Shortly after my oldest son started his business, a client flew him first-class out to the west coast and put him in one of the nicest suites in a five-star hotel. He called me excited about his room. I told him to enjoy the moment because after that first travel experience, all hotel rooms would be the same—just a place to rest. It didn’t take many trips before he understood my bit of wisdom. After traveling internationally for two decades, I have stayed in every kind of hotel from five-stars to minus five-stars. One was a bare room with just a surplus army cot and an open toilet and shower in one corner. But it was a place to rest after multiple airports and flying for a two days or bouncing around in a hot truck and eating dust all day on what some called roads.
All of us at some point can probably describe our spiritual journey like this, leaving us weary just needing some rest. The Bible refers to ‘rest’ over 300 times beginning in Genesis. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work (Gen 2:3). When the Lord gave Moses the Ten Commandments, He designated the seventh day as a day for man to rest from their physical labor. You shall work six days, but on the seventh day, you shall rest (Exo 34:21). By the time Jesus came, the Jews had made this commandment a heavy legalist burden with all the sub-laws they had added. When the Pharisees condemned Jesus and his disciples for doing what they taught was not lawful on the Sabbath, Jesus responded, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath (Mar 2:27).
The writer of Hebrews gives insight to the true meaning of the Sabbath. Physical rest under the Law was a picture of the spiritual rest we receive through Christ. During the time of the Law, the Jews were to cease from their physical labor one day each week in order to rest. Jesus fulfilled the Law and now believers can cease from their spiritual labor of seeking to please God by resting in Christ’s completed work. Just as the Lord finished His work of creation, Jesus finished the work of redemption. Note the word, finished. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work (Gen 2:2). Jesus’ last words on the cross were it is finished! (Joh 19:30).
After my early legalistic training, it has been only in recent years I have begun to understand and enter into His rest. Legalism makes it impossible to enter His rest. Rather it keeps you in a constant state of unrest always driving you to do more. Three things are required to enter His rest—ceasing from our own works, faith, and obedience. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His (Heb 4:10). God offered Israel rest in Canaan but they failed to enter because it was not united by faith in those who heard (4:2). They failed to enter because of disobedience (4:6).
The author of Hebrews makes what almost appears an oxymoron (self-contradictory statement). Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest (4:11). Other versions translate be diligent as make every effort, strive, labor, or exert ourselves, which sounds opposite of rest. The Message Bible best captures the meaning, So let’s keep at it and eventually arrive at the place of rest. Once after an eighteen-hour flight I was so tired I wanted to lay down on the floor in the airport lobby, but I knew, just a short bus ride would take me to my reserved hotel room. Every step pulling my heavy luggage was an increasing struggle, but I made every effort, strove, labored, and exerted myself until I was there in a room where I could rest.
As Christians, we have this promise, So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God (4:9). Jesus said, Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest (Mat 11:28). Fear can hinder us from entering rest. Israel feared the giants in Canaan although the Lord promised He would defeat them. We can fear ceasing from our own works and trusting the Holy Spirit. False teachers can prevent us from entering rest because they have never found rest for themselves. Note Jesus said, Come to Me. Jerimiah warned Israel they had become lost sheep led astray, and forgotten their resting place (Jer 50:6).
Rest is not a legalistic observance of one day; neither is it a place we occasionally enter; rather it is a constant state of existence. The Law proved that man could never work and labor enough to satisfy all the requirements. Jesus completed the work for us and provided a place in Him to rest. We may have to labor with all diligence to get beyond traditions, legalism, our fears, and false teaching but keep at it and you will arrive. Jesus’ place of rest is not a one-star or even a five-star. It is an infinite-sta
Sustaining Word for the Week: Are you spiritually weary? There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. The promise of entering his rest still stands (Heb 4:1 NIV).