Entering God's rest

Hebrews 4:1-13

Key Verse 4:10

This passage is an invitation to enter God's rest. It shows why one fails and yet still another succeeds in entering God's rest. 

1. Read verse 1. What does "his rest" stand for? What does it mean to "be found to have fallen short of it"? Why is this (falling short of entering his rest) a problem (if it ever happens to you)? 

** 1) It is rest which is enjoyed by God. The "word" rest is used as opposed to the word "work".

Characteristically the word rest refers to the condition in which one can get his life fully recharged, so he would be ready to enjoy his existence fully. 

When Jesus came he invited people saying in Matthew 11:28  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." In Jesus we can find this rest, for Jesus is the author and giver of rest.

** It talks about a man who after finishing his life in a physical body comes to the sudden realization that he has conclusively lost his own salvation with no more chance of getting saved. 

An example is a rich man in hell as his life beyond the grave is described in Luke 16:19-31.

** It’s a problem because there are no longer any chances to get ones’ life rejuvenated, so that one remains vexed eternally.  

2. Read verse 2. This passage indicates that "the message" (of the gospel) promises something "of value". In what respect is it valuable? What does it mean to "combine it with faith"? 

** It is valuable for it comes with all the features (or conditions if you will) which are designed to secure the enjoyment of life to the full. The features include a resurrected body, fellowship with God the Father in his eternal presence, the joy of life with the saints whose spirits have been made perfect, the perfected (or renewed) earthly environment etc.

** It means to combine what one hears (that is the gospel message) with faith in God who is faithful to keep all of his promises so that they all come true. Examples - Jesus' promise in John 6:44,54.

3. Read verses 3-10. What is a "Sabbath-rest"? Who are "the people of God"? On what basis does the author maintain that there still remains a Sabbath-rest for the people of God?

** This refers to the reality to come that is, the rest found in Jesus. The law of the "Sabbath" is a shadow of the reality to come, that is, Jesus Christ. Col 2:17; Heb 10:1

In Genesis 1 God did the work of creation for six days and on the seventh day called Sabbath the day he rested. But this is merely a shadow of the reality to come that is the rest Jesus came to offer. 

** The basis is the location in time of the word in Psalm 95:7-11. The Israelites came out of Egypt around 14 century B.C. Obviously Psalm 95 was given after the Israelites got out of Egypt and some of them entered the Promised Land, for all the 150 psalms came into being while the Israelites were in the Promised Land.

Further, in Genesis 1 the work of creation was done, so God rested, and yet in Psalm 95 the Holy Spirit talks about the possibility for his people to enter God's rest, which indicates that there still remains the promise to allow his children to get into God's rest. 

4. Read verse 11. What does "fall" mean? How does anyone fall if he or she falls? Why should one not fall?

** Fall is another word for "disobedience" or "sin". 

** He or she falls by following the way of the first man and woman Adam and Eve, and thereafter many such as the Israelites whose bodies fell in the desert during their forty years of journey through the desert. The way to fall is this: to doubt God's love, not believe in the veracity of God's word; and then going against God's word. 

Example: Ezekiel 18:20 The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him.

** Falling (or sinning) robs man of rest. Example: Cain became restless as written in Genesis 4:12, " When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."

5. Read verses 12-13 and describe the way in which one can prevent himself from falling (so that he is eventually able to enter God’s rest). 

   

** Two step process, that is, to find out the cause of restlessness, and then to remove the cause out of one's life. 

Verses 12-13 indicate that God's word is like a surgeon's knife which works to detect and remove cancerous cells. 

The end