And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
God swore in His wrath that those who did not believe should not enter into His rest, and it was their unbelief that shut them out. They were the generation brought out of Egypt by Moses who heard His voice and yet provoked Him, with whom He was grieved forty years because they sinned and disobeyed, until their carcasses fell in the wilderness. The rest denied them was the promised land of Canaan, the inheritance He designed for them, which stands for His rest of peace and joy. The oath warns believers today to take heed lest there be in any an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God, to harden not the heart as in the provocation, and to beware being hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Entering that rest and being made partakers of Christ depends on holding the beginning of confidence and the rejoicing of hope firm unto the end, exhorting one another daily while it is called Today, for the gospel profits only when mixed with faith in those who hear it.
The Oath and Wilderness
In His wrath God swore with an oath that those who believed not should not enter into His rest, and it was their unbelief that kept them from entering in. Those shut out were the generation that provoked Him after hearing Him when they came out of Egypt by Moses, with whom He was grieved forty years because they sinned and disobeyed, and whose carcasses fell in the wilderness. They could not enter in because of unbelief, having turned away from the living God through an unbelieving heart hardened by sin.
The rest from which they were barred was the promised land of Canaan, the inheritance God designed for them, which is also His rest of peace and joy for those who cooperate with Him in keeping their souls in His love. All but two of the adults who left Egypt died in the wilderness without seeing it, and nearly all perished while their children entered in. Only the two who wholly followed Him were excepted, only two of those over twenty being faithful enough to see the land.
God did not intend the long wandering, but would have brought them promptly and directly to the land if they had submitted to His leading and had loved Him, trusted Him, and followed Him. Faith in His words spoken by Christ and signified by the pillar of cloud would have given a very different history instead of a troubled one, enabling them to move forward in faith. Their children's later capture of Jericho declared that their fathers could have possessed the city forty years earlier if they had trusted God.
Their unbelief was rebellion despite clear evidence of His care, power, works, miracles, light, and truth kept before them again and again. It was shown in sin and disobedience, in wicked murmurings and jealousy that provoked His anger, and in pride and selfishness with failure to hear God's Word with faith and practise it so that the Word did not profit them. It was shown further in persistent backsliding, obstinate refusal of warnings, and idolatry including the golden calf, in letting appetite rule, and in divorcing from God to follow the wisdom of men not under God's direction. In this they rejected Christ Himself, who purposed to lead them from Egypt to Canaan, feeding them with manna and protecting them from harm.
Warning to Believe Today
The oath bars from rest those who do not believe, and it warns brethren to take heed lest there be in any an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. Hear His voice today and harden not the heart as in the provocation, and beware being hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Do not turn back from following God as Israel refused to go forward from Egypt, but remain confident in Christ to the end rather than turning away from Him. Being made partakers of Christ and entering rest depends on holding the beginning of confidence and the rejoicing of hope firm and steadfast unto the end. That holding fast requires exhorting one another daily while it is called Today, encouraging one another daily and remaining firm in confidence to the end.
Because a promise of entering His rest remains, there must be fear of seeming to come short of it. The gospel preached profits only when mixed with faith in those who hear it, so labor is needed to enter that rest lest any fall after the same example of unbelief. Jesus the Son of God as great High Priest passed into the heavens, touched with the feeling of human infirmities yet without sin, gives mercy and grace to help in time of need to those who come boldly to the throne of grace and hold fast their profession. The same danger of failing to enter rest because of unbelief remains, and the church must take heed not to repeat Israel's history. Professed Sabbath-keepers are warned that following Israel's sins and failing God's test can keep them from everlasting life and the heavenly Canaan. Those who claim to obey the truth while following Satan's principles and resisting God risk falling through the same unbelief.
The same spirit of unbelief and murmuring now withholds precious blessings hanging over believers that God wants them to receive and appreciate. Lack of faith shuts out what God would give. Soberly, meekly believing, trusting, using, practicing, receiving and appropriating the Word gives a precious experience, makes perfect in Christ who is righteousness, and makes wise unto salvation. Because Christ humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, and God has highly exalted Him, and a marvelous work has been wrought in behalf of sinners, depression, murmuring, and complaining must not be allowed, for they belong to the unbelief that shuts people out of God's rest.
God's people are to rely on Him alone, not to seek help from those who do not serve Him. They are warned not to persist in unbelief and impenitence, for God patiently calls the backsliding to repentance, but those who keep resisting the Spirit will be left to the results of their course. Careless inattention to the counsels of the Word loses connection with heaven and lets Satan come in as counsellor, and carelessness, self-seeking, self-indulgence, self-esteem, impatience and failure to be Christians in practice bring captivity to Satan, sin, stumbling and dishonor to God, while self-control makes straight paths for the feet lest the lame be turned out of the way. God still tests professed Christians on self-control as He tested the Hebrews, for professed Christians who let appetite rule them are not walking in God's favor. As Israel never left childhood ways and failed to overcome wrong traits of character, bringing the defects of childhood into the full stature of manhood and womanhood so the Lord could not fulfil His purpose through them, so the same unbelief today pierces Christ daily by dishonoring Him and refusing to do His will.
God swore in His wrath that those who did not believe should not enter into His rest, and it was their unbelief that shut them out. They were the generation brought out of Egypt by Moses who heard His voice and yet provoked Him, with whom He was grieved forty years because they sinned and disobeyed, until their carcasses fell in the wilderness. The rest denied them was the promised land of Canaan, the inheritance He designed for them, which stands for His rest of peace and joy. The oath warns believers today to take heed lest there be in any an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God, to harden not the heart as in the provocation, and to beware being hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Entering that rest and being made partakers of Christ depends on holding the beginning of confidence and the rejoicing of hope firm unto the end, exhorting one another daily while it is called Today, for the gospel profits only when mixed with faith in those who hear it.
The Oath and Wilderness
In His wrath God swore with an oath that those who believed not should not enter into His rest, and it was their unbelief that kept them from entering in. Those shut out were the generation that provoked Him after hearing Him when they came out of Egypt by Moses, with whom He was grieved forty years because they sinned and disobeyed, and whose carcasses fell in the wilderness. They could not enter in because of unbelief, having turned away from the living God through an unbelieving heart hardened by sin.
The rest from which they were barred was the promised land of Canaan, the inheritance God designed for them, which is also His rest of peace and joy for those who cooperate with Him in keeping their souls in His love. All but two of the adults who left Egypt died in the wilderness without seeing it, and nearly all perished while their children entered in. Only the two who wholly followed Him were excepted, only two of those over twenty being faithful enough to see the land.
God did not intend the long wandering, but would have brought them promptly and directly to the land if they had submitted to His leading and had loved Him, trusted Him, and followed Him. Faith in His words spoken by Christ and signified by the pillar of cloud would have given a very different history instead of a troubled one, enabling them to move forward in faith. Their children's later capture of Jericho declared that their fathers could have possessed the city forty years earlier if they had trusted God.
Their unbelief was rebellion despite clear evidence of His care, power, works, miracles, light, and truth kept before them again and again. It was shown in sin and disobedience, in wicked murmurings and jealousy that provoked His anger, and in pride and selfishness with failure to hear God's Word with faith and practise it so that the Word did not profit them. It was shown further in persistent backsliding, obstinate refusal of warnings, and idolatry including the golden calf, in letting appetite rule, and in divorcing from God to follow the wisdom of men not under God's direction. In this they rejected Christ Himself, who purposed to lead them from Egypt to Canaan, feeding them with manna and protecting them from harm.
Warning to Believe Today
The oath bars from rest those who do not believe, and it warns brethren to take heed lest there be in any an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. Hear His voice today and harden not the heart as in the provocation, and beware being hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Do not turn back from following God as Israel refused to go forward from Egypt, but remain confident in Christ to the end rather than turning away from Him. Being made partakers of Christ and entering rest depends on holding the beginning of confidence and the rejoicing of hope firm and steadfast unto the end. That holding fast requires exhorting one another daily while it is called Today, encouraging one another daily and remaining firm in confidence to the end.
Because a promise of entering His rest remains, there must be fear of seeming to come short of it. The gospel preached profits only when mixed with faith in those who hear it, so labor is needed to enter that rest lest any fall after the same example of unbelief. Jesus the Son of God as great High Priest passed into the heavens, touched with the feeling of human infirmities yet without sin, gives mercy and grace to help in time of need to those who come boldly to the throne of grace and hold fast their profession. The same danger of failing to enter rest because of unbelief remains, and the church must take heed not to repeat Israel's history. Professed Sabbath-keepers are warned that following Israel's sins and failing God's test can keep them from everlasting life and the heavenly Canaan. Those who claim to obey the truth while following Satan's principles and resisting God risk falling through the same unbelief.
The same spirit of unbelief and murmuring now withholds precious blessings hanging over believers that God wants them to receive and appreciate. Lack of faith shuts out what God would give. Soberly, meekly believing, trusting, using, practicing, receiving and appropriating the Word gives a precious experience, makes perfect in Christ who is righteousness, and makes wise unto salvation. Because Christ humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, and God has highly exalted Him, and a marvelous work has been wrought in behalf of sinners, depression, murmuring, and complaining must not be allowed, for they belong to the unbelief that shuts people out of God's rest.
God's people are to rely on Him alone, not to seek help from those who do not serve Him. They are warned not to persist in unbelief and impenitence, for God patiently calls the backsliding to repentance, but those who keep resisting the Spirit will be left to the results of their course. Careless inattention to the counsels of the Word loses connection with heaven and lets Satan come in as counsellor, and carelessness, self-seeking, self-indulgence, self-esteem, impatience and failure to be Christians in practice bring captivity to Satan, sin, stumbling and dishonor to God, while self-control makes straight paths for the feet lest the lame be turned out of the way. God still tests professed Christians on self-control as He tested the Hebrews, for professed Christians who let appetite rule them are not walking in God's favor. As Israel never left childhood ways and failed to overcome wrong traits of character, bringing the defects of childhood into the full stature of manhood and womanhood so the Lord could not fulfil His purpose through them, so the same unbelief today pierces Christ daily by dishonoring Him and refusing to do His will.