‭‭Iḇ`rim (Hebrews)‬ ‭4:1-11

“Therefore, since a promise remains of entering into His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.

For indeed the Good News was brought to us as well as to them, but the word which they heard did not profit them, not having been mixed with belief in those who heard it.

For we who have believed do enter into that rest, as He has said, “As I swore in My wrath, if they shall enter into My rest...” (See Psalms 95:11)

And yet His works have come into being from the foundation of the world. For somewhere He has said thus about the seventh day, “And Elohim rested on the seventh day from all His works,” and in this again, “If they shall enter into My rest…” (See Genesis 2:2 & Psalms 95:11)

Since then it remains for some to enter into it, and those who formerly received the Good News did not enter in because of disobedience,

He again defines a certain day, “Today,” saying through Dawiḏ so much later, as it has been said, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” (See Psalms 95:7-8)

For if Yehoshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that.

So there remains a Sabbath-keeping for the people of Elohim.

For the one, having entered into His rest, has himself also rested from his works, as Elohim rested from His own.

Let us therefore do our utmost to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience.”

Amen! Shabbat Shalom covenant keepers!

3 thoughts on “‭‭Iḇ`rim (Hebrews)‬ ‭4:1-11”

  1. Excellent – thanks for sharing. Here’s what I have found on the subject:

    First, Paul connects God’s ‘rest’ with the Promised Land – the obvious connection being the believer’s entrance into the Eternal Kingdom. Paul quotes Psalm 95:7-11 where God is saying:

      "That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known MY ways.  So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter MY REST [Greek: katapausis – RESTING PLACE].’"  (Psalm 95:7-11)

    (Paul uses the Greek word katapausis as the translation of the Hebrew word men·ü·khä’, which also means Resting PLACE.)

    And of course, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, that generation was not permitted to enter the Promised Land. Then Paul goes on to more fully explain why some people don’t get to enter God’s Resting Place:

                             "And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who SINNED [“Sin is the transgression of Torah.” 1John 3:4], whose bodies perished in the wilderness?  And to whom did God swear that they would never enter His rest [Greek: katapausis – Resting Place] if not to those who DISOBEYED?  So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their UNBELIEF [Greek: apistia – UNFAITHFULNESS; i.e., DISOBEDIENCE].'"  (Heb 3:17-19)

    The first recorded unfaithfulness and disobedience in the Exodus occurred right after God parted the sea. It concerned Sabbath-observance. BEFORE the covenant was made at Mt. Sinai, the scriptures record:

          "Then said YHVH unto Moses, 'Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my instructions or no.'" (Gen 16:4)

    God went on to explain that the people were to gather twice as much manna on the 6th day and then they were to rest on the 7th day. As we know, they failed the test, because ‘some of the people’ ignored the 7th-day-rest and went out to gather manna. (Gen 16:27-28)

    Finally, Paul explains to his readers what we can do in order to pass the test so we can enter God’s Resting Place (the Eternal Kingdom):

          "There REMAINS, then, a Sabbath-rest [Greek: SABBATISMOS – A KEEPING OF THE SABBATH DAY, Strong’s 4520]  for the people of God; for ANYONE who enters God’s REST [Greek: katapausis – Resting PLACE] ALSO rests from their works [Greek: ergon – business, employment] [implied: on the 7th day], just as God did from his [implied: on the 7th day].  Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest [Greek: katapausis – Resting PLACE, Eternal Kingdom], so that no one will perish by following their [the wilderness Israelites’] example of DISOBEDIENCE [implied: of the Sabbath/Torah commands].  For the word of God [only the OT existed at the time Paul wrote] is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Heb 4:9-12) [See Jeremiah 17:10]

    That’s pretty plain and direct. Easy to re-state, too:

    There REMAINS a keeping (observance) of the Sabbath, because anyone who enters God’s katapausis (Resting Place, i.e. His Eternal Kingdom) ALSO katapuos (rests) from his employment (on the 7th day), just like God did (on the 7th day of Creation). Let us make every effort to enter His Resting Place so that we will not perish for disobedience. We are to do as God instructs – we are not to follow the example of the disobedient Israelites (who ignored the Sabbath instructions). Our actions should agree with the instructions in the living and active OT, revealing that our hearts are in alignment with the Ways of the Almighty.

    “Entering that rest” has not yet been fully accomplished…. It is something we are to strive toward so that we will not perish and be forbidden to enter the Resting Place.

    Dear brother, like you, I look forward to entering my Savior’s Resting Place (katapausis – i.e., His Eternal Kingdom) through His Grace as He rewards my obedience, so I will uphold His Sabbath-KEEPING (Sabbatismos).

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