Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Hebrews 4:1-10

1 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. 3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,

"So I declared on oath in my anger,
'They shall never enter my rest.' "

And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: "On the seventh day God rested from all his work." 5 And again in the passage above he says, "They shall never enter my rest."
6 Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, 7 God again set a certain day, calling it "Today." This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted: 
 "Today, if you hear his voice, 
 do not harden your hearts."
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for those who enter God's rest also rest from their own work, just as God did from his.

Questions to consider:

  • Upon what basis is the author convinced that believers can now enter God’s rest?
  • What is the purpose of the illustration of creation in the discussion of rest?
  • Expand the meaning of God’s rest.
  • What is the qualification for entering that rest?
  • What are two events that allow a person to enter God’s rest?

Possibilities for prayer:

Rest is a concept that people in New Haven especially seem to have a difficult time actually embracing. We are often caught up in the various things that we have going on, things that we have deemed important (and in a certain sense, likely are). But God allows us rest, rest that is found in Him and is better even than rest in the human sense. Today, let’s pray against the hardening of our hearts, that we might be among those people able to enter into and truly experience the rest that God has to offer.