God's Rest Our Rest

When the Israelites crossed the Jordan river into the promised land, there were only two who had been among the original group that had been delivered from Egypt. Those two were Caleb and Joshua. The rest of the people died in the wilderness because of their unbelief.

According to the book of Hebrews, there is a picture here that the Holy Spirit wants us to grasp.

You’ll have to read Hebrews 3 and 4 to see the whole context, but I’ll summarize the argument here. Hebrews 3:7 says “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” What that means is that today, we should not be like the people of Israel were in that day when they disobeyed God in the wilderness. God swore that because of their disobedience, they would not be allowed to enter His rest, i.e. the promised land. They did not enter in because of unbelief. (verse 19)

Hebrews 4:1 tells us that the promise of entering God’s rest remains. God’s rest is explained in that God rested on the seventh day after He had created the world. Since there remains the possibility that some would enter into it and since those to whom the message was first preached did not enter into it, there is still a designated time for some to enter that rest. The designated time is TODAY. His conclusion in verse 9 and 10 is that a rest remains for the people of God and the person who has entered into His rest has ceased from his own works as God did from His.

We so often find ourselves striving and laboring to try to achieve what God has already given us by His grace. When you picture God, do you picture Him struggling and toiling over events in the world? Do you think He is worrying about the political situation and the crises around the world? I don’t think so. God is offering us the opportunity of entering into the rest He is in right now. It means we cease from our labor like God did from His. The struggling to be acceptable and approved by God is over.

But the people in the Old Testament weren’t able to enter in because of unbelief. The same thing will hinder our entering in. God calls upon us as His people to believe Him and trust Him and all of the promises He has made to us. Have you entered into the rest God has prepared for you?