Therefore we must be wary that, while the promise of entering his rest remains open, none of you may seem to have come short of it.
Hebrews 4:1 NET
Hebrews 3:7-4:13 is an extended exhortation to remain faithful. It begins with looking back at the wilderness generation that experienced God’s deliverance from Egypt, their encounter with God at Sinai, and God’s provision in the wilderness. They had the promise of a land of their own. But when they came to the border of that land, they turned back. They failed to enter into God’s rest.
In chapter 4, the author of Hebrews turned from the wilderness generation to his present-day audience. The promise of entering God’s rest remained. And he challenged his readers not to follow the example of the wilderness generation and fall short of entering that rest.
God’s Rest
So, what is God’s rest that we are encouraged to enter? The author of Hebrews does not give us an explicit definition. But he does give us some clues. For the wilderness generation, God’s rest equated to the promised land, Canaan. It was what was at the end of their journey from Egyptian slavery and through the wilderness.
A reference is also made to the seventh day of creation (Heb. 4:4) when God rested from all his work. God did not rest on the seventh day because he was tired. But because his work of creation was done.
And it is that Sabbath rest that God has invited us to share with him—a rest where we will cease from our own labors (Heb. 4:10). The author of Hebrews generally talks about entering this rest as a future reality. It is what we look forward to at the end of this life. The land of milk and honey that God has promised to his faithful children.
As believers in the Lord Jesus, we have, like ancient Israel, been delivered from Egypt and are marching toward Canaan and God’s rest. But we must be careful not to follow their example of unbelief and fall short of entering (Heb. 4:11). Instead, hold on to faith and enter God’s rest at the end of your life’s journey.
