August 11, 2013

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.

It originally seemed to me that there was one devotion I should write about Hebrews 4, but when it was finished it seemed unclear and when I talked to the Managing Editor, she suggested separating it into bite sized pieces, and that triggered another thought? — so here is the first bite!
There is something a little mysterious about this opening — for the Hebrews of old did, eventually enter Canaan … so did they not enter their rest? And what “rest” is it that we may enter or come short of?

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews uses the word “rest” to convey three different images:

• The promised land — the resting place
•  The rest of God, after He finished the work of creation — the rest from work
• The peace of God — restfulness

Let us look at that first usage. It’s made clear when you read Hebrews 3, and see the reference to Psalm 95. Here are verses 8-11 from the Psalm:

Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

The Jews made the first of the two most tragic mistakes in their history. Arriving at the border of Canaan, they did not go straight ahead and occupy their promised home. They cautiously sent spies to check out the lay of the land. When the spies brought back a mixed report they did not “proceed with caution” but balked. Their reaction is recorded in Numbers 14:3 — “And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?”

The Jews had misunderstood the character of God, and missed the promise. Missing the promise, they did eventually come into the resting place — but they did not rest from their works, continuing to seek to get right with God through temple works. Nor yet did they reach the peace of God, shalom …
The second tragic mistake, of course, was that the Jews misunderstood the person of God, the Messiah, and missed the promise again! The Gospel of Matthew tells of the arrival of the King, His denial, and His final rejection. You probably know that final rejection, written in Matthew 27:20-23 —

But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.

The Jews missed, once again, their chance to enter God’s rest. Let us fear lest we, either by misunderstanding the person of God or misunderstanding the character of God, should do the same. Jesus is the Messiah, and God is trustworthy! Take Jesus as Lord if you have not already done so, trust the promises of the gospel, cease from work, and enter the rest of God!