Hebrews Lesson 4 “Entering Into the Covenant of Rest”

Hebrews Chapter 4 “Entering Into the Covenant of Rest”

Hebrews 4:1  Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.  2  For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.  3  For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: "So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest,' " although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.  4  For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works";

The works were finished from the foundation of the world!  What an amazing statement!  The first prophetic utterance in the bible is God  rested from all His works on the seventh day.  There was a place of rest He desired His children to live in.

For we who have believed do enter that rest!  This place of rest comes by believing!   Never forget the foundation laid in chapters 1,2, and 3.  Jesus the exalted One, Jesus is the One we can see, and Jesus is the Apostle and High Priest of our confess.  What you believe about Jesus will determine your destiny!

Genesis 2:1  Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.  2  And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.  3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

God calls us to His rest.  Some have unwittingly tried to find their rest by being Sabbath keepers.  The fuller picture of the rest of God is not a day, it is a life time of rest!

1 John 5:4  For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith.  5  Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

When the object of our faith is in Jesus Christ we have the overcoming faith.  Jesus asked the disciples who do you say that I am?   The whole kingdom of God is built upon the confession that Jesus is the Messiah.  Rest is found exclusively in Jesus.

Hebrews 4:5  and again in this place: "They shall not enter My rest.“  6  Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience,  7  again He designates a certain day, saying in David, "Today," after such a long time, as it has been said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.“  8  For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.  9  There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.

Rest was not found with Moses, Joshua, David.  Rest was found in the promise of God.  Rest is found by those who hear the voice of God!  Jesus is indeed that place of rest

Hebrews 4:10  For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.  11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.

When you enter into God’s rest you cease form your labor just as God did from His.  We are called to be diligent to enter that rest! 

Matthew 11:28  "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  29  "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.  30  "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

At salvation we come to Jesus and find rest for our spirit.  However if we are going to walk in that abiding rest we must come and learn from Jesus.  As we learn from Jesus, we will find rest for our soul.  When our spirit and soul are aligned at rest we are walking in a confident victory.  Measure for yourself!  Is the yoke in life hard; if so, it's not from Jesus.  If the yoke is easy, it has come from Jesus.  Is the burden too heavy to carry?  Trade it in for Jesus' burden is light.  What an awesome truth.  We have an invitation from Jesus Himself, come and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart!

Ephesians 2:8  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,  9  not of works, lest anyone should boast.  10  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus and greatness of the sacrifice!  By divine influence we have been made right with God.  Accepting the gift by faith brings rest.  No longer walking in your own good works.  Walking the divine influence will cause us to overflow and fill the destiny God has for us from the beginning!  One labors for righteousness and never finds rest.  One finds rest and is able to walk in the works God prepared beforehand.  Rest is found by faith in the Messiah.

Romans 11:5  Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.  6  And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

The Holy Spirit does not want us to miss it!  If it is by works than it is not grace.  Those who enter God’s rest cease from there labor just as God did from His!  If it is of works it is not of grace.  The measuring stick is easy.  The law says it is of works; graces says it is of faith.  The early church error was to practice the law with a mixture of grace!  The purpose of Hebrews was to bring an exclusiveness to Jesus Christ apart from serving law.

Romans 4:3  For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.“  4  Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.  5  But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,  6  just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:  7  "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered;  8  Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin."

I am the blessed one whose sins are forgiven!  I am the blessed man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin!  Grace is abounding!  If the place of rest could be earned it could no longer be called grace.  I labor and at the end of the month they come and give me a pay check.  They don’t hand out a gift; they give me what is owed me.  Yes, they give me my wages; I work for every penny of it!  Wages and gifts are two different things.  The place of rest can only be found by those who cease from their labor as God did from His.  It is the place of rest God never intended His children to leave.

Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  13  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Jesus Himself said learn from me!  It is the word of God that will change our soul!  It is the word of God that is such a great change agent it will bring us into rest.  From the place of labor it is scary for all thing to be open and naked, never certain if enough labor was put in!  From the place of rest the word of God is welcomed to bring refreshing change.  You are glad nothing is hidden and His word will make division in every area needed.

Hebrews 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  15  For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  16  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hold on to the confession of your faith toward Jesus; it is the most valuable thing you possess.  Our High Priest sympathizes with our weaknesses.  He never failed and that is the strength by which we can stand.  Come boldly at the greatest hour of need.  Come boldly just as your are; come with the mess in hand!  The promise is you will find the divine influence and mercy in your greatest time of need.  What a promise!  Come into the presence of God boldly in your weakness!  Yes this is the place of rest for every believer!  It not your performance the Father is looking at; it is the obedience of Jesus Christ that makes this place of rest.  Even under the law when the worshipper came it was the excellence of the sacrifice that made the worshipper worthy to approach God.  How much the more now that we have the One True Perfect Sacrifice.  Rest in Jesus!