All right, Hebrews 4, 1 through
11. Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left of entering
into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached,
as well as unto them, but the word preached did not profit
them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard. For we wish,
I believe, to enter into rest, as he said, as I have sworn in
my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest, although the works
were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spoke in
a certain place of the seventh, on this wise, and God did rest
the seventh day from all his works. And this place again,
if they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth
that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first
preached entered not in because of unbelief, again he limited
a certain day, saying in David, Today, after so long a time,
as it is said, today if you will hear His voice, harden not your
hearts. For if Jesus, or literally Joshua,
had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken
of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest
to the people of God. For he that is entered into his
rest, he also hath seized from his own works as God from his. Let us labor, therefore, to enter
into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of
unbelief. Now we are getting down to the
nitty-gritty. We must move deliberately along
here lest we err in our understanding of these things. For one thing,
we notice that a new subject is not taken up, that a subject
cannot change from chapter 3 to chapter 4. a new aspect of the
subject is brought up in chapter 4. And in the overall context,
the first application, as John Gill notes, to those Jews in
that day and in that time, who had professed to believe and
to espouse Christ and Christianity and the Christian gospel, that
there is another rest, let's get that, that there is another
rest in addition to that rest of Canaan that we looked at and
talked about earlier. that the Canaan rest was only
typical, and it was typical of a better rest that was to come. As some of old did not enter
into the rest of Canaan because of unbelief, the apostle says
therefore, beware Lest there be in any of you an evil heart
of unbelief, beware that any of you, parting from the living
God, draw back from Christ and from the Gospel. Let us fear,
as there is another promise of another and a better rest. Any of you seem to fall short
of that other and that better rest. Now consider in verse 1,
chapter 4, the words, a promise being left. The NIV has it this
way. The promise of entering into
His rest still stands. King James said there is a promise
of entering into His rest. And there is a rest beside and
in addition to that rest of Canaan. And that rest was to those generations
of Jews that entered into Canaan a rest from their enemies round
about. Now, the premise of the apostle
is there is the promise of a rest beside that one promise and entered
into by some out of Egypt and through the wilderness. And the
author of Hebrews proves it here by showing that David, King David,
the psalmist, long, long after the people had entered into the
land of Canaan. Long after that, David spoke
of another or a better rest. Therefore, after so long a time,
Another rest is spoken of, therefore do not harden your heart. Then look at verse 8. If Jesus,
or literally Joshua, for it is the same name, Savior, if Joshua
had given them rest, then he would not afterward have spoken
of another day. If Joshua had given them that
real, enduring, lasting spiritual rest, David would not later have
spoken of another rest. Then look at verse 9, the conclusion,
there remains therefore a rest unto the people of God. So it is not the rest experienced
by those who entered finally into the land of Canaan. And
it is clear, as we look at it here in verse 3, that this rest
is entered into by faith or by believing. Not by walking over
a border, crossing through Jordan, and entering into the land. This
rest that remains, that David spoke about, is entered into
by faith or by believing. Look at the words there. We which
have believed do enter into rest. Let us consider then verse 1
and verse 2 and the connection. In verse 1, it has the word,
therefore, as introducing some conclusion or some following
exhortation based upon something or what has gone before. In this
case, it was the bad end of those who provoked God in the wilderness
by their unbelief. Verse 2. has far as like, because,
or since seeing that there is such a likeness between their
case, their situation, and ours. John Owen wrote, the exhortation
is contained in verse 1 and is confirmed in verse 2 of Hebrews
chapter 4. There is a promise of rest. Let us fear, therefore, lest
any of you should seem to come short of it. The second verse
has two statements of fact. A, the gospel was preached to
them as well as unto us." Us and them, then and now, is the
connection. And then secondly, the word,
the message, the proclamation, did not profit them. The Word was preached to them. My, what they heard in the wilderness,
what they saw and what they heard. But now the Apostle said the
message, the proclamation did not profit them, and he gives
the reason it was not mixed with faith in them that Heard it. Now what is meant here by the
gospel and in relationship to those in the wilderness way back
in the Old Testament time? What is meant by the gospel and
also how was it preached to them in olden time? Now it's true
we read in Galatians chapter 3 that the gospel was preached
unto Abraham. And the good news that was preached
unto Abraham was, in him would all the nations of the world
be blessed. Many families of the earth would
be blessed in and through Abraham. Now looking here at the word
gospel, first had the meaning of, in the Old Testament, we'll
collaborate this in a moment, the word gospel had the meaning
of good news. It had the meaning of glad tidings. And someone said, a good report,
a wonderful report, a message of gladness, a report. In Isaiah
53 and verse 1, calls it a report, but Paul, quoting that verse
in Romans chapter 10 and verse 16, calls it the gospel. The
report, the gospel. Isaiah 52 and 7, how beautiful
are upon the mountains are the feet of them that bring good
tidings that publish peace, that bring good tidings of good, that
publish salvation. Quoted by Paul in Romans 10 and
verse 15. See another connection in Isaiah
53 and 1 and Romans 10, 16. What Isaiah calls a report. Lord, who hath believed our report. Now surely there was gospel,
there was good news, there was glad tidings under the old economy,
and yet not clearly like it is under the new. There was gospel,
there was the good news there, but it was not manifest or as
clearly brought out into the open as it is in the gospel era
or gospel dispensation. Now we must be true to the historical
setting and context here as we move along. John Brown was about
the only one of the expositors who would write these words,
quote, It is not the design of the apostle in this place to
state that the gospel, in the ordinary sense of the New Testament
word, was preached to those that left Egypt or Canaan." Brown
understood the apostle to be saying there was a glad tiding,
there were happy annunciations, that were made unto them. There
was a joyful proclamation that was made unto that nation of
people, which was, I will lead Abraham's children into a land
of promise flowing with milk and honey, a place of rest and
a place of peace, to a land flowing with goodness that would sustain
them in a wonderful way. In Deuteronomy 1, 20 and 21,
Moses reminds them, you are come unto the mountain of the Amorites,
which the Lord your God gives to you. Behold, the Lord your
God has set the land before you. Go up and possess it as the Lord
God of your father has said unto you. Fear not, neither be discouraged."
This was the good news. This was a joyful proclamation. The Lord God will bring you out
of this bondage and into a good land flowing with milk and honey. Then we ask ourselves the question,
why then were so many of them excluded and did not enter into
the land of Canaan? Why did so many of them perish
in the wilderness as we emphasize in our first study this morning?
Now, the last half of Hebrews 4 and verse 2. The good news
was proclaimed, but it did not profit them. It did not bring
them any profit. It did not do them any good. It was of no value all that was
proclaimed unto them, In short, they did not attain the rest
of Canaan. And in this sense, all that they
heard was of no value unto them. Why? Why is it that such a mass
of people found no value out of the glad proclamation? Did
God's Word fail? Did Moses lead them astray and
get them lost in the way? Did enemies withstand them so
that they could not cross over and enter in? Nay, a thousand
times nay. The reason the proclamation did
not profit them is given. Their hearing was not mixed with
faith. They heard. They heard these
words. They heard many great proclamations. Let us not forget, the good news
was not proclaimed to them once and no more, but over and over
and over the promises were restated. A land of rest awaits. A good
land the Lord will bring you into. But so many, so many of
them heard without believing. So many did not have ears to
hear. The hearing of the joyful proclamation
was not in faith. They believed not. And we're
going to find out that their unbelief reached its highest
point at Kadesh Barnea, at the edge of the land of Canaan, and
manifested itself in open rebellion to where it is said they were
banned from the rest of the land of Canaan because of their unbelief. And by the way, just very quickly
over there in Romans 11 and verse 20, Paul says that the natural
branches, that is the Jews by nature and nationality, were
broken off because of unbelief. But this does not negate the
sovereignty of God. But Paul tells them they were
broken off because of unbelief. And coming to Hebrews 4 and verse
3, and the statement that those who believe enter into His rest. those who have heard and believe
the proclamation. These and these only enter into
rest, while those who heard and believed not were not partakers
of that rest of Canaan. They do not enter, they did not
enter into the land of rest. And by the way, that same passage
back in Romans 11 and verse 20, Paul speaking to the Gentile
gives them a check and a word of caution He says, look, you
stand by faith. And he admonishes them not to
boast. Don't boast that some were broken
off that you might be grafted in to the olive tree. He says,
they were broken off for unbelief. You stand by faith, but do not
boast in that. Now, to get a grasp on his saying,
we that have believed do enter into rest. Verse 3a of Hebrews. We only need to look back to
chapter 3 and verse 18. And to whom did He swear that
they should not enter into His rest? It was them who believed
not. So concerning rest, it is unbelief
that shuts out shuts out unbelievers, and it is believers only that
enter into and enjoy the rest of Almighty God. Now the last
part of the third verse here in chapter four is difficult,
at least for me, to make the connection. whether it should
be joined with the first half of verse 3, or whether we should
join it with what follows after it in verse 4. But we may get
a closer picture of it if we ask ourselves the question again,
what is the nature of this new and better rest that the people
of God have? What rest is it? For see it mentioned over and
over. Look at verse 1, a promise remains
of entering into rest. Verse 3, we believers enter into
rest. Verse 9, there remains a rest
for the people of God. Verse 10, he that hath entered
into his rest has ceased from his labor. Verse 11, let us labor
to enter into that rest. Now, let us notice then what
John Owen mentioned, that the author makes a distinction. Owen wrote this, I quote, he
proceeds to consider the various rest that are called in scripture
the rest of God." And he does so in light of the passage from
Psalm chapter 95, that in spite of the rest that are mentioned,
the word of God, Psalm 95, lead us to conclude that there remains
another and a better rest for the people of God. So the promised
rest was not and is not the creative rest in Genesis chapter 2 and
verse 2, when the creation was complete and God rested upon
the seventh day from all of His work which He had made, it was
not that God was tired, it was not that God had worn Himself
out in creation, but that His creation work was done. It was
finished, it was over. All is finished from the foundation
of the world. but that in creating the work
was done. And in Hebrews chapter 4 and
verse 10, he that has entered into his rest, he also has ceased
from his labor as God has ceased from his. Now some contend that
the Sabbath day was established by a creation ordinance here,
that from creation a Sabbath day was established and set up
and in force, while scripture places the Sabbath day as part
and partial of the Mosaic law and the Mosaic economy. Israel,
and while Sabbatarians make much of the words of Genesis chapter
2 and verse 3, God blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it
and hallowed it. And yet to a man Those who are
Sabbatarian accept the change of the Sabbath to a different
day. And they have lifted many of
the restrictions that were imposed upon Israel in the observance
of it. Now the author also excludes
the rest of Canaan. It was not the creative rest,
it is not a Sabbath day, and it is not the rest in Canaan. In Hebrews 4 and 8, if Joshua
had given them rest, then David had no cause to speak of another
rest. And if you consider verse 7,
the message amounts to this, long after God's creative wreaths,
and after the Sabbath was instituted, and even after their entrance
yonder into Canaan, David wrote of another wreath. And you have
it here in chapter 4 of Hebrews, verse 7 and 8. Look at it again. Again, he limited the certain
day, saying in David, today, After so long a time, as it is
said today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your heart. For if Jesus or Joshua had given
them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another."
And the conclusion in verse 9, supported by the quote from the
95th Psalm, that there yet remains a rest for God's people." Note
he does not limit this rest to Israel, which both the seventh-day
Sabbath and the land of Canaan were restricted to Israel. Instead, he limits it in a two-fold
way. A, to believers, and B, to the
people of God. Now, unbelievers, might physically
rest on the seventh day Sabbath. They might do no labor or exert
themselves not at all. But, no unbeliever will enter
into the rest that God has promised. John Owen is about the only major
expositor here who seeks to include the weekly Sabbath as being a
part of this rest here in Hebrews chapter 4. He called it an evangelical
Sabbath and he also called it a Christian Sabbath using Hebrews
chapter 4, but this puts one's hope of rest in a day, in hours
rather, than in a person. Now to put the people of God
in partial bondage unto the law. But to return to the question,
what rest is it in Hebrews chapter 4? What rest is foreshadowed
in the typical rest in the old economy in entering into the
land of Canaan? What rest is it that comes in
conjunction with the gospel, faith in Christ, and believing? What rest do the people of God
all have in common that is entered into by believing, or shall we
say, by faith. Seems there can only be two answers
as to the rest that remain that is entered into by the people
of God and is entered by faith. Since it is not creational rest,
it is not the rest of the land of Canaan, or a weekly Sabbath
rest that remain, it must then be either one or the other. Number one, is it eternal rest? Does he mention that in Revelation
14 and 13? Blessed are the dead which die
in the Lord, for hereafter they do rest from their labor. There is a rest in connection
with that. Or, is it spiritual, gospel rest,
rest of the soul and of the mind and of the person. That rest
that comes through and by Jesus Christ, it is proclaimed in the
gospel of our Lord and Savior for what it is worth to you Most
competent Calvinistic expositors that I've read take it in the
second sense, that is, it is the rest that is set before us.
In Hebrews chapter 4, it is the rest of soul. It is that rest
that we enter into, ceasing our labor. when we come to and are
in Christ. Granted, those who enter eternal
rest, they do so through the Lord Jesus Christ and faith in
Him, and still there is this difference between the two rests. Eternal rest is entered by death,
only by death. They die and then they rest from
their labor, while spiritual rest and the rest in view here
in Hebrews 4, is entered into by faith or by believing. The only way it is entered into
is by faith, is by believing. Robert Morey, in an article against
the so-called Christian Sabbath position, wrote this, and I thought
it was good, quote, Hebrews 4, is a passage which shows that
God's Sabbath was an eschatological foreshadowing of the believer's
rest in the gospel salvation by the blood of Jesus Christ."
We cover other points from this passage. Look at verse 9, for
example, that remains, therefore, a rest for the people of God."
Emphasis upon the word rest. We see the alternate reading
here in the margin. Very interesting if you look
at it. The reading in the margin is
keeping of a Sabbath. So that remains the keeping of
a Sabbath. I looked in the new, the NIV
has it, a Sabbath rest, a Sabbath-on here for the people of God. John Brown and others have noticed
the fact that the Apostle uses here a different word altogether
than he has used earlier in verse 9. It is a word different from
the word rest that we have met with earlier in the passage of
Scripture. In the third and fourth chapters,
a different word is used than that one here in verse 9. The
word in verse 9 is the word sabbatism, the repose, the rest. This is not a day, but a perpetual
rest or repose. And this sabbatismos is both
in addition and a contrast from the other rest mentioned earlier
throughout the passage. This is a unique rest. It is a perpetual duration. It is entered into by believing
or by faith. Now in searching through the
concordance and studying For I could not find another place
in the New Testament where this word is used again in all of
the New Testament. Perhaps you've thought of the
words of the Lord in the end of Matthew's Gospel chapter 11. I think I'll turn there and let's
read them. Matthew chapter 11 and verse
28 through verse 30, a rather well-known passage of Scripture. The Lord says to them, Come unto
me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest. Take my yoke upon you, learn
of me. For I'm meek and lowly in heart,
and you shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy,
and my burden is light." These words are not a so-called free
offer of the gospel, not to whirlings, not to hypocrites with their
way of life and religion, but to those who labor and are heavy
laden, and who are bowed down under an insurmountable burden. This text is like that one in
Isaiah 55 and verse 1. Oh, everyone that thirsts, come
and buy without price. John 7, 37. The Lord stood and
said, Oh, if any man thirsts, let him come unto me and drink. We have Revelation 3 and verse
20, if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come
in and suck with him. Here in Matthew 11, 28 and 29,
the Lord includes those who are bearing heavy burdens, and perhaps he
has in mind some of those heavy burdens of the Pharisees' traditions
and commandments of men that were put down upon them that
they were intended to bear. Heavy burdens, grievous to be
borne, they laid on men's shoulder without giving relief at all. Christ sets free, not only from
sin, but from the bondage of religion. and tradition, and
religious traditions as well. Christ promised them, rest unto
your soul. It is impossible to relegate
Christianity to a day. It is impossible to relegate
the Christian life unto a Sabbath day, just as it is impossible
to relegate the birth of Christ to a day, Christmas, or Easter,
the resurrection to a day that we call Easter, or relegate our
life to a birthday, ever now and then. Our rest is a rest
of soul. And our rest comes through a
person, not a day, not through a ceremony, but through a person,
the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who is the rest of our soul,
and whosoever believes on him enters into that gospel rest. Let me call it that. It is a
gospel rest that our Lord gives unto us. And I believe this is
the rest that David was talking about. There is yet a rest for
the people of God. And it's not a day, and it's
not in a land, and it's not in ceremonies. It is in the blessed
Son of God, our blessed Savior, who promised to give rest to
the souls of they who heavy laden, burdened down, come to Him and
find relief. that his burden is easy and his
yoke is light. Thank God for that rest, that
rest of soul. And then it is just a prelude
to that eternal rest that awaits every child of God when they
lay off the flesh, lay aside the burdens and trials of this
life, and rest from their labor in the presence of the Savior
forever and forever.