Hebrews 3:17-4:13 is titled Rest for the People of God.
Hebrews 4:9
So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did.
To understand this verse fully, I think it is important to go back to Genesis and look at when and how God rested.
Genesis 2:2-3 says “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested …. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it, God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
Genesis 2 names the following activities of God on the seventh day: finished, rested, blessed, and made it holy. God didn’t rest because he was TIRED, he had just completed his dwelling place. He was able to stop and rest because he had completed his purpose. The purpose of creation was not merely to house his creatures, but that he could dwell in all that he had made. The fact that these verses did not end with “and there was evening and there was morning” leads us to believe that the seventh day continues which brings us back to Hebrews 3-4.
Where did the Israelites believe they would find rest? Did they ever achieve it?
What does REST mean for us in these verses?
The Greek word for REST in these verses is sabbatismos and means: a blessed rest from toils and troubles looked for in the age to come by the true worshippers of God and true Christians.
How many of us work and work trying to achieve something – notoriety, accolades? We are involved in our churches and volunteer in various organizations. And we Wear. Ourselves. Out!
God wants us to REST in his arms. The promise he made when he welcomed us into his family. We don’t have to work for his acceptance and grace. He gives it freely. He wants us to live FULLY in him and let him live in US! He created us for that purpose!
Can you REST today knowing that you are a child of God?