The Remaining Rest

"For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his." ~ Hebrews 4:8-10

Hebrews three and four are full of warnings to the Hebrew Christians in and around Jerusalem not to make the same mistakes that their ancestors had made in the wilderness. Since this is the weekly devotional and not not the deeper study, I won't go into all the details regarding the history of Hebrews, but the important thing to understand is that the Hebrew believers were facing persecution. They were considering the possibility of returning to Judaism and the sacrificial system in order to escape this oppression. The author of Hebrews sets out to prove that Jesus and the New Covenant are better than the Law, Moses, Angels, and any other ritualistic norm they might be considering.

In this passage, the author is beginning to synthesize the arguments he has made regarding rest. See, the first generation of Israel failed to find rest. They did not believe that God could fight their battles for them. They failed to "rest" in his provision and instead based their decisions on what their senses or emotions were telling them. As a result of this unbelief, those who were twenty and older died in the wilderness. The second generation trusted (for the most part) that God could fight their battles and were allowed to enter the promised land. Joshua led them into Canaan and a measure of "rest." However, the writer of Hebrews is indicating that there is a rest beyond a trust that God can win our battles. This is a Sabbath rest where we stop striving and straining. We stop trying to perform well for God and allow him to live his life through us. This is a conviction (which translates to obedience) that God is trustworthy and sufficient to meet our needs. This is the rest that "remains" and is only available from a surrender to Christ's life and plans.

I believe that these types of rest are mirrored in John's writing (1 John 2:12-14) when he describes the stages of spiritual maturity. The "little children" are thrilled that they have been redeemed. They rest in the knowledge that they are saved and that they are loved. The "young men" rest in the knowledge that God alone can fight their battles. They understand that they must be obedient. They know they are not wrestling against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12), that their mind is a battlefield (2 Corinthians 10:5), and that Christ alone can give the victory (1 Corinthians 15:57). The "fathers" have moved through the first two stages, without forgetting the lessons learned. The fathers (spiritually mature individuals) have realized that the goal of the Christian life is to know the character and heart of God. It is no mistake that Paul counted this as his chief pursuit in life - to know him (Philippians 3:7-20).

Rest is something that most of us would love to experience. We are so busy with various demands on our time and the stresses of life. Indeed, true rest might be one of the most elusive commodities in our world today. Jesus invites us come to him (Matthew 11:28). He longs to give us rest. He never intended for us to live out of our own sufficiency and hard work. Let go of the anxiously clasped details and stresses. Give them into his all sufficient hands and experience the rest he has always intended for his children.