Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone
fall according to the same example of disobedience.
Heb 4.11
Due to the land of Canaan foreshadowing the ‘better things’
of the new covenant, Israel’s destiny in it is found to be a major theme in the author’s thesis. Most notably, because the land prefigures what believers enjoy on reaching ‘perfection’ and entering into the rest of God’. While the ceremonial feasts also prefigure Heaven’s destiny for the church, the land of Canaan represents it better. First promised to Abraham (Gen 17), the land of Canaan has always been central to the destiny of natural Israel. The ‘exodus’ from slavery in Egypt (their redemption) was but the first step in the divine purpose for the nation to possess this ‘land of promise’ (11.9); that is, they were only ‘taken out’ of bondage so they could be ‘taken into’
an inheritance. For them, a land of ‘perfection’ 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 foreshadowing the ‘land’ the (spiritual) ‘Israel of God’ (Gal 6.16) inherits.
When it is also characterized as ‘ flowing with milk and honey’ (Deut 11.8-12), it shows Canaan to be a land of rich bounty. If two foods found in such small quantities are said to
‘flow’ like a stream in this land, this says it all. With its other features of—regular harvests of grains, fruits, and nuts from its verdant hills, its abundant rains, and the underground springs watering it—Canaan more than exemplifies the inheritance believers are to possess. To sum up: the ‘full salvation’ Israel enjoyed in their land of abundance prefigures the realm of divine glory and rest the church (not all believers) inherits 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), and since the ‘All-Sufficient One’ doesn’t need to rest, this merely expresses the enjoyment respite from work offers. Yet, though unnecessary for God, divine ‘rest’ is essential for the creation afflicted with the curse of ‘labor’ after our ‘fall into sin’. (See Gen 3.17). Not respite from physical fatigue, but much-needed relief from mental, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion, and this demands more than a good night's sleep as long as the ‘law of sin and death’ continues to bedevil.
Sin exhausts far more than any physical toil. The ‘rest’ we need is found in the peace and rejuvenating joy of the divine refreshing and we enjoy the ‘down payment’ (Eph 1.14) of this divine ‘rest’ by experiencing what the feasts of Passover and Pentecost typify. However, not until the ‘Feast of Tabernacles’
is totally fulfilled can its fullness be known. Unless we enter the perfection typified in this last feast, complete ‘rest of soul’
will continue to elude.
Israel’s first outcome on entering their land of ‘rest’ was blessed relief from the hard labor of Egypt; including 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. In their promised land of abundant rains and underground springs, this ceased. 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, whereas, in Canaan, they ‘enjoyed rest from this a ffliction ...and...oppression’ (Deut 26.7); they could
work at whatever and whenever their hearts desired. And as long as the commandments were kept, 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 will enjoy; namely, respite from every enemy stopping their entrance into what heaven enjoys(Lk 1.71,74).
With Canaan clearly foreshadowing the spiritual 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 a realm of such glory and peace before reaching heaven, they will, without ‘sweat’, fulfill perfectly the will of God (Rom 12.1,2). An outcome doubly assured when there is the promise of ‘abundant grace’ (2Cor 9.8) bringing the abundant spiritual life an exhausted, weak church desperately needs. 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 formerly enjoyed.
This deposit of grace—the final installment of ‘salvation’—
is to radically increase the ‘righteousness, peace, and joy’
(Rom 14.17) enjoyed by the Kingdom’s citizens. All without the labor it takes currently to enjoy these blessings. Also no more, the effort it takes now to minister the life of the Kingdom to others. Those with this ‘double anointing’ (cf.
Elisha), in a divine rest of soul, will freely share its power to heal and deliver from evil spirits—or just the peace and joy it offers. All while (without sweat) maintaining a vibrant devotional life and carrying out acts of mercy, e.g. financial giving.
Believers also will, ‘ with joy...draw water out of the wells of salvation’ (Is 12.3); that is, genuinely enjoy the divine life—
healing, power, righteousness—of these 'wells’. Instead of the struggle to summon the faith so these blessings are ‘drawn up’, this changes in the ‘land’ of rest. That, along with new strength
to resist temptation and overcome every ‘carnal’ appetite; including victory over bad attitudes and reactions which ‘flare up’ even in mature believers. The inhabitants of this ‘land of plenty’ will also bear the ‘fruits of righteousness’ (love, joy, peace, long-suffering, etc.) in abundance and enjoy a walk blessed with divine wisdom and discernment.
The toil to know true peace of mind will also be only a memory. While the wicked often have ‘no peace’ (Is 48.22), too many believers lack what is a divine right. No doubt, a disquiet from the shame and guilt felt after struggling to faithfully keep the disciplines of the devotional life, maintain communion with the Lord, and the other duties of a disciple of Christ. Those who do manage to keep these responsibilities seem more often driven by a ‘performance orientation’ rather than because of divine grace; exhausting emotional resources and making their 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’.
This promised ‘land’ will allow believers to enjoy not only freedom from those threats to godliness but other saboteurs like hurt feelings, fearful thoughts, demonic harassment, or another
‘lameness’. In the ‘glorious land’ of full maturity, these will all be forgotten. Those with an aging body battling to know divine healing and fresh vigor for waning faculties and willpower will find this to also no longer be an issue. The 'earthen vessel' is destined to know relief from every frailty.
Now, entering this 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 this work was not laborious; 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, 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 divine 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 experience on entering their inheritance, and what is enjoyed 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 those willing to pay the price of entrance into this ‘land’. It; like other biblical promises, has conditions attached; for example, the requirements to ‘ put (the) hand to the plow and not lookback’ (Lk 9.62), and, ‘seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness’ (Matt 6.33), and to, 'deny (themself) and take up (their) cross’, (Lk 9.23)—a cost not every believer is willing to pay. Sadly, an unwillingness to meet these basic conditions leaves a believer without excuse when disqualified from entering this ‘rest’.
Now, lest you protest and claim entrance is surely by grace alone, the following must be said. Justification before God is by grace, no one argues against that, but it distorts the meaning of grace to think this removes the need to qualify for rewards.
Even a natural gift graciously given has the requirement for a hand to reach out to receive it. Scripture is clear: those judged to be ‘faithful’ qualify for rewards and the conditions are much stricter for the reward of ruling with Christ (Matt 25.14-30).
Only remember, those fulfilling the requirements do not ‘earn’
this honor, they qualify for it!
TRIALS AND FAITH
Faith is another 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 lurked a more serious problem, and it is important for me 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 'stubbornness' of heart. While unbelief was the fruit, their real sin was closing their ears to the
'voice of God' to stubbornly resist what Heaven was speaking to block conviction by the Holy Spirit. Before any problem with faith, Israel had gone ‘ astray in their heart’ (3.10).
This stubborn hardness of heart no doubt was the result of the trials and tribulations suffered by the nation. The harsh wilderness had wrought such embitterment of spirit it festered into angry resentment, followed by this rebellion against heeding God’s voice. Now, to better explain this, the author employs an additional greek word the KJV translates as
‘provocation’ (3.8, 3.15). But 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 any other sins, the trials of the wilderness had poisoned the wellsprings of their heart with bitterness.
When suffering and tribulation become the norm, this poisonous bitterness will again pose a serious threat to God’s people. A vulnerability the enemy of our souls will seek to exploit, and described in the book of Revelation by a symbolic star called ‘wormwood’ (after a well-known bitter herb). This star ' falling from heaven’ (Rev 8.10,11) is a fallen angel sent to poison the ‘waters’ (various sources of life) with bitterness.
Due to the suffering, multitudes (mainly the ungodly) will drink this poison only to die spiritually and physically. But as Israel was tested at the bitter waters of ‘ Marah’ (Ex15.23), this will also be a test for believers, with many, I fear, unable to
resist drinking the ‘poisoned chalice’. If they are not to be a casualty, believers will need to reach out for extra grace to bear the distress of the trials and throw in the ‘tree’ of Calvary to sweeten the ‘bitter waters’. (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) The willingness to readily respond to what God speaks during these trials is another requirement for entrance into this ‘rest’.
Any stubborn refusal to obey His voice—spoken directly or indirectly—will mean automatic disqualification. Not just for the outwardly rebellious as the above text says it requires
‘diligence’ to enter. Now, when the greek here means to be
‘earnest or prompt to carry out a request’, 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 concerning those granted entrance into a
‘feast’ at His return (Matt 25.1-13). Where it makes clear those entering the feast had roused themselves from ‘slumber’ to quickly respond in obedience to His arrival. And confirmed by what Jesus says in the letters sent to the seven churches as recorded in Revelation; all highlight the requirement for believers to have ‘an ear to hear’ (Rev 2.7, 11,17, etc.) so His warnings are obeyed. Respond to them but also the ‘knock on the door’ of the heart; it must be opened quickly if Christ is to
‘ sup’ with us (Rev 3.20).
Sadly, too many believers today (mostly from apathy and complacency) suffer from ‘dullness of hearing’ (5.11), a fault requiring a deeper level of repentance to overcome than many imagine. Certainly, thorough enough for a firm commitment to listen diligently (with obedience) to what the Lord is speaking directly to the heart or through His servants. Now, most everyone ‘nods off’ into a spiritual slumber at some time, even
as the apostles did in Jesus' hour of need (Lk 22.45). Yet any indolence must be overcome to enter into God’s ‘rest’; no matter how easy to fall into or difficult to correct, no one can ignore these ‘ little foxes spoiling the vine’ (SoS 2.15).
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 now to an alarming degree. Concerned about those threats and that posed by deteriorating standards and values within society.
Stressors, likely to escalate to further corrode well-being and affect not only the health of individuals but society in general—making striving to enter 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 their burdens. Now, true ‘divine rest’ can't be ours until ‘perfection’ is reached; 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.