Hebrews 4

Today we are digging into Hebrews chapter 4. You can read it in your own Bible, or click the link here.

Just as we saw with chapters 2 and 3, chapter 4 begins with the word “therefore.” We can clearly see the author making a point and then building on it in the next section. Chapter 3 emphasized that those who rebel against God will not enter His rest. And “therefore,” chapter 4 urges the reader to enter the rest we have through Jesus. The author is afraid the recipients of this letter will be just like the Israelites in the wilderness, missing out on God’s rest and God’s best.

In verses 2-3a we read: For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’”

The words in verse 3a might sound familiar. The author is again quoting Psalm 95, as he did in the prior chapter. In these verses we are reminded that hearing the gospel alone will not save us. We must trust God’s promises by faith, just as the saints of the past did.

“The message of salvation was not different for those in the Old Testament. Regrettably, many false teachers have pointed to the numerous commands in the Old Testament and argued that works saved old covenant saints, but now, by the work of Christ, grace saves new covenant saints. This text, however, demonstrates that the same ‘good news’ preached in the new covenant was also preached in the old covenant. Of course, now that Christ has come and fully revealed the Father (John 14:8-9), new covenant believers have a fuller picture and a greater understanding of how God has acted to save. Nevertheless, old covenant saints were saved by faith in the promises of God just as we are today. Paul makes this clear in Romans 4:1-25 when he argues that Abraham was justified by faith.” [1]

This was true for Abraham, this was true for the Israelites in the desert, this was true for those who originally received this epistle, and this is true for us today.

The author then reminds us that God’s rest is not a new idea. Verses 3b-4 say: “His works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: ‘And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.’”

God’s promised rest has always been part of His plan. Even before Jesus came to earth, those in the Old Testament were called to trust God’s promises by faith. And when Jesus came, He fulfilled God’s redemptive plan and revealed the fullness of the rest God had promised.

If God’s rest is entered by faith, what does living by faith actually look like?

Living by faith means trusting Jesus daily. The recipients of this letter were struggling and tempted to turn away from Jesus. While we might not necessarily turn away from our faith, there are other ways we could turn away from His grace. We might try to fix things on our own because we think God isn’t working quickly enough. We might sink into our worries because we can’t comprehend how God will come through for us. Walking by faith means learning to trust the Lord with all we face in life.

When we place our faith in Christ, His rest begins to reshape every area of our lives. We aren’t merely promised heaven someday—we are invited to experience His rest today.

We can rest in His salvation. We don’t have to work to earn grace.
We can rest in His goodness. He is our provider and protector.
We can rest in His love. He always wants what’s best for us.
We can rest in His promises. He is always making a way for us.

“God’s peace is the rest that comes when we know our lives and our future are in the hands of Someone who is far more capable than us. The world thinks peace is a state we create by our efforts, but Christ offers us peace and asks us to let nothing keep us from entering it. It’s his peace that we get to enjoy.” [2]

Verses 5-6 say: “And again in this passage he said, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’ Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience.”

The author quotes Psalm 95 again to remind the reader that God’s rest was still available long after the Israelites wandered in the desert. Although many failed to enter because of unbelief, the invitation to enter His rest still remains for those who respond in faith.

In verse 7, the author stresses the importance of today. Today is the day when we must respond by faith. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring.

In verse 8 we see Joshua mentioned for the first time, pointing out how Joshua was the one to lead the Israelites into the promised land. Yet Joshua did not lead them into God’s rest. We enter into God’s rest through Jesus. This is the whole point of this letter – to remind the readers that Jesus is always our answer.

Notice the point in verse 9: “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.” Even as we experience God’s peace today, we also look forward to the day when we will enter His eternal rest completely in His presence.

Verse 11 tells us, “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” The word “strive” here might sound as though we are working to earn our salvation. However, the opposite is true. The author is urging believers to persevere in faith and not follow Israel’s example of unbelief. Our effort is not to earn salvation, but to continue trusting Christ rather than drifting away from Him.

Verse 12 might be familiar to you: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

In the context of Hebrews, God’s Word exposes whether our faith is genuine. It searches our hearts, revealing both our unbelief and our need for His grace.

Verse 13 builds off of verse 12 saying, “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

We are reminded that God always sees us. There is nothing we can hide from Him. While that might sound frightening, the author doesn’t leave us there. Instead, he immediately points us to Jesus, our great High Priest. Jesus understands our weaknesses because He was tempted just as we are, yet unlike us, He never sinned. Therefore, even though God can see everything, we need not fear. Instead, we can run to Jesus, knowing He welcomes us with mercy and grace.

Verse 15 tells us that Jesus can sympathize with us in our times of weakness. “The word sympathize is made up of two Greek words meaning ‘with’ and ‘suffer.’ The idea is that Jesus not only sees our suffering from the outside but also enters into our suffering and makes it His own. Jesus actually shares the experience of our suffering!” [3]

And verse 16 tells us that, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

I appreciate that this verse reminds us of the mercy and grace God offers. “All the blessings of God can be organized in two categories – grace and mercy. Grace is God’s giving us what we do not deserve. Mercy is God withholding from us what we do deserve.” [4] May our hearts overflow with gratitude!

Through Hebrews chapter 4, we are reminded of the importance of responding to God with faith and trust. We see the incredible gift of His promised rest. And because Jesus is our great High Priest, we don’t have to fear what God’s Word reveals about us. Instead, we can come confidently to Him, receive mercy and grace, and continue walking by faith until we enter His eternal rest.

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have a blessed week!

[1] Mohler, R. Albert, Jr. Exalting Jesus in Hebrews. Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2017.

[2] Lucado, Max. Life Lessons from Hebrews. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2018.

[3] Jeremiah, David. Hebrews: The Supremacy of Christ. Jeremiah Bible Study Series. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2021.

[4] Jeremiah, David. The God You May Not Know: Take the Journey from Knowing About God to Knowing God. San Diego, CA: Turning Point for God, 2018.

Unless noted otherwise, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.