Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone
fall according to the same example of disobedience.
Heb 4.11
With Canaan clearly foreshadowing the ‘better things’ of the new covenant, this land and Israel’s destiny in it is a major theme for the author’s thesis. Notably, because this ‘promised land’ (11.9) prefigures what believers enjoy on reaching
‘perfection’ and entering the rest of God’. While the ceremonial feasts also prefigure the destiny of the church, this land first promised to Abraham (Gen 17) best represents it.
Israel’s ‘exodus’ from slavery in Egypt—their redemption—
was, therefore, but the first step to possessing that which was central to their destiny. The nation was ‘taken out’ of bondage in order to be ‘taken into’ their inheritance, a land of
‘perfection’ for them. And why it is called the ‘ good land’
(Deut 8.7), the ‘ glorious land’ (Ezek 20.6), the ‘ pleasant land’
(Dan 8.9), and the ‘ beautiful land’ (Dan 11.42 NIV); names indicating the ‘land’ the (spiritual) ‘Israel of God’ (Gal 6.16) is to inherit.
When it also is characterized as ‘ flowing with milk and honey’ (Deut 11.8-12), Canaan is shown to be a land of rich bounty. When two foods found in such small quantities are said to ‘flow’ like a stream in this land, this says it all. Add to this its other features—regular harvests of grains, fruits, and nuts from its verdant hills, its abundant rains, and the underground springs watering it—and Canaan more than exemplifies the inheritance believers will possess. To sum up: the ‘full salvation’ Israel enjoyed in this land of abundance prefigures the realm of divine glory and rest inherited by the church (not
all believers) after also wandering in a ‘wilderness’—not for 40
years, but 40 jubilees (2000 years).
THE REST OF GOD
After creating the heavens and the earth, God rested from this work (4.4). Yet since the ‘All-Sufficient One’ doesn’t need to rest, this merely expresses the enjoyment respite from work offers. Even though unnecessary for God, divine ‘rest’ is essential for us humans, the creation afflicted with the curse of
‘labor’ after ‘falling into sin’. (See Gen 3.17). Not respite from physical fatigue, but much-needed relief from mental, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion. And when the ‘law of sin and death’ continues to bedevil, this requires more than a good night's sleep; sin exhausts far more than any physical toil.
Humans need the ‘rest’ only found in the peace and rejuvenating joy of a divine refreshing. Now, believers enjoy the ‘down payment’ (Eph 1.14) of this when they experience what is typified in the feasts of Passover and Pentecost.
However, not until the ‘Feast of Tabernacles’ is fulfilled (in total) can they know the fullness of it. Complete ‘rest of soul’
will continue to elude the church until the perfection typified in this last feast is realized.
One of the first outcomes for Israel on entering their land of
‘rest’ was blessed relief from the hard labor of Egypt. This included respite from the arduous task of feeding themselves in a land where no rains fall on its coastal plain. Crops were grown only from the arduous task of pumping water by foot from the river Nile. This all ceased in their promised land of abundant rains and underground springs. Indeed, the water supply was so plentiful, the nation enjoyed an abundant, varied diet of several grain crops in early summer and a wide variety of fruits and nuts in the latter months—all without hard labor.
Under the iron hand of Pharaoh, the children of Israel were Egypt’s slave labor. In Canaan, they ‘enjoyed rest from this
a ffliction ...and...oppression’ (Deut 26.7); all could work at whatever and whenever their hearts desired. And as long as the commandments were kept, they also enjoyed ‘rest from war’
(once the land was conquered). Yet, all this poorly represents the future ‘rest from…enemies’ (Deut 12.10) citizens of the Kingdom are to enjoy; namely, a respite from the enemies stopping them knowing the ‘rest’ heaven enjoys(Lk 1.71,74).
With Canaan foreshadowing the ‘land’ the new ‘Israel of God’ is to inherit, it signals this divine ‘rest’ is no ‘pipe dream’.
On the contrary, believers (not all) can bank on entering before reaching heaven a realm of such glory and peace they will perfectly fulfill the will of God (Rom 12.1,2). A doubly assured outcome with the promise of an outpouring of
‘abundant grace’ (2Cor 9.8) bringing fresh spiritual life to an exhausted, weakened church. Heaven has often sent ‘mercy drops’ of revival to renew spiritual life, but this last outpouring (the antitype to the latter rains of summer) will eclipse every
‘shower of blessing’ the church has previously enjoyed.
This forthcoming deposit of grace (the final installment of salvation) will radically increase the ‘righteousness, peace, and joy’ (Rom 14.17) enjoyed by the citizens of the Kingdom. All without the labor it takes currently to have these blessings and minister to others the life of the Kingdom. In a divine rest of soul, believers with this ‘double anointing’ (cf. Elisha) will freely share its power to heal and deliver from evil spirits—
even the peace and joy it offers. All while (without sweat) they maintain a vibrant devotional life and fulfill acts of mercy, e.g.
financial giving.
‘ With joy’ they also will ‘ draw water out of the wells of salvation’ (Is 12.3); that is, genuinely enjoy the divine life of healing, power, and righteousness in these 'wells’. Instead of struggling to summon the faith it now takes to ‘draw up’ these blessings, this changes in the ‘land’ of rest. All the above, plus renewed inner strength to resist temptation and overcome every
‘carnal’ appetite. Even victory over bad attitudes and reactions which ‘flare up’ even with mature believers. Inhabitants of this
‘land of plenty’ also will bear the ‘fruits of righteousness’ (love, joy, peace, long-suffering, etc.) in abundance while enjoying a walk of faith blessed with divine wisdom and discernment.
Also only a memory, the toil to know true peace of mind.
While the wicked often have ‘no peace’ (Is 48.22), believers too often lack this divine right> Disquiet, no doubt, from the shame and guilt after struggling to keep up the disciplines of the devotional life, have a walk in close communion with the Lord, and fulfill the other duties of a disciple. Those who do manage these responsibilities more often seem to be driven by a ‘performance orientation’ rather than by divine grace.
Exhausting their emotional resources and making life anything but ‘restful’. Yet, not only they need this divine rest; so do those plagued by a deep need for acceptance by God (and others). Both these enemies of peace will be only a memory in this ‘true rest’.
Not only will this promised ‘land’ allow believers to enjoy freedom from those threats to godliness but also the other saboteurs—hurt feelings, fearful thoughts, demonic harassment, or another ‘lameness’. In this ‘glorious land’ of full maturity, these will all be forgotten. Even those with an aging body battling to know divine healing and fresh vigor for waning faculties and willpower will find this also to no longer be an issue. The 'earthen vessel' is to know relief from every frailty.
Now, entering divine ‘rest’ doesn’t mean ceasing from all work. Before the curse of ‘hard toil’ (Gen 2.15), Adam and Eve worked to ‘tend and guard’ the Garden of Eden. Yet the work was not laborious as it was almost certainly done in the
‘ strength of the Lord… in the power of His might’ (Eph 6.10).
Workers in the Lord’s vineyard in the endtimes will enjoy this same grace, and like Paul, will testify their labor is ‘ according to His working which works in me mightily’ (Col 1.29). Hence,
the grace and power evident in the early church to minister healing and deliverance to others is but a foretaste of what will be available at this end of the age. To sum up: the ‘rest’ Israel enjoyed in Canaan is only a ‘shadow’ of the respite from labor believers are to experience on entering their inheritance. And what they enjoy at the end of the age is but a foretaste of the future ‘day of rest’ of a thousand years.
THE PROMISE REMAINS
‘Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it’ (4.1).
While the promise of divine ‘rest’ remains, it is for believers willing to pay the price of entry into this ‘land’. Like other biblical promises, it has conditions attached. For example, the requirement for a believer to ‘ put (the) hand to the plow and not lookback’ (Lk 9.62), and the one to, ‘seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness’ (Matt 6.33), and, 'deny (themself) and take up (their) cross’, (Lk 9.23). A cost not all are willing to pay. Sadly, an unwillingness to meet the conditions leaves the believer without excuse when disqualified from ‘entering His rest’. Now, lest you protest and claim entrance is by grace, this must be said: justification before God is by grace, no one argues against that. But to believe this removes the need to qualify for rewards distorts the meaning of grace. Even a natural gift given graciously has the requirement of a hand to reach out to receive it. Scripture is clear: those judged to be
‘faithful’ qualify for rewards, and the reward of ruling with Christ (Matt 25.14-30) has much stricter conditions to meet.
Only remember, those who fulfill these requirements do not
‘earn’ this reward, they merely qualify for it!
TRIALS AND FAITH
Faith is also an important condition of entry to this heavenly ‘rest’; confirmed by the author saying Israel ‘could
not enter in because of unbelief’ (3.19). Yet, behind this lack of faith, a more serious problem lurked, and it is important to identify what this was. Now, the KJV translates this root issue as ‘ hardness of heart’ (3.13) but the greek wording reveals the real problem was a 'stubbornness' of heart. Unbelief was the fruit, while the real sin was closing their ears to the 'voice of God'. That is, stubbornly resisting what Heaven was speaking to block conviction by the Holy Spirit. Before this problem with faith, they had gone ‘ astray in their heart’ (3.10).
No doubt the stubborn hardness of heart was the result of the trials and tribulations the nation suffered. The harsh wilderness had wrought such embitterment of spirit it festered into angry resentment, followed by this rebellion against heeding God’s voice. To better explain this, we find the author employing an additional greek word the KJV translates as
‘provocation’ (3.8, 3.15) while modern versions correctly render it as 'rebellion' . Yet this is not the usual word for rebellion but two joined together, one with the meaning ‘to make bitter’. Before the other sins, the trials in the wilderness had poisoned the wellsprings of their heart with bitterness.
When suffering and tribulation are the future norm, poisonous bitterness will once again pose a serious threat to God’s people. A vulnerability the enemy of our souls will seek to exploit; what the book of Revelation describes in telling of a symbolic star called ‘wormwood’ (a well-known bitter herb)
' falling from heaven’ (Rev 8.10,11). It is a fallen angel sent to poison the ‘waters’ (sources of life) with bitterness. Multitudes (mainly the ungodly), due to the suffering of this time, will die—spiritually and physically—from drinking this poison. Yet, as Israel was tested at the bitter waters of ‘ Marah’ (Ex15.23), this threat will also test believers, with many, I fear, unable to resist drinking the ‘poisoned chalice’. If believers are not to be a casualty of this, they will need to beseech Heaven for extra
grace to bear the distress of the trials and sweeten the ‘bitter waters’ by throwing in the ‘tree’ of Calvary. (See Ex 15.25)
‘Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.’ (4.11) A further requirement of entry into this ‘rest’ is the willingness to readily respond to what God speaks in these trials. A stubborn refusal to obey His voice—spoken directly or indirectly—will mean automatic disqualification. And when the above text says it requires ‘diligence’ to enter; the greek word here means to be
‘earnest or prompt to carry out a request’, this includes more than just the outwardly rebellious. Indifference to heeding divine instructions will also result in disqualification. Not paying attention to what the Lord is saying or being slow to respond are dangerous habits.
This requirement for prompt obedience is underscored in the parable Jesus told about those granted entrance into a ‘feast’
at His return (Matt 25.1-13). Where it makes clear only those who roused themselves from ‘slumber’ to quickly respond in obedience to His arrival entered the feast. Also confirmed in the letters Christ sent to the seven churches as recorded in Revelation; all highlight the requirement to have ‘an ear to hear’ (Rev 2.7, 11,17, etc.) so His warnings are obeyed.
Respond quickly both to them and the ‘knock on the door’ of the heart; it too must be opened quickly if Christ is to ‘ sup’
with us (Rev 3.20).
Sadly, believers (mostly from apathy and complacency) often suffer now from ‘dullness of hearing’ (5.11). A fault requiring a deeper level of repentance to overcome than many imagine. Certainly, thorough enough for there to be a firm commitment to listen diligently (with obedience) to what the Lord is speaking directly to the heart or through His servants.
Now, almost everyone ‘nods off’ into a spiritual slumber at some time, even as the apostles did in the hour of Jesus' need (Lk 22.45). Yet indolence such as this must be overcome to
enter into God’s ‘rest’; no matter how easy to fall into or hard to correct, the ‘ little foxes spoiling the vine’ (SoS 2.15) can't be ignored.
REST FOR THE LAST DAYS
Since the ‘911’ terrorist attack and more recent threats—the global financial crisis (GFC) and Covid-19 ‘pandemic’—
increasing numbers (including believers) suffer stress to an alarming degree. Concerned about those and the threat posed by deteriorating standards and values within society. All stressors to escalate in the future to further corrode well-being and affect not only the health of individuals but also society.
Thus, making striving to enter this divine ‘rest’. mandatory
‘Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.’ (Matt 11.28-30) With the promise here of divine
‘rest’, stress or weariness of soul does not have to be the lot of a believer. But only if they fulfill the conditions Christ lays out here, especially the willingness to ‘learn from Him’; including learning the humility to share burdens with Him. Now, not until ‘perfection’ is reached can believers fully enjoy this
‘divine rest’. But why wait until then if suffering from stress-related conditions, e.g., depression, anxiety, burnout, meltdowns? Even if it is only to taste the ‘grapes of Eschol’
(Num 13.23)—a small sample—seek to enter into this
‘promised land of rest’ now.