this statement referred to here IS NOT made at Kadesh. It is made by David 400-500 years after Kadesh and David is warning God’s people not to miss the promised rest in his day. They had been in the land for over 400 years at this time. This proves that the promised rest was not fulfilled when they entered Canaan or David would not have said this.” (Hyles)
“The term people of God may refer generally to anyone who knows God; but here it specifically refers to Israel. Salvation is first of all for Israel. The gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). There is a rest remaining for the people of God, and in the Old Testament Israel is designated the people of God.” (MacArthur)
There needs to be a 7th day of ceasing from one’s works in order to enter this eternal rest. Would to God that the 7th Dayers would cease from their ‘work’ based salvation system so that they could enter into that 7th Day of rest. The laboring is in not allowing a hardening of the heart, not allowing unbelief, but in forcing oneself to believe with all one’s heart.
Many use verse 11 to support works-based salvation that can be lost. Labor must be made to truly be a believer, and not an unbeliever…who has been deceived by sin and has a hardened heart. This ‘labor’ is not a works-based labor, but, rather, a spiritual labor. It takes the labor of one’s faith/believe/trust…in Jesus Christ. The Jews did not have that faith and thus enterred not into the Canaan Land.
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. 14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
The Word can easily direct, cut, pierce to the heart to get one to have belief and thus enter that rest. Quick – it has the power to unlock the secret to making one alive. The Bible cuts thru everything, even your very soul; it separates your will and emotions (soul) from the ‘spirit of man’.
“The priests of ancient Israel were appointed by God to be mediators between Himself and His people. Only the high priest could offer the highest sacrifice under the Old Covenant, and that he did only once a year on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). All the sins of the people were brought symbolically to the Holy of Holies, where blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat as a sacrifice to atone for them. As no other human instrument could, he represented God before the people and the people before God.” (MacArthur)
“Three things the apostle professes to prove in this letter: 1) That Christ is greater than the angels. 2) That he is greater than Moses. 3) That he is greater than Aaron, and all high priests.
The two former arguments, with their applications and illustrations, he has already despatched; and now he enters on the third. See the preface to this letter.
The apostle states: 1) That we have a high priest. 2) That this high priest is Jesus, the Son of God; not a son or descendant of Aaron, nor coming in that way, but in a more transcendent line. 3) Aaron and his successors could only pass into the holy of holies, and that once a year; but our High Priest has passed into the heavens, of which that was only the type.” (Adam Clarke)
Jesus Christ knows what is going on in our lives; the fleshly desires and aspirations; He can really relate, He has been there. “All points” – Jesus was, I believe, tempted in all the categories of sin: lying, stealing, lusting, pride, etc..
“Under the Old Covenant God’s dealings with His people were more indirect, more distant. Except for special and rare instances, even faithful believers did not experience His closeness and intimacy in the way that all believers now can. Jews believed that God was incapable of sharing the feelings of men. He was too distant, too far removed in nature from man, to be able to identify with our feelings and temptations and problems.” (MacArthur)
Because we can enter that rest and have a spokesman who can really relate and that knows how to do it the right way, let us go to this Hight Priest boldly and ask for help, for we and He knows that we sure need it.