4183 — The Rest That Remains
Please explain the rest spoken of in Hebrews 4. It seems to be spoken of in connection with the Sabbath rest,— verses 4 and 5. What other rest day did Jesus speak of? Verse 8. F. K. If we will read the context, including the last part of Hebrews 3, we will see the rest of which the apostle is speaking. God's people of old did not enter into His rest. God wanted to give them rest in Canaan — spiritual rest from sin, and physical rest in a land of peace. They could not get the physical rest in Canaan from their wars and foes, because they did not get the spiritual rest in God, and so we read in verse 2 of chapter 4 that "the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." The only hope man has of obtaining rest is in accepting the righteousness of God for his own righteousness (which is but sin), of God's works for his own works. This gives peace and rest in God. And the pledge that God will do this, is shown in the fact that God's work for the children of men — that is, His home for the children of men — is finished from the foundation of the world; and the constant pledge and memorial of this is the Sabbath day which He has given us. Now just as the earth was as it came from the hand of God, so God designed that His people should be before Him — very good, worthy of enjoying the beautiful home that He made for them. But man sinned; and yet God's plan still holds good. He still has the home in His own purpose, and that power by which He re-creates man will re-create the home; and the Sabbath day will still be the memorial of God's wonderful works for the children of men, and a pledge of His power to change or re-create. The word "Jesus" in verse 8 ought to be "Joshua." "Jesus" in Greek is the same as "Joshua" in Hebrew. You will note, if you have a Bible with marginal references, that the margin is "Joshua." Now Joshua did not give them rest when he led them into Canaan. If he had given them that perfect rest, another day would not have been mentioned; but inasmuch as he did not, God gave them no other time here in this world than to-day. And so it is mentioned in David, "To-day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts." To-day — every day as it comes — that is the "another day." We can find rest in God by yielding to Him through faith to-day. By and by all the children will be gathered home, and will enter upon that eternal physical rest of which the spiritual rest is the type. So "there remaineth therefore a rest," or the keeping of a Sabbath, which shall know no sin to the people of God. The scripture has nothing whatever to do with another Sabbath appointed in this world.