Lesson 7 - The rest offered by Him
Read Hebrews 4 - www.bible.com/bible/59/heb.4.esv

As we said in the last lesson, our goal is to enter God’s rest. First we need to define that rest. Is this the rest of heaven when we will have no more tears or sorrow? Is this a rest that is promised us that we no longer need to have a job here on earth – we can just sit back and let God do all the work for us of feeding our families, caring for them, training them, and so on? To both these questions, we must say no. The rest of heaven is not something we could have “seemed to have failed to reach it.” And rest from working here has never been God’s plan for us – see 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 and 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 just as two examples.

This rest is giving up trying to work for our salvation, a freedom from worries and fear, a peace with God. The only fear we should have is fearing the presence of fear and guilt in our hearts because we haven’t entered this rest where God has promised us no more condemnation (Romans 8:1). When we are at peace with God, there is no fear for we have entered this rest.


What caused the people of Israel to not enter the rest God had promised? Unbelief. Do we really believe God will provide all our needs if we seek His business first (Matthew 6:33)? Do we really believe that nothing can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39)? Do we really believe that if we cast our cares on Him, He will still love us and take care of them (1 Peter 5:7)? When we don’t, we miss out on the rest from such fears and concerns He wants to give us.

Verses 2-3 have an interesting statement regarding this rest, “For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest…” They didn’t have faith, and so couldn’t enter the rest, but we have believed, we have faith. And since God is the one who began the idea of rest (verse 4), it is also God’s now to invite us to enter it. It is ours to enjoy when we are obedient to hear Him “today” (verses 5-7).

Verses 8-10 show us again that the rest of God is not a rest from our labors of work here on earth. Joshua led the people across the Jordan River into a land where the battle was not complete with defeating Jericho or Ai. The rest we seek is not physical, it is spiritual. It is the rest of peace with God, and we find it only through obedience to His word which is living and active and sharper than any sword could ever be. The word of God can judge our thoughts and heart’s intentions. We can’t ever deceive God by fancy talk to convince Him we did things for Him when they were really our own will, our own desires. Our rest comes only from being completely honest with Him.