This past Sunday I had the immense privilege of preaching on Hebrews 4:1-11. This passage has nettled me for years and so I was glad for the opportunity to work through it. Praise God I think I figured it out. I have been so dissatisfied with some of the treatments of the text that I wanted to recommend another sermon and provide the text of my own sermon - and, of course, you're welcome to listen to my sermon here.
D.A. Carson gives an excellent overview of the text in this message at The Gospel Coalition.
Here is the text of my sermon - hopefully some will find it helpful.
Of Lambs and Elephants (2 Pet 3:15-16)
Gregory the Great, Bishop of
Rome from 590 until 604, is credited with comparing the sacred Scriptures to “a kind of river… which is both shallow and
deep, shallows where a lamb may wade and depths where an elephant may swim.”
The Scriptures, in other words, contain a remarkable diversity. Some things are
simple and straightforward, requiring little skill to grasp. Others are
complicated and challenging, requiring rigorous study and careful meditation. The
Scriptures themselves acknowledge this diversity. Peter writes about Paul’s letters,
for example, that there are in them “some
things hard to understand…”
Unfortunately, many American
Christians, especially evangelicals, have in recent years confined themselves
exclusively to the shallows – even claiming at times that it is sinful or wrong
to try and plumb the depths. Consequently, our sermons are often trite and
simplistic; our devotion to intellectual pursuits is often negligible; and our
theological depth is frequently superficial.
This tendency to stay in the
shallows – and to boast of staying in the shallows – is not something that the
book of Hebrews countenances. Indeed, Paul rebukes his audience for failing to
go deeper in their grasp of the faith. He writes (5:12) that “Though by this time you ought to be
teachers, you need someone to teach you again…” – and this, he insists, is
a shameful thing. We are to press toward maturity with our minds as well as
with our hearts.
I say all this by way of
introduction to our text today (4:1-13) because it is one of the most
challenging texts in Hebrews, it is a deep part of the river. It requires a
great deal of concentration, attention, and meditation in order to understand
it aright. For years now I have attempted to get my mind around this text – I
think I’ve got it now; but I’m not positive. The main points, the shallows, are
easy to grasp. But there are depths here that are very challenging. And Paul
doesn’t apologize. He insists that it is our obligation as disciples of Jesus
to understand and apply this word in our lives. There is no such thing as
Christianity-lite. We are all called to serve Christ to the best of our mental
ability. So don’t expect today’s sermon to be easy – it will most likely
reflect the text I’m preaching. But it is the Word of God and worthy of our attention.
II.
God’s Rest
A.
Overview (cf. 1
Cor 10:1-5)
As I
already indicated, this passage is one of the more challenging in Paul’s letter
to the Hebrews. Let’s attempt, first, to get an overview of the text and then
we’ll look in more detail at Paul’s argument and conclusion.
I
think that part of the reason this text is challenging for us is that we moderns
do not know how to read the Old Testament typologically. Let me illustrate with
a parallel passage. In 1 Corinthians 10 Paul compares the church to the Jews in
the wilderness period – the very thing he is doing here in Hebrews 3-4. I want
you to notice some of the comments Paul makes in that passage that will perhaps
assist our study of Hebrews: READ 1 Cor 10:1-5
Paul
writes that our fathers in coming out of Egypt and passing through the
wilderness were a type – a picture, an anticipation, a shadow - of the church. NB
verse 11: Now all these things happened
to them as types, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends
of the ages have come. In other words, Paul tells the Corinthians, by
observing Israel’s history, we can learn the particular challenges and dangers we will face as God’s people. So notice
the things that Paul sees when he looks at the wilderness story:
v.2 - Our fathers were “baptized” into Moses and the sea – Baptism
v.3 - They ate spiritual food and drink spiritual drink – the Eucharist
v. 4- They drank from the Rock – Christ
Nevertheless, they died in the
wilderness
Note
that in reading the wilderness narrative, Paul sees Christ and the church at
the center of it. Christ was leading them; they had essentially the same
sacraments we do; so we must be careful to learn from these incidents. Now how many
of us, when reading our OT, read with this perspective? Would we have seen
Christ there? Seen baptism and the Lord’s Supper there? Not likely. And this
inability to read typologically dogs us as we approach Hebrews 4 – for Paul is using this same typological framework
to read the wilderness narrative again. Christ and His people, His Church,
are at the center of the OT.
So
let us return to Hebrews where Paul is discussing the same wilderness incident
through the lens of Psalm 95 and warning his
generation even as the psalmist had warned his:
Beware lest you harden your hearts like
our fathers. Take care! Don’t imitate their unbelief! Don’t die in the
wilderness!
Now here’s
a question you should be asking of the biblical text – but which we frequently
don’t because “This is the Bible and we can’t ask questions!” But questions are
absolutely necessary. When we’re
reading the Bible, in order to understand we need to ask good, penetrating
questions of the text. So here’s the question we need to ask: why must the
psalmist’s generation, why must Paul’s generation, why must we beware lest we
harden our hearts? Well, the texts say, remember what happened when our fathers
hardened their hearts - they failed to enter God’s rest; they died in the
wilderness. So beware lest you harden your heart. But again we ask: why? After
all, the psalmist’s generation wasn’t on the cusp of entering into the land of
Canaan – they were already in it; Paul’s generation wasn’t – they’d been in it
for generations; we aren’t – we don’t even live close to it. What relevance
does the wilderness judgment have for each of these generations? Much, if we’re
thinking typologically.
Consider:
from what were our fathers excluded? Well notice what God says in the text (4:3): “So I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter My rest.” Note
that the fathers were excluded from God’s
Rest. Now when God excluded our fathers from the Promised Land, was the
Promised Land synonymous with God’s Rest?
They didn’t get to enter into God’s
Rest, that is, they didn’t get to enter the land of Canaan? No! That
doesn’t seem right. How could God’s Rest
be limited to the land of Canaan? Ah, now you’re on to something – you’re on to
the same thing that the psalmist saw, that Paul saw: the land of Canaan was a
mere type, an anticipation of the true
rest that God was offering our fathers. Their failure to enter the Promised
Land was symptomatic of their failure to enter God’s Rest. They did not believe God, did not live in
anticipation of His promise to grant them true rest. So this is why the
psalmist reissues an invitation to God’s
Rest to his generation. The rest
from which the fathers were excluded was a rest that remained accessible to the
psalmist’s generation – unlike their fathers they could enter into God’s Rest – and, Paul writes, so
can we.
So notice
the typological connections: rest in the land of Canaan was a type of the
ultimate rest that God has promised to those who trust Him. Just as the Rock
pointed to Christ; just as the passage through the Red Sea pointed to baptism;
just as the manna and water pointed to the Eucharist, so the rest in Canaan pointed
to the final resurrection. Canaan Rest was a mere type of the Resurrection Rest
that God has promised to those who love Him. And it is this Rest that remained
open in the psalmist’s day, this rest that remained open in Paul’s day, this rest
that remains open in our day. So long as it is called “Today” this Rest remains
accessible. Therefore, we must be diligent to enter that Rest.
B.
Basic Structure
So
with this overview of what Paul is saying – let’s look at the way Paul says it.
Paul’s words are organized as a sandwich. He gives an exhortation in v. 1 that
he repeats in v. 11. Between these exhortations he gives his rationale. So let
us begin by looking at his exhortation.
1.
Paul’s
Exhortation (vv. 1, 11)
We
begin in v. 1 - Therefore, since a
promise remains of entering His rest – notice that immediately Paul is
highlighting that the rest held out to the fathers continues to remain open to
the present. By warning his hearers, “Today,
if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…” the
psalmist is indicating that God holds out the promise of rest for the psalmist’s generation even as He did
for the fathers in the wilderness. And Paul’s point is that this promise
continues to his own day. A promise
remains of entering God’s rest.
Therefore,
since this promise remains, since God continues to hold out to His people the
prospect of entering His rest,
let us fear lest any of you seem to have
come short of it. This command represents the heart of Paul’s message here
in Hebrews 4. The command in v. 1 – let
us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it – is reiterated in v.
11 – Therefore, let us be diligent to
enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of
disobedience. Paul is reiterating the necessity of perseverance. Do not
grow weary – don’t turn back; don’t drift away; don’t harden your hearts. All
these commands serve the same basic function – Paul is reminding his readers of
the absolute necessity of perseverance. Persevering in the faith is not an
option; if we fail to persevere then we will not enter into God’s rest.
2.
Paul’s Rationale
(vv. 2-10)
Between
these two exhortations, the bread on either side, Paul substantiates his
assertion that a promise remains of entering God’s rest. After all, if the rest
does not exist, then what’s the point exhorting us to enter into it? It would
be the equivalent of urging us to make our way to the land of Oz – a vain
journey since no such country exists except in fairy tales. So Paul wants us to
understand that the rest toward which we are pressing is not some fictional
country but a real place. Note that this is the point of the word “for” (v.2,
3, 4, 8) – Paul is giving the rationale for his assertion that a promise remains of entering God’s rest.
Paul’s
rationale is very elaborate and difficult to follow. I will do my best to
explain it –but if my explanation goes over your head just remember that the
issue is with the text. This is “hard to
understand.” Nevertheless the central thrust of Paul’s comments is clear
and it is this: Scripture demonstrates that God’s
rest, begun at the beginning of creation, continues to be open and accessible
to those who believe.
So
look at Paul’s argument. It is divided into two main sections: in vv. 2-5 he
insists that the rest from which our fathers were excluded is a rest that has
existed from the beginning of creation; then in vv. 6-8 he insists that it is
to this rest that Psalm 95 invites God’s people; in vv. 9-10 he states his
conclusion: this rest remains open to us.
a.
The Origin of
God’s Rest (vv. 2-5)
So
let us look first at the origin of God’s Rest – Paul insists that the rest from
which our fathers were excluded is a rest that has existed from the beginning
of creation.
·
We have had the
gospel preached to us just as they did – God said to them – “I will bring you into a land of milk and
honey and I will give you rest from your enemies”; Jesus says to us,
“Come to me, all who are weary and heavy
laden and I will give you rest.” We receive the same invitation they
did – the invitation to enter into God’s rest.
·
But the fathers
didn’t enter this rest because they didn’t believe God’s word; “No, God’s not going to bring us into the
land of milk and honey, he is going to destroy us here in the wilderness.”
·
But those who
believe do enter the rest - witness Joshua and Caleb who said, If the Lord delights in us, then He will
bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and
honey.
·
So notice the
wording of the psalm - “they shall not
enter My rest” – God is making a distinction; some are entering into the
rest and others are not. So what is this rest? It’s God’s Rest.
·
And where else
does Scripture speak of God’s rest? In Genesis. So note Paul’s words, “And yet this rest (that some entered and
others did not) has been accessible from the beginning of creation” – it
wasn’t something that originated after the Exodus. It was something that
existed from the beginning of creation into
which the fathers were invited to enter. After all, what does it say in
Genesis? On the 7th Day, God rested from
all His works.
·
And it is from
this rest, God’s Rest, this
creational rest, that God excludes the unbelieving.
Note,
therefore, that the rest from which God excluded our fathers was the rest into
which He Himself had entered upon finishing the creation. It wasn’t primarily
the land of Canaan that they missed out upon – it was God’s rest to which the
land of Canaan pointed. God’s Rest
originated at the beginning of creation.
b.
The Invitation to
God’s Rest (vv. 6-8)
But
the psalmist didn’t warn his readers to no end, to no purpose. He wasn’t just
issuing the warning for fun. Why is he warning his generation about the failure
of our fathers to enter God’s rest? Because God’s rest remained open to them: Today if you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts. The invitation to enter God’s Rest was still open in the psalmist’s day. Notice
Paul:
6a
– Since therefore it remains that some
must enter it – since God’s rest remains open and accessible;
6b
– And since our fathers failed to enter it because of disobedience and
unbelief;
7a
– God reissued the invitation through David saying, “Today”
7b
– if you hear His voice do not harden
your hearts
God
continued, through the psalmist, to invite His people to enter into His Rest, the rest that had been
established since the foundation of the world. You see when God preached the
Gospel to our fathers – I will bring you
into a land of milk and honey and grant you rest from all your enemies
– he wasn’t just inviting them into Canaan. The rest in Canaan was a mere type
or picture of the rest God was promising. For (8) if the rest which God
promised our fathers was exhausted by entering into Canaan, then God wouldn’t
have spoken of another rest much later through David.
c.
Conclusion (vv.
9-10)
Notice,
therefore, Paul’s conclusion in v.9 – There remains, therefore, a Sabbath rest
for the people of God. So long as it is called “Today” we can enter into God’s
Rest. There will come a time when the strenuous push to persevere is completed;
when our sanctification, now begun, ends in glory. At that time we will be able
to rest; to concern ourselves no longer with the constant need for vigilance
and perseverance. Just as God completed His labor and rested, so our labor will
be complete. But it’s not complete yet! So (v.11) let us be diligent to enter
that rest!
C.
Meaning of God’s
Rest
What
then is this rest to which Paul is pointing? As I’ve already indicated, the
rest to which Paul points is the resurrection – when Christ returns in glory,
the dead are raised, and we are transformed into glory. This is evident from a
comparison of chapters 3&4 with chapters 1&2. Remember the flow of
Paul’s words in chapters 1&2:
1:5-14
- Demonstration: Jesus is the Exalted
King, God’s Son
2:1-4 - Warning: Beware Drifting Away
2:5-18 - Why
should we beware falling away? Because the mission of the Son of God is to
bring us to glory & honor; to teach us to rule; to make us fully human. Remember
2:10-11: “For it was fitting for Him, for
whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to
glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of
one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren…”
Notice
now the similarity with this new section:
3:1-6
– Demonstration: Jesus is the Exalted Prophet, Greater Moses
3:7-19
– Warning: Do not harden your hearts
4:1-13
– Why should we beware hardening our
hearts? Because Jesus has put before us the promise of rest, the promise of
glory and honor. The promise of rest, therefore, is the promise of our ultimate
exaltation. When we are crowned with glory and honor we will sit down just like
our elder brother; we will enter into our rest. Rest, in other words, equals glory
and honor, equals resurrection.
So let us close with two
brief observations/applications:
·
Consider,
brothers and sisters, what God has placed before us: rest. Not mere cessation
of activity but rest, enjoyment, satisfaction, delight, fullness of joy. Is not
God good and gracious? Despite our rebellion against Him, He has provided for
us a way to enter into rest; to no longer be harassed by our enemies – the
world, the flesh, the devil and those various folks in league with these
forces. God promises us rest. We’ll consider this more next week.
·
In light of this
promise, the promise of entering God’s rest, let us fear lest any of us come
short, lest we miss out on that which as human beings we all long for without
knowing it. We all long for rest, peace, delight, and enjoyment. We labor for
it; we sin trying to achieve it; we destroy others to try and grab hold of it.
And the sober reality is this: it is possible to miss it. Our fathers missed it
and we can too. So let us be diligent to enter that rest.
III.
Conclusion
To remind us of the nature of
this rest toward which we are pressing, this rest we are striving toward, God
invites us to this feast, to this Table. He invites us to eat with Him. But it’s
a feast not open to all: it is open only to His people, reminding us that the
final meal too is not universal. There are some who will have no part in that
feast even as there are some who have no right to this one. So let us be
diligent to enter that Rest even as we come here to this anticipation of it.
