(Heb 4:9) “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. (10) For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His.” To trust in the promise of eternal life is to, as far as the matter of salvation, enter into His rest. Yet, it will be at the rapture/resurrection that we fully enter into the rest of Verse Nine.

(Heb 4:8) “For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.”  The name “Jesus” is the Greek rendering of the Hebrew name, “Joshua”.  This is referring to the receiving of the land under the leadership of Joshua. Point: the promise of rest is not physical. It is spiritual. It is a resting “in the Word of God”, as sure as a promise.

(Heb 4:7) “Again, He limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” “Hear His voice”: the Lord “does” seek out men, women, boys and girls. He calls to their heart, drawing them through a revealed need unto Himself; sometimes convicting self of sin.  It is a heart of rebellion that hardens such a call to forgiveness.

(Heb 4:7) “Again, He limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”   Last posting I declared, to choose sin over embracing Christ today is to forfeit eternity. This truth is revealed in the words, “He limited a certain day…” and “today”. To tell one they can be saved at any future time is error based upon one not taking the cost of the sacrifice to mind.

(Heb 4:7) “Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”   To choose self over coming to and then living for God Who gave so much to save, is to harden one’s heart to His great sacrifice of His Son. It is to make a choice: “I wish my freedom to sin, to conduct myself in any way I wish.” Doing so is to forfeit eternity for the few years of this life.

(Heb 4:7) “Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”  Our sin is so great, the sacrifice of Jesus so precious and unthinkable, the resurrection’s promise so wondrous, that to put off receiving it is a great and mighty insult against God’s goodness.

(Heb 4:6) “Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:”  The gospel was first given to Israel during the days of Christ Jesus. The nation’s leaders crucified Him. After the resurrection, the gospel continued to be preached to the Jews first. Just as with lost Gentiles, lost Jews would not believe unto salvation.

 (Heb 4:5) “And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.”  The word which will be stressed is the word “if”. Not all who journeyed with Israel arrived at the destination. Why not? They were not resting (trusting, believing) the Lord Who was leading the way.

(Heb 4:4) “For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.”   The Holy Spirit is using this rest, the surety of the completion, to tell us God rested from/on His work of redemption to be and was made on the cross. We can trust whatever God says for He always keeps His Word: (Dan_4:35) “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” 

(Heb 4:4) “For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.”   The “rest” spoken of here is not “a stopping for the restoration of one’s being”, but “a state of mind based upon the surety of a coming event”. A born again child of God can “have peace” regarding the future resting upon the fact that our God cannot lie nor fail.