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HOUSMAIL
HM139
February 2013 THE REST OF
THE RIGHTEOUS WHAT IS IT? Hebrew
Chapters 3 & 4 Hebrews
4 starts with the
words: Therefore, while the promise of entering his
rest remains, let us fear lest any of you be judged to have failed to reach
it. “Therefore” points us back to what has just been
said in Chapter 3. In summary, chapter 3 begins by comparing two “houses”,
built by God through two different men – Moses and Jesus. (Of course we
are not talking about literal houses of bricks and mortar. The two houses are
the people who are members of the two households established by their
founders.) The comparison goes on to emphasise how much more
glory and honour is due to Jesus as the founder of the second.
Understanding “The Rest” - The promises to Abraham We must not read Hebrews in isolation from the
Gospel …… which is primarily about God’s promises to Abraham. These promises
are essential to understanding the Gospel of Jesus, and the nature of the
“Promised Rest”. In Genesis 12:1-3, God promised Abraham THREE things. 1.
That
he would become a GREAT NATION. 2.
That
he AND his descendants would inherit the earth as an EVERLASTING POSSESSION. 3.
That
through him AND his seed, all nations of the earth would be blessed. In Galatians 3:16-18 & Galatians
3:28-29, we learn that there
is more to being a TRUE descendant of Abraham than mere physical descent.
Those who comprise the GREAT NATION, and THOSE WHO INHERIT THE LAND FOR EVER,
are those who belong to Jesus and it is NOT only Jews, but MEN and WOMEN from
amongst ALL NATIONS. In Acts 3:25-26, the third promise is shown to be the “turning away
from sin” that is accomplished
by Jesus when he changes the hearts of ALL who follow him. To make sure we understand what this “rest” is, (and
is not!), and to emphasize the CONDITIONAL NATURE of the promise, Hebrews
refers us to the 40 year sojourn of Israel in the wilderness, when some
of them (not all!) were prevented from entering the “promised land” because
of unbelief and rebellion. For who, having heard,
rebelled? Indeed, [was it] not all who came out of Egypt, [led] by Moses? Now
with whom was He angry forty years? [Was it] not with those who sinned, whose
corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not
enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not
enter in because of unbelief. (Hebrews 3:16-19) Eventually, the others – the “some” who were
obedient - were allowed to enter the land, led by Joshua. However, it is
important to understand that even then THEY did not receive the promised
rest! Hebrews 4:8 tells us that this promise actually refers to
“ANOTHER DAY”, much later in time. “Today”, David said, (meaning in his own time,
centuries after Meribah!) the door of opportunity to enter “REST” was
open. And in Hebrews 4:9, we are given to understand that David’s “today”
is still ongoing. The inference seems to be that the “today” spoken of by
David, begins NOW for all of us, each in our own time, when we hear the call
and respond, and it will continue to be “today” until “the household” is
complete and the time for all who ultimately meet the conditions, will “enter
rest”, TOGETHER. (Hebrews 11:39-40, 2 Peter 3:9, 2 Peter 3:13) Note carefully that “today” is NOT the
actual time of rest! Rather “today” is the time of opportunity, when we are
called to “labour to enter” the rest. The “rest” we “labour to enter”, is compared with
the rest which God entered on the seventh day, AFTER he had completed
his 6 days of creation work! (Hebrews 4:4, Hebrews 4:10) You may live in the land without
inheriting it as an everlasting possession! The “rest” which we “labour to enter”
is reserved for a future time. And Just as God did not rest until his six
days of work was completed Note carefully that we must not confuse
this “rest” in Hebrews, The “rest” described by Jesus is the Greek word “anapausis”. It appears 12 times in the New
Testament, and is translated rest 4, refresh 4, take rest 2, give rest 1,
take ease 1. Clearly, from the context, this is a different
“rest” to be enjoyed by his disciples NOW, in this life, while we are, at the
same time, “striving to enter” the other (eternal) rest described in The “rest” discussed in Hebrews is a different
Greek word, "katapausis". It
appears 9 times in the New Testament, 8 of them in Hebrews chapters 3 and 4.
It is translated “rest” in all 9 places it appears. GOD’S REST IN GENESIS
2:1-3 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished,
and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he
had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had
made. And God blessed the seventh day
and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which
God created and made. Some people try to use Hebrews 3 & 4 to
justify imposing their belief in Seventh Day Sabbath keeping on Christian Gentile
believers. So, first, let us be clear that these two chapters
have nothing at all to do with any Mosaic commandment about Sabbath Keeping! The purpose of mentioning God’s Seventh Day “rest”
at creation, in Hebrews, is to draw a parallel between that and
the future “rest” to be enjoyed by the righteous in the Kingdom of God which
is to be established on earth AFTER the return of Jesus from Heaven. The message we are meant to take from the mention
of God’s creation rest, in the context of Hebrews, is this: Just as God enjoyed his ONE DAY rest after he
finished the work of creating the earth in six days, so are the righteous to
enjoy an ETERNAL REST after the work of the NEW CREATION (2 Corinthians 5:17,
Galatians 6:15) is completed in them. Although Hebrews 3 & 4 does promise a future rest, we must not
lose sight of the PRIMARY emphasis which is: AN EXHORTATION TO RIGHTEOUSNESS HOW TO MEET THE CONDITION OF OBEDIENCE TO QUALIFY
FOR REST? The question of HOW TO ACHIEVE THE REQUIRED
OBEDIENCE, is not discussed in Hebrews Chapters 3
& 4! That is left for
later chapters and other Scriptures. Some of these are: WE ARE NOT LEFT IN IGNORANCE TO WORK IT OUT FOR
OURSELVES! In Hebrews 4:12, we are pointed to THE WORD OF GOD as
the tool by which God shapes our thoughts and intentions. And then in Hebrews 8:8-12 and Hebrews
10:16-18 we are pointed to a
NEW COVENANT administered by Jesus. In this NEW COVENANT GOD’s role is to forgive and
forget our sins …… and to write his laws into our minds and hearts so
that we will be able to KNOW him. Our role is to let God do what he promises! Of course God’s promise to write his laws into our
minds and hearts assumes that we will read his WORD and LISTEN to what he
says THERE! That is where Jesus learned to KNOW God, and how he was able to
pass on what he learned to us. And that is where we will hear him say it TO
US. And it surely goes without saying, that God cannot
write what we do not hear! If we do not read it ourselves we will not hear it
ourselves from God. Nor will he write what is NOT IN HIS WORD! Be
warned! Many write other things for themselves, without listening to God! Or
listen to preachers who stand BETWEEN them and God! But that cannot ever help
them to KNOW God in the way promised by the NEW COVENANT. WE ARE NOT LEFT WITHOUT RESOURCES TO LABOUR WITH! GRACE is NOT merely about forgiveness of sins! It
comes complete with a TRAINING COURSE designed by God! (Titus 2:1-14)
We must submit to the training and complete the course, in order for Grace to
be effective in us. WE ARE NOT LEFT TO “LABOUR” AGAINST THINGS BEYOND
OUR KNOWLEDGE! "For this commandment which I command
you this day is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in
heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up for us to heaven, and bring it
to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you
should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, that we may
hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you; it is in your mouth
and in your heart, so that you can do it.” (Deuteronomy 30:11-14) WE ARE NOT LEFT TO “LABOUR” AGAINST THINGS TOO BIG
FOR US! “No testing has overtaken you that is not
common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond
your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that
you may be able to endure it.”
(1 Corinthians 10:13) WE ARE NOT LEFT IN FEAR THAT WE CANNOT COMPLETE THE
“LABOUR” It does not depend on our ability to “labour” only
in our own strength or knowledge! It depends on GOD’s PROMISE TO FINISH WHAT HE
STARTED IN US! “I am sure that he who began a good work in you
will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6) “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast,
immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord
your labour is not in vain.”
(1 Corinthians 15:58) “And we desire each one of you to show the same
earnestness in realizing the full assurance of hope until the end, so that
you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and
patience inherit the promises. For when God made a promise to Abraham, since
he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying,
"Surely I will bless you and multiply you." Allon |