And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
Here God's rest means the promised land. It is also the heavenly Canaan lying directly before His people, and standing on its very borders is not enough to enter it.
God barred the wilderness generation from His rest by oath because their repeated disobedience grieved Him. Only Caleb and Joshua, the two who wholly followed Him, were spared to enter. God would have led Israel into that rest sooner if they had submitted to Him and trusted His leading. Israel knew God's ways because the truth had been repeatedly taught, yet they did not follow it but turned instead to human wisdom.
Disobedience and rejection of God's warnings, refusal of His truth through unbelief, and refusal of His leading keep people from entering His rest, so God's promise of rest is not fulfilled for them. Like Israel, later people are warned not to repeat that failure, for those who refuse through unbelief will fail to enter rest. Those given increasing light and abundant privileges and opportunities must keep advancing onward and upward in purity and holiness by faithfully improving entrusted talents in self-denial and self-sacrifice and becoming channels of light to the world. Where much is given much is required, and those who do not advance go backward and fail to enter the rest.
Here God's rest means the promised land. It is also the heavenly Canaan lying directly before His people, and standing on its very borders is not enough to enter it.
God barred the wilderness generation from His rest by oath because their repeated disobedience grieved Him. Only Caleb and Joshua, the two who wholly followed Him, were spared to enter. God would have led Israel into that rest sooner if they had submitted to Him and trusted His leading. Israel knew God's ways because the truth had been repeatedly taught, yet they did not follow it but turned instead to human wisdom.
Disobedience and rejection of God's warnings, refusal of His truth through unbelief, and refusal of His leading keep people from entering His rest, so God's promise of rest is not fulfilled for them. Like Israel, later people are warned not to repeat that failure, for those who refuse through unbelief will fail to enter rest. Those given increasing light and abundant privileges and opportunities must keep advancing onward and upward in purity and holiness by faithfully improving entrusted talents in self-denial and self-sacrifice and becoming channels of light to the world. Where much is given much is required, and those who do not advance go backward and fail to enter the rest.